Water sports wheel

• US 3,934,291 A
• Filed: 08/23/1974
• Issued: 01/27/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Douglas Leigh Research and Development Corporation
• Original Assignee: Douglas Leigh Research and Development Corporation
• Inventors: Hagen, Frederic
• Primary Examiner(s): Blix, Trygve M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frankfort, Charles E.
• Application Number:
  US05/500,041
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 9/310 G, 9/310 R, 9/2 A, 114/61, 115/20, 272/1 B, 272/57 T
• US Class Current: 441/78
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 1/047 with spherical hull or hull in the shape of a vertical ring freely movable rolling hoops, e.g. gyro wheels for exercising A63B19/02
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 1/38 characterised solely by flotation properties, e.g. drums

Abstract

A unitary hollow paddle wheel of a size to receive a person in upright position and composed of two circular pneumatic tubes connected in spaced relation by transverse members that also support a tread which is operated by the person within the wheel to propel the same in a forward or backward direction and through which the person may observe his progress.

Claims

1. A manually operable water craft, comprising a pair of circular pneumatic tubes made of flexible, resilient material and arranged in spaced side-by-side upright relation for rotary motion on the surface of a water mass and forming two closed circular pockets for a gas providing the craft with the desired buoyancy in the upright rotatable positions of said tubes, a plurality of diametrically spaced and transversely extending holding members located between and connecting said circular tubes in spaced side-by-side relation, said transverse holding members being formed at both outer ends to provide tube gripping means each enclosing in gripping relation the inner wall portion of a tube, the central portions of said holding members being configured to provide centrally of the craft diametrically spaced hand grips for the operator, and said holding members between said outer tube gripping means and said central portions thereof being each configured to form two outwardly projecting spaced paddles, the paddles of said holding members being aligned to form two spaced series of circumferentially spaced paddles adapted to convert rotary motion of the craft into linear motion on the water mass, a series of arcuately-shaped, perforated panels aligned with each series of paddles with the panels in each series thereof located between the paddles aligned therewith, and means connecting the ends of the panels in each series to said holding members at the root portions of the paddles with such panels to provide within the two series of paddles two circular treads on which an operator within the craft walks to cause rotation of said tubes, said two spaced aligned series of tread panels and paddles providing a central circular opening therebetween interrupted only by the central portions of said holding members extending across said opening to provide hand grips for the operator.