Swingset frame

Abstract

A swingset has a swingset frame. A horizontal member has a first horizontal section, and a second horizontal section. The first horizontal section has a swaged connection to the second horizontal section. The first horizontal section and the second horizontal section are formed of tube metal. A first horizontal section swaged portion fits within the second horizontal section. A pair of first legs support the first horizontal section, and a pair of second legs support the second horizontal section. The pair of first legs engage to a pair of first leg sockets formed on the first horizontal section. The pair of second legs engage to second leg sockets formed on the second horizontal section. A swing is suspended from the horizontal member. A lower tension bracket is mounted on a lower wall of the first horizontal section.

Claims

1. A swingset comprising: a. a swingset frame including a horizontal member having a first horizontal section, and a second horizontal section, wherein the first horizontal section has a swaged connection to the second horizontal section, wherein the first horizontal section and the second horizontal section are formed of tube metal, wherein a first horizontal section swaged portion fits within the second horizontal section; b. a pair of first legs supporting the first horizontal section, and a pair of second legs supporting the second horizontal section, wherein the pair of first legs engage to a pair of first leg sockets formed on the first horizontal section, wherein the pair of second legs engage to second leg sockets formed on the second horizontal section; c. a swing suspended from the horizontal member; d. a lower tension bracket mounted on a lower wall of the first horizontal section; and e. a main bolt, wherein the main bolt passes through the first horizontal section, the second horizontal section, and the lower tension bracket, wherein the second horizontal section is sandwiched between the first horizontal section and the lower tension bracket.

2. The swingset of claim 1, further comprising a pair of middle legs supporting the horizontal member, wherein a pair of middle leg sockets are formed on the horizontal member between the pair of first leg sockets and the pair of second leg sockets.

3. The swingset of claim 1, wherein the lower tension bracket is welded at a bracket upper weld to the first horizontal section.

4. The swingset of claim 3, wherein the bracket upper weld is horizontal.

5. The swingset of claim 1, further including a lower bracket flange extending from the lower tension bracket and terminating at a flange tip.

6. The swingset of claim 5, further including a bracket inside weld that welds the lower tension bracket to the first horizontal section, wherein the bracket inside weld is opposite the flange tip.

7. The swingset of claim 1, wherein the lower tension bracket is curved to a rounded lower profile of the horizontal member, wherein the horizontal member is a circular or oval tube.

8. The swingset of claim 7, further comprising a pair of middle legs supporting the horizontal member, wherein a pair of middle leg sockets are formed on the horizontal member between the pair of first leg sockets and the pair of second leg sockets.

9. The swingset of claim 7, wherein the lower tension bracket is welded at a bracket upper weld to the first horizontal section.

10. The swingset of claim 9, wherein the bracket upper weld is horizontal.

11. The swingset of claim 7, further including a lower bracket flange extending from the lower tension bracket and terminating at a flange tip.

12. The swingset of claim 11, further including a bracket inside weld that welds the lower tension bracket to the first horizontal section, wherein the bracket inside weld is opposite the flange tip.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a swingset with a slide.

(2) FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a top connection.

(3) FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a top connection.

(4) FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a swingset with four swings.

(5) FIG. 5 is a cross-section diagram showing installation of the bolts through the lower tension bracket and swaged tubular horizontal connection.

(6) FIG. 6 is a cross-section diagram showing installation of the bolts through the lower tension bracket and swaged tubular horizontal connection.

(7) The following call out list of elements can be a useful guide in referencing the element numbers of the drawings. 20 swingset frame 21 right legs 22 middle legs 23 left legs 24 first swing 25 second swing 26 slide 27 right horizontal section 28 left horizontal section 29 horizontal section connection 30 lower tension bracket 31 first bolt 32 second bolt 33 first bolt cover 34 second bolt cover 35 first bolt head 36 second bolt head 37 bracket upper weld 38 bracket inside weld 39 lower bracket flange 41 first middle leg socket 42 second middle leg socket 43 first bolt gasket 44 second bolt gasket 45 flange tip 46 flange opening 81 first cover hinge 82 second cover hinge 91 first leg sockets 92 pair of second leg sockets

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(8) As seen in FIG. 1, a swingset frame 20 has three pairs of legs, namely a pair of right legs 21, a pair of middle legs 22, and a pair of left legs 23. The swingset frame has at least six legs with a pair of right legs 21, a pair of left legs 23, and a pair of middle legs 22. The left legs support the left horizontal section, and the right legs support the right horizontal section. The middle legs support the left horizontal section and the right horizontal section. The legs are angled in an acute angle and can be inserted into sockets formed on the horizontal sections. Preferably, the left horizontal section 20 is arched with angled upwardly with the horizontal connection 29 near the pair of middle legs 22 higher than the pair of left legs 23 and the pair of right legs 21.

(9) The left horizontal section 20 connects to a right horizontal section 27 at a horizontal connection 29. The first swing 24 and the second swing 25 are hung from the left horizontal section 28, or the right horizontal section 27. Optionally, a slide 26 can be mounted to the right legs 21, or the left legs 23. The right horizontal section 27 is generally parallel to the left horizontal section 28. The horizontal section connection 29 supports the left horizontal section and the right horizontal section.

(10) The left horizontal section can be the first horizontal section, and the right horizontal section can be the second horizontal section. The first horizontal section receives a lower tension bracket. The left pair of legs can be the first pair of legs that fit into a pair of first leg sockets 91. The right pair of legs can be the second pair of legs that fit into the pair of second leg sockets 92.

(11) As seen in FIG. 2, the horizontal section connection 29 includes a lower tension bracket 30 formed on a horizontal section such as the left horizontal section or the right horizontal section. The lower tension bracket receives a first bolt 31 having a first bolt head 35, and a second bolt 32 having a second bolt head 36. The first bolt 31 may have a first bolt cover 33 covering the first bolt 31. The second bolt 32 may have a second bolt cover 34 covering the second bolt 32. The first bolt 31 is the main bolt, and the second bolt 32 is the secondary bolt. The right horizontal section can be a first horizontal section, and the left horizontal section can be a second horizontal section. Preferably, the lower tension bracket has a curved scoop shape. The curved or scooped shape of the lower tension bracket should have a dimension great enough to resist sideways movement and allows a clamping force with the bolt extending through the concentric telescopically arranged pair of tubes. The sideways movement or swinging force of a user is cyclical. The curved shape of the lower tension bracket provides a curved clamping force.

(12) The first middle leg socket 41 and the second middle leg socket 42 extend at an angle from each other from the right horizontal section 27. Preferably, the leg sockets are welded to the horizontal sections. The lower tension bracket 30 is welded to the left horizontal section 28 and receives the first bolt 31. From top to bottom, the first bolt passes downwardly through an upper wall of the right horizontal section, then an upper wall of the left horizontal section, and then a lower wall of the left horizontal section, then a lower wall of the right horizontal section, then through the lower tension bracket. If the first bolt were to be inserted from bottom to top, the structure would be basically the same.

(13) The middle legs 22 extend from the first middle leg socket 41 in the second middle leg socket 42. The right horizontal section 27 connects to the left horizontal section 28 with the assistance of the lower tension bracket 30. The lower tension bracket 30 sandwiches the lower wall of the right horizontal section 27 between the lower tension bracket 30 and the lower wall of the left horizontal section 28. The first bolt 31 passes through the lower tension bracket 30, but the second bolt 32 need not pass through the lower tension bracket 30. The first bolt cover 33 and the second bolt cover 34 can cover the first bolt head 35 and the second bolt head 36 if the first bolt head 35 and the second bolt head 36 are installed in an upward position. The bolt covers can be made of it elastomeric or plastic materials that are weather resistant. The first middle leg socket 41 and the second middle leg socket 42 preferably our saddle welded to the horizontal sections. The second figure can be an enlarged version of the first figure.

(14) As seen in FIG. 3, the lower tension bracket 30 preferably includes a bracket inside weld 38, a bracket upper weld 37 along a left and right upper side of the bracket. The lower tension bracket 30 extends forwardly at a lower bracket flange 39 which extends to a flange tip 45. The bracket inside weld 38 is on a lower side of the lower tension bracket 30, and the bracket upper welds 37 can be along the sides of the bracket.

(15) The lower tension bracket 30 is in tension because the first bolt 31 and the second bolt 32 have a moment force tending to pull and bend the swaged connection where the right horizontal portion is swaged to fit inside the left horizontal portion. The bracket upper weld 37 is preferably parallel to the lower tension bracket 30, and the bracket inside weld 38 is preferably perpendicular to the lower tension bracket 30. The lower bracket flange 39 can be curved so that it conforms to a profile of the right horizontal portion. Optionally, a first bolt gasket 43 and a second bolt gasket 44 can provide a waterproof seal between the bolt head or bold nut and the frame. The flange tip 45 preferably has a flange opening 46. The first cover hinge 81 and the second cover hinge 82 are made of separate pieces of plastic or elastomeric material. The third figure can be an enlarged version of the second figure.

(16) As seen in FIG. 4, the swingset frame 20 has right legs 21, middle legs 22, and left legs 23 supporting a right horizontal section 27 connected to a left horizontal section 28 at a horizontal section connection 29. The horizontal sections support a first swing 24 and a second swing 25 which can be mounted on the left and right horizontal sections, or on the left or right horizontal sections.

(17) As seen in FIG. 5 a cross section view of the present invention can be a cross-section of the third figure. The cross-section shows that the first bolt passes through five layers of steel, and the second bolt passes through four layers of steel. The bracket and the inside tube sandwich the outside tube. The inside tube is swaged to receive the outside tube. The inside tube can be swaged to be smaller than the outside tube, or the outside tube can be swaged to be larger than the inside tube.

(18) As seen in FIGS. 5-6, the inside tube can be on the left side or the right side, and the outside tube can be on the opposite side, namely the right side or the left side. The first horizontal section can be swaged to a smaller diameter to fit inside the second horizontal section. The second horizontal section can be swaged to a smaller diameter to fit inside the first horizontal section. The lower tension bracket 30 is mounted on an unswaged portion of the first horizontal section. The first horizontal section has a swaged portion that fits into the second horizontal section in a telescopic connection. The second horizontal section is sandwiched between the first horizontal section and the lower tension bracket 30.

(19) The right or left side may change depending upon the side that the user views the frame. When the user is on one side of the swingset frame, the first horizontal section could be on the right, and then when the user walks over to the other side of the swingset frame, the first horizontal section could then be on the left. Accordingly, FIG. 5 is a view from the swingset frame opposite to FIG. 6. Children will view the swingset from different sides often, especially if they like to run circles around the swingset.