US3045636A

US3045636A - Aquatic toy

Info

Publication number: US3045636A
Application number: US93420A
Authority: US
Inventors: De Loss V Thomas; Harold J Roberts
Original assignee: THOMAS Co
Current assignee: THOMAS Co
Priority date: 1961-03-06
Filing date: 1961-03-06
Publication date: 1962-07-24
Anticipated expiration: 1979-07-24

Description

DE LOSS v. THOMAS ETAL 3,045,636

AQUATIC TOY July 24, 1962 Filed March 6, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS DeLoss V. Thomas F I g. 3 y Harold J. Roberts 34 Attorneys July 24, 1962 DE LOSS v. THOMAS ETAI. 3,045,636

AQUATIC TOY Filed March 6, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 DeLass V; :-Thqmas y Harold J, Roberts 1 N VEN TORS I July 24, 1962 DE LOSS v. THOMAS ETAL 3,

AQUATIC TOY Filed March 6, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TORS DeLossV. Thomas y Harold J. Roberts a H6fir'ieys v y 1962 DE LOSS v. THOMAS AL 3,045,636

AQUATIC TOY Filed March 6, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS DeLoss V. Thomas By Harold J. Roberts 4'75 r j Attorneys 3,045,636 AQUATIC TOY De Loss V. Thomas 24 Clinton St., Redwood City, Calif.,

and Harold J. Roberts, San Francisco, Caliil; said Roberts assignor to said Thomas Filed Mar. 6, I961, Ser. No. 93,420 7 Claims. (Cl. 115-23) This invention relates to aquatic toys and particularly to a self-propelled boat-like device for the enjoyment of both swimmers and non-swimmers.

It is an object of the present invention to'provide a buoyant vessel capable of comfort-ably supporting a person in an upright position in water with part of the torso above the water and with propelling means conveniently disposed for actuation manually by the person. 7

Afurther object of the invention is to provide such a device which is unusually stable so as to prevent acciden-,

tal overturning in the water and which presents a minimum of resistance to forward movement through the water.

A still further object is the provision of a device of the kind described which is of inexpensive manufacture readily assembled by the purchaser and which has improved assembly and lubrication features in its propelling mechanism.

Still further objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent in the following specification wherein the invention is described in detail by reference to the accompanying drawings.

The particular form of the invention herein disclosed is designed and proportioned for use by children and is intended for the pleasure of swimmers and bathers who use it as a paddle boat. It will, however, become apparent as the description proceeds that the principles of the invention are adaptable to use for adults either for pleasure or for lifesaving purposes.

In the drawings: 7

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a paddle boat embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the same taken as from the line II-II in FIG. 1; 7

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the same from the line III--III in FIG. 1;

' FIG. 4 is a plan view taken from the line IV--IV in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view taken from the line V-V in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the same;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line VII-VII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line VIII-VIII of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line IX--IX of FIG. 8.

The body of the vessel as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, inclusive, is molded as a single piece of foam or expanded plastic material with a smooth exterior surface and of very light weight. It comprises a forwardly extending slightly tapered prow It) and a pair ofside walls 11 extending upwardly therefrom and in which are supported a pair of paddle wheels 12, the details of construction of which will hereinafter be described more fully. At the upper forward edges of the side walls Ill are outwardly extending splash guards 13 best seen in FIGS. 1, 6 and 7. These guards are continued downwardly and rearwardly to terminate in horizontal stabilizing fins 14 which are extensions of a horizontal stern panel 15 shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 as in substantially the same plane as the prow.

At their lower edges the side walls curve inwardly and merge to form a seat 16 in which a person sits in a position to manipulate the paddles 12 by hand cranks 1'7.

arrears Patented July 24, L962 The seat is open at the front so that the legs of the occupant may extend downwardly into the water, it being understood that the boat with an occupant will be submerged to about the center of the paddle wheels or slightly more or less depending upon the weight of the occupant.

Centrally of the prow and on the under side thereof as best shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5 is a keel 18 which is extended rearwardly as at 19 to joint the seat 16 for reinforcement thereof and to provide a divided opening through which the two legs of the occupant may extend. The prow is alsoreinforced by a thickened marginal portion 20 on its underside as shown in FIG. 5 providing cavities between the outer edge and the keel which contribute to buoyancy as the vessel movesiforwardly through the water. The back or rear portion of the seat is also provided with two openings the shape being best illustrated at 21 in FIG. 3 and another reinforcing keel-like member 22 is disposed between these openings behind the seat. The purpose of the openings 21 is to relieve the vertical surface formed by the back of the seat to facilitate the flow of water therethrough as it passes around the body of the occupant and thus further contribute to the easy movement of the vessel through the water.

Since all of the elements below the water line or horizontal plane which passes approximately through the center of the paddle wheels are constructed of the very buoyant material above described they contribute to the buoyancy of the vessel. The lower portion of the occupants body which is submerged in the water tends to reduce the weight sustained by the vessel.

The details of construction of the paddle wheels 12 and actuating cranks are best shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9. Referring to FIG. 8, the crank 17 with a journal member 25 at one end and a handle pin 26 at the other end is die-formed of plastic as an integral unit. The handle pin 26 is slightly enlarged at its ends as shown in exaggeration at 27 and a handle 28 is fitted over the pin by tion. The flanges at the end of this bearing bushing prevent its movement in the direction of its own axis and the members 30 thereon prevent rotation of the bushing in the side Wall 11 of the vessel. The bushing 29 is of the same plastic material as the crank member as is also the paddle 12. The journal 25 of the crank is of X- shaped cross section as is most clearly shown in FIG. 9 so that upon rotation thereof in the bushing 29 actual contact between the journal and the bushing is confined to four rectangular areas. These areas are lubricated by the water in which the vessel floats which is free to enter at the space between the journal and the paddle wheel. This end of the journal is slightly enlarged as shown at 32 in FIG. 8 so that the paddle wheel can be forced onto the end of the journal and retained thereon by this enlarged portion. The opening through the paddle wheel is of the same X section as that of the journal which prevents rotation of the paddle wheel with respect to the crank. Thus with four simple die cast plastic parts, the entire crank and paddle wheel assembly is provided. While the bushing is of course made as a part of the body of the vessel, the other three parts may be shipped separately to save shipping space and can easily be assembled by the purchaser.

The aquatic toy of the present invention is manufactured very inexpensively in large quantities because each of its several parts is die-formed of inexpensive plastic material and no assembly at the time of manufacture is required. By reason of the fact that the two paddles and cranks are disassociated from each other and separately operable, they may be employed for steering either abruptly or gradually by adjustment of their relative speeds.

We claim:

1. An aquatic toy comprising a buoyant vessel having a relatively flat body including a prow and a stern with an intermediate opening for an occupant, side walls extending upwardly and downwardly from said body and having inwardly curved merging portions to form a seat beneath said opening, the forward portion of said seat being open to permit the legs of the occupant to extend into water in which the vessel floats, and manually actuated propelling means.

2. An aquatic toy comprising a buoyant vessel having a relatively flat body includinga prow and a stern with an intermediate opening for an occupant, side walls extending upwardly and downwardly from said body and having inwardly'curved merging portions to form a seat beneath said opening, the forward portion of said seat being open to permit the legs of the occupant to extend into water in which the vessel floats, a central keel member beneath the prow extending rearwardly and downwardly and joining the forward edge of said seat.

3. An aquatic toy comprising abuoyant vessel having a relatively flat body including a prow and a stem with an intermediate opening for an occupant, side walls extending upwardly and downwardly from said body and having inwardly curved merging portions to form a seat beneath said opening, the forward portion of said seat being open to permit the legs of the occupant to extend into water in which the vessel floats, a central keel member beneath the prow extending rearwardly and downwardly and joining the forward edge of said seat, all formed as an integral casting of plastic material.

4. An aquatic toy comprising a buoyant vessel having a relatively flat body including a prow and a stern with an intermediate opening for an occupant, side walls extending upwardly and downwardly from said body and having inwardly curved merging portions to form a seat beneath said opening, the forward portion of said seat beingopen to permit the legs of the occupant to extend into water in which the vessel floats, a central keel membeing open to permit the legs of the occupant to extendinto water in which the vessel floats, and manually actuated propelling means comprising a paddle wheel at the outer side of each side wall, and a crank extending through each side wall and disposed in front of the o-cctupants position.

6. An aquatic toy comprising a buoyant vessel having a relatively flat body including a prow and a stem with an intermediate opening for an occupant, side walls extending upwardly and downwardly from said body and having inwardly curved merging portions to form a seat beneath said opening, the forward portion of said seat being open to permit the legs of the occupant to extend into water in which the vessel floats, and manually actuated propelling means comprising a paddle wheel at the outer side of each side wall, and a crank extending through each side wall and disposed in front of the occupants position, said side walls having splash guards extending outwardly from their upper edges over said paddle wheels.

7. In an aquatic toy of the character described which comprises a buoyant vessel with side walls having external paddle wheels and interior cranks for actuating them, a crank bushing extending through the walls, and a shaft in said bushing of X-shapd cross section to reduce bearing surface and admit water for lubrication.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,075,074 Uchtmann Oct. 7, 1913 1,600,084 Adolph Sept. 14, 1926 1,797,223 Annis Mar. 24, 1931 2,803,837 Virobik Aug. 27, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 140,587 Australia July 11, 1949