US3391931A - Swing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

W. J. WORLEY SWING APPARATUS July 9, 1968 Filed July 22, 1964 CEILING LINE V... .E @L TR N WO mW IIU' L l W FIGI ATT'YS United States Patent O 3,391,931 SWING APPARATUS Will J. Worley, 2106 Zuppke, Urbana, Ill.

Filed July 22, 1964, Ser. No. 384,478 4 Claims. (Cl. 272-85) where: S is the length of the glide path; r is the length of the supporting cables; and -is the angle expressed in radians described by the cables. In another prior art construction, a swing platform is suspended by a pair of rigid support members from a complex track arrangement which is adapted lto provide a simulated pivotal glide path for the platform. This construction has not been entirely satisfactory, since it primarily offers only a pivotal action having a relatively short glide path, limited in particular by the length of the swing support members.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved swing construction.

Another object is to provide a swing having an elongated glide path Which is characterized by both a rolling and pivoting action.

A further object is to provide a swing apparatus having a platform suspended from a roller which is guided along a path :approximating the curvature of a segment of an ellipse.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the drawing, wherein:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of a swing apparatus illustrating one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective View of a swing apparatus illustrating another embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a construction diagram illustrating the approximate elliptical segment generated by the pulleys of the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a Vfragmentary elevational view of an alternative mounting construction useful with the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in 'FIGURE 1.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG- URE 1, the reference numeral 11 generally designates a swing having a seat 12 connected to a roller assembly 13 which is guided along an essentially elliptical path by means of a pair of overhead track members 14.

A pair of link chains 15 connect seat 12 to hooks 16 on the roller assembly 13. In order to provide stability to the seat 12, chains 15 are provided Iwith yoked ends 15a which are secured adjacent the corner portions of rectangular seat 12.

Assem-bly 13 includes a pair of spaced-:apart brackets 17 in lwhich rollers 18 are rotatably mounted. These rollers may be advantageously grooved so that they seat upon the iiexible track members 1-4, facilitating their being guided therealong Ito define a path kwhich approximates the curvature of a segment of an ellipse. Brackets 17 are interconnected by a spacer bar 17a sized in accordance with the distance between tracks 14.

As is shown in FIGURE 1, tracks 14 comprise a pair of liexible cables having their end portions 14a secured ice to ceiling ybrackets 19. These cables are of substantially equal length, each :being longer than the linear distance between the brackets 19. Since an ellipse is, =by definition, a curve for which the sum of the distances of any point on it from two fixed points is constant, the path defined by rollers 18 as they travel along tracks 14 Iwill be essentially elliptical. In this manner, a longer eiective swing radius is provided, enabling the platform 12 to travel along an elongated glide path substantially longer than is provided by a conventional pivotal-type swing operating Within the same iloor to ceiling height. l

As rollers 18 travel along -track 14, a rolling or gliding sensation is felt by an individual sitting on platform 12. In addition, however, as the rollers approach the track ends 14a adjacent the ceiling brackets, the pivotal action of plattform 12 about the axis of pulleys 18 is increased so that the glide path is characterized by both a rolling and pivoting sensation.

An alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIGURE 2. As is shown therein, the tracks are in the form of rigid bars 20 shaped according to the relation where a, b, a and are positive constants, not necessarily integer values.-

The roller assembly 13', only illustrated in part, is substantially fas is shown in FIGURE l, with the exception that spacer bars 17a' is positioned directly between the pulleys 18'. If desired, bars 20 can be shaped to de fine any of several curves defined by Equation 1, such as a semicircle, a partial ellipse, or other special shapes Contained in this equation.

In FIGURE 3, a construction -diagram illustrates the elliptical segments dened by the rollers 18 as they travel along cables 14 (FIGURE l). As is shown therein, the x and y axes intersect to define the center of an ellipse having a major axis 2a and a minor axis 2b. Dotted line DC represents the distance between bracket D and roller C, while line C-E represents the distance between the lroller and bracket E. Thus, as the roller moves along the track, the sum of the distances DC and CE remains a constant. The path defined by the pulley is approximately lrepresented by the equation of an ellipse:

@Wilp e) where a, and b are positive constants, not necessarily integer values.

An alternative mounting arrangement for the cables 14 of the embodiment shown in FIGURE l is illustrated in FIGURE 4. This construction is particularly suitable as a safe resilient supporting means for the cables, since it utilizes a compression spring 25 which, should the spring fail, will not result in possible injury to a rider on the swing platform 12. As is shown, cable 14a extends through a hole in the ange 26a of mounting clamp 26. Spring 25 is coiled around the cable end 14a and positioned between an end cap 14b and the back face of the ilange 26. Thus, in the event of failure of spring 25, the cable will not be Ireleased from the ymounting clamp 26 which is pivotally connected to -a ceiling bracket 27. It will be appreciated', of course, that energy storage means other than coil spring 25 may be used for resiliently supporting the cable members 14. In particular, collars composed of exible materials such as, for example, nylon, which are sized to t around cable end 14a between end cap 14b and ange 26a, have been suitably employed. Also, cable extensions composed of these same exible materials provide similar resilient mounting characteristics.

While in the embodiments illustrated, tracks 14 and 20 3 are each-shown mounted to -a ceiling, it will be appreciated that they may `also be supported by any suitably rigid framework to provide a complete swing unit. Such swing units are particularly suitable for outdoor mounting, or for use where it is not desirable to mount brackets directly to a ceiling.

While in the foregoing specification specific embodiments of the present invention have been set out in detail for the purpose of illustration, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many of the details set forth can be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. Swing apparatus comprising: a platform adapted as a seat for a rider; rst and second suspension means connected at one end respectively to each side of said platform; first and second roller means each including a bracket for respectively receiving the other end of said rst and second suspension means; a rigid bar interconnecting said first and second roller means for maintaining them apart at a iixed distance; rst and second track members receiving said rst and second roller means respectively for guiding the same in a path of varying curvature, said path defining a portion of an ellipse whereby a rider on said platform will experience pivotal motion at the ends of said path and gliding motion intermediate said ends; and means for fastening the ends of said track members to an overhead support.

2. The swing apparatus of claim 1 characten'zed by the fact that said first and second track members are rigid tracks, each track defining a por-tion of an ellipse.

Y3. vThe swing-apparatus of claim 1-wherein each lof said rst and second trackvrmembers is a exible cable having a length greater than. the separation of the fastening means supporting each cable.

4. The swing apparatus of claim 3 wherein said lastnamed means includes means forresiliently mounting the ends of said track members to said fastening means.

References' Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES French, Thomas E., Engineering Drawing, pp. 68-69 McGraw-Hill, May 1941, 6th ed.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Examiner.

A. VJ. KRAMER, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. SWING APPARATUS COMPRISING: A PLATFORM ADAPTED AS A SEAT FOR A RIDER; FIRST AND SECOND SUSPENSION MEANS CONNECTED AT ONE END RESPECTIVELY TO EACH SIDE OF SAID PLATFORM; FIRST AND SECOND ROLLER MEANS EACH INCLUDING A BRACKET FOR RESPECTIVELY RECEIVING THE OTHER END OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND SUSPENSION MEANS; A RIGID BAR INTERCONNECTING SAID FIRST AND SECOND ROLLER MEANS FOR MAINTAINING THEM APART AT A FIXED DISTANCE; FIRST AND SECOND TRACK MEMBERS RECEIVING SAID FIRST AND SECOND ROLLER MEANS RESPECTIVELY FOR GUIDING THE SAME IN A PATH OF VARYING CURVATURE, SAID PATH DEFINING A PORTION OF AN ELLIPSE WHEREBY A RIDER ON SAID PLATFORM WILL EXPERIENCE PIVOTAL MOTION AT THE ENDS OF SAID PATH AND GLIDING MOTION INTERMEDIATE SAID ENDS; AND MEANS FOR FASTENING THE ENDS OF SAID TRACK MEMBERS TO AN OVERHEAD SUPPORT.

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