US3123844A

US3123844A - bailey

Info

Publication number: US3123844A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1964-03-10
Anticipated expiration: 1981-03-10

Description

R. W. BAILEY SKIING DEVICE March 10, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 17, 1962 INVENTOR. Rana/0 Hu o/767 ATTORNEY.

March 10, 1964 R. w. BAILEY SKIING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 17, 1962 llll INVENTOR. Rona/d M4 50/767 A T TOR N E Y. K

United States Patent O 3,123,844 SKIING DEVICE Ronald W. Bailey, 1126 Laurel t., Cadillac, Mich. Filed Sept. 17, 1962, Ser. No. 224,091 2 Claims. (Cl. 9-4510) This invention relates to improvements in water skis. The main objects of this invention are- First, to provide a user steerable ski including a seat for the operator.

Second, to provide a ski having a seat for the operator in Which the operator is balanced and supported so that he is not likely to fall or be ejected from the 'ski,.even when it is subjected to sharp turns or zigzag movement.

Third, to provide a ski having these advantages which is capable of a wide range of relatively easy manipulation.

Fourth, to provide a ski assembly including combined steering and support members in which the ski body and the support member bodies may be formed of fiat stock and have no projections on their under sides, and a structure in which the user may be seated on the ski while it is positioned on the bank and the ski may be easily propelled into the water.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a ski embodying my invention, the propelling rope being broken away.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the embodiment of my invention shown in FIG. 1 with the positioning of an operator or user indicated by dotted lines.

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view with an operator in dicated by dotted lines.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view on a line corresponding to line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary-view on a line corresponding to line 55 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary on a line corresponding to line 6-6 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view on a line corresponding to line 77 of FIG. 3.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated, the elongated ski body member 1 is formed of flat stock and has an upwardly curved front end portion 2. This body member is, in the preferred embodiment of the applicants invention illustrated, planar on both its lower or under and upper surfaces. The body member is provided with a seat 3, the legs 4 of which are laterally spaced, these being formed of tube stock and their lower ends seated in the sockets 5 fixedly connected to the base member 6, which is disposed in transverse relation to the ski body member 1 and fixedly scoured thereto by means of the rivets 7, which serves not only as a base member for the seat but as a reinforcing member for the ski body member. It will be understood that the term body member is here used in defining the member 1 to clearly distinguish from other parts which will be described.

The legs '4 are connected at their upper ends by an integral crosspiece 8, the legs being of tubular stock and the crosspiece portion being flattened to receive the attaching bolts 9. This provides a relatively rigid constnuction of seat, even though the parts are of relatively light stock. The elongated combined ski and steering members 10 are also desirably formed of flat stock and have upwardly curved front portions 1-2.

The members 10 are pivotally mounted on the main body member by means of the shaft or crosspiece 13 which is clamped to the body member at 14 to project substantially laterally therefrom and the members 10 are 3,123,844 Patented Mar. 10, 1964 pivotally secured to the member 13 by the clips 15, the pins 16 being disposed through the member 13 at each side of the clips 15 to prevent movement of the members 10 longitudinally of the shaft 13. These combined steering and ski members 10 are provided with rearwardly opening foothold members 18, portions of these combined steering and ski members 10 at the front of the shaft 13 serving as foot pieces, the position of a user being indioated by dotted lines 19 in FIGS. 2 and 3.

With this arrangement, the members 10 may be positioned in planar relation to the body member or variably and independently tilted or adjusted relative thereto, and thereby serving as rudders for steering or'varying the direction of travel of the ski, that variation notwithstanding the pull on the propeller rope 21 may be substantially straight ahead or it may be substantially varied. Otherwise stated, the user has a very substantial degree of control of the path of travel of the ski.

To provide a support for the user, the propeller rope is disposed through an opening 22 provided therefor in the upturned end of the ski member 1 and is provided with a stop member 23 disposed on the upper side of the ski member 1. The handle 24 is connected to the propeller rope at the inner side of the stop member 23 by the flexible extensions 25. This is of importance in that it provides a support for the operator not only in the matter of remaining on the seat during the sidewise movement of the ski, but in effect is a stabilizer when the user operates the steering ski members 10.

I have illustrated and described my invention in a desirable embodiment thereof in which the parts are relatively few and may be economically produced and assembled. At the same time the structure is strong and durable. I have not attempted to illustrate various embodiments and adaptations of my invention, as it is believed that this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my invention as may be desired.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A ski apparatus comprising an elongated body mem' her having a fixed upwandly curved portion at its front end, said body member having substantially planar lower and upper surfaces, a seat fixedly mounted on said body member in substantially spaced relation to its front and rear ends, a shaft disposed above and transversely of and fixedly secured to said body member with its ends projecting laterally therefrom and in forwardly spaced relation to said seat, a pair of elongated substantially duplicate supporting and steeering members having upwardly curved portions at their front ends and substantially planar lower and upper surfaces pivotally mounted on said shaft in substantially laterally spaced relation to said body member, the upwardly curved front ends of said support and steering members constituting foot rests and being provided with rearwardly opening foot hold members, and a propelling rope, the upturned end of said body member having an opening therein through which said rope is slidably disposed, the rope having a stop member thereon e-ngagea-ble with the upper side of said body member and having a portion extending rearwardly from said stop and provided with a bar-like hand hold engageable by an operator positioned on said seat.

2. A ski apparatus comprising an elongated body member having a fixed upwardly curved portion at its front end, a seat fixedly mounted on said body member in substantially spaced relation to its front and rear ends, a shaft disposed above and transversely of and fixedly secured to said body member with its ends projecting laterally therefrom and in forwardly spaced relation to said seat, a pair of elongated substantially duplicate supporting and steering members having upwardly curved portions at their front ends pivotally mounted on said 3 shaft in substantially laterally spaced relation to said said stop and provided with a bar-like hand hold engagebody member, the upwardly curved front ends of said able by an operator positioned on said seat. support and steering members constituting foot rests and References Cited in the file of this patent being provided with rearwardly opening foot hold members, and a propelling rope, the upturned end of said body 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS member having an opening therein through which said 2,528,397 Smf O t, 31, 1950 rope is slidably disposed, the rope having a stop member 2,841,805 Roudebush July 8, 1958 thereon engageable with the upper side of said body 2,910,708 Albright Nov. 3, 1959 member and having a portion extending rearwardly from 3,042,944 Basey July 10, 1962

Claims

2. A SKI APPARATUS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BODY MEMBER HAVING A FIXED UPWARDLY CURVED PORTION AT ITS FRONT END, A SEAT FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON SAID BODY MEMBER IN SUBSTANTIALLY SPACED RELATION TO ITS FRONT AND REAR ENDS, A SHAFT DISPOSED ABOVE AND TRANSVERSELY OF AND FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID BODY MEMBER WITH ITS ENDS PROJECTING LATERALLY THEREFROM AND IN FORWARDLY SPACED RELATION TO SAID SEAT, A PAIR OF ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY DUPLICATE SUPPORTING AND STEERING MEMBERS HAVING UPWARDLY CURVED PORTIONS AT THEIR FRONT ENDS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT IN SUBSTANTIALLY LATERALLY SPACED RELATION TO SAID BODY MEMBER, THE UPWARDLY CURVED FRONT ENDS OF SAID SUPPORT AND STEERING MEMBERS CONSTITUTING FOOT RESTS AND BEING PROVIDED WITH REARWARDLY OPENING FOOT HOLD MEMBERS, AND A PROPELLING ROPE, THE UPTURNED END OF SAID BODY MEMBER HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN THROUGH WHICH SAID ROPE IS SLIDABLY DISPOSED, THE ROPE HAVING A STOP MEMBER THEREON ENGAGEABLE WITH THE UPPER SIDE OF SAID BODY MEMBER AND HAVING A PORTION EXTENDING REARWARDLY FROM SAID STOP AND PROVIDED WITH A BAR-LIKE HAND HOLD ENGAGEABLE BY AN OPERATOR POSITIONED ON SAID SEAT.