Pincers for throwing and catching a flying disc

The pincers have lower and upper jaws which selectively close for engaging and open for disengaging a flying disc such as a FRISBEE. The jaws are interconnected at one end and have at the opposite ends of each, a pad for gripping the cental portion of the disc. A wall of the lower jaw has a depression which opens upwardly toward the inner wall of the upper jaw. The depression is defined at one side by a ramp which extends to the pad attached to the lower jaw. The other side of the depression is defined by a wall which curves to a ridge. A notch is formed on the side of the ridge opposite the depression for receipt of the rim of the disc when it is clamped between its jaws.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a device for catching and throwing a projectile. 
More particularly the invention relates to pincers for launching a flying 
disc such as a FRISBEE (a trade mark) in flight and for intercepting and 
grabbing the disc as it is travelling through the air. 
Devices are know for launching projectiles such as FRISBEES in flight. U.S. 
Pat. No. 4,233,952 to Perkins illustrates one such device. That device 
includes a yoke for engaging a projectile and an elastic band which serves 
as a catapult. When the projectile is attached to the yoke and is swung 
upward, the projectile is driven into the air. 
Devices such as that described in the Perkins patent suffer from a number 
of shortcomings. They can for example only be used for launching 
projectiles into the air; they cannot be used for catching them when they 
are in flight. Moreover such devices employ mechanical means, such as a 
catapult, for accelerating the projectile through the air. Mechanical 
means give an unfair advantage to the person operating the device over a 
person who is throwing a projectile by hand. Another shortcoming of such 
devices is that they are relatively complicated of construction and hence 
are relatively expensive to make. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of this invention to provide a device which is suitable not 
only for launching a flying disc such as a FRISBEE into the air but also 
for catching it in flight. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a device which employs no 
mechanical means for accelerating the disc in flight. The physical 
exertion and skill of the operator of the device alone will determine its 
speed and trajectory. In that respect the operator will have no undue 
advantage over a person who throws the disc by hand. 
A still further object is to provide a device for improving an operator's 
grip on a flying disc. By means of the device the operator may with 
facility and accuracy launch a flying disc into the air and catch it in 
flight. 
These and other objects are accomplished by pincers for throwing and 
catching a flying disc having a central portion and a rim which is 
disposed out of the plane of the central portion, the pincers comprising: 
lower and upper jaws which selectively close for engaging and open for 
disengaging the disc, the jaws being interconnected at one end and having 
at the opposite ends of each, a pad for gripping the cental portion of the 
disc, the jaws further having inner walls which face one another, the 
inner wall of the lower jaw having a depression which opens upwardly 
toward the inner wall of the upper jaw, the depression being defined at 
one side by a ramp which extends to the pad formed on the lower jaw and at 
the other side by a wall which curves to a ridge, a notch being formed on 
the side of the ridge opposite the depression for receipt of the rim when 
the disc is engaged by the pincers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the pincers of the invention are indicated 
generally by the numeral 10 and are shown held in the hand 12 of an 
operator. The pincers include a pair of upper and lower jaws 14, 16 which 
are pivotally interconnected by means of a stud 18. The stud passes 
through a pair of spaced ears 20 formed in the end portion of the upper 
jaw and through an aperture formed in the end portion 16a of the lower 
jaw. The latter portion is located between the two ears. 
An upper pad 22 is connected to the end of the upper jaw opposite the 
pivotal interconnection and a like lower pad 24 is connected to the end of 
the lower jaw. The upper pad has a forward portion 22a having rear wall 
22b which abuts against the forward end of the upper jaw. The pad has an 
intermediate portion 22c which is connected to the jaw by three screws 26 
and a rear portion 22d which extends upwardly into a recess in the jaw. 
The pad is thus firmly attached to the jaw to prevent any movement of the 
pad relative to the jaw. Lower pad 24 has a like construction and it too 
remains stationary relative to the lower jaw. 
As illustrated in FIG. 2, the pads are generally triangular in shape and 
have ribs 28 which project upwardly from the surfaces 30 which face the 
disc. 
The forward portions of each jaw to which the pads are attached are solid. 
Elsewhere however the jaws are not solid. Rather they have a channel or U 
shaped cross-section. The lower jaw 16 has two upstanding side walls 32, 
34 which are spaced apart from one another. A lower wall or web 36 extends 
between and interconnects the two side walls along a longitudinally 
extending lower edge of each. The side walls are reinforced by means of a 
framework 37 of longitudinal and lateral braces (FIG. 6). 
Each side wall 32, 34 has an inner wall 38 along the longitudinally 
extending upper edge of each. The inner walls face like inner walls 40 on 
the side walls of the upper jaw. A depression 42 is formed in each inner 
wall 38 and the depression opens upwardly toward the other inner wall 40. 
Each depression is bounded at one side by a ramp 44 which extends upwardly 
and outwardly and terminates at the pad 24. The other side of the 
depression is bounded by a wall 46 which curves smoothly upwardly and 
outwardly to a ridge 48. A notch 50 is formed in the inner wall on the 
opposite side of the ridge and beyond the notch is a protuberance 51. 
The inner wall of the upper jaw likewise has a ramp 52, depression 53 and a 
notch 54 of the same shape as the like named components in the lower wall. 
Having such a construction allows the pincers to be operated upside down 
as well as right side up so that the disc can be launched in any position 
that suits the operator. 
A ridge 55 is formed on the inner wall of the upper jaw. When the jaws are 
closed the space between the ridge and the protuberance is too confined to 
allow the disc to pass thus the ridge and protuberance co-operate to limit 
the disc from advancing beyond these parts and striking the operator's 
hand. 
A strip 56 of flexible material (illustrated in FIG. 2 but not in FIG. 1) 
extends between the two jaws. The ends of the strip are attached to the 
lower wall or web of each jaw. The strip is narrow enough to fit between 
the two side walls of each jaw and serves to guide the rim of the flying 
disc into the notch 50 in the manner described below. 
A strap 57 in the shape of a loop is attached to the lower jaw 16 and 
another loop-shaped strap 58 is attached to the upper jaw. The larger 
strap 57 accommodates the thrower's fingers and the smaller strap 58 
accommodates his thumb. The strap is made of flexible material such 
polymeric material and its ends are interconnected by suitable means such 
as dome fasteners or, as illustrated, by VELCRO so that its opening may be 
adjusted to the size of the thrower's fingers and thumb. 
FIGS. 3 and 4 show a flying disc 60, travelling in the direction of arrow 
61 being caught by the pincers and FIGS. 5 and 6 show the disc after it 
has been caught. In FIG. 3, the rim 62 of the disc that is shown in broken 
lines has passed through the space between the two pads 22, 24. The disc 
shown in solid lines in the same Figure has penetrated further into the 
space between the two jaws and its rim is in contact with the lower area 
of the ramp. 
FIG. 4 shows the furthermost point of advance of the disc into the space. 
In that Figure, the rim of the disc is within notch 50. If the jaws are 
wide open, strip 56 will prevent the disc from advancing beyond the notch. 
If the jaws are partly or completely closed, the protuberance 51 on the 
lower jaw and ridge 55 on the upper jaw will prevent the disc from 
advancing beyond them because there is too little space between them to 
allow the disc to pass. Thus whether the jaws are wide open, partially 
closed or completely closed, the disc will not advance beyond the ridge 
and the protuberance. 
The method of launching the flying disc is illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 9. 
With reference first to FIG. 7, prior to launching the disc, it is placed 
between the jaws in the position shown in broken lines where its rim is in 
the notch in side wall 32 but not in the notch in the other side wall 34. 
On that side, the rim is in contact with the ramp. The jaws are then 
closed to hold the disc in that position. 
As illustrated in FIG. 8, the operator then bends his arm and wrist so that 
the disc is adjacent to his body. The arm is then swung in the direction 
of the arrow in that Figure until both the wrist and arm are straight as 
illustrated in FIG. 9. As the arm is swung the pressure on the jaws is 
eased and the centrifugal force acting on the disc will force the jaws to 
open and to cause the disc to fly out in the direction of the arrow. The 
swinging of the arm will also cause the disc to spin as it travels through 
the air. 
It will be understood of course that modifications can be made in the 
preferred embodiments illustrated and described herein without departing 
from the scope and purview of the invention as defined in the appended 
claims.