The Independent Film Journal (1952)

Seasonal Equipment Check Stressed For Ozoner Playground Maintenance By Norman R. Miller, American Playground Device Po. Before the drive-in theatre season opens in the spring, the inspecting, repairing and repainting of swings, slides, Castle Towers and other children’s playground apparatus Ishould be completed so all will be in readi¬ ness for use by the young movie patrons. , All equipment should be brought into safe jrepair to start each season, and it should be maintained throughout the season. All playground apparatus should be inspected at regular intervals. Frequent inspections will focus attention promptly on recurring acts of vandalism. Wood parts of apparatus, particularly, should be carefully inspected. Badly worn, splintery or cracked slide siderails, swing seats or see-saw boards definitely are dan¬ gerous for the children, and should be re¬ paired or replaced promptly. Check Fittings Swing chains, hooks, all hangers and frame fittings should be cheeked carefully, too; for badly worn parts or sections of ap¬ paratus are doubly hazardous. All wood parts should be refinished regu¬ larly. In far too many cases, the only paint the playground equipment ever received is that applied at the factory, even though this apparatus is subjected to exceptionally hard use and is constantly exposed to rain, snow, sleet, wind, hail and dust. Years of extra service can be added to playground equipment by painting it fre¬ quently and regularly. American uses Wax0-Namel, specially prepared for them by lone of the nation’s foremost paint manu¬ facturers ; but less expensive, outdoor enamel will do very well. I Slide Chute Advice Worn slide chutes present a special prob¬ lem. Few owners have the tools and equip¬ ment necessary to do a thorough, really workmanlike job of slide chute repair or irebuilding. Thus, if the siderails or bedways are badly worn and need to be reiplaced, it’s usually advisable to ship the worn chutes to the factory for a factory¬ rebuilding job. Frequently, if the chutes have been in service for ten years or longer, it is good economy to replace the worn chutes with new ones of all-steel construction. It’s a good idea to send the chute fittings along with the chutes, so that the factory can properly locate them on the new chutes and I thus greatly simplify the installation job. I Tips on Metals it If they are properly galvanized by the I hot-dip process, the metal parts of playground equipment will present few problems i until they have been in use for about eight ! years, or more. In fact, if they were hotI galvanized originally, the pipe members, ! chains and malleable fittings tend to weathier-out smooth and shiny as the years pass. ■Thus, you will require protective finishing jonly when signs of rust begin to appear, j When that occurs, you need simply clean ithe metal pa,rts with steel wool or emery ipaper, then apply two coats of any good grade of outdoor enamel or, if right colors are not considered essential with any stand¬ ard asphalt-base bridge paint. One sure way to protect equipment while it is in storage and to facilitate its re-in¬ stallation is to store all the equipment in an orderly, organized manner, so that you know where to locate the apparatus for each unit. Another procedure which greatly simpli¬ fies installation, maintenance and equipment repair and replacement problems is stand¬ ardization. An increasing number of driveins, schools and municipal playgrounds are standardizing on equipment of certain ap¬ proved manufacturers. In this way, replacement is greatly sim¬ plified, even though many years have elapsed since the parts originally were purchased. A desirable interchangeability exists in stand¬ ard apparatus. There are no orphan units or paifs, and finally, familiarity with the units and parts of one manufacturer gradually makes in¬ stallation, repair and maintenance work much simpler, less costly and much more efficient. Ballantyne Firm Starts 3-D Device Manufacture; Three Interlocks Planned Omaha. — The field of three-dimensional equipment has been entered into by the Bal¬ lantyne Co. with the announcement that the firm will manufacture and distribute inter¬ locks for projectors. The interlocks, which" will be called BalLok models, are to be supplied to the trade through the firm’s dealers. Three types are to be made available. One will be for use with Simplex, RCA and Ballantyne Models 8 and 9 sound heads. Another will be for Ballantyne Model 6 sound heads only. A third would be used for the Selsyn motor interlock. According to a company announcement, initial shipments were already made. Those on the primaiy list were Martin Theatres, Columbus, Ga., and the Y&W Management Corp., Indianapolis. Demand For Airer Lights Registered As Increasing Chicago. — An inci’easing demand for a new type of emergency light especially con¬ structed for drive-in theatres and utilizing an automatic mechanism has been registered by the manufactures, U-C Lits Manufactur¬ ing Co. Distributor is National Theatre Sup piy The emergency light, called Big Beam, is constructed with two floodlight heads, six inches in diameter each, with chromium plated brass reflectors for each bulb. Manufacturer claims the carrying handle is of highly polished aluminum, with a de¬ pendable automatic switchover relay in each unit. These operate on nine-volt standard batteries, easily replaced. The container is constructed of 20 gauge steel, finished in a soft green hammerloid. ilHE INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL— March 21. 1953 I i I AMERICAN PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT Unsurpassed in Design^ Safety and Performance • It’s the plus factor that makes American the most respected name in Playground Equipment . . . P/us in design — American leads the field. ...Plus in performance — Approved Equipment stronger, more ruggedly built to assure a hfetime of perfect repair-free service . . . Plus in safety — for American craftsmen are aware of their responsibility for the safety of your children. Thus, with American you receive far superior design and performance and unmatched safety. AMERICAN PLAYGROUND DEVICE CO. ANDERSON, INDIANA U.S.A. WORLD'S LARGEST MANUFACTURERS OF FINE PLAYGROUND & SWIMMING POOL EQUIPMENT ★ ★★★★★★★★★★★ t 31