Diving Board Construction

Abstract

An elongated base structure is provided including opposite side longitudinal members interconnected decentrally intermediate their opposite ends by means of a central transverse brace extending therebetween and rigidly secured to the opposite side members. One pair of corresponding ends of the side members include upstanding mounting plates and a large diameter horizontally disposed tubular member extends between and is secured at its opposite ends to upper portions of the mounting plates disposed above the opposite side members of the brace structure. Upstanding eye bolts are secured downwardly through opposite end portions of the tubular member and a pivot shaft is rotatively received through the eye portions of the eye bolts disposed above the opposite ends of the tubular member. Clamps are provided at points spaced along the pivot shaft intermediate the eye portions of the eye bolts and the clamps are secured to the underside of the base end of a generally horizontal diving board generally paralleling the opposite side members and extending toward the ends thereof remote from the mounting plates, a compression spring being disposed between the central transverse brace and the mid-portion of the diving board spaced above and in vertical registry with the transverse brace.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The diving board of the instant invention constitutes an assembly which is completely portable and includes its own base which merely requires that it is placed in a stationary manner relative to the deck of an associated pool, the assembly may be anchored to the pool deck if desired.

Heretofore, low diving boards have included strands or supports therefor requiring sophisticated anchoring to an associated pool deck, the diving board proper being supported from the stand in cantilever fashion. Because of the cantilever fashion of supporting the diving board proper, these more conventional types of diving board constructions place excess stresses and strain on the portions thereof which are anchored to the pool deck. The amplification of stresses and strain at the point of anchoring of a diving board construction to the deck often results in failure of the anchoring structure and the need for frequent repairs.

Although there has been some development in diving board constructions which do not require the support of a diving board proper and the strand therefor in cantilever fashion from the deck of a swimming pool, this field of invention has not been fully developed. Previous springing devices which are generally similar to the diving board construction of the instant invention may be found in U.S. Pats. Nos. 3,300,209 to C. Friis, dated Jan. 24, 1967, 2,812,180 to L. P. Cymbal, dated Nov. 5, 1957, and 2,764,413 to K.M. Wisner, dated Sept. 25, 1956. However, these previous springing devices do not include the refinements of construction incorporated in the diving board of the instant invention. The diving board construction incorporates a base structure which extends the full length under the diving board proper with the latter pivotally supported at one end in elevated position relative to and from and corresponding end of the base and an upstanding compression spring disposed between upwardly and downwardly facing intermediate portions of the base and diving board proper, respectively. By this construction, the stresses and strain of a person using a diving board are evenly distributed to the associated pool deck throughout the entire length of the base portion of the diving board construction.

The main object of this invention is to provide an improved diving board construction including structural and operationalcharacteristics which will enable the diving board construction to be portable without the need for being anchored to an associated pool deck or the like and which will provide the desired springing action of better conventional diving board constructions.

Another object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding objects is to provide a diving board construction that may be readily serviced by inexperieced persons when service thereon is required.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a diving board construction in accordance with the preceding objects and which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be a simple construction and be easy to use so as to provide a device which will be economical, feasible, long-lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the diving board construction of the instant invention as shown placed on a pool deck adjacent one side of the pool;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the diving board construction;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane and indicated by the section line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 4--4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view off one of the eye bolt portions of the diving board construction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The numeral 10 generally designates a pool deck extending about a pool well 12 having water 14 disposed therein to a level 16 below the upper surface of the deck 10.

The diving board construction of the instant invention is referred to in general by the reference numeral 18 and includes a base structure referred to in general by the reference numeral 20, a diving board element 22 and a compression spring 24 interposed between upwardly and downwardly facing vertically spaced mid-portions of the base 20 and diving board element 22.

The base 20 includes a pair of elongated horizontal and generally parallel opposite side members 26 and 28 comprising angle members including upstanding mounting flanges 30 and horizontal base flanges 32. The base flanges 32 project outwardly from the remote sides of the lower marginal edge portions of the mounting flanges 30 and the mid-portions of the angle members 26 and 28 are rigidly interconnected by means of a horizontal transverse brace 34 extending and secured between adjacent sides of the mounting flanges 30. The transverse brace 34 comprises an inverted channel-shaped member including an upper horizontal bight portion 36 interconnecting opposite side depending flanges 38.

The base is placed on the pool deck 10 and although the side members 26 and 28 need not be anchored in position, a plurality of fasteners 40 may be secured through each of the base flanges 32 at points spaced longitudinally therealong and anchored to the deck 10, if desired. The opposite side members 26 and 28 extend away from the pool well 12 and the ends of the side members 26 and 28 remote from the well 12 include upstanding mounting plates 44 whose lower marginal edge portions are rigidly secured to the opposing inner sides of the mounting flanges 30 in any convenient manner such as by welding. The upper portions of the mounting plates 44 are interconnected by means of a large diameter horizontal transverse tubular member 46 extending between and having its opposite ends rigidly secured, as by welding, to the upper portions of the inner sides of the mounting plates 44.

A pair of eye bolts 48 are secured downwardly through the tubular member 46 and anchored in position by means of threaded bolts 50 threaded onto the lower ends of the eye bolts 48 which project below the tubular member 46. The eye portions 52 of the eye bolts 48 project above opposite end portions of the upper periphery of the tubular member 46 and rotatably receive the opposite end portions of a pivot shaft 54 therethrough.

Diving board element 22 is placed above and generally parallels the base 20. The under surface of the end of the diving board element 22 overlying the tubular member 46 includes clamp members 56 secured about the pivot shaft 54 at points spaced immediately inwardly of the eye portions 52 of the eye bolts 48 and the clamp member 56 are anchored by fasteners 58 to the underside of the diving board element 22. The diving board element 22 generally parallels the base 20 and extends therealong in spaced relation relative thereto toward the pool well 12. The lower end of the large diameter compression spring 24 is anchored, as by spot welding 60, to the center portion of the transverse brace 34 and the upper end of the compression spring 24 is anchored to the underside of the mid-portion of the diving board element 22 by means of fasteners 62 secured through mounting ears 64 carried by and projecting outwardly of remote sides of the upper convolution of the coil spring 24.

From the foregoing it may thus be seen that the diving boarad element 22 does not project appreciably beyond either end of the base 20 and that the base 20 may be readily anchored to the deck 10. Further, the placement of the compression spring 24 between the underside of the mid-portion of the diving board element 22 and the transverse brace 34 insures that substantially all stresses and strain transferred to the base 20 during use of the diving board construction 18 will be evenly distributed throughout the base 20 to the deck 10. Also, the pivotal connection of the base end of the diving board element 22 may be readily serviced and either the pivot shaft 54 and/or the eye bolts 48 may be replaced whenever needed. Also, the diving board element 22 may be readily removed from the rest of the diving board construction 18 by removal of the fasteners 62 and the fasteners 58.

Further, the lower end of spring 24 may be removably fastened to the transverse brace 34 by means of removable fasteners and channel members may be used in lieu of the angle members 26 and 28, if desired.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A diving board construction including an elongated base defined by a pair of elongated horizontal spaced apart opposite side members, transverse brace means extending between and rigidly secured to mid-portions of said side members, one pair of ends of said side members including upstanding mounting plates secured thereto and extending longitudinally therealong, a large diameter horizontally disposed tubular combined brace and support member extending between and rigidly secured to said plates, a pivot shaft supported from, spaced slighly above and extending along said tubular member, and a diving board extending along and overlying said base in spaced relation thereto, with one end of said board overlying said pivot shaft, means supporting said one end of said board from said pivot shaft, upstanding compression spring means interposed between said transverse brace means and an under surface portion of a mid-portion of said board disposed above said brace means, and a pair of upstanding eye bolts secured downwardly through opposite end portions of said tubular member and having horizontally aligned upper end eye portions through which the opposite ends of said pivot shaft extend.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said tubular member is end abutted against the inner sides off said mounting plates and is of a height greater than one-half the vertical distance between the under surface portions of said one pair of ends of said side members and the underside of the corresponding end of said board.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the opposite ends of said pivot shaft are rotatably received through said eye portions, said pivot shaft, intermediate said eye portions being stationarily anchored to said board.

4. A diving board construction including an elongated base defined by a pair of elongated horizontal spaced apart opposite side members, transverse brace means extending between and rigidly secured to mid-portions of said side members, one pair of ends of said side members including upstanding mounting plates secured thereto and extending longitudinally therealong, a large diameter horizontally disposed tubular combined brace and support member extending between and rigidly secured to said plates, a pivot shaft supported from spaced slightly above and extending along said tubular member, and a diving board extending along and overlying said base in spaced relation thereto, with one end of said board overlying said pivot shaft, means supporting said one end of said board from said pivot shaft, upstanding compression spring means interposed between said transverse brace means and an under surface portion of a mid-portion of said board disposed above said brace means, said side members comprising angle members including upstanding flange portions and horizontal flange portions projecting outwardly from the outer sides of the lower marginal edges of said upstanding flange portions, said plates being abutted agains and secured to the opposing inner sides of said upstanding flange portions, said tubular member being end abutted against the inner sides of said mounting plates and being of a height greater than one-half the vertical distance between the under surface portions of said one pair of ends of said side members and the underside of the corresponding end of said board, a pair of upstanding eye bolts secured downwardly through opposite end portions of said tubular member and having horizontal aligned upper end eye portions through which the opposite ends of said pivot shaft extend.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein the opposite ends of said pivot shaft are rotatably received through said eye portions, said pivot shaft, intermediate said eye portions being stationarily anchored to said board.