US3098317A

US3098317A - Inflated play horse

Info

Publication number: US3098317A
Application number: US154631A
Authority: US
Inventors: George G Guzman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-11-24
Filing date: 1961-11-24
Publication date: 1963-07-23
Anticipated expiration: 1980-07-23

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 24, 1961 IN V EN TOR.

ATTO [ZNEYS July 23, 1963 G. a. GUZMAN INFLATED PLAY HORSE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 24, 1961 INVENTOR.

Georacss G- G'LJZMAN ATTOE EYS United States Patent Ofl ice 3,098,317. Patented July 23, 1963 3,098,317 INFLATED PLAY HORSE George G. Guzman, 14 La Cadena St., Santa Barbara, Calif. Filed Nov. 24, 1961, Ser. No. 154,631 2 Claims. (31. 4s-s7 This invention relates to a novel inflated play horse.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an efficient, attractive, practical, realistic and injury-proof play horse of the kind indicated, which is designed to sim ul-ate the motions of a bronco horse when ridden and manipulated by a child, so as to afford the child beneficial exercise and the development of coordination, while at the same time affording absorbing entertainment.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a play horse of the character indicated above which comprises an inflatable hollow body of flexible and resilient rubber or rubber-like material, which can be deflated for compact storage and shipment, and which, in its inflated condition, provides a non-skid relatively stationary base, flexible legs secured to the base capable of lateral and longitudinal flexing relative to the base, a body supported on the legs capable of being compressed and gripped between the legs of the rider, a saddle which is provided with a front pommel and a rear handle, and a front handle which is located forwardly of the saddle and adapted to be, at times, gripped by the rider, for manipulating the horse.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for p rposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of a play horse of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a bottom perspective view thereof.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional View taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like nurnerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated play horse comprises an elongated rectangular hollow base having a bottom wall 12, front and

rear walls

14 and 16, respectively, side walls 18, and a top wall 20 which is parallel to the bottom wall. The walls of the base 10 are preferably made of flexible and resilient rubber-like material, such as extra heavy truck inner tube material, the bottom wall 12 being somewhat heavier than the other walls, and being formed on its under surface with a grid 22 of non-skid or non-slip ridges. The edges of the base, including its corners, are rounded, as indi cated at 24 and 26, in order to enable the base to be rocked in any direction, upon a supporting surface, such as a floor.

Upstanding from and preferably integral with the top wall 20 of the base 10, are laterally spaced tubular front and rear legs 28 and 30, respectively, which, as indicated at 32 and 34, respectively, are flared at their lower ends and fared into the top wall 20, so as to provide greater strength and resistance to wear or deterioration at these points, due to flexing of the legs relative to the base 10. As clearly shown in FIGURE 3, the front legs 28 are preferably straight and perpendicular to the base 10, whereas the rear legs 30 have forwardly and downwardly angled lower portions 36 and substantially perpendicular upper portions 38.

The legs 28 and 30 are flared, at their upper ends, as indicated at 40 and 4-2 and preferably integrally fared into the bottom wall 44 and the side walls of a longitudinally elongated substantially circular cross section hollow body 46. While the body 46 is herein shown as being that of a horse, the present invention contemplates bodies of other animals. The body 46 is composed of substantially the same flexible and resilient material as the base 10 and the legs. The bottom wall 44 of the body 46 is here shown as somewhat downwardly and forwardly angled relative to the base 10, whereas its top wall or body back 48 is substantially horizontally disposed. The body 46 includes arcuate side walls 50 and has a concave-convex rear wall or rump 52. A tail 54, made of flexible synthetic hairs, closely imitating genuine hair, is fixed to and extends from an upper part of the rear wall 52.1and curves downwardly. The tail 54 can be connected to the body, as by means of a stem 56 extending through an opening 58 in the rear end wall, and having a lateral flange 60 bearing against the inner surface of the rear wall, the stem 56 being cemented or vulcanized to the rear wall, around the opening 58, as indicated at 62.

A hollow upwardly and forwardly angled neck 64 extends from the forward end of the body 46 and is composed of extensions of the walls of the body 46. The neck 64 terminates, at its forward end, in a vertically elongated head 66, to an underpart of which is aflixed an eye 68, through which a bridle cord 70 is passed and adapted to be draped over the neck 64. Extending along the neck as far as the forehead of the head, is a realistic mane 71 of flexible synthetic hairs.

A longitudinally elongated forward bail handle 72 is affixed to the top wall 74 of the neck 64, and is preferably made of relatively inflexible rubber. The forward handle 72 is spaced forwardly and upwardly from the forward end of a saddle 76.

The saddle 76 com-prises a blanket or bottom layer 78, of such as regular weight automobile inner tube material, which is affixed, as by cementing or vulcanizing to the body back 48 and side walls 50, an intermediate layer 80-, of such as heavy truck tube material, and a top layer or saddle leather 82, of such as extra heavy truck inner tube material. Fixed or formed on the front end of the saddle leather 82 is an upwardly and forwardly angled pornmel 84 of realtively heavy and less flexible rubber material. A rear transversely elongated bail handle 88 is aflixed to and extends rearwardly from the elevated rear edge of a rear saddle ridge 86, to be grasped by one hand of a rider mounting the horse, while the other hand grasps the front handle 72. Either or both of the handles and pommel is adapted to be grasped by the rider in manipulating the play horse. An upstanding inflating and deflating valve stem 90 traverses and is fixed to the top wall 20 of the base 10, at a central location between the front and rear legs of the horse.

In operation, a rider being astride of the body 46 and seated on the saddle 76, can produce rocking and bucking motions of the body 46 relative to the base, comparable to those of a bucking bronco horse, forwardly and rearwardly, or to either side, or in a combination of these directions, as well as rocking of the base, in any direction, relative to a supporting surface, by shifting his weight while gripping the sides of the body 46 with his legs or by grasping the handles or the pornmel and pulling and pushing in the desired directions. In such manipulations of the body 46, the front and rear legs flex relative to the body 46 and relative to the base, and distort either or both in so doing, so that the ride is cushioned, rather than undesirably abrupt or rough so that danger of injurious spills or jars to the rider are eliminated.

Although there has been shown and described a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as "being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. An inflatable play riding horse comprising a fiat hollow base having a top wall, a pair of tubular front legs and a pair of tubular rear legs rising from said top wall, a hollow body having a bottom Wall secured upon the upper ends of the legs, said base, said legs, and said body being resilient and in communication with each other, the front legs being perpendicular to the base, said rear legs having perpendicular upper portions and forwardly and downwardly angled lower portions reaching to the top wall of the base, and means for inflating the horse.

2. An inflatable play riding horse comprising a flat hollow base having a top wall, a pair of tubular front legs and a pair of tubular rear legs rising from said top wall, a hollow body having a bottom wall secured upon the upper ends of the legs, said base, said legs, and said body being resilient and in communication with each other, the

front legs being perpendicular to the base, said rear legs having perpendicular upper portions and forwardly and downwardly angled lower portions reaching to the top wall of the base, and means for inflating the horse, the front and rear legs being aligned with each other crosswise of the base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Playthings magazine, published October, 1958, page 88.

Claims

1. AN INFLATABLE PLAY RIDING HORSE COMPRISING A FLAT HOLLOW BASE HAVING A TOP WALL, A PAIR OF TUBULAR FRONT LEGS AND A PAIR OF TUBULAR REAR LEGS RISING FROM SAID TOP WALL, A HOLLOW BODY HAVING A BOTTOM WALL SECURED UPON THE UPPER ENDS OF THE LEGS, SAID BASE, SAID LEGS, AND SAID BODY BEING RESILIENT AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH EACH OTHER, THE FRONT LEGS BEING PERPENDICULR TO THE BASE, SAID REAR LEGS HAVING PERPENDICULAR UPPER PORTIONS AND FORWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY ANGLED LOWER PORTIONS REACHING THE TOP WALL OF THE BASE, AND MEANS FOR INFLATING THE HORSE.