US3138377A - Jumping rope game apparatus - Google Patents

Description

J1me 1964 c. STEWART JUMPING ROPE GAME APPARATUS Filed June 7, 1962 CLARENCE STEWART Mg? (m H15 E k? United States Patent 3,138,377 J UMPING ROPE GAME APPARATUS larence Stewart, 6031 S. Green St, Chicago, Ill. Filed June 7, 1962, Ser. No. 200,707 2 Claims. (Cl. 272-75) This invention relates to a jumping rope game apparatus which is particularly adapted for playing the game known as jumping rope as played by two persons, and having the additional novel feature which resides in the fact that it may be used to simulate the now currently popular twist dance.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel rope game apparatus which may be used by children for jumping rope while at the same time simulating the currently popular twist dance.

An additional object of the invention resides in providing a novel rope game apparatus in which the unit is designed to be played by children of various ages and heights.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which by way of illustration, shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principle thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the new rope game apparatus being used as a jumping rope by two children;

FIG. 2 is a plan View thereof with a part of the rope broken away;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 4-4 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of a modification of one feature of the invention.

A typical embodiment of the new rope game apparatus is shown in the drawing wherein it is generally indicated at and comprises a preferably endless flexible member which may have the form of a rope which may be made of helically wound flexible plastic resinous materials, hemp rope, or other suitable material, and which is preferably elliptical in plan shape, and may be of any suitable length as, for example, eight feet, from end to end, considered in assembled plan form, as in FIG. 2.

A generally U-shaped tubular flexible rubber or plastic resinous covering 12 is preferably mounted on each of the generally U-shaped end portions of the rope, as shown in FIG. 2, and may be fastened thereto in any suitable manner, as by means of a suitable adhesive or otherwise.

In order to adjust the new jumping rope to use by children of various ages and heights, a pair of hand grips or handle members 13 are slidably and adjustably mounted on each end portion of the rope unit, forwardly of the adjacent tubular covering 12. Each of these hand grips or handle members 13 may be adjustably mounted on the rope 11 so as to enable the rope to be held by children of various ages and heights and for this purpose each of the hand grips 13 has a tongue and groove connection with the body of the flexible rope members 11. To this end a pair of longitudinally extending guide tongues 14 are formed in each of the side portions of the rope 11, preferably 180 apart, and these tongues 14 project into and are slidably and frictionally received in a pair of corresponding shaped grooves 15 which are formed in each of 3,l38,377 Patented June 23, 1964 the handle members or hand grips 13 (FIG. 4). However, if desired, the relative positions of the parts, that is, the tongue 14 and groove 15 may be reversed and the groove formed in the body of the rope 11 and the tongue formed in the body of the covering 13, as shown in FIG. 5.

The form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 5 is substantially the same as that illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, inclusive, and those parts thereof which are the same or similar to corresponding parts in the form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, inclusive, are given the same reference numerals followed by the additional and distinguishing reference character a.

In the use of the new rope game apparatus the same may be used by two or more children, as shown, with the players standing with one of the flexible cover members 12 encircling the back of each childs waist so that the weight of the childs body may be disposed thereagainst, and with the players gripping the hand grips 13, whereupon the new rope game unit may be used as a jump rope while, at the same time, children playing it may sway sidewise to impart a twisting motion to their bodies simulating the popular twist dance.

The hand grips 13 may be slidably adjusted on the rope 11 to accommodate them to children of various heights and ages.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing description, con.- sidered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, that the present invention provides a new and improved jumping rope game apparatus having the desired advantages and characteristics and accomplishing its intended objects including those hereinbefore pointed out and others which are inherent in the invention.

I claim:

1. A jumping rope game apparatus comprising a continuous, flexible member of rope-like material of generally oval form, and having two rounded end portions, each of which is covered with a substantially tubular flexible covering member adapted to and of a length sufficient to encircle the back of the waist portion of a child when playing with the said jumping rope game apparatus, and two side portions of said rope-like material being spaced laterally from each other and being free from covering members and integrally joined at their ends to the said rounded end portions.

2. A jumping rope game apparatus comprising a continuous, flexible member of rope-like material of generally oval form, and having two rounded end portions, each of which is covered with a substantially tubular flexible covering member adapted to encircle the back of the waist portion of a child when playing with the said jumping rope game apparatus, and two side portions of said rope-like material free from covering members and integrally joined at their ends to the said rounded end portions, said jumping rope game apparatus including a pair of hand grips for each end portion, said hand grips being fitted in a frictionally engaging relation over said side portions and disposed inwardly of said end portions, said hand grips being adjustable to various positions by a back and forth sliding movement along said side portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,922,169 Martin Aug. 15, 1933 2,621,043 Olmstead Dec. 9, 1952 2,769,439 Layer Nov. 6, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 279,894 Germany Oct. 22, 1913 473,388 Germany Mar. 14, 1929

Claims (1)

1. A JUMPING ROPE GAME APPARATUS COMPRISING A CONTINUOUS, FLEXIBLE MEMBER OF ROPE-LIKE MATERIAL OF GENERALLY OVAL FORM, AND HAVING TWO ROUNDED END PORTIONS, EACH OF WHICH IS COVERED WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY TUBULAR FLEXIBLE COVERING MEMBER ADAPTED TO AND OF A LENGTH SUFFICIENT TO ENCIRCLE THE BACK OF THE WAIST PORTION OF A CHILD WHEN PLAYING WITH THE SAID JUMPING ROPE GAME APPARATUS, AND TWO SIDE PORTIONS OF SAID ROPE-LIKE MATERIAL BEING SPACED LATERALLY FROM EACH OTHER AND BEING FREE FROM COVERING MEMBERS AND INTEGRALLY JOINED AT THEIR ENDS TO THE SAID ROUNDED END PORTIONS.

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