Abstract:
A kite of delta shape having a frame and sail defining a keel and a pari of wings. Primary and secondary bridle lines are connected together and to the frame and carry connectors, two being located for dual line control and four being located for quad line control whereby the flyer can select either type of control depending on the desired variation he may wish in the maneuvers of the kite while flying.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to kites and more particularly to a kite which may alternatively be controlled by two or by four control lines. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Keeled kites are well known and dual control line kites wherein kite lines are attached to the kite on opposite sides of its center line are known as, for example, in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,832 to Tabor. Four or quad line kite control is also known as in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,006 to Hadzicki. Heretofore there has not been a kite which has been constructed to enable its control alternatively by either two lines, i.e. &#34;dual line&#34; control or four line, i.e. &#34;quad line&#34; control. 
     The broad object of the invention is to provide such a kite. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide improved construction of a keeled delta wing kite for dual or quad line control. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the kite of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the kite of the invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a broken enlarged detailed view of structure within the circle marked III in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a broken enlarged detailed view of structure within the circle marked IV in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 5 is a front elevational view, partly broken away, of the kite of the invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a vertical cross sectional view looking substantially in the direction of the arrows 6--6 in FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged horizontal, broken cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 7--7 of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 8 is a vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 8--8 of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 9 is a broken perspective view of a typical connector for two struts as used in the frame of the kite of the invention; 
     FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing the kite line bridle of the invention rigged for dual line control, the sail, for illustrative purposes only, being depicted as if it were transparent; and 
     FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10 but showing the kite line bridle of the invention rigged for quad line control. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The kite of the present invention comprises the combination of a frame 10 composed of hollow flexible struts, described in detail hereafter, and a sail 12 of fabric sheet material such as woven nylon cloth. The frame and sail define a kite of substantially delta shape having a narrow front end 14 and a wide trailing end 16, a central keel 18 a pair of wings 20 one each on an opposed side of the keel 18. The wings 20 have leading edges 22 defined respectively by first and second seams 24, each of which is closed at the upper narrow end 14 of the delta shape of the assembly and open at the lower opposite end. The seams are closed to form the leading edges 22 of the wings 20 by a line of stitching 25 which may be of a sinuous configuration as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. 
     The frame 10 of the kite is defined, in part, by a resilient side strut 26 received in each of the respective seams 24, each of the struts 26 having an exposed end 26a extending freely through the open end of a respective seam 24 and beyond the wide end of the delta shape as best seen in FIG. 3. First and second flexible lines 30 are located in the respective seams 24, each line being sewn to the sheet material 20 by the line of stitching 25 whereby the line is anchored to the sheet material substantially parallel to the seam. The lines 30 need only extend partway up portions of the length of the seams 24 since their function is to tighten the sail material along the side struts 26 after the free end 30a of each line, where it emerges from the open end of its seam, has been grasped, tensioned and then anchored to the exposed end 26a of a side strut 26 as best seen in FIG. 3. The means for anchoring the ends 30a of the lines 30 to the strut ends can be simply &#34;taut-line&#34; knots, such as those shown at 32, and which may be partially covered by socket members 34, which also serve as anchoring elements. 
     In addition to the side struts 26, the kite frame includes a center strut 36, as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, disposed equi-distant between the side struts 26. A rearwardly open pocket 37 is disposed at the center of the narrow front end 14 of the delta shape, one end of the center strut 36 being received in the pocket, the opposite end 36a of the center strut extending freely beyond the center of the wide end 16 of the delta shape. Third and fourth rear end seams 38 are formed by lines of stitching 40 along the wide end 16 of the delta shape, each of the end seams 38 extending between an exposed end 26a of a respective side strut 26 and the exposed end 36a of the center strut 36, the end seams 38 defining hollow tunnels open at both ends. Third and fourth flexible lines 42 pass freely through the respective third and fourth seams 38 and have exposed ends 42a and 42b, see FIGS. 3 and 4, extending beyond the open opposite ends of the seams 38, means, such as the taut line knots similar to knot 32, anchor the exposed ends of each of the respective third and fourth lines 42 to the exposed ends 36a of the center strut 36 and to the exposed end 26a of a side strut 26, respectively. 
     It will be observed in FIGS. 1 and 2 that each of the third and fourth seams is curved in the direction of the narrow front end of the delta shape. 
     In addition to the side and center strut 26, 36, the frame 10 further comprises a first lateral strut 44, FIG. 1, having a predetermined length corresponding to the width of the delta shape at a first selected distance from the narrow end 14 of the delta shape. A second lateral strut 46 has a predetermined length greater than that of the first lateral strut and corresponding to the width of the delta shape at a second selected distance, greater than the first, from the narrow end 14 of the delta shape. Means are provided for connecting the opposed ends of the struts 44, 46 to exposed portions of the respective side struts 26 with the struts being substantially parallel to each other, normal to the center strut 36, and on the side of the sail fabric opposite the center strut 36. 
     A preferred connecting means is illustrated in FIG. 9 where a short piece of hollow flexible tubing 48, is apertured at one end to receive therethrough an exposed portion of a side strut 26. The opposite end of the tubing 48 defines a socket to receive an end of a lateral strut, say strut 44. As will be explained more fully hereinafter, an end of a kite line harness, broadly designated by the numeral 50 is connected to the respective side struts 26 at each juncture of a side strut with a lateral strut. As can be seen in FIG. 9, stop collars 52 are adhered to the side struts 26 below the tubular connectors 48 to retain the connectors in their positions of use on the side struts and also to serve as anchors for the ends of the kite line harness 50 as should be clear from FIG. 9. 
     The frame is completed by a pair of laterally spaced transition struts 56 each having one end connected, as by a tubular socket member 48 as that described in FIG. 9 and see particularly FIG. 7, to the second lateral strut 46 intermediate a respective side strut 26 and the center strut 36. The opposite end of each transition strut 56 is releasably connected to the respective third and fourth seams 38 at a predetermined positioned along the lengths thereof and normal to the lateral strut 46. Each transition strut 56 and each of the third and fourth lines 42 have a length which, when the strut is in its position of use, the third and fourth lines are tensioned to tension the sail and define a pair of laterally spaced ridges, 58, FIG. 5, whose adjacent inner walls define the keel 18 and whose outer walls define the wings 20. 
     The preferred means for connecting the opposite ends of the transition struts 56 to the third and fourth end seams 38 comprise male and female garment snap fasteners 60, 62 (FIG. 7) one being carried by the end of a transition strut 56 and the other being fixed to an end seam 38. 
     The keel 18 of the kite is desirably cut from a single piece of fabric and joined by lap seams and lines of stitching 64 to upper parts 20a of the wings 20. The lower parts or wing tips 20b of the wings are joined by seams and stitching 66 to the upper parts 20a, these five components of the sail being cut in such a manner that when assembled the material bias will align for proper elasticity regarding their placements. Stated differently the sail components are designed to be assembled in such a manner as to define and strengthen the keel to wing and wing to wing tip sections thereby providing structural integrity for the entire kite. 
     With reference again to FIG. 7 the second lateral strut 46 may, for convenience, be composed of a first part 46a which is telescopically received within a second part 46b. The two parts are biassed towards each other due to the tensioning force of the transition struts 56, a stop collar 68 being adhered to the section 46a for engagement with the end of section 46b to locate the parts in their proper relative positions. The lateral strut 46 is connected to the center strut 36 by means of a tubular connector 69 extending through an opening 70 (FIGS. 1, 7 and 8) in the sail fabric. 
     The kite line bridle 50, in accordance with the invention, comprises a pair of primary flexible lines 72 (FIG. 1) each connected at one end to a side strut 26 adjacent its juncture with an end of lateral strut 44 and is connected at its opposite end across the keel 18 to lateral strut 46 at a predetermined distance from the central strut 36. The strut 46 is provided with a collar 73, which with collar 68, provide anchors for the opposite ends of lines 72. The bridle 50 also includes a pair of secondary flexible lines 74 each connected at one end to a side strut 26 adjacent its juncture with lateral strut 46 and at its opposite end with a primary line intermediate the ends thereof but preferably closer by a predetermined distance to the intersection of primary line 72 with side strut 26. 
     For dual kite line control, attachment means such as the loops 76 shown, are provided at the intersection of each secondary line 74 with a primary line 72. For quad line control, first and second pairs of loops 77, 78 are provided, one loop 77 of a quad line control pair being located on each primary line 72 substantially midway between its intersection with a side strut and its intersection with a secondary line 74, the loop 78 of the other pair being located substantially at the midpoint of a secondary line 74. 
     Each wing 20 is provided with a vent 80 occupying the central portion of each wing tip 20b and extending into the wing proper as shown. The purpose of the vents is to increase the sensitivity of the kite in its response to manipulation of the dual or quad kite line controls. 
     With reference now to FIG. 10 it will be observed that under dual line control each primary line 72 with a secondary line 74 forms a three point connection at loop 76 with one end of each of a pair of kite lines 84 of a dual line control whose opposite end is connected to one end of control stick 86. The kite is maneuvered by twisting the stick in a manner known to those skilled in the art of flying maneuverable kites. 
     For quad line control as shown in FIG. 11 the ends of each pair of control lines 88, 90 are connected to the respective loops 77, 78. Thus in flight, the part of secondary line 74 between loop 78 and the connection of line 74 at loop 76, with primary line 72, between loops 76 and 77, form a straight line between the loops 77 and 78 as is apparent in FIG. 11. The other part of secondary line 74 between loop 78 and the intersection of line 74 with side strut 26 defines one leg of a rectangular bridle whose opposite leg is defined by that part of primary line 72 between loop 77 and its point of intersection with side strut 26. The remainder of primary line 72 between loop 76 and the intersection of line 72 with strut 46 is idle as depicted by the portion of line 72 marked 72a in FIG. 11. 
     For quad control, the opposite ends of each pair of control lines 88, 90 are connected respectively to a separate control stick 92. Those skilled in the art of quad line control of kites will recognize that a kite can be put through a wide range of maneuvers and stunts by manipulating the sticks 92.