US3141670A - Angular playground slide assembly - Google Patents

Description

y 21, 1954 E. s. SMYRNI ETAL 3,141,670

' ANGULAR PLAYGROUND SLIDE ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 5, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Emanuel S. Smyrni Bobbie L.White Lawrence T. Jones July 21, 1964 E. s. SMYRN! ETAL 3,141,570

ANGULAR PLAYGROUND SLIDE ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 5, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Emanuel S. Smyrni Bobbie L. White f2 7- Lowrence T Jones BY MW W ATTORNEYS United States Patent ANGULAR PLAYGROUND SLIDE ASEMILY Emanuel S. Smyrni, Bossier City, Bobbie L. White,

Shreveport, and Lawrence T. Jones, Bossier City, 1.21.,

assignors to Universal Manufacturing (30., Inc, Bossier Uity, La., a corporation of Louisiana Filed Feb. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 170,941 13 Claims. (Cl. 272-56.5)

The present invention relates to playground slide assemblies and more particularly to an angular playground slide assembly adapted for end outboard attachment to a conventional gym set of similar playground equipment or other structure such as a building wall.

While playground slide assemblies are per se well known and playground slide assemblies having individual ground supported frame structures or support structures adapting them for mounting from the cross bar hanger element or between the end leg supports of conventional gym sets are also well known, the present invention fixedly relates the slide structure to the swings, rings, and other gym set equipment in outboard end relation to the gym set framing where the slide users are positively removed from possible danger Zones of swinging playmates. This safety factor has previously been sought by the assignee of this invention and others by marketing self supporting or individual slide structures with attachment bolts for securing the completely separate structures in end butted relation. Due to mere oversight on the part of purchaser-users or surface conditions encountered in setting up the playground equipment, end butted attachment of these separate units is not always effected with the result that the relatively readily movable slide structures are frequently set up or moved around by the children themselves so access to and egress from the slide necessitates passage through danger zones in front of or behind swinging play equipment.

It, accordingly, is a primary object of this invention to provide an outboard mounted safe slide structure.

A further important object of this invention is to provide a playground slide structure which constitutes an adjunctive attachment to a conventional playground gym set and can be sold as an attachment for existing gym sets as well as an integral part of a deluxe gym set.

Still another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a slide assembly adapted for end outboard association with a divergent leg supported gym set wherein the main slide weight support structure comprises the gym set legs and the mounting ladder and slide board are effectively suspended from the gym set frame.

A further object of the present invention resides in providing a conventional gym set with an end outboard mounted slide assembly wherein the mounting ladder and slide board are mounted on the sloping sides of an elevated truncated triangular stand platform fixed along its base edge to the gym set legs thereby fixing the access and egress paths of users along divergent paths extending away from an end of the gym set frame.

Still another object of the present invention resides in providing the slide assembly of the preceding object with a cantilevered support for the outboard end of the elevated stand platform.

Further objects will appear from the following description and appended claims when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a gym set equipped with an end outboard mounted slide assembly in accord with this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the gym set of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an end elevational view of the gym set of this invention viewed from the left of FIGURE 2;

Eddlfi? Patented July 21, I964 "ice FIGURE 4 is an exploded view illustrating the details of the bayonet joint connection preferably provided between the slide extension bar support member and the cross bar hanger element conventionally provided in gym set playground equipment;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 1 illustrating the novel connecting structure provided for suspending the upper ends of the slide board assembly and the ladder rails from the elevated stand platform;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmental sectional View taken along line 6-6 of FIGURE 1 illustrating the novel triangular support leg structure for the lower end of the slide board and its manner of attachment to the slide board;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view taken along line 77 of FIGURE 1 illustrating the interfit between the sloping run of slide support leg and the notch in the channel edge formed by the struck-out leg attachment tab.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view illustrating a modified connection between the ladder assembly and the stand platform;

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view illustrating the connection of the depending U- haped support bar to the extension bar telescoped into the cross bar hanger element of the gym set;

FIGURE 10 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 illustrating a modified preferred commercial form of extension bar contemplated by the present invention; and

FIGURE 11 is a fragmental exploded view illustrating a modified preferred commercial form of a slide support leg structure contemplated by the present invention.

With continued reference to the drawing wherein the same reference numerals are used throughout to indicate the same parts, the gym set 20 of this invention is composed of a cross bar hanger member 21 conventionally supported at its opposite ends by divergent leg assemblies 22 and 23 resting on playground surface S and having suspended therefrom a series of swinging devices, such as a chain supported seat swing assembly 24 having a gymnastic cross bar 25 extending between the support chains, a second chain supported seat swing assembly 26 having a pair of gymnastic rings 27 suspended from the support chains, a sky rider assembly 28, all of conventional construction, suspended between the leg assemblies and an end mounted, outboard slide assembly 29. It is to be understood that the swinging devices, leg assemblies and cross bar hanger members are of conventional structure and may be formed in any suitable and well known manner and that any other conventional swing devices, climbing ladders, or other play equipment maybe suspended between the leg assemblies.

Each leg assembly 22 and 23 in conventional manner is provided with an interconnecting cross brace element 31 having bolted connection 32 at its opposite ends (FIG- URE 1) to the individual legs 33 whose upper ends are suitably fixed in leg socket forming coupling members 34 forming upwardly opening seats 35 (FIGURE 2) for direct preferably welded connection with the peripheral wall of cross bar hanger member 21. This conventional structure normally employs heavy gauge tubular metal stock for the cross bar hanger member 21, the legs 33 and the leg cross brace element 31 and the adaptations of this conventional structure required to complete the outboard slide gym set of this invention will be described in connection with utilization of such tubular stock. In event stock other than tubular stock is utilized in forming these basic structures obvious structural equivalents of the following described adaptations would be utilized to accommodate the end outboard mounted slide assembly 29.

In order to adapt the conventional tubular stock gym sets to receive the outboard mounted slide assembly 29, the usual end closure cap 36 is removed from one end of cross bar hanger member 21 (the left end as seen in FIGURES 1 and 2) and the related leg brace element 31 at that same gym set end is provided with suitably axially spaced through bolt passages 37 (FIGURE 1) to receive platform attachment bolt and nut assemblies to be hereinafter described in detail. In original construction, the manufacturer would provide one or both of the leg brace elements 31 with suitable passages 37 while field conversion of an existing gym set structure would merely require drilling of suitable passages 37 in an existing leg brace element.

The outboard slide assembly 29 provided by this invention is composed of a main support frame and platform structure 40 mounted, as shown in the drawings, outboard of the leg assembly 22. Support frame 40 is composed of a tubular extension bar 41, preferably of the same stock material as cross bar hanger member 21, having an insert element 42 (FIGURE 4) rigidly fixed in protruding relation in one end of tubular extension bar 41 to form a telescopic connector coupling to be inserted in the uncapped end of cross hanger bar 21. As best seen from FIGURE 4, insert element 42 extends a substantial distance into extension bar 41 and its protruding portion is of sufficient length to extend a substantial distance into cross bar hanger member 21 when the shoulder 43 is assembled and butted against the end face of the cross bar hanger member 21 as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings. While any suitable means may be employed to fixedly connect insert 42 in extension bar 41, the two are preferably welded together to form a strong unitary assembly.

The protruding portion of insert 42 is preferably dimensioned to closely fit the interior wall of cross bar hanger member 21 so that extension bar 41 will be firmly cantilever supported by the end of cross bar hanger member 21 when fully assembled as in FIGURES 1 and 2. While such a close fitted connection with cross bar hanger member 21 would probably sufiice in view of the remainder of support frame and platform structure 40 about to be described, a bayonet joint connection is preferably formed by providing the exposed peripheral wall of insert 41 with a bayonet joint groove 44 or diametrically opposed grooves 44 and forming a dimpled depression 45 in the wall of cross bar hanger member 21 to provide a cooperating protuberant formation (FIGURES 1 and 2) or drilling and tapping cross bar hanger member at 46 to receive a cooperating bolt (not shown) the end of which protrudes into and cooperates with the bayonet joint groove 44. In either case the bayonet joint connection provides added assurance against accidental axial disassoclating movement of extension bar 41 relative to cross bar hanger member 21 and serves to draw shoulder 43 into tight abutting engagement with the end of cross bar hanger member 21.

The free unmounted end of extension bar 41 is preferably closed by applying the removed end cap 36 thereto and inwardly of cap 36 is preferably through drilled to form aligned openings at 47 at right angles to a diameter of insert 42 drawn through the center points of the arcuate end or ends 48 of the offset portion or portions of the bayonet groove or grooves. When so drilled the aligned openings 47 will lie in a vertical plane when extension bar 41 is twisted to dispose the bayonet joint connection in its home position. With extension bar 41 fully assembled as described, a pair of depending, divergently disposed support bars 49 are fixed to bar 41 preferably provided by a U-shaped tubular member bolted to extension bar 41 by a bolt and nut assembly 51 passing through suitably formed bolt openings in the center thereof and openings 47 in extension bar 41. As clearly seen in FIGURES 1 and 3 the lower ends of support bars 49 terminate substantially in a horizontal plane containing the lower edge of cross brace element 31 and are flattened at 52 (FIGURE 3) and suitably drilled to receive bolt and nut assemblies 53 cooperating with alignable bolt openings in the depending flange portions 54 of a truncated triangular stand platform 55. As best seen in FIGURE 1, the base edge 56 of platform 55 is fixedly bolted to cross brace element 31 by bolt and nut assemblies 53 passing through bolt passages 37 of element 31 and alignable passages (not shown) in the depending flange formed along platform edge 56.

By reason of the bolted connection of platform 55 to cross brace element 31 and to depending support bars 49 an extremely rigid outboard mounted support frame and platform structure 40 lying opposite the upper extremity of leg assembly 22 is provided having an elevated platform the sloping platform edges 57 and 58 (FIG- URE 1) of which carry flanges 54 and are obtusely angled to the respective adjacent legs 33 to establish axially divergent access and egress paths extending away from the gym set end adjacent leg assembly 22. Mounting of elevated platform 55 along the established access path is effected through a ladder assembly 61 the opposit'e side rails 62 of which are substantially longer than the vertical distance between platform 55 and the playground support surface S and fixedly connected to flange 54 of edge 57. Descent from platform 55 along the established egress path is effected through a slide board assembly 65 the slide board 66 of which is substantially longer than the vertical distance between platform 55 and the playground support surface S and is connected to flange 54 of edge 58. While these connections may be formed in any suitable manner one or the other of the connections about to be described is preferred.

As shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the top ends of rails 62 are disposed behind flange 54 with the outer rail end located directly behind the point of connection of the lower end 52 of the adjacent support bar 49. A suitable through bolt opening (not shown) is provided in the upper ends of the rails 62 running from front to back to receive the bolt of the bolt and nut assembly 53 employed to secure the adjacently related arm 49 to platform flange 54. A similar bolt and nut assembly 53 is employed to secure the other rail to flange 54. As a result of this method of connection, the ladder assembly 61 is rigidly attached to platform 55.

An alternative connection is shown in FIGURE 8, where the upper end of outer rail 62 is pivotally connected to flange 54 through the provision of an L-shaped pintle fitting 71 having an integrally formed pivot pin 72 protruding laterally outwardly from the outer face of its forwardly extending leg to enter a transverse pin receiving opening provided in the upper end of rail 62. Pintle fitting 71 is secured to flange 54 by a nut and bolt assembly 53, one of which may be used to also fasten support ,arm 48 to flange 54. The inner rail 62 has its upper end similarly pivotally connected to flange 54 by an identical pintle fitting 71 secured to flange 54 with its pivot pin 72 extending laterally outwardly in the opposite direction from the pin 72 of the previously described rail connection. As a consequence of this reversal of fittings each forwardly extending pintle fitting leg is abuttingly related to the inner face of its associated rail 62 and serves as a stop to prevent disengagement of the pivotal connection irrespective of the direction of application of lateral disengaging forces. This pivotal connection is of particular advantage where the gym set is set up on an irregular or sloping playground surface since the four main support legs may be firmly set to determine the end to end inclination of the cross bar hanger element 21 and the outboard slide end may be located at the end highest above the ground with assurance that the pivotally mounted ladder assembly 61 will swing to a firm ground engaging position. After a short period of usage, the lower ends of rails 62 will become firmly embedded in the ground so that free swinging of ladder assembly 61 by the users will be prevented.

Referring for the moment to FIGURE 7, it will be appreciated that slide board 66 is of one piece construction. It is made from heavy gauged galvanized or stainless steel stock to provide upstanding lateral slide panel defining walls 75 the upper edges of which are return bent at 76 to form respective depending planar walls 77 the lower edges of which are return bent at '78 to form an inwardly curved lip 79 opposingly related to the return bent portion 76. Lip 79, wall 77 and return bent portion 76 at each side of slide board 66 form an inwardly opening channel recess and together with upstanding walls 75 impart longitudinal rigidity to the slide board 66.

At opposite ends, the inwardly opening channel recesses provide ideal locations for the installation of hidden platform connector fittings and support leg connections. The platform connectors could be angle fittings like fiittings 71 just described to pivotally connect the upper ends to platform 55 or simple angled end tabs 80 (FIGURE formed by notching and bending the end of walls '77 and providing the angled tabs with bolt passages to provide a positive clamp connection to the platform. The latter type of connection is illustrated with the nut and bolt assemblies 53 extending through the apertures formed in the tabs 77 at their upper ends.

As best appears from a consideration of FIGURES 2 and 6, each support leg 81 is of generally triangular configuration and comprises a vertical side or run 82 integrally joined through a ground engaging arcuate portion 85 to an upwardly inclined side or run 34 which tenni nates in a flattened attachment portion 85 and a hori zontal side or run 86 integrally joined to vertical run 82 at its upper end by an arcuate portion 87. Run 86 extends toward flattened attachment portion 85 but terminates approximately midway of the distance in a flattened attachment portion '88. As clearly appears from FIGURE 6, flattened attachment portions 85 and 88 lie generally in the plane defined by the centerline of the runs 82, 84 and 86 so that their rounded edges are vertically related. Preferably the tubular leg stock employed is chosen from a stock diameter such that the flattened attachment portions will have a cross dimension roughly equal to the cross dimension of the channel recess formed along the opposite edges of slide board 66. As a consequence, attachment portions 86 may be snugly telescoped into the respective lower ends of the slide board channel recess until the through bolt openings (not shown) provided therein are aligned with a suitably placed bolt opening (not shown) in the lower end of slide board wall 77 to receive a nut and bolt assembly 53 for fixing run 86 of a respective leg 81 in its related channel recess. The interfitting relationship just described assures a rigid connection between the slide board and leg. Further rigidification however, is provided for by double notching the respective channel forming lips 79 inwardly from the lower end of each channel recess at each side of a point opposite where the flattened portion 85 of an assembled leg 81 would lie and bending the intervening lip metal back into the plane of wall 77 to form respective attachment tabs 89 and passing flattened portion 85 of a respective run 84 into the resulting passage in face abutting relation to tab 89 and the inner face of wall 77. An attachment bolt and nut assembly 53 passing through suitable aligned apertures in tab 8? and flattened attachment portion 85 is provided to fix leg run 84 to slide board 66 with its rounded side edges contacting the notch edges.

Referring for the moment to FIGURE 10, there is illustrated a preferred commercial form of extension bar 41' of one piece construction particularly effective where commercial tubing having the loose internal diameter tolerances is employed in the manufacture of cross bar hanger member 21 and extension bar 41'. Extension bar 41 in this embodiment is made from a single piece of tubular stock like that employed for cross bar hanger element 21 and having the same external diameter by swaging one end inwardly to reduce its outer diameter to that of the smallest inner stock diameter permitted by commercial tolerances. The swaging operation involves the formation of axially directed, diametrical opposed grooves 101 to take up the excess metal, a merging shoulder portion 103 tapered inwardly in an axial direction toward the free end of the reduced diameter portion and a cross groove 102 intersecting one groove 101 at a point spaced from the shoulder portion 163 a distance roughly equal to that between the end 164 of cross bar hanger element 21 and the dimpled depression 45, which is shown in FIG- URE 10 to be located on the top of cross bar hanger element 21. Like the inner end of bayonet groove 44, cross groove 162 slopes axially toward shoulder 103 forming in effect a thread segment the wall of which engages the protuberance formed by dimpled depression 45. As a consequence, rotation of extension bar 41 will effectively thread the reduced portion of bar 41' into the end of cross bar hanger member 21 firmly jamming the shoulder portion 1% in annular bearing contact with the open end of cross bar hanger member 21 and the cooperating bearing contact of the protuberance on groove wall 104) will effectively eliminate side play. The through drilled aligned openings 47 are replaced in this form of the invention by a single laterally directed slot 47' formed in the top wall portion and to the same side of the one axial groove 101 which is intersected by cross groove 102 to permit incremental angular adjustment of the bolt and nut assembly 51 provided to fix the U-shaped support bar member in place. In this arrangement, the bolt shank of assembly 51 passes through slot 47' to the interior of bar 41 and the nut employed in a crowned nut which is reversely threaded onto the bolt shank so that tightening of the bolt and nut assembly 51 will embed the edges of slot 47 into the crown of the nut to fix the U-shaped support bar against lateral shifting in use.

Referring to FIGURE 11, a simplified slide board leg support 81 and slide board edge reinforcing wall structure is illustrated. As there shown, the slide board 65 is formed with slide panel defining walls 75 return bent at 76 to form depending planar walls 77 to impart longitudinal rigidity to the slide board. The further return bent lip '79 of the previous embodiment is omitted here so that a downwardly opening recess only is provided. Leg support 81' comprises a generally U-shaped tubular member having upwardly converging runs 105 integrally joined at their lower ends to a connector run 106 inclined upwardly from each end to the center 107 thereby forming laterally spaced ground engaging contact points 108. The upper ends of runs 105 merge into slide board attachment runs 111 disposed at right angles to a plane containing runs and terminate in flattened attachment portions 88 similar to those heretofore described. Due to the omission of the lips 79 in this modified slide board, the round edges of attachment portions 88 are through drilled at spaced points 112 arranged to be aligned with similar through drilled openings 113 in the respective return bent portions 76. Suitable bolt and nut assemblies 114 having the bolts passed through the aligned through drilled openings fixedly secure the leg element 81' against axial disengagement from between the walls 75 and 77 while these walls cooperating with the planar side faces of attachment portions 88 assure that relative lateral tilting of leg element 81' and slide board 65 is prevented.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In combination 'with a playground gym composed of a cross bar hanger member supported in spaced relation to a support surface by respective pairs of downwardly diverging support legs having interconnecting brace elements end attached to the respective leg pairs and mounting longitudinally spaced depending swing assemblies and the like between said leg pairs, an outboard end mounted slide assembly comprising:

an extension bar having one end removably secured to one end of said cross bar hanger member with its opposite end extending a substantial distance axially from said one end of said cross bar hanger member;

a pair of depending, transversely spaced support bars fixed at their upper extremities to the opposite end of said extension bar;

a platform element having respective edge portions fixedly connected to the interconnecting brace of the leg pair nearest said one end of said cross bar hanger member and to the pair of depending support bars so as to mount said platform in substantially spaced relation above said support surface;

ladder means fixed at its upper end to an edge portion of said platform and having its lower end resting on said support surface to provide access to said platform from said support surface; and

slide means fixed at its upper end to an edge portion of said platform and having its lower end resting on said support surface to permit sliding egress from said platform to said support surface.

2. The slide assembly of claim 1 wherein:

said extension bar and said cross bar hanger member comprise respective lengths of tubular stock and are said pair of depending transversely spaced support bars comprise the opposite ends of a tubular member bent midway of its ends to form an arcuate extension bar mounting portion having a coaxially related pair of openings arranged to support an attachment bolt with its shank in the plane defined by the centerline of said bent tubular member;

said other end of said extension bar is formed with a pair of vertically coaxially related openings to re-- ceive and pass the shank end of an attachment bolt supported in said coaxially related openings of said tubular member; and

a bolt and nut assembly fitted to said pairs of coaxially related openings fixedly secures said support bars to said extension bar.

4. The slide assembly of claim 1 wherein said slide means comprises:

an elongated, heavy gauge sheet metal element having (a) downward and return bent side wall portions delimiting a slide area and defining axially extending, inwardly opening, round edged channels; and (b) an axially forward curved end adapted in use to form a lower slide terminus spaced above the support surface with its channel ends defining a substantially vertical plane; attachment means connecting the other end to said platform; and

respective generally triangularly shaped tubular su 8 port legs disposed in apex abutting relation to said support surface for supporting the lower slide terminus said legs each comprising (a) a vertically extending tubular run extending upwardly from said apex;

(b) a foreshortened flattened tubular run formed at the upper end of said vertical run and telescoped into and fixedly secured in said channel ends of said loWer slide terminus;

(c) a sloping tubular run extending upwardly and rearwardly from said apex and terminating in flattened attachment ends;

(d) attachment tabs struck from the return bent edge metal of a respective axially extending channel to form a through slot for closely receiving a respective flattened attachment end and (e) an anchor means for fixedly securing said sloping tubular run in said slot.

5. The slide assembly of claim 4 wherein:

(a) said depending support bars are removably bolted to said extension bar;

(b) said platform is removably bolted to said one interconnecting brace and to said respective depending support bars;

(0) said ladder means and said slide means are removably bolted at their upper ends to said platform; and

(d) said tubular support legs are respectively removably bolted to said lower slide terminus.

6. A slide assembly marketable as an attachment adjunct for a playground gym set comprising an open ended tubular cross bar hanger member supported in spaced relation to a support surface by respective pairs of downwardly diverging support legs having interconnecting brace elements end attached to the respective leg pairs and consisting of:

a tubular extension bar having an end coupling portion adapted for telescopic insertion in one end of said tubular cross bar hanger member;

a generally U-shaped hanger bar having its midportion adapted for bolted attachment to said extension bar to dispose its legs in dependent relation to said extension bar;

a platform of generally truncated triangular configuration adapted for bolted attachment (a) along its base edge to one of said interconnecting brace elements, (b) adjacent its truncated edge to said leg ends of said U-shaped hanger bar, and (0) along its respective sloping edges to the respective upper ends of a ladder member and a slide member;

a ladder member having side rails adapted at one end of the ladder member for bolted attachment to said platform;

a slide member having side wall means providing channel grooves adapted at one end for removable bolted attachment to said platform and at its other end to telescopingly receive respective support legs; and

a pair of generally triangularly shaped support legs each having a side run terminating in a flattened attachment portion and an intersecting base run terminating short of said side run in a flattened attachment portion, said respective flattened attachment portions adapting said respective support legs for removable interfitted attachment in the other ends of a respective slide member side wall channel groove.

7. The slide assembly of claim 6 wherein:

said slide member side wall means comprises respective return bent side flanges shaped to provide longitudinally extending, round edged, inwardly facing channel grooves; and

said flattened attachment portion of each intersecting support leg base run has a flatwise dimension adapting it to snugly fit into the end of a respective side wall channel groove to effectively non-rotatably en gage each leg in a respective channel groove end.

8. The slide assembly of claim 6 wherein:

said slide member side wall means comprises respective return bent side flanges shaped to provide longitudinally coextensive, round edged, inwardly facing channel grooves and having (a) a depending tab struck from the lowermost channel groove edge at a point spaced inwardly from its other end to form a notch for receiving the flattened attachment portion of a respective support leg side run, and

(b) an open end angularly offset with respect to the major length of the channel groove and shaped and dimensioned to telescopingly receive the related flattened attachment portion of the intersecting base run of said respective support leg in non-turning assembled relation.

9. The slide assembly of claim 8 wherein:

said flattened attachment portions of said respective support legs, said respective depending tabs and said respective channel grooves inwardly from said open ends are provided with through bolt openings adapted for respective paired alignment upon assembly of said respective support legs; and

respective bolt and nut assemblies are inserted in respectively paired aligned bolt openings to clampingly secure the respective side runs and base runs of said support legs to its associated depending tab and the end web portion of its associated channel groove to secure said leg runs against axial removal from their associated notches and channel groove ends.

10. A slide assembly for playground usage comprising:

an extension bar having a protruding end member adapting said extension bar for cantilever attachment to a suitable support member to provide an outboard slide;

a generally U-shaped hanger bar removable fixedly connected to the other end of said extension bar with its legs in depending straddling relation to said extension bar;

a truncated triangular stand platform adapted along its base edge for attachment to said support member and adapted along its opposite edge for attachment to said legs of said hanger bar to form a rigid outboard support frame;

a ladder assembly having side rails extending upwardly from the playground surface to a first sloping side edge of said platform;

means removably suspending said ladder side rails from said sloping side edge of said platform;

a slide board assembly extending downwardly from the opposite sloping side edge of said platform with its lower end supported in vertically spaced relation above the playground surface; and

means removably suspending said slide board assembly from said opposite sloping side edge of said platform.

11. The slide assembly of claim 1 wherein said slide means comprises:

an elongated, heavy gauge sheet metal element having (a) laterally spaced pairs of side walls delimiting a slide area and defining axially extending, inwardly opening, round edged channels; and

(b) an axially forwardly curved end adapted in use to form a lower slide terminus with its channel ends defining a substantially vertical plane;

attachment means connecting the other end to said platform; and

support leg means comprising a laterally extending, one piece, tubular element of generally U-shaped configuration having (a) a pair of upstanding parallel leg runs connected at their lower ends by a tubular cross member inclined upwardly from each end to the center to form a pair of laterally spaced ground engaging contact points; and

(b) a pair of attachment runs at the upper ends of said pair of leg runs extending at right angles from one side of a plane defined by said leg runs cross member terminating in flattened attachment portions telescoped into and fixedly secured in said channel ends of said lower slide terminus.

12. The slide assembly of claim 1 wherein:

said other end of said extension bar is formed with a laterally directed slot in its top most area;

said pair of depending transversely spaced support bars comprise the opposite ends of a tubular member bent midway of its ends to form an arcuate extension bar mounting portion having a coaxially related pair of bolt openings therein arranged with their common axis in the plane defined by the center line of said bent tubular member; and

a bolt and crowned nut assembly fitted to said pair of bolt openings with the bolt shank protruding through said slot and the crown nut threaded thereon in a manner to Wedge the crown portion against the slot edges when tightened thereby locking the bent tubular member against relative angular movement around said extension bar.

13. The slide assembly of claim 2 wherein:

said extension bar comprises a one piece tubular member of an external diameter equal to that of said cross bar hanger member having (a) one end swaged down to freely fit into said cross bar hanger member and provide a tapered shoulder portion at its juncture to the larger diametered portion, at least one axially directed groove in said one end extending from the free end to said shouldered portion and an angularly directed groove intersecting said one groove at a distance from said shoulder equal to the spacing of said protuberant formation from the end of said cross bar hanger member; and

(b) its other end, inwardly from its free end face, angularly slotted from a point axially aligned with said one axially directed groove in the direction of extension of said angularly directed groove.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Claims (1)

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A PLAYGROUND GYM COMPOSED OF A CROSS BAR HANGER MEMBER SUPPORTED IN SPACED RELATION TO A SUPPORT SURFACE BY RESPECTIVE PAIRS OF DOWNWARDLY DIVERGING SUPPORT LEGS HAVING INTERCONNECTING BRACE ELEMENTS END ATTACHED TO THE RESPECTIVE LEG PAIRS AND MOUNTING LONGITUDINALLY SPACED DEPENDING SWING ASSEMBLIES AND THE LIKE BETWEEN SAID LEG PAIRS, AN OUTBOARD END MOUNTED SLIDE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: AN EXTENSION BAR HAVING ONE END REMOVABLY SECURED TO ONE END OF SAID CROSS BAR HANGER MEMBER WITH ITS OPPOSITE END EXTENDING A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE AXIALLY FROM SAID ONE END OF SAID CROSS BAR HANGER MEMBER; A PAIR OF DEPENDING, TRANSVERSELY SPACED SUPPORT BARS FIXED AT THEIR UPPER EXTREMITIES TO THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID EXTENSION BAR; A PLATFORM ELEMENT HAVING RESPECTIVE EDGE PORTIONS FIXEDLY CONNECTED TO THE INTERCONNECTING BRACE OF THE LEG PAIR NEAREST SAID ONE END OF SAID CROSS BAR HANGER MEMBER AND TO THE PAIR OF DEPENDING SUPPORT BARS SO AS TO MOUNT SAID PLATFORM IN SUBSTANTIALLY SPACED RELATION ABOVE SAID SUPPORT SURFACE; LADDER MEANS FIXED AT ITS UPPER END TO AN EDGE PORTION OF SAID PLATFORM AND HAVING ITS LOWER END RESTING ON SAID SUPPORT SURFACE TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO SAID PLATFORM FROM SAID SUPPORT SURFACE; AND SLIDE MEANS FIXED AT ITS UPPER END TO AN EDGE PORTION OF SAID PLATFORM AND HAVING ITS LOWER END RESTING ON SAID SUPPORT SURFACE TO PERMIT SLIDING EGRESS FROM SAID PLATFORM TO SAID SUPPORT SURFACE.

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