Patent Application
20140162797
Playground and recreational swings typically swing to and fro. Some swings additionally include a spring that allows the swing to resiliently move up and down or bounce. Such existing springs may inhibit the ability of the swing to spin about a vertical axis, often experience high degrees of friction and binding, and may generate undesirable levels of noise.
Spring 22 provides swing 24 with resilient up-and-down movement or bounce. Spring 22 is located between a tree or support and the swing 24. In particular, swing 24 comprises two lines 26, 28, wherein a first line 26 is connected to the rear connection point 30 of the swing seating structure 32 and wherein the second line 28 is connected to the forward connection point 34. The ends of the first and second lines 26, 28 pass through the seating structure 32 and are tied in a knot. As illustrated by
Although the swing seating structure 32 is shown as a tire swing in the form of a bull, in other implementations, the swing seating structure 32 may have other configurations formed from a tire, such as other figures including, but not limited to a motorcycle, tractor, deer, pony and the like. In yet other implementations, swing seating structure 32 may alternatively comprise an annular, substantially unaltered tire or wheel suspended in a vertical or a horizontal orientation, a disk or the like. In some implementations, the swing seating structure 32 may comprise a belt or other seating structure suspended from two lines, wherein each line is provided with a spring 22.
Rod 142 extends from head or stop 158 through slider plate 140, through compression spring 144 and through the lower washer or plate 146 to eyebolt or hook 148 for being connected to the line that is connected to the two lines 26, 28 that are connected to the rear and forward connection points of the swing 24. In the example illustrated, rod 142 is formed from a metal, such as aluminum or stainless steel. Compression spring 144 comprise a compression spring encircling rod 142 and guide rods 152. Compression spring 144 is captured between slider plate 140 and bottom plate 146.
Bottom plate 146 comprises a plate or washer captured between stops or heads 164, provided by lock nuts in the example, and compression spring 144. In other implementations, bottom plate 146 may be welded, bonded or otherwise fixed to a lower end of guide rods 152. Neither slider plate 140 nor the lower washer plate 146 is fixed to the compression spring 144. As shown by the
Top washer or plate 150 (formed from a metal in the example implementation) is secured to guide rods 152 which slidably extend through plate 140 and which are connected to plate 146. In the example, plate 150 is secured to guide rods 152 by nuts 166. In other implementations, top plate 150 may be welded, bonded or otherwise fixed to an upper end of guide rods 152. Eyebolt or hook 156 extends through plate 150 and through a one-way thrust bearing 160 and is retained in place by fasteners, such as lock nuts 164. One-way thrust bearing 160 enhances the ability of swing hook 156 and spring 22 (as well as swing 24) to freely spin about axis 170 with reduced friction, reduced noise and reduced binding.
Although plates 146 and 150 are illustrated as being contained within tubular housing 30, in other implementations, plates 146, 150 may alternatively be provided as part of or alternatively form a bottom and a top, respectively, of tubular housing 30. Although lock nuts 166 and 164 are illustrated as being utilized to secure guide rods 152 to top plate 150 and to secure hook 156 to plate 150, respectively, and although lock nuts 164 are illustrated as being used to contain plate 146 in one direction along guide rods 152, in other implementations, other mechanisms or structures may be utilized. Although spring 222 is illustrated as including two guide rods 152, in other implementations, spring 152 may include greater than two guide rods 152 for slidably guiding slider or slider plate 140.
Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to example embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter. For example, although different example embodiments may have been described as including one or more features providing one or more benefits, it is contemplated that the described features may be interchanged with one another or alternatively be combined with one another in the described example embodiments or in other alternative embodiments.
Because the technology of the present disclosure is relatively complex, not all changes in the technology are foreseeable. The present disclosure described with reference to the example embodiments and set forth in the following definitions is manifestly intended to be as broad as possible. For example, unless specifically otherwise noted, the claims reciting a single particular element also encompass a plurality of such particular elements.
The present application is a non-provisional application claiming priority from co-pending U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/736,280 filed on Dec. 12, 2012 by John Brian Priest and entitled SWING SPRING, the full disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61736280 | Dec 2012 | US |
