US3485493A

US3485493A - Rockable balance plank

Info

Publication number: US3485493A
Application number: US635525A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gilbert Pitkanen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1967-05-02
Filing date: 1967-05-02
Publication date: 1969-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 1986-12-23

Description

Dec. 23, 1969 PITKANEN ROCKABLE BALANCE PLANK Filed May 2. 1967 Gilbert Pl'fkanen INVENTOR. @0123. BY M Patented Dec. 23, 1969 ICE 3,485,493 ROCKABLE BALANCE PLANK Gilbert Pitkanen, 3586 Irving Ave., Astoria, Oreg.

Filed May 2, 1967, Ser. No. 635,525 Int. Cl. A63g 13/00 U.S. Cl. 272-1 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The balance plank invention has been designed to provide simple pleasure and competitive recreation. It could also be of therapeutic value for persons of all ages.

The balance plank is provided with transversely extending dependingly supported rocker members at points spaced longitudinally therealong and may be of one-piece construction or constructed of a plurality of releasably joined longitudinally aligned sections.

The rockers or rocker members of the balance plank include downwardly facing arcuate surfaces whose centers of curvature are disposed in laterally spaced generally parallel vertical planes paralleling the longitudinal centerline of the plank and in this manner the plank has a tendency to rock as a persons weight moves from one end thereof to the other while the persons walks along the upper edge of the plank.

The balance plank is constructed in a manner such that its rocking from one side to the other is somewhat limited and therefore the tendency of the plank to roll from beneath the feet of a person walking therealong is lessened.

The main object of this invention is to provide a balance plank having the capability of rocking when subjected to uneven application of a users weight thereto and yet which will resist rolling completely from beneath the feet of the user.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a balance plank which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and challenging to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and provide a challenge to the user over stationary balance planks.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the balance plank;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view of the balance plank as seen from the right side of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is an end elevational view of a modified form of balance plank constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally refers to the balance plank which comprises an elongated generally horizontal member 12 constructed of stiif but possibly somewhat deformable material. The elongated member 12 includes a pair of end aligned opposite end sections 14 and 16 joined together at adjacent abutted ends by means of a pair of connector plates 20 secured to opposite sides of the plank 10 by means of suitable fasteners 22 secured through the plates 20 and to the abutted ends of the sections 14 and 16. In addition, the remote ends of the sections 14 and 16 include transverse bores 24 through which fasteners similar to fasteners 21) may be secured for securing a plurality of planks 10 together in end aligned and abutted relation.

The plank 10 includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced and transversely extending

rocker members

26, 28, 30 and 32. The

rocker members

26 and 28 are secured to the end section 16 in any convenient manner and the

rocker members

30 and 32 are secured to the end section 14. Further, each of the rocker members is dependingly supported from the plank 10 and includes an arcuate under surface portion. The centers of curvature of the arcuate undersurface portions of the

rocker members

26 and 32 are disposed on a line spaced above and paralleling the elongated member 12, which line is disposed in a vertical plane passing through the centerline of the elongated member 12. However, the radii of curvature of the arcuate undersurface portions of the

rocker members

28 and 30 are spaced laterally to opposite sides of the aforementioned'plane and it may therefore be appreciated that as a person walks along the upwardly convexed semi-cylindrical upper surface 34 of the plank 10 the latter will have a tendency to first rotate toward one side and then toward the other side.

As can be best seen from FIGURE 2 of the drawings as a person stands on the right end of the plank 10 as illustrated in FIGURE 1 the

rocker members

28 and 30 will have a tendency to maintain the plank 10 in its illustrated edge upstanding position. However, as a person standing on the plank 10 walks toward the rocker member 28, the plank 10 will rock at least slightly toward the right as viewed in FIGURE 2. Then, as a person walks along the plank 10 from the rocker member 28 toward the rocker member 30, the plank 10 will have a tendency to rock toward the left as viewed in FIG. 2 of the drawings. This tendency of the plank 10 to rock as stated may be somewhat enhanced if the elongated member 12 is constructed of slightly deformable and resilient material so that the rocker member closest to the persons feet standing on the plank 10 will have a greater effect on the position to which the plank 10 is rocked.

With attention now invited more specifically to FIG- URE 3 of the drawings there may be seen a modified form of balance plank generally referred toby the reference numeral 10 and which may be substantially identical in construction to the plank 10 or the rocker members 38 thereof may have their centers of curvature disposed along the same line. In addition, the rocker members 38 of the plank 10' include opposite end downwardly projecting abutments 40 on their arcuate under surfaces 42 and each rocker member 38 is provided with a pair of downwardly opening recesses 44 in which the upper ends of a pair of compression springs 46 are seated. The rocker members 38 of the plank 10' rest upon longitudinally spaced points of a panel-like support member 48 which may be constructed of resilient material and the lower ends of the compression springs 46 abut against the panel-like support member 48 and thus yieldingly urge the plank 10' toward a center position of its limits of oscillation.

If it is desired, the compression springs 46 may be substituted for by integral upwardly projecting columns carried by the panel-like support member 48. The panel-like support member 48 is utilized on soft ground and also on supporting surfaces which might be marred by the undersurface portions of the rocker members 38 of the plank 10'.

Although the connector plates 20 may be constructed of rigid material and the end sections 14 and 16 as well as the

rocker members

26, 28, 30 and 32 may also be constructed of rigid material, the connector plate 20 can be constructed of slightly deformable and resilient material so as to provide for greater rocking response affected by the rocker members carried by the end sections 14 and 16 in somewhat the same manner in which a greater rocking response is obtained if the end members are rigidly joined together but constructed of slightly deformable and resilient material.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes Will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, including motorized attachments readily adaptable to the device for vigorous or controlled oscillation, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A balance plank comprising an elongated generally straight horizontal member, said elongated member including a plurality of longitudinally spaced and transversely extending rocker members adapted to oscillatably support said plank from suitable support means, the end rocker members having their centers of curvature disposed in a first vertical plane through the longitudinal axis of the elongated member and the rocker members positioned between said end members having their centers of curvature disposed in vertical laterally spaced planes generally paralleling said elongated member and said first plane.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 255,030 3/ 1882 Russell 27256 273,530 3/1883 Hill 27256 2,225,723 12/ 1940 Spitzwieser. 2,941,801 1/1960. Pedersen 27257 X 3,100,114 8/1963 Rimland 27256 3,152,813 10/1964 Brown 27257 3,223,411 12/ 1965 Becroft.

OTHER REFERENCES Balancing Apparatus on p. 99 of Popular Mechanics of July 1962.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner A. W. KRAMER, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 27260