Patent ID: 7850506

Claim:
A balloon weight comprising: a weight body serving to weigh down a balloon when a balloon is secured thereto; and a spool assembly secured to said weight body including: a post extending from said weight body to define a distal end of said post, a lip extending from said post, a slot in said distal end of said post, a spool fitted onto said post under said lip and sliding axially relative to said post between a locked position and an unlocked position, said spool engaging said lip to prevent removal of said spool from said post in an axial direction toward said lip, and a lock bar extending from said spool, said lock bar engaged with said slot in said post in said locked position such that said spool cannot rotate relative to said post and disengaged from said slot in said unlocked position such that said spool can rotate relative to said post; and a ribbon having one end secured to said spool and a free end serving to affix said ribbon to a balloon, the effective length of said ribbon relative to said balloon weight being dependent upon the length of said ribbon that is unwound from said spool, wherein the length of said ribbon unwound from said spool can be increased by pulling on said free end of said ribbon when said spool is in said unlocked position.