US1985557A

US1985557A - Hoop roller

Info

Publication number: US1985557A
Application number: US684052A
Authority: US
Inventors: George E Voss
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1933-08-07
Filing date: 1933-08-07
Publication date: 1934-12-25
Anticipated expiration: 1951-12-25

Description

G. E. VOSS Dec. 25, 1934.

HOOP ROLLER Filed Aug. 7, 1933 Push Patented Dec. 25, 1934 HOOP noL nR i George E. Voss, "S t. Louis, Mo. i

Application August 7, 1933, Serial No. 684,052

3 Claims (01,.272-85) This invention relates to hoop rollers and has for its object to provide a simple and inexpensive device of this character particularly designed for use by children and others to facilitate rolling and guiding a hoop on a pavement or other surface.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hoop roller which may be used with equally good results either for pushing or pulling a hoop and also as a handle by means of which the hoop may be conveniently carried when not in use.

A further object is to provide a reversible hoop roller including a shank having oppositely dis,- posed hoop engaging members either of which may be presented to the hoop and the other used as a hand hold or grip.

A further object is to construct the hoop pushing member in the form of an open loop which serves to receive and guide the hoop when pushing the same and which coacts with the pulling member to support the shank transversely of the upper portion of the hoop to form a carrying handle.

A still further object of the invention is to generally improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efliciency.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hoop rolling device constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the same supported transversely of the hoop and used as a carrying handle.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the device used for propelling a hoop with a pulling stroke.

Figure 3 is a top plan view showing the device usedfor pushing a hoop.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of Figure 1.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

The improved hoop roller forming the subject matter of the present invention is principally designed for propelling childrens hoops and by way of illustration is shown in connection with a metallic hoop 5 of conventional construction although a wooden or other type of hoop of any desired size may be used with equally good results.

The device is preferably formed of a single length of wire and consists of a straight longitudinally disposed shank 6, the wire at one end of the shank being bent upon itself to form an eye 7 adapted to encircle a portion of the periphery of the hoop whereby when a longitudinal pull is exerted on the shank the hoop will be propelled in a forward direction. The free end of the wire at the eye 7 is spaced laterally from the adjacent portion of the shank 6 to form a yieldable terminal or finger 8 defining a passage 9 so that by positioning the eye '7 on the periphery of the hoop and exerting a longitudinal pull on the shank 6, the terminal 8 will yield and permit the hoop to enter the eye through the passage 9 and in which position the device will be retained on the hoop.

The wire forming the other end of the shank is bentlaterally on the same sidefof the shank as the eye 7 and thence upwardly to form a substantially U-shaped loop 10, the open end of which extends rearwardly so as to accommodate the hoop 5 when it is desired to propel the hoop by pushing the same. It will be noted that by making the. loop 10 of substantially U-shape formation with its outer end open, said loop forms, in efiect,a seat or guide for the hoop and when used for pushing the hoop, merely rests against the outer edge of said hoop and is not connected therewith, as shown in Figure 3. It will furthermore be noted that when the eye is positioned on the hoop and the device used for pulling the hoop, the loop 10 forms a hand hold or grip during the propelling operation and that when the eye 7 is detached from the hoop and the shank reversed with the loop 10 presented to the hoop, the eye '1 constitutes a hand hold or grip. It will thus be seenthat the device is reversible and may be used either for pulling or pushing a hoop without requiring any structural changes therein.

When the child becomes tired of rolling the hoop the shank 6 may be swung upwardly to a horizontal position, as shown in Figure l of the drawing, with the loop 10 embracing the adjacent peripheral edge of the hoop and in which position the intermediate portion of the shank 6 forms a handle by means of which the hoop may be conveniently carried from place to place. By removing the hand from the intermediate portion of the shank 6,-the looped end 10 will drop by gravity permitting the eye 7 to slide downwardly on the hoop so that the child may readily grasp the loop 10 and use the device for pulling the hoop in the manner shown in Figure 2 of the drawing. It is apparent that by positioning the yieldable terminal 9 of the eye 7 against the periphery of the hoop and. pressing longitudinally on the shank the eye may be readily disengaged from the hoop and the shank reversed so that the device may be used for pushing the hoop, as previously stated.

If desired, however, the loop 10 may be engaged with the hoop and the eye '7 used as a hand grip when pulling the hoop, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The hoop roller is simple and inexpensive in construction and may be manufactured and placed on the market at a relative small cost.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A reversible hoop roller comprising a shank having a hoop pushing member at one end thereof and a hoop pulling member at the other end, said members coacting to engage opposite portions of a hoop with the intermediate portion of the shank spaced laterally therefrom to form carrying handle.

2. A reversible hoop roller comprising a shank having means at its opposite ends for selectively pulling and pushing a hoop, said means being engageable simultaneously with opposite portions of the periphery of the hoop whereby said shank will form a carrying handle.

3. A reversible hoop roller comprising a shank having an eye at one end adapted to receive and encircle a hoop and provided at its other end with an outwardly opening substantially U- shaped loop, said shank being adapted to be swung upwardly with the eye as a pivot and with the bight of the loop bearing against the hoop whereby to support the intermediate portion of the shank transversely of and spaced from the hoop to form a carrying handle.

GEORGE E. VOSS. [LBJ