US3299564A - Launching pad and flying toy combination - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 24, 1967 A. QUERCETTI 3,299,564

LAUNCHING PAD AND FLYING TOY COMBINATION Filed Jan. (5, 1964 INVENTOR A 5534 NDAO pumcirr/ BY v %M7JW ATTORNEY5 United States Patent 7 t r 3,299,564 LAUNCHING PAD AND FLYING TOY COMBINATION Alessandro Quercetti, 77/16 Via Bardonecchia,

Turin, Piedmont; Italy Filed Jan. 6, 1964. Ser. No. 335,872 Claims priority, application Italy, Jan. 15, 1963, 236/63 I Claims. (Cl. 46-74) It is known that flying toys, model aircraft and the like are at present launched by means of an elastic catapult or sling gripped with one hand while the other hand is used toholdthe toy or model by its rear end so as to enable the elastic launching cords to be stretched; thus the model is disposed in a preselected direction and released and is accelerated and launched by the catapult. These catapult devices have the disadvantage of imparting only a relatively small quantity of motion to the flying object, since the tension of the elastic cannot exceed the force which can be applied with only one hand, also the stretching of the elastic is restricted by the method of use. Furthermore, if a launching device of this kind is incorrectly used or if the flying object is inadvertently released atuan inopportune instant, the launcher may be struck by the object as it leaves the sling, precisely when this has the maximum energy and may constitute a dangerous projectile.

The object of the present invention is a launching pad intended to permit the launching of flying objects of the kind indicated by means of an elastic catapult, imparting to them considerably greater quantities of motion and thus providing longer flights and higher trajectories, while at the same time the manner in which the launching is performed considerably reduces the possibility of the launcher being struck by the object on departure.

The idea of the invention consists in utilizing a base or footrest which the launcher holds firmly against the ground by placing his foot upon it, and to which is hooked the rear part of the object to be launched while the elastic cords of the catapult are attached to this object and are stretched; if a suitable type of catapult or sling is used, the stretching can be performed using both arms, thus storing up a far higher quantity of energy than is usual both by the greater force which can be applied by the person performing the launching and owing to the greater stroke which is possible for stretching the elastic cords. The launching pad is further equipped with means which, at the desired moment, permit disengagement of the object to be launched so that the latter is accelerated and launched by the catapult.

A form of embodiment of the invention is shown by way of nonrestrictive example, in the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the launching pad;

FIG. 2 is a view of its lower part;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section through the center plane of the pad showing in addition the rear part of a missile to be launched, fitted on the pad;

FIG. 4 shows diagrammatically the method of using the launching pad in accordance with the invention.

The launching pad shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 consists of a footrest 1, the shape and dimension of which are such that it can be effectively held by the foot of the launcher placed in a position similar to that shown in FIG. 4. The footrest 1 terminates in a head 2 forming the base for the support of the object to be launched; preferably a seating 3 is hollowed out in this head, suitably adapted to the outline of the rear part of the object to be launched, for example, the missile 4 (FIG. 3). The said head 2 has a port 5 open at the front end, and the lower edge 6 whereof is smooth so as to permit easy sliding and it is prefer- Patented Jan. 24, 1967 ably tilted upwards'towards the front opening of the port,

as shown in section in FIG. 3.

The object 4 to be launched is equipped with a hooking element, consisting according to the drawing of a tang 7 connected to its rear part, preferably in a manner permitting pivoting and ending in a head 8, it being possible for the tang to pass inside the port 5 while the head is adapted'to rest and slide against the lower edge 6 of the said port.

The object placed on the pad can rest thereon in a first position (shown in dot-dash lines in FIG. 3) to permit the convenient performance of the operations preceding the launching. Then the elastic cords 9 of a catapult 10, preferably with two arms or two handles to permit twohanded manipulation, are hooked to the object to be launched and, the launching pad being held by one foot, the elastic cords are stretched (FIG. 4). The head 8 of the holding tang is then pressed against the edge 6 and held by this, permitting the stretching of the catapult (FIG. 3, continuous line). When it is desired to effect the launching, the pressure on the footrest 1 is released and the launching pad rises, tilting upwards. The head 8 slides along the edge 6 of the port 5 until it disengages itself when the object attached to the tang 7 is released and is accelerated and launched by the catapult.

It is clear from the preceding that, as the catapult can be manipulated with both hands, the tension imparted to the elastic under full load can be considerably greater than usual, and the stretching stroke can be greater than usual, both factors favoring the storing of a greater potential energy in the catapult which can be utilized in the launching. It is also clear, on the other hand, that the position which the launcher has to assume when using the device described determines a trajectory of the launched object relatively far from the body and, furthermore, passing the extended hands, so that the danger of the person effecting the launching being struck by the object at the instant of launching is reduced to the point of being virtually negligible.

If the launcher moves his own body forward, in doing so, he displaces the launching trajectory even further forward, while if he moves his arms backward, it becomes impossible to disengage the missile from the pad and thus to effect the launching.

Naturally the dimensions of the launching pad and the shape of its head, in particular, of the releasable hooking means and the seating 3 intended to receive the rear part of the object to be launched, will be required to be adjusted from time to time to the particular requirements of the object to be launched and the energy required for launching, it being possible for these features to diverge considerably from those described without transgressing the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a sling, a launching pad, a flying toy having means at the rear part for releasable engagement with said launching pad, said sling having means to engage said flying toy, said launching pad comprising a footrest means having a head, and in said head a hooking means for effecting said releasable engagement with said means of the flying toy, whereby said footrest means is held against the ground by one foot of the launcher while the sling is strained; then by releasing the pressure of the foot the launching pad is allowed to tilt upwardly and permit said hooking means to release the flying toy.

2. A launching pad for launching by means of a sling a flying toy having hooking means at the rear part, comprising a footrest means to be held against the ground by one foot of the launcher, said footrest means having a head, in said head a port open at the front end of said head, and sliding lower edges limiting said port for coaction with said hooking means of the flying toy while the sling is strained, whereby by releasing the pressure of the foot on the footrest means the launching pad is allowed to tilt upwardly and the hooking means of the flying toy permitted to slide along said lower edges and disengage from said port allowing the flying toy to be launched.

3. A launching pad as set forth in claim 2, wherein a portion of said sliding lower edges is tilted upwardly towards the open end of said port.

4. A launching pad as set forth in claim 2, wherein said head has a hollowed seat corresponding to the outline of the rear part of the flying toy to be launched, whereby said flying toy can be inserted in said seat and remains erect to be prepared for launching.

5. A launching pad for launching by means of a sling a flying toy having at the rear part a hinged holding tang, comprising a footrest means to be held against the L} ground by one foot of the launcher, said footrest means having a head, said head having a hollowed seat corresponding to the outline of the rear part of the flying toy, a port open at the front end of said head, and sliding lower edges limiting said port for coaction with said holding tang hinged to the flying toy, said edges being tilted upwardly in their portion adjacent to the open end of said port.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1941 Lorer 46 74 2/1949 Eicholtz 124-35 LOUIS J. BOVASSO, W. R. BROWNE,

Assistant Examiners-.

Claims (1)

1. IN COMBINATION, A SLING, A LAUNCHING PAD, A FLYING TOY HAVING MEANS AT THE REAR PART FOR RELEASABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID LAUNCHING PAD, SAID SLING HAVING MEANS TO ENGAGE SAID FLYING TOY, SAID LAUNCHING PAD COMPRISING A FOOTREST MEANS HAVING A HEAD, AND IN SAID HEAD A HOOKING MEANS FOR EFFECTING SAID RELEASABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID MEANS OF THE FLYING TOY, WHEREBY FOOTREST MEANS

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