Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a wheeled board assembly in the toy field and also to the field of ski instructional devices because the wheeled board toy assembly is adapted for use as a ski instructional device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 2,545,543 which issued on Mar. 20, 1951 to D. H. Bottrill discloses a pair of ski-like platforms, each provided with a front and back wheel. The platforms are loosely coupled to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,252,713 which issued on May 24, 1966 to P. V. N. Heller discloses a scooter-type vehicle, a single wheel-mounted platform upon which the rider places both feet. Skate-boards of the prior art also receive both feet of the user. Since the skate-wheels supporting the skate-board are resiliently castered thereto the user can steer the skate-board by shifting his weight and deflecting the castered wheels.
Instructional snow skis, not wheeled ski-like platforms are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,313,502 issued Aug. 19, 1919, U.S. Pat. No. 3,357,714, issued Dec. 12, 1967 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,239 issued Mar. 2, 1971. In the devices of each of these patents, pairs of snow skis are coupled by links to one another.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is a wheeled board toy assembly for recreational use and is adapted for use as a ski instructional device. The assembly includes a pair of wheeled skate boards, a plurality of skate board wheels on the underside of each skate board, a pair of link boards which are coupled to the skate boards, a plurality of link board wheels, a pair of outrigger boards, a plurality of outrigger wheels, and a pair of ski poles.
The assembly allows the user to practice the basic balancing skills needed for skiing while rolling on this assembly because when the user leans to one side, such as his right side, both skate boards tilt to the right of the user and the outrigger to the left of the user is lifted slightly by the left ski pole. As a result of tilting, the assembly tends to turn to the right as it rolls, that is, the wheeled board toy assembly tends to turn in the direction in which the user is leaning.
The invention enables one learning to ski to be taught and to practice the skiing techniques of wedeling and short swing. Thus by virtue of the invention a student can be taught and also practice skiing lessons on a hard surface such as that of the floor of a gymnasium or the pavement of a playground and at times when snow would not be available for the use of snow skis. A sloping surface either indoors or outside can also be used.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the wheeled board toy assembly of this invention in use.
FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the wheeled board toy assembly of this invention as it appears when not in use.
FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a wheeled board toy assembly shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a side view of FIG. 2, showing the wheeled board assembly when the skate boards are perfectly level, before the skate boards are tilted.
FIG. 5 is a front view of the skate board assembly shown in FIG. 1, showing the wheels of the skate boards when the skate boards are perfectly level, before the skate board is tilted.
FIG. 6 is a view of the same skate boards shown in FIG. 5 after the skate boards have been tilted, with reference to their longitudinal axis.
FIG. 7 is a vertical section along the lines 7--7 shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the components shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 9 is a bottom view of another embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 10 is a side view of FIG. 9.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 shows the wheeled board toy assembly of this invention in use as a ski instructional device and FIG. 2 shows the same skate board toy assembly when not in use. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the wheeled board toy assembly is indicated generally by the numeral 1. The wheeled board toy assembly 1 consists of a pair of skate boards 3 which are generally rectangular in shape, one skate board 3 being used for each of the feet of the user 5. Each of the two skate boards 3 has a front end 7 and a rear end 9. The skate board 3 has a plurality of skate board wheels 11, 14, 17 and 20, some of which are shown in FIG. 2. The skate board wheels are affixed to the underside of each of the skate boards 3. The skate boards 3 roll on these skate board wheels 11 during use.
The wheeled board toy assembly 1 also includes a pair of link boards 23 and 25 which are generally rectangular in shape. The link board 23 which is coupled to the front ends 7 of each skate board 3 is referred to as the front link board 23. The rear link board 25 is coupled to the rear ends 9 of each skate board 3. The skate boards 3 are arranged approximately perpendicular to the link boards 23 and 25. A plurality of link board wheels 27 and 29 are positioned on the underside of the link board 23 and 25. In this embodiment, there is one link board wheel 27 centered under the front link board 23 and one link board wheel 29 centered under the rear link board 25.
The wheeled board toy assembly 1 also consists of a pair of outrigger boards 31 and 33 which are generally rectangular in shape and which are rotatably affixed to the front link board 23. One outrigger board is affixed to each end of the front link board and the longitudinal axis of both outrigger boards 31 and 33 is approximately in line with the longitudinal axis of the front link board 23. Each outrigger board 31 and 33 has an outer end 35 and 37 which is the end further away from the link board 23. A plurality of outrigger wheels 39 and 41 are positioned on the underside of the outrigger boards 31 and 33. In this embodiment, one outrigger wheel 39 and 41 is positioned at the outer end 35 and 37 on the underside of each outrigger board 31 and 33.
The skate board toy assembly also includes a pair of ski poles 43 and 45. One ski pole is affixed to each of the outrigger boards 31 and 33 at the outer end 35 and 37 of the outrigger boards 31 and 33.
Referring to FIG. 3, which shows the underside of the wheeled board toy assembly 1 shown in FIG. 2, this embodiment uses six skate board wheels, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 for each skate board. The skate board wheels 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 are arranged in groups of three wheels in a triangular configuration. One group of three wheels, the front group, 14, 15, 16 and 20, 21, 22 is arranged on the underside adjacent to the front end 7 of each skate board 3. The other group of three wheels, the rear group, 11, 12, 13 and 17, 18, 19 is arranged on the underside adjacent to the rear end 9 of the skate board 3. Each skate board 3 also has a slat 47 and 49. The slats 47 and 49 are generally rectangular in shape and the dimensions of the slats 47 and 49 in length, width and thickness are each smaller, respectively, than the corresponding dimensions of the skate boards 3. In this embodiment, the slats 47 and 49 are approximately 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch thick. One slat 47 and 49 is affixed to the underside of each skate board 3. The longitudinal axis of the slats 47 and 49 are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the skate boards 3. The slats 47 and 49 are arranged approximately in the middle of the skate boards 3. One of the skate board wheels 16 and 22 from each front group of three wheels is positioned on each slat 47 and 49. One of the skate board wheels 13 and 19 from each rear group of three wheels 11, 12, 13 and 17, 18, 19 is positioned on each slat 47 and 49. The result of the foregoing arrangement of the skate board wheels is that the skate boards 3, tend to roll in the direction in which the skate boards 3 are tilted.
Referring to the triangular group of front skate board wheels 14, 15 and 16, two of the wheels 14 and 15 within this front group are arranged side by side, opposed to one another, on the underside of the front end of said skate board and at the same distance from the leading edge of the front end 7 of the skate board 3. Thus, these two skate board wheels 14 and 15 form the base of the triangular configuration of this front group of three wheels 14, 15 and 16. The apex of the triangular configuration of this group of three wheels 14, 15 and 16 is formed by skate board wheel 16 which is positioned on the front end of the underside of slat 49. The same is true of the other front group of three skate board wheels 20, 21 and 22. Two of the wheels 20 and 21 within this front group are arranged side by side, opposed to one another, and the same distance from the leading edge of the front end 7 of the skate board 3. Thus, these two skate board wheels 20 and 21 form the base of the triangular configuration of this group of three wheels 20, 21 and 22. The other wheel 22 within this group of three wheels 20, 21 and 22 forms the apex of the triangular configuration of three wheels and this wheel 22 is positioned at the front end of the slat 47.
In reference to the rear group of three skate board wheels 11, 12 and 13, two of the wheels 11 and 12 within this rear group are arranged side by side, opposed to one another and the same distance from the trailing edge of the rear end 9 of skate board 3. These two wheels 11 and 12 form the base of the triangular configuration of this rear group of three wheels 11, 12 and 13 and the third wheel 13 forms the apex of the triangular configuration. The third wheel 13 is positioned on the rear end of the underside of slat 49. The same is true of the other rear group of three wheels, 17, 18 and 19. Two of the wheels 17 and 18 within this rear group are arranged side by side, opposed to one another, and the same distance from the trailing edge of the rear end 9 of the skate board 3. Thus, these two skate board wheels 20 and 21 form the base of the triangular configuration of this group of three wheels 20, 21 and 22. The other wheel 19 within this group of three wheels 17, 18 and 19 forms the apex of the triangular configuration of three wheels and this wheel 19 is positioned at the rear end of the slat 47.
Referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, when the skate boards 3 are perfectly level, that is, not tilted about their longitudinal axis, the only skate board wheels which are in contact with the ground 53 are the skate board wheels 13, 16, 19 and 22 which are mounted on the slats 47 and 49. The other skate board wheels 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20 and 21 which are not mounted on the slats 47 and 49, but are directly mounted to the skate boards 3, are not in contact with the ground 53. Thus, the skate board wheels 13, 16, 19 and 22 which form the apex of the triangular configuration of each group of three wheels are in contact with the ground 53 when the skate board 3 is perfectly level. The skate board wheels 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20 and 21 which form the base of each triangular configuration of each group of three wheels are not in contact with the ground 53 when the skate boards 3 are perfectly level, but are approximately 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch off the ground as a result of the thickness of slats 47 and 49. Alternately, wheels 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20 and 21 could be countersunk or raised off the ground by other means.
Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 6, when the user 5 leans toward his right side, as shown in FIG. 1, the skate boards 3 tilt about their longitudinal axis in the direction in which the user is leaning. The wheels 15 and 21, which are on the sides of skate boards 3 toward which the skate boards 3 tilt, come in contact with the ground 53. Referring to FIG. 3, rear wheels 12 and 18 come in contact with the ground as well, as front wheels 15 and 21. Thus, as shown in FIG. 6, when the user 5 leans to his right side, both skate boards 3 tilt to the right of the user 5. The skate boards 3 roll not only on the wheels 13, 16, 19 and 22, which are affixed to slats 47 and 49, but also on wheels 11, 14, 18 and 21 which are on the right side of skate board 3. Outrigger board 31, to the left of user 5 is lifted slightly by left ski pole 43. As a result of tilting, the skate boards 3 and the skate board toy assembly 1 tend to turn to the right, that is, in the direction in which the user is leaning. Similarly, if the user 5 were leaning to the left, the skate boards 3 would tend to turn to his left.
Referring to FIGS. 2, 7 and 8, the outrigger boards 31 and 33 each have a well 57 into which the ski poles 43 and 45 fit. One well 57 is located at the outer end 35 and 37 of each outrigger board 31 and 33. Referring to FIG. 7, there is a small horizontal pin 59 located within each well 57 and this pin 59 engages an eyelet screw 61 located on the end of each ski pole 43 and 45. The eyelet screw 61 is located on the end of each ski pole 43 and 45 which is opposite from the end of the ski pole 43 and 45 grasped by the user. The eyelet screw 61 of each ski pole 43 and 45 is engaged by the pin 59 within the well 57 of the respective outrigger board 31 and 33.
Referring to FIG. 8, the outrigger boards 31 and 33 are rotatably affixed, in this embodiment, to the front link board 23 by means of hinges 63. Obviously, the outrigger boards 31 and 33 may also be rotatably affixed to the front link board 23 by other means for other embodiments. The front link board 23 and the rear link board 35 are coupled to the skate boards 3 by means of nuts and bolts 65, in this embodiment, which allow the skate boards 3 to tilt about their longitudinal axis. Obviously, the link boards 23 and 25 could be coupled to the skate boards by other means for other embodiments.
Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, these figures illustrate a simpler, alternate embodiment of this invention in which the plurality of skate board wheels 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, 83 and 85 affixed to the underside of the skate boards 3 do not include any provision for raising any of the skate board wheels 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, 83 or 85 above the level of any other skate board wheels. Thus, for example there are no slats used in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, whereas slats 47 and 49 are used in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3. In all other respects, the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 is similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-8.