US2735219A - Victor g - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 21, 1956 AT S 2,735,219

TOY BOAT Filed Sept. 25, 1955 VICTOR G. GATES,

INVENTOR.

A TTORNEK United States Patent TOY BOAT Victor Genez Gates, Santa Monica, Calif.

Application September 23, 1955, Serial No. 536,139

8 Claims. (CI. 46-95) This invention relates to toys, and has as its general object to provide an inexpensive toy boat with a simple, inexpensive jet propulsion mechanism utilizing an inflatable bladder, such as a toy balloon, for motive power.

While I do not claim broadly the concept of thus utilizing an elastic bladder for effecting jet propulsion of a toy boat, the invention provides improvements in mechanism for inflating the bladder and then controlling the discharge of air therefrom so as to attain a jet propulsion effect, wherein a very simple and inexpensive valve mechanism is utilized. Specifically, the invention contemplates construction wherein a two-way air tube is attached to the neck of the bladder and is provided with one or more jet exhaust nozzles and with a simple valve device in the form of a tubular mouthpiece slidable within the main tube.

Other objects will become apparent in the ensuing specifications and appended drawing in which:

Fig. l is a side view of a toy boat embodying my invention, with parts broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the tube and valve structure;

Fig. 3 is a rear end view of the device;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. is a rear end view of a tube and jet assembly embodying a modified form of the invention; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail sectional view of a modified form of the discharge tube assembly.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, I have shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, as an example of one form in which the invention may be embodied, a toy boat and propuision mechanism including a boat hull 1, which may be of molded plastic material or the like. Mounted in the rear end of the hull 1 and projecting outwardly therefrom is a tube supporting bracket 2 which may be of hairpin form as shown, with arms molded into the hull 1, and with a circular loop at its upper end. Mounted in this circular loop portion of bracket 2 is an air tube 3 to the forward end of which is secured an inflatable, elastic bladder 4 which is preferably of high-stretch India rubber or latex film such as is utilized in toy balloons. The neck of the bladder is stretched around a head 5 on the forward end of air tube 3, whereby the bladder is firmly attached to the air tube.

A pair of jet discharge tubes 6 are attached to the un derside of air tube 3 and communicate with the air passage therein, through respective ports 7 as indicated in Fig. 2. The tubular members 3 and 6 preferably are fabricated from plastic tubing, and the ends of jet tubes 6 may be bonded to air tube 3 by the use of a suitable bonding liquid, such as a solvent for the plastic material used. The lower ends of jet tube 6 are curved rearwardly to provide nozzles 8.

A mouthpiece tube 9, fitting snugly within the bore of air tube 3, is slidable therein between limits determined by the engagement of a stop pin 10 with respective ends of a longitudinal slot 11 in the lower side of tube 3. In the forward end of tube 9 is a check valve 12 of the flapper type, comprising a thin disc of highly flexible elastic material having one side attached to a valve seat 13 (Fig. 2) consisting in an annular flange on the inside of tube 9.

In the forwardly projected position of mouthpiece tube 9, shown in Fig. 2, the tube 9 functions as a valve to close off the port 7 of jet tube 6. By thus closing port 7 and then applying the tube 9 to the mouth and blowing through it, the bladder 4 may be inflated, the check valve 12 opening forwardly to permit the passage of air into the bladder.

During the inflation of the bladder, the escape of air through jet tube 6 is cut off and check valve 12 automatically functions to hold within the bladder 4 the charge of air with which it has been inflated. The boat may then be handled without escape of air, while it is being placed in the water. When the boat has thus been placed, the mouth tube 9 may be drawn to its rearward limit position shown in Fig. 1, uncovering port 7 so that the air may escape through jet tube 6. The forward portion of mouthpiece tube 9 constitutes, in this respect, a portclosing valve element and is so designated in the appended claims.

The jets issuing from nozzle 8 will propel the boat forwardly in the water, until the bladder 4 is deflated.

The boat hull '1, as shown, may be of substantial depth, so as to receive a substantial portion of the bladder 4 even when the latter is inflated. As the bladder decreases in diameter with discharge of air therefrom, an increasingly greater percentage of the bladder will be disposed within the boat hull, thus decreasing the air resistance to forward movement of the boat in the water and compensating for the decrease in skin tension in the bladder and the resultant decrease in power.

Fig. 5 illustrates how a single jet tube 6a, disposed in a vertical position, may be utilized instead of the twin jet tubes 6. Otherwise this form of the invention may be the same as the other, described above.

Fig. 6 illustrates how a valve 12a may be mounted in the forward end of outer tube 3a by means of a portclosing valve cup 15 closely fitted into the tube 3 but freely slidable therein, and having an integral valve seat 13a. The mouthpiece tube may then be a simple tube, open at both ends, and is adapted, when moved inwardly, to engage valve cup 15 and shift it to a position closing the port, against the slight yielding resistance of a light coil spring 16. Friction between tubes 90: and 3a is suflicient to resist the spring load and maintain cup 15 in the portclosing position until tube 9a is manually retracted, when the spring 16 will be effective to return the cup 15 to the porbopening position shown in Fig. 6.

I claim:

1. In a jet propelled toy boat, a hull; an air tube attached to the rear end of the hull and extending fore and aft; an inflatable elastic bladder having a neck attached to the forward end of said air tube and resting within the hull; a jet discharge tube projecting downwardly from an intermediate portion of said air tube and having a rearwardly directed end portion constituting a jet nozzle for discharging air into the body of water in which the hull is floated, said air tube having a port through which said jet tube communicates with the interior thereof; a mouthpiece tube fitted snugly within said air tube and having limited axial sliding movement therein between a forward inflation position wherein which it closes said port and a rearward position in which it uncovers said port for discharge of air from the bladder through said jet tube; and a forwardly opening check valve in said mouthpiece tube, for preventing discharge of air rearwardly through said valve tube.

2. In a jet propelled toy boat, a hull; a bracket anchored in the rear end of said hull and projecting upwardly; an air tube mounted in said bracket and including a forward portion projecting forwardly of said bracket over said hull and a rearward portion projecting rearwardly from the hull; an inflatable elastic bladder having a neck attached to said forwardend portion of the air tube; said air tube having a downwardly opening port intermediate its ends, rearwardly of the rear end of the hull; a jet tube attached to said air tube around said port and communicating through said port with the interior of the air tube, said jet tube having a rearwardly directed lower end portion functioning as a jet discharge nozzle; a mouthpiece tube snugly received within the rear end portion of said air tube and slidable axially therein between a forward limit position in which it closes said port to prevent escape of air from said jet tube prior tolaunching of the boat and a rear position in which it uncovers said port for delivery of air through the jet tube; and a forwardly opening check valve in said mouthpiece tube, for preventing the escape of air rearwardly through the mouthpiece tube.

3. In a jet propelled toy boat, a hull; an air tube assembly anchored to the rear end of said hull, said assembly comprising an outer tube mounted in said hull and including a forward portion projecting forwardly over said hull and a rearward portion projecting rearwardly from the hull; an inflatable elastic bladder having a neck attached to said forward end portion of the outer tube; said outer tube having a downwardly opening port intermediate its ends, rearwardly of the rear end of the hull; a jet tube attached to said outer tube around said port and communicating through said port with the interior of the outer tube, said jet tube having a rearwardly directed lower end portion functioning as a jet discharge nozzle; a port-closing valve element; a mouthpiece tube snugly received within the rear end portion of said outer tube and slidable axially therein between a forward limit position in which it actuates said port-closing valve element to close said port to prevent escape of air from said jet tube prior to launching of the boat, and a rear position in which said port is uncovered for delivery of air through the jet tube; and a forwardly opening check valve in said air tube assembly, for preventing the escape of air rearwardly through the mouthpiece tube.

4. A toy boat structure as defined in claim 2, wherein said bracket is of hairpin form including respective legs embedded in the rear end portion of the boat and including at its upper end a circular loop encircling and tightly embracing said air tube.

5. A toy boat as defined in claim 3, wherein said air tube is provided with a longitudinal slot and said mouth- I piece tube has a pin fixed thereto and projecting radially therefrom through said slot for limiting the movement of the valve tube.

6, A toy boat as defined in claim 3, wherein said check valve is of the flapper type consisting in a flexible disc and a valve seat ring attached to the inner wall of one of said tubes, said disc being attached to the forward side of said ring at one point around its circumference.

7. A toy boat as defined in claim 3, wherein there are two of the jet tubes diverging downwardly at equal angles on the opposite sides of the median vertical longitudinal plane of the hull.

8. A toy boat as defined in claim 3, wherein there is a single jet tube projecting downwardly and rearwardly in the median vertical longitudinal plane of the hull.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,624,975 Belding Jan. 13, 1953 2,643,882 Dozier June 30, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 486,019 Canada Aug. 26, 1952

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