US2715935A - Baby jumper - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 23, 1955 L, BERRY, JR 2,715,935

BABY JUMPER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 2, 1954 INVENTOR LOUIS P. BERRY, JR..

BY Q? g ATTORNEX Aug. 23, 1955 1.. P. BERRY, JR 2,715,935

BABY JUMPER Filed March 2, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2:: 5 5 II 7 4 LOUIS P BERIFQC/EEKTOR [LU f) A L\ A q \X f 9 I BY- ficgi TTOR Us United States Patent 0 BABY JUMPER Louis P. 'Berry, Jr., Memphis, Tenn.

Application March 2, 1954, Serial No. 413,509

'8 Claims. (CL 155-17) This invention relates broadly to the art of chairs or Beats which "are resiliently and swingably mounted and "in its more specific aspects it relates to a chair or seat and its support which is of knock-down construction and is particularly adapted for bouncing a bady to keep it happy, safe and quiet while restricting its movements; and the'n'ature and objects of the invention will be readily recognized and understood by those skilled in the arts to which it relates in the light of the following explanation and detailed description -of the accompanying drawings illustrating what I at present believe to be the preferred embodiments or mechanical expressions of my invention from among various other forms, arrangements, combinations and Constructions, of which the invention is capable within the spirit and scope thereof.

' It is now awidespread practice to provide some means foramusing a baby Without requiring a persons attention and to restrict the movements of a baby who may be able to crawl while affording amusement to the child to keep it quiet, happy and safe. So called play pens are often used to restrict the movement of a child and also various "types of seats which are resiliently supported so that movements of the babys body will produce a bouncing of the seat and baby to thereby provide amusement and keep the baby happy.

Baby jumpers or bouncers of which I am aware involve a seat and a supporting organization therefor which includes springs of various types to provide the necessary resilient mounting means. These springs may take the form of the usual coiled springs, metal spring strips, rubber straps and the like and all are relatively expensive to produce and difiicult to assemble and usually result in a cumbersome expensive apparatus.

I have overcome many of the disadvantages which are inherent in prior art baby jumpers and have provided a baby jumper which provides the desirable spring or bounce eiiect without using any of the conventional types of springs in the supporting organization for the seat of my jumper.

It has been one of my primary purposes in devising this invention-to provide a'coll'apsible or knockdown baby juniper so 'that the apparatus may be taken apart and assembled rapidly and with case. In evolving this baby jumper I have provided an apparatus of relatively few parts sothat in disassembled condition it may be carried from place to place and will not be a transportation burden.

Since apparatuses of this general character must be assembled and disassembled inmany instances by women, it is highly desirable that these operations be effected in a relatively simple manner and I have so constructed and designed my baby jumper that the various elements thereof are assembled together into operative position without requiring the use of any screws, nuts, bolts, or the like and without requiring the use of any tools by the assembler. knockdown baby jumper which may be assembled and disassembled without requiring any special skills, as a I have also provided a collapsible or 2,715,935 Patented Aug. 23, 1955 matter of fact the assembly and disassembly of this apparatus is such a simple matter that it can be done without any difliculty whatsoever by a child.

In this application i have elected to illustrate and describe a baby jumper in which the spring or resilient efiect is achieved by the utilization of wooden staves or elements having the necessary inherent resilience, it 'is to be understood however that this baby jumper maybe constructed of materials other than wood and still fall within the spirit and scope of my invention. I have found that by using elements formed of wood I produce a much more economical apparatus which is of less weight and not so cumbersome as certain similar apparatuses constructed of other materials.

The apparatus of this invention involves a more or less conventional seat which may be made of fabric material and which is resiliently supported from a plurality of supporting elements. The baby easily bounces and swings itself in this seat and I have devised a unique and novel mounting and supporting arrangement for the various elements whereby the objectionable slapping of certain elements against other elements under the bouncing action of the baby is eliminated and this particular mounting arrangement which eliminates the objectionable slapping noises also serves as a connecting medium for certain of the elements whereby the collapsible or knockdown characteristic of the invention is greatly enhanced.

The baby supporting seat of my baby jumper is suspended from a plurality of flexible and resilient seat supporting uprights which are removably associated with certain members or spring arms of the base organization of the invention and I have achieved an unusually excellent spring effect by making such members of the base organization of a material such as wood having an inherent resilience so that by associating the seat supporting uprights with the ends of the flexible members of the base organization 1 approximately double the resiliency of the bouncing effect without unnecessarily and undesirably enlarging the entire apparatus. This relative relationship and inherent flexibility of the various members of my baby jumper result in this highly advantageous and simple structure.

Since the seat supporting resilient uprights are removably attached to the ends of the aforementioned resilient members of the base organization and since at this point of removable connection it is necessary to provide a strong and eflicient connecting means, I have provided a unique arrangement which expedites the assembly of the seat supporting uprights with the base organization and also when such assembly or connection is made provides an extremely strong and serviceable connection.

I have designed a baby jumper which is economical to produce and is endowed with sturdy and long lasting characteristics so that it will give many years of eflicient service.

With the foregoing general objects, features and results in view, as well as certain others which will be apparent from the following explanation, the invention consists in certain novel features in design, construction, mounting and combination of elements, as will be more fully and particularly referred to and specified hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a view in front elevation of my baby jumper in nonfiexed condition as it appears when a baby is not.

mounted in the seat.

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of my baby jumper with the flexible elements thereof flexed under the weight of a baby.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the baby jumper in normal nonfiexed condition.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the baby jumper in inoperative nonflexed condition.

7 provide a transverse hold-down member H and the base'member.

Fig. 6is a fragmentary view in perspective of one end of one of the spring arms, illustrating the elbow which removably connects a seat supporting upright to the end ofthe spring arm. i v

In the accompanying drawings I have used the numerals 1 and3'to designate a pair of longitudinally extending parallel rectangular base members which may be formed of wood and which are of substantially the same dimensions and form the baseof the apparatus and are adapted to rest on the floor, ground or other supporting surface when the-baby jumperis in assembled operative position.

' Substantially midway between the ends of the base members and adjacent each edge of each base member 1 and I 3 1 position and fix to the base member'a spacer strip 5, these spacer strips are of materially less length and width thanthe base members 1 and 3 so as to leave a substantial free area or recess 4 therebetween. In order to maintain for other reasons which will behercinafter explained I 7 which is mounted on and fixed to the pairs of spacer strips 5 to extend between the'base members and to provide a cover for the free area or recess 4 between the spacer strips It will be evident from consideration of the drawings that the width of member 7 is equal to the length of. the spacer strips. For a purpose to be hereinafter described I fix a block 9 to each base member midway between the ends of the free area or recess 4.

The; base organizationof my baby jumper not only includes the hereinabove described base members and transverse hold-down member but also includes four spring arm elements designated by the numeral 11. .Each

" spring arm element is of elongated linear configuration and is preferably formed of Wood such as oak so as to have an inherent resilience or flexibility and is constructed of a width slightly less than the width of therecesses 4 which are defined byand constitute the free areas between 7 the basemembers 1 and 3, the spacer strips 5 and the e transverse hold-down member. 'Each spring arm '11 is of a length so that when one end thereof is inserted Within the recess 4 in engagement .withthe stop block 9 the spring arm will extend a substantial distance beyond the ends of the base members 1 and 3 as will be described in detail hereinafter. p

As has been hereinbefore mentioned the seat supl porting uprights which will be'descn'b'ed in detail hereinafter are adapted to be removably mounted and sup- 1 ported from the outer ends of the spring arms, and I each spring arm 11 is of similarconstruction, and to. aiford strength and rigidity thereto are preferably formed of, metal such as galvanized sheet iron.- -Each' elbow is' formed with an outer wall 15 and with an inwardly ex tending flange 17 projecting from each vertical edge of V .the wall, and the bottom edges of these'flanges are preferably cut so as to taper upwardly as at 19 from the junction thereof withthe outer Wall 15. The bottom edge of the outer wall 15 maybe inwardly bent and formed as illustrated by dotted lines 21. Auielbow 13 is'fixed to the outer end of each spring arm by means of screws or the like 23 which extend through the flanges 17 and into the side edges of the spring arm as clearly illustrated in 7 It will be recognized that the flength of the outer wall 15 of each elbow is materially greater than the thickness of each spring arm 11 so that 'when the spring arms are operatively connected to and Fig. 6 of the drawings.

associated with the-base organization, the elbows 13 will act as supporting feet and will raise the spring arms some what above the supporting surface upon which the baby the base members 1 and 3 in proper parallel positions and will also illustrate that the elbows areso mounted on the end of the spring arms that the walls 15 of the elbows are spacedly related to theouter ends of the spring arms to provide 'a recess or socket 25.between the outer end of each spring arm and the inner surface of each wall 15."

As will appear hereinafter, this recess 25 is adapted to receive the lower end of a seat'supporting upright for its operative connection withthe base organization.

I provide four seatsupporting uprights designated genc rally by the numeral 27, each upright being preferably formed of wood such as oak having a degree of inherent resilience and these staves or seat supporting uprights are preferably upwardly tapered to provide a relatively narrow upper portion 29 and a relatively wide lower por tion 31.. The seat supporting uprights 27 may, if desired, be formed with a greater or less taper than that illustrated'in the drawings and may also be formed with a rounded upper end, for decorative purposes. :Eachseat supportingupright 27 is provid'edwith a book 33; which may be screwed into the upright adjacent to but slightly removed from the upper. end thereof, the .hook ,bein fastened to a flat side of the uprights. The baby seat which ispreferably used with my baby jumper is designated in its entirety by thenumeral'34 and is preferably ofa more or lessconventionaltype being formed of canvas or the like fabric and having a back forming section 35, a frontforming section 37, having a pair of legapertures 39 formed therein, and a 'seatportion 41.; The seat 34 is formed with sides 43 whichare' fastened in any suitable manner at their upper edges-51o cross bars 45 which may be of a length. somewhat shorter than the length of the hold-down member 7 of the base organization. The seat is suspended by meanspf straps 47, a strap 47vbeing'fastenedto each end of each of the bars 45, the straps being'providedwithD loops 49at i 7 their free ends, and the lengt-h of the; straps also -being sary to place the base. members 1 and 3 and their associated structure including the transverse hold-down mem her 7, on a'fairly flat supporting surface.- A spring arm- 11 is then inserted in .a recess 4 at one of. the base members until the inner edge of the spring arm abuts against a stop block 9. :Whereupon another spring arm is in? serted in the other end of the recess until its inner edge -v abuts against the stop block... Then the other two spring arms are inserted in a like mannerin theother recess ,7 atthe other base member. .It will be appreciated that each spring arm is removably associated with the base members including the hold-downmember by; inserting the end thereof in the recess in such a position ,thatthe elbow 13 .is positionedon the outer end of eachjspring armywith the depending wall downwardly disposed so that the base 21 of the elbow .is in contact with' and supported upon the floor or-other supporting structure, When the base organizationhas been assembled. as de' scribed a seat supporting upright 27 is associated with spring arms by being insertedwithin the recesses provided by the elbows the s eat'34 is operatively associated-with the appmatus by hooking'each -D .ring 4 9-,over aihook 33 on the seat supporting uprights 17.;

With the apparatus in assembled operative position as just described and'as illustrated particularly in Fig.1 of the drawings it'will be recognized that the length or I depth of the wall 15 of each elbow is slightly greater than the thickness of the base members 1 and 3 so that the major portion of each spring arm 11 will be slightly raised above the base members 1 and 3 as clearly illustrated at 53 in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

When a baby is seated within the chair 34 and begins its bouncing or jumping action the seat supporting uprights will be caused to flex back and forth from vertical position to inwardly flexed position in a manner generally similar to that illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings and an upward flexing action will also occur in each of the spring arms 11 as disclosed in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Since all of the seat supporting uprights 27 are constructed of a flexible and resilient material and since each of the spring arms 11 are also constructed of a flexible and resilient material and since the uprights and the spring arms are removably rigidly connected together the spring efiect will be aided and heightened and the actual eifect of this constructional arrangement will result in the flexibility thereof being approximately equal to that of four one piece staves or elements, however I achieve this result by making both the spring arms and the seat supporting uprights flexible.

Due to my unique construction wherein the spring arms 11 in their unflexed positions are slightly raised above the base members 1 and 3 it will be seen that the flexing back and forth of these spring arms under the influence of a seated baby will not result in a slapping or noise making action between the spring arms and the base members 1 and 3. It will also be recognized that the sheet metal elbows 13 serve as a connecting means between the spring arms and the seat supporting uprights which are of great strength to withstand the spreading stresses resulting from the action of the bouncing baby within the seat.

It will be evident that the disassembly or collapsing of the apparatus may be done with as much facility as the assembly thereof for it is only necessary to unhook the seat supporting straps from the uprights, then remove the uprights from their position within the recess formed by the elbows and then remove the spring arms from their operative positions within the recesses formed by the hold-down member. The hold-down member in my apparatus functions in a dual capacity for it both provides a reinforcing and connecting means between the base members 1 and 3 and also serves to position and maintain the spring arms in operative association within the apparatus.

I claim:

1. A baby jumper including in combination, a supporting base including elongated flexible members removably fixed adjacent their inner ends to said base and extending outwardly therefrom and a seat and seat supporting flexible uprights, an upright being removably mounted at its base adjacent the outer end of each flexible member and means suspending said seat from the upper portions of said uprights in position therebetween.

2. A baby jumper including in combination, a supporting base including pairs of elongated flexible members, the flexible members being removably fixed at one end to the supporting base and the members of each pair of members extending in opposite directions outwardly beyond the supporting base and each pair or members being transversely spaced apart, and a seat and seat supporting flexible uprights, an upright being removably mounted at its base adjacent the outer end of each flexible member and means suspending said seat from the upper portions of said uprights in position therebetween.

3. A baby jumper including in combination, a supporting base including a pair of spaced base members adapted to rest on a supporting surface, a transverse member extending between and over said base members and spacedly connected thereto providing recesses between the base members and the transverse member, and said supporting base including elongated flexible members, each flexible member having one end inserted in a recess and the member extending outwardly beyond said base members, and a seat and seat supporting flexible uprights, an upright being mounted adjacent the outer end of each flexible member and means suspending said seat from the upper portions of said uprights in position therebetween.

4. A baby jumper including in combination, a supporting base including a pair of transversely spaced elongated base members adapted to rest on a supporting surface, a transverse member extending between and over said base members and spacedly connected thereto providing recesses between the base members and the transverse member, and said supporting base including elongated flexible members of greater length than the length of the base members and each flexible member having one end inserted in a recess and the flexible member being in alignment with and extending along and beyond a base member, and a seat and seat supporting flexible uprights, means on the outer end of each flexible member to maintain a part of the member out of engagement with a base member and to removably mount a flexible upright on a flexible member and means suspending said sea]; from the upper portions of said uprights in position therebetween.

5. A baby jumper including in combination, a supporting base including elongated flexible members removably fixed at one end to the base and extending outwardly therefrom, and a seat and seat supporting flexible uprights, and means on the outer end of each flexible member for removably connecting a flexible upright to each flexible member for transmitting flexing forces from each upright to each member, said means including an elbow fixed to the outer end of each flexible member and each elbow providing a socket for removably receiving the lower end of each flexible upright, and means suspending said seat from the upper portions of said flexible uprights in position therebetween.

6. A baby jumper in accordance with claim 5, wherein said elbows extend outwardly beyond the ends of the flexible members and the Walls of the sockets are defined by the elbows and the outer end edges of the flexible members.

7. A baby jumper in accordance with claim 5, wherein each elbow is provided with a foot depending below the level of the flexible member for supporting the outer end portion thereof.

8. A baby jumper including in combination, a supporting base including elongated members formed of wood having inherent resilience, said members being mounted at one end on said base and extending outwardly therefrom, and a seat and seat supporting uprights, said uprights being formed of wood having inherent resilience, an upright being mounted adjacent the outer end of each member, and means suspending said seat from the upper portions of said uprights in position therebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,847,992 Upper Mar. 1, 1932 2,002,765 Carpenter May 28, 1935 2,622,878 Mooney Dec. 23, 1952

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