US2689699A

US2689699A - Kite string traveler

Info

Publication number: US2689699A
Application number: US326230A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr David L Sanders
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1952-12-16
Filing date: 1952-12-16
Publication date: 1954-09-21
Anticipated expiration: 1971-09-21

Description

Sept. 2l, 1954 D. L SANDERS, JR

KITE STRING TRAVELER Filed nec. 1e, 1952 MN KN.

` y INVENToR. D4 V/O Jamas/5 TTT Patented Sept. 2l, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE KITE STRING TRAVELER David L. Sanders, Jr., Laredo, Tex. Application December 16, 1952, Serial No. 326.230

. 1 Claim. l

This invention relates to kite string travelers and more particularly to a traveler which carries a miniature parachute device and automatically releases the parachute when the traveler reaches a position adjacent the kite.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a traveler which can be easily mounted on a kite string to travel along the kite string from a location adjacent the person holding the kite string to a location adjacent the associated kite and carries a miniature parachute device along the kite string; which utilizes the force of the wind on the parachute device itself to move the traveler along the kite string from the holder toward the associated kite; which automatically releases the parachute device when the traveler reaches a position near the kite and returns to the kite string holder where a new parachute device can be attached to the traveler; which includes a frame comprising a ilat plate and spaced apart staples secured to the plate and slidably receiving the kite string, and a clip mounted on the plate and movable to automatically release the associated parachute device when the traveler reaches a predetermined position along the kite string; and which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, easy to use, and positive and elfective in operation.

`Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a kite and associated kite string with a traveler illustrative of the invention slidably mounted on the kite string;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the traveler and a fragmentary portion of the kite string illustrated in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the traveler in a different operative position from that illustrated in Figure 2 and with a miniature parachute device carried by the traveler shown released therefrom.

With continued reference to the drawing, the numeral Ill indicates a kite of known construction having a kite string I I extending therefrom to .a person standing on the ground and holding the kite string, and the numeral I2 generally indicates a traveler slidably mounted on the kite string for movement along the kite string from the holder of the kite string to a location adjacent the kite and back to the kite string holder.

The traveler I2 ,comprises a at plate I3 of elongated shape having substantially parallel side edges and arcuately rounded ends, staples I4 and I5 secured to the plate and extending transversely thereof and substantially perpendicularly from one side thereof, one near each end of the plate, these staples slidably receiving the kite string II to slidably mount the traveler 0n the kite string. Eye elements IE, Il and I8 are secured to the plate I3 and extend from the side of the plate remote from the staples I4 and I5. The eye elements are disposed transversely of the plate and are spaced apart longitudinally of the plate in a manner such that the eye ele.- ment I 8 is disposed adjacent the end of the plate I3 nearest the kite Ill, the eye element I'I is disposed near the eye element I8, but at the side of this eye element remote from the end of the plate nearest the kite, and the eye element I6 is disposed near the other end of the plate.

A resilient U-shaped wire spring clip I S has substantially parallel, straight legs 20 and 2I and an arcuately curved intermediate portion 22 and the leg 20 extends through the staples I4 and I5 and has at its distal end a hook or eye formation 23 which slidably receives the kite string II at a location spaced from the side of the staple I5 adjacent the kite. 'I'he leg ZI of the clip` extends slidably through the eye elements I6, Il and I8, and at its distal end is longitudinally curved in a direction away from the plate I3, as indicated at 24.

A miniature parachute device 25 including a canopy 26, a weight 21, shroud cords 281 attaching the weight to the canopy and an attaching ring 2S secured to the weight, has its attaching ring 29 receiving the clip leg 2I between the eye elements I'I and I8 to detachably connect the parachute device to the traveler.

A stop 3B is mounted on the kite string II at a location adjacent the kite I6 and may comprise a button with the kite string extended through the thread apertures thereof.

The parachute device 25 is attached to the traveler near the front end of the traveler and, when the parachute is subjected to the wind blowing in a direction from the person holding the kite string toward the kite, the parachute is moved to a position forwardly of the front end of the traveler as the traveler moves along the kite string toward the kite. The force of the wind blowing from the holder of the kite string toward the kite and acting on the parachute 25 moves the traveler along the kite string toward the kite until the hook formation 23 on the clip leg 20 strikes the stop 30. The momentum of the plate I3 and the continued pull of the parachute 2-5 causes the plate I3 to continue to move forwardly after the clip I9 has been stopped and this pulls the curved end 24 of the clip leg 2| out of the eye elements I8. As the parachute attaching ring 29 will, at that time, be against or adjacent the front eye element I8, this will release the parachute device from the traveler and the parachute device will descend from the elevation of the stop 130 under the inuence of the weight 2l. As soon as the parachute has been released, the force of the Wind tending to move the traveler toward the kite is eliminated and the traveler then slides back down the kite string to the person holding the kite string and such person may then attach a new parachute device to the traveler for movement by the traveler up to the stop 30 and release at the location of the stop.

The invention may be embodied in other specic forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative `and not restrictive, the scope .of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes Which come Within'the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed A kite string traveler comprising an elongated fiat plate, staples mounted on said plate and projecting from one side thereof at spaced apart locations therealong and adapted to sldably receive a kite string and support the traveler on the string for movement therealong, eye elements secured to said plate and extending from the other side thereof at locations spaced apart along the plate, a U-shaped spring clip having spaced apart legs slidably extending one through said staples and one through said eye elements and having on the distal end of one of said legs a hook formation adapted to slidably receive an associated kite string and engage a stop on the kite string to move said clip relative to said plate and disengage the other leg of said clip from at least one of said eye element, and a miniature parachute device having an attaching ring receiving said other clip leg between said one eye element and the eye element adjacent thereto and released from said clip when said other clip leg is disengaged from said one eye element, said other clip leg having at its distal end a portion curved in a direction away from said Plate and resiliently engaging said one eye element to releasably hold said clip against disengagement from said one eye element until said stop is encountered by said hook formation.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 620,596 Lower Mar. 7, 1899 985,301 Terry Feb. 28, 1911 1,202,595 Shepard Oct. 24, 1916 1,484,775 Haight Feb. 26, 1924 1,844,594 Peterson Feb. 9, 1932 2,471,199 Coyne May 24, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 19,137 Great Britain or" 1902 Cisl