GB2615412A - Swing - Google Patents

Abstract

A one-piece bracket 5 is described for coupling an A-frame (7, figure 1) with rectangular section legs to a top bar of a support framework for a swing (1, see figure 1). The bracket 5 is symmetrical about a central plane, and adopts a generally saddle-shaped configuration. A first planar panel 16 extends in a plane perpendicular to the central plane and is adapted to underlie a top bar (6, figure 1) in use. Respective planar side panels 18 are formed along opposite side edges of the first panel 16 at an angle to the first panel 16. Each such side panel 18 has a rear edge 20 along which an end panel 21 is bent at a right-angle out of the plane of the side panel 18. The angles between the side panels 18 and the first panel 16 and between the end panels 21 and the first panel 16 are chosen so that, for each side panel 18, the planes of that side panel 18 and of its respective end panel 21 correspond to orthogonal faces of a leg of the A-frame (7). Also described is a swing of the kind in which a swing member (2) adapted for support of a user is supported by at least one and preferably two or four elongate flexible members (3) selected from cords, ropes and chains to allow the swing member (2) to swing in a back-and-forth manner. The at least one elongate flexible member is(are) supported from a wooden top bar (6). At least one end of the top bar (6) is supported by a wooden A-frame (7) coupled to it by a bracket 5. The or each A-frame includes two legs (8 & 9) each formed from rectangular sectioned timber.

Description

SWING

This disclosure relates to swings.

Swings intended for use by children, for example in a garden or playground environment, typically comprise a framework from which one or more swing members such as swing scats or swing cradles is(are) supported by elongate flexible members in the form of substantially inextendible cords, ropes or chains, usually two or four in number for each swing scat or swing cradle, with or without length adjusters. The framework may be formed from metal components or from timber components held together by couplings.

In one typical configuration of stand-alone swing, a wooden top bar is supported at each end by a wooden A-frame, to form a structure with four splayed legs. At each end of the top bar, the legs of each A-frame are held at selected angles to each other and to the top bar by a one-piece steel bracket. When this framework supports a single swing seat, two swing hangers will be mounted to the top bar, each supporting one or two cords, ropes or chains. Often, although not necessarily always, each swing hanger is provided with an anchor which passes through the top bar. Where a single framework supports more than one swing seat or swing cradle, anchors adjacent the A-frame will extend through both bracket and top bar, while other anchors merely extend through the top bar. One or more swings may also be provided as part of a climbing frame assembly or adventure playground structure, in which only one end of the support bar is supported by an A-frame, the other end of the support bar being supported by or incorporated into other elements of the climbing frame assembly or adventure playground structure. In such arrangements only a single bracket between the top bar and an A-frame is required. Swings structures are also known in which even the anchor closest to an A-frame may only extend through the support bar and not the bracket, as well as structures in which the swing hangers are merely bolted to the support bar without an anchor as such extending through it.

Structures of the kind described above including one or two brackets mounting the top bar to respective one or two A-frames have long been used, and provide reliable support. In particular, they resist movement of the frame in the back-and-forth swinging direction of the swing.

However, when swings are self-assembled by customers, the customer may not be assiduous in tightening couplings, with the result that swings with this A-frame, support bar and bracket configuration may sometimes develop distortion of the swing in the form of a side-to-side component of motion of the top bar in its longitudinal direction and perpendicular to the main motion of the swing back-andforth. The present disclosure seeks to avoid or mitigate this problem.

In accordance with a first aspect of this disclosure, there is provided a swing of the kind in which a swing member adapted for support of a user is supported by at least one, and preferably two or four, elongate flexible member(s) selected from cords, ropes and chains to allow the swing member to swing in a back-and-forth manner, the at least one elongate flexible member being supported from a wooden top bar defining a longitudinal direction, at least one end of which top bar is supported by a wooden A-frame coupled to the said at leas( one end of the top bar by a bracket, the or each A-frame including two legs each formed from rectangular sectioned timber, the or each such bracket including two generally flat panels, one for each leg of an A-frame, formed to lie in a common plane in respective facial contact with a face of an A-frame leg, thereby resisting distortion of the swing by movement of the top bar in the said longitudinal direction relative to the said A-frame.

In a second and alternative aspect of this disclosure, there is provided a one-piece bracket adapted for coupling an A-frame with rectangular section legs to a top bar of a support framework for a swing, the bracket being symmetrical about a central plane, and adopting a generally saddle-shaped configuration with a first planar panel extending in a plane perpendicular to the central plane and adapted to underlie the top bar in use, and respective planar side panels formed along opposite side edges of the first panel at an angle to the first panel, each such side panel having a rear edge along which an end panel is bent at a right-angle out of the plane of the side panel, the angles between the side panels and the first panel and between the end panels and the first panel being such that, for each side panel, the planes of that side panel and of its respective end panel correspond to orthogonal faces of a leg of the A-frame.

In preferred embodiments of swing, the bracket consists of a bracket as 5 defined in the preceding paragraph in which the respective end panels serve as the said two generally flat panels.

Reference may now be made, by way of example only, to the description of exemplary embodiments of swings in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a swing; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a bracket; Ha. 3 is a side elevational view of the bracket of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the bracket of Figs. 2 and 3; Fig. 5 is a plan view of a flat mild steel blank for forming the bracket of Figs. 2 to 4 and Fig. 6 is an enlarged scrap perspective view of an alternative embodiment of swing.

Referring first to Fig I. there is shown a swing 1 comprising a single swing scat 2 supported by a pair of cords, ropes or chains (here cords 3) from respective anchors 4 extending through a bracket 5 and into a top bar 6 of a supporting framework 7 for the swing. In addition to top bar 6, which defines a longitudinal direction, framework 7 comprises respective A-frames 8 at opposite ends of the top bar 6. Each A-frame 8 includes two legs 9 and a cross-piece 10. The top bar and A-frames are all formed from rectangular sectioned timber. Each A-frame leg 9 has a front face 11, a rear face 12, an inner side face 13 and an outer side face 14.

It will be understood, by persons working with swings, that a single top bar may support two or more swings; that one or more of the swings may have a cradle as an alternative to a swing seat; that such cradles, and also some swing seats, may be supported by four cords, ropes or chains supported in pairs from two anchors; that one or more of the swings may comprise swing member in the form of a standon-platform supported by a single cord, rope or chain, allowing a user to swing in a standing position; that the anchors need not pass through a bracket as well as the top bar; that the ropes, cords or chains may be supported from swing hangers merely bolted to the top bar; and that only one end of the support bar may be supported by an A-frame, the other end being supported by, or form part of, a climbing frame or adventure playground structure. The teachings of the present disclosure apply equally to all such swing set variants.

Each bracket 5 is suitably stamped out of mild sheet. steel with a thickness of around 2.5mm to form a blank 15, shown in plan in Fig. 5, and is formed into a generally saddle-shaped configuration, as best shown in Fig. 2. The bracket 5 is symmetrical about a central plane, and comprises a top panel 16 which extends in a plane which is perpendicular to the central plane of symmetry and has side edges 17 along which side panels 18 are formed at an angle of around 700 to the top panel 16. Top panel 16 underlies top bar 6 in use and has a through opening 19 in this embodiment. Anchor 4 extends through opening 19 and through a through opening in the top bar 6 which is aligned with opening 19, but, as in the embodiment of Fig. 6, described below, opening 19 will not be required in swing structures that do not have an anchor that extends through both the bracket and the top bar. Each side panel 18 has a rear edge 20 provided with an end panel 21 which is bent at right-angles out. of the plane of its associated side panel 18 so that a leg 9 of A-frame 8 may be supported in the angle between side panel 18 and its associated end panel 21.

In use, each side panel 18 is in facial contact with an inner side face 13 of an A-frame leg 9, and has a through opening 22 through which the A-frame leg 9 is bolted at 23 to the bracket 5. The two end panels 21 of the bracket 5 lie in a common plane, and, by facial contact between each end panels 21 and front face 11 of the associated A-frame leg 9, they resist distortion of the swing by movement of the top bar 6 in its longitudinal direction relative to the A-frame in a side-to-side motion of the swing framework 7 at right angles to the main back-and-forth motion of the swing. In a modified arrangement, each side panel 18 may have two openings 22, enabling each A-frame leg 9 to be bolted to the bracket 5 at two spaced locations.

Finally, the two legs 9 of each A-frame 8 are bolted together at the apex of the A-frame by a bolt 24 that extends through a tapered end of each A-frame leg 9 and the thickness of the top bar 6. In some arrangements, we employ two bolts 24 at spaced locations extending through tapered ends of the A-frame legs and through the thickness of the top bar.

Turning now to the scrap perspective view of Fig. 6, where the same numerals are used for like parts to those of the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 5, it will be seen that anchor 4 extends through the top bar 6, but not the bracket 5, so that bracket 5 would not need a through opening 19 in its top panel 16 in this embodiment to accommodate the anchor. Anchor 4 has a threaded shank not visible in Fig. 6, on the end of which is an eye 25 on which a carabiner 26 is mounted, so that when the anchor is securely screwed into top bar 6 by its threaded shank, respective rings 27 on the end of one or more ropes 3 may be readily coupled by a user to the anchor 4 by being presented to the carabiner 26. Tn contrast to Fig. 1, in the embodiment of Fig.6, two ropes 3 are supported by a single anchor 4. It will be understood that there would be a second anchor 4 further along the top bar 6 for a second pair of ropes 3. This arrangement of four ropes is especially suitable for a swing with a cradle in place of a swing seat, or a swing in which the swing seat is of the kind having arms, a back and a front bar and into which a baby or toddler is placed to be swung by an adult.

Although bracket 5 does not need a through opening 19 in its top panel to accommodate an anchor 4 in the arrangement of Fig.6, we prefer to retain that 25 opening 19, and to use it for a screw or bolt fixing the bracket to the top bar.

Claims (4)

1. Claims I. A one-piece bracket adapted for coupling an A-frame with rectangular section legs to a top bar of a support framework for a swing, the bracket being 5 symmetrical about a central plane, and adopting a generally saddle-shaped configuration with a first planar panel extending in a plane perpendicular to the central plane and adapted to underlie the top bar in use, and respective planar side panels formed along opposite side edges of the first panel at an angle to the first panel, each such side panel having a rear edge along which an end panel is bent at a 10 right-angle out of the plane of the side panel, the angles between the side panels and the first panel and between the end panels and the first panel being such that, for each side panel, the planes of that side panel and of its respective end panel correspond to orthogonal faces of a leg of the A-frame.
2. 2. A swing of the kind in which a swing member adapted for support of a user is supported by at least one and preferably two or four elongate flexible members selected from cords, ropes and chains to allow the swing member to swing in a backand-forth manner, the at least one elongate flexible member being supported from a wooden top bar defining a longitudinal direction, at least one end of which top bar is supported by a wooden A-frame coupled to the said at least one end of the top bar by a bracket, the or each A-frame including two legs each formed from rectangular sectioned timber, the or each such bracket including two generally flat panels, one for each leg of an A-frame, formed to lie in a common plane in respective facial contact with a face of an A-frame leg, thereby resisting distortion of the swing by movement of the top bar in the said longitudinal direction relative to the said A-frame.
3. 3. A swing according to Claim 2, wherein the bracket is a bracket according to Claim I, and in which the respective end panels serve as the said two generally flat 30 panels.
4. 4. A swing according to Claim 2, wherein the at least one flexible member is supported from a swing hanger comprising an anchor extending through an aperture in the first planar panel and through the top bar.