US3850429A

US3850429A - Infants exercise and amusement device

Info

Publication number: US3850429A
Application number: US00460749A
Authority: US
Inventors: D Clifford
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1974-04-15
Filing date: 1974-04-15
Publication date: 1974-11-26
Anticipated expiration: 1991-11-26

Abstract

An exercising and amusement device for infants comprising a flexible cord having clips at the ends thereof for connection to garments, e.g., on the baby''s feet or legs or to spaced parts of a crib, baby carriage, chair, etc., and a plurality of hollow open-ended nestable cylinder-like members slidable on said cord.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Clifford [4 1 Nov. 26, 1974 INFANTS EXERCISE AND AMUSEMENT DEVICE [76] Inventor: Daisy E. Clifford, 68 Oak Ave,

Northboro, Mass. 01532 [22] Filed: Apr. 15, I974 [21] Appl. No.: 460,749

[52] US. Cl 272/80, 46/1 R, 46/32,

272/79 R [51] Int. Cl. A63h 5/00, A63b 7/00 [58] Field of Search 272/80, 79 R; 46/] R, 32

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Allen 46/] R Burke 46/32 X 3,564,759 2/l97l Buttermore 272/80 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 490,556 2/l953 Canada 46/32 567,847 3/l945 Great Britain .5 46/32 Primary E.\un1irm-Paul E. Shapiro Almmcy, Agent. or l"irmCharles R. Fay

[ 57 1 ABSTRACT An exercising and amusement device for infants comprising a flexible cord having clips at the ends thereof for connection to garments, e.g., on the babys feet or legs or to spaced parts of a crib, baby carriage, chair, etc., and a plurality of hollow open-ended nestable cylinder-like members slidable on said cord.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEL RSV 2 6197A SHEET 10F 2 PATENTEL, :zzvzslsm v

sum

2 or 2 1 INFANTS EXERCISE AND AMUSEMENT DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There have been many amusement devices for babies which are adapted to be supported on the crib and amuse the child in different ways but the present invention is directed to a device which is particularly adapted to be connected with respect to shoe strings or garments worn on the feet, i.e., warm stockings or footed pajamas, etc., so that when he kicks or raises his feet and legs, the parts of this colorful device will make clicking noises and slide and spin on the cord providing both amusement and exercise for the infant.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A flexible cord is provided having connectors at the ends thereof for the baby's shoes, shoe strings, pajama feet, etc., and on the cord there are provided a series of cylinders of different diameters, said cylinders having open ends and being nestable, partly nestable, and independent, but in any event the cylinders will slide down the cord by gravity usually in a kind of helterskelter relationship. These cylinders click together making relative gentle noises and at the same time providing for a colorful array of moving objects which attract the baby wherever he may be located whether in a crib. baby carriage, chair, etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION As shown in FIG. I there is provided a flexible cord of any suitable material and this has clips or other connecting devices of well known nature I2, 12 at the ends thereof for connecting to the babys garments, shoe strings. etc.

On the cord at either end thereof there are beads 14' which are provided to add to the babys enjoyment by containing a bell or rattle. etc.

These nestable sliding devices may be of any hollow open-ended type but they must be all of different diameters so that they may nest as is more fully shown in FIG. 3. There may be more than a single set. They may also be arranged in a line on the cord 10 as shown in FIG. 4, but in most cases they will be partially nested and partially unrelated to each other as shown in FIG. 1. Of course this depends upon which end of the cord is raised. Babies usually kick one foot up at a time, but when he raises both feet, the colorful cylinders come into his view and his reach. He may enjoy just watching them. observing that he can change their appearance by moving his feet from side to side or he will find by reaching that he can touch them. causing the cylinders to spin, thus exercising both arms and legs, while being amused. It is also to be observed however that the device may be utilized when the baby is on his stomach, or sitting, for the reason that the respective nestable devices, being made of a relatively stiff plastic or similar material, will click together when entering or leaving or in general tending to abut each other.

In the present illustration these devices are shown as open-

ended cylinders

18, 20, 22, 24, and 26 on a descending scale with relation to the inside and outside diameters of the various pieces which may become extended as shown in FIG. 4, or rarely completely nested as in FIG. 3, and usually somewhat in the nature of the showing in FIG. I where they are partly extended and partly nested, depending of course upon the relative elevations of the ends of the cord or the beads I4, 14.

When the device is connected to the babys garments, etc., it obviously immediately gets the attention of the baby and of course being made of plastic or similar material they not only click together making an almost continuous noise, but also are of bright attractive colors for the infant.

The cord may be adjustable or even elastic and the cylindrical devices are free of each otherand are only connected because of the cord 10. The

beads

14, 14 are large enough to restrain loss of even the largest of the cylinders. The beads may be hollow and may contain a bell, rattle, or the like.

Usually the baby is dressed in soft sole or similar type shoes, or warm stockings, or footed pajamas. The present device can be used by attaching one clip to the string of the shoe he is wearing and the other clip is then attached to the other shoestring, etc., or to whatever garments worn.

The clips will stay attached until they are deliberately removed and this saves the mother the bother of continually retrieving playthings.

I claim:

I. An infants exercise and amusement device comprising a flexible cord, a series of nestable hollow elements of differing diameters on the cord, each element being open-ended and slidable into and out of certain other said elements along the cord.

2. The device of claim 1 including a member at each end of the cord, and noise making means in said members.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said members are larger than the inside diameter of the largest element, restraining loss thereof from the cord.

4. The device of claim 1 including means at each end of the cord to attach to the cord in position.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the means is constructed and arranged to be removably attached to the garment of the infant.

6. The device of claim 4 wherein the means is constructed and arranged to be removably attached to spaced supports.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the elements are substantially self-sustaining and create noises when striking each other in sliding on the cord.

Claims

1. An infant''s exercise and amusement device comprising a flexible cord, a series of nestable hollow elements of differing diameters on the cord, each element being open-ended and slidable into and out of certain other said elements along the cord.