US3403910A - Toy boomerang - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 1, 1968 J. R. cLAYcoMB TOY BOOMERANG Filed Oct, 23. 1965 I8 INVENTOR. //l///l//l//l/LL JACK R. CLAYCOMB 247g- -lza Evy Z F ig. 4. I6

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his ATTORNEY 3,403,910 Patented Oct. 1, 1968 3,403,910 TOY BOMERANG Jack R. Claycomh, 261 Alva Way, Monroeville, Pa. 15146 Filed Oct. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 503,371 1 Claim. (Cl. 273-106) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A toy boomerang which, when thrown, follows a circular path so that it may be caught by the thrower. The boomerang is in the form of an integral plastic Y-shaped element with radially extending arms 120 apart, the upper faces of the boomerang arms have a concave shape and the lower faces are of convex shape. The arms are joined together in a plane from which the arms become gradually spaced in a radially outward direction, as well as becoming progressively tilted in such radial outward direction.

This invention relates to an improvement in a toy boomerang and, more particularly, to the shaping of such boomerang so as to provide an amazing increase in efficiency of the boomerang action.

Toy boomerangs are well known, particularly those having two arms, but have the disadvantage of not being controllable suiiciently to predict the boomerang ight path, in advance, and, as a consequence accidents happen because the boomerang will often strike the thrower.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the above-named disadvantages of well known types of boomerangs by providing a novel shape to the boomerang so as to give it a predictable flight path so that when thrown in a given direction, it may be eventually easily caught by the thrower after it completes its arcuate course.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent from a study of the following description taken with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. l is a plan view of a toy boomerang embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view as viewed from the lower end of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views taken along lines III-III, IV-IV, VV, respectively, of FIG. 1; and,

FIG. 6 is a side view of one of the arms.

Referring more particularly to FIG. l of the drawing, numeral 10 generally denotes a toy boomerang, of any suitable material, preferably plastic material, such as polystyrene. The boomerang is somewhat Y shaped, having three arms 14 disposed at 120 relationship at the intersections of the center lines thereof. It will be noted that each of the arms is convex on the surface visible in FIG. 1 and concave on the opposite surface, as will be more apparent from a study of FIGS. 2 to 5 inclusive. It will be further noted that at the juncture 12 of the three arms 14, the outer edges 16 and 18 of each arm are in the same horizontal at plane 24. Therefore, if the boomerang were laid on a Hat table denoted by numeral 24, edges 16 and 18 along the juncture 12 will contact the table. However, as the arms 14 progress radially outwardly, one side 18 progressively increases in height away from the table or plane 24, as will be evident from FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, until ultimately, at the extremity, as shown in FIG. 5, edge 18 has a greater spacing 28 from plane 24 than edge 16. This is equally true of each of the other two arms 14 since they are identically shaped.

It will be further noted that each arm 14 is progressively tapered in width, having minimum width at the extremities by an amount indicated by numeral 22. The extremities 20 are arcuate, as evident in FIG. 2. As arms 14 extend radially outwardly, both edges 16 and 18 become progressively spaced, more and more, from the imaginary supporting plane surface 24, as evident in FIG. 2, and at the same time they become progressively tilted or inclined at a progressively greater angle in a radially outward direction. The extremity is such that the top surface of extremity 20 is higher than the top surface of juncture 12, as will also be apparent in FIG. 6.

In view of the specific shaping and the dihedral angle, the boomerang will have the effect of staying in flight longer than heretofore possible, and will ily through a substantially circular path, sufficiently slowly so that the thrower after throwing it in one direction, will be able to easily catch it from an opposite direction after a flight through a substantially circular path in the air.

The boomerang may be made of varying sizes but the proportions and relative shapes of the arms will remain substantially the same.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an efficient boomerang that is made in one piece and which can be inexpensively manufactured, also which is specifically shaped so as to provide a boomerang effect which is more easily controllable, which will give considerable enjoyment, and which can be safely and easily thrown :and caught even by a very small child.

While I have illustrated and described a single specific embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that this is by way of illustration only, and that various changes and modifications may be made within the contemplation of my invention and within the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

1. A boomerang formed of an integral plastic member of generally Y shape with arms apart with their longitudinal axes intersecting at substantially a common point, which arms are concave on one surface of the boomerang and convex on the opposite surface, said arms being progressively smaller in width in a radially outward direction, each of said arms having a progressively increased spacing in a radially outward direction from an imaginary flat plane supporting the points of juncture of the arms on the concave surfaces thereof, and progressively increasing in inclination in a radially outwardly direction.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,269,287 1/ 1942 Roberts. 1,040,702 10/ 1912 Lee 273--106 2,324,022 7/ 1943 Prause 273-106 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

P. E. SHAPIRO, Assistant Examiner.

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