US2593979A - Tethered toy airplane - Google Patents

Description

April 1952 J. A. CALHOUN 2,593,979

TETHERED TOY AIRPLANE Filed Jan. 11,1952

2 SHEETS-SHEET l 422 INVENTOR Jae/r A. [1225mm BY Mi ATTOR NE Y5 April 22, 1952 J. A. CALHOUN TE'IIHERED TOY AIRPLANE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Jan. 11,1952

1N VENTOR far/r A. ZZZ/howl ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 22, 1952 TETHERED TOY AIRPLANE Jack A. Calhoun, Long Beach, Calif., assignor to Skycraft Mfg. Crp., Long Beach, Calif., a corporation of California Application January 11, 1952, Serial No. 266,061

13 Claims. 1

This invention relates to toy'airplanes.

The toy airplane has embodied therewith novel rotatable wing construction whereby the plane is maintained in flight. The airplane is preferably tethered by suitable flexible string or the like, which string is associated with a reel that is mounted on and, carried by a tethering stick. This tethering stick is in the form of a miniature fishing rod and reel but modified so as to adapt it for use in connection with the winding and unreeling of the string or the like from the reel so as to allow the tethered airplane to soar at different altitudes.

The airplane is fabricated from a particular plastic, which plastic has embodied thereon a silver coating and the overall appearance of the airplane preferably simulates actual flying ships but, of course, may take various forms as regards design, appearance, etc.

One of the features of the plane is the unique construction and mounting of the rotatable wings, there being a wing at each side of the optionally shaped and size fuselage or body. The unusual levitation of the plane results partially from its design and partially from the material from which it is fabricated.

It is desirable in the fabrication of toy airplanes to provide such a plane that will be light in weight and yet rugged and durable soas to withstand an indefinite practical use and yet which will embody demountable wings for purposes of shipment and ready assembly, and the present'plane meets such conditions. a

It is also desirable in toy airplanes to provide structure that results in known aerodynamic principles so that the plane will be sustained in its flight for an indefinite period of time and the construction of the present toy airplane and its aerodynamic principles are such that unusual and unexpected flight endurance and performance manipulation results therefrom.

With the foregoing in mind, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a toy airplane that is so designed and constructed that it will be sustained in flight for an indefinite period of time and is durable and capable of long usage.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy airplane which embodies therewith a fusethe combination of a unique rotatable winged toy airplane and a connection or an attachment of a string or the like thereto and which string is carried on a reel of 'a tethering stick, the stick being adapted to be held in the hand f the user and the reel enabling the string to be payed out and taken in from and on the reel respectively so as to limit the soaring height of the plane in the air.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy airplane that is fabricated from a particular silver-coated, plastic, light-weight material, and which material is capable of being stamped, pressed or molded into the component cooperative elements comprising the overall toy airplane and including unique rotatable wing structures which are uniquely rotatably mounted and held from longitudinal movement on a supporting strut or the like. The invention embodies usage of cooperating bearing means on the wings and strut for demountably rotatably supporting the flexible wings on the strut.

Another object of the invention is to provide the aforesaid unique wing structures of extremely light-weight material, these wing structures being so inherently reinforced that they will maintain their shape and perform their function when rotatably mounted on a strut or the 'like throughout a long period of time.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the toy airplane as it will appear in flight and showing the tethering stick carrying the reel thereon and with the string about the reel and the end of the string attached to the airplane; i

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the toy airplane;

Fig: 3 is a vertical sectional view on line 3 -3 of Fig. 2 showing the vertical stabilizer in its operative position in full lines and in inoperativ telescoped position in dotted lines;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the vertical stabilizer; 9

Fig. 5 is a view taken on the lines 55 of Fig. 2looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a partial transverse view taken substantially-on the irregular line 6-6 of Fig. 2

and showing the rotatable wing structure in operative position;

Fig. '1 is a partial end front elevational view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the flexing or bending of one of the wing elements to either remove the same from its supporting strut or to detachably connect the same thereto;

Fig. 8 is a sectionalview taken along the lines 88 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 9 is a sectional View taken along the lines 9-9 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

The invention will be more readily understood by referring to the drawings in detail wherein like reference numerals or characters in the several views all designate the same component parts.

The toy airplane as a whole is designated at A, the tethering stick '1 and the flexible medium or string S. Specifically, the toy airplane comprises an elongated fuselage or body It which is generally torpedo or cigar shape. This body or fuselage is fabricated from two substantially similarly-shaped hollow sections, the upper section being denoted at if and the lower section at I2. This body or fuselage is preferably constructed from extruded polystyrene, this material being on the market under the trade name of Polyflex. The said material has inherent flexible characteristics butno resiliency and is capable of being readily molded or otherwise formed into various shapes such as the shape of the fuselage or body of the present toy airplane. The material from which the body or fuselage is made is denoted at l3 whereas 14 is a silver coating preferably only on the outer surface of this material but, if desired, such coating may be on the inner and outer surfaces. The complemental upper and lower sections or halves of the fuselage or body of the airplane are each provided with a similarlyformed, outwardly extending flange l5, which flange completely surrounds the entire body and the horizontal stabilizers it, which stabiliaers are in- 1 tegral with the respective upper and "lower portions or sections of the body or fuselage.

A preferably solvent type of adhesive If is disposed between the opposed flanges of the two sections of the body or'fuselage and, of course, where such an adhesive is used to secure these flanges together, the inner opposed surfaces thereof will be free of the silver or other coating so that a very tenacious adhesion of the two sections is effected.

The aft upper section ll of the fuselage has a slit or elongated'opening l3 therein and it is within the walls defining this said opening that the vertical stabilizer or rudder R is positioned and held. This stabilizer B is preferably formed from two thicknesses of the material from which the fuselage or body is formed and these thicknesses may be effected by turning over one piece of the material on itself and suitably adhesively or otherwise securing the same into contacting relationship and providing the outwardly extending flaps l9, 2i} at the lower edge of the stabilizer and the ends of which flaps terminateinwardly of the extreme lower outer edges of the stabilizer and thus provideinset shoulder portions 2i and 22 at either end thereof. As seen in Figs. 3 and 4, this stabilizer R is adapted to have the shoulder 2! thereofoverlap anupperportion 23 of the front end of the slit l3 and is thus, with the flaps ill I9 and 23, held in the full line operating position as shown in Fig. 3. For shipment purposes, however, the stabilizer R is merely depressed or telescoped within the aft portion of the fuselage as indicated by the dotted line posi-- tion of the same in Fig. 3. The tolerances of the Width of the slit iii and the thickness of the stabilizer R are such that there will be good frictional engagement between the same to also aid in maintaining the stabilizer R either projected outwardly or telescoped as shown in Fig. 3.

The fuselage or body has diametrically oppositely disposed eyelets, preferablybrass eyelets 2e and 25 therein (see Fig. 6). The position of the eyelets is preferably slightly forwardly of the exact mid point of the fuselage or body of the airplane. Forwardly of the said eyelets and in the bottom section or portion E2 of the fuselage or body, there is a grommet 255 having an opening therein.

A strut support denoted generally at 2?, which may be made of any suitable material but is preferably a high carbon wire known as piano or music wire, has itsmid section 28 of substantially v-shape and abight portion 29 at the ends of downwardly and forwardly extending legs :39 and Lil constitutes the connection of the V-shaped portion of the strut with thelegs 39 and 3!. Thisbight portion 29 which is at an obtuse angles with respect tolegs 30 and SI extends outwardly through the grommet 2e and serves as a means to attach the end of the string thereto as is hereinafter more fully set forth.

The leg portions 3t and 8!, see Fig. 6, are actually disposed within the'body or fuselage of the plane and, in the lower section or half l2 thereof. The strut or wing-supporting member 2? has oppositely outwardly-extendingarms 32 and 33, which'arms are of substantially the same length and serve as the actual rotatable supporting means for the wing structures later described. These arms are identical and, at spaced points, they havefixedly mounted thereon suitable sphere-like orrounded bearings 3 and 35. This whole strut including thearms 32 and 33 is, of course, substantially rigid but yet the same can be manually flexed. As both of thearms 32 and 33 are identical and have the same bearings fell and 35 thereon, it is believed description of one is sufficient.

The pair of wings denoted generally at W and W, which are left and right wings when the plane is viewed from the front, are also similarly formed and a description of one and its association and cooperation with the saidbearings 34 and 35, it is believed, will be sufficient. Each of the wings tapers inwardly from the body or fuselage of the ship gradually outwardly to the tips thereof as will be noted from the trailing and leadingedges 35 and 3'! in Fig. 2. In cross section, the shape of the wings throughout their lengths is substantially'in the form of "an S and diminishes in length from the large end thereof to' the tip end, which means that as" the ruseiageorbosyer theairplane, namely the polystyrene material which is silver coated on both sides or faces thereof.

There are similarly formed, spaced, longitudinally extending reinforcing ribs ill and 4! that are stamped in each of the Wings. These ribs present oppositely disposed raised and depressed formations on both faces of the wings. In other words, one of the ribs will constitute an embossure or raised portion on one side while its opposite side will be a longitudinal depression but the L ribs and the depressions are reversed on opposite faces or sides of each of the wings. Additionally, each of the wings has a longitudinally disposed depression orrecess 42, which depression or recess is intermediate of the reinforcingribs 49 and 4! and spaced therefrom. Thisrecess 42, of course, results in a reinforcingrib 43 on the opposite face of the wing. At each end of the saidrecess 42, aneyelet 44 which is preferably brass, is positioned. It will be noted that each of these eyelets is canted or angularly disposed relative to thelongitudinally extending recess 42 at each end of the same, see Fig. 6. Reinforcingribs 42a and 42b form continuations of thedepression 42 at opposite ends thereof.

The positioning and spacing of therounded bearings 34 and from each other, that are fixedly carried on thearms 32 and 33 of the strut, is such that when the Wing W or W is mounted on the strut, the same will be uniquely disposed n in the openings of theeyelets 44 that are at the ends of the longitudinally extending depression orrecess 42 formed by therib 43. As will be seen from Fig. 6, the lower portion of thesebearings 34, 35 will each engage behind a complemcntal lower inclined portion of the eyelet and thus the wing is detachably connected to the strut member and the rounded bearings and the eyelets serve as ideal cooperative means to allow for free and unimpeded rotation of the wing about the m wing W or W from thearm 32 of the strut member- In Fig. 7, the wing W is in a flexed or bent condition and it will be noted that the extreme or free end of thearm 32 of the strut member is disposed directly in the opening in thebrass eyelet 44 whereas the adjacentrounded bearing 35 is outwardly of that opening and theother bearing 34 has passed through and beyond the opening in the adjacent eyelet 64. In this positioning of the arm of the strut member and the flexed or bent condition of the wing, it can either be readily removed from the arm of the strut member or by moving the wing to the right as seen in Fig. I, the rounded bearing M will seat itself in the inclined or canted eyelet M in the wing and, simultaneously therewith, theextreme end portion 45 of the strut member will pass through the opening in the eyelet i4 and dispose thebearing 35 adjacent thereto within that opening in the eyelet with portions of the strut adjacent the bearings disposed in the depression created by the formation ofribs 42a and 42b and, as such, the cooperative and component elements will be in the association and relation with each other as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. It is clear that thebearings 3d, 35 and theeyelets 44 at either end of therecess 32 actually serve a dual function, namely as a means for the wing to rotate thereabout and to detachably secure the wing to the arm of the strut member. It has been described hereinbefore that lower portions of therounded bearings 34 and 35 actually engage the inclined or canted lower portions of each of theeyelets 44 and thus serve to maintain the wing on the strut member and permit it to rotate thereon. However, the wing may be removed or placed on the strut member by simply flexing it between its ends and more or less placing in "alignment theeyelets 44 so that the bearings can either be removed from their position in the eyelets or placed therein.

The material from which the fuselage or body and also the wings are formed is preferably of a thickness of .065 to .075 inch and is coated as hereinbefcre mentioned with silver and, additionally, a protective coating, not shown, applied to the silver coating in order to prevent oxidation or discoloration thereof. This protective coating may be in the form of a rubberized transparent solution. Thearms 32 and 33 of the. strut are preferably slightly upwardly inclined, see Fig. 6. Colors other than silver may obviously be used.

Without limiting the invention to precise materials and weights, dimensions, etc., it has been found that a toy airplane constructed in accordance with the disclosure of this invention and from the materials mentioned herein can and did obtain the height of some 2300 feet and the wings at all times were substantially rigid and constantly rotating, of course, to maintain the soaring heights of the plane and to attain levitation. In this plane that was built and tested, the same measured about 23 inches from wing tip to wing tip and the fuselage or body of the plane was approximately 10 inches in length and its greatest diameter was about 2 inches. The wings tapered at their major portion adjacent the body or fuselage from 3 inches down to about 1% inches at their tips. The overall weight of the plane was less than one ounce. The type of material that was used and mentioned herein is springy in nature so that if the fuselage is dented it will immediately spring back into proper condition and this also applies to the wings of the plane.

The use of the airplane is very simple and while I prefer to use the tethering stick or rod'I, it may be dispensed with and the string or ball of string held in the hand of the user. This tethering stick includes areel 46 upon. which the string S is wound, a handle 4! and a reduced portion iii and aneye 49 at the end thereof with also an eye 58 adjacent the reel through which eyes the string extends and there is a conventionalswiveled connection 5| which is in turn connected with a conventionaldetachable hook 52 and this hook 52 i engaged about thebight portion 29 of the strut member that projects beyond the bottom of the plane, see Figs. 6 and 7, so that the end of the string or cord -S may be connected with the plane. A toy airplane constructed in accordance with this invention has been tested at wind currents of 35 M. P. H. and has stood up very well and maintained its flight. Depending upon the wind currents, of course, will determine how the plane will soar or move in the air and thus, of course, if the wind currents are gentle, the plane will ride in the substantially same horizontal position but if the plane is caught in cross currents or air pockets, it will accordingly dive and rise similarly to a conventional commercial flying ship.

It is believed important that reference be had to Fig. 2 wherein it will be noted that the legs not onlyare V -shaped but they are inclined downwardly and forwardly and thus the obtusely disposed bight portion29 of these legs which connects them together projects outwardly throughthe'grommet 26 at a point that is disposed closer to the nose or forward point of the plane rather than the aft portion thereof and serves to rigidize the fuselage and hold the strut in a fixed relationship therewith. This is important because it has been found that by so positioning the attachment of the string to thebight portion 29, the plane will in most instances be in proper balance: and ride the air currents in a substantially horizontally disposed position.

While, the fuselage or body of the plane is shown as torpedo or cigar shape, it is understood that the same may be in the form of an elongated flat body or disc. As a matter of fact, the wings when rotatably mounted on the strut structure will function to cause the airplane to act as a flying wing in the absence of utilizing any body or fuselage structure whatsoever.

The arms orextensions 32 of the strut member, or that portion of these arms that is disposed in the longitudinally extending groove orrecess 42, serve with the ribs 553 and ll to additionally reinforce and strengthen the wings W and W. Thus, each wing structure is rigidized when the same is associated with theextensions 32 of thestrut 21.

I claim:

L'A toy airplane comprising a hollow body, a continuous substantially rigid wing strut supporting member extending laterally beyond opposite sides of the body, a wing mounted on and it carried by each of the said extensions of the strut member, and cooperable engaging bearing means between cache-f the extensions oi the strut member and the wing supported thereon for allowing rotation of the wing relative to the strut member and for maintaining each wing on each of the said extensions, the strut member having an integral downwardly and forwardly extending substantially V-shaped midsection thereof which is disposed within the hollow body of the plane A and the said V-shaped portion of the strut mom ber having its bight portion projecting through an opening in the bottom of the body of the plane, said projecting bight portion serving as a means to attach a flexible tethering string there- 1; up of the Wing, the Wing having longitudinally 2. A toy airplane comprising a body, substantially rigid \ving strutsupporting member ex tending laterally beyond opposite sides of the body, a wing mounted on and carried by each of the said extensions of the strut member, and spaced cooperable engaging bearing means between each of the extensions of the strut me nber and the wing supported thereon for allowing rotation of the wing relative to the strut member and for maintaining each wing on each of the said extensions, wherein at least one of the cooperable bearing means comprises a fixed rounded bearing on the strut extension and an eyelet inclinedly disposed and aiiixed to the wing and in whichicyelet the rounded bearing is detachabiy mounted.

3. A toy airplane comprising an elongated substantially rigid wing supporting strut member, an elongated wing spacedly rotatably mounted on the opposite end portions of the strut member, said opposite end portions being joined by an intermediate portion, individual cooperable bearins means carried by a portion of the strut membe): at its opposite endportions and portions. of

the wings mounted on, such end'portions, said bearing means rotatably supporting each'of the wings relativ to the strut end portions upon which they are mounted and detachably maintaining each wing on the said end portions, and wherein the cooperable bearing means comprises a spherical rounded member fixedly carried by and on each end portion of the strut, and an inclinedly disposed eyelet fixedly positioned in and carried by each wing with the rounded bearing disposed in the said eyelet so that a lower portion of the rounded bearing abuts the lower inclined portion of the eyelet and allows rotation of each wing relative to the end portions of the strut and to maintain the wing in its rotational association with the projecting end per.- tions of the strut.

4. A lightweight toy airplane fabricated from a silver-coated plastic material comprising a hollow body and a laterally extending rotatable wing mounted on each side of the body, a substantially rigid elongated win supporting wire strut member including alateral extension at each side of the body, which extensions serve as a, rotatable mounting for the wing at each side of the body, the said strut member having a midsection of substantially V-shape and positioned to, extend downwardly from and forwardly of the lateral extensions, and said vsshaped portion of ,the strut including a bight portion which serves as an attachment for a flexible means for tethering the plane.

5. A lightweight toy airplane fabricated from a silver-coated plastic material comprising aihollow body and a laterally extending rotatable wing mounted on each side of the body, a substantially rigid elongated wing supporting wire strut member including a lateral extension at each side of the body, which extensions serve as a rotatable mounting for the wing at each side of the body, the said strut member having a midsection of substantially V-shape and positioned to extend downwardly from and forwardly of the lateral extensions, and said ii-shaped portion of the strut including a bight portion which serves as an at,-

tachment for a flexible means for tethering the plane, and wherein each wing is similarly formed and is substantially S-shaped in cross section and has its edges tapering gradually inwardlyto the each end of the said recess, the said lateral ex- 7 tensions of the strut member each having a spaced pair of rounded bearings thereon and the spacing of which bearings coincides with the positioning of the eyelets at the end of the said recess so that the bearings are disposed in the respective eyelets of each wing and the portion of the extensions between each of the bearings lies in the said recess and with the said ribs reinforces and strengthens each wing and allows for the rotation of each wing relative to the lateral extensions of the strut and serving to detachably maintain the wings in their rotative relationship with the lateral extensions of the strut member.

6. A toy airplane as defined in and by claim 4, wherein the body of the plane has an elongated slot in the aft upper portion thereof, a vertical stabilizer telescopically received within the walls of the slot formation whereby the stabilizer may bepositioned in either of two positions, one being extended for, service and the other being substan- 9 tially completely retracted within the hollow body for packing.

7. A toy airplane as defined in and by claim 4, wherein the body of the plane is comprised of two substantially similarly formed upper and lower sections with a flange continuously about each section and including horizontally disposed stabilizers at the aft end of the body, and means for permanently joining the complemental flanges of the two sections of the body and the horizontal stabilizers together.

8. In combination, a toy airplane and a tethering stick carrying a flexible extensible string means thereon to tether the said plane, the plane comprising a hollow body and a rotatable wing extending laterally beyond each side of said body, strut means for supporting each of said wings, the strut means having a V-shaped midsection thereof carried by the body and a lateral extension thereof on each side of the body and on which extension each of the 3 wings is rotatably mounted, means for attaching the free end of the string to the bight portion of the midsection of the strut member, and reel means carried by the tethering stick whereby the string may be wound upon or unwound from the reel to deter mine and control the height of the plane in the all.

9. The combination of the airplane and tethering stick and extensible string means as defined in and by claim 8, wherein the body is elongated and the midsection of the strut means is disposed within the hollow body, the mid-section having a bight portion extending outwardly beyond the bottom portion of the body, said extending bight portion serving as ameans to attach the free end of the string thereto.

10. A toy airplane fabricated from a silver coated plastic material comprising a hollow body and a laterally extending rotatable wing mounted on each side of the body, a substantially rigid elongated wing supporting wire strut member including a lateral extension at each side of the body, said extensions providing rotatable mountings for the wing at each side of the body, said strut member having a mid-section of substantially V-shape positioned to extend downwardly from and forwardly of the lateral extensions, said body having an eyelet disposed downwardly and forwardly of the lateral extensions, and said V-shaped portion of the strut including a bight portion obtusely disposed relative to the legs of the mid-section, said bight portion projecting outwardly through said eyelet so that tethering means for the plane can be attached thereto.

11. A toy airplane comprising an elongated substantially rigid wing supporting strut member, a flexible elongated wing rotatably mounted on the opposite end portions of the strut member, said opposite end portions being joined by an intermediate portion, and cooperable bearing means respectively carried by opposite end portions of the strut member and portions of the wings mounted on said end portions, said bearing means being of such construction as to rotatably support each of the wings relative to the strut end portions and maintain each wing from displacement longitudinally of said strut member except when said wings are flexed intermediately of their ends whereupon said cooperable bearing means on the strut member and wings are disengaged from each other and said wings can be detached from said struts.

12. A toy airplane as defined in and byclaim 11, wherein said intermediate portion of the strut member is of substantially v-shape, and said V-shaped port-ion of the strut including a bight portion which serves as an attachment for a flexible means for tethering the plane.

13. A toy airplane as defined in and byclaim 12, and additionally including a hollow body having an eyelet in the bottom of the body disposed downwardly and forwardly of the opposite end portions of the strut member, and said V-shaped intermediate portion of the strut member being disposed within said hollow body and having its bight portion extending outwardly through said eyelet to provide a means for attachment oi flexible means for tetheringthe plane.

JACK A. CALHOUN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,331,418 Craig Feb. 17, 1920 1,497,774 Dowd June 17, 1924 1,693,189 Arden Nov. 27, 1928 2,334,760 Haifiey Nov. 23, 1943 2,429,502 Young Oct. 21, 1947 2,494,430 Carnwath Jan. 10, 1950 2,548,748 Stephan Apr. 10, 1951

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