Trick Rope Device

A number of U.S. Patents relate to trick rope devices. These U.S. Pat. Nos. are: 1,953,565 to O'Neil; 2,039,731 to Martin; 2,071,041 to Maggio; and 2,968,117 to Trombly. These aforementioned patents are non-applicable to my present invention.

My present invention relates to a unique and novel trick rope device used to form a perfect horizontal noose.

An object of my present invention is to provide a trick rope device, wherein the user can form a perfect horizontal spinning noose without having to use unnecessary movement of the hand.

A further object of my present invention is to provide a whistle means disposed on the noose.

A further object of my present invention is to provide a flashing light unit disposed in the handle portion of the device, wherein the activation of the light is dependent upon the spinning of the rope member.

A further object of my present invention is to allow selective lengthening and shortening of the length of the rope as well as the size of the noose by moving the two sections of the handle together or away from each other.

Briefly, my present invention comprises an elongated rope member having a noose formed at one end thereof. The other end of the rope member is swivelably joined to a handle member. A flashing light unit is disposed in the handle member. A whistle member is disposed on the elongated rope member.

The objects and features of the invention may be understood with reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a trick rope device;

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a handle portion of the device;

FIG. 3 illustrates a top cross-sectional view of the handle portion taken along lines 3--3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a clamp means for forming a noose of the device.

Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIGS. 1-2 show a trick rope device 10 used by a person to spin a rope to form a perfect noose. The device 10 generally comprises an elongated rope member 12 having one end 14 formed into the shape of a noose 16. The one end 14 of the rope member 12 is bent backward upon itself held by a clamp means 18 as depicted in FIG. 4 thereby forming a loop 20. The one end 14 is passed through loop 20 to form the noose portion 16 of the rope member 12. A plurality of whistle members 22 are disposed on the noose portion 16 of the rope member 12, wherein the whistle members 22 are activated, when the noose portion 16 begins to spin. The other end 15 of the rope member 12 is swivelingly joined to a handle portion 24. The handle portion 24 comprises a two sectional housing 26 having an upper 28 and a lower 30 portion. The upper portion 28, a concave top 32 and a downwardly extending cylindrically shaped wall 34 and an intermediate wall 36 aligned in parallel relationship to top 32 thereby forming an upper 38 and a lower 40 compartment therein. The top 32 has an enlarged center opening 42 therein and wall 36 has an enlarged center hole 44 therein. The wall 36 has a first outer annular bead 46 disposed thereon at a lower end thereof, wherein the inner surface of wall 36 has an annular groove 48 therein which is aligned with bead 46 and extends outwardly into the bead 46. A first ball member 50 is disposed for rotation within the upper compartment 38, wherein ball 50 rotates into opening 42 and hole 44. The ball 50 has a central bore 52 therethrough, wherein the end 15 of the rope member 12 extends through bore 52. The bore 52 is of a diameter such that the rope member 12 is frictionally engaged within the bore 52. The lower portion 30 of housing 26 comprises a base 54, an upwardly extending cylindrically shaped sidewall 56, and a top 58 with a center aperture 60 therethrough. A lower end 62 of wall 56 threadably engages into an annularly shaped threaded groove 64 in an upper surface 66 of the base 54. A second annular bead 68 is disposed on the outer surface of wall 56, wherein bead 68 snaps into groove 48 when the upper portion 28 is disposed onto the lower portion 30 of the housing 26. The walls 34, 56 of the upper 28 and lower 30 portions, respectively, of housing 26 are formed from clear, transparent, flexible plastic which can be readily deformed inwardly upon pressure exerted by the user's fingers. The plastic can be selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene vinyl acetate, or polyvinyl chloride. A battery means 70 is disposed within the compartment 72 of the lower portion 30, wherein the battery means 70 is disposed between two electrical contact points 74, 76. One contact point 74 is wired to a light means 78. A first electrical conductive strip 80 is disposed on the inner surface of wall 56 and is wired to the light means 78. A second electrical conductive strip 82 is wired to the contact point 76. A second ball member 84 has a bore 86 therethrough, wherein the first 50 and second 84 ball members are formed from non-conductive plastic such as teflon. A three quarter annular conductive metallic band 88 is embedded in the outer surface of ball member 84. The ball member 84 is disposed for rotation within compartment 72 wherein the end 15 of the rope member 12 is press fitted through the bore 86 of the ball member 84. A clamp member 90 is affixed to the one end 14 of the rope member 12 which extends through the ball member 84. An on/off electric switch 92 is disposed in the base 54 of the lower portion 30. The series circuit consists essentially of the battery means 70, on/off switch 92, light means 78 and the ball member 84 with band 88 acting as an intermittent switching means between the strips 80, 82.

In use, the person holds the device by the handle portion 24 and spins the rope member 12 causing the noose to form in a horizontal plane.

Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described herein, such modifications being within the spirit and scope of the invention claimed, it is indicated that all matter contained herein is intended as illustrative and not as limiting in scope.