GB2331022A - Swings - Google Patents

Abstract

A swing comprises upright members (10, 11, 12) standing independently of one another at their upper ends, with respective suspense elements (23-26) carried by support members (13,14,16,17) extending laterally from the upper ends of the upright members towards one another.

Description

Title: SWINGS Description of Invention This invention relates to swings.

Conventionally a swing comprises two upstanding members, or structures such as A-frames, joined at or near their upper ends by a cross-bar from which a seat or other user-carrying member is suspended by chains or other suspense elements. Such a construction of swing is robust and well able to withstand the harsh treatment imposed on it by children at play or even when used (usually without authorisation) by adults, but it suffers from a disadvantage in that the seat can be passed over the top of the cross-bar repeatedly until the seat-supporting chains are wrapped around the cross-bar.

This is something which frequently is done as an act of petty vandalism to swings in public places, and necessitates the attendance of personnel to restore the swings to their normal condition before they can be used again.

It is broadly the object of the present invention to provide a swing in which this disadvantage is overcome or reduced.

According to the present invention, I provide a swing comprising two spaced upright members standing independently of one another at their upper ends; respective suspense elements connected at or adjacent said upper ends of said upright members; and a user-carrying member carried by said suspense elements for swinging movement between said upright members.

The upright members are preferably provided with respective support members extending laterally from the upright members towards one another, the suspense elements being supported from said support members. The support members desirably extend sufficiently far from the upright members to limit the angle between the suspense elements to the order of magnitude of that characteristically found in conventional swings.

Each upright member preferably is a hollow metal, e.g. steel, post, adapted to be set in the ground in a foundation of sufficient depth to resist forces likely to be imposed on it in normal use. However, it would be within the scope of the invention for each upright member to comprise two or more structural components secured to one another, e.g. in an A-frame arrangement, possibly with further bracing or reinforcing components.

In a swing according to the invention, by virtue of upright members standing independently of one another at their uppermost ends, there is no cross-bar and hence the above-described disadvantage of the presence thereof is obviated.

A plurality of swings in accordance with the invention may be disposed alongside one another, in which case an appropriate number of upright members may be arranged in a line, with respective user-canying members carried between each two adjacent upright members. In the line of upright members, intermediate ones thereof may each be provided with support members extending laterally in opposite directions therefrom, towards the adjacent upright members and their support members on opposite sides, while end ones of the upright members may each have one laterally extending support member, extending towards the adjacent intermediate upright member.

The suspense elements may comprise chains, while the user-carrying member or members may comprise seats or the like, of any type which generally is used in swings.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is a perspective view of a set of swings in accordance with the invention.

The drawing shows a set of two swings which comprises three upright members 10, 11, 12 in a line. Each of the upright members is a hollow metal post and, although not shown in the drawings, each of the upright members is set in the ground in a foundation of sufficient depth to hold it upright and resist forces likely to be imposed on it in use. They may have laterally extending parts or formations at or adjacent their lower ends, to provide increased firmness and security in such foundations. As illustrated, the upright members are of rectangular cross-sectional shape, although it will be appreciated that they could equally well be of any other cross-sectional shape.

The end ones 10, 12 of the upright members are provided at their uppermost ends with respective laterally extending support members 13, 14 directed towards one another, while the intermediate upright member 11 is provided at its upper end with a cross-piece 15 affording support members 16, 17 extending laterally on opposite sides of the upright member from one another, towards the support members 13, 14 respectively.

The support members 13, 16, 17, 14 are provided adjacent their free ends with downwardly extending attachment fittings 19, 20, 21, 22, respectively and these are connected by suitable shackle arrangements to the upper ends of suspense elements in the form of chains 23, 24, 25, 26, respectively. At their lower ends the chains 23, 24 bifurcate and are connected to a user-carrying member in the form of a seat 27, while the chains 25, 26 carry a seat 28.

If only a single swing were to be provided in accordance with the invention, the intermediate upright member 11 would be omitted and the upright member 10 or 12 would be positioned in place thereof, facing the upright member 12 or 10 as the case may be. It will also be apparent that a set of three or a higher number of swings could be provided, by utilising a sufficient number of intermediate upright members as 11.

While as illustrated the upright members are single posts, it would be possible for upright members each in the form of an A-frame or other assembly of individual structural components to be utilised. In any event, by virtue of the upright members standing independently of one another at their upper ends, without a cross-bar therebetween, the above described problem of the seatsupporting chains being wrapped around the cross-bar is obviated.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (12)

CLAIMS:

1. A swing comprising two spaced upright members standing independently of one another at their upper ends; respective suspense elements connected at or adjacent said upper ends of said upright members; and a user canying member carried by the suspense elements for swinging movement between said upright members.

2. A swing according to Claim I wherein the upright members are provided with respective support members extending laterally fi-om the upright members towards one another, the suspense elements being supported from said support members.

3. A swing according to Claim 2 wherein the suppoit members are provided adjacent their free ends with respective downwardly extending attachment fittings, to which the upper ends of the suspense elements are connected.

4. A swing according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each upright member is a post, adapted to be e set in the ground in a foundation.

5. A swing according to Claim 4 whel-ein each post has a laterally extending part or formation at or adjacent its lower end, for increasing firmness in said foundation.

6. A swing according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 therein each upright member comprises two or more structural components secured to one another.

7. A swing according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein each upright member comprises an A-frame.

8. A plurality of swings according to any one of the preceding claims disposed alongside one another, comprising a line of upright members with respective user carrying members carried between each two adjacent upright members, the or each intermediate upright member being provided with support members extending laterally therefi-om in opposite directions towards the adjacent upright members and end ones of the upright members each having one laterally extending support member extending towards the adjacent intermediate upright member.

9. A swing or plurality of swings according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the suspense elements comprise chains.

10. A swing or plurality of swings according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the or each user carrying member comprises a seat or the like.

11. A swing or a plurality of swings substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. Any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein and/or as shown in the accompanying drawing.