Patent Publication Number: US-2005130811-A1

Title: Walking rope

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/529,878, entitled “Walking Rope,” filed Dec. 16, 2003; the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
      The invention relates to ropes and in particular ropes adapted to train and keep track of individuals.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Plain jump ropes have been used for years to walk children such as for instance when children are moving from class to class, at field trips and the like. However, plain jump ropes do not address the issue of having children stay in their correct place on the rope, i.e., maintaining the proper distance from another child and staying in the position they were put in on the rope for purposes of making the task of accounting for all children easier for the teacher, parent or other person(s) supervising the children.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention solves the aforementioned problems by providing each individual such as a student, special needs individual or the like a specific place on the rope and further provides the ability to employ indicia for identifying a child and/or the child&#39;s position on the rope. With the present invention there is no question as to where the individuals are to stay on the rope. The present invention comprises a walking rope comprising a length of rope, cable, chain or the like comprising a plurality of loops, handles or other holdable extensions extending therefrom, said loops spaced from each other in varying distances. In one embodiment the invention comprises indicia holders such as but not limited to clear interchangeable tag holders disposed near at least one of, but preferably near each of, the loops.  
      The invention is useful in many settings including but not limited to daycare centers and any other private or public institutions. It is designed to teach safe and structured transitions in schools, class trips or any type of group walking. It can also be used for young children or special needs children. The present invention also provides a tool for training children as to what is the proper distance to maintain from others so as to preserve each individual&#39;s personal space.  
      The present invention is also usable as a walking rope for teaching children to walk in a straight line. These and other aspects of the present invention will be apparent to those having skill in the art. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a device in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a device in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      In the following description, for purposes of explanation, specific numbers, materials and configurations are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to one having ordinary skill in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known features may be omitted or simplified so as not to obscure the present invention. Furthermore, reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.  
      Now referring to  FIG. 1 , a device  2  in accordance with the present invention comprises a rope  10  comprising a plurality of holdable extensions  20  extending therefrom, said holdable extensions  20  spaced from each other in varying distances.  
      Rope  10  comprises any material such as rope, cable, chain or the like suitable for the purposes of the present invention. Suitable materials include but are not limited to nylon, hemp, cotton and the like; macrame rope; leather; cable; chain or the like. Various colors may be employed. The rope  10  is preferably light enough to prevent users from becoming fatigued but strong enough to avoid breakage, and of a material that will be comfortable in the hand of a user. The rope  10  is preferably a durable material such as nylon that will resist deterioration during storage.  
      Holdable extensions  20  comprise loops, handles or other means for a user to hold the rope  10 .  
      In a preferred embodiment the device  2  employs holdable extensions  20  comprising a plurality of loops that are spaced apart from each other, to provide adequate personal space for each individual on the rope  10 . The loops may be set having uniform intervals between loops, such as but not limited to 16″ spaces between each, or varying distances. A leading loop  22  and/or trailing loop (not shown) may be provided for teachers or chaperones, and these may be set at longer distances form the next loop, to provide more space for the larger adult.  
      The holdable extensions  20  alternatively comprise handles or other suitable holdable extensions. In another embodiment the holdable extensions  20  are adjustable along the length of the rope  10 . Alternatively the holdable extensions  20  are removable. Removability may be achieved by having the extensions  20  attached to the rope  10  by snaps, hooks, Velcro, etc. Alternatively, metal rings are incorporated into the length of the rope  10  at specified distances to provide attachment devices to which the extensions  20  are fastened by any fastening means suitable for the purpose. Adjustability may be achieved by providing each extension  20  to be attached to said rope  10  a sleeve in which said rope  10  is slidably engaged. The sleeve of each extension  20 , in the form of, for example, a handle or loop, can be tightened and fixed to said rope  10  at a desired location using a set screw, clamp or other suitable device known in the art.  
      Now referring to  FIG. 2 , in another embodiment, means  28  for attaching indicia to each extension  20  are provided. Means  28  for attaching indicia may include clips, snaps or the like which may be attached to for example clear tag holders, toys, plush toys or the like. In a most preferred embodiment a device in accordance with the present invention further comprises indicia holders  30  such as but not limited to clear interchangeable tag holders disposed near at least one of, but preferably near each of, the extensions  20 .  
      Tag holders are capable of receiving sheets such as paper, cardboard, felt or the like and used in the interchangeable clear tags. The tags may include indicia such as numbers, colors, days of the week, months of the year, animals, toys, food items and other various learning items. Sheets bearing multiple indicia that may be cut into individual tags may be provided in a system comprising the rope  10  of the present invention. The tags are helpful in identifying the particular extension  20  with which an individual child is associated.  
      In a most preferred embodiment a device  2  in accordance with the present invention comprises a rope  10  fabricated of macrame with extensions  20  comprising loops spaced at 16″ intervals. The device preferably comprises 6 to 8 hand held loops but a greater or lesser number may be provided depending on class or group size. The length of rope  10  varies depending on the needs of the group using the device  2 .  
      Alternatively, the invention is provided as a set of ropes  10 , each rope  10  having extensions  20  set at different intervals.  
      While the preferred embodiments have been described and illustrated it will be understood that changes in details and obvious undisclosed variations might be made without departing from the spirit and principle of the invention and therefore the scope of the invention is not to be construed as limited to the preferred embodiment.