US3715834A - Hoop-and-stick toy - Google Patents

Abstract

A hoop-and-stick toy wherein the hoop has two peripheral, upstanding rims at both edges and the stick has a cylindrical head with two relatively wide grooves for mating with the rims, giving maximum guidance and control of the hoop and yet allowing maximum flexibility in the use of the toy.

Description

United States Patent 1 Gelis HOOP-AND-STICK TOY [76] Inventor: Avion Paul Lewis Gelis, 638 Hailey Avenue, Slidell, La. 70458 [22] Filed: April 17, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 244,640

[52] US. Cl ..46/220 [51] Int. Cl. ..A63h 33/02 [58] Field of Search ..46/l14, 205, 220

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,953,426 4/1934 Mills ..46/220 2,811,812 11/1957 I Bishop ..46/22O Feb. 13, 1973 2/1970 Klimko ..46/220 10/1970 Pooled... ..46/220 Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-Robert F. Cutting AttorneyC. Emmett Pugh et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A hoop-and-stick toy wherein the hoop has two peripheral, upstanding rims at both edges and the stick has a cylindrical head with two relatively wide grooves for mating with the rims, giving maximum guidance and control of the hoop and yet allowing maximum flexibility in the use of the toy.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures HOOP-AND-STICK TOY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION of various diameters, the most common being two to 3- feet in diameter.

The hoops themselves roll along the ground with ease and will stay in an upright position with a minimum of forward motion which is usually imparted to it by tangentially tappingor pushing the hoop in the direction in which it is desired to move the hoop. It is the practice for children to roll these hoops along the ground utilizing a stick or the like for applying impulse energy to the hoop at intermittent intervals to keep it rolling. The child runs along beside the hoop and in this way is well exercised.

The usual method for imparting this motion or impulse energy has been to use a short stick and to tap the hoop on the rear side of the hoop with a forward and upward motion. Depending upon which angle the stick made contact with the edge of the hoop would determine the direction into which the hoop would then proceed. This method takes some degree of practice in order to command any type of control over the hoop. Moreover, after this feat is mastered, to maintain the childs interest still further control over the hoop should be offered as a further activity in rolling the hoop.

The use of the hoop as a rolling member along the ground is still a popular type of play for children, but in recent years has been limited largely as a consequence of crowded conditions in cities and the greatly increased number of automobiles. Serious accidents can occur if the hoop escapes from a child and rolls into the street. In addition, employing the hoop as a rolling object and attempting to control it with a simple stick or the like does not provide a reliable degree of control over the hoop and thus the various activities that can be carried on with the hoop are somewhat limited.

In order to provide control over the hoop, some recent stick-and-hoop toys have used guide elements which secure the end of the stick to the hoop. Some examples of this approach are the patents to Hanson (U.S. Pat. No. 2,952,095) and Gunset (U.S. Pat. No. 2,966,761). However, for various reasons they have not proved commercially successful. In some cases the guide does not properly engage the hoop and consequently does not adequately control it in motion. In other cases the hoop is fully engaged but the guide must be precisely oriented and held relative to the hoop in order to avoid binding. This detracts from the practicality of the guide in the hands of relatively young people who cannot be expected to maintain the proper relationship between guide and hoop at all times. In still other cases excessive friction between the guide and the hoop prevents free rolling of the hoop and thereby reduces the value of the guide.

The present invention is primarily concerned with overcoming these prior art problems and includes a handling stick that not only imparts the motion required to keep the hoop rolling in a forward direction but also offers substantial control through the design of the stick and its positive integration and mating with the particular hoop used in the present invention. One of the basic advantages of the present invention is that it allows the least experienced hoopster to perform greater feats with the hoop in comparison to the stickand-hoop toys of the prior art.

Thus a principal object of the present invention is the provision of a hoop-rolling stick which positively but only generally engages the hoop for adequate guidance and control. The stick of the present invention engages the hoop at its edges and along the sides of its edges. The hoop is thereby adequately controlled for forward movement and also against lateral shifting. Moreover, the use of a hoop-rolling stick and hoop of this general character, the former engaging the hoop as it does both along the peripheral edges and at its sides, renders it possible to easily steer the hoop in either sideward direction.

An important feature of the invention is the use of two peripheral, upstanding rims on the hoop and two relatively wide grooves generally engaging the rims ofthe hoop, as will be more fully brought out in the description below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an overall, perspective view showing the hoop-and-stick toy of the present invention in mating relationship.

FIG. 2 is a downward, close-up view of the handling stick in contact with the hoop.

FIG. 3 is a side, cross-sectional view of the handling stick of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a top, overhead view of the hoop-and-stick toy in mating relationship, further showing the movement of the handling stick (note lateral arrows) to produce directional changes in the hoop (shown in phantom lines).

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 of the drawings, the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a circular hoop 1 having peripheral edge rims 6, 7 and a handling stick 2 having a control head 3 with grooves or notches 4, 5.

The normal method by which the hoop 1 is impelled to move in a forward rolling direction is to make contact with the hoop l at the lower (as shown) or upper rear of the hoop with an upward or forward striking blow utilizing the stick 2. The stick 2 imparts impulse energy to the hoop I, causing it to move in a forward direction. The method and structure by which the contact is made, which is at the heart of the present invention, is best illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

As illustrated particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3, the stick head 3 is notched for engagement with the runners or rims 6, 7 on the hoop I. In particular, the hoop rim 6 loosely or generally fits in the notch 4 of the notch head 3, while the hoop rim 7 fits within notch 5.

It will be noted that the stick head 3 is a circular body which has been notched to about one-third of its depth in two symetrically disposed locations. The width of these notches 4, will be dependent upon the width of the rims 6, 7 of the hoop 1. However, the rims 6, 7 of the hoop 1 should fit only very loosely in the notches 4, 5, with the width of the latter being substantially greater than the former, a proportion of the order of six-to-one having been found to be particularly satisfactory. The bridging element 8 remaining between the notches 4, 5 should be wide enough so as to impart the desired force to the sides of the rims 6 and 7.

The stick head 3 is attached to the stick 2 by countersinking a portion 2' of the stick 2 into the stick head 3, as indicated in phantom lines in FIG. 3. The handling stick 2, which can be made of wood or plastic for example, is generally similar in structure and size to the standard croquet mallot.

FIG. 4 illustrates in solid lines a straight on blow with the stick 2 to the hoop 1. Movement of stick 2 to either the right (arrow 9) or left (arrow of the straight-on will cause the hoop l to move to the right (phantom hoop 1') or to the left (phantom hoop 1"). These small movements are exerted by using the stick head 3 against the rims or runners 6 and 7.

The notches 4, 5 in the stick head 3 will allow a much less experienced child to readily guide the hoop either to the right or left as he should desire.

It should be noted that although the stick head 3 is designed to mate with the rims or runners 6 and 7 of the hoop 1 for control thereof, when control is not paramount, it can also be used in the normal fashion of simply striking the hoop from the rear with an upward or forward strike, thereby imparting a strong tangential force to the hoop 1 causing it to move forward. This regular type strike can be imparted by using the ends 1 1 of the stick head 3 in a hammer like fashion.

Should a child desire to simply run behind the hoop l and hold the stick head 3 against the rims 6, 7 of the hoop 1, he can guide it readily down the street. The

, gyroscopic properties of the hoop 1 will tend to keep it upright and since it fits loosely within the notches 4, 5 of the stick head 3, there will be very little friction at this point. Thus, by simply nudging the hoop ll along, a child can achieve both forward motion and a great degree of control upon the direction in which the hoop 1 will roll. Moreover, in as much as the hoop is maintained within the control of the child, there is less possibility of it escaping from his control, and thus the device is relatively safe notwithstanding crowded traffic conditions.

The material of the handling stick 2 is preferably resilient in nature and may be made out of two individual dowels of wood or plastic of suitably resiliency so that the knocks that it will suffer in propelling the hoop 1 forward will not cause a fracture to the material. The attachment of the stick head 3 to the stick handle2 should of course be of sufficient mechanical stability that it should withstand the destructive genius of a small boy. The hoop 1 should be of a hard, durable material'such as alight weight alloy metal or plastic.

Because the dimensional relationship between the rims 6, 7 and grooves 4, 5 are very important to the present invention, exemplary dimensions, which have been found particularly satisfactory, will be given. With the rims 6, 7 being an eighth of an inch thick and separated from each other by 1% inches and projecting up from the body of the hoop l by "if; of an inch, the grooves 4, 5 are three-quarters of an inch wide and A inch deep and are separated by the bridging element by a distance of five-eights of an inch. The side faces of the cylindrical stick head 3 can be a circle having a 1 inch diameter.

Such dimensions result in there being a six-to-one ratio between the width of the grooves 4, 5 and the thickness of the rims 6, 7. Also, in producing the changes indirection as discussed with reference to FIG. 4 and with the separation between respective side edges of the grooves 4, 5 being equal to the separation between the rims 6 and 7, both rims 6 and 7 are acted upon by the respective side edges of the grooves 4, 5 in making and controling those changes in direction. These relationships are very important in producing the high degree of control and yet maintaining the maximum flexibility or freedom of movement which is achieved by the present invention.

Another important dimensional relationship between the hoop and the stick is the diameter of the hoop I and the total length of the stick 2, including the head 3. The former should be just a little bit greater than the latter, allowing just a little bit of clearance when the stick 2 is placed within the hoop l for packaging the toy for distribution and sale. With the placing of the stick 2 within and across the hoop l the two can be mounted flat on a backing sheet for both an attractive and utilitarian display. Exemplary dimensions are a 20 inch hoop diameter and a 19 inch stick length.

Because many varying and different embodiments may be made within the scope of the inventive concept herein taught, and because many modifications may be made in the embodiments herein detailed in accordance with the descriptive requirements of the law, it is to be understood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed as invention is:

1. A combined stick-and-hoop toy comprising a rolling hoop and control stick means for imparting motion to said hoop and for controling the direction of travel of said hoop when in motion, said hoop having two similar upstanding relatively thin rims projecting out from the body of said hoop along and at both of its side edges, said stick means comprising an elongated handle and a control head at one terminus of said handle, said control head including two similar, relatively wide, spaced groove means therein for loosely mating with said rims for flexible control of said hoop by said stick means.

2. The toy of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the width of said grooves means to the thickness of said rims is of the order of six-to-one.

3. The toy of claim 1 wherein said control head is generally in the shape of a cylinder, the groove means being wide flat-surfaced slots which are cut'out of the curved surface and the side end flat surfaces of the cylinder being used as impact surfaces similar in use to a hammer.

4. The toy of clam 3 wherein the distance between said rims is equal to the distance between respective side edges of said flat surfaced slots.

5. The toy of claim 3 wherein the'length of said control stick means is almost as great as the diameter of said hoop.

3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CETH ICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 834 Dated February 13 1973 Inventor(s) Avion Paul Louis GeliS It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

The inventor 5 name is changed from "Avion Paul Lewis Gelis" to Avion Paul Louis Gelis Signed and sealed this 18th day of December 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. RENE D. TEGTMEYER Attesting Officer Acting Commissioner of Patents

Claims (5)

1. A combined stick-and-hoop toy comprising a rolling hoop and control stick means for imparting motion to said hoop and for controling the direction of travel of said hoop when in motion, said hoop having two similar upstanding relatively thin rims projecting out from the body of said hoop along and at both of its side edges, said stick means comprising an elongated handle and a control head at one terminus of said handle, said control head including two similar, relatively wide, spaced groove means therein for loosely mating with said rims for flexible control of said hoop by said stick means.

1. A combined stick-and-hoop toy comprising a rolling hoop and control stick means for imparting motion to said hoop and for controling the direction of travel of said hoop when in motion, said hoop having two similar upstanding relatively thin rims projecting out from the body of said hoop along and at both of its side edges, said stick means comprising an elongated handle and a control head at one terminus of said handle, said control head including two similar, relatively wide, spaced groove means therein for loosely mating with said rims for flexible control of said hoop by said stick means.

2. The toy of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the width of said grooves means to the thickness of said rims is of the order of six-to-one.

3. The toy of claim 1 wherein said control head is generally in the shape of a cylinder, the groove means being wide flat-surfaced slots which are cut-out of the curved surface and the side end flat surfaces of the cylinder being used as impact surfaces similar in use to a hammer.

4. The toy of clam 3 wherein the distance between said rims is equal to the distance between respective side edges of said flat surfaced slots.

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