Shuttle toy having two orifices and shock absorbing means

Disclosed herein is an improved slide toy of the type comprising a reciprocatable element which cyclically traverses a straight path defined by a pair of flexible cords passing through the slide element. More specifically, the invention herein is directed to an improved handle construction to which each of the beforementioned cords is secured and an improved line guide means disposed at opposite ends of the slide element and including spaced orifices through which the orifices are threaded.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
Toys which are adapted to be reciprocated along parallel cords between two 
(or four) users manipulating the cords by handles attached to the ends 
thereof are known to the art. One specific example of such a toy having a 
single, axially straight, continuous hole extending completely through a 
shuttle assembly, which hole of course is greater in diameter than the sum 
of the diameter of the cords passing therethrough, is shown and described 
in U.S. Pat. No. 3,743,280. Other versions of the type of shuttle toy 
described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,743,280 simple comprise a hollow shuttle 
having single hole at opposite ends thereof through which a pair of cords 
are extended. The present invention is directed to an improved version of 
this general type of toy. 
Specifically, in accordance with the present invention, the new slide toy 
is stabilized by the provision of separate orifices at the opposite ends 
thereof, each of which orifice is not substantially greater than the cord 
passing therethrough, and in no event exceeds twice the diameter of the 
cords passing therethrough. In this manner, the cords or flexible track 
means along which the slide means is adapted to be propelled may be 
maintained in a substantially stabilized relationship to eliminate or 
substantially significantly reduce the possibility of yawing, pitching and 
rolling of the slide element as it travels along the track means. 
As a further specific aspect of the present invention, integral shock 
absorbing means in the nature of collapsible, resilient bellows or like 
shock absorbing bumpers are integrally molded into the handle structures 
into which each of the flexible track means is secured. 
For a more complete understanding of the principles of the present 
invention and a better appreciation of the attendant advantages which may 
be derived from the practice thereof, reference should be made to the 
following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying 
drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the slide toy of the present invention comprises 
a slide element 10, shown in the form of a hollow airplane, having wings 
11 and a tail assembly 12. Although illustrated in the specific form of a 
hollow airplane, the toy may take any desired shape, hollow or otherwise, 
which may be readily blow-molded or otherwise simply formed by 
conventional plastic forming technology. 
In accordance with the principles of the invention, an insert member 15 
having a pair of spaced orifices 16 is inserted in both the forward (nose) 
and rearward (tail) portions of the slide 10 to provide a stabilizing 
track guide within the shuttle. More specifically, each of the inserts 15, 
as shown best in FIG. 3, includes a generally cylindrical projection 17 
having self-locking means 18 formed on the free end thereof. In accordance 
with the invention, the insert 15 is permanently fastened to the slide 
body 10 by inserting the prongs 19 (formed by the members 17 and 18) 
through a pair of holes 20 drilled or otherwise formed in the forward and 
rearwardmost portions of the body 10. As will be understood, the outer 
diameter of the prong portion 17 is substantially equal to the diameter of 
the holes 20, while the outer diameter of the self-locking portion is 
slightly greater than the diameter of the holes 20, whereby the insert 15 
may be snapped permanently into place by pushing the prongs through the 
holes 20 to engage the locking members 18 with the inner surfaces 21 of 
the slide body 10. 
In accordance with the principles of the invention, the diameter of the 
orifices 16 passing through the insert 15 is slightly and not specifically 
greater than the diameter of each of the flexible track means 25 which 
extend through the entire slide body assembly. In no event are the 
orifices 16 any greater than twice the diameter of the flexible track 
means or cords 25 which pass through the assembly. 
Advantageously, the cords 25 may be of braided or unbraided monofilament 
construction and, if desired, may be crisscrossed once in their passage 
through the slide assembly. The enhanced stabilizing and accelerating 
features of the new toy are only made possible by the provision of four 
separate orifices for the cords or tracks along which the slide travels. 
As is known to the art, slide bodies of the type shown and described herein 
are capable of reaching high velocities and generating significant 
momentum as the body reaches the end of its path, ordinarily defined by 
adjacently held pairs of handles. In order to eliminate shock to the 
holders of the handles and to enhance the safety of toys of this general 
type, a new and improved handle structure 40 is provided. As shown best in 
FIG. 3, the new handle is made of unitary construction and includes a 
closed loop, D-shaped hand gripping portion 41. Specifically, a shock 
absorbing bellows 42 is formed at the midpoint of the arcuate portion 43 
of the handle. As shown, each of the cords 25 is adapted to pass through 
the bellows 42 and to be knotted inside the handle to secure the handle to 
the cord in known fashion. As will be understood, when the shuttle toy 
approaches and contacts the handle 42, it will engage and tend to collapse 
the bellows portion 42, which will thereby serve to effectively absorb the 
shock of impact in accordance with the principles of the invention. 
Alternatively, and as will be understood, the same assembly shock 
absorbing characteristics may be obtained by forming the bellows 42 
integrally with the insert member 15. 
The operation of the new toy is simple. The users, standing approximately 
10 to 20 feet apart, merely grasp the opposite ends of the track means 25 
through the handles 41 and draw the track means taut to form a straight 
line path between themselves while bringing the handles together in a 
side-by-side relation. Thereafter, the slide may be reciprocably propelled 
along the straight line path back and forth between the users by the 
coordinated and alternate rapid diversion of the opposite ends of the 
track means 25. Thus, when one of the users rapidly spreads apart the 
handle members 41 in his grasp, while the other user maintains the handles 
in his grasp in a side-by-side relationship (while maintaining tension on 
the cords 25 to keep them taut), the slide body member 10 will fly along 
the cords 25 in a stabilized manner since the toy will be traveling on 
tracks which are disposed in a fixed, spaced relation within the toy body. 
The process is reversed when the toy reaches the end of the straight line 
path, as will be understood. It will be appreciated that the potentially 
hazardous or disconcerting impact of the slide with the handles will be 
minimized by the inclusion of the integral shock absorbing bellows 42. 
While the slide toy construction herein decribed constitutes a preferred 
embodiment of the present invention, it is understood that the invention 
is not limited to the precise construction, which is exemplary only, and, 
therefore, changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of 
the invention as defined hereinafter in the appended claims.