US1471465A - Climbing structure - Google Patents

Description

Get. 23 1923. 1,471,465

' s. HINTON Filed July 22, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 23 1923.

SlflNTON CLIMBING STRUCTURE Filed July 22, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i enthusiastically take,

Patented Got. 23, 1923.

UNW'EE STATEfi rarer SEBASTIAN HINTON, OF WINNETKA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO JUNGLEGYM, INC., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CLIMBING STRUCTURE. P

Application filed July 22,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SEBASTIAN HINTON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Winnetka, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Climbing Structures, of which the following is a specification. A

This invention relates to playground apparatus and particularly to the class thereof known as climbing apparatus.

As exercise for children, climbing has in it conspicuous-features of advantage. It is an exercise wherein all the muscles of the whole body are .used. Again the exercise consists in lifting and moving the body thus the effort is graduated to the size and strength of the body and the tendency of a body, so exercised, is to approach the proper weight and proportionate development of its parts. Climbing is the natural method of locomotion which the evolutionary predecessors of the human race were designed to practice, and is therefore almost ideally suited for children.

For quadrupeds, runningi an exercise of practically all the body muscles, evenly and properly developing both the fore and hind legs and their associated muscles-for children probably only climbing and swimming can give the conresponding beneficial effect.

Again and importantly, the monkey instinct strong in all human beings and perhaps more clearly displayed in children, makes climbing a sport to which children by a psychology about the same as that of a kitten at play with a ball, which of course is practice for hunting. The play instinct of animals in general is that which tends best to develop the particular type of bodies with which they are provided, in the most symmetrical and beneficial manner.

The facilities for climbing available to the average child {are limited, and generally speaking somewhat dangerous.

With these theories and facts in mind, I have designed a climbing apparatus, so

- proportioned and constructed that it provides a kind of forest top through which a troop of children may 'play in a manner somewhat similar to that of a troop of monkeys through the tree tops in a jungle. At the same time I have reduced the danger 1920. Serial No. 398,178.

of climbing to a practicable minimum.

In the drawings which represent an illustrative form of the apparatus:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a climbing frame.

Fig. 2 is a cross section thereof on, the l1ne-2-2 of Fig.1,

Fig. 8 is a 'topplan view thereof, 1

Figs. 4, 5 and 6, are detail el evationsv Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11 illustrate various types of joints used in different of the apparatus.

The structure is exceedingly simple and comprises three series of climbing bars, a series 1 arranged vertically, a series 2 arranged horizontally, and a series 3 arranged horizontally at right angles to series 2, each series extending the full length of the structure.

From inspection of the drawings it will be noted that the structure is made of a large number of individual cubes, in each of which the elements 1 form the four vertical cube elements and the elements 2- and 3 likewise form the horizontal elements.

There is thus provided a structure wherein children can climb in any direction, and

portions size or proportions.

In the construction of the illustrative form of the apparatus herein shown, the one vertical and the two horizontal series of elements are made up of short lengths of pipe as clearly seen in the drawings and standard pipe fittings are employed toconnect these short lengths together.

Thus the bars 1, 2, and 3 are cutto length, oppositely threaded pipe. on the corner edges of the structure, a standard angle cross (see Fig. 10) is employed. For the four corner-angles of the top a standard three way coupling 5 is employed. At the bottom corner angles angle crosses 4: are employed, in which are secured the downwardly extending pipe lengths 6 adapted to be set into concrete 7 to support the structure. structure, five way mouplings may be employed, and within the surface of the structure six way couplings 8 are used, all couplings being oppositely threaded.

' which obviously can be made of any desired For the joints 4 Upon the surface of the Thus by the use of standard out to length pipe and standard couplings the entire structure shown in the drawings may be built up. It is of course understood that any other type of coupling may be substituted for convenience in erection.

In order that children may be able to travel easily in any direction through the climbing structure, it is necessary that the distance between the various elements be suitably proportioned.

For convenience, in the illustrative structure, I have made the vertical distance between successive elements the same as the horizontal distance. The particular illustrative structure is adapted for the average child of about eight years old. Assuming such a child to be forty-eight inches in height, and that the distance from the ground to his hips is twenty-four inches and the distance from his hips to his head another twenty-four inches, all such measurements being of course approximate, I have made the length of an edge of the unit twenty-four inches, and the structure herein shown would be 20 x 16 feet in plan and 8 feet high.

In Figs. 4, 5 and .6 is illustrated the ease with which a child can traverse the structure in any direction.

After mounting upwardly the child steps dia onally across a unit cube, (see Fig. 4)

from a horizontal bar at the lower left corner (3 to the bar in the layer next above at the upper right corner (3) of the unit cube. He can easily reach with either hand bar 5" above the one to which he is stepping, and can also assist himself by pushing on the pipe 3 with the other hand as shown in Fig. 4:. This for a child of approximately forty-eight inches in height and assuming the unit cube to be twenty-four inches on its side, makes an easy climb, but nevertheless one which exercises the arm and shoulder muscles as well as the leg muscles.

If the child wishes to climb vertically without moving out of a single vertical series of cubes, he of course can climb in zig zag or spiral fashion or in a number of other ways, all fairly easy for an active child.

To make horizontal progress through the structure, the methods shown in Figs. 5 and 6, as well as a number of other methods, may be practiced. Thus in Fig. 5 is illustrated how the child may easily spring from bar 3* to a sitting position on bar 3 and thereafter'swinging over and ducking under bar 3 assume the position of Fig. 6 wherein he has just about reached the position of 3 inv the next unit cube on the same horizontal level as the one in which he previously was standing.

He can also, assuming he is standing on pipe 3*, crouch and duck under pipe 3 and walk in this fashion along a single horizontal series of pipes.

Since the child has always immediately adjacent his grasp four vertical and at least four horizontal pipes and can steady himself in almost any position, crouching or otherwise and obtain new holds easily, he can traverse the structure in a number of other ways and the particular ones herein specified; but I believe it to be of advantage to have the proportions in the structure such as to permit an easy diagonal climb, such as shown in Fig. 4, and at the same time permit the child to pass easily by crouching through the side of a unit cube.

Of course an endless number of variations in the structure may be employed. Thus for instance a series of horizontal pipe lengths'may be omitted, leaving an alley or gangway, down which more rapid progress may be made: certain of the units may be made smaller than others and arranged in various positions to permit for instance a ladder climb in a single plane, to be effected at various points throughout the structure and these ladder climbs may be placed at the ends of the gangways. It is at once obvious that an almost infinite variety of arrangements of this character may be designed with the idea of varying the travel through the structure and making it possible to go faster vertically or horizontally in certain paths. These variations would contribute greatly to making a game of tag in the structure more interesting. It is of course impossible to illustrate any representative number of the variations as they will be immediately apparent.

The provision, however, of a climbing structure made up of individual units so as to permit a group of children to play through the structure in any direction and thereby for instance play what might be termed three dimensional tag, I believe to be novel and provision of such a structure fabricated out of cut to length pipe and proper fittings is an important feature of the invention as it provides for almost in finite Variations in the size and shape of the structure and in its interior construction. as well as addition thereto from time to time. Thus thestructure could be made to surround three sides of a swimming pool; climbing and swimming form a most attractive combination of sports to children.

Since as previously stated the child has practically Within his grasp at all times a large number of firm supports, both vertically and horizontally. there is little or no danger of falling. Thus if a child has mounted high enough in the structure so that a fall would be serious, he would have a fall vertically down through a well of substantial depth without catching any one of the manv lfl l Ian Vertical and horizontal pipe lengths, as he falls, before he could suffer serious injury. In order to make the construction doubly safe, however, I have provided at the bottom of each vertical well a. pair of cross ropes 9 which may be secured in the center by a knot 10. These ropes are provided with loops 11 at their ends into which the vertical pipe lengths l are inserted in building up the structure. For additional protection, the outside of the structure if made of' substantial height may be covered with. fence wire, so that no child could fall off the edge thereof.

In assembling the structure the pipe lengths comprising the end are first properly located in a concrete foundation 7, as many thereof being used as necessary, as for instance one support at eachsecond joint in each direction over the bottom of the structure. Thereafter the structure is assembled piece by piece.

Having described my invention, 1 claim:

1. A climbing structure for playgrounds or the like, comprising a series of uprights, two series of cross members, mutually crossed and arranged at different levels, all of strong construction, all so proportioned, constructed and combined that children may climb in the interior of said structure over three successive climbing bars in any single direc tion, said members being so spaced that an average child of predetermined age may straddle adjacent horizontal members.

2. A climbing structure for playgrounds or the like, comprising a series of uprights, two series of cross members all secured together in a strong construction, said cross members being mutually crossed and arranged at difi'erentlevels; all so proportioned, constructed and combined that children may climb about freely in the interior of said structure, said members being so spaced that an average child of predetermined age may straddle adjacent horizontal members, and climb from one horizontal member to the next above it.

3. A climbing structure for playgrounds or the like, comprising a series of uprights, two series of climbing elements secured together in a strong construction, said climbing elements being mutually crossed and arranged at different levels, whereby children may climb in the interior of said structure in three dimensions, said members being so spaced that an average child of predetermined age may straddle adjacent climbing elements; climb from one climbing element to the next above it, and place his feet simultaneously upon a first climbing element on one level and a second climbing bar on thenext level mot immediately above the first member.

two series of climbing elements mutually crossed and arranged at different levels, all secured together in a strong construction, whereby children may climb in the interior .of said structure in three dimensions, said element on one level and a second element on the next level not immediately above the first member, meanwhile holding with his hands a third element on the next level above that of the second element.

-5. A climbing structure for playgrounds or the like comprising multiples of adjoining single climbing units each comprising rigidly supported bars extending in three dimensions, the distance between the adjacent bars, permitting passage for an average child of predetermined age.

6. climbing structure for playgrounds or the like comprising bars of suitable size to be grasped by the hand as in climbing, said bars arranged to outline adjacent quadrilateral units in vertical and horizontal succession the diagonal between parallel edges of said units being of a length adaptable to be spanned by the legs of an aver-age child of predetermined age and the space between adjacent parallel edges, of said cubes being adapted to permit easy passage of the body of said child in crouched position.

7. A climbing structure for playgrounds or the like comprising bars of suitable size to be grasped by the hand as in climbing, said bars arranged to outline adjacent quadrilateral. units in vertical and horizontal succession, the space between adj acen-t par allel edges of such cubes being substantially equal to the length of the leg of an average child of predetermined age.

8. A climbing structure for playgrounds or the like comprising bars of suitable size to be grasped by the hand as in climbing, said bars arranged to outline adjacent quadrilateral cellular units in vertical and horizontal succession, the space between adjacent parallel edges of such cubes; being substantially equal to the length of the leg of an average child of predetermined age, certain of said bars in horizontal succession being omitted to provide enlarged passage ways through the structure.

9. As a playground apparatus, a cellular climbing structure of strong construction having cells in vertical and horizontal-succession and comprising vertical supports and horizontal climbing elements so proportioned, constructed and combined as to permit an average child of predetermined age to make a diagonal climb fromone climbing element to the next one above it in an adjacent vertical plane.

Mill) are 10. As a playground apparatus, a cellular climbing structure of strong construction having cells in vertical and horizontal succession and comprising vertical supports and horizontal climbing elements rigidly secured thereto, and so constructed, proportioned and combined as to permit an average child of predetermined age to make a diagonal cTimb from one climbing element to the next one above it'in an adjacent vertical plane, and to permit the bar above that to which the climb is made to be grasped by the hands during the climb.

11. As a playground apparatus, a cellular climbing structure, comprising supports and horizontal climbing elements secured together, arranged to permit climbing through a pluralitycf successivecels in any direction electively from a plurality of points Within the structure, said structure being "fabricated out of pipe and couplings, so proportioned as to be used by children in play.

12. A playground apparatus comprising a cellular climbing structure made up of a plurality oi adjacent cells in vertical and horizontal succession, bounded by climbing elements, said structure being fabricated out o-t pipe and couplings secured together, all so proportioned as to afford children an opportunity to climb in any direction.

13. As a playground apparatus, a cellular climbing structure made up of a large numberof ce'ls in vertical and horizontal succession, approximately two feet on a side bounded by vertical and horizontal climbing elements, and so proportioned, constructed and arranged as to permit an average child of predetermined age to per- :t'orm a diagonal climb through a plurality of cells in the interior of the structure.

14. A playground apparatus comprising a celul-ar climbing structure comprising rights and climbing bars supported thereby, arranged in adjacent outline cells, and having a plurality of said cells in both horizontal and vertical succession, all so proportioned and constructed that children climb electivey in three dimensions from points Within the structure. w

15. A playground apparatus 03E stron and rigid construction formed of uprigns and climbing bars arranged in a cellul construction formed of outline cells having a plurality of cells in vertical suc cession and in horizontal succession in two directions whereby children may clinio about :t'reely Within the st ructure.

16. A playground structure comprising plurality of series of outline cellular associated together, said units being def ned by climbing elements and uprights and associated together in horizontal and ve succession, whereby a child may climb one element to the next above it in an a jacent vertical plane.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 20th day of July, A, D},

Images