Control handles for stunt kites

Two stunt kite handles are connected together by detachable couplings to form a winding frame which has oppositely extending winding posts for receiving strings wound thereabout in a figure-eight pattern. The handles are also provided with oppositely extending pivot posts which, when loosely held, permit the winding frame to pivot about a rotational axis to facilitate the release of string from the device. Each of two control strings is wound around a grip portion of its respective handle; and, both strings are wound in figure eight fashion around the winding posts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
In recent years, the sport of flying stunt kites has expanded rapidly. As 
exemplified by the inventor's own U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,762, such kites 
normally require two control strings which extend from a pair of control 
handles to bridles on the kite 
Since the lengths of the two control strings should be substantially equal, 
it is desirable to have each string wound around a handle grip so that the 
grip can be rotated to lengthen or shorten the effective length of the 
control string as necessary. One inch dowels are effective grips in this 
regard. However, since the transverse cross section of a handle grip is 
inherently relatively small, it is tedious and inconvenient to wind the 
entire string around the grip at the conclusion of a flying session. 
To expedite the task of winding up control strings, it has been previously 
proposed to form string-receiving notches in the ends of a handle grip, 
and to wind the string in a longitudinal direction in these notches. In 
another arrangement, both handles are connected to a rotatable member so 
they lie parallel to each other, and the string is wound either 
transversely or longitudinally around the handles and/or rotatable member. 
This arrangement requires the rotatable member which, as an extra element, 
can be lost or misplaced. 
The present invention represents an improvement to kite string handles and 
winders. The handles themselves are coupled together to form a winding 
frame which is simple, convenient, and effective. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
According to the invention, two handles for a stunt kite are provided with 
coupling means which detachably connect them together so they form a 
winding frame. The winding frame has two projections which extend out in 
opposite directions and act as winding posts around which a string is 
wound. Preferably, the winding frame has two other projections which act 
as pivot posts in that they define a rotational axis for rotation of the 
frame. The winding posts lie on opposite sides of the rotational axis so 
that when the frame is held by the pivot posts and the string is pulled, 
the frame will rotate about the rotational axis. 
Each of the handles includes a grip portion. When flying a kite, some of 
the string is wound around this grip portion so that the grip may be 
rotated to control precisely the effective length of the control string. 
The grips are parallel and spaced apart when the handles are connected 
together in the winding frame configuration. Each handle has its coupling 
means located at opposite ends of the grip so that the strings wound on 
the grips cannot slip off the grips when the handles are connected 
together. The winding frame may be generally rectangular. Each handle 
includes one winding post projection and one pivot post projection, and 
these projections extend diagonally out from corners of the winding frame. 
Two kite strings each have a portion wound around a respective grip 
portion, and both of these strings are wound in a figure eight pattern 
around the winding post projections.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
As shown in FIG. 1, a stunt kite 2 is being flown on two control strings 4 
and 6 which are wound around the grips 8 of a pair of geometrically 
identical handles 10. The handles have parallel forwardly extending 
connector/spacer portions 12 and 14 and rearwardly diverging projections 
16 and 18. The elements 12, 14, 16, and 18 effectively provide the grips 
with wide profile ends which reduce the risk that the strings will fall 
off the ends of the handles. As seen in FIG. 2, the strings are connected 
to each handle at transverse tie holes 19. The strings pass through the 
tie holes and are then knotted to form a loop which encircles half of the 
respective grip 8. 
As shown in FIG. 3 the connector portion 12 of the left handle include a 
pin 20 and the connector portion 14 of the right handle has a bore 22. 
These elements 20 and 22 serve as a coupling which permits the two handles 
to be connected together as shown in FIG. 2, thus forming a winding frame 
24 about which the control strings 4 and 6 can be wound. 
As shown in FIG. 2, the winding frame 24 is generally rectangular, and the 
projections 16 and 18 extend diagonally out from its corners. The grips 8 
are parallel and spaced apart, and the couplings 20, 22 are engaged. Each 
of the strings 4, 6 is wound around a respective grip 8, and both strings 
are wound in a figure eight pattern around the projections 16 which serve 
as winding posts. The projections 18 are diagonally opposed and they 
define a rotational axis A--A about which the winding frame may be rotated 
when unwinding the control strings from the winding frame in preparation 
for a flying session. 
After flying a kite as shown in FIG. 1, the handles are connected together 
by engaging their couplings 20, 22 to form the winding frame 24 as shown 
in FIG. 2. Since the couplings are at both ends of the grips, the act of 
coupling the handles together forms a structure which prevents the string 
which is wound around the grips from sliding off the ends of the grips. 
The two strings are then brought together and wound around the winding 
posts 16 in the figure eight pattern shown in FIG. 2. This brings the 
strings in rapidly, and it sequentially introduces right twist and left 
twist to the strings so that the overall twist introduced by winding is 
substantially zero. The presence of the string presents the handles from 
being pulled apart and uncoupled. Throughout this procedure, the effective 
lengths of the strings extending from the grips are not significantly 
changed, so that little or no length adjustment is required at the 
beginning of the next flying session. The winding frame with the string on 
it can then be conveniently stored until the next flying session. 
When preparing for the next flying session, the strings are connected to a 
kite, and the winding frame is held loosely by the pivot posts 18. The 
kite is pulled away from the frame or the frame is moved away from the 
kite, thus causing the frame to rotate in an oscillatory manner until the 
figure eight portion of the string has been fully extended. At this point, 
since the strings are no longer holding the two handles 10 against 
separation, the handles can be pulled apart for normal use in flying the 
kite. 
The handles may be formed of conventional materials such as wood or 
plastic. The grips may be of any suitable cross section including 
elliptical, oval, rectangular, etc. A foam cushion cover may be provided 
around each hand grip. In this instance, each handle is made of an upper 
half and a lower half. A tubular body of plastic foam is slipped up onto 
the grip portion of the upper half, and down onto the grip portion of the 
lower half, and the two halves are snapped or bonded permanently together, 
thus providing a handle with a comfortable foam covering. 
Although only one embodiment has been shown, it will be evident to persons 
familiar with the art that the invention may take many different forms. 
Thus, it is emphasized that the invention is not limited solely to the 
embodiment described in this specification, but is embracing of many other 
structures which fall within the spirit of the following claims.