US1851768A - Water toy - Google Patents

Description

March 29, 192.2. w, HUBBELL 1,851,768

WATER TOY Filed July '7, 1950 INVENTOR Clarence H4 HuLB ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 29, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLARENCE W. HUBBELL, OF NAUGATUCK, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR. TO REVERE RUBBER COMPANY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND WATER TOY Application filed July 7, 1930. Serial No. 466,069.

My present invention relates to water toys and more particularly to an improved stabilized water toy.

Water toys are at the present time made to similate practically all forms of animal life, such as ducks, swans, horses, camels and the like, and one of the serious objections thereto, and which limits the use thereof to a great degree is the inability of such toys to remain in an upright or-natural position when in the water. Where the toy is of any considerable size as where the toy similates a horse or camel, the person using the same must be extremely agile in order to maintain I the same in an upright position during the use thereof. Up to my present invention, no means has been devised for enabling such water toys to remain in upright position or be stabilized.

In my present invention, I have obviated the difliculties heretofore experienced, and

have devised a form of stabilizing elements for inflatable water toys, and by means of which it is possible to float the toy in an upright or natural position on the water, and

in which the stabilized elements may be utilized as foot rests in the larger size toys. My invention is particularly applicable for use in connection with water toys or animals re- 31? sembling aquatic animals such as a duck or swan and the like, and in which it is desirable to have float in enclosed ponds, either natural or artificial.

In carrying out my invention, I associate with the body of the toy and on each side of the lower part thereof, inflatable pontoons or bilge keels, such pontoons or bilge keels being formed integral with the body or sepa rate therefrom, as may be desired. Preferably, the inflatable pontoons or bilge keels are connected to the interior of the body of the animal so that inflating the animal causes a simultaneous inflation of the pontoons or bilge keels. This is the preferable construction, but I may substitute therefor a pontoon or bilge keel having no connection whatever with the interior of the body of the animal and each pontoon or bilge keel therefore may be provided with means for permitting inflation thereof independently of the body and of each other.

The object of my invention, therefore, is an improved stabilized inflatable water toy.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of my invention;

Figure l is a perspective view of a swan toy to whichmyimproved invention has been applied;

Figure 2 is a sectional end elevation-on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the body portion of the animal illustrated in Fig. 1, showing one of the pontoonsior bilge keels in perspective sectional elevation;

- Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a land animal such as a camel to which my invention has been applied, and I Fig. 5 is a similar view, but the animal to which the invention has been applied is a horse.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, 10 designates the body portion of an inflatable toy built to represent a swan or other aquatic animal, the rear portion of the body 10 being provided with a valve 11 which may be connected to any suitable source of air or gas supply and by means of which the body 10 of the animal may be inflated, as is usual. It is to be understood, of course, that the entire animal is made ofresilient material such as rubber.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be noted that oneither side of the body of the animal adjacent to the lower portion thereof are attached pontoons orbilge keels 12. These pontoons or bilge keels 12 when inflated, being, of proper size when the size of the body 10 is taken into consideration to maintain the body 10'floating in an upright position, that is with the neck 13 and head 14 of the animal extending upwardly and in the normal position of such an animal. As the pontoons or bilge keels 12 are attached to the body 10 in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it will be noted that the interior of such pontoons communicates with the interior of the body 10 by a plurality of perforations 15, so that when air or other gaseous fluid is pumped into the body 10 through the valve 11, the interior of the pontoons or bilge keels 12 will be simultaneously inflated and I the pressure Within the pontoons or bil keels is the same as the pressure within ti: body 10. I may, however, provide each of the pontoons or bilge keels 12 with its own Valve similar to the "alve 11, but as the preferred form isshown in thedrawings, I have not illustrated'the alternative methodof applying air or other fluid to the pontoons 12.

In Fig. 4 is illustrated aninfiatable toy 16tosi1nila'te a camel Which has attachedto the body thereof on each side, and adjacent the bottom, pontoons or bilge keels 17 similar to the pontoons or bilge keels 12 in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

In Fig. 5 is illustrated an inflatable horse 18providedwvith'pontoons 19 arranged'as in" the case of the camel shown in Fig.4. It is":

customaryto make figures-of camels orhorses relativelylarge and-it is possible to actually ride sucha'nimal's in the Water. Not only Will such animals remain in an'upr-ight position inthe WZ LtQF' because of thepresenceof the ontoons orbilgekeels17 and 19, for exam ple, but a person riding the same may utilize such pontoonsor bilgekeels' for supports for their feet. Obviously, an. inflatable: water toy may be built to similate any animal; and my invention maybe applied thereto: It'isbelieved,-;however that the drawingsaccomp anying the present application are suflieient for a thorough understanding oftlieinventionl Having thus described my'invention, What' L claim and :desire to. protect by Letters Patent-is:

1. In a stabilized Water toy, the combina tionwvith an' inflatablehollowbody,,ofinflatable pontoons of" smaller displacementethan the body arranged'on eithen side of and below the middle of the body and extendingrlaterally downward at'an angl'e, and means permitting'the body and pontoons' to be inflated simultaneously -a'nd to the same degree:

2. In an improved inflatable water toy, thecombination With aninflatable: body, of. a' stabilizingipontoon attaehed'thereto on either side thereof adjacent the submergedportion thereof, and extending along the inaj orportion-of the. length-of the body, and passages extending from the bodyto the pontoons' whereby the body and multaneously; inflated.

Signed at: Naugatuck, county of New- Ha'vem State of Connecticuhithis first day pontoons may be sieofi July, 1930. 1

CLARENCE W; HUBBELIL.

Images