US2864201A - Inflated discus - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 16, 195 8 R. G. LEISE YINFLATED Discus Filed Jan. 16, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

8 RAl li'H G. LEISE MrM United States Patent OfiFice 2,864,201 P t nt d .Dec- .6 1.9 8

INFLATED DISCUS Ralph G. :Leise, Seattle, Wash. Application January 16, 1956, Serial No. 559,404

4 Claims. (CI. 46-30) This present invention relates to equipment primarily intended for water sports and more especially to a discus that is intended for throwing in the same general manner that a full weight sports discus is thrown. Special means are provided to insure thatthe disc will retain the general shape of a discus without being unduly distorted bylow pressure inflation and at the same time the margins of the disc mustbe so constructed that even though .they are reinforced to retain their disc-like shape they oldest sport elements, beingpopularized by'the Grecian games .at'a very early date.

a When provided however in a .unitof reduced weight and reasonablysoft, yetretaining the disc-like shape, the discus provides an unusual itemv of interest. This present device, while it may be made in a .varietycf sizes to suit children or adults is intended to be thrown as a discus audit is interesting to note the wide variety ,ofentertaining games that can be played with such a.device whenit isrealized that the discus can be spun and will take on unusual skipping-like actions when landing on the Water. -It is quite different from a .ball in thatit can be skipped on the water, it can be twirledso as .tomakeit deflect at wide angles whenit meets the .water substantially flat and then when inclined so astomeet the ,water-onits edge a wide variety of actions can be obtainedvand these all develop skills and skill, after all, is the'basis for lasting enjoyment in any game device.

It is intended that this present disc-like device he inflated with, preferably, just the pressure that can be exerted by ones lungs blowing into the device. The device is preferablygiven considerable weightwith the bulk of the weightoccurring in: the actual Wallthickness of the inflatable member. Further, it has been found desirable to provide a relatively heavyenforced peripheralrnargin to the end that there will be no distortion of the discus when inflated. The device, may be made of any moldable or fusible sheet material such as rubber or its various derivatives in the field of synthetic rubbers or many of the various plasticsthat are pliable and lendthemselves to bondingand thellike from sheet stock may-be used in the construction. of the device. It is important that the inflation pressure be kept to a minimum to thecend that the device itself can safely be made reasonably heavy to provide skipping properties when landing on the water. Also considerable weight is required if the device is going to be thrown any distance. By way of determining weight, thestandard .discus weighs 4 pounds 6.4 ounces and this should be considered a maximum for the largerv adult sizes of say'24 inch diameter, as satisfactory Weight for the 12 inch diameter is approximately 2 pounds. It is desirable however that the type of material used in the device-be relatively resilient by its natural properties and "that inflation be" kept to a low enough level so that the 2 device, while reasonably heavy, will not be able to injure a person who is accidentally hit as by the edge of the device while in flight. V The principal object of this invention therefore is to provide a game device of inflated discus form for use in Water sports.

A further object of this invention is to provide a discuslike inflated form which is peripherally reinforced so as to assist in preserving the discus-like form when the device isinflated.

A further object of this invention is to provide -a; d isc u slike water sport device which is characterized by having heavy walls to the end that it will greatly resist any tendency to distort the discus-like shape when the device is inflated and will also permit throwing the same acousiderable distance. I

A furtherobject of this present invention is to provide an inflated water game device in the general form of a discus which is characterized by -constr uctions which render it at all times pliantand .yieldable to the end that it will not become a hazard when thrown at a person in the water.

'CLlS.

Further objects, advantages and capabilities will be apparent from the description and disclosure in the drawings, or may be comprehended or are inherent inthe device. 5 v

In the. drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an inflated water sport device of discus form which is the subject ofthis present application;

Figure 2 is aside elevation of the device of Figure 1 Figure 3 illustratesthe air filling opening employed in this device; i '7 v Figure 4 illustrates the air filling tubefolded inunder the protecting over-laycovers; i

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross .sectional view taken along the line 555, of Figure 1 and showingthe air filling tube and valve arrangement;

Figures 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are viewstakenas along the line 66 of Figure .2 and showing the variant forms-of the peripheral reinforcement for this device.

Referring more particularlyto thedisclosure .in-the drawings the numerals Hand 14 designate respectively the two half. disc membersirnaking upmy inflatable dis- These two membersare secured together by appropriate means on their abutting surfaces, as 16, which adds to the strength and rigidity of the unit. Each of the half members, as 12 and 14 is preferably preformed as by molding from suitable moldable material. This material should have ,basic characteristics.suchthat when cornpleted it will be yieldableand definitely soft, to the touch. This is an importantvcharacteristic of this device in that it needs to retain its discus formwhen inflated but at the same time it must not present a solid. edge otherwise it will be hazardous for use, particularly in water sports,. as someone might he injur'edby .thesame beingthrown through the air and hitting them.

One half member, as 12,. is provided .with thefilling tube 318. This ,tubepasses through andis fixedly secured to a continuous web, as 20, which is formed as part of portion 12. Disposed above membrance 20 are twogcover portions, 'as. 22- and 24. These may be parted after the showing of Figure 3 so that tube;18 may be withdrawn through the distorted slit and air introduced into the discus, preferablybeing supplied by the lung power ofa person. Tube 18 is secured together atitslowermost end and flattened as at 30, and then. the flattenedportionis slit soi s to provide a WorkingThornas type valve. This admits air into the device but normally resists air being forced out. Means are provided however so that the tnbe 18 can be pulled up fareno-ugh, by distorting membrane 20, so that the finger and thumb of one hand may be used to distort the slitted portion 30 and thus the device can be deflated, as for carrying or-storing.

In view of the fact that there are many materials from which this device canbe made, it therefore becomes desirable to have a peripheral rim eflect that willstiffen the discus and tend to cause it to retain its disc-like form yet same in place.

Where neoprene and like materials are employed then it is desirable to use the general form as illustrated in Figures- 6 and 8 in which the outer margins of members 12 and 14 are but slightly thickened so as to provide the joining lines 40 and 50 respectively. The neoprene normally is much firmer than rubber but less firm than the plastics that have been found suitable for this type of equipment. However, it is desirable to reinforce the -periphery of the discus and two forms of reinforcement are illustrated. The form in Figure 6 wherein a rubber insert42 is provided which is also provided with what is, -in effect, an'annular groove that results in the feathering out of insert 40 as at 44 and 45. This insert should be cemented in place so that it is a fixed component of the device. In such instances where somewhat denser materials are used but are of the same general family, the insert may preferably be formed with a convex inner face, as is illustrated in Figure 8 where the modified insert, as 52, is provided with a rounded surface as 54 so that the margins of members 12 and 14, as at 56 and 58, may tend to wrap around the curved surface 54 and thus provide a softer arrangement which, in view of the denser material used in members 12 and 14, will give or yield about the same and will provide as satisfactory deflection as will 'the form in Figure 6.

In Figures 7 and 9 a third species of reinforcement has been illustrated. Here the material of which members "12 and 14 are made, it is assumed to be the newer plastics of the polyethylene type which are pliable but in any appreciable thickness become quite firm due to the density of the plastic material itself. Under these conditions it is not desirable to particularly thicken the peripheral edges of members 12 and 14, but rather to have only the minimum juncture as at 60 and then to use fillers as 62 and 64 of sponge rubber. This will permit the maximum deflection of the near peripheral portions of members 12 and 14 as are indicated at 66 and 67. As in the showing of Figures 6 and 8, two forms of this insert, as 62 and 64, are shown one with the concave inner surface and the other with the convex inner surface. The form shown in Figure 9 is comparable'to Figure 8 and permitting the maximum deflection of the stock forming members 12 and 14 out near the outer margins. It has been found that in this form of treatment that the sponge rubber itself is not a strength giving member for this device and it is therefore desirable to employ an additional strengthening member. In the form shown in Figure 7 this is provided by having a rubber ring similar to an O-ring or the type of rings that are employed as drive belts on certain low powered electrical units. This is illustrated at 68. In the form shown in Figure 9 the strengthening cord is indicated as a continuous metal wire, as 70. This wire or wire strands should, however, be of sufliciently reduced size with respect to the rubber cord 68, that it will not, in itself, give rigidity to the peripheral edge but rather will be yieldable and can be distorted and then have sufficient resilience to restore itself.

To obtain a weight of the discus comparable to the standard discus, i. e., about 4 pounds 6.4 ounces in a 24 inch diameter and about 2 pounds in a 12 inch diameter, it has been discovered that, with most of the materials discussed and considering the thickened rim the wall thicknesses should range between about of an inch and A; of an inch, e. g., the minimum thickness for the maximum diameter discus and the maximum thickness for the minimum diameter thickness. The materials should have sufficient strength and thickness to tend to normally hold their molded concavity in the absence of external forces. To approximate a true discus shape and considering the flight characteristics of this inflated discus and associated problems, it has been discovered that disc members 12, 14 preferably should form spherical segments inside of their rim margins and that the ratio between thickness and diameter of the discus preferably should be approximately 1:3.

It is believed that it will be clearly apparent from the above description and the disclosure in the drawings that the invention comprehends a novel construction of an inflated discus. 7

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim:

1. An inflated discus, comprising: a hollow body having substantially the shape of a discus which is circu lar in outline and has considerable thickness in its center, said body being formed of resilient mateiral and said body having a thickened rim which thereby has a greater resistance to distortion than the remainder of said body, said thickened rim being formed by an interior annular insert secured in place and shaped to hold the body walls in the desired rim-like disposition, the material forming the insert being less dense than the material from which the body is formed and the inner face of said insert being concave and being feathered out along said body walls, and manually controllable valve means governing ingress and egress of air to and from said hollow body.

2. An inflated discus, comprising: a hollow body having substantially the shape of a discus which is circular in outline and has considerable thickness in its center, said body being formed of resilient material and said body having a thickened rim which thereby has a greater resistance to distortion than the remainder of said body, and manually controllable valve means governing ingress and egress of air to and from said hollow body, in which said thickened rim is formed by an annular insert of sponge-like material secured in place and shaped to hold the body at the rim in proper disposition, said insert having a concave inner face with the edges feathered against the body roll and a central annular member imbedded in that insert rod-shaped and having a higher density than the material from which said body is formed.

3. An inflated discus, comprising: a hollow body having substantially the shape of a discus which is circular in outline and has considerable thickness in its center, said body being formed of resilient material and said body having a thickened rim which thereby has a greater resistance to distortion than the remainder of said body, and manually controllable valve means governing ingress and egress of air to and from said hollow body, in which said thickened rim is formed by an annular insert of sponge-like material secured in place and shaped to hold the body at the rim in proper disposition, said insert having a convex inner face and having an annular wire member embedded therein.

4. The subject matter of claim 1, in which said insert has an inner margin shaped to support the walls of the discus and insure that, under distortion, the walls will take on smooth curves instead of showing a sharp line of support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 593,264 Wolcott Nov. 9, 1897 1,266,482 Kamrass May 14, 1918 1,287,429 Price Dec. 10, 1918 1,442,900 OConnor 4 Jan. 23, 1923 2,134,063 Turchanyi u Oct. 25,1938 2,698,028 Leeet a1. Dec. 28, 1954

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