Wrist braced slingshot

Abstract

A slingshot having a pistol grip type handle for grip having a yoke or crotch with flexible members attached to the arms of the yoke and to a pad or holder for a missile or projectile. Extending from the bottom of the pistol grip is a brace which extends rearwardly and has a curved part that fits over the arm or wrist of the user so as to securely brace and stabilize the slingshot in use. The brace is spring held and adjustable within the handle between positions, one of which allows pivotal aiming adjustment of the pistol grip relative to the brace. The brace may be frictionally held within the handle, thus preventing rotation of the handle with respect to the brace.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the slingshot art and more particularly to an improved slingshot having a wrist brace.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical slingshots have long been known and the average youth having at some time in his life built one himself, usually using a crotch cut from a branch of a tree and using rubber bands formed as strips from old innertubes. However, such prior art slingshots did not provide a wrist brace to insure greater accuracy in the use thereof. In other prior art slingshots, if a wrist brace were provided, it was neither adjustable nor removable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is an improved form of slingshot of the type adapted for ease of fabrication and commercial production.

Basically the invention embodies a hand grip, preferably in the form of a pistol grip, from which extends a yoke or a crotch to which are attached the flexible members which preferably are rubber tubular members at the ends of which are attached the pad holder or pouch which holds the missile or projectile.

A particular and unique improvement in the invention is that a wrist or arm brace is provided in the form of a rod detachably mountable by frictional retention securement means on the hand grip and extending from the lower end of the pistol grip of the slingshot. This wrist brace rod extends rearwardly and has a curved part which fits over the arm or wrist of the user. The brace which engages firmly on the top of the wrist stabilizes the slingshot and enables the user to hold it firmly and steadily and thereby aim and discharge the missile or projectile more accurately. In one embodiment the support brace is adjustable between two positions and in one of which the pistol grip is free for limited lateral rotation relative to the wrist brace to provide for additional aiming capabilities, and in the other provides rigid bracing. The slingshot thereby becomes a significant and dependable weapon for use in hunting or target shooting.

A primary object is to make possible and to realize firmer and more stable holding of the hand grip of the slingshot and to relieve the amount of tension exerted on the hand by way of the above-described brace which extends rearwardly and fits over the wrist or arm thus restraining rearward pull on the yoke or crotch of the slingshot.

In a preferred exemplary form of the invention as described in detail herein, the hand grip is preferably formed as a pistol grip type adapted for easy and firm holding. Preferably the grip is formed from plastic in sections adapted for fabrication by injection molding processes the two sections being held together, for example, by screws. Preferably the wrist brace is detachable from the slingshot for convenience in storing and transporting by the user and is formed from a metal rod with an end part extending into the bottom of the pistol grip with a spring detent means to establish its two adjustable positions in one of which the hand grip is free for limited lateral rotation for aiming. Further objects reside in the realization of the simplified form of pistol type grip and simplified holding means for holding the wrist brace in its two positions, and for removal of the wrist brace in those embodiments where adjustable positions thereof are not utilized.

Further objects and additional advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a preferred form of the invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are views of the yoke or crotch;

FIG. 4 is a view of the wrist brace member;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the front half of the hand grip;

FIG. 6 is an interior view of the front half of the hand grip;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the rear half of the pistol grip;

FIG. 8 is an interior view of the rear half of the pistol grip;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line 9--9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line 10--10 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the line 11--11 of FIG. 8;

FIGS. 12 and 13 are views of the detached spring that holds the wrist brace; and

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a wrist brace useful in the practice of the invention.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings and particularly FIG. 1, the pistol grip handle is shown at 10. The yoke or crotch is designated by the numeral 12. The wrist brace is designated by the numeral 14. The yoke has two arms as shown having rearwardly extending parts 16 and 18 to which are attached flexible members which, in the preferred form of the invention, are rubber tubes as designated at 20 and 22. The ends of these tubes are attached to a leather pouch 26 which holds the missile or projectile.

The yoke or crotch 12 is shown in detail in FIGS. 2 and 3. In the preferred form of the invention it comprises two rod pieces 30 and 32 bent as shown and welded or soldered together at points, two of which are designated at 34. Numeral 36 designates a hole through the stems of the two pieces for attachment of the pistol grip by way of a screw in the pistol grip. Preferably the tubular members 20 and 22 may be attached to the extending ends 16 and 18 simply by being tightly fitted over them. The pouch 26 is preferably attached to the tubular members 20 and 22 by plastic webs 40 and 42 which pass through slits or openings in the pouch 26 with the ends of these webs welded together and provided with enlarging ribs which tightly fit into the tubular members 20 and 22.

The wrist brace 14 is shown in detail in FIG. 4 and is detachably insertable in the pistol grip 10 as described below. It is formed preferably of a metal having a part 46 that extends up into the bottom of the pistol grip 10. The end of this part being flattened as shown at 47 and having two side detent notches 48 and 49 which will be referred to again presently. The brace 14 has a transversely extending part 51 and a portion 52 that extends rearwardly in a position adjacent to the wrist and at the end of this spot is a curved or looped part 53 positioned to fit over the top of the arm or wrist and preferably this curved part has fitted over it a piece of soft cushioning tubular material 54 so that it will be comfortable on the wrist.

The pistol grip 10 is preferably formed in sections by plastic injection molding process. The two sections are secured together by screws. FIGS. 5 and 6 show the front half or section 60 which is configurated and shown at 61 to fit or conform to the fingers of the user. As may be seen it is rounded at the top and bottom as designated at 62 and 63 and the sides are concavely bowed inwardly as may be seen in FIG. 6. As may be seen in the interior view of FIG. 6 there are vertical webs 64, 65 and 66. There are transverse webs 67, 68 and 69. Numerals 70 and 71 designate screw holes whereby the front and rear sections are secured together as will be described. Numeral 74 designates a slot or groove in the transverse web 68. Numeral 75 designates an aligned groove in a short transverse web 76. These grooves meet with similar grooves in the rear half section as will be described and are adapted to receive in one of two positions the end part 46 and flattened portion 47 of the wrist brace 14.

FIGS. 12 and 13 show a flat metal detent spring 80 having a right angle part 81 and a detent bend 82 at one end. This spring normally occupies a position as shown in FIG. 6. Its end with the flange or bend part 81 fitting between the screw in screw hole 71 and a vertical web part 83 there being a mutually cooperating part in the rear section of the hand grip as will be described which cooperate in holding the detent spring 80, the bend end part or detent part 82 of which cooperates with the notches 48 and 49 in the end 46 of the wrist brace 14 as will be described.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show the rear half or section of the pistol grip this part being designated at 90. It is convexly curved rearwardly as designated at 91 and is curved at the top and bottom as designated at 92 and 93. FIG. 8 is an interior view of the rear section. FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 are cross-sectional views at the levels indicated by the section lines in FIG. 8. This section has a vertical web 96 and lower vertical web 97. It has transverse webs 97, 98, 99 and 100 the webs being positioned to be juxtaposed against, that is, to cooperate with the corresponding webs previously described in the front section 60. Numerals 101 and 102 designate screw holes that line or register with the screw holes 70 and 71 of the front half to receive small bolts that go through these holes and receive small nuts that fit into countersinks or courterbores 103 and 104 in the front section as may be seen in FIG. 5. The bores 101 and 102 have similar counterbores as designated at 107 and 108 to receive the heads of the screws that hold the two sections together. It will be appreciated that self tapping screws, rivets or other similar means may be utilized in place of the nuts and bolts.

Numeral 112 designates a slot in a part of the web 98 which corresponds to the slot 74 of FIG. 6, these slots being juxtaposed together when the parts are assembled. Numeral 113 designates a similar aligned slot in the web 99 which corresponds to and is juxtaposed with respect to the slot 75 of FIG. 6 so that aligned slot openings are provided as previously described to receive the end 46 of the wrist brace 14 the detent bend 82 at the end of the detent spring 80 cooperating with one of the notches 48 or 49 of the end part 46 of the wrist brace 14. In the upper adjusted position of the wrist brace the flattened end 47 is received and frictionally retained in a correspondingly shaped opening formed by the juxtaposed slots 112 and 74 in the rear and front sections of the end grip and when received in this slot the end grip cannot be rotated laterally relative to the wrist brace but is held firmly. In the upper position of the detent bend 82 spring 80 is in the notch 49. In the lower position of the wrist brace the detent bend 82 on spring 80 is in the upper notch 48 in the end part 46 of the wrist brace 14. In the lower position the flattened end 47 is not in the slot-like hole or opening 112 and 74 provided for it and in this position the hand grip 10 can be rotated laterally a limited amount relative to the wrist brace for purposes of accommodating more perfect aiming.

FIG. 14 illustrates another embodiment of a wrist brace, generally designated 120, useful in the practice of the present invention. The wrist brace 120 is generally similar to the wrist brace 14 shown in FIG. 4 except that the detent notches 48 and 49 are omitted. The flattened end portion 122 is identical to the flattened end portion 47 of the embodiment 14.

The wrist brace 120 is detachably insertable in and may be utilized with the structure described above, the flattened end portion 122 being received in the slot-like openings 112 and 74 for frictional retention therein. Thus, the wrist brace embodiment 120 does not provide the two position feature of the embodiment 14 but only the single position corresponding to the upper adjusted position. The spring 80 may be omitted if desired when utilizing the wrist brace 120.

Thus, both the wrist brace 14 and wrist brace 120 are detachably insertable and removable so that, when desired, such as for storing, transporting, etc., the wrist brace may be removed to provide a more compact arrangement.

From the foregoing those skilled in the art will readily understand the nature and construction of the invention and the manner in which it realizes and achieves all of the objects as set forth in the foregoing. The slingshot is used like the regular known slingshot but the unique improved features provided by way of the detachably mountable wrist brace which, as described, fits over the wrist to stabilize the instrument for more perfect holding and aiming and for relieving the force on the hand holding the hand grip; that is, the force exerted by the flexible members on the yolk or crotch.

The foregoing disclosure is representative of preferred forms of the invention and is to be interpreted in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense, the invention to be accorded the full scope of the claims appended hereto.

Claims

We claim:

1. A slingshot comprising a yolk having a hand grip, flexible members having a missle pouch connected to the yolk, wrist brace means for resisting twisting of the hand grip, said means being frictionally detachably mountable in the hand grip and having an end portion extending rearwardly from the hand grip and having a part engageable on a user's wrist, said hand grip having a frictional retention securement means for providing the detachable securement of the wrist brace, and the frictional retention securement means permitting a plurality of frictionally retained adjustable positions of the hand grip with respect to the wrist brace, and at least one of the plurality of adjusted positions of the hand grip permitting the latter to rotate relative to the wrist brace, and the part of the wrist brace engageable with a user's body steadies and stabilizes the slingshot when in use.

2. A slingshot as in claim 1 wherein said frictional retention securement for the securement of the wrist brace to the hand grip further comprises detent means on said wrist brace and a spring means on said hand grip for engaging said detent means.

3. The slingshot as in claim 2 wherein said detent means further comprises a preselected plurality of detents corresponding in number to the plurality of adjusted positions thereof.

4. The slingshot as in claim 3 wherein at least one of said adjusted positions of said wrist brace is a non-rotatable position with respect to said hand grip.

5. The slingshot as in claim 1 wherein said frictional retention securement means further comprises a flattened portion on said wrist brace detachably insertable in said hand grip, and a slot means in said hand grip for frictionally engaging said flattened portion in at least another of said plurality of adjusted positions thereof, whereby relative rotation of the wrist brace means with respect to the hand grip is prevented.