US2067571A

US2067571A - Toy parachute

Info

Publication number: US2067571A
Application number: US744701A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ivan W Jamieson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1934-09-19
Filing date: 1934-09-19
Publication date: 1937-01-12
Anticipated expiration: 1954-01-12

Description

Jan. 12, 1937. w JAMIESON 2,067,571

TOY PARACHUTE Filed Sept. 19, 1934 INVENTOR.

By Wm M JlM/ESO/Y cf'm 1). J01

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 12, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

My invention relates to and has for a purpose the provision of a parachute in the form of a toy which can be easily manipulated by a child to project it into the air to relatively great heights for subsequent descent gradually to earth.

It is also a purpose of my invention to provide a toy parachute having means by which the canopy of the parachute is maintained closed or folded automatically during ascent, and concurrently with descent, is opened or extended automatically to retard its descent to earth in the manner of a full sized parachute.

A further purpose of my invention is the provision of a toy parachute of the character above described, which is of simple, inexpensive and durable construction, and wherein the canopy thereof can be used for imprinting thereon advertising matter which can be readily seen during the gradual descent of the parachute.

I will describe only one form of toy parachute embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view showing in side elevation and inverted, one form of toy parachute embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view showing my parachute substantially in side elevation, and open and in the act of descent.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing in side elevation the connection between the canopy cords and the tail cord of my parachute.

Referring specifically to the drawing, my invention in its present embodiment comprises, a canopy I5 circular in form and made of any fabric suitable to permit of its ready opening and closing, and to be impervious to air sufficiently to effect gradual descent of the parachute as a whole. From the center of the upper side of the canopy, cords C have stretches IG which extend radially to the perimeter of the canopy in such manner that the stretches are spaced equidistantly about the canopy. The inner ends of the stretches I6 are secured to the center of the canopy by means of a fastener IT in the form of a sheet of relatively tough paper which is glued to the canopy fabric to overlie the cords. Thus the fastener serves to permanently secure the several cords to the top of the canopy.

The outer ends of the cord stretches I6 are secured to the marginal edge of the canopy by other fasteners I8, each of which is in the form of a piece of tough paper glued to the canopy fabric. Thus, the stretches I6 of the several cords are permanently secured in place on the upper side of the canopy to effectively support the fabric at sufliciently numerous places to prevent upward collapsing during descension, and also to cause symmetrical folding when the canopy is closed.

The cords C, beyond the stretches I6, are extended to form other stretches I9, all of equal length and which converge to a common point where they are connected to a tail cord T. This cord T is thicker than the individual cords C, and at one end it is provided with a loop 20 closed and made permanent by a metal clamp 2i which is secured to the cord in the manner best illustrated in Fig. 3. The cord T is knotted at its other or free end to retain a ball'weight B thereon.

By referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the cords C are continuous so that they may be ex tended through the loop 20 of the cord T in a manner to be secured thereto, instead of being tied individually to the cord T. Such a mode of connection permits centering of the cord loop on the several cord stretches I9, so that the latter are all of the same length.

For automatically controlling the opening and closing of the canopy I provide a means which is responsive to the action of gravity. This means comprises a weight 22 in the form of a metal ball having an opening therethrough in which the several cord stretches I9 are loosely extended so that the weight is free to slide on the cords to occupy either of two extreme positions. As shown in Fig. l, the weight 22 in one extreme position, constricts or draws together all of the cords C at their points of connection with the canopy I5, so that the canopy is maintained folded or closed. In the other extreme position of the weight 22, it releases the several cords so that the canopy is free to move to open or extended position. In this position, the weight abuts the loop 20 to prevent its movement downward onto the tail cord.

In practice, the operator grips the tail cord between his fingers in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1, so that the canopy is suspended from the hand by the cords C. In this inverted position of the parachute, the canopy I5 is closed or folded because the weight 22 has slid to its lower extreme position to constrict the cords C, as previously described.

With the canopy closed and suspended as described, the operator now moves his hand circularly in a vertical plane, thus causing the canopy and weight 22 to describe a similar path.

Once the parachute attains a high rate of speed, it is released as the canopy and weight are ascending, thus causing it to be projected to a relatively great height into the air. During ascension the cords C are maintained extended by the combined weight of the tail cord T and the ball B, so that once the parachute starts to descend the weight 22 is free to slide downwardly on the cord C to its lower extreme position. With such movement of the weight 22, the canopy I is free to open under the action of the air, and when fully opened retards descent of the parachute under the action of the weights 22 and B. Thus the parachute slowly descends to the earth in the manner of a full sized parachute.

To repeat the operation, it is only necessary to again invert the parachute so that the canopy is suspended from the tail cord, when the weight 22 will slide to its lower extreme position thereby causing the canopy to be folded, so that it can again be twirled and projected into the air. I

In connection with the initial opening of the canopy, it is important to mention that the weight 22 is of such heft and its sliding movement downward on the cords is so rapid that, when suddenly checked in its descent by the loop 20', itex'erts a sudden downward pull on the cords which reacts to momentarily accelerate descension of the canopy. This results in causing the canopy to open rapidly and fully, and, in consequence, the parachute is immediately retarded in its descending movement.

Although I have herein shown and described only oneform of toy parachute embodying my invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made herein without departing from the spirit of my invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A parachute having; a canopy of substantially circular form; cord stretches extending radially from the center of said canopy and terminating adjacent the perimeter of said canopy, and other cord stretches extending beyond the perimeter of said canopy and connected, respectively, to the first mentioned cord stretches and to each other beyond the canopy; fasteners for securing all cord stretches to the canopy; and a weight slidable on the second mentioned cord stretches.

2. A parachute having; a canopy of substantially circular form; cord stretches extending radially from the center of said canopy and terminating adjacent the perimeter of said canopy, and other cord stretches extending beyond the perimeter of said canopy and connected, respectively, to the first mentioned cord stretches and to each other beyond the canopy; fasteners for securing all cord stretches to the canopy; a weight slidable'on the second mentioned cord stretches; a tail cord so connected to the second mentioned cord stretches to form an abutment for confining said weight on said cord stretches; and a second weight on said tail cord.

3. A parachute as embodied in claim 1 wherein each of said fasteners comprises a piece of sheet material secured in overlying relation to the respective cord stretches.

IVAN W. JAMIESON.