US2696620A - Catch net for playpens - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 14, N C, E ROY 'CATCH NET FOR PLAYPENS Filed July 24, 1953 INVENTOR. NORMAN C. LEROY, BY

United States Patent() CATCH` NET EOR PLAYPENS Norman C. Le Roy, Miami,` Fla.,

Application July 241953Seria lNo. 370,060

' Claims. (Cl. 5-317) This invention relates to acatch net for detachable and collapsibleconnection to childrens. play pens and is an improvement over my United States Patent No. 2,607,052, issued August 19, 1952.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a net structure thatextends entirely around the play pen to be angularly disposed outwardly from the pen a dis: tance calculated to catch and entrap articles, such as bottles, toys or the. like thrown by the occupant ofl the pen to prevent them striking the floor and in many instances being broken.

The invention contemplates novel supports for mount: ing engagement upon the play'pen at each corner, which supports serve to hold the net in an extended angular position from the sides of the pen entirely therearound and with the supports constructed in a manner to permit them to be retracted against the side of the pen to collapse. the4 net and facilitate attention to the occupant. of the pen.

The invention further contemplates the novel supports for angularly disposing the net at a predetermined and desirable angle from the pen to catch and collect articles thrown by children of very young age and with the supports being further extensible to dispose the net outwardly a greater distance where the child is capable of projecting the articles a greater distance.

Novel features of construction and operation will be clearly apparent during the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying draw-V ings, wherein has been illustrated a preferred embodif ment of the invention and wherein like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a play pen showing the invention connected therewith,

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the net support in the supporting position, the pen and the net being fragmentarily shown,

Figure 3 is a plan view of the structure of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through the support and associated mounting bracket, taken 'on line 4--4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through thel outer end of the support, taken on line 5,- 5 of Figure 3 and,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective View illustrating the manner of connecting the net to the support,

Referring specifically to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates a conventional childs play pen, generally :square in top plan and jhaving open sides 6, a lbot-torn 7 and ground legs k8. The legs 8 may be omitted and .the invention is ust as applicable to play pens having no legs and which set directly upon the oor. The specific structure -of the pen is relatively unimportant, since it forms no part of the present invention.

Mounted at each of `the corner legs 8 of the pen at their upper ends, are cradle brackets, indicated as -a whole -by the numeral 10. Each ofthe brackets 10 comprises a pair .of vertically arranged vspaced apart and -para'llel side walls 11, connected at their :lower edges :b3/:integral spaced apart semi-.cylindrical straps 12. Each 'of the side walls V11 carry attaching wings 13, `ang-led substantially forty-tive degrees 'from fthe 4plates yand fthese wings '13 are apertured for gthe u,passage o f fastening screws 14. 'Bhe Twings ,13 llave fa 'height substantially :corresponding :to the :upper yrail of tthe men,

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Each ot the bracketsl Support a tubular arm 15, to swingin a4 vertical plane. The arm 15 is hingedly Sup.- ported within the bracket by a cross-pin 1,6 that projects through a slot 17 formed in the bottom ofthe bracket to form a fulcrum for the arm. The pin 16 engages the upper edge of the lslot at opposite sides of the bracket, in which position the arm has simul-y taneous resting engagement with the straps 12. The arm 15 is likewise shiftable endwise with respect to the bracket and is limited in such movement by the ,abutment ofthe pin 1 6 with the outer end of the slot 17, in which position the inner end of the arm will clear the inner strap 12 and permit the arm to be swung upward and then projected downwardly axially `through tl-ie slot to disposev the arm in the collapsed position shown in dotted line in Figure 2. The arm is'limited in its downward axial movement by a preferably inte? gral .collar 18 formed on its outer end,' with the collar having a diameter adequate to overlie the upper edges of the plates or, side walls 11 of the bracket. The bracket 10 thus forms a cradle for the operative resting sup.- port ofthe arm 15. The arm 15r is longitudinally slotted for its major length, as at 19, with the outer end of the slotofset and undercut as at 20 for locking engagement with a headed pin 21, carried by a telescopic extension rod 22. The rod 22 -is slidable into and out of the arm 15 and in normal retracted position, extends slightly beyond the collared en d of the arm 15. rIlhe )10d '22 -is preferably for-med tubular -with its outer projecting end`forrned open.

Disposed entirely 'around the pen and adapted lto be angled outwardly from the sides 6 and identical degree throughout the circumference, is an open mesh catch net 23, having a lower hem 24 -intowhich is threaded a draw and tie cord A25, through the medium of which the lower marginal edge oi' the net may be securely bound around ,the bottom of the pen `at a point slightly below the bottom '7. The upper marginal edge of the net 23. is preferably provided with alreinforced hem 26, into which is `threaded an elastic cord for maintaining the net -2;3 substantially taut throughout its extended use. At equidistantly spaced points around the hem 26, the net is provided with attaching grommets 27, see more particularly Figure 6, and lthe hem -is connected to t-he vprojectingends of the several rods 2 2, by ball headed pins 21S, Passing through the 4grommets 27 and friction- ,ally engaging ythe tubular rods 22, ithrough the medium of which the. hem 2.6 is -SeGureI-v @inflected t0 the rods `against accidental displacement, yet may ibe quickly and easily diseonaeeted by merely withdrawing the pins :28. Under normal operating conditions, Awhere the child .is yer-y young, the rod is fully telescoped into the vvarm 15, with the net disposed at approxi-mately `the angle shown. The rods 22 will be held against accidental telesco e 'shifting by the :fett-active `force ,of the .elastic .cord wlthul the heal 2li The bracket? .1.0 may be arranged the cradle .straps 12 slight-ly 4angled upward' to .disnase .e arm L5 and the md .22 slightly angled upward `to maintain lthe upper marginal ,edge ,of .the .net 23 approximately ilush with the upper rail ,of the ,pen -to provide the maximum protection.

the use .of the .do/ica ideasal brackets@ are fastened ,at each `cor-ner of the pen ,at the upper end ,of the legs 8. The several 4,arms i5 are mounted ,within their respective brackets and the pins y)L6 forced there :through gto project an equal `distance beyond .each side wall 11. The arms 15 are v,thus Vsecurely connected vto :the brackets ,against displacement ,and will .be )limited lin their downward swinging movement by engagement with the `straps 1 2. The rods 22 are then telescoped iin-to the arnis 1S and the headed ,pins v2l .screwed or otherwise engaged therewith, thus limiting the telescopic ,movement ,of the ,rods in either direction. The net is then 'securely .tied around the ,bOiim of the pen by .the .cord and the upper hem Ais `C,O1,1I,1CI$ 1 with the `several ,rods 2 2 vby zthe Ipins 23. .Upon release, ,the upper hem .26 will be .held .taut with the .net angled outwardly from the `pe equal `distante thmushaut ,the .Crwmference of the aan it @will {na/1.1.9 obten/sd, that a very substantial .vre-

tively catch any and all objects, such as bottles or toys which may be thrown by the occupant, shoved over the top of the pen or which may be forced through the open sides, with all such objects rolling gently downwardly to the bottom of the net where they may be easily and quickly collected and redeposited in the pen. The bottles or such like, are thus protected against breaking and avoids the need for the attendant to be continually picking the objects up from the floor, as is so common inpresent pens now in use. With older occupants of the pen, who have the ability to throw objects a greater distance, it becomes necessary to extend the net outwardly for greater protection. When this becomes necessary, the attendant merely pulls the rods 22 outwardly their full extension and then by giving the rods a partial turn, locks the pins 21 in the offset slot 20. This extension of the net 23 is possible due to the recognized resiliency of netted material, coupled with the elastic cord in the hem 26. The net'will thus be securely held in the fully extended position shown by dotted lines in Figure 2. To release the net so that it may assume its normal position, the operator merely reverses the rotary movement of the rods 22 and the elastic cord will immediately shift the rods inwardly to the point where the pins 21 abut the inner end of the slot 19.

When there is no need for the net, or when the occupant of the pen requires attention,V it is desirable that the net be fully collapsed to facilitate such attention. To accomplish this, the attendant shifts the arms 15 forwardly in the brackets to the limit of movement of the pins 16, at which time the inner end of the arms will clear the inner cradle strap 12, permitting the arms 15 and associated rods 22 with its attached net to swing upward and permit the arms to be projected downwardly through the open slotted bottom of the bracket to assume a collapsed position substantially parallel with. the legs 8. shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. Thus the net is shifted to a position against the side of the pen and offers no obstruction tothe full access to the interior. Por attending to the occupant, it may only be necessary that the attendant collapse one or possibly two of the supports or, it may be that the net will be entirely collapsed when the pen is unoccupied. After the net has been collapsed, it may be easily and quickly extended by lifting the arm upward to a point where the pin 16 abuts the edges of the slot 17, at which time the arm 15 is swung downwardly and then shifted rearwardly to overlie the inner cradle strap 12 where it is securely locked against further accidental shifting. The net 23 rnav be quickly and easily removed from the supports and from the pen for laundering by simply removing the pins 28 and untieing the cord 25. The net may be further attached to the pen by tacking or otherwise at points around its lower hem 24 to prevent sagging under the weight of obiects collected therein.

Tt will be apparent from the foregoing, that a very effective protective catch net has been provided for use with play pens. The parts are few and simple and cheap to manufacture, are strong, durable and'easily mounted upon the pen. The cost of the device and its installation will more than compensate for the saving in broken bottles or the like. When the pen is to be stored, the net may be entirely removed and the arms collapsed, where they will be entirely out of the way, but always readv for use.

Changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts and materials employed are contemplated as readily fall within the spirit of the invention or the scope of 'the subioined claims. l

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In combination a catch net and a childs play pen of the type that is generally square in top plan and which is provided with corner posts, a closed bottom and open sides, the net adapted to extend entirely around the pen, the net having a lower marginal hem that is snugly engaged around the bottom of the pen and an upper resilient marginal hem, brackets xed at the upper end of each of the corner posts, an arm pivotally supported in each of the brackets to extend outwardly in a generally horizontal plane, extension means carried by each of the arms that has detachable connection with the resilient hem of the net at equidistantly spaced points, the arms and the extension means supporting the net in a position of angularity outwardly from the sides of the pen an equal distance throughout the circumference of the pen, the pivotal means between the arms and the brackets permitting the arms to swing in vertical planes to be shifted to positions parallel with the corner posts to dispose the net in collapsed position against the sides of the pen.

2. The device according to claim l, wherein the brackets provide a cradle support for the arms at their inner ends that is adapted to support the arms in a generally horizontal plane outwardly from the posts, the pivotal means permitting the arms to swing upwardly from the horizontal, means between the brackets and the arms to lock the arms against swinging movement, the extension means being telescopic with respect to the arms and adapted to .be shifted outwardly to increase the angularity of the net outwardly from the sides of the pen and locking means to retain the extension means in the extended position.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the brackets are U-shaped and cut away at their bottoms to form avpair of. spaced apartcradle straps, the brackets provided with angle wings that are apertured for connection to the pen, the arms and the extension means being tubular and telescopic with respect to each other, the inner end of each arm when in the horizontal net supporting position being supported in the brackets to have a normal resting support'upon the cradle straps, the arms being swingable in a vertical plane to be shifted axially downwardly between the spaced cradle straps to dispose the arms in positions parallel with the corner posts, means carried adjacent the inner ends of the arms whereby when the arms are in the horizontal position they may be axially shiftable to have interlocking engagement with the brackets to prevent swinging movement, pin and slot connection between the arms and the extension means to limit the shifting movement of the extension means, the extension means when in the extended position having interlocking connection with the arms, the outer ends of each of the extension means having a detachable connection with the resilient hem of the net.

4. In combination a catch net device and a childs play pen and with the catch net having detachable connection with the play pen in a manner whereby it is disposed entirely around the circumference of the pen, the net provided with a lower hem having a draw and tie cord to snugly engage the hem entirely around a bottom of the pen, the net provided with an upper resilient hem for its entire circumference that is provided with grommets at equally spaced points in its circumference, the

pen having corner posts and open sides, brackets rig-- idly secured to the corner posts adiacent their upper ends, the brackets being U-shaped and comprising spaced apart side walls open at the top and with the bottoms cut away to provide a pair of spaced apart cradle straps that provide an-elongated slot, apertured wings carried by the side walls in xed connection to the upper end of the pen, a tubular arm supported at one end in each of the brackets to have normal resting support upon the cradle straps, a pivot pin carried by the inner end of each arm to'have traverse engagement in the elongated slot, the outer ends of the arms being open and Qflanged, the arms when in one position overlying both cradle straps of their respective brackets with their pins contacting the lower edges of the side walls to lock the arms against vertical swinging movement, the arms being axially shiftable outwardly to disengage the innermost cradle straps to permit the arms to be swung upwardly to be projected axially downwardly through the slots to assume positions parallel with the corner posts, the arms being limited in their downward movement by the abutment of the flanges with the upper edges of the walls,

aV tubular extension rod axially shiftable int'o and out of each of the tubular arms, a pin and slot connection between the arms and the rods to limit the shifting movement of the rods, the rods when shifted to the limit of their outer movement being partially rotatable tohav- 'ing interlocking engagement with the arms, the outer ends of the extension rods formed open and connecting means between the outer ends of the rods and the resilient hem that comprises headed pins that pass through the grommets and have frictional engagement with the tubular rods, the arms and the rods when in one position serving to support the net device in a position 'of angularity outwardly fromV the sides of the pen an equal distance throughout the circumference ofthe .pen,.the

arms when shifted to a position parallel with the corner posts serving to dispose the net against the sides of the pen.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the spacing of the bracket side walls is substantially identical with the diameter of the arms and wherein the opening of the slot is such as to permit the projection of the arm downwardly therethrough, the engagement of the inner ends of the arms within the brackets at all times being such as to prevent lateral movement of the arms, the headed pins connecting the resilient hem of the net being cylindrical and of a diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the extension rods with the pins being first inserted through the grommets to axially and frictonally engage the inner face of the rods.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 924,554 Jackson June 8, 1909 1,377,860 Thomas May 10, 1921 2,607,052 Le Roy Aug. 19, 1952

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