Catapult powered rectangular blade

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Aerial toys of maple seed wing design, with weighted leading end, projected vertically into the air in a non- ²⁰spinning ascent and operable to descend in a flat pancake spin, have heretofore been disclosed in U.S. Pats. Nos. 3,353,295; 2,931,404 and 2,615,281.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION ₂5

A principal object of the invention is to provide an aerial toy embodying a flying blade which can be projected horizontally and which will then execute soaring flight in a rising, upwardly curving trajectory.

Another object is to provide an aerial toy embodying a ³⁰flying blade which cannot inflict injury in the event it should strike a person when in flight.

A further object is to provide an aerial toy of extremely simple and inexpensive construction.

A still further object is to provide such a toy which ³⁵affords opportunity for the exercise of skill in holding, aiming and projecting the flying blade, with commensurate results in the flight of the blade.

Other objects will become apparent in the ensuing specification and appended drawing, in which: ⁴⁰

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the holding of the toy and tensioning of the catapult preparatory to projection;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the same;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the same;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified form; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken on line 5—5 of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawing in detail, I have shown therein, as an example of one form in which the invention may be embodied, a flying blade B having, midway between its ends, a launching projection 11; and a cata- ⁵⁵pult C comprising a staff 15 and a sling 16 consisting of a large rubber band having one end portion in the form of a loop 19 which can readily be caught around the projection 11, which can be in the form of a peg secured in the blade as shown in FIG. 1. 60

In launching the blade B, the operator, whose hands are shown at A, graps the staff 15 in one hand and the blade B in his other hand. The loop 19 is then hooked over the projection 11, the sling 16 is drawn rearwardly under tension (stretched) over the top of the blade to ⁶⁵its rear edge, thence downwardly around said rear edge, and thence forwardly underneath the blade, in a stretched condition. For moderate spinning impetus, the winding of the sling agound the blade may be restricted to this half-wrap, as shown in FIG. 2. For more rapid spin and 70 greater launching impetus, a complete additional wrap or several wraps of the sling around the blade, may be made. From the half wrap (as in FIG. 2) or from the one and one half turn (or two and one half turn) wrap, the sling 16 is extended forwardly in stretched condition, substantially horizontally. For straight-ahead launching, the blade B is adjusted to a position at right angles to the sling 16. The blade B is held between the thumb and fingers (preferably two fingers) midway between its ends (e.g. with the fingers straddling the peg 11).

After stretching the sling 16 to a selected extent, the operator releases the blade B from the grasp of his hand in which it is held, whereupon the catapult C will draw it rapidly forwardly. Since the pull of the sling is initially applied to the underside of the blade B, it will act against the blade upon release in a manner to rapidly rotate the blade about its horizontal axis in a counterclockwise direction (arrows 24 in FIG. 2) as viewed toward the end of the blade to the operator’s right (FIG. 2). At the same time the blade B will be projected forwardly by the forward pull of the catapult. Its forward momentum, combined with its spinning rotation, will cause it to climb or zoom in an upwardly curving path as indicated by arrows 25. While I am not certain as to why it develops this zooming action, it appears that it may be due to an air cushion of compressed air which is developed ahead and below center of the blade, which exerts a lifting action on the blade. As the momentum of the blade is dissipated and its rotation slows down, it will usually end its flight with a fluttering action in which it drops to the ground or floor surface.

By adjusting the blade B in the hand in which it is held, to a position in which one end is advanced in the launching direction (the other end being correspondingly angled back of the center) the blade when launched will execute its flight in a laterally swooping and rising path instead of in a straight ahead path.

The flight path can be varied by varying the intensity of launching impetus. With added impetus there is an added upward zooming effect and less of the forward travel. Hence a sharper upward swooping effect is obtained.

Through these various aspects of flight control the performance of the device becomes (highly) interesting to the user.

In order to obtain the proper performance, the blade must be long, narrow, thin, flat, and of substantially uniform thickness. Its width may be in the range of five to ten times its thickness. Its length may be in the range of eight to twenty times its width. For example, the blade may have dimensions of approximately ’/e thickness, 1 width and 15 length. It is preferably of wood, for maximum lightness, but may be of synthetic resin plastic material or equivalent lightweight material. The launching projection 11 may be in the form of a peg secured in an opening bored in the blade, and may be disposed midway between the lateral margins of the blade, or nearer to one margin than the other. Where the latter is the case, a preferred positioning of the peg preparatory to launching is nearer to forward edge of the blade, so that the wrap of the sling 16 around the blade may be more than a % wrap, as in FIG. 2.

Where the toy is of molded plastic material, the projection 11A is preferably molded into the blade 10A and may have the form shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.