US3855728A

US3855728A - Aerodynamic toy

Info

Publication number: US3855728A
Application number: US00432285A
Authority: US
Inventors: W Hynds
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1974-01-10
Filing date: 1974-01-10
Publication date: 1974-12-24
Anticipated expiration: 1991-12-24

Abstract

An aerodynamic toy comprising a pair of disks. A second disk is nested within a first disk so that such can be thrown together for separating in flight. After the disks separate, the inner or smaller disk follows the larger disk and both land in the same vicinity. The inner disk also moves more slowly than the larger disk making it possible for a single person to catch both of the disks.

Description

States aten [1 1 Dec. 24, 1974 AERODYNAMIC TOY Inventor: William B. Hynds, 3634 Fox Hall Rd., Columbia, SC. 29204 Filed: Jan. 10, 1974 Appl. No; 432,285

US. Cl 46/74 D, 273/106 B Int. Cl A63h 27/00 Field of Search 46/74 D; 273/106 B;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1967 Headrick 46/74 D 4/1973 George et al. 220/17 Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant ExaminerJ. Q. Lever Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Bailey & Dority [57] ABSTRACT 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures AERODYNAMIIC TOY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION people play the game of throwing and catching the disk.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention comprises an aerodynamic toy which includes a first and second disk with the second disk nested within the first disk. The first disk has a circular substantially flat main body portion with an upper and lower surface. A rim circumscribes the main body portion and extends vertically downwardly therefrom. The second disk is adapted to be nested within the first disk and has a circular main body portion of a smaller diameter than the first disk. A rim circumscribes the main body portion of the second disk and extends downwardly therefrom. A bottom edge of the rim of the second disk terminates on substantially the same horizontal plane as the bottom edge of the rim of the first disk when the second disk is nested within the first disk with the upper surface of the main body of the second disk flush against a lower surface of the first disk. The upper surface of the second disk has undulations therein for aiding in the separation of the disks while in flight by permitting air to flow therebetween.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide an aerodynamic toy which includes a pair of nested disks which can be thrown in controlled flights.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide an aerodynamic toy which requires skill in throwing so that the disks separate and land in the same desired vicinity.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reference to the following specification, attendant claims and drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic sketch illustrating an aerodynamic toy being thrown wherein a pair of disks separate and curve in the same direction,

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic sketch wherein an aerodynamic toy constructed in accordance with the present invention is shown being thrown with the disks separating in opposite directions,

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the aerodynamic toy showing the disks in a nested position, and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, perspective view illustrating an inner disk forming part of the aerodynamic toy.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As can be seen in FIG. 1, an individual is throwing to two people the aerodynamic toy which includes a large disk which has a smaller disk 12 nested therein. In throwing the disks, a wrist snapping motion is utilized with the thrower normally standing at a right angle to the direction that he desires to throw the disks. The disks are normally grasped in one hand with the thumb carried on top of the upper disk 10 and the four fingers pressing against the bottom side of the lower disk. The disks can be thrown either in a straight projectory or permitted to curve in various directions. The angle that the disks are held when such are thrown controls the particular flight projectory. Through practice, sufficient skill can be developed so as to control the separation of the disks such as shown in FIG. 1, wherein both disks curve in the same direction after they separate, or as shown in FIG. 2, separate in opposite directions. Normally when they separate in opposite directions of flight, it is necessary to have two players catching the disks. When both of the disks curve in the same direction such as shown in FIG. 1, it is possible for a single player to catch one disk in one hand and the other disk in the other hand. Generally, the inner disk 12, after separation, trails the outer disk 10 permitting the catcher to first catch the outer disk 10 and then the inner disk 12.

Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown the two disks which constitute the aerodynamaic toy. The first upper disk 10 includes a circular substantially flat main body portion 14 which has a slightly raised circular portion 16 in the center thereof. The outer edge of the main body portion 14 curves downwardly and terminates in a vertically extending rim 18 which circumscribes the main body portion 14.

The inner edge 18a of the rim 18 is substantially vertical to a horizontal plane. Similarly the rim 24 of the inner disk 12 extends downwardly from the main body portion 22 at a right angle to the horizontal plane parallel to the bottom of the disk. From various tests conducted it has been found that the best results in throwing the nested disks occur when the inner edges of the rims l8 and 24 extend vertically downwardly. It has also been found that best results are obtained when the contour of the main body portion of the outer disk 10 is substantially the same as the contour of the main body portion 22 of the inner disk 12 so that the inner disk does not tilt within the outer disk 10.

This disk may be constructed of any suitable plastic material such as presently being utilized for the single disks that are described in more detail in the above mentioned patents. An inner surface 20 of the upper disk 10 is relatively smooth with the exception of the indentation provided by the raised circular portion 16.

The inner disk 12 also has a circular main body portion 22 which is of a smaller diameter than the main body portion 14 of the outer disk 10. A downwardly extending rim 24 circumscribes the main body portion 22 of the inner disk 12.

When the difference in diameter of the inner disk 12 and the outer disk 10 is 1 /2 inches or less, such improves the control that can be obtained in throwing the disks.

In order to improve separation of the inner disk from' the outer disk 10 in flight, the upper surface of the main body portion 22 of the inner disk 12 is warped by heat producing undulations therein. The undulations 22a, shown in FIG. 4, tended to improve the separation of the inner and outer disks l2 and 10. The dimensions of two combinations of disks which proved to be very successful in throwing and separation is as follows. The

large disk 12 is 8 /2 inches in diameter weighing 121.5 second disk and extending downwardly therefrom; grams. The smaller disk 10 is 7 9/ 16 inches in diameter Weighing 57 grams- Another y Satisfactory Combinaa bottom edge of said rim of said second disk termition included the Same Small disk 35 above the larger nating on substantially the same horizontal plane as disk y Weighed 97 grams- 5 a bottom edge of said rim of said first disk when While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An aerodynamic toy comprising:

a first disk having a circular substantially fiat main body portion, said main body having an upper surface and a lower surface, a rim circumscribing said main body portion extending vertically downsaid second disk is nested within said first disk with an upper surface of said main body of said second disk flush against a lower surface of said first disk;

whereby said disks can be thrown together for separating in flight.

2. The toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein;

said upper surface of said second disk has undulations therein for aiding in separation of said disks while in flight by air entering therebetween.

a dl th f 3. The toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein; a second disk removably i d i h i fi t the difference in diameter of said first disk and said disk having a circ l m i b d portion of a second disk is less than about 1.5 inches.

smaller diameter than said first disk, said main 20 The y as set forth in Claim 1 wherein Said rim of body of Said Second disk having an upper surface said first disk extends downwardly at an angle 90 to and a lower surface; said horizontal plane.

a rim circumscribing said main body portion of said

Claims

1. An aerodynamic toy comprising: a first disk having a circular substantially flat mAin body portion, said main body having an upper surface and a lower surface, a rim circumscribing said main body portion extending vertically downwardly therefrom; a second disk removably received within said first disk having a circular main body portion of a smaller diameter than said first disk, said main body of said second disk having an upper surface and a lower surface; a rim circumscribing said main body portion of said second disk and extending downwardly therefrom; a bottom edge of said rim of said second disk terminating on substantially the same horizontal plane as a bottom edge of said rim of said first disk when said second disk is nested within said first disk with an upper surface of said main body of said second disk flush against a lower surface of said first disk; whereby said disks can be thrown together for separating in flight.

2. The toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein; said upper surface of said second disk has undulations therein for aiding in separation of said disks while in flight by air entering therebetween.

3. The toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein; the difference in diameter of said first disk and said second disk is less than about 1.5 inches.

4. The toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein said rim of said first disk extends downwardly at an angle 90* to said horizontal plane.