Balancing board

A balancing board includes a platform to which a pair of parallel tracks are mounted to the lower surface. The tracks each include two parallel rods mounted so that they rotate freely about their axes. A set of wheels are mounted to a common shaft. The wheels are separated so that they roll along the tracks and between the pairs of rods. The wheels are biased toward the center of the tracks by springs or by ramps, or both. Two biasing springs, positioned on either side of the shaft and connected between the shaft and the platform, can be used. Biasing ramps at the far ends of the tracks can be used to bias or redirect the wheels toward the center of the tracks. A depression at the center of each track acts as a detent to tend to center the wheel assembly during use.

The present invention relates to a balancing board. 
THE PRIOR ART 
It is known in the circus and other such places of entertainment for 
performancers to balance on boards placed across the rolling surfaces of 
cylinders. This feat of balancing requires much practice and as such is 
not suited as a general form of exercise nor for the general public's own 
form of enjoyment. 
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention therefore seeks to ameliorate these disadvantages by 
providing a balancing board which, as it is balanced across a pair of 
wheels, is easier to master than the existing balancing/cylinder devices 
and hence becomes a fun device which is useable by the non-invalided 
members of the general public. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In one broad form the present invention comprises a balancing board: 
comprising a substantially planar member or platform upon which the user 
stands on a first surface thereof; a set of tracks located on the opposed 
surface of the substantially planar member; a set of wheels adapted to run 
along said tracks; and one or more biasing members adapted to be connected 
to the shaft of said wheels to urge said wheels to return to a position 
substantially midway along the length of the board, and hence to lessen 
the movement between the planar member and the wheels. 
In another broad form the present invention comprises a balancing board: 
comprising a substantially planar member or platform upon which the user 
stands on a first surface thereof; a set of tracks located on the opposed 
surface of the substantially planar member; a set of wheels adapted to run 
along said tracks; and a one or more biasing members adapted to engage 
said wheels to urge said wheels to return to a position substantially 
midway along the length of the board.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings an embodiment of the 
present invention comprises a planar member or platform 1 which has two 
pads 2 on the upper surface thereof for the user to stand upon. Preferably 
these pads 2 are made of a non-slip material such as nylon fibres. 
Mounted on the underside of platform 1 are two sets of tracks 3, which are 
composed of rods 4 that are free to rotate in their mountings 5. A set of 
wheels 6 rotatably connected to the shaft 8 are placed within the tracks 
3. This limits the movement of the board relative to the wheels to a 
transverse movement as the axis of the wheels are substantially fixed 
normal to the longitudinal axis of the board and hence provides a more 
stable platform than in the circus type balancing boards. As a result of 
the freely rotatable rods 4 the wheels move freely along the tracks 3 
which have a minimum amount of contact friction with the wheels 6 and 
wheel wear is reduced. 
A biasing member comprising two springs 7 and 7' are connected to the shaft 
8 of the wheels 6 to resiliently hold the wheels at and bias the wheels to 
approximately the mid point of the platform. 
This biasing means, which can take any desired form such as rubber straps, 
increases the response time for movement of the board relative to the 
wheels by means of a reaction of the spring to sideways movement of the 
board so that the stability of the platform is improved over the circus 
type balancing boards while still providing for a degree of skill to 
balance properly on the boards. Further the springs ensure that the wheels 
remain within the track. 
Stop members may be positioned on the ends of the bottom of the platform to 
limit rotational movement of the platform about the wheels. 
In use the user stands with feet apart upon the pads of the platform, and 
once having achieved a point of balance may then with muscular 
co-ordination move the platform to and fro in a sideways direction. 
The platform may be produced from timber, plastic, metal or other suitable 
materials and preferably the wheels are of 100 mm diameter. 
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawing an embodiment of the 
present invention comprises a planar member or platform 1 which has two 
pads (not shown) on the upper surface thereof for the user to stand upon. 
Preferably these pads are made of a non-slip material such as nylon 
fibres. 
Mounted on the underside of platform 1 are two sets of tracks 3 which are 
composed of rods 4 that are free to rotate in their mountings 16. A set of 
wheels 6 rotatably connected to the shaft 8 are placed with the tracks 3. 
This limits the movement of the board relative to the wheels to a 
transverse movement as the axis of the wheels are substantially fixed 
normal to the longitudinal axis of the board and hence provides a more 
stable platform than in the circus type balancing boards. The rods 4 and 
the wheels 6 are preferably made of polyurethane so as to reduce the 
friction therebetween. As a result of this the wheels move freely along 
tracks 3 with a minimum amount of contact friction therewith and the wheel 
wear is reduced. 
A biasing means in the form of ramps 15 are located at each end of the 
tracks 3. In use these ramps urge the wheels 6 back towards the centre of 
the board. 
As shown in FIG. 3 the rods 4 are rotatably held in blocks 16 which are 
mounted on support members 9. A resilient plastics or rubber material 
forms the member 13 which has located on each end integral ramps 15. A 
step is provided between the ramps 15 and the flat running surface 11 of 
the member 13 so as to reduce the relative momentum of the wheels 6 as 
they approach the ramp 15. As shown in the left support member 9 in FIG. 3 
and the support in FIG. 4 there is located a transverse slot 14 in the 
support 9 at the centre of the running surface 11. Thus the running 
surface 11 is forced into the slot 14 by the wheel 6 as shown in FIG. 4 to 
provide a position for the wheels to tend to centre. 
As shown on the right support 9 in FIG. 3 the support 9 could be unslotted 
and a transverse slot 12 be formed in the centre of the running surface 
11. 
Thus the biasing means increases the response time for movement of the 
board relative to the wheels when the wheels approach the ends of the 
tracks and also decreases the lateral movement of the board so that the 
stability of the platform is improved over the circus type balancing 
boards. 
It should be obvious that alterations could be made to the balancing boards 
described above with departing from the spirit and the scope of the 
present invention.