Patent ID: 6343597
Filing Date: 2002-02-05
Classification: F41B

Abstract:
A toy catapult for use with a ball, comprising:a frame including a rotational-axis-defining region; an elongate arm movable to a cocked position, the elongate arm including first and second ends and a middle region, the first end being constructed to be bi-directionally rotatable about a rotation axis defined by the rotational-axis-defining region,and the second end being constructed to hold the ball; an arm-protection member circumferentially attached to the arm near the middle region; a bias member for placing a desired amount of tension on the elongate arm when it is moved to the cocked position; an actuator lever associated with the frame and including an arm-engagement member for releasably holding the elongate arm in the cocked position; wherein the actuator lever is actuable to release the elongate arm from the cocked position, with the tension from the bias member causing the released elongate arm to rotate about the rotation axis away from the actuator lever; a stop member associated with the frame and located in a position that is effective to stop the elongate arm by contact with the arm-protection member after the elongate arm rotates a desired distance from the cocked position, thereby to cause the ball to be thrown from the second end of the elongate arm, with contact between the stop member and the arm-protection member tending to reduce any force exerted on the elongate arm when it is stopped by the stop member; and wherein the stop member is selectively positionable in plural stop positions to allow the elongate arm to rotate selected distances before contact between the stop member and the arm-protection member.