US3123937A - Toy hoop stick - Google Patents

Description

March 10, 1964 G. A. PACE 3,123,937

TOY HOOP STICK Filed March 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

\ in, j/ BY GENERAL A. PACE G. A. PACE March 10, 1964 TOY HOOP STICK Filed March 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

GENERAL A. PACE ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,123,937 TOY HOOP STICK General A. iace, 3401 Loganviiie Drive, Baltimore, Md,

assignor of fifty percent to Robert J. Dougherty, Towsou Md.

3 Filed Mar. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 182,408

Claims. (Cl. 4622ti) This invention relates generally to toys, and more particularly it pertains to improvements in hoop sticks for rolling hoops.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide a telescopic hoop stick mainly for the purpose of easy adjustment to the arm length of an operator.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a telescopic hoop stick for rolling hoops in which space is conserved in the shipping and stocking of a so-shortened hoop stick. A safety feature is gained since a hoop stick capable of being shortened under a strong end thrust is less likely to injure a falling child.

Another object of this invention is to provide a telescopic hoop stick which has launching and guiding provisions for a hoop.

And another object of this invention is to provide a storage receptacle arrangement for a hoop on a hoop stick.

The provision of an easily and economically manufactured hoop rolling toy of modern materials, is yet another object of this invention.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent and understood from the following detailed specification and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an improved telescopic hoop stick according to this invention and showing the hoop in stored position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective of a hoop;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the hoop taken on line 33 of PEG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation on reduced scale of the hoop stick showing the hoop poised for launching thereon;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the top of the telescopic hoop stick assembly;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section of the hoop stick taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5, and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross section taken on line 77 of FIG. 6.

Referring now to the details of the drawings, there is shown depicted in FIG. 1 a telescopic hoop stick assembly Iltl incorporating features of this invention. This hoop stick assembly 10 consists of a pair of cooperating elongated upper and lower handles 12 and 14. The upper end of the upper handle 12 is provided with an angled corrugated grip 16. An upwardly curved rim head 18 is fastened at its center to the lower end of the lower handle 14.

The top faces of the handles 12 and 14 are each formed lengthwise with a concavity 20. The top or inside of the curved rim head 18 is shaped with another concavity 22.

The upper handle 12 telescopically receives the lower handle 14 in an elognated hollow 24 of disc shaped cross section. A slot 26 in the lower face of upper handle 12 communicates with the hollow 24 as best shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7.

A resilient detent finger 28 is fastened to the upper handle 12 and extends into the slot 26 where it bears against the under face of lower handle 14. Here an area of the lower handle 14 is provided with a plurality of spaced transverse detent grooves 30. Thus, the hoop stick assembly 10 may be lengthened or shortened by merely pushing or pulling the upper and lower handles 12 and 14 with respect to each other and resilient detent finger 28 retains this adjustment.

The hoop 32, shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, like the hoop stick assembly 10, is preferably made of acrylic plastic. A pair of retaining hooks 34, one on each handle 12, 14, are provided for storing hoop 32 when not in use as shown in FIG. 1. The hoop 32 is released for use by retracting the lower handle 14 within the upper handle 12 sufliciently for the hooks 34- to disengage.

As shown in FIG. 4 to operate the hoop stick 10, the lower handle 14 is withdrawn from upper handle 12 to a degree of adjustment suited to the arm length of the operator so that rim head 18 is about two to three inches from the ground. The grip 16 is then grasped by one hand and the other hand is used to take the hoop and place it upright in the concavity 20 next to grip 16. The hoop 32 is then released, allowing it to roll down the concavities 20 of upper and lower handles 12 and 14 in sequence and be launched along the ground as shown by the dotted lines.

it requires only a slight wrist movement on grip 16 to steer the launching or guide the hoop 32 after it is rolling along the ground. An occasional push with the rim head 18, keeps the hoop 32 in motion. To recover a rolling hoop 32, it is necessary only to capture it with one end of the rim head 18. The operator can walk, run, skip and hop, or roller skate as he maneuvers the hoop 32 with the hoop stick 10.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teach ings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A telescopic hoop stick, comprising, a pair of telescoping and cooperating elongated shaped upper and lower handles, said lower handle having its upper end provided with a plurality of spaced grooves in its under face, the upper handle being provided with an angled corrugated grip at its upper end, resilient latch means secured to said upper handle and selectively engageable in any one of said spaced grooves in said lower handle for selectively engaging and holding said upper and lower handles in fixed telescopic relationship with respect to each other, the top faces of said upper and lower handles each being formed lengthwise with a concavity forming a continuous track for a hoop, and an upwardly curved rim head secured to the lower end of said lower handle and shaped with a concavity lengthwise in the upper face thereof for rolling and guiding said hoop.

2. A telescopic hoop stick, comprising, a pair of cooperating elongated shaped upper and lower handles, the upper handle being provided with an elongated shaped hollow in its lower end, said lower handle having its upper end provided with a plurality of spaced grooves on its under face, and being receivable in said hollow of said upper handle, said upper handle having a slot provided in its under face in communication with said hollow therein, resilient latch means secured to said upper handle and extending through said slot therein to selectively engage in any one of said spaced grooves in said lower handle to hold said upper and lower handles in fixed telescopic relationship with respect to each other, the top faces of said upper and lower handles each being formed lengthwise with a concavity forming a continuous track for a hoop, and an upwardly curved rim head for guiding said hoop secured to the lower end of said lower handle and formed with a lengthwise concavity in the upper face thereof for rolling and guiding said hoop.

3. A telescopic hoop stick, comprising, a pair of cooperating elongated shaped upper and lower handles, the

upper handle being provided with an angled grip at its upper end and an elongated shaped hollow in its opposite end, said lower handle having its upper end provided with a plurality of spaced serrations on its under face, said upper end of said lower handle being receivable in said hollow of said upper handle, said upper handle having a slot provided in its under face in communication With said hollow therein, resilient means secured to said upper handle and extending through said slot therein to selectively engage any one of said spaced serrations in said lower handle to hold said, upper and lower handles in fixed telescopic relationship with respect to each other, the top faces of said upper and lower handles being formed with a continuous track for a hoop, and an upwardly curved rim head for guiding said hoop secured to the lower end of said lower handle and shaped with a concavity in the upper face thereof for rolling and guiding said hoop. v

4-. A telescopic hoop stick, comprising, a pair of cooperating elongated shaped upper and lower handles, the upper handle being provided with an angled corrugated grip at its upper end and an elongated hollow in its opposite end, said lower handle having its upper end provided with a plurality of spaced transverse detent grooves on its under face, said upper end of said lower handle being receivable in said hollow of said upper handle, said upper handle having a slot provided in its under face in communication with said hollow therein, resilient detent means secured to said upper handle and extending through said slot therein to selectively engage said spaced transverse detent grooves in said lower handle to hold said upper and lower handles in fixed telescopic relationship with respect to each other, the top faces of said upper and lower handles each being formed lengthwise with a concavity forming a continuous track for a hoop, and an upwardly curved rim head for guiding said hoop secured at its center to the lower end of said lower handle and shaped with a concavity lengthwise in the upper face thereof for rolling and guiding said hoop.

5. A telescopic hoop stick, comprising, a pair of cooperating elongated shaped upper and lower handles, the upper handle being provided with an angled corrugated grip at its upper end and an elongated hollow in its opposite end, said lower handle having its upper end provided with a plurality of spaced transverse detent grooves on its under face, said upper end of said lower handle being receivable in said hollow of said upper handle, said upper handle having a slot provided in its under face in communication with said hollow therein, resilient detent means secured to said upper handle and extending through said slot therein to selectively engage said spaced transverse detent grooves in said lower handle to hold said upper and lower handles in fixed telescopic relationship with respect to each other, the top faces of said upper and lower handles each being formed lengthwise with a concavity forming a continuous track for a hoop, an upwardly curved rim head for guiding said hoop secured at its center to the lower end of said lower handle and shaped with a concavity lengthwise in the upper face thereof for rolling and guiding said hoop, and retaining means on each upper and lower handle for storing said hoop when said stick is in an untelescopic condition.

Whaley Dec. 14, 1920 Zileri et a1 Aug. 4, 1953

Claims (1)

1. A TELESCOPIC HOOP STICK, COMPRISING, A PAIR OF TELESCOPING AND COOPERATING ELONGATED SHAPED UPPER AND LOWER HANDLES, SAID LOWER HANDLE HAVING ITS UPPER END PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF SPACED GROOVES IN ITS UNDER FACE, THE UPPER HANDLE BEING PROVIDED WITH AN ANGLED CORRUGATED GRIP AT ITS UPPER END, RESILIENT LATCH MEANS SECURED TO SAID UPPER HANDLE AND SELECTIVELY ENGAGEABLE IN ANY ONE OF SAID SPACED GROOVES IN SAID LOWER HANDLE FOR SELECTIVELY ENGAGING AND HOLDING SAID UPPER AND LOWER HANDLES IN FIXED TELESCOPIC RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, THE TOP FACES OF SAID UPPER AND LOWER HANDLES EACH BEING FORMED LENGTHWISE WITH A CONCAVITY FORMING A CONTINUOUS TRACK FOR A HOOP, AND AN UPWARDLY CURVED RIM HEAD SECURED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID LOWER HANDLE AND SHAPED WITH A CONCAVITY LENGTHWISE IN THE UPPER FACE THEREOF FOR ROLLING AND GUIDING SAID HOOP.

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