Climbing playsets

Abstract

Climbing playsets and methods of manufacturing and constructing such playsets are provided. The playsets include interchangeable support members. Some playsets include compound members formed of two or more support members spliced together end-to-end.

1 . A method of constructing two or more climbing playsets having different designs, the method comprising: 
 (a) providing a set of support members pre-drilled with holes in predetermined drilling patterns and cut to predetermined lengths, at least some of the support members having a common length and drilling pattern;    (b) joining the support members to form a first playset frame in which the support members define upright members;    (c) inserting climbing rungs into the pre-drilled holes to form one or more integrated climbing ladders in the first playset frame; and    (d) repeating steps (b) and (c), using at least some support members that are substantially identical to the support members used to form the first playset frame to form a second playset frame having a different configuration.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the set of support members consists of support members having no more than five different drilling patterns.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the set of support members consists of support members having no more than three different lengths.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the set of support members consists of support members having no more than three different lengths.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least some of the upright members comprise compound members formed into a spliced upright by joining two or more support members end-to-end.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein all of the support members have a length of less than 9 feet.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein all of the support members have a length of less than 8 feet.  
   
   
       8 . A method for constructing climbing playsets, said method comprising: 
 (a) providing a library of plans for constructing playsets of a substantial number of different playset configurations;    (b) providing a set of playset vertical support members for use in construction of the different playset configurations, the set of vertical support members consisting of wooden support members of common length, the vertical support member defining pre-drilled holes arranged in a predetermined drilling pattern selected from a limited, finite number of drilling patterns, the limited, finite number of drilling patterns being substantially smaller than the substantial number of playset configurations;    (c) from the library of plans, selecting a plan for constructing a playset of a predetermined configuration;    (d) from the set of playset vertical support members, selecting playset vertical support members designated by the selected plan for constructing the playset of predetermined configuration;    (e) joining the selected playset vertical support members to form a frame of the playset of predetermined configuration;    (f) inserting climbing rungs into the pre-drilled holes defined by adjacent selected playset vertical support members to form one or more integrated climbing ladders in the frame of the playset of predetermined configuration; and    (g) repeating steps (c), (d), (e) and (f) using other plans selected from the library of plans and using playset vertical support members selected, as designated by the other plans, from the set of playset vertical support members to form frames of the playsets of other, different predetermined configurations, at least one of the playset vertical support members selected from the set of playset vertical support members being designated by multiple different plans for construction of playsets of different predetermined configurations.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein step (e) includes joining two or more vertical support members end-to-end to form a spliced vertical member.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein all of the vertical support members have a length of less than 9 feet.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein all of the vertical support members have a length of less than 8 feet.  
   
   
       12 . A climbing playset comprising 
 a multi-level structure including a plurality of upright members and a plurality of substantially horizontal tie members defining walls that are substantially open, and    a plurality of climbing rungs extending between at least one pair of the upright members to define an integrated climbing ladder,    wherein at least one of the upright members is a spliced upright formed of two elongated pieces spliced together end-to-end.    
   
   
       13 . The playset of  claim 12  wherein the playset includes at least four spliced uprights.  
   
   
       14 . The playset of  claim 12  wherein the spliced uprights define a top portion of the playset.  
   
   
       15 . A set of playset vertical support members for use in construction of a substantial number of different playset configurations, the set of vertical support members consisting of wooden support members of common length, the vertical support members defining pre-drilled holes arranged in a predetermined drilling pattern selected from a limited, finite number of drilling patterns, the limited, finite number of drilling patterns being substantially smaller than the substantial number of playset configurations, at least one of the playset vertical support members selected from the set of playset vertical support members being designated by multiple different plans for construction of playsets of different predetermined configurations.