EP0005214A1 - Motorized dummy polo horse - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A powered polo pony for imitation playing of normal polo with a driving unit and at least two steered pairs of wheels (9, 10), whose shafts are joined with the body (4) so as to make adjustment possible, and a saddle (8) may be placed on the saddle support which is adjustable to the height of the back of a horse or a pony alternatively, and there is a master controller (6) for the speed and braking, this being produced by motion of a controlling (6) part forwards for the speed and backwards for braking, and for sideways control by motion of the controlling part to the left or to the right, and there is a gear unit whose step-down effect may be steplessly controlled and which is joined with the motor driving unit.

Description

The invention relates to a motorized polo horse for mimicking the classic polo sport with a motor drive, so that the use of horses or ponies can be dispensed with.

As is known in the world, since the advent of polo, all polo players have generally used particularly suitable and valuable horses or ponies for this sport.

• a) die Polospieler sind nicht in der Lage ganzjährig zu trainieren und ihnen stehen durchwegs nur 6 Monate für das Training und die Ausübung des Polosports zur Verfügung;
• b) ist jeder Polospieler von dem Charakter, dem Gesundheitszustand und der Einsatzwilligkeit des Pferdes abhängig;
• c) benötigt jeder Polospieler, um diese Sportart echt betreiben zu können, wenigstens drei Polopferde und und es ist demzufolge ein enormes Grundkapital für jeden Spieler erforderlich, da auch die Unterhaltungskosten nicht gering sind.

Over time it has been found that this has some disadvantages, namely: -

• a) the polo players are not able to train all year round and they have only 6 months to train and practice polo;
• b) each polo player is dependent on the character, the state of health and the willingness to use the horse;
• c) each polo player needs at least three polo horses and to be able to practice this sport properly and therefore an enormous share capital is required for each player, since the maintenance costs are not low either.

The invention has for its object to be able to practice polo all year round and to become independent of the weather and the living being. For this reason, a so-called "motorized polo horse" was developed, in which the usual riding saddles are used. It is essential for the invention that the polo player does not have to deviate from his usual saddle and has the feeling that the dimensions he has been accustomed to have been retained so that he can switch to his horse again almost without getting used to, if desired.

In the development of the invention, it was assumed to construct a mobile, very articulated pedestal, which is given the appropriate structure to give the polo player the feeling of being comfortable in his previously known saddle.

The invention is therefore based on the concept that the chassis is built so that the polo player has the same distance from his seat to the ground on which the polo ball is lying or moving. Furthermore, it is provided that the polo player has almost the same freedom of movement for his polo game in order to be able to play the ball on the left or right side, so that all types of strokes of this polo sport that have been common up to now can be practiced.

The invention relates to a motorized polo horse motor drive and at least two controllable pairs of wheels, the axes of which are adjustably connected to the body, the saddle pad being optionally adapted to the height of a horse or pony crib and a master switch for controlling the speed and for braking by moving the control member forwards or backwards and forwards Side control by moving the control element to the left or right and a continuously variable transmission is provided, which is assigned to the motor drive.

In one embodiment of the invention, the device is provided with two front and two rear support wheels, of which the front wheels are inclined outwards in order to adapt the centrifugal reaction. Furthermore, the rear wheels can be inclined inwards. In special cases, additional support wheels can be provided on the base of the device to increase the stability. According to the invention, balancing weights can also be arranged below the device body, which are connected to the body by arms. These arms can be connected at the upper and / or lower end via joints in order to allow the weights to move sideways. Spring-loaded switches for regulating the speed by leg pressure can be installed inside the body of the device. Finally, the device can be provided with a hard rubber-padded all-round bumper.

The device according to the invention thus offers the possibility of being able to practice polo all year round. There is also no dependency on the animal's state of health. Finally, it is advantageous that the Ge habitation on horses or ponies is not lost, so that the player can switch back to his horse or pony at any time.

In the drawing, an embodiment of the invention is shown.

• Fig. 1 shows the side view of a motorized polo horse;
• Fig. 2 shows a front view;
• Fig. 3 shows a top view, for the sake of simplicity, without showing the rider.

The device consists of a replica of a polo horse or polo pony, each with wheels of a very specific design and arrangement at the end of the leg attachments. The front part of the motorized polo horse is marked with 1. 2 is the drive unit with a continuously variable transmission. 3 are so-called stabilizing weights which are attached to arms 7 under the belly of the polo horse. The first task of these stabilizing weights is to lower the center of gravity of the device. The arms 7 can be provided with joints at their upper and / or lower ends, so that the center of gravity is also laterally adjustable. The body of the motorized polo horse is identified by 4, which corresponds to the shape of a horse's trunk at least in the essential parts such that a normal polo saddle 8 can be placed on it. Since special shapes have been developed for polo saddles, the result is that the transition from a polo pony to the device is made easier for the player. With 5 the dashboard console is ge indicates (see Fig. 3). In this dashboard console all necessary instruments such as odometer, ignition lock with starter, control lamp, as well as all necessary monitoring instruments are accommodated.

To control the motorized polo horse is a single master switch with ball handle 6 arranged on the dashboard console, which is similar to the horse's neck and a horse's head.

The master switch now enables the vehicle to be driven slowly or faster, depending on the design of the control stick, it being provided that the vehicle moves faster when the stick is moved forward and the vehicle is braked or braked to a standstill when the stick is pulled back . If necessary, there is also the possibility to change the superstructure of the chassis, i.e. to design the structure in the form of a horse's body so that the increase in speed is achieved by leg pressure via spring-loaded switches. In this case, these switches would be built into the artificial horse hull.

Furthermore, the master switch is provided with a left and right movement, so that when the joystick moves to the left, the vehicle is steered to the left or can be steered accordingly to the right. The steering movements are proportional to the lever deflection of the joystick.

The principle of such a master switch is known in principle, and it has been used for a long time, for example, in construction cranes and the like. To drive the motorized polo horse, both an electric motor and a petrol or gas-powered motor can be used; thus any type of drive is possible. In any case, the engine is preceded by a continuously variable transmission, so that no clutch is required and, depending on the design of the control lever, the vehicle experiences an acceleration or a reduction in speed until it comes to a complete standstill.

The design and arrangement of the wheels is of particular importance. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the front wheels 9 have a smaller distance than the rear wheels 10. The front wheels 9, as can be seen in FIG. 2, are inclined outwards, while the rear wheels 10 are inclined inwards. In this way, particularly safe driving in curves is to be achieved because part of the centrifugal forces generated can thereby be dissipated into the ground via the wheels. With 11, as shown in Fig. 1, a pair of shock absorbers is designated. As can be seen from the overall illustration in FIGS. 1-3, the shock absorbers are inclined outwards.

To simplify the illustration, the inclined position of the wheels 9, 10 is not taken into account in FIG. 3.

The rider is marked with 12 and the striking device with 13.

Preferably, the device is also designed so that the height of the saddle 8 is approximately the same as the height of the saddle for a polo horse.

Claims (8)

1.Motorized polo horse for mimicking the classic polo sport with motor drive and at least two controllable pairs of wheels, the axes of which are adjustably connected to the body, the saddle pad being optionally adapted to the height of a horse or pony back and a master switch for controlling the speed and Braking by moving the control member forwards or backwards and for lateral control by moving the control member to the left or right and a continuously variable transmission is provided, which is assigned to the motor drive. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, with two front and two rear support wheels, of which the front wheels (9) are inclined to the outside in order to adjust the centrifugal reaction. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 and 2 in which the rear wheels (10) are inclined inwards. 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 to 3, wherein the base of the device has additional support wheels 5. Apparatus according to claim 1 to 4, in which counterweights (3) are arranged below the device body, which are connected to the body (4) by arms (7). 6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the arms (7) are connected at the upper and / or lower end via joints in order to make a lateral movement of the weights (3) possible. 7. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which spring-loaded switches for regulating the speed by leg pressure are installed in the interior of the body. 8. Apparatus according to claim 1, which is provided with a hard rubber-padded all-round bumper.

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