TIME AND DISTANCE INDICATING BALANCING TOY

• US 3,837,644 A
• Filed: 03/28/1973
• Issued: 09/24/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William C. Stinchcomb
• Original Assignee: William C. Stinchcomb
• Inventors: Stinchcomb, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oechsle, Anton O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taylor, Joseph R.
• Application Number:
  US05/345,683
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 272/60,DIG.5 273/1R,1E 58/153,145R
• US Class Current: 273/449
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 4/00 Balance beams

Abstract

A walk-on type horizontal rail with cross-ties and a platform at one end of the rail having a footswitch-controlled timing mechanism for giving audible and visual signals to contestants, who start at the platform and attempt to progress as far as possible along the rail im minimum time; the platform has stabilizing pads and all the bottom surfaces have non-skid provisions; special paint patterns both aid and hinder contestants in various embodiments; novel folding arrangements and safely rounded corners are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A walk-on balancing apparatus comprising:

a rail, a platform at one end of the rail with the rail protruding from the platform substantially flush with the upper portion thereof, a time indicating mechanism integral with the apparatus, and a foot control for the time indicating mechanism on the platform.

2. A walk-on balancing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the timing mechanism includes means for giving an audible signal.

3. A walk-on balancing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the time indicating mechanism is within the platform.

4. A walk-on balancing apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the time indicating mechanism includes a visual indicator on the platform.

5. A walk-on balancing apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the rail has numbered graduations along the length thereof.

6. A walk-on balancing apparatus comprising:

a platform having spaced pads therebeneath with one of said pads extending rearwardly of the upper part of the platform, a time indicating mechanism attached to the platform, a rail extending from the platform, a plurality of crossties attached to the rail with the rail resting thereon, and at least one hinge laterally of the rail for folding the apparatus, said at least one hinge being spaced from the platform and the crossties a distance providing for a crosstie to pass under a portion of the rail and past the platform on folding.

7. A walk-on balancing apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein non-skid mat material is affixed to the bottoms of all said crossties and pads.

8. A walk-on balancing apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein the sectional shape of the rail is the same as the sectional shape of a railroad rail.

9. A walk-on balancing apparatus comprising:

a platform having spaced pads therebeneath with one of said pads extending rearwardly of the upper part of the platform, a time indicating mechanism attached to the platform, a rail extending from the platform, a plurality of crossties attached to the rail with the rail resting thereon, the rail comprising a plurality of segments, and the segments having respective matching apertures and protrusions for assembly and disassembly.