BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relaCes co an aerial Coy and, in parcicular, Co a device especially adapced Co be propelled as a projecCile chrough Che air for recreacional purposes.

RecreaCional devices, designed Co be propelled Chrough the air, are well known in Che arc. See, for example, U.S. PaCenCs 2,087,445, 2,179,404, 2,338,274, 2,613,935, 3,393,911, 4,088,319, 4,113,251, 4,133,533, 4,248,424 and 4,294,447. Such devices frequently have included a weighted head connected to one or more, light and fLexible, elongated tails and have been adapted to be propelled through the air by grasping the free end of the tai-l(s), swinging the head about the grasped free end of the cail(s) and chen releasing the free end of the tail(s). See, for example, U.S. PaCenCs 2,179,404, 3,393,911, 4,088,319 and 4,294,447. However, ic has generally been difficulc Co catch such a device, when it has' been propelled through the air, except by catching its head. In this regard, it has generally been difficult to catch the tail(s) of such a device in flight because its tail(s) has extended behind its head where the tail(s) has been difficulc co grasp as Che device has flown Coward an individual Crying Co caCch iC.

For Chis reason, an aerial recreacion device has been sought which can be propelled chrough che air by grasping Che free end of ics caiL(s), swinging its head abouc che grasped free end of ics caiι ⁽ s) and chen releasing the free end of iCs cail(s) and whicn can be easily caughc in fiighc by catching a par thereof besides ics head.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance wich chis invencion, an aerial recreation device is provided which comprises:

a weighted head;

two or more, elongated flexible arms that are resilient when bent; each arm having a first end and a second end at i s opposite ends; the first ends of the arms being connected to t;.a head; the second ends of the arms extending laterally away frc:?. one another and from the longitudinal axis of the device and extending laterally beyond the head; and

two or more, light and flexible, elongated tails; each tail having a first end and a second end at its opposite ends; th-~ first end of each tail being connected to the second end of or,. of che arms; che arms and Cails being adapCed so th : 1) t second ends of the arms move laterally closer to one another a -.ά Co che iongiCudinal axis of Che device when Che second ends ^' he Cails are grasped Cogecher and Che head is swung about th grasped second ends of che Cails; and 2) Che second ends of the arms move lacerally aparC, away from che longitudinal axis of th device and beyond che head, afcer Che grasped second ends of th cails are released Co propel Che device through the air.

This device can be caught in flight by catching one of its arms or one of ics Cails which projecC Lacerally beyond Che head c z che device in fiighc and which can, for Chis reason, be more easily caughc Chan Che tail(s) of one of the known aerial recre¬ ation devices. The arms of this device also keep the tails apart to prevent them from cangling and, in fiighc, creaCe a pleasing visual effecc by giving Che device the appearance of width and che tails the appearance of synchronized flight.

BKIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a schemacic side elevacion view of che aeria . recreaCion device of this invencion wich Che IongiCudinal axis of che device exCending from lefc Co right In Fig. 1; the head, one of che arms, and means for connecCing che arras co Che head have

been shown in vercical seccion, Caken Chrough Che IongiCudinal axis of Che device.

Fig. 2 is a schemaCic rear elevaCion view of Che device of Fig. 1, caken from Che righc side of the device as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a schematic side elevation view of the device of Fig. 1 as it appears when grasped and held by the free ends of its tails with its head hanging downwardly; the head and means for connecting the head and arms have been shown in vertical section, taken through the longitudinal axis of the device.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the device as shown in Fig.

3.

Fig. 5 is a schematic side elevation view, similar to Fig. i, of an alternative embodiment of the aerial recreation device of chis invencion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Figs. 1-4 show an aerial recreaCion device of Chis inven¬ cion, generally 10. The device 10 has a weighted head, generally 12, with a generally ball-like configuration. As shown in Fig. 1, the head 12 preferably is a hollow self-supportLng sphere with a hole 14 connecCing Che excerior and Che hollow inCerior of Che head 12. However, che head 1.2 can, if desired, have oCher Chan a bail-like configuracion such as a generally conical configura- cion. The head 12 can be made of a convenCional self-supporCing rubber, a synchecic piascic maCerial such as polyechyLene or nylon, or a nacural material such as leaCher. Preferably, the head 12 is made of a reiacively sofc maCerial so ChaC Che risk of injury Co an individual scruck by Che head 12 is minimized.

The device 10 also has a pair of Chin elongaCed flexible scraighc arms 16. The arms 16 are resilienC when benC and are

preferably subsCanCially self-supporting. The arms 16 are connec¬ ted to the head 12 and preferably to each other at a first end 18 of each arm. As shown in Fig. 1, the first ends 18 of the arms 16 are located on opposite lateral sides of the longitudinal axis of the device. The arms 16 extend laterally in diametrically opposiCe direcCions away from Che IongiCudinal axis of Che device 10, so ChaC an opposiCe second end 20 of each arm 16 is locaCed lacerally beyond Che head 12. If desired, Che device 10 can have more Chan cwo arms 16 connecCed ac their first ends 18 to the head 12. However, such arms 16 should be spaced equidistantly about the longitudinal axis of the device and extend laterally away from each other and away ^' from the longitudinal axis of the device and extend laterally beyond the head 12. In accordance wich Chis invencion, the arms 16 can be made from a conventional, flexible and resilienc maCerial, such as a plastic (e.g., nylon) which permits each arm 16: a) to be benC from a substantially straight condition as shown in Fig. 1 to a curved condition as shown in Fig. 3 and b) thereafter to become substantially scraighcer when Che arm is no longer being subjected to bending forces.'

The device 10 also has a pair of light and flexible, preferably non-resilient and non-self-supporting, elongated tails 22. A first end 24 of each tail 22 is connected to the second end 20 of one of the arms 16. The tails 22 can be ribbons made from a conventional material such as a natural or synthetic fabric of, for example, cotton, wool, rayon, nylon, polyester and/or polyethylene fibers or from a thin metal foil. If desired, more than one caii 22 can be accached Co che second end 20 of each arm 16. Preferably, che cocal weight of Che Cails 22, coge her wich che weighc of che arms 16, is less Chan Che weighc of che head 2 co provide Che device 10 wich a Cruer fiighc crajecCory.

The firsC end 24 of each Cail 22 can be connected to the second end 20 of an arm 16 in any conventional manner. One way of

conneccing Che Cails 22 and arms 16, as shown in Fig. 1, is by providing a hole 26 in che second end 20 of each arm 16 and insercing che firsc end 24 of each cail 22 Chrough che hole 26. The cails 22 can chen be secured Co Che arms 16 by providing a knoc 28 in che firsC end 24 of each Cail. OpposiCe second ends 30 of che cails 22 are free ends and are kepC subsCanCially aparC by che arms 16 Co provide he device 10 wich a novel and pleasing appearance in fiighc and Co reduce the likelihood of the tails 22 tangling. In this regard, the tails 22, when in flight, are located laterally of the head 12 and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device 10. However, the second ends 30 of the tails 22 can be grasped, together, as shown in Fig. 3, when the head 12 of the device 10 is to be swung about the grasped second ends 30 of Che Cails 22 in order to propel the device through the air.

The first ends 18 of the arms 16 can be connected to the head 12 in a conventional manner. Preferably, a one-piece member, generally 32, is provided for connecting the first ends 18 of the arms 16 to each other and to the head 12 aC ics hole 14 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.. Such a connecCing member 32 can comprise a longicudinally exCending, elongaCed plug 34 ChaC is preferably capered aC one end 36 for ease of inserCion of Che one end 36 into Che hole 14 in che head 12. The oCher end 38 of Che plug 34 is secured Co che firsc end 18 of each arm 16. A recess 40 can be provided beCween Che ends 36 and 38 of Che plug 34, inCo which recess Che porcions of che head 12, abouC ics hole 14, can be locaced Co hold che end 36 of Che plug wichin Che head 12. AlcernaCivel , che connecCing member 32 can have a coggle (noC shown) on one end LhaC is inserced in che hole 14 Co hold he one end of che conneccing member 32 wichin Che head 12 as disclosed m co-penαin U.S. pacenc appiicacion, Serial No. 06/613,483, filed May 24, 1984, encicied "METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AERIAL ECREATION". The conneccing member 32 can be made of meCal or plascic. Preferably, che conneccing member 32 and Che arms 16 are made of che same plascic macerial and are formed as a single piece.

As shown in Fig. 3, the second end 30 of each tail 22 of the device 10 can be grasped, and then, the second ends 30 of the tails 22 can be held together to support the device with its head 12 hanging downwardly from the grasped second ends ^• 30 of the tails 22. When che device 10 is puC in such a position as shown in Fig. 3, its arms 16 are bent so that they become curved away from che head 12 as Cheir second ends 20 move longiCudinally away from che head 12 and laterally closer to one another and to the longitudinal axis of che device. The head 12 can then be swung about the grasped second ends 30 of the tails 22 in order to propel the device 10 through the air. When the head 12 is swung about the grasped second ends 30 of the tails 22, the arms 16 are bent further so that they become further curved away from the head 12 as their second ends 20 move longitudinally farther away from the head 12 "and laterally still closer to one another and to che IongiCudinal axis of Che device, preferably so Chat the connected end portions of each arm 16 and tail 22 are substan¬ tially colinear. When the second ends 30 of the tails 22 are subsequently released to propel the device 10 Chrough Che air, Che arms 16 unbend so chac chey become subsCantially straighter as their second ends 20 move longitudinally toward the head 12, laterally away from each other and from the longitudinal axis of Che device and laCerally beyond Che head 12 of Che device.. As a resulc, the device 10 can be caughc in fiighc by grasping one of che arms 16 or cails 22 which are locaCed behind, buC pro ecC lacerally beyond, Che head 12 of Che device in fiighc.

Ic is Choughc chac che invencion and many of its attendant advantages will be underscood from Che foregoing descripCion of che aerial recreacion device 10, and i will be apparenC Chac various changes can be made in Che invencion and its method of operacion wichouC deparcing from Che spiric and scope of che invencion or sacrificing all of ics maCerial advanCages , he device hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodi- menc. For example, che arms 16 need noC be sCraighC and can be curved away from che head 12, even before Che arms are benC when swinging che head abouC che grasped second ends 30 of Che Cails

22. The first ends 18 of che arms 16 also need not be connected to each other and can be connected directly to the head 12 at different points on the exterior of the head. For example, two or more arms 16' can be formed by a single elongated resilient flexible member 17' which extends through the head 12' at different poinCs on Che head of Che aerial recreation device 10" of Fig. 5.