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US 4,190,283 AGranted
Foldable play gym
AssigneeHedstrom Corporation
InventorRaymond W. Boucher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A play gym comprising a horizontal bar from which swings and other rides are suspended is supported at its opposite ends by legs. Special pivot joints connect the pairs of legs to the horizontal bar which permit each pair of legs to be folded together and against the horizontal bar so that the gym can assume a stick-like configuration. When the legs are unfolded to support the horizontal bar, parts of the pivot joints engage the ends of the horizontal bar thereby preventing end-wise movement and racking of the play gym. Provision is also made for substituting one pair of legs by a horizontal pivot arrangement which can be secured to a vertical support so that the gym can be used in a small area and be folded out of the way against the support when not in use.
Claims12
A play gym comprising
- A. a horizontal bar,
- B. a leg assembly for supporting at least one end of the bar, said assembly including
- 1. a pair of relatively long tubular legs,
- 2. a three-axis pivot joint connecting the upper ends of said legs to each other and to the horizontal bar, said pivot joint including a pair of sockets for receiving the ends of said legs, connecting means extending between said sockets, a pair of spaced-apart pivots linking said connecting means and said sockets, the axes of said pivots being parallel to one another and perpendicular to the axes of said legs, means for pivotally connecting said connecting means to the bar, the pivotal axis of said pivotal connecting means being perpendicular to the bar and perpendicular to the axes of said pivots so that the legs can be swung together so as to lie parallel to one another and both said legs can be swung against said bar so that they lie substantially parallel to the bar,
- 3. arcuate shells integral with the upper ends of said sockets, the axes of said shells being oriented at right angles to the axes of said sockets, said shells being arranged and adapted to clamp against opposite sides of said bar when the legs are maintained in their spread-apart condition and to disengage from said bar when said legs are swung parallel to one another so as to permit said legs to be folded against the bar, and
- 4. means for releasably maintaining the legs in a spread-apart condition at right angles to the bar so that they support said end of the bar above the ground, and
- C. means for supporting the opposite end of the bar above the ground.
4 more elements
A play gym comprising:
- A. horizontal bar,
- B. a leg assembly supporting at least one end of the bar, said assembly including
- 1. a pair of relatively long tubular legs,
- 2. a three-axis pivot joint connecting the upper ends of said legs to each other and to the horizontal bar, said pivot joint including a pair of sockets for receiving the ends of said legs, connecting means extending between said sockets, said sockets and connecting means together forming a unitary shell at the end of the horizontal bar, a pair of spaced-apart pivots linking said connecting means and said sockets, the axes of said pivots being parallel to one another and perpendicular to the axes of said legs, means for pivotally connecting said connecting means to the bar, the pivotal axes of the pivotal connecting means being perpendicular to the bar and perpendicular to the axes of said pivots so that the legs can be swung together so as to lie parallel to one another and so that both said legs can be swung against said bar whereby they lie substantially parallel to the bar, and
- 3. means for releasably maintaining the legs in a spread-apart condition at right angles to the bar so that they support the end of the bar above the ground, and
- C. means for supporting the opposite end of the bar above the ground.
3 more elements
A play gym comprising:
- A. a horizontal bar,
- B. a leg assembly supporting at least one end of the bar, said assembly including
- 1. a pair of relatively long tubular legs,
- 2. a pivot joint engaged over one end of the horizontal bar said pivot joint having a pair of diverging arms extending perpendicular to the axis of the horizontal bar,
- 3. means for connecting the pivot joint to said one end of the horizontal bar,
- 4. means for pivotally connecting one end of each of said legs to a different one of said arms, said pivotal connecting means being parallel to each other and also perpendicular to the axis of the horizontal bar so that said legs can be swung from a first position wherein they diverge and extend perpendicular to the horizontal bar to a second position wherein they lie substantially parallel to the axis of the horizontal bar, and
- 5. means for releasably maintaining the legs in their first position so that they support said end of the bar above the ground,
- C. means for supporting the opposite ends of the bar above the ground.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.