US3140871A

US3140871A - Whirling exerciser toy

Info

Publication number: US3140871A
Application number: US253327A
Authority: US
Inventors: James S Liquori
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-01-23
Filing date: 1963-01-23
Publication date: 1964-07-14
Anticipated expiration: 1981-07-14

Description

July 14, 1964 J. 5. LIQUORI 3,140,871

WHIRLING EXERCISER TOY Filed Jan. 23, 1963 3,140,871 WHIRLING EXERCISER TOY James S. Liquori, 196 Wyandanch Blvd., Commack, N.Y. Filed Jan. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 253,327 2 Claims. (Cl. 272-44) This invention relates to a rotatable toy loosely attached to the leg of a user and more particularly to such a toy motivated by centrifugal action powered by said leg of the user.

It is an object of this invention to provide a body actuated toy.

It is a further object to provide a toy useable for both children and adults.

It is another object to provide an exerciser toy that is particularly eifective for leg muscles.

It is yet another object to provide an exercising device that requires co-ordination of body functions and agility to the leg of a person and showing the mode of initiating the rotation of the weighted stern by use of an urging force of the free or unattached leg,

FIG. 5 shows the manner of jumping or skipping over the rotating weighted arm by the free foot,

FIG. 6 is a cross-section of a modified stem, having a flexible metal core stem and taken substantially at line 2-2 of said modified stem, and

FIG. 7 is a cross-section of yet another modified stem made entirely of resilient plastic material.

This invention is both a toy as well as a practical exercising device, and is useable to train a coordination between muscles and brain.

It is of inexpensive manufacture and useable by both male and females in obtaining and maintaining a trim physical figure.

Turning now to the drawing, a stem 10 of suitable length and made of a core rod or wire of suitable material of suitable flexibility and elasticity, for example, plastic material and/or metal is provided at one end with a suitably large loop 11 to permit insertion of a foot therethrough.

The stem may be of integral construction (FIG. 7) of plastic material 12 of suitable elasticity or even of metal, for example, of steel of suitable elasticity.

Preferably, the stem is made of all plastic material having a tubular cylindrical core 13 extending throughout the stem length. The plastic may be any conventional, suitably flexible material such as polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene and the like.

As shown in FIG. 2, the loop 11 may be provided with a sleeve 14 of suitable flexible plastic material which may or may not be of the same plastic composition as the core material.

Preferably the core plastic is of one color and provided with a design, for example, spiral stripes and the loop material is of another color and of another design. Various color combinations and designs on the plastic are possible to bring about a plurality of ornamental effects.

The loop 11 is preferably a complete turn of the material. In the case of the modification of FIG. 1, the sleeve 3,140,871 Patented July 14, 1964 ice is also provided with a complete turn and is disposed over the loop of the core 13. The loop 11 end preferably overlaps the stem so as to extend beyond it as shown in FIG. 1. Also this end may be provided with terminal button or tip, if desired, secured thereto by conventional means.

The end of the stern disposed away from the loop 11 is provided with a hollow ball 15, preferably of plastic and of suitable color and ornamentation.

The ball 15 is provided with a pair of suitably large diametrically opposed apertures to permit the core 13 to pass therethrough.

The ball 15 is selectively moveable on rod stem 13 and secured thereto by means of split washers 16 which are clamped in seizure relationship to said core 13 after adjustment of the ball 15 on the stem (FIG. 3).

Where the ball is disposed at the extreme end of the stem a flanged wood screw 17, screwed into the hollow plastic core 13 is satisfactory to hold the ball in place at the end of the core stem and against the centrifugal force of the light weight of the hollow plastic ball 15.

A split washer 16 may however be used along with the flanged screw 17 if desired, FIG. 1, thus having it available for subsequent adjustment needs.

As shown in FIG. 3, the core 13 may be provided at its ball end with screw threads and an internally threaded cap 18 is secured thereto.

FIG. 6 shows a section view wherein a suitably flexible steel core 19 is used in lieu of the core 13 of the modification of FIG. l. Where a steel core 19 is used for the stem as well as where an integral plastic rod 12 is used for the core, preferably the ball end is provided with screw threads and a coacting nut 18.

In order to operate the device, the left foot of a person is inserted into the loop 11. Since loop 111 is springy it may be spread apart during this insertion. The ball 15 is of a suitable diameter to permit loop 11 to comfortably engage the ankle of the foot when at rest (FIG. 4). The ball 15 of suitable material and suitable weight is then given a backward kick by the right foot and the momentum of the ball is thereafter maintained by suitable rotation of the left foot in a small circle to effect a centrifugal rotation of the ball about a substantially stationary left foot.

The device may be attached to the right foot if the person so desires.

As the ball 15 approaches the other leg (FIG. 5) the leg is raised in time sequence in order to avoid being hit by the stem or ball. However if the other leg is accidently hit no injury is sustained as the stem is flexible and bounces ofi' after hitting the leg.

This invention was described hereinabove by means of several illustrative embodiments thereof. But it is not limited to these embodiments as clearly it is of a generic nature. Thus the stem 10 may be other than of circular crosssection and the mode of holding the ball 15 in a selective place may be other than by split washers and the mode of holding the ball at the end may be other than by means f0 a screw 17 or nut 18. Also the loop 11 may be of a non-overlapping configuration. Moreover the ball 15 may be of various diameters and even of a nonspherical configuration.

Furthermore, the ball may be attached to the end of the stern other than as shown, for example, by means of a set screw. Also plastic coated wire may be used in lieu of stem 10.

However all these modifications are deemed to be obvious in view of the above disclosure and are intended to be embraced with the claims herein.

I claim:

1. An exercising device comprising a suitably long resilient stem having an integral loop at one end, said loop being sufi'iciently large to receive a foot therethrough,

a ball provided with diametrically opposed apertures disposed on said stem through said apertures, whereby said ball is selectively imoveable' on said stern and securing means selectively mounted on said stem adjacent both ends of the ball for securing the ball in a selected position. 2. The device of claim 1 wherein the securing means are spilt Washers.

Rohland Sept 3, 1940 Ro yston July 4, 1950 OTHER REFERENCES German application 1,056,983, May 6, 1959.

Claims

1. AN EXERCISING DEVICE COMPRISING A SUITABLY LONG RESILIENT STEM HAVING AN INTEGRAL LOOP AT ONE END, SAID LOOP BEING SUFFICIENTLY LARGE TO RECEIVE A FOOT THERETHROUGH, A BALL PROVIDED WITH DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED APERTURES DISPOSED ON SAID STEM THROUGH SAID APERTURES, WHEREBY SAID BALL IS SELECTIVELY MOVEABLE ON SAID STEM AND SECURING MEANS SELECTIVELY MOUNTED ON SAID STEM ADJACENT BOTH ENDS OF THE BALL FOR SECURING THE BALL IN A SELECTED POSITION.