Child's play set with a lift system

• US 4,796,884 A
• Filed: 02/10/1987
• Issued: 01/10/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donald B. Ely
• Original Assignee: Coop Design Incorporated
• Inventors: Anderson, Eric W., Ely, Dale A., Ely, Donald B.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rimell, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US07/013,235
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 272/1 A, 272/113, 52/292, 52/299, D21/242, D21/243, D21/244, D21/245, D21/246
• US Class Current: 482/35
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/12 specially adapted for children
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 9/00 Climbing poles, frames, or stages climbing walls for mountaineering training A63B69/0048; endless loop ladders A63B22/04

Abstract

A child'"'"'s play set including a playhouse type structure attached to a swing set is provided with a lift system including a four sided horizontal frame sized to match the foot print of the playhouse where the playhouse has no floor allowing the size of the play structure to be increased to suit larger children with porch structures resting on frame extensions to abut and hold the base of the playhouse between them on the lift structure with frame structures to raise the swing support members to match a height suitable for the larger children.

Claims

1. A play set comprising:

(a) a box-like structure with four walls each having a base wood member that together form a foot print that can rest on the ground wherein the box-like structure has no floor attached to it and no cross members spanning between the base members, wherein the height of the box-like structure is suitable for small children, and

(b) a lift system comprising;

(i) four vertically positioned rectangular frame structures of a height chosen to raise the box-like structure a sufficient distance to provide a total interior height suitable for larger size children, and

(ii) attachment means to fix the four vertically positioned rectangular frame structures into a four sided horizontal frame of a size to match the footprint of the base wood members of the box-like structure,

wherein there are no cross members spanning the horizontal frame.

2. The play set of claim 1 wherein the lift system further comprises:

(a) added lengths of two of the vertically positioned rectangular frame structures from each end to form two longer vertically positioned rectangular frame structures so that the added lengths of the two longer vertically positioned rectangular frame structures extend outwardly from the horizontal frame forming a horizontal shape of a Roman Numeral two,

(b) two porch structures constructed to allow a person to stand on the porch member, and

(c) two porch attachment means to structurally fix the porch members on top of the added lengths of the vertically positioned rectangular frame members and abut and hold the base wood members of the box-like structure between the porch members.

3. The play set of claim 2 wherein the porch structures have a width longer than the added lengths such that when the porch structures are attached to the four sided horizontal frame the porch structures extend outwardly past the ends of the added lengths.

4. The play set of claim 3 wherein each of the porch structures further comprise an outside frame member along the length of the porch structure depending downwardly outside the ends of the added lengths of the two longer vertically positioned rectangular frame members, leaving a space between the outside frame member and the ends of the added lengths.

5. The play set of claim 1 wherein the box-like structure includes an upper floor and a ladder structure to allow a child to climb up to the upper floor.

6. The play set of claim 1 wherein the box-like structure is a play house.

7. The play set of claim 1 wherein the play set further comprises a play swing set of a horizontal swing support member and two "A" frame structure supporting the swing support member at each end with each "A" frame structures having an "A" frame base member that can rest on the ground and a horizontal support member structurally attached at one end to the swing support member and at the other end to a top portion of the box-like structure, and the play set further comprises:

(a) a pair of second vertically positioned rectangular frame structures of the same height as the four vertically positioned rectangular frame structures and of a length to match the length of the "A" frame base members, and

(b) "A" frame attachment means to structurally attach the "A" frame base members to a top member of the second vertically positioned rectangular frame structures.

8. The play set of claim 7 wherein the box-like structure is a play house that includes an upper floor and a ladder structure to allow a child to climb up to the upper floor.

9. The play set of claim 8 wherein the horizontal support member is a horizontal ladder structure that can be reached from the upper floor.

10. The play set of claim 7 wherein the "A" frame attachment means comprises two vertical members structurally attached to and extending vertically upwardly from each of the second vertically positioned rectangular frame structures and structurally attachable to the "A" frame structures.

11. A lift system for a play set that includes a box-like structure with four walls each having a base wood member that together form a foot print that can rest on the ground, wherein the box-like structure has no floor, attached to it and wherein the height of the box-like structure is suitable for small children, the lift system comprising:

(a) four vertically positioned rectangular frame structures of a height chosen to raise the box-like structure a sufficient distance to provide a total interior height suitable for larger size children,

(b) attachment means to fix the four verticallly positioned rectangular frame structures into a four sided horizontal frame of a size to match the footprint of the base wood members of the box-like structure,

(c) added lengths of two of the vertically positioned rectangular frame structure from each end to form two longer vertically positioned rectangular frame structures, so that the added lengths of the two longer vertically postioned frame structures extend outwardly from the horizontal frame at each end forming a horizontal shape of a Roman Numeral two,

(d) two porch structures constructed to allow a person to stand on the porch member, and

(e) two porch attachment means to structurally attach the porch members on top of the added lengths of the vertically positioned rectangular frame structures and abut and hold the base wood members of the box-like structure between the porch structures.

12. The lift system of claim 11 wherein the porch structures have a width longer than the added lengths such that when the porch structures are fixed to the four sided horizontal frame the porch structures extend outwardly past the ends of the added lengths.

13. The lift system of claim 12 wherein each of the porch structures further comprise an outside frame member along the length of the porch structure depending downwardly outside the ends of the added lengths of the two larger vertically positioned rectangular frame members, leaving a space between the outside frame member and the ends of the added lengths.

14. The lift system of claim 11 wherein the box-like structure includes an upper floor and a ladder structure to allow a child to climb up to the upper floor.

15. The lift system of claim 11 wherein the box-like structure is a play house.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the play set further includes a play swing set of a horizontal swing support member and two "A" frame structures supporting the swing support member at each end with each "A" frame structures having an "A" frame base member that can rest on the ground and a horizontal support member structurally attached at one end to the swing support member at the other end to a top portion of the box-like structure, the lift system further comprising:

(a) a pair of second vertically positioned rectangular frame structures of the same height as the four vertically positioned rectangular frame structures and of a length to match the length of the "A" frame base members, and

(b) "A" frame attachment means to structurally attach the "A" frame base members to a top member of the second vertically positioned rectangular frame structures.

17. The lift system of claim 16 wherein the box-like structure is a play house that includes an upper floor and a ladder structure to allow a child to climb up to the upper floor.

18. The lift system of claim 17 wherein the horizontal support member is a horizontal ladder structure that can be reached from the upper floor.

19. The lift system of claim 16 wherein the "A" frame attachment means comprises two vertical members structurally attached to and extending vertically upwardly from each of the second vertically positioned rectangular frame structures and structurally attachable to the "A" frame structures.