Tilting rotational recreational device

• US 4,905,994 A
• Filed: 08/31/1987
• Issued: 03/06/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Billy J. Hartz
• Original Assignee: Billy J. Hartz
• Inventors: Hartz, Billy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crow, Stephen R.
• Application Number:
  US07/102,081
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 272/146, 272/96, 272/97, 272/111, 272/93, 128/25 R, 128/25 B, 403/405.1, 403/407.1, 403/408.1, 403/409.1
• US Class Current: 482/146
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2022/0033 Lower limbs performing together the same movement, e.g. on a single support element
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/14 Platforms for reciprocating rotating motion about a vertical axis , e.g. axis through the middle of the platform
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/18 with elements, i.e. platforms, having a circulating, nutating or rotating movement, generated by oscillating movement of the user, e.g. platforms wobbling on a centrally arranged spherical supporthoop exercising apparatus A63B19/00; eccentric weights put into orbital motion by nutating movement of the user A63B21/0608; pots rotating or rocking by moving the whole body A63G23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 26/003 for improving balance or equilibrium balance beams A63B4/00; apparatus for rope dancing A63B7/08; balancing drums, balancing boards or the like A63B22/16
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/908 Adjustable

Abstract

A tilting rotational recreational device which has a platform on which the user stands, which platform is freely rotatable upon a bearing. The angle of the platform with respect to the horizontal may be adjusted so that a user standing or sitting on the platform may induce rotational movement of the platform easily by shifting his or her center of mass. One or more additional bearings placed internally in the device optionally provide random and unpredictable rotational movements of the platform, depending on the nature of the user'"'"'s shift of mass. The device may be locked into a particular angle adjustment, and all internal parts may be held securely together to facilitate safe and reliable use.

Claims

1. A tilting rotational recreational device comprising:

(1) a base member adapted to be placed upon a support surface; and

(2) a rotatable platform member adapted to support a person using the device;

said base member having

(a) a base plate in contact with said support surface,

(b) at least one weight supporting bearing means mounted therein,

(c) a means for establishing an angular displacement between the plane of said support surface and the plane of rotation of said platform member, and

(d) a releasable locking means for fixing said angular displacement in a selected angular alignment, said releasable locking means further comprising an axial fastener;

said means for establishing said angular displacement having upper and lower wedge shaped elements vertically interengaged and releasably held together in axial alignment by said fastener to permit rotation of said elements relative to one another about an axis of rotation common to both wedge shaped elements, whereby said angular displacement may be adjustably set, said fastener running through bores in said upper and lower wedge shaped elements such that said fastener is coaxial with said axis of rotation common to said upper and lower wedge shaped elements; and

wherein said platform member is mounted upon one weight supporting bearing means and said bearing means is mounted upon said means for establishing said angular displacement, said platform member thereby being capable of freely rotating relative to said base member, upon said bearing means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said wedge shaped elements are rotatably interengaged upper and lower skew cut column members, each of said members having upper and lower surfaces in nonparallel planes wherein said bearing means is mounted upon said upper surface of said upper column member, whereby rotation of said upper column member with respect to said lower column member adjustably sets said angular displacement.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said wedge shaped elements are inclined upper and lower paired wedge members, said upper pair of wedge members rotatable as a unit with respect to said lower pair of wedge members by mounting the upper surfaces of said lower pair of wedge members to the lower surface of an annular support member that is adapted to receive and support in turn a disk shaped support member rotatably interengaged within said annular support member, wherein the lower surfaces of said upper pair of wedge members are mounted to the upper surface of said disk shaped support member, and wherein said bearing means is mounted to the upper surfaces of said upper pair of wedge members, whereby said angular displacement may be adjustably set by rotating said pairs of wedge members and their respective said support members relative to one another.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said axial fastener is engaged in a coaxial bore of diameter substantially larger than the diameter of said fastener, whereby said upper and lower column members may rotate freely relative to each other without said fastener interfering with the walls of said bore.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 having an upper weight supporting bearing means mounted upon said means for establishing said angular displacement and a lower weight supporting bearing means mounted below said means for establishing said angular displacement.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a means to releasably lock said lower weight bearing means from any rotation therein.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the respective mating surfaces of said upper and lower column members have respectively axially depending and projecting multi-denticulated rings at the circumferences of each of said mating surfaces, wherein said respective rings mesh and interengage with each other to releasably prevent relative rotation between said upper and lower column members when said means for fixing angular displacement is engaged to hold said column members to each other.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein

(a) said means for fixing said angular displacement further comprises a well known type of two part spring loaded separable fastener which can be separated by the manipulation of the fingers and thumb of one hand and which contains suitable flanges at both ends of said fastener such that, when said fastener is fastened together, said column member surfaces are held substantially in a mated interengaged relationship;

and

(b) the user operated portion of said fastener means is located in a counter sunk portion of the bottom surface of said base member, such that the recreational user can release the clamp with one hand while holding the device in the other hand and thereby easily reposition said interengaging denticulated rings before reconnecting the fastener.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising friction enhancing means disposed upon each of the mating surfaces of said upper and lower column members.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 in which said friction enhancing means further comprises a layer of well known frictional surface material such as sandpaper or non-slip rubber which is adhesively bonded to the respective surfaces of said column members.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said friction enhancing means further comprises mechanically etched or cast in cross hatching upon the mating surfaces of said upper and lower column members, such that said cross hatching creates such irregularities on said mating surfaces that one surface thereby has a grip upon the other surface when suitably clamped by said means to fix said angular displacement.

12. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said means for fixing said angular displacement further comprises:

a foot pedal actuated rod which rotates in a bore placed radially in said lower column member and which terminates in a cam member;

a two piece hollow closed cylindrical axle member where each end of said closed cylindrical axle member contains substantial flanges radially projecting from their respective end surfaces and where each of said two pieces of said axle member is slidably engaged one within the other so that the length of said axle member is variable depending upon the position of one of said pieces with respect to the other of said pieces;

within said axle member, an off center upwardly protruding tab fastened or integrally attached to the bottom inner surface of said axle member in which is a pivotal bore in which said rod is free to rotate and turn said cam member;

also within said axle member, a suitable tension means such that the normal tendency of the flanges of said axle member is to draw together and thus clamp said column members together;

and also within said axle member, an expander link connected to an upper lobe of said cam and to the upper end surface of said axle member;

whereby the user, while standing on said pedal, may then rotate said upper column relative to said lower column member by said grasping means without having to invert said tilting rotational recreational device.