U.S. patent number 3,802,008 [Application Number 05/141,787] was granted by the patent office on 1974-04-09 for swimmer propulsion device.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Innerspace Corporation. Invention is credited to Calvin A. Gongwer.
United States Patent |
3,802,008 |
Gongwer |
April 9, 1974 |
SWIMMER PROPULSION DEVICE
Abstract
A novel and improved swimmer propulsion device of the type
having a resiliently positioned fin which is adapted to oscillate
and thereby develop fluid flow.
Inventors: |
Gongwer; Calvin A. (Glendora,
CA) |
Assignee: |
Innerspace Corporation
(Glendora, CA)
|
Family
ID: |
22497249 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/141,787 |
Filed: |
May 10, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
441/60; 114/280;
482/55 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B
35/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63B
35/00 (20060101); A63b 031/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;9/301,303,304,305
;115/25,26.3,30 ;114/66.5H ;272/71 ;244/41,130,4R
;416/224,228,235 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Halvosa; George E. A.
Assistant Examiner: Kelmachter; Barry L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Lyon & Lyon
Claims
I claim:
1. A device for providing for propulsion to utilize a swimmer's
power of the type having engaging means adapted for engagement with
the lower leg portions of a swimmer, power transfer means attached
to and operative with said engaging means, fin means pivotally
attached to said power transfer means and positioned substantially
opposite the center of gravity of the swimmer's body, and resilient
means connecting said fin means to said power transfer means,
wherein the improvement comprises:
at least one blade member forming said fin means and being
positioned transverse of an axis at said power transfer means;
said blade member having a forward lead edge and a back trailing
edge; and
means to reverse the relative positions of said lead edge and said
trailing edge with respect to said engaging means.
2. A device for providing for propulsion to utilize a swimmer's
power of the type having engaging means adapted for engagement with
the lower leg portions of a swimmer, power transfer means attached
to and operative with said engaging means, fin means pivotally
attached to said power transfer means and positioned substantially
opposite the center of gravity of the swimmer's body, and resilient
means connecting said fin means to said power transfer means,
wherein the improvement comprises:
at least one blade member forming said fin means and being
positioned transverse of the axis of said power transfer means;
said blade member having a forward lead edge; and
said lead edge having a roughened portion to prevent separation of
flow thereacross.
3. The device of claim 2, wherein a plurality of scribe marks
extending longitudinally along said forward lead edge form said
roughened portion.
4. A device for providing for propulsion to utilize a swimmer's
power of the type having engaging means adapted for engagement with
the lower leg portions of a swimmer, stabilizing means adapted to
maintain the swimmer's body in a level attitude, power transfer
means attached to and operative with said engaging means, fin means
pivotally attached to said power transfer means and positioned
substantially opposite the center of gravity of the swimmer's body,
and resilient means connecting said fin means to said power
transfer means, wherein the improvement comprises:
a pair of mirror image component members forming said stabilizing
means and being positioned symmetric about said power transfer
means and extending transversely thereof during operation;
connecting means connecting said component members to said power
transfer means; and
said component members being collapsible about said connecting
means whereby said component members can be moved to a
substantially parallel position with respect to said power transfer
means and thereby provide a substantially compact transportable
unit.
5. The device of claim 4, wherein said fin means includes a
roughened forward edge portion to prevent separation of the flow
thereacross.
6. The device of claim 4, wherein reversing means are provided to
hold said fin means in a reversed position and thereby effect a
change in the direction of propulsion.
7. The device of claim 4, wherein said connecting means includes a
mounting bracket and said component members are pivotally secured
thereto.
8. The device of claim 7, wherein said mounting bracket includes a
pair of leaf members extending outwardly from each side thereof,
said component members being pivotally connected to said leaf
members and maintained at a forward incline with respect to an axis
of said power transfer means.
Description
This invention relates to a new and improved form of the device
shown in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,122,759, 3,204,262, and 3,204,699.
A swimmer propulsion device of the type shown in my above mentioned
United States patents operate on a fishtail-like propulsion
principle. Prior to these inventions, swimmers' aids of the type
adapted to be affixed to the body of the swimmer were primarily
restricted to the principle of enlarging the effective area of a
swimmer's hands or feet. The most common swimmer's aid relying on
this increased effective area was of the type adapted to be worn at
or near the feet of the swimmer in order to take advantage of the
Australian crawl flutter kick commonly used by most swimmers.
However, it was found that the endurance of the individual muscles
used in this particular swimming stroke severely limited the
effectiveness of this type device. Still, other type fin systems
prior to my above mentioned inventions were found to be even less
satisfactory because they created unsatisfactory oscillations of
the body of the swimmer, whereby the body "wagged" rather than the
fin system.
In my inventions shown U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,122,759, 3,204,262, and
3,204,699, the propulsive fin means operably connected to a leg
attachment is adapted to be positioned immediately adjacent to the
torso of the swimmer whereby the transverse reactions of the fin
means is directed through the approximate center of gravity of the
body of the swimmer and perpendicular to the propulsive reactions.
Therefore, the body of the swimmer during operation of the device
maintains its attitude despite the transverse forces and the
objectionable oscillation of the body is substantially
eliminated.
Because of the remarkable results of my prior inventions, it is
useful in a wide range of swimming activities, including ordinary
pleasure swimming, skin diving, life saving, and is particularly
useful for long range swimming. The usefulness of this type device
has resulted in a frequent transportation of the device by its
users to various locations of use. However, the particular nature
of the device has in the past made it rather difficult to transport
without completely disassembling the device. Therefore, it is an
important object of this inventon to provide a device of this type
which is collapsible in part to be substantially compact and
readily transportable without being completely disassembled. In
accordance with this object it is important that such objectives be
achieved without affecting the overall performance of the
device.
Moreover, while the device of my previous inventions represents a
major advance in swimmer propulsion devices, improvements which
effect easier operation of the device and improved results are
still very important to the user who is required to supply the
power. Therefore, it is another important object of this invention
to provide a device of this type having a new form of fin which
results in improved performance.
As stated before, this type of swimmer propulsion device has also
been found to be particularly effective for use by both lifeguards
and skin divers. Lifeguards, of course, are often required during
the course of a rescue to tow a person in distress and therefore,
it would be particularly desirable if they could hold onto the
person they are towing with both hands while at the same time
advancing in a direction away from the person being towed. Skin
divers and, of course, other divers often find it necessary while
in the water to dive a substantial depth. Traditionally this is
accomplished by the use of weights which counteract the natural
buoyancy and the diver somersaults to a head down attitude to swim
down. However, it would be preferable if the diver could dive feet
first without the necessity of a reversal of attitude. Therefore,
it is still another object of this invention to provide a swimmer
propulsion device which can be adjusted during use to propel a
swimmer in either a forward, or head first direction, or a reverse,
or feet first direction.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a swimmer
propulsion device of this type which is economical to manufacture.
In this regard it has been found desirable in certain instances to
provide a single integral fin element.
Another important object of this invention is to provide a swimmer
propulsion device which can be adjusted by the swimmer during use
to reverse the direction of the swimmer.
In accordance with these objects, the present invention is directed
to a novel and improved swimmer propulsion device of the type
having a resiliently positioned fin adapted to oscillate and
thereby develop propelling fluid flow, a leg attachment and
stabilizing wing adapted to be positioned at or about the feet of
the swimmer, and a power transmitting shaft which extends from the
leg attachment to the fin. The improvement includes collapsible
portions for providing a readily transportable unit, reversing
means to change the direction of the developed fluid flow, and a
novel fin design for improving the overall performance of the
device.
Other and further objects of this invention will become readily
apparent from the following detailed description and the
accompanying drawings. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the present invention in use by a
swimmer in a kick position.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the various
components of the invention.
FIG. 3 is a fragmental view illustrating components of the
collapsing rear stabilizing wing.
FIG. 4 is a fragmental perspective view similar to FIG. 3 showing
the stabilizing wing in a collapsed position.
FIG. 5 is a side elevation illustrating the improved fin
design.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the invention in its collapsed form
for transportation.
FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the fin illustrating the reversing
means of the invention.
FIG. 8 is a fragmental side sectional view of the fin illustrating
its normal position.
FIG. 9 is a fragmental side sectional view of the fin similar to
FIG. 8 illustrating the reversed position of the fin.
FIG. 10 is a partial side view of the invention illustrating a
modified form of the invention.
FIG. 11 is a front view of the form of the invention shown in FIG.
10.
Referring now in detail to the drawings, the swimming device 10 is
a relatively light assembly generally comprised of wood and metal
components, although in certain instances plastic components may be
preferable. The device includes essentially three principal
elements, the leg attachment element 11, which includes a
stabilizing wing, the forward oscillating fin or vane element 12,
and the power transmitting means or shaft element 13.
The leg attachment element, which is adapted to be secured to the
lower legs of a swimmer, includes a pair of back leg boards 14 and
15, a front leg board 16, and a front leg or tail board 17 which
also serves as the stabilizing wing. The leg boards extend across
the shaft element 13 and outwardly from each side thereof. However,
because of its stabilizing function, the leg board 17 is
substantially longer than the other leg boards and in its operative
position extends a greater distance from each side of the shaft.
Preferably, the leg boards are wing shaped in cross-section with
the forward edge of the leg board or stabilizing wing 17 positioned
at a slight upward incline with respect to the axis of the shaft
13.
Bolts 18 and 19 are fixedly attached to the shaft 13 and extend
upwardly therefrom. The front leg boards 16 and 17 are mounted on
the shaft 13 with the bolts 18 and 19, respectively, passing
upwardly therethrough. Positioned between the front and back leg
boards and in parallel alignment with the axis of the shaft 13 is a
spacer board 20 having a plurality of passageways 21 through which
the bolts pass.
The back leg boards 14 and 15 are secured to the free ends of the
bolts 18 and 19, respectively, by wing nuts 22. Mounted
concentrically on each bolt is an adjustment spring member 23 which
separates the spacer board and back leg board. The spring members
23 along with the wing nuts 22 allow for adjustment of the distance
between the front and back leg boards and along with the leg pads
24 which are affixed to the front leg boards 16 and 17, provide for
a secure but comfortable attachment to the swimmer's legs. It is
important to note that the space between the ends of the front and
back leg boards on each side of the shaft is relatively
unrestricted which thereby permits easy mounting of the device to
the swimmer and in addition permits the swimmer to easily dismount
by merely spreading his legs.
As pointed out before, the tail board or stabilizing wing 17 is
substantially longer than the other leg boards and therefore would
generally interfere with transportation of the device. Preferably,
then, the present invention includes a mounting bracket, generally
designated 25, which is best seen in FIGS. 2 through 4. The
mounting bracket 25 includes a center or body portion 26 which is
contoured on one side 26 to fit onto the round shaft 13 and further
includes leaves 27 which extend outwardly from each side of the
body portion 26. The body portion 26 includes an aperture (not
shown) through which the bolt 19 extends and the leaves each
include a central opening 28. It should be noted that each leaf 27
is inclined with respect to the access of the shaft 13. The incline
of the leaves 27 maintains the stabilizing wing in the proper
inclined position during operation of the unit as described above.
The stabilizing wing or tail board 17 in its improved form
comprises two mirror image components 29 and 30 symmetric with the
center axis of the shaft element 13. Each wing component is
pivotally mounted to a leaf 27 by a bolt and wing nut connection
31, with the bolt extending through an aperture 32 in the wing
component and through the central opening 28 in the leaf. It should
also be noted that the front inside corner 32a of each wing
component is rounded slightly to permit pivotal movement of the
wing components 29 and 30 without interference with the spacer
board 20. Thus, when it is desirable to transport the device as a
unit, the stabilizing wing 17 is collapsed or folded as shown in
FIGS. 4 and 6 with each wing component extending forward and
generally parallel to but slightly inclined with respect to the
axis of the shaft 13. This incline provides a convenient space
between the folded wing components and the front leg board 16 for
receiving the dismounted fin 12 as seen in FIG. 6.
The substantially straight shaft 13 extends forwardly of the leg
attachment element 11 to a streamline wedge shaped projecting end
member 35 which includes a bossed hole (not shown) therethrough.
This hole extends perpendicular to the axis of the shaft 13 and
includes a surrounding collar 36 at each end thereof. The fin, or
vane, 12, which in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 7
comprises a pair of identical blade members 38, is pivotally
mounted to the forward end of the shaft 13. A pivot rod 39
pivotally mounted in the hole of the projecting end member 35. The
blade members each include a bore 39a which receives the extension
of the rod 39. The bore 39a in each blade extends parallel to the
forward or leading edge 40 of the blade and is adjacent thereto.
Referring now to FIG. 5, this forward edge 40 is provided with a
roughed portion preferably in the form of a plurality of parallel
scribe marks or scratches 41 which extend substantially the length
of each blade member. In the embodiment shown there are seven
scribe marks or scratches 41, with one centrally positioned along
the forward edge of the blade and three on each side of the center
scribe mark. These scribe marks or scratches 41 are typically
equally spaced and approximately one-fourth inch apart. These
scratches provide an interruption in the otherwise smooth surface
and trip the boundary layer from laminar to turbulent flow and
thereby prevent separation of the flow or "stall." It has been
found that this fin design with this roughed forward edge portion
provides for a markedly improved performance, particularly at low
effort swimming.
A coil spring 42 is used to center the fin 12. As stated
previously, the fin 12 is positioned near the center of gravity of
the swimmer's body to reduce to a minimum the waggle or other
movement of the swimmer's body in response to a component of force
incident to oscillatory motion of the fins. The direction of this
component is transverse or lateral to the direction of motion of
the swimmer through the water. Although a spring is shown as a
centering device in this embodiment, other resilient components may
be used. The spring is secured at one end by an S-hook 43 to the
bolt 18 above the spacer board 20. The other end of the spring 42
is secured to the approximate midpoint of a cord 44 which in turn
is attached at each end to one of the blade members. The blade
members each include a hole 45 which extends from the top of the
blade to the bottom of the blade as shown in FIG. 8. This hole 45
is spaced from the shaft 13 and receives an end of the cord 44. The
position of the cord and blade connections is such that the tension
of the cord prevents outward movement of the blades away from the
shaft. At the same time the inner ends of the blades are not pushed
against the projecting end of the shaft 13 because the pivot rod
bottoms in the holes in the blades and is of the proper length to
prevent this rubbing. It is important to note that the ends of the
cord enter the holes 45 at the top of the blades and are secure to
the bottom of the blade.
The reversing means which permits a swimmer to move in a generally
reverse or feet first direction is shown in FIGS. 7 through 9. The
reversing means, generally designated 50, includes a hook or other
holding means 51 at the forward edge 40 positioned generally
opposite the cord hole 45 but slightly outward therefrom. When
reversing the blades, the blade is flipped over as shown in FIG. 9
with the cord extending across the normally top side of the blade
through the holding means 51 to the spring 42.
The embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 is
identical to the device previously described except for the fin
element 12 and the forward portion of the shaft element 13.
Therefore, those identical components will be designated by the
same numeral as used previously.
In this embodiment the shaft element 13 extends forward at a slight
downward incline and includes at its forward end a bifurcated fork
member 55 which is secured to the shaft by rivets or other means.
The upwardly extending and diverging ends 56 and 57 of the fork
member 55 are positioned in approximately the same plane as the leg
attachment element 11 and each include a bossed pivot hole (not
shown) which extend transverse to the axis of the shaft 13. The fin
element 12 in this embodiment is an integral single blade 58 which
includes a pair of downwardly extending and forwardly positioned
hook members 59 which are adapted to pivotally secure the blade 58
to the ends of the fork member 55. The continuous forward edge 60
of the fin 12 also provides for improved performance.
In operation, the swimmer mounts the device, preferably in shallow
water, by straddling the device and inserting his lower legs
between the leg boards. The swimmer then assumes the prone position
as illustrated in FIG. 1 and begins the swimming stroke which is as
follows: the knees are dropped in relation to the torso forcing the
fin 12 downwardly in the water to the position seen in FIG. 1. The
forward edge of the pivoted fin leads the rear edge during movement
thereof, since the downward force exerted by the swimmer is
transferred directly to the forward edge of the fin and the water
lift force which acts aft of the pivot axis retards downward
movement of the rear edge. This movement of the fin 12 starts the
feathering or oscillating stroke. When the swimmer's legs are
thereafter straightened causing the fin 12 to move upwardly, the
fin will be pivoted about the rod to a position as shown in phantom
lines in FIG. 1, the water lift force resisting upward movement of
the rear edge of the fin. The spring 42 constantly urges the fin to
the center position and aids in causing the fishtail or oscillating
motion to reoccur and propel the body of the swimmer through the
water. The lift force on the blades acts at about the quarter chord
point aft from the leading edge. The chord is the distance from the
leading edge to the trailing edge of the blade. The pivot axis is
ahead of this point at about the one-eighth chord point. Thus the
blade tends to "weathercock" or align itself with the direction of
the relative water flow. The spring tends to resist this complete
alignment process thus developing an angle of attack between the
vane and the relative flow direction thus providing the lift on the
blade. The blade position, direction of relative water flow, and
direction of the lift force reverse each half cycle of operation
resulting in a "sculling" or swimming action which provides a net
forward thrust. The arms of the swimmer may be held directly in
front of the head with the hands extended to aid in directing the
swimmer. The hands may be manipulated to act as vanes or cause yaw
or roll. The swimmer thereafter repeats the knee action stroke to
cause the fishtail motion thereby propelling the body through the
water.
Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I
do not wish to be limited to the details herein set forth, but my
invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *