Abstract:
The invention provides an improved jump rope or jump rope assembly having a training apparatus or attachment affixed thereto. The jump rope or jump rope assembly as described herein features a fastener or fastening means, a loop, a tail or tail extender, a securing line, tube pieces, a tab that locks the line at any of pre-selected lengths, and jump rope handles.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to an improved jump rope or jump rope assembly having a training apparatus or attachment affixed thereto. 
       BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    The jump rope is an ancient creation and product that is as simple as a length of rope of varying thickness and diameter that may also have handles on one or both ends. Its most common and original purposes are for general exercise, building for instance, endurance, for recreation, and for building upper body strength by using heavy construction trade-grade rope. It would be desirable to provide an improved jump rope or jump rope assembly having a training apparatus or attachment, e.g. a tail, safely affixed thereto that enables the user to jump higher than with a standard jump rope. 
         [0003]    All publications, patent applications, patents and other reference material mentioned are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In addition, the materials, methods and examples are only illustrative and are not intended to be limiting. The citation of references herein is not to be construed as an admission that the references are prior art to the present invention. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0004]    The invention provides a jump rope or jump rope assembly having a training apparatus or attachment affixed thereto. The jump rope or jump rope assembly provides the advantage of allowing or requiring the user to jump up to adjustable higher heights. The jump rope or jump rope assembly features a fastener or fastening means, a loop, a tail or tail extender, a securing line, one or more tube pieces, a tab that locks the securing line at any of one or more pre-selected lengths, and optionally jump rope handles. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  depicts a jump rope or jump rope assembly as described herein featuring A a fastener or fastening means, B a loop, C a tail or tail extender, D a securing line, E tube pieces, F a tab that locks the line at any of pre-selected lengths, and G jump rope handles. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0006]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the jump rope or jump rope assembly provides A, a fastener or fastening means, B, a loop made by curling a rope length at its end and using zip ties to hold the end of the rope to the prior section of rope thereby forming the loop, C, varying lengths of separate rope with a loop on one end and a fastener on the rope&#39;s other end thus forming a tail or tail extender when fastened to any typical jump rope after being centered between the handles, D, a line such as a nylon fishing line that forms part of A the fastener or fastening means to prevent the tail from flying into the air if the A fastener or fastening means breaks from constant impact with the ground or hard surface, E, tube pieces that shield rope and provide its centering and momentum, lift, and extend properties needed to lengthen the tail so as to require jumping for high jump contests and building of high jumping ability, F a tab such as a velcro tab that locks and unlocks the line such as nylon fishing line at any of pre-selected lengths along the jump rope section towards the handle, away from the tail. The tail is affixed to the jump rope center between the jump rope&#39;s handles G. 
         [0007]    The jump rope described herein can be made using an ordinary jump rope of the type made for purposes of building and maintaining endurance. The jump rope has attached thereto at the rope length&#39;s lateral/horizontal center length section, a tail that is easily detachable. The tail can be an be easily lengthened or unfolded to an also secure new, longer length. 
         [0008]    The tail also may have one or more end flaps on each of its top and lower sides, at the tail&#39;s end, which can be partially or fully opened to resist air as does a parachute. The flaps increase of wind resistance as the jump rope spins up and down, and around the user&#39;s body This slows the rope&#39;s spin and requires more arm exertion, thus building more arm strength as it builds endurance, flexibility and agility. 
         [0009]    The tail may be made of typical jump rope or electrical wire and very durable bearings that can also be a very strong metal fastener that freely spins around the jump rope&#39;s center where the tail is located and fastened with a bearing/fastener. The tail may be adjustable so that it can unfold to longer lengths by means of Velcro, or other common durable adjustable fasteners. 
         [0010]    The jump rope&#39;s center length and tail may have tube pieces that are durable long pieces of plastic and/or metal tubing (also referred to as beads). The beads may be placed around the rope&#39;s center length section and on its tail, as a protective shell and weight to harness more inertia effect, and to limit the rope&#39;s lateral sway and bounce-up each time the jump rope and tail smash into the ground or floor. 
         [0011]    The shell of segmented pieces of plastic or metal tubes allows for a very strong nylon line such as fishing line to be parallel and next to the rope inside the shell pieces. This nylon line extends from the point where the tail is fastened to the jump rope to the far opposite end of the tail. 
         [0012]    The tail may be width adjustable, e.g., 12″ to 18″, as well as, for length. The side ropes may be made of wires to prevent the tail from drooping down and hitting the user&#39;s head as the jump rope and tail fly past overhead. The back end of the tail may be segmented and precisely weighted for various aerodynamic and other purposes. 
         [0013]    Durability and safety are much more critical with the jump rope described herein than with an ordinary jump rope because the rope is smashing into the ground with much more destructive force and impact from the greater distance traveled. from the higher jumping arc or path and greater weight from the jump rope&#39;s protecting shell. 
         [0014]    The jump rope described herein assures safety as it, like all jump ropes, is continually mostly smashed with great force against the ground or a hard surface, force enough to break most objects attached to a rope, that is then forcefully spun up in the air, which could cause injury if the tail fastener/clip broke from the smash. 
         [0015]    As such, the jump rope described herein incorporates a safety feature. The tail of the jump rope may provide a clip that allows for the tail to be lengthened to require higher jumping than for jumping a standard jump rope. The clip contains in its structure a long, strong line such as a nylon fishing line that is permanently and securely affixed to the jump rope so that it will survive the constant hard crashing against the ground. Therefore, if the metal fastener or clip breaks, it and the tail remain attached to the jump rope instead of being thrown into the air. 
         [0016]    The jump rope or jump rope assembly described herein is the only aerobic, continuously usable means that requires the user to high jump up to adjustable higher heights. The line such as a nylon line is part of the clip, making it part of the adjusting means allowing it to increase the length of the jump rope&#39;s tail thereby requiring the user to jump higher.