GB1558661A - Childrens slides - Google Patents

Description

(54) CHILDREN'S SLIDES (71) We, G.L.T. PRoDUCrS & EN GINEERING LIMITED, a British Company of Bridge Street, Wordsley, Stourbridge, West Midlands, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention is concerned with children's slides, particularly of the kind (hereinafter referred to as being of the kind specified) comprising a supporting assembly, a slip assembly secured to the supporting assembly and defining a channel having slip surfaces for sliding contact with a child using the slide.

A traditional children's slide of the kind specified comprises a supporting assembly consisting of a number of posts extending verically from a concrete base, and a number of mild steel plates secured to the tops of the posts. The slip assembly is provided by a number of overlapping sections of stainless steel plates, each being of a dished cross-section, comprising flat base portions and side wall portions which extend upwardly from the base portion on opposite sides thereof to define the channel, said sections being secured to the mild steel plates of the supporting assembly by the use of two kicking strips (also known as featheredge strips) of part-circular cross-section.

The kicking strips extend length-wise within the channel, being laid over the slip surface at the side margins of the base portion adjacent to the side wall portions, and being secured to the supporting assembly by rivets or bolts passing from the kicking strips through the stainless steel plates and into the mild steel plates.

Should the kicking strip fracture, it may easily be deformed in a manner such that it extends into the channel and could cause injury to children using the slide.

In addition, manufacture of slides of the kind set out in the last preceding paragraph but 1 requires the use of wide stainless steel plates pressed into the appropriate dished Qoss-section, despite the fact that it is necessary that only the base portion of the slip surface be of such high quality. Furthermore, should one portion only of a section of the slip assembly need replacing, due to wear or damage of such portion, it is necessary to replace the whole of the section.

This invention provides a children's slide of the kind specified, wherein the slip assembly comprises a base element extending over the supporting assembly and two side wall elements extending upwardly from the base element on opposite sides thereof, the slip assembly being secured to the supporting assembly by securing elements extending into the supporting assembly through portions of the side wall and base elements other than those portions thereof which provide the slip surfaces, whereby said securing elements lie wholly outside the channel.

Preferably the slide comprises a base assembly comprising a plurality of base elements, and the side walls extend from the base elements in mutually divergent relationship, and may be of galvanised mild steel. The supporting assembly may also comprise a plurality of mild steel plates (e.g. ten-gauge) supported by posts, and which preferably are horizontal in vertical cross-section. In this manner, the base assembly may be constructed of stainless steel plates curved in one plane only, which allows for the construction of the base assembly from plates not having been subjected to a pressing operation. This allows the use of a thinner guage stainless steel, and makes the opera tion of replacement of the base elements comparatively simple, without the necessity of using a cast supporting assembly.

In a construction of this kind, conveniently the base elements and the side wall elements are secured to the support plates generally in a plane containing the base elements.

However, if desired, the supporting assembly may be constructed of cast sections, the base assembly and the side wall elements being bolted to such cast sections wholly outside the sliding channel. In a construction of this kind, conveniently each base element is secured to each side wall element and to the supporting assembly generally in a plane containing the side wall element.

There will now be given a detailed description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of two preferred embodiments of this invention. It is appreciated that these embodiments have been selected to illustrate this in vention by way of example.

In the accompanying drawings: FIGURE 1 illustrates the construction of a conventional children's slide; FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of part of the slide shown in Figure 1; FIGURES 3 and 4 are sectional and perspective view of part of the children's slide which is the first embodiment of this invention; FIGURE 5 is a part-sectional view of the slide showing the wall construction at a curved part of the slide; and FIGURE 6 is a schematic view of part of the children's slide which is the sec ond embodiment of this invention In Figure 1, a slide of the kind specified of conventional manufacture is show4, comprising a supporting assembly, which includes a number of mild steel plates 42, to an upper surface of which a plural ity of stainless steel plates 44 of a dished cross-section are secured in overlapping relationship, said plates each comprising a base portion 46 and two side wall por tions 48, only one of which is shown The base portion 46 and side wall portions 48 define a channel A having slip sur faces for sliding contact with a child using the slide.The means to secure the stainless steel plates to the supporting assembly comprises two elongate kicking strips 50, extending the full length of the slide on opposite sides of the base portion 46, and secured by rivets 52 extending into the kicking strip through the plates 44 and into the supporting assembly, (see figure 2).

Thus, it will be appreciated that, should in use the kicking strip become broken, a broken end may be deformed generally into the channel A, and may consequently injure a child using the slide. In addition, there is a possibility in that vandals may insert a sharp or pointed article (such as a broken hacksaw blade, or a broken razor blade) between the kicking strip and the slip surface, with the possibility of consequent injury to children using the slide.

The children's slide which is the first embodiment of this invention (Figures 3, 4 and 5) comprises a supporting assembly prefabricated from a plurality of tenguage mild steel plates 2, extending across an upper surface of which is a base assembly comprising a plurality of base elements 4, afforded by overlapping sixteen-gauge stainless steel plates. The slide also comprises side wall elements extending upwardly from the base assembly on opposite sides thereof, only one, 6 of which is shown. To one end of each wall element a tube is welded, and an opposite end portion 12 of which is out-turned through approximately 120 .

The base elements 4 and one side wall element Q are secured at each side of the supporting assembly, to afford a slip assembly of the slide, generally in a plane containing the base element, by securing elements provided by boks 18. In this manner, the securing means is wholly outside a sliding channel denoted by the letter A, bounded by slip surfaces afforded by inwardly-facing surfaces of the side wall elements 6 and the surface 5 of the base element 4. Thus, the securing elements extend into the supporting assembly through portions of the side wall and base elements, other than those portions thereof which provide the slip surfaces, and should the bolts break or otherwise fail, no obstruction will be provided extending into the sliding channel A.

In addition, the plates of the base assembly are relatively narrow stainless steel plates which are curved only in one vertical plane; the side wall elements are sililarly relatively narrow, and can be prefabricated, and galvanised, without the necessity of unduly expensive equipment.

The construction illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 is conveniently utilised in the manufacture of straight sections of the slide.

At each curved section of the side, separate pre-formed wall elements 6' are ground welded at W to pre-formed outturned marginal sections 12' (see Figure 5).

In the second embodiment, a support ing assembly 22, in the form of a pre fabricated cast base, is used, and the base assembly is provided by a plurality of overlapping stainless steel plates 24, pro vided with down-turned side margins 25.

Each side wall 26 is secured, with one of said down-turned margins 25, to the supporting assembly 22 by securing elements in the form of bolts 28, said securement being generally in a plane containing the side wall 26. In this manner, the securing means is likewise wholly outside the sliding channel A, and ensures that the slide is inherently safer than conventional slides.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A children's slide of the kind specified, wherein the slip assembly comprises a base element extending over the sup porting assembly and two side wall elements extending upwardly from the base element on opposite sides thereof, the slip assembly being secured to the supporting assembly by securing elements extending into the supporting assembly through portions of the side wall and base elements other than those portions thereof which provide the slip surfaces, whereby said securing elements lie wholly outside the channel.

2. A children's slide according to Claim 1 wherein the supporting assembly comprises a plurality of support plates to which the slip assembly is secured.

3. A children's slide according to Claim 2 wherein the slip assembly is secured to the support plates generally in a plane containing the slip surface.

4. A children's slide according to Claim 1 wherein the supporting assembly comprises a plurality of cast base sections, to which the slip assembly is secured.

5. A children's slide according to Claim 4 wherein the base element is secured to each side wall element and to the supporting assembly on the one side thereof generally in a plane containing the said side wall element.

6. A children's slide according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the slip assembly comprises a plurality of base elements.

7. A children's slide constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A children's slide constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (8)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. vided with down-turned side margins 25. Each side wall 26 is secured, with one of said down-turned margins 25, to the supporting assembly 22 by securing elements in the form of bolts 28, said securement being generally in a plane containing the side wall 26. In this manner, the securing means is likewise wholly outside the sliding channel A, and ensures that the slide is inherently safer than conventional slides. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A children's slide of the kind specified, wherein the slip assembly comprises a base element extending over the sup porting assembly and two side wall elements extending upwardly from the base element on opposite sides thereof, the slip assembly being secured to the supporting assembly by securing elements extending into the supporting assembly through portions of the side wall and base elements other than those portions thereof which provide the slip surfaces, whereby said securing elements lie wholly outside the channel.

2. A children's slide according to Claim 1 wherein the supporting assembly comprises a plurality of support plates to which the slip assembly is secured.

3. A children's slide according to Claim 2 wherein the slip assembly is secured to the support plates generally in a plane containing the slip surface.

4. A children's slide according to Claim 1 wherein the supporting assembly comprises a plurality of cast base sections, to which the slip assembly is secured.

5. A children's slide according to Claim 4 wherein the base element is secured to each side wall element and to the supporting assembly on the one side thereof generally in a plane containing the said side wall element.

6. A children's slide according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the slip assembly comprises a plurality of base elements.

7. A children's slide constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A children's slide constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.