Abstract:
A simple system to build and launch home made toy rockets and airplanes using air pressure for launching, and paper and Styrofoam for construction is described. The launch system consists of plastic plumbing pipe and plastic beverage bottles. An impact from a foot or hand on the plastic bottle launches the rocket or airplane. Various educational and recreational uses of this building and launching system are also described.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENTS  
       [0001]     Not applicable  
       FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH  
       [0002]     Not applicable  
       SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM  
       [0003]     Not applicable  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0005]     This invention relates to toy rockets and toy airplanes which can be made by anyone and which are launched by air pressure. This invention also relates to a simple method of generating air pressure to launch rockets and airplanes. This invention also relates to simple methods and materials to make toy rockets and toy airplanes so they can be made by anyone. This invention also relates to novel educational and recreational uses of the invention.  
         [0006]     2. Background of the Invention  
         [0007]     All known previous art involves complex launch systems using pumps and valves to generate air pressure to launch a rocket. The only somewhat simple system is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,006 (1978) which uses a flexible air impact bulb to generate pressure. The bulb, rockets and other parts of that patent must be manufactured for that specific purpose. Previous art has very little educational value and does not permit skills in building and experimenting.  
       OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES  
       [0008]     The object and advantage of this invention is to provide the user with a very inexpensive, easy to make and easily replaceable toy rockets and toy airplanes and launch system. Additional objects and advantages are to generate interest in science and math and to develop skills in building and experimenting with different designs. A further object is to provide recreation for children and adults. Another object is to provide competition among schools, clubs, groups or individuals in building and flying rockets and airplanes. Another object is to provide a new game of skill called Rocket Golf, which is played the same as golf except rockets and launch systems are used instead of golf balls and clubs.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0009]     This invention is for a very simple system of making and launching toy rockets and airplanes. These toys are used mostly for education and recreation. The rockets and airplanes are made from paper, Styrofoam, and non-toxic glue. The rockets and airplanes are made by gluing and rolling a standard size piece of paper around a piece of cpvc plumbing pipe and removing the paper tube. This tube is the body of the rocket or airplane. Rocket fins or airplane wings are made from card stock paper and glued in place while the paper tube is supported on an assembly stand. The assembly stand is made using a wood base and a short vertically mounted piece of ½ pvc pipe. The invention also describes a simple method of making the Styrofoam nose cone for the rocket and airplane.  
         [0010]     The simple launch system consists of a 100 to 150 centimeter piece of ½ pvc thin wall plastic pipe and a plastic soda or beverage bottle to generate air pressure for launching.  
         [0011]     Launching is done by inserting the ½, pvc pipe into the bottle neck, bending the bottle about 90 degrees at the neck and sliding the rocket or airplane over the opposite end of the pipe. The tube can then be aimed in the desired direction and by stepping on the bottle the airplane or rocket is launched.  
     
    
     DRAWINGS—Figures  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  shows a launch system with a toy rocket in the launch position.  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  shows a launch system with a toy airplane in the launch position.  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  shows a roll tube in place and ready to roll a sheet of paper with glue applied.  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  shows a piece of card stock paper with fold line and fin pattern  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  shows a metal tube being pushed and twisted into a block of styrofoam to cut a nose cone.  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  shows a vehicle assembly stand.  
         [0018]      FIG. 7  shows an end view of a rocket with fins glued in place 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0019]      FIG. 1  shows the launch system with a toy rocket  10  mounted on a launch tube  12  which is a 100 to 150 cm long piece of ½ pvc thin wall plastic plumbing pipe. The launch tube  12  is shown inserted into an air bulb  13  which is a plastic beverage bottle. The toy rocket  10  consists of a rolled paper body tube  15 A, a styrofoam nose cone  21  glued and taped into the paper body tube  15 A at one end, and two sets of card stock paper fins  16  glued into the body tube  15 A at the opposite end as show in  FIG. 7 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  shows a launch system with a toy airplane  11  mounted on a launch tube  12 . The launch tube  12  is a 100 to 150 cm long piece of ½ pvc thin wall plastic pipe. The launch tube  12  is shown inserted into an air bulb  13  which is a plastic beverage bottle. The toy  
         [0021]     airplane  11  consists of a rolled paper body tube  15 B, a styrofoam nose cone  21  glued and taped into the paper body tube  15 B at one end, and a wing  22  of any aerodynamic shape. The toy airplane  11  also consists of aerodynamic control surfaces such as a horizontal stabilizer  24  and rudder  23 . The wing  22  and control surfaces  23 ,  24  are made from card stock paper or thin sheets of Styrofoam as found in Styrofoam dinner plates or meat trays. The wings  22  and control surfaces  23 ,  24  are glues to one side of the paper body tube  15 B and located for proper balance and aerodynamic control.  
         [0022]      FIG. 3  shows a roll tube  14  placed on a standard sized sheet of paper  15 . The paper  15  is curled up at one of the long sides to facilitate rolling around the roll tube  14 . A non-toxic glue such as white glue or school glue is applied in thin lines to cover only the paper  15  which will not be in contact with the roll tube  14  when the paper is rolled around the roll tube  14 . The paper tube  15 A or  15 B is removed from the roll tube  14  and is used to make either a toy rocket or toy airplane  11 .  
         [0023]      FIG. 4  shows a piece of cardstock paper of 4 cm by 4 cm which is folded on the center vertical line and cut to the shape shown by the angled lines. This is then one set of fins  16 . Another set is made the same way. Both sets of fins  16  can be folded and cut at the same time. Both sets of fins  16  are glues to one end of the rocket body tube  15 A opposite each other as shown in  FIG. 7 .  
         [0024]      FIG. 5  shows a thin wall metal tube  17  which is sharpened at one end being twisted and pushed into a piece of extruded styrofoam  18 . The metal tube is pushed and twisted all the way through the styrofoam  18 . The formed foam is then pushed out of the metal tube  17 , sanded to round or parabolic shape at one end, glued and taped into the rocket or airplane body tube  15 A,  15 B.  
         [0025]      FIG. 6  shows a vehicle assembly stand which is used to hold the rocket body tube  15 A while the fins  16  and nose cone  21  are glued in place, and while the glue is setting up.  
         [0026]     The assembly stand may be used the same way for airplanes. The assembly stand is made by drilling a 13/16 hole in a small piece of wood  20  and pushing a short piece of a ½ pvc thin wall plumbing pipe  19  into the hole.  
         [0000]     Advantages  
         [0027]     From the description above a number of advantages of the simple homemade toy rockets and airplanes with launcher are evident;  
         [0028]     The rockets, airplanes and launch system are made from readily available materials that are used in large quantities for other applications. The paper for the body tubes, fins and wings can be material that was destined for the trash or recycle box. The roll tube and launch tube are common plastic plumbing pipe. The metal nose cone cutter can be a piece of tube from a broken or recycled aluminum lawn chair. The air bulbs are common plastic soda bottles preferable one and two liter capacity. These bottles are re-inflated before each launch by blowing into the end of the attached launch tube. Each bottle should give many launches if the end is not crushed during launch. 
        (a) Children and adults have the satisfaction of being creative in building something useful and entertaining. Many skills are learned and developed in the building process.     (b) This rocket and launch system can be used in science and math classes with experiments for students in all grades including college level. Students in lower grades can launch for maximum distance by launching at a 30 degree angle above the horizon and measuring the distance. Middle grade students can learn the effects of different launch angles, bottle sizes, different fin sizes shape and number, and different size parachutes. They can study basic aerodynamics by adding wings and control surfaces instead of fins. Many different wing and control surface combinations are suggested in a manual that is included in a kit of materials. Middle and high school students could do any or all of the following experiments; heavier paper vs lighter paper, loose fit vs tight fit on the launch tube, rocket length vs distance, time aloft vs altitude, launch angle vs distances height vs distance, and rocket speed using a video carnera. High school and college students could use this system to hold competitions. More advanced students could use this system to determine acceleration, launch speed, air drag, drag coefficients, and theoretical maximum height and distance compared to actual parameters.     (c) The low weight of the rockets and airplanes and the Styrofoam nose cone make this system safe for all ages. Even a direct hit a short distance form the launch tube does not cause injury.     (d) Rockets can be built and ready for flight in minutes. This system can be used at carnivals and fairs to let the public build and fly rockets     (e) Rockets and launch system can also be used to play a new game called Rocket Golf which is the same as golf except rockets and launch system are used in place of golf balls and clubs.        
 
         [0034]     Although the description above contains many specifications, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention.