US2971767A

US2971767A - Snow coaster device

Info

Publication number: US2971767A
Application number: US313A
Authority: US
Inventors: Donald K Eaton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-01-04
Filing date: 1960-01-04
Publication date: 1961-02-14
Anticipated expiration: 1978-02-14

Description

Feb. 14, 1961 D. K. EATON 2,971,767

SNOW COASTER DEVICE Filed Jan. 4, 1960 INVENTOR. DONAL D K EATa/v United States Patent SNOW COASTER DEVICE Donald K. Eaton, 42 /2 E. 16th Ave, Eugene, Oreg.

Filed Jan. 4, 1960, Ser. No. 313

7 Claims. (Cl. 280-12) This invention relates to amusement devices, and more particularly to a toboggan or snow coaster device of the saucer type.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved snow coaster device which is simple in construction, which provides a spinning action as it slides down a slope, and which provides considerable entertainment and enjoyment for persons using same.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved snow coaster or toboggan device of the saucer type which automatically provides a spinning action as it slides down a slope, said device being inexpensive to fabricate, being durable in construction, and being relatively light in weight, whereby it may be easily carried by children.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved snow coaster or toboggan device of the circular type on Which a person may coast down a snow slope, the device being provided with integral ground-engaging means arranged to induce a rotary or spinning action of the device as it slides down the slope, thus enhancing the excitement produced by the ride and providing a high degree of entertainment for the occupant of the device, while being relatively safe to use and easy to control.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a child seated in a snow coaster device according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the snow coaster device illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken transversely through the radically corrugated portion of a modified form of snow coaster device according to the present invention.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary bottom View of a further modification of a coaster device according to the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1 to 4, 11 generally designates a circular snow coaster device according to the present invention, adapted to be employed as a toboggan in sliding down a snow slope in the manner illustrated in Figure l.

The device 11 generally resembles a large saucer, being provided with an upwardly concave top surface adapted to receive and support a child or other passenger, for example, in a sitting position, as illustrated in Figure 1. The saucer-like body, shown at 12, is provided with a peripheral rib or bead 13, serving as a hand hold or grip for the occupant. The convex bottom surface of the saucer-like body 12 is relatively smooth except for the provision of a plurality of integral, spaced radial ratchetlike rib elements 14 defining respective substantially vertiice cal radial shoulders 15. As shown in Figure 3, the rib elements taper smoothly in thickness in a circumferential direction, being thickest at the radial shoulders 15 and gradually diminishing in thickness circumferentially, whereby they define successive sector-shaped ratchet teeth whose radial shoulders 15 all face in the same direction of rotation and whose sloping surfaces, shown at 17, all face in the opposite direction of rotation. A shown in Figure 4, the rib elements are preferably of radially outwardly increasing thickness, so that the rib element substantially merge with the spherical bottom surface of body 12 at the center thereof and are of maximum height adjacent the periphery of said body.

The radial rib elements may be molded integrally with the body 12, as shown in Figure 3, or may be formed by corrugating the body radially to form hollow, ratchet-like radial corrugations 18, as shown in Figure 5. Thus, in Figure 5, the radial corrugations 18 define vertical radial shoulders 15, all facing in the same direction of rotation.

The saucer-like body may be made of any suitable light durable material, such as molded plastic material, forexample, Fiberglas, polyethylene, or any other material providing a smooth outer surface.

In using the device, the occupant sits therein and allows the device to slide down a suitable snow slope, such as the slope 22 shown in Figure 1. As the device slides down the slope, the snow engages the radial shoulders 15 or 15', causing the device to spin, so that it rotates simultaneously with its downward motion. The amount of rotation may be controlled to some extent by shifting the location of the occupants body toward or away from the center of the device, since this will cause the main weight of the occupants body to be applied at different regions along the radial shoulders 15 or 15', which vary in height, as above explained, and which are therefore effective to develop different degrees of rotational torque on the device produced by the reaction of the compressed snow on the radial shoulders as the device slides down the slopes.

By suitably shifting his weight in the device, the occupant may not only cause the coaster to rotate at a desired speed but also may, to some extent, control the direction of movement of the coaster device down the slope. In learning to maneuver and control the device, a person has an excellent opportunity to develop his body coordination and muscular control.

The ratchet-like rib elements on the bottom of the device may have any desired lineal configuration, for example, may be arcuately curved outwardly from the central portion of the body of the device in a generally spiral manner, as illustrated in Figure 6 at 14, whereby the spindeveloping shoulders, shown at 21, are outwardly convex in shape and act on the underlying compressed snow in a somewhat smoother manner than the straight

radial shoulders

15 and 15 previously described.

While certain specific embodiments of a snow coaster device have been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A toboggan device comprising a saucer-like body adapted to receive an occupant and support the occupant for sliding movement down a slope, and a rib element on the bottom surface of said body extending outwardly from the central portion thereof and terminating at said central portion, said rib element being adapted to develop a reaction causing the body to spin as it slides down the slope.

2. A toboggan device comprising a saucer-like body adapted to receive an occupant and support the occupant for sliding movement down a slope, and a ratchet-like rib element on the bottom surface of said body provided with a relatively steep shoulder extending outwardly from the central portion of the bottom of the body, said rib element terminating at said central portion and being adapted to develop a reaction causing the body to spin as it slides down the slope.

3. A toboggan device comprising a saucer-like body adapted to receive an occupant and support the occupant for sliding movement down a slope, and a ratchet-like rib element on the bottom surface of said body provided with a relatively steep shoulder extending outwardly from the central portion of the bottom of the body, said rib element terminating at said central portion and being adapted to develop a reaction causing the body to spin as it slides down the slope, said rib element gradually increasing in height at said shoulder outwardly from said centralportion of the body.

4. A toboggan device comprising a generally circular saucer-like body adapted to receive and support an occupant for sliding movement down a slope, and a plurality of spaced ratchet-like rib elements on the bottom surface of the body extending substantially radially outwardly from the central portion of the body and having relatively steep shoulder portions all facing in the same direction of rotation of said body.

5. A to'ooggan device comprising a generally circular saucer-like body adapted to receive and support an occupant for sliding-movement down a slope, and a plurality of spaced ratchet-like rib elements on the bottom surface of the body extending outwardly from and substantially merging at the central portion of the bottom surface of said body, said rib elements having relatively steep shoulders portions all facing in thesame direction of rotation of said body.

6. A toboggan device comprising a generally circular saucer-like body adapted to receive and support an occupant for sliding movement down a slope, and a plurality of spaced ratchet-like rib elements on the bottom surface of the body extending outwardly from and substantially merging at the central portion of the bottom surface of said body, said rib elements having relatively. steep shoulder portions all facing in the same direction of rotation of said body, said rib elements gradually increasing in height at said shoulder portions from the central portion of the body toward the periphery thereof.

7. A toboggan device comprising a saucer-like body adapted to receive and support an occupant for sliding movement down a slope, and a plurality of spaced ratchetlike rib elements on the bottom surface of the body,said rib elements extending outwardly from the central'portion of the body and having relatively steep shoulder portions on one-side thereof, said shoulder portions all facing in the same direction of rotation of said body.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS