US3432181A

US3432181A - Toboggan construction

Info

Publication number: US3432181A
Application number: US710933A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lee C Mckee
Original assignee: LEE C MCKEE
Current assignee: LEE C MCKEE
Priority date: 1968-03-06
Filing date: 1968-03-06
Publication date: 1969-03-11
Anticipated expiration: 1986-03-11

Description

March 11, 1969 L.. c. MCKE TOBOGGN CONSTRUCTION Filed March e, 196s I NVE NTOR. C. McKee' .Les

1 1. )Z0 Ll; /17 /6 United States Patent O Int. Cl. B62b 13/02; A63b 7] /02 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The present invention is an improved toboggan for use in slidingr down snow covered slopes. Toboggans and sleds have been utilized for years by children and adults alike and much enjoyment is gained from the use thereof. Vehicles of this type are especially useful during the winter months in areas having relatively heavy snow although toboggan slides and the like can be formed by artificial means.

Description of the prior art Additionally toboggans and the like are formed from rigid means such as wood although roll-up type toboggans have recently become popular. In any of these prior art toboggans it is necessary to provide some means whereby the toboggan will tend to slide in a direction parallel with its longitudinal axis. In the rigid type toboggans runners and/or grooves were provided in the bottom surface thereof to len-d transverse stability thereto. In the newer roll-up type toboggans a corrugated or ribbed material is utilized to lend transverse stability thereto. In all of these prior art devices additional and/or special material must be utilized to construct the toboggan.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention pertains gan formed from an elongated generally rectangularly shaped sheet of material turned arcuately upwardly adjacent `one end thereof and having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart openings positioned adjacent eachlongitudinal edge and lying approximately along lines parallel with the longitudinal axis of said sheet with line means threadedly engaged therethrough to provide sections of line extending outwardly from the bottom surface of said sheet approximately parallel with the longitudinal axis of said sheet.

It is an object of the improved toboggan.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toboggan utilizing line extending outwardly from the under surface thereof in a direction parallel with the longitudinal axis to provide transverse stability thereto.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toboggan constructed from flexible material adapted to be formed into a roll when not in operation.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toboggan wherein the line threaded through the to an improved tobogpresent invention to provide an 3,432,181 Patented Mar. 11, 1969 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to the drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the figures:

FIGURE l is a view in perspective of the improved toboggan;

FIGURE 2 is a view in bottom plan of the toboggan illustrated in FIGURE 1, somewhat diminished in size;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional View as seen from the line 3-3 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view as seen from the line 4 4 in FIGURE l, parts thereof removed; and

FIGURE 5 is a view in bottom plan of the sheet forming the toboggan prior to the threading of the line therethrough, somewhat diminished in size.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the figures the numeral 10 generally designates an elongated generally rectangular shaped sheet of material. In the present embodiment the sheet 10 is constructed of a flexible material, such as polyethylene or other plastics, so that the toboggan can be formed into a roll during periods of nonuse. In should be understood, however, that the sheet 10 might be formed of non-flexible material and all such embodiments come within the scope of this invention. The sheet 10 has a front end designated 11, a rear end designated 12 and right and left longitudinal edges designated 13 and 14, respectively.

Referring Specifically to FIG. 5 it can be seen that the sheet 10 has a roll of longitudinally spaced apart holes numbered 15 through 24 positioned adjacent each of the right and left

longitudinal edges

13 and 14. The holes 15 are spaced slightly inwardly from the corners of the rear end 12 and the holes 24 are spaced approximately the same distance from the corners of the front end 11. The holes 20 through 23 are spaced apart a shorter longitudinal distance than the remainder of the holes and in this embodiment are utilized as adjustment holes, the operation of which will be ydescribed in detail presently. The distance between the last of the adjustment holes 23 and the holes 24 at the front end 11 of the sheet 10 is somewhat greater than the distance between the remainder of the holes so that the front end 11 can be turned arcuately upwardly into a position where the holes 24 overlie one of the sets of adjustment holes 20 through 23.

Line means, which in this embodiment is a rope 30, are threadedly engaged through the holes 1S through 24 in a manner to be described presently. While the rope 30 is illustrated as a continuous flexible rope, it should be understood that the line means might be any convenient line and might be constructed from fibers, metal, or any material which will perform the functions of this invention and it might be formed in any convenient segments rather than a continuous length. The rope 30 is threaded downwardly through both of the holes 15 at the rear end 12 of the sheet 10v so that a section thereof extends transversely across the rear end 12 of the sheet 10 at the upper surface of the toboggan. The ends of the rope 30 are then threaded upwardly through the holes 16, downwardly through the holes 17, upwardly through the holes 18 and downwardly through the holes 19. The front end 11 is bent upwardly so that the holes 24 overlie the particular set of adjustment holes 20 through 23 which is desired to utilize and the ends of the rope 30 are threaded upwardly therethrough. Referring to FIG. 4 it can be seen that the ends of the rope 30 are threaded upwardly through the adjustment holes 23 and the holes 24 after which the ends are tied in a square knot so that the rope 30 is taut and the front end 11 is maintained in its upwardly curving position. If it is desired to change the arcuate degree of curvature of the front end 11 the ends of the rope 30 may be threaded upwardly through one of the other sets of adjustment holes, such as holes Z (illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 4) and then tied after threading through the holes 24 as previously described. The rope 30 extends across the arcuately upwardly turned portion of the sheet between the adjustment holes and the holes 24 in a cord-like fashion. That is, the rope 30 extending directly between the holes 24 and a particular set of adjustment holes 20 through 23 `forms a cord of the arc produced by the upwardly turned front end 11.

The portions of the rope 30 extending outwardly from the lower surface of the sheet 10 lie approximately in a line parallel with the longitudinal axis of the sheet 10 and form runners which increase the transverse stability of the toboggan. That is to say, the tendency for the toboggan to slide transverse to the longitudinal axis thereof is greatly decreased by the longitudinally extending portions of rope on the lower surface thereof. In addition, the portions of the rope extending along the upper surface of the sheet 10 may be utilized as hand grips by operators of the toboggan if desired. Thus, the rope 30 is utilized to maintain the upwardly curved front end 11 of the toboggan lixedly in place and serves as runners for increasing the transverse stability.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved toboggan comprising:

(a) an elongated generally rectangular shaped sneer of materials;

(b) said sheet of material being turned arcuately upwardly adjacent one end thereof;

(c) said sheet of material further having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart openings positioned adjacent each longitudinal edge and lying approximately along lines parallel with the longitudinal axis of said sheet; and

(d) line means threadedly engaged through said openings to provide sections of line extending outwardly from the bottom surface of said sheet approximately parallel with the longitudinal axis of said sheet for providing transverse stability during operation thereof.

2. An improved toboggan as set forth in claim 1 wherein the sheet is formed from exible material for forming said sheet into a roll about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of said sheet during periods of nonuse.

3. An improved toboggan as set forth in claim 2 wherein the line means includes a continuous exible rope threadedly engaged through said openings and engaging the arcuately upwardly turned portion for preventing said portion from assuming a flat position.

4. An improved toboggan as set forth in claim 3 wherein the sheet of material includes a plurality of closely spaced adjustment openings adjacent the arcuately upwardly turned portion positioned so that the exible rope extends cord-like across the arcuately upwardly turned portion from an opening adjacent the front end of the sheet through one of said adjustment openings adjacent either longitudinal edge of said sheet and the arcuate degree through which said portion is turned varies with the adjustment opening in which the exible rope is engaged.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 191,832 11/1961 Greenberg D34-15 2,469,765 5/1949 Fish 280-18 3,140,878 7/1964 Davis 280-18 KENNETH H. BETTS, Primary Examiner. ROBERT R. SONG, Assistant Examiner.