Strength of typical baby crib railing

[Cobul]

A typical baby crib look like.

For the above, the width is 30 inches. The length of the railing is 52 inches.
The railings were only connected top and bottom at the sides with a a single Allen screw and round nut (inside the New Zealand Pine Wood). (Taken out temporarily to photograph it)

This is the dimensions of the railing (with installed screws (left side)). The vertical is 1.25" and horizontal side is 0.75".

How strong is the railing when say 1 to 2 year old baby tried to push it outward before it breaks?
This crib is very common so there must be studies or standard computation about its strength?
What is the unit of the force? Can you please help compute the force? Thank you!

 

[Keith_McClary]

My IKEA chair is supporting me with four bolts like those.

We had a baby climb out of a crib onto a dresser beside it. He climbed onto a drawer we had left open. This tipped over the dresser, flinging him across the room. He was OK, but loud.

 

[Dr.D]

I'm not at all sure that there have ever been any studies about crib strength. This is a time honored design, such that we might say it is verified by the many cribs in service with essentially this design. I built similar cribs from scratch for my twin children some 45 years ago, using yellow pine wood; there was never any problem.

 

[russ_watters]

I can't imagine that a mass produced safety structure would be designed without a team of engineers dedicated to figuring out what it takes to defeat it. And I can't imagine such a structure existing without rigorous safety standards and testing. Sticking a hydraulic jack between the railings seems like an obviously necessary test to me.

Google should be able to answer this.

 

[Keith_McClary]

Sticking a hydraulic jack between the railings

https://jooinn.com/img/get

 

[Tom.G]

Whew! Finally tracked down the standard.

The Code of Federal Regulations as presented in the Federal Register:
https://ecfr.federalregister.gov/current/title-16/chapter-II/subchapter-B/part-1219/section-1219.2

§ 1219.2 Requirements for full-size baby cribs.
Each full-size baby crib must comply with all applicable provisions of ASTM F1169-19, Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Full-Size Baby Cribs approved March 15, 2019.

The ASTM site has a brief (useless) abstract at:
https://www.astm.org/Standards/F1169.htm
That page shows the 20 page standard available for US$58 in PDF file.

One site I searched mentioned a minimum strength for the slats on the sides, without giving any numbers.

Good Luck!
Tom

 

[Cobul]

When I look at the rail side view or from the edge. I can see the rail pine wood flex when baby tried to hold the rail outward from middle of crib. How much can pine wood flex?

Anyway I have a bag of Instamorph, a non-toxic, lightweight polyester thermoplastic that is moldable at low temperature (150 degrees Fahrenheit) and solidifies at room temperature

Anyone has idea what housing or formwork to create to make a bar made of Instamorph that would brace the ends of both rail about 2" from the edge? I'm thinking of enclosing them in plastic sheet but the plastic may melt. This is to make the rail more stable. To mold the moldable thermoplastic. I have to put it in a bowl of boiling water. But the bowl is small. How can I make it into a 31 inches bar bent at 90 degrees at end to hold the rails 2" away? Any idea? Thank you.

 

[marcusl]

Your baby was lucky not to get hurt. This is such a problem that all hardware stores sell straps to anchor a dresser to the wall, preventing tip over.

 

[Keith_McClary]

Your baby was lucky not to get hurt. This is such a problem that all hardware stores sell straps to anchor a dresser to the wall, preventing tip over.

This was in the bad old days before anchors were invented. My point was that if the baby is big enough to break the crib, it is more likely to climb out and fall on the floor (even without the help of a dresser).

 

[256bits]

When I look at the rail side view or from the edge. I can see the rail pine wood flex when baby tried to hold the rail outward from middle of crib. How much can pine wood flex?

Anyway I have a bag of Instamorph, a non-toxic, lightweight polyester thermoplastic that is moldable at low temperature (150 degrees Fahrenheit) and solidifies at room temperature

View attachment 284571

View attachment 284573Anyone has idea what housing or formwork to create to make a bar made of Instamorph that would brace the ends of both rail about 2" from the edge? I'm thinking of enclosing them in plastic sheet but the plastic may melt. This is to make the rail more stable. To mold the moldable thermoplastic. I have to put it in a bowl of boiling water. But the bowl is small. How can I make it into a 31 inches bar bent at 90 degrees at end to hold the rails 2" away? Any idea? Thank you.View attachment 284572

You want to make an adjustment to the crib?
Make sure the baby cannot loosen any of the added parts, chew on it, break a piece off and choke.
And any additions may void recourse if any future event does occur.

 

[256bits]

https://law.resource.org/pub/us/cfr/ibr/003/astm.f1169.2013.html

Whew! Finally tracked down the standard.

The Code of Federal Regulations as presented in the Federal Register:
https://ecfr.federalregister.gov/current/title-16/chapter-II/subchapter-B/part-1219/section-1219.2
The ASTM site has a brief (useless) abstract at:
https://www.astm.org/Standards/F1169.htm
That page shows the 20 page standard available for US$58 in PDF file.

One site I searched mentioned a minimum strength for the slats on the sides, without giving any numbers.

Good Luck!
Tom

good hunting!

They to not use wood screws, and a bunch of other stuff.
and some testing methods which I skimmed through.