US2183144A - Skiing figure - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 12, 1939. c. D. MCINTYRE SKIING FIGURE Filed Sept. 21, 1958 Charles 1]. M 1111 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 12, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE 2,183,144 SKIING FIGURE Charles D'. McIntyre, Portland, Oreg.

Application September 21, 1938, Serial No. 231,081

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in game apparatus and more particularly to a skiing and jumping figure which may be employed in playing games or as a toy.

An important object of the invention. is to provide a figure including an upright body member and a pair of runner members secured to the body member and simulating a skier or ski jumper mounted on skis.

Another object of the invention is to provide a skiing and jumping figure which may be adjusted to alter the distribution of Weight or center of gravity of the figure.

A further object is to provide a skiing and. jumping figure having a low center of gravity.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a figure including a body part and ski or runner parts including flexible shoe-like portions forming loose connections between the runner parts and the body part and permitting of movement therebetween similar to that which occurs between the skis and feet of a skier while skiing or jumping.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and in which drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a ski-jumping slide and showing the skiing and jumping figure thereon- Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the skiing and jumping figure.

Figure 3 is a view partly in front elevation and partly in vertical transverse section of the skiing and jumping figure.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of one of the skiing or runner members forming a part of the skiing figure,

Figure 5 is an enlarged view in longitudinal section taken on the line 55 of Figure 4.

In the drawing, which for the purpose of illustration shows only a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similar reference characters denote corresponding parts thruout the several views, A designates a ski-jumping slide and B the skiing and jumping figure.

The slide A may provide a runway Ill supported 50 by a suitable frame I l and preferably interrupted to provide a jumping gap l2. For a detailed description of the slide A, attention is invited to my application for U. S. patent, Serial Number 231,080, filed September 21, 1938.

55 Referring now to the skiing and jumping figure B, the same includes an upright body generally designated by the numeral l5, and ski or runner members generally designated by the numeral It.

The body l5 may be formed of any suitable material, such as wood. In the example shown, there is provided a main section I! forming a waist l8, shoulders I9, neck 20 and head 2|. The opposite sides 22 of the waist extend upwardly to the shoulders l9 in substantially parallel planes. Extending between the sides 22 adjacent the shoulders I9 is a bore 23 thru which is threaded a resilient member 24, preferably formed of a plurality of rubber strips 25. These strips at their end portions are threaded thru openings 26 in the upper or shoulder ends 21 of the arms 28. and are knotted to provide enlargements 29 bearing against the shoulder ends of the arms and urging the fiat insides 30 of the arms into engagement with the parallel sides 22 of the waist. Secured to the dihedrally disposed surfaces 3| at the lower or thigh end of the waist l8, as by glue 32, are divergent upper leg sections 33 secured at dihedral angular knee joints 34, as by glue 35, to spaced parallel lower leg sections 36 terminating in forwardly extending feet 31.

As for the ski or runner members l6, each may be formed of a fiat elongated strip 40 having an upturned forward end portion 4|, the sides 42 of which converge as shown in Figure 4. Intermediate its ends, each ski or runner member is weighted with suitable material, such as lead. In the example shown more particularly in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawing, there is secured to the upper surface of the ski member I 6, as by glue 43, an elongate lead strip 44, of a width equal to that of the ski member. Secured to the upper surface of the strip 44, and intermediate its ends, as by glue 45, is a block 46 constituting a tread member, including sides 41 and a rounded rear wall 48 to which are attached, as by glue 49, a shoe 5!] formed of sheet leather and projecting upwardly of the tread member, the forward marginal edges 5| .of the upper portion of the leather sheet being provided with lacing cord or string 52, which serves to draw the opposite sides of the shoe 50 about a given foot 31 of the figure when the foot is disposed on the tread member.

As a game, the object is to cause the skiing figure B to descend a suitable inclined surface, such as the slide A, while facing forwardly and without falling down.

As an example, if the figure descends without turning around, the player scores 25 points; if the figure descends backwardly, the player scores 10 points, and if the figure falls down, the player scores nothing.

The player may make adjustments to alter the distribution of weight or aifect the path of descent. For instance, the arms 28 may be swung forwardly, as illustrated in Figure 2, in order to shift the center of gravity of the skiing figure forwardly and upwardly, it being understood that the elastic strips 25 are sufiiciently tensioned to hold the arms in any desired pivotal relation due to the frictional engagement of the arm insides 30 with the sides 22 of the body. The ski member may also be adjusted relative to the feet 31 so as to tie in or out, etc., due to the loose fit of the shoes 50 and because the feet 31 are somewhat narrower than the tread members 41.

It will therefore be seen that a figure toy has been provided which is adjustable to simulate various postures of a skier and to imitate the manner in which the skis are controlled by a skier to regulate the direction and speed of travel of the skier.

Various changes may be made in the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A skiing toy comprising, in combination, a pair of skis and a figure simulating a skier mount-- ed on said skis, said figure including a main body portion and a limb portion adjustably secured to the main body portion and movable to alter the distribution of weight of the figure.

2. The combination with a figure simulating a skier and including spaced parallel foot portions, of a pair .of ski members including tread portions on which said foot portions are disposed and flexible means securing said ski members to said foot portions, said ski members being adjustable through said flexible means whereby to alter the skiing qualities of said ski members.

3. The combination with a figure simulating a skier and including spaced parallel foot portions, of a pair of ski members including tread portions on which said foot portions are disposed, flexible shoe-like members secured to said tread portions and having opposite sides extending upwardly and inwardly in spaced relation to opposite sides of said foot portions and in binding relation to the tops of said foot portions, whereby to secure said ski members against casual displacement in any of a plurality of adjusted positions relative to said foot portions.

4. The combination with a figure simulating a skier and including spaced parallel foot portions,

of a pair of ski members including tread portions l on which said foot portions are disposed, said tread portions being weighted with relatively heavy strip material disposed longitudinally of the ski members.

CHARLES D. MCINTYRE.

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