US3706157A - Foot propelled unicycle - Google Patents

Abstract

A foot propelled unicycle directed and motivated by body movement of the operator.

Description

United States Patent Bandy 45 Dec. 19 1972 54] FOOT PROPELLED UNICYCLE 3,328,043 6/1967 Johnson ..2s0/1.s 3,060,636 10/1962 Aquino ..46/220 [72] Inventor: Leon D. Bandy, 1652 East Roeser Road, Phoenix, Ariz. 8504 Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene [22] Filed: April 26, 1971 Assistant Examiner-J. Q. Lever Attorney-Warren F. B. Lindsley [21] Appl. No.: 137,242

[57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl ..46/220 A foot propelled unicycle directed and motivated by [51] Int. Cl. ..A63h 17/14 body movement of the operator. [58] Field of Search ..273/l26 R, DIG. 19; 272/69, 272/70, 70.3, 73; 46/220; 280/] .5, 206

I 56] References Cited 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1914 Borrowdale ..46/220 PATENT EU 19 3. 706; 157

INVENTOR 27 17 4 LEON D. BANDY BY M I475 ATTORNEY FOOT PROPEIJLED UNICYCLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed to exercising and recreational apparatus employing a rotatable hoop or ring motivated, controlled and guided by an operator straddling the hoop within its periphery.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an improved foot propelled unicycle which is straddled within the hoop by the operator and propelled and guided by a harness on the operator, loosely attached to the hoop, while the operator is running with his feet on the ground or pavement.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Heretofore exercising and recreational apparatus of the unicycle type have been provided and comprised a frame suspended from the top of a hoop. The frame is arranged so that a child can straddle it within the hoop and propel it by running with his feet on the ground and when it has acquired the desired speed, he can sit in the frame and elevate his feet from the ground and coast. Small trailing wheels are provided to prevent the child from falling backward and to enable the child to lean backward in the frame, if he desires, after he sits down on the frame.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention claimed an improved foot propelled unicycle is provided for exercise and recreational purposes.

It is, therefore, one object of this invention to provide an improved exercise and recreational apparatus.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved rolling hoop type exercising and recreational apparatus wherein the user straddles the hoop within its arcuate configuration and guides and drives it through the use of a simple harness loosely connected to the hoop.

A further object of this invention is to provide children with a toy unicycle which is simple in construction and operation and cheap enough for children to buy and use.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The present invention may be more readily described by reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus with the harness in position on a boy running on the ground within the hoop and propelling the device;

FIG. 2 is a right end view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the harness shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of FIG. 3 taken along the line 4-4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more particularly to the drawing, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a ring or hoop 10 which may be made of metal, plastic, fiberglass or any other suitable material and of a diameter greater than the height of the child or person for which it is intended. A harness 11 is provided for the ring or hoop consisting preferably of three parts, i. e., a hoop enca'sing ring 12, a yoke 13 and a flexible means 14 for interconnecting the ring and the yoke.

The yoke 13 may be a tubular member formed in an L-shape configuration with the leg 15 of the yoke arranged to extend laterally of the rest of the yoke. When the user 16 positions the harness around him the yoke extends between his legs, as shown, with leg 15 extending substantially vertically upwardly from the remainder of the yoke in front of the user. The free end of leg 15 is covered with a cap 17 preferably of a soft rubber-like material.

A cross arm 18 is mounted on leg 15 near its free end to extend laterally of the legs longitudinal axis. A body encircling belt or lanyard 20 is fastened at one end 21 to one end of cross arm 18 and has a knot 22 at the other end which readily fits into a slot 23 in the top surface of the other end of cross arm 18. The length of the lanyard 20 is so chosen to fit snugly around the user as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. although a lanyard is shown, any suitable belt or fastening means may be used and attached to the yoke.

Ring 12 is of a split ring configuration so arranged that it may be easily opened up to receive and encircle hoop 10 and then closed and held closed by any well known clamp 24. At the diametrically opposed position on ring 12 from clamp 24 is fixedly positioned a stem 25. Stem 25 is provided with a pair of spaced collars 26 and 27 which position stem 25 within a cylindrical bearing 28. Bearing 28 is fixedly mounted within the hollow interior of flexible means 14. Ring 12 is swivelly mounted in bearing 28.

The flexible means 14 may comprise a short length of rubber hose which has bearing 28 and stem 25 positioned in one end and the end 29 of yoke 13 positioned in the other end. Two clamps 31 and 32 hold bearing 28 and stem 25 in one end of flexible means 14 and the free end 29 of yoke 13 in the other end.

In operating the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1-4, the operator or user positions the hoop 10 in a vertical position, clamps ring 12 around the hoop as shown in FIG. 1 and straddles yoke 13. He then surrounds his hips with the lanyard 20 and clamps the free end in slot 23 of cross arm 18.

The operator is now straddling hoop 10in position to walk or run with the hoop. His forward movement propels the hoop while his body movement controls and guides its direction of movement. Any irregular or unnecessary movement of the operator is dampened or substantially eliminated by the resilient means 14 interconnecting ring 12 and yoke 13 from reaching the hoop.

Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it will be ap I claim:

. 1. An exercising and recreational apparatus comprising:

a hoop-like ring, and

a harness for attaching an operator to said apparatus,

said harness comprising a yoke arranged within said hoop-like ring to be straddled by the operator,

one end of said yoke terminating in a swivelly mounted ring loosely encircling said hook-like ring, the other end of said yoke provided with an attachment for a fastening means, and

a fastening means secured at one end to said attachment andarranged for encircling the operators hips and fastening at its other end to said attachment,

said ring being swivelly mounted in one end of a resilient member and the other end of the resilient member being attached to said one end of said yoke, said resilient member damping irregular movements of the operator from reaching the hoop-like ring. 2. The exercising and recreational apparatus of claim 1 wherein said yoke comprises a hollow tubular member.

3'. The exercising and recreational apparatus of claim 2 wherein said yoke is formed in'an L shaped configuration having substantially a horizontally arranged body member and a substantially vertically arranged leg member extending upwardly from the body member, and said attachment comprises a cross arm extending laterally across said leg member at hip level of the operator.

4. The exercising and recreational apparatus of claim 3 wherein said fastening means comprises a lanyard fixedly attached at one end to one end of said cross arm and detachably connected at the other end to the other end of said cross arm.

Claims (4)

1. An exercising and recreational apparatus comprising: a hoop-like ring, and a harness for attaching an operator to said apparatus, said harness comprising a yoke arranged within said hoop-like ring to be straddled by the operator, one end of said yoke terminating in a swivelly mounted ring loosely encircling said hook-like ring, the other end of said yoke provided with an attachment for a fastening means, and a fastening means secured at one end to said attachment and arranged for encircling the operator''s hips and fastening at its other end to said attachment, said ring being swivelly mounted in one end of a resilient member and the other end of the resilient member being attached to said one end of said yoke, said resilient member damping irregular movements of the operator from reaching the hoop-like ring.

2. The exercising and recreational apparatus of claim 1 wherein said yoke comprises a hollow tubular member.

3. The exercising and recreational apparatus of claim 2 wherein said yoke is formed in an L shaped configuration having substantially a horizontally arranged body member and a substantially vertically arranged leg member extending upwardly from the body member, and said attachment comprises a cross arm extending laterally across said leg member at hip level of the operator.

4. The exercising and recreational apparatus of claim 3 wherein said fastening means comprises a lanyard fixedly attached at one end to one end of said cross arm and detachably connected at the other end to the other end of said cross arm.

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