US409545A - Swing - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. W. ZEIGLER. SWING.

No. 409,545. I Patented Aug. 20, 1889.-

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. W. ZEIGLER.

SWING. No. 409,545. Patented Aug.20, 1889.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT QEEICE.

GEORGE W. ZEIGLER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SWING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,545, dated August 20, 1889. Application filed September 8, 1888. Serial No. 284,953. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. ZEIGLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Swings; and I do hereby declare the following to bea sufficiently full, clear, and exact description thereof as to enable others skilled in the art to make and use the said invention.

This invention relates to swings for purposes of recreation and thecomfort and exercise of invalids, and has for its object the furnishing at low cost a safe, portable, and nearly frictionless swing, and a supportingframe therefor susceptible by easy and prompt adjustment of being converted from a swing having seats to a lounge or bed.

The nature of this invention consists in the construction of the several parts and the combinations thereof, as hereinafter fully described and claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 shows a side elevation of this invention; Fig. 2, an end elevation thereof; Fig. 3, an enlarged central section of a suspending-fulcrum; Fig. 4:, a detached enlarged View of the parts involved in the adjustment of the seats; Fig. 5, a modification thereof; Fig. 6, a fastening forsecuring the braces to the legs, shown in elevation Fig. 7, the same in vertical central section; Fig. 8, an enlarged side elevation of the lower end of one of the suspending-links; Fig. 9, an end elevation thereof; Fig. 10, a washer 5 for securing the bolts to the braces; and Fig. 11 is a side view of my plate having clefts formed therein. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of my saddle and fulcrum supported by a horizontal beam, with the different parts broken away.

The same ordinals designate like parts in the several figures.

1 represents the horizontal beam, supported by four legs 2, pivotally attachedico the beam 1 and diverging both lengthwise and sidewise, so as to rest firmly on the ground, (a divergence from the perpendicular of twenty-three degrees lengthwise and fifteen degrees sidewise has been experimentally ascertained to afford the best stability,) thus forming a per surface. ;a metallic saddle 11, (shown in section in Fig. 3,) having a central cavity 12, which fits so trestle. The pivots upon which the legs turn have axes perpendicular to the plane of the sides of the legs and inclined to the sides of the beams, and are the subject of a separate application for Letters Patent. The legs 2 are braced lengthwise to each other by diagonal braces 4:, pivotally attached at the upper end by bolts passing through washers 5 near the upper part of one of the legs 2, and at the lower end to a point 6 on the leg at the opposite end of the trestle, where it is detachably secured by slotted plates 7, (shown detached in Figs. 6 and 7, hereinafter particularly described,) fastened to each of the braces 4 and.

:other, and by their elasticity hold themselves and the connected points, so as to prevent rattling. The legs 2 at each end are braced to each other by a horizontal rail 52, which are inserted in clefts 53 in castings 54, secured to the legs 2, as shown in detached view in Fig. 10, and hereinafter particularly described. I

On the top 'ofthebeam 1 are placed two fulcrums 10, (see Fig. 3,) having a convex up- On each of fulcrunis 10 is placed as to rock or roll on the fulcrum 10. The ends 13 of the saddle 11 are bent downwardly, so as to be below the bearing on the fulcrum 10, and are provided with hooks let and pins 15, on which the suspending-links 16 are hung. The suspending-links 16 are made of ductile metal, having apertures 23 formed near their upper ends, which fit-upon the pins 15 and hooks 14, being bent to conform to the angular shape of the ends of the saddle 11, the links 16, distended by stretcher 55, having dowels 56, which enter holes in them and are held together by a bolt 57 and nut 58, which hold them together and prevent the links 16 from becoming unhooked from the saddle 11 and from the stretcher 55. By removing the nut 58 the parts are readily detached from each other. To the lower ends of the links 16 are secured (preferably by riveting) socket-pieces 17, (shown in Figs. 8 and 9,) in which pivots 18, secured to the platform 19, rock or roll. The frame or platform 19 consists of parallel side strips 20, united by cross bars or girts 21, on which rest elastic strips 22 parallel with the side strips 20. The seats 24 are secured to the side strips of the platform 19 by means of legs or links 25 and 26 at their lower end pivotally attached at 27and 28 to the strips 20, and at their upper ends 29 and 30 to the side frames or plates 31 of the seats. The links 25 and 26 are parallel, or nearly so, and of equal or nearly equal central length. The side frames 31 of the seats 24 are formed of light metallic plates having cavities 32 to receive the slats 51, forming the seat-holes 33 and 34 for the insertion of the pivots 35 and 36, connecting them to the upper ends of the legs 25 and 26.

Concentric wit-h the holes 34 in the side frames 31 are sectors 37, having teeth 38, between which fit projections 39, attached to the legs 26, which projections 39, when between the teeth 38, lock the sectors 35 and legs 26 in angular adjustment with each other.

As shown in Fig. 4, the pivots 36, which fit into perforations in the legs 26, have eccentrics 36%, which fit in the sectors 37, and by turning the pivot 36 on its axis the sector by the action of the eccentrics is raisedfrom or forced down on the projection 39. The pivots 36 on both sides of the seat, moving together, being formed on opposite ends of the same rod, engage and disengage the sectors on both sides of the seat simultaneously As shown in Fig. 5, the bearings of the pivot 36 are concentric with each other and the projections 39 are fitted to slide up and down on the legs 26, being guided by tongues orflanges 40, fitting in grooves 41 in the legs and held in adjustment by screws 42 and nuts 43.

By disengaging the projections 39 from the teeth 38 of the sector 37, the seats may be placed in different positions, and by re-engaging the projections 39 with the teeth 38 the seats are securely locked in such positions. WVhen extended to the extreme ends, the seats and platform form a cot or couch with an elastic slat bottom. When brought close to each other in the center, they form a cradle. When placed in intermediate positions, they answer as seats of varying heights to suit the size of the occupants, or as a lounge with an inclined head or end.

The locking-plate (shown in Figs. 6 and 7) consists of a flat plate 49, applicable to the fiat surface of the braces 4, and teeth or ribs to impinge thereon, with a raised plate 45, having a space 46 beneath it adapted to receive a button or bolt head 8, and a notch 47, open at the lower end 48 to permit the entrance of the neck of the bolt or button head,

and closed at the upper end 49 to rest on the neck of the bolt-head 8. Holes 50are formed in the plate 49 for the reception of screws to fasten it to the brace 4.

The plates 54 (shown in Fig. 11) are secured to the sides of the legs 2 by screws near the lower ends, and are provided with clefts 53, opening upward, of such width as to pinch the cross-brace 52 and securely hold it, thus preventing the legs 2 from spreading laterally.

The washer 5 (shown in Fig. 10) is provided with flanges which hug the edges of the braces 4 and prevent them from splitting.

From the construction of the fulcrums 10 and saddles 11 and sockets 17 and pivots 18 at the lower ends of the suspending-links 16 these parts operate with a rolling motion upon each other, avoiding the friction incident to and inseparable from a sliding motion, and the swing oscillates with a very slight expenditure of force. The platform 19, being suspended at two points by the parallel links 16, retains a horizontal position, thus adapting it to purposes of the reclining couch, cradle, and bed, and rendering the apparatus an important addition to the comfort of invalids.

In packing this invention for purposes of storage and transportation the braces 4 are unhooked at the lower ends from the boltheads 8 and placed in parallel position with the legs 2, the suspending-links 16 are unhooked from the saddles 11 and the pivots 18, and the seats folded down close to the platform 19. The legs 2 are then folded in parallel position to the beam 1, and the entire structure is thus reduced to a small bulk.

In making swings embodying this invention the metallic parts are the only portions which require special appliances or patterns for their production, the wooden parts being easily procurable in any part of the country Where such structures are required for use, and the metallic parts are consequently merchantable as articles of manufacture, and are therefore hereinafter separately so claimed.

Having described this invention and the construction and operation thereof, what I claim isplatform suspended from the beam 1. by links 16, having their hearings in sockets secured to the said platform, with the seats 24, provided with toothed sectors and pivoted links adapted to support the said seat upon the said platform, two of the said links having projections formed thereon and adapted to lock the said sectors in different positions, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The saddle 11, having a central concave bearing, the convex fulcrum 10, provided with downwardly-extending ends 13, having hooks 14 and pins 15, and the suspending-links 16, all arranged substantially as set forth.

3. In a portable swing, the platform 19 and means for supporting the same, consisting of IIO 1. In a portable swing, the combination of a the fulcrum-saddle 11, the links 16, hooked thereon, and the beam 1,adapted to support the said saddle, in combination with the seats 24, links 25 and 26, pivoted to the said seats and to the said platform, stops secured to the links 26, and sectors secured to the said seats, having radial teeth engaging the said stops, substant ally as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a portable swing, the perforated suspending-links 16, the saddle 11,and its hooks and pins, the said links adapted to fit upon said hooks and pins, in combination with the platform 19, the fulcrum 10, and the beam 1, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a portable swing, the beam 1, links I 5 16, platform 19, links 25 and 26, and stops 39, secured to the links 26, in combination with the seats 24 and the perforated sectors having radial teeth adapted to engage With the said stops, substantially as shown, and for the 20 ALEX. H. SIEGEL, JAMES P. PETIT.

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