US3081999A

US3081999A - Balancing stick

Info

Publication number: US3081999A
Application number: US95265A
Authority: US
Inventors: Israel T Harris
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-03-13
Filing date: 1961-03-13
Publication date: 1963-03-19
Anticipated expiration: 1980-03-19

Description

March 19, 1963 1. T. HARRIS 3,081,999

BALANCING STICK Filed March 13, 1961 FIG.6

United States PatentO M 3,081,999 BALANCING STICK Israel T. Harris, 304 Bayard St., Oceanside, N.Y. Filed Mar. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 95,265 2 Claims. (Cl. 273--1) This invention relates to an agility game or toy and, in particular, to one which is adjustable to meet the requirements of the individual user.

Persons of all ages enjoy the challenge of an agilitytesting device. It is not an uncommon sight to see, for example, a boy balancing a broomstick on his fingert p. However, it has been noted that the player quickly loses interest in the balancing of a broomstick because of many reasons: (1) difficulty, the broomstick not being of preferred form or weight for this purpose, and (2.) it is not competitive in that there is lack of means to equahze the degree of skill required among players of different height.

As will be more fully disclosed hereinafter, the apparatus of this invention includes an adjustable height balancing rod provided with suitable finger grips. By making the height adjustable, the rod may be ad usted to match the height of the player. Thus, the same device becomes suitable for use as in a competitive sport. Means are provided to increase the degree of skill required for the handling of the device by the more skilled contestant.

Accordingly, it is one object of this invention to provlde a balancing toy which lends itself to a competitive game. Further, it is another object of this invention to provide an adjustable balancing toy.

Still another object of this twirlable balancing toy.

Still a different object of this invention is to provide a balancing toy having an increased means for varying the degree of skill required in accordance with the height of the player.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable height balancing device.

invention is to provide a Still another object of this invention is to provide a balancing toy having a flexible member.

Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will be, in part, obvious and will, in part, be pointed out with particularity as the following description proceeds taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective showing of the balancing device of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a section taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a section taken along line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a section taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show in perspective and partially sectioned two embodiments of the balancing stick of this invention employing alternative clamping means.

Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 1, there is designated generally by the numeral 10, a balancing stick of this invention. As shown, it comprises three concentric nesting tubes,

members

12, 14 and 16. While three tubes, each about two feet long have been found satisfactory, it is to be understood that a greater or lesser number of tubes may be employed.

It is preferred that the tubes be made of a lightweight plastic. For the

smaller diameter tubes

14 and 16, polystyrene and cellulose acetate have been found to be suitable. While polystyrene and cellulose acetate are likewise suitable for tube 12, an interesting and highly desirable modification of the apparatus is obtained if a flex ible plastic, such as polyethylene, is employed for tube 12. The use of a flexible plastic for this tube increases the degree of skill required by the taller player and hence 3,081,999 Patented Mar. 19, 1963 2 increases the enjoyment obtained by enhancing the competitive aspect of the game.

Fitted on to the extreme end of assembly 10, there are provided a pair of

finger grips

18, 20, having recessed portions 22 adapted to receive the fingertip of the player. The finger grips may be made of plastic and solvent or heat-sealed, as appropriate, to the tubes. Lock nut members 26 and 28- frictionally engage

tubes

12 and 14, respectively. The tubes are slitted at the end to permit deformation by the nuts, thus providing clamping action against the next innermost concentric tube.

Still other locking means may be employed; for example, another method is shown in FIG. 5 wherein the tubes are provided with ridges adapted to be gripped by the inwardly deformed end of the surrounding tube. It will be noted that the end of the tube is provided with a series of fingers 34 which engage the grooves 32.

It is preferred that the ends of the tubes be flared (the inner tube outwardly and the outer tube inwardly) so as to prevent an inner tube from pulling out of an outer tube.

The nested tubes, 12a, 14a- 16a, may frictionally engage one another, as shown in FIG. 6, and thus avoid the use of locking nuts.

It is contemplated that a number of players equipped with the devices of this invention would adjust the height to say, nose-height of the individual player. This would place them on a more or less equal basis. Each player then proceeds to balance the device on his fingertip. More complex variants of the game include the passing of the pole from one hand to another.

It will be noted that the device is equipped with

finger grips

18 and 20 on opposite ends of the device. This feature permits the device to be tossed upwardly and caught, by a skilled player, on its opposite end upon descending. It has been pointed out earlier that it is desirable that the lower member 12 be made of a flexible plastic. This permits a fully extended pole to oscillate slightly providing a whipping motion. This places an additional handicap on the taller player. Thus, when played by a parent and child, the parent with the device in extended position is further handicapped by the flexibility of the lower member, whereas the child, with a normally collapsed pole, is not so handicapped.

While there has been disclosed the best embodiment of the invention presently contemplated, it is to be understood that variations in design and substitution of materials may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention What is claimed is: 1. An adjustable height balancing rod toy adapted to be supported in a vertical position by the fingertip of a player, said toy comprising:

at least two concentric tubes adapted to be collapsed into one another, the outermost of said tubes having a larger diameter than the innermost of said tubes and the lengths of said tubes being substantially equal;

means on each of said tubes for frictionally engaging the surface of the next adjacent tube with sufiicient friction to retain the length to which said tubes are extended when in an untelescoped position, whereby the overall length of said device is adjustable to any length between a fully extended length and a fully telescoped length equal to the length of a single one of said tubes, said means comprising an enlargement adjacent to the interfitting ends of each of said tubes, to positively prevent an inner tube from pulling out of an outer tube;

and finger grips aflixed to one end of the innermost and the outermost of said tubes at opposite ends thereof, said finger grips each being shaped with one face conforming to the end of said tubes and the opposed face having a concave recess contoured to receive the fingertip on which the balancing toy is to be supported by said player.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the outermost tube is sufiiciently flexible to bend when supporting the, remainder of the rod in an inclined position and the remaining tubes are sufliciently stiif to remain unbent when the rod is inclined to the vertical.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Murphy Dec. 24, 1895 Southgate July 15, 1913 Tredwell Apr. 19, 1927 Schellhamer Jan. 8, 1935 Parker Aug. 2, 1949 Powell June 5, 1962

Claims

1. AN ADJUSTABLE HEIGHT BALANCING ROD TOY ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED IN A VERTICAL POSITION BY THE FINGERTIP OF A PLAYER, SAID TOY COMPRISING: AT LEST TWO CONCENTRIC TUBES ADAPTED TO BE COLLAPSED INTO ONE ANOTHER, THE OUTERMOST OF SAID TUBES HAVING A LARGER DIAMETER THAN THE INNERMOST OF SAID TUBES AND THE LENGTHS OF SAID TUBES BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL; MEANS ON EACH OF SAID TUBES FOR FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING THE SURFACE OF THE NEXT ADJACENT TUBE WITH SUFFICIENT FRICTION TO RETAIN THE LENGTH TO WHICH SAID TUBES ARE EXTENDED WHEN IN AN UNTELESCOPED POSITION, WHEREBY THE OVERALL LENGTH OF SAID DEVICE IS ADJUSTABLE TO ANY LENGTH BETWEEN A FULLY EXTENDED LENGTH AND A FULLY TELESCOPED LENGTH EQUAL TO THE LENGTH OF A SINGLE ONE OF SAID TUBES, SAID MEANS COMPRISING AN ENLARGEMENT ADJACENT TO THE INTERFITTING ENDS OF EACH OF SAID TUBES, TO POSITIVELY PREVENT AN INNER TUBE FROM PULLING OUT OF AN OUTER TUBE; AND FINGER GRIPS AFFIXED TO ONE END OF THE INNERMOST AND THE OUTERMOST OF SAID TUBES AT OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF, SAID FINGER GRIPS EACH BEING SHAPED WITH ONE FACE CONFORMING TO THE END OF SAID TUBES AND THE OPPOSED FACE HAVING A CONCAVE RECESS CONTOURED TO RECEIVE THE FINGERTIP ON WHICH THE BALANCING TOY IS TO BE SUPPORTED BY SAID PLAYER.