Interconnected Jumping Sticks

Abstract

A jumping stick arrangement in which two jumping sticks are arranged in parallel spaced relation and are interconnected by a laterally extending frame so that two individuals can jump in unison. The laterally extending frame connecting the jumping sticks can be arranged so as to permit one jumping stick to be moved in a circle at least part way around the other jumping stick.

Description

The present invention relates to jumping sticks and is particularly concerned with an arrangement in which two jumping sticks are interconnected for simultaneous use by two individuals.

Jumping sticks are a well known amusement and exercise item and consist, in general, of telescoping tubular members which are spring urged in the separating direction and with the upper one of the tubular members having hand graspable means on the upper end and foot engageable means on the lower end and with the lower one of the tubular members having a floor or ground engaging element on the extreme lower end. In the use of such jumping sticks, the individual manipulates the stick by placing the feet on the foot engageable means and grasping the hand graspable means in one or both hands and then jumping while maintaining the stick in a generally vertical position. This operation requires the development of certain skills in order to keep the stick upright while jumping progresses.

A jumping stick of the nature described above is, principally, an amusement device but can also be considered a device for exercising and a device from which certain mechanical skills are developed. The present invention proposes to construct a jumping stick arrangement in such a manner that it not only fulfills the requirements of amusement and skill development and exercise but also gives the jumping stick arrangement the characteristics of a game.

The principal object of the present invention is the construction of a jumping stick arrangement which will permit the use thereof by two persons.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a jumping stick arrangement so devised and constructed as to give the jumping stick arrangement game characteristics.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a jumping stick arrangement which requires the cooperative effort of two persons to maintain the jumping stick arrangement in operation.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of dual jumping stick arrangement which is relatively inexpensive to construct.

The foregoing objects as well as other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the following detailed specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a dual jumping stick constructed according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view showing a modification of the jumping stick arrangement according to the present invention in which one stick is pivotally connected to the other.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

According to the present invention, two jumping sticks are arranged in parallel spaced relation and frame means are provided extending laterally between the sticks and interconnecting the sticks for movement in unison so that two individuals, one operating each stick, must coordinate their individual efforts in order to maintain the stick in operation.

It is further proposed that the frame means be pivotally connected to at least one of the sticks to permit the sticks to be moved circularly about one another during operation of the stick.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION:

Referring to the drawings somewhat more in detail, FIG. 1 shows two jumping sticks 10, 12, each of which comprise respective upper portions 14 and 16 and respective lower portions 18 and 20. Each upper portion has hand graspable means 22 at the upper end and foot engageable means 24 at or near the lower end, while each lower portion of the respective sticks has a floor or ground engaging member 26 which may be in the form of rubber-like cup or the like. Springs, not shown, urge the lower portions of the sticks outwardly in the respective upper portions to an extreme stopped position, and the springs are so selected than an individual standing on the foot engageable portion of the respective stick and holding the hand graspable portion thereof can jump up and down and, by proper manipulation of the stick, can retain the stick in a substantially vertical position during continued jumping.

According to the present invention, the sticks 10 and 12 which are, per se, substantially conventional, are interconnected by laterally extending frame means which, as disclosed in FIG. 1, consists of an upper transversely extending member 28 fixed at its opposite ends to the upper portions of sticks 10 and 12 at points therealong somewhat below the hand graspable means 22. The laterally extending frame means comprise a further member 30 at the lower ends of the upper portions 14 and 16 of the sticks 10 and 12 and fixed thereto immediately beneath the foot engageable portions 24.

In the use of the jumping stick, two individuals can operate the stick arrangement by properly coordinating their efforts. Further, a single individual positioned between the individual sticks can also use the stick arrangement according to the present invention. When the stick is operated by two individuals, it will be evident that the individuals must carefully coordinate their efforts to maintain the stick in operation whereby the disclosed arrangement provides for game possibilities in addition to exercise and amusement and for the development of mechanical skills.

The present invention proposes to provide for rotary movement of at least one of the individual sticks about the other and this could be accomplished as illustrated in FIG. 2, wherein the upper and lower frame members, indicated at 28a and 30a, respectively, have at least their one ends secured to bracket members 32 and 34, respectively, and which bracket members pivotally engage the upper portion 16a of at least one of the individual sticks. The bracket members are retained between the collars 36 fixed to the upper portion of the respective stick and, in this manner, the sticks can rotate relative to each other and one stick can be operated in one place, while the other stick moves in an arc about the one stick. Obviously, both ends of the frame members can be pivotally joined to the respective sticks for greater freedom of movement of the individual sticks.

While the pivotal arrangement shown in FIG. 2 is in the form of a vertical pivot of the frame means with one of the sticks and coinciding with the vertical axis of the respective stick, the use of pivots disposed at different angles is not precluded. Conceivably, the pivots could be arranged to permit at least a certain amount of relative vertical movement of the sticks and could likewise provide independant tilting movement of the sticks to a certain degree. Thus, the laterally extending frame means could, on the one hand, rigidly interconnect the upper portions of the sticks and force these portions to move in precise unison with one another, while on the other hand, the laterally extending frame means could somewhat flexibly interconnect the upper portions of the respective sticks for at least a certain amount of freedom of movement thereof in selected directions.

Modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. In a jumping stick structure comprising, in combination, a pair of individual jumping sticks in spaced relation, link means extending laterally between said sticks, connecting means connecting the opposite ends of said link means to respective ones of said sticks, a hand graspable portion at the upper end of each stick, a surface engageable portion at the lower end of each stick, a foot engageable portion on each stick spaced upwardly from said surface engageable portion, each stick including a member fixedly interconnecting said hand graspable and foot engageable portions together for movement in unison and relative to said surface engageable portion, said link means comprising a first link extending between said sticks at about the level of said foot engageable portions of said sticks and a second link extending between said sticks at a level substantially below said hand graspable portion but substantially above said foot engageable portions.

2. A jumping stick structure according to claim 1 in which said sticks are held parallel to each other by said link means.

3. A jumping stick structure according to claim 1 in which said connecting means includes a pivot joint near at least one of said sticks in which said pivot joint defines a vertical pivot axis to permit arcuate movement of said sticks relative to each other.