Abstract:
A slide ( 10 ) with a pair of suspension cables ( 12 ) and flexible material ( 14 ) connected to the cables ( 12 ). At least one lift ( 16 ) and one fall ( 18 ) is provided in the slide ( 10 ) from beginning to end. In the preferred embodiments, slide ( 10 ) includes lifts ( 16 ), falls ( 18 ), tunnels, loops and curves. Additionally, in a preferred embodiment, free hanging spreader bars ( 70 ) are provided to hold suspension cables ( 12 ) and flexible material ( 14 ) in their original spaced apart hanging position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to an improved slide apparatus and method. In particular, this invention relates to a cabled tarp water slide. 
     A wide variety of slides, both with and without water, have been known in the art for some time. Much of the art is directed to slides for use in escaping buildings in the event of fire. Avery, U.S. Pat. No. 284,994; Thoresen, U.S. Pat. No. 459,319; Erwin, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 920,296; and Erwin, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 952,315, are exemplary of the state of the art for fire slides. More recent escape devices are exemplified by Okuma, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,366. 
     Still further, the art includes slides used for amusement. The Auperl Patent, U.S. Pat. No. 1,520,217 discloses an amusement slide designed to pull a rowboat like device up an incline and then allow the rowboat to slide down a cable guide into a lake, river, or other body of water. The Ridgway Patent, U.S. Pat. No. 2,705,144, discloses an amusement slide wherein a person enters a shelter and stands on a trap door. The trap door is sprung and the user drops through the hole and onto an elongated sheet of steel. The steel is surrounded by canvas sides to prevent a person from sliding off the steel sheet during the journey along the length of the landing element. The European patent to Franzetti, EP0110843 discloses a water slide comprised of a continuous reinforced plastic web of soft polyvinyl chloride connected to tubular PVC posts which are subsequently connected to a number of support posts. The supports posts and the supports for the polyvinyl web are rigid and multi-pieced. In short, the prior art discloses slides which are expensive and time consuming to create and maintain. 
     A further drawback to the slides known in the art is that, in addition to being expensive to construct and maintain, they are not easily adaptable to use in primitive camp sites, in forests, and in natural settings without the disruption of the setting by the creation and installation of the supports and so forth. Still further, even the prior art slides which are somewhat easier to construct lack the features of the true amusement park ride in the nature of lifts, (i.e. jumps), and falls, (i.e. drops), throughout the length of the slide. 
     Thus, there is a need in the art for providing a slide which is easy to construct, inexpensive to maintain, and which includes at least one lift and one fall over the course of its length. It, therefore, is an object of this invention to provide an improved slide which is easy and inexpensive to construct and maintain and which includes amusement park like features, such as lifts and falls. 
     SHORT STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the slide of the present invention includes at least a pair of suspension cables connected at one high end to a slide support and at the opposite low end to another support. A flexible material is connected to the suspension cables and the flexible material includes at least one lift and one fall over its length. In a preferred embodiment, the slide includes a fall at the low end of the slide and at least one intermediate fall. In another preferred embodiment, intermediate falls are created by the combination of a flexible material of one width, connected to the suspension cables, which slightly overlaps a subsequent, separate section of flexible material of a wider width. The wider width of the second section of flexible material causes the second section of flexible material to be separated from the first section by some distance, thereby creating a fall at a point along the intermediate total length of the slide. 
     A further embodiment of the present invention includes lifts created by attaching wedges of material between two connecting sections of flexible material with the narrow end of the wedge facing the high end of the slide. Still another preferred embodiment of the present invention includes the creation of a lift by means of utilizing at least one direction change cable connected to the suspension cables at a lift point on one end and to an immovable supporting structure at the other end. As a result, the flexible material is restrained against deflection at the lift point by the direction change cable, thereby creating a lift. Still other preferred embodiments include curves, loops, and tunnels in the slide. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the slide of the present invention showing one lift and two falls; 
     FIG. 2 is a side section view illustrating a preferred embodiment of a lift of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating a preferred embodiment of a fall of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating a preferred embodiment of a lift of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of a loop of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a top view illustrating a preferred embodiment of a curve of the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of a tunnel of the present invention; 
     FIG. 8 is a front view of preferred embodiment of spreaders located beneath the slide of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 9 is a front view of protective cable flaps of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by way of example in FIGS. 1-9. With specific reference to FIG. 1, a slide  10  includes suspension cables  12  (only one shown), flexible material  14 , and at least one lift  16  and at least one fall  18 . FIG. 1 also illustrates direction change cable  20  connected to suspension cables  12  and flexible material  14 . Suspension cables  12  and slide  10  have a high end  22  and a low end  24 . 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention whereby flexible material  14  is comprised of a first section  26  and a second section  28 . In the embodiment illustrated, first section  26  is formed of flexible material of one particular width. First section  26  has an end  30 . Second section  28  is comprised of flexible material  14  of another, greater, width. As a result, when second section  28  is connected to suspension cables  12 , it hangs below first section  26 . Second section  28  is connected to cables  14  at connection point  32 , so that end  30  of first section  26  extends over and overlaps second section  28 , thereby creating intermediate fall  18  at the end  30  of first section  26 . 
     The second fall  18  of slide  10  as illustrated in FIG. 1 occurs at the end  34  of second section  28 . As illustrated, in the preferred embodiment, a user climbs ladder  36  to access the high end  22  of slide  10 . The user then slides down flexible material  14 . If second section  28  is not attached, the user falls from first section  26  at end  30  of first section  26  into the water  38 . With second section  28  attached, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a user experiences a fall at end  30  of first section  26  onto second section  28  and then another fall at end  34  of second section  28  into water  38 . 
     Still referring to FIG. 1, lift  16  is disclosed. As illustrated, lift  16  includes direction change cable  20 . Direction change cable  20  includes one end  40  connected to suspension cables  12  and another end  42  connected to a substantially non-moving support  44 . Flexible material  14  and suspension cables  12  naturally respond by deflection when weight, as in a person sliding down flexible material  14 , is applied sequentially along the length of flexible material  14  on the way to water  38 . By way of direction change cable  20 , however, suspension cables  12  are held immobile at connection end  40  so that the weight of a user sliding down flexible material  14  does not cause flexible material  14  to deflect. As a result, in effect, a lift  16  is created at the lift point created by end  40  of direction change cable  20 . 
     Still referring to FIG. 1, in a preferred embodiment, slide  10  is constructed easily and simply in wilderness situations by using naturally available supports such as trees  46 . FIG. 1 shows suspension cables  12  running from tree  46  on one side of water  38  to a tree  46  on the other side of water  38 . Any obvious variations of this are acceptable. That is, trees  46  could be made of artificial and/or natural supports such as telephone poles, posts, rock formations or the like. Suspension cables  12  are not necessarily required to extend completely beyond water  38 . That is, low end  24  of suspension cables  20  of slide  10 , might actually terminate in water  38 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 2, a side view of a partial section of slide  10  is shown. FIG. 2 illustrates a lift  16  formed in the following manner. Flexible material  14  is connected in sections to make a long slide  10 . At the point where section  48  ends at point  50 , it is sewn to continuing section  52 . While sewing flexible material  14  in place is a preferred embodiment, any means of joining sections of flexible material  14  together is appropriate, such as welding, gluing, and the like so long as the connection is more or less seamless. In a preferred embodiment for creating a lift  16 , continuing section  52  is connected at point  54  to section  48  Section  48  overlaps continuing section  52  on the inside of continuing section  52  and continuing section  52  overlaps section  48  on the outside of section  48 . In between section  48  and  52  is wedge  56 . Wedge  56  has an elevated end  58  and a narrow end  60 . Narrow end  60  is positioned toward high end  22  of slide  10  and elevated end  58  is positioned toward low end  24  of slide  10 . Wedge  56  may be made of any appropriate material, such as foam rubber, or the like. As a result, by joining two sections of flexible material  14  as described, with wedge  56  positioned in between as described, a lift  16  is provided in slide  10 . A user enters slide  10  on the high end  22  (not shown), slides down flexible material  14 , on to narrow end  60 , up wedge  56 , and off of wedge  56  at elevated end  58 , onto continuing section  52 . This lift or jump  16  can be repeated as many times as desired. Applicant&#39;s slide  10  in a preferred embodiment, again, includes at least one lift  16  and at least one fall  18  throughout the course of the slide  10  from high end  22  to low end  24 . 
     Referring to FIG. 3, a partial section of slide  10  is illustrated showing a fall  18  formed as previously described by the combination of flexible material  14  first section  26  of one width in combination with second section  28  of a greater width thereby creating a fall  18  at the end  30  of first section  26 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 4, a partial section of slide  10  is shown illustrating lift  16  created by means of direction change cable  20 . Again, in a preferred embodiment, direction change cable  20  is connected to an essentially immovable support  44  such as a tree limb of some substantial size. In the instance where a tree limb is not available, a post(s)  62  can be sunk next to one or both sides of slide  10  and suspension cables  12  then connected to post(s)  62  at connection point  64  as illustrated in FIG.  4 . In either case, a lift  16  is provided because normally flexible material  14 , suspended from suspension cables  12 , deflects with the addition of weight to slide  10 . However, at point  64 , suspension cables  12  are prevented from deflecting, thereby creating a lift  16  at point  64  of slide  10 . A user enters high end  22  of slide  10 , slides down the slide and is lifted upward at point  64  due to the failure of flexible material  14  and cables  12  to give or deflect at that point. 
     Referring now to FIG. 5, a side view of a preferred embodiment of a loop of the present invention is provided. Post  62  is utilized to support slide  10  in the following manner. Post  62  has a transverse member  66  around (seen end on) which flexible material  14  loops. Direction change cables  20  are secured to transverse member  66  on the inside of the loop and direction change cables  20  are connected to the suspension cables  12  of slide  10  on the outside of the loop as illustrated. Direction change cables  20  on the outside of the loop are also connected to substantially non-moving support  44  which, again, could be a tree limb of sufficient size or an artificial post  62 . A user enters the loop from high end  22  and slides in the direction of the direction arrows shown in FIG. 5, loops around transverse member  66  and continues in the direction of low end  24  after exiting the loop. While FIG. 5 illustrates the loop of the present invention in side view, it is obvious that the loop could also be horizontal, i.e. the same construction would be utilized as illustrated if the view were from the top so that an individual would enter slide  10  on high end  22  and rotate around transverse member  66  horizontally, as opposed to vertically. 
     Referring now to FIG. 6, a top view of a curve in slide  10  is illustrated. In FIG. 6, substantially non-moving support  44  is positioned on the side away from the curve. Direction change cables  20  are connected to suspension cables  12  in a non-moving fashion so that flexible material  14  forms a C-shaped curve as illustrated in FIG.  6 . Again, a user enters slide  10  at the high end  22  and curves in the direction of the direction arrows shown in FIG. 6 around the curve towards low end  24 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 7, a front view of a tunnel of the present invention is illustrated. In this illustration, flexible material  14  is covered by some cover  68  that is connected side to side to suspension cables  12 . As a result, wherever cover  68  is placed on slide  10  a “tunnel” is created. Some or all of slide  10  could be covered by cover  68  or, as desired, a user could have portions of slide  10  covered and other portions uncovered. 
     Referring now to FIG. 8, free hanging spreader bars  70  are illustrated. Free hanging spreader bars are connected to suspension cables  12  and hang beneath flexible material  14 . Free hanging spreader bars  70  are formed of any substantially non-deformable material, such as steel or the like that provides rigidity to the spacing of suspension cables  12 . That is, free hanging spreader bars  70  hold flexible material  14  and suspension cables  12  against collapse. That is, again, when a user slides down the slide, the weight of the person causes the cables  12  to draw toward each other. Free hanging spreader bars  70  prevent the flexible material  14  and the suspension cables  12  from collapsing together at the point where the user&#39;s weight impacts slide  10 . Any number of free hanging spreader bars  70  that is appropriate for the particular design may be used. 
     Referring now to FIG. 9, cable protective flaps  72  are illustrated. In a preferred embodiment, cable protective flap  72  is formed by means of sewing a section of flexible material  14  along the length of the upper edge of slide  10  where flexible material  14  is connected to suspension cables  12 . The sewn connection is made on the inside  74  of flexible material  14 . The cable protective flap  72  is then wrapped around suspension cables  12  to the outside  76  of flexible material  14  and held in place by securing tab  78 . Securing tab  78  may be snaps, buckles, loops, hook and loop material, or any convenient securing device now known or hereafter developed. As a result of cable protective flap  72 , however, a user is protected from even accidental contact with the suspension cables  12  when using slide  10 . 
     The operation of slide  10 , as previously described, should be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. Nonetheless, the important advantage of slide  10  is that it is easy to construct in any wilderness situation. Applicant&#39;s slide  10  is, in particular, useful in camps which may not be full time camps. That is, slide  10  can be set up and taken down as needed. In situations where the water elevation changes, slide  10  can be moved to accommodate the water level change. Likewise, if supports for suspension cables  12  are damaged or destroyed, new locations and connections for suspension cables  12  are typically readily available. If not, a few artificial posts  62  are all that are necessary for the creation of slide  10 . 
     In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, slide  10  is utilized not only as a slide into water  38 , but also as a “water” slide. In this case, water, from a garden hose or any other available source, is introduced at the high end  22  of slide  10 . The water reduces the friction of the user with the flexible material  14  and enhances the speed of slide  10 . 
     Flexible material  14  can be made of any material now known or hereafter developed. Flexible material  14  may be made of any known plastic, such as polyvinyl chloride in some formation. It may also be that flexible material  14  may be made of material that is sufficiently slippery so that no water is needed. Additionally, it should be obvious that slide  10  can be utilized in situations where the user exits slide  10 , not into water, but into some soft receiving area such as sand, wood chips or the like. As a result, slide  10  is useful not only in wilderness situations, but in neighborhood parks and homes. Importantly, slide  10  provides not only a slide but an amusement variety slide. Applicant&#39;s slide  10  includes at least one lift and one fall in every slide, thereby providing amusement park excitement inexpensively and efficiently. 
     While the present invention has been disclosed in connection with the preferred embodiments thereof, it should be understood that there may be other embodiments which fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.