US2701935A

US2701935A - Balloon for releasably carrying toy parachutes

Info

Publication number: US2701935A
Application number: US352521A
Authority: US
Inventors: Albert N Florence
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-05-01
Filing date: 1953-05-01
Publication date: 1955-02-15
Anticipated expiration: 1972-02-15

Description

Feb. 15, 19.55 N -FLQRENCE 2,701,935

BALLooN FOR'RELEASABLY CARRYING TOY PARACHUTES Filed May l, 1955 .termined distance abo to thetcliild below.

` to use and'rel'licient in tperation.

This invention relates to toy balloon constructions. It is an object of the present invention to provide a toy balloon'construction including' a basket lled with miniaturev parachute jumpers, means being provided for releasing the jumpers after the balloon has risen a predeve the ound. A It is still another object o the present invention to n provide a toy balloon .construction of the above type wherein @a transverse shaft extends outwardly from the basket on either side, the ends of-the shaft retaining rings connected to the miniature parachute `jumpers and which are pushed off by a pair of sleeves slidable along the shaft and actuated by a string extending from the basket Other objects of the which. is of simple constructiomhas a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture, iseasy For other objectsv an` Afor a better understanding of vthe invention reference niaybe'had to the following detailed vdescription taken in connection lwith the accompan ing drawing, in which:v

ig. 1` is a ragn'ientary pers ctive view of 'a toy balloon construction embody ngt e features of the present invention shown. partly broken away;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of a modicd form of the resent invention, shown partly in section;

3 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the parts shownin Fig. Zand A Fi 4 is a vertical sectional view of a still further modi- `tied crm ofthe resent invention.

Fig. 5 is a sect onal view shown generally on line 5 5 of Fi l of the compressed gas plug. Re erring more-in detail tothe drawing, in which similar reference characters identify corresponding parts throughout -the several views, there is shown a toy resent invention are to provide s ito balloon construct on bearing the above objects 1n t vin n r Used sito Patent 0 2,701,935 Patented 1955 -ICCv around the spoolV and extending downwitrdlj'itifl the basket 16 through an opening 28 in bottom 17 thereof. The

string 27 is knotted as at 29 above opening 28 for a purpose which will hereinafterbecome clear.

A second string 30 passes. linwardly through side wail 20' through an opening 31, this string being knotted as at 32 preventing its outward displacement' 'through opening and extending downwardly from the basket adjacent string 27. .A loop 33 connected to string'30 receives string 27 therethrough, substantially as illustrated.

. A plurality of miniature cardboard figures 34 carrying iiinkiatu silk parachutes 35 are disposed within the as et In operation, with the bottom 17 rctainedvin a closed position by the clip 23 and the basket 16 lled with the

miniature parachute jumpers

34, 35, the balloon 11 and associated parts are permitted to risc Ainto the air by i letting outstring 30. Meanwhile, the strin 27 at the bottom end thereof is securely retained by e child below, causingthe former tounwind from spool 26 and to pass downwardly through" opening 28 until,A the knot 29 abuts the portion of` bottom 17 surrounding opening 28,

" springing-the bottom 17 into` the-dotted line position `of Fig. 1. When this happens,; the miniature jumpers 34 Awill drop through the now open bottom of basket 16 and parachute slowly to the ground in a novel and pleasing manner.

The ring 14 may preferably be formed of rubber separate from cork 12 and retained vthis rcon by elasticity.

Referring now particularly to Figs. Zand 3,' there is shown a modified form ofthe present invention, referred to collectively as` 10', and including the balloon 11, the' neck .12 of which is now closed to prevent escape of the internal as by means of string36.

A .bas et 16' is now su portedaround its upper vpoi'- tion by means of cords 7, the latter being connected in suitable manner to cord rings 38 surrounding the bai1oon,'substantially as illustrated.

bailoon construction referred to collectively as 10, and.

carries a circular-.flange 14 rovided aroundits peri hery own- 1 with4 openings. therethrou which receive the wai-diy bent ends of-arcunte wires 15, substantiailyas illustrated. f

Four-such wires are provided and support a cai-d- 5 board basket 16,. thelower ends of wires' 15v being upwsrdly bent and iiiisiii?s through openings provided near the to" of the si e wal of basket Thepbasket 16 iii Vfoirneti from a unitary blank eonsistf ing of a bottom 17 and side walls 1B., 19, 20, 21 and 22; the

side walls

21 and 22 overlapping and being-secured together by ue or other means. The bottom 17 is connected to t eireinainder of the basket-forming blank along oniyfone edge. that being the bottom edge of side wall 20,'and is foldabie downwardly along this edge, :as shown 'in dotted outlinein Fig. l. A clipzs secured to the outside of side wall 1li near the bottom edge thereof serves to retain 'the bottom 17 in a nor malty closed position. a

A shaft 24 having an integral crank arm 251s rotatably mounted in the side walls 1l and 20, substi'intlally as tio ` tendin receiving therethrough The side walls of basketl' are grovidcd with o positely disposed o cnin s' which slida lyreeeive a pa of outwardly cxtn ing s eeves 39 and 40. The sleeves 39 and 40 at their inner ends are integrali connected toI a V shaped member 411 consisting of vert cal end portions adjacent the sleeves 39 and 40, upwardly and inwardly. extending portions 43 and a horizontal top ortion 44. The top portion 44 is integrally formed with ownwardly extending, parallel portions 45 provided at their bottom ends with. aligned openings 46, substantially as illustratedvin Fig. 3. v

A shaft 47 passes through sleeves 39 and 40 and ex- Fig.

Miniature jumpers 34' provided with paraehutes 35' are supported from the outer ends of shaft 47 by means ofrings 48 or loops connected to the top, central portion of parachutes 35' y means of string 49.

The to portion 44 of member 41 is provided with an opening 0 through which the uppercnd of a spring S1 iiipassed andioopcd, as shown in Fig. 2, this spring extending downwardly between the portions 45 and be looped around the shaft 47 at its bottom. end.

i A string 52 is looped'throii orenings 46 as shown iii Fig. 3,.= and passes downwar'ly t rough an opening in thebottorn of basket 16 to the ground below. A U shaped member 5.2i is secured to the bottoni of basket 16 at. its intermediate portion, `the upwardly ein 4ends thereof bein 4provided with transversely aligne openings 'which .flirt er support the shaft Wintermediate the sleeves-39 and 40, .the bottom intermediate portion of member'v 53 being provided vwith an opening aligned with the openinghin the bottoni of baskettl and t e string 52.

A'secondstrin'g 54`islsecured at its upper end to a loop 55 extending downwardly from and secured in suitable manner to the bottom of basket 16', as shown in Fig. 2, and extends downwardly adjacent the strin 52. Loops 56 connected to string 54 receive stringSZ erethrough, substantially as illustrated.

In operation, with the rings 48 retained on the outer ends of shaft 48, the balloon 11 and associated parts are permitted to rise into the air by letting out string 54.

tends2 outwardly therefrom at each end, as shown in Meanwhile, the string 52 is played out along with string 54. When the balloon has reached a desired height, the string 52 is pulled back, bringing top portion 44 downward towards shaft 47 against the action of spring 5l, causing sleeves 39 and 40 to move outwardly and push 'rings' 48 oi the endsA of shaft 47. Whenthis happens,

the miniature-jumpers 34' will descend slowly by means orfl prachutes 35' in a novel and pleasing manner to the c il It will be noted that in the above construction, the

string 54 may be eliminated, the string 52 then serving as a mooring and also to release the parachute jumpers. In this case, the string 52 vwould be played out until the balloon had reached 'the desired extended height and then merely yanked back to release thechutists.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 4, there isshown a still further modified form of the present invention, re-

acts to force sealing engagementof the iange against a l sealing `washer 69 that is supported on* the' lower end of the plug by a threaded retaining member 70.

`While various changes may bemade `in the detail construction, it shall be understood that`such changes shall be within.the.spiritjand scope ofthe-present invention ferred to collectivelyas 10', and ditering' from the second form in the construction of the release device.

In this form, a triangular member 57 of vspring metal consisting of a horizontal top, central portion 58, downwardly-extending, vertical side portions 59 and downwardly. andoutwardly extending arms '60 terminating in Ilooped ends 61 is provided.

The tlat top portion 58 of member 57 is disposed on l Y the top of basket 16 with the portions 59 passing down wardly through suitable openings in the top of the basket, substantially as'illustrated in Fig. 4 The opposite sides of basket 16" are provided with relatively large openings 62, through whichv the looped ends 61 of arms 60 extend outwardly to support therings 48 in a manner similar to the second form. i

In this ease, the string 52 is loo d around the arms 60 and .passes downwardly through t e bottom of the basket by. means of a suitable opening therein.

In other respects, this orm of the invention is similar to-that shown inFigs. 2 and 3, and like reference nu- Infopei'atiomthe rings 48 being retained on the looped ends 61 the balloon and associated parts are permitted to rise into the air by playing out string 54, the string 52 being played out a ong with-the string 54. When the balloon has reached the desired height, the string 52 is pulled back, moving arms 60 downwardly and inwardly and releasing rings 48.V When this happens, the jumpers 34' will float slowly to the ground on parachutes 35' in a novel n nd pleasing manner.

It w il1 again be noted that in the above construction, the string 54 may be eliminated, the string 52 then serving both as a mooring and alsov to release the umpers In this case, the string S2 will be played out unt the balloon as defined bythe appended claim.

A toy `balloon construction comprising a balloon, a container member, means interconnecting said member and said balloon, a plurality of miniature figures, a miniature parachute carried by each of said figures, said gures and parachutes being releasably carried `by said container member, and means controllable ,from the ground for'releasin said iigures andparachutes from said'containerf'mem er after ascension of said balloon,

said means for Areleasing said figures comprising said .container member having oppositely disposed openings therein, a pair of sleeveslocatedin said openings, an inverted V-shaped member lof resilient material connecting the inner ends of said sleeves, said `Vshaped member at the top, centralv portion thereof ixedly carrying a pair of downwardly extending, parallel strips, 'a shaft within merals identify likeparts throughout theseveral views.

said sleeves and extending outwardly beyond' the outer ends thereof, a spring connecting. the top of said V- shaped member and the middle of said shaft ,intermediate said strips, a length of string connectedto the bottom of said strips and passingodownwardly to the' ground through an opening in the ttom ofsaid lcontainer memberand rings connected to the tops of said parachutes and located onV the outer ends offsaid shaft.

i References Cited in the tile' of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 208,637 Schwartz Oct, l, 1878 286,718 Linton Oct. 16, 1883 496,854 Capazza May 9, 1893 1,329,584 Marinis Feb. 3, 1920 1,804,244 Brady May 5, 1931 2,415,818 Frieder et al. Feb. 18, 1947 2,646,019 Chetlan July 21. 1953