US3133522A

US3133522A - Swimming apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3133522A
Application number: US145939A
Authority: US
Inventors: Nicolaie Aristide
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-10-18
Filing date: 1961-10-18
Publication date: 1964-05-19
Anticipated expiration: 1981-05-19

Description

May 19, 1964 A. N'LA'E 3,133,522

SWIMMING APPARATUS IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent O 3,133,522 SWIMMING APPARATUS Aristide Nicolaie, 69 W. 89th St., New York 24, N.Y. Filed Oct. 18, 1961, Ser. No. 145,939 3 Claims. (Cl. IIS-26.3)

My invention relates to swimming apparatus.

I have invented a newl type of swimming apparatus which when attached to the wearer and used by him in bathing will enable the wearer to travel at a relatively high rate of speed through the water whether or not the wearer can swim.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide new swirnming apparatus of the character indicated.l

Another object of my invention is to provide a new type of swimming apparatus wherein the wearer provides the driving power for the apparatus.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a new type of swimming apparatus wherein the Wearer operates the apparatus by pedalling the apparatus in a manner analogous to a bicycle.

These and other objects of my invention will either be explained or will become apparent hereinafter.

In my invention, a propeller is rotated or driven by a shaft which in turn is rotated in accordance with a pedalling operation. The shaft and propeller are attached to the wearer in such manner that when the wearer is in the Water, his pedalling action rotates the propeller and the wearer, depending upon the type of operation desired, travels forward or backward in the water.

My invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanyng drawings. In the drawmgs:

FIGURE 1 is a side view showing the invention as attached to a wearer using same while in water.

FIGURE 2 is a front view of the swimming apparatus alone as worn by the wearer in FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the FIGURES 1 and 2, a male bather partially immersed in water 12 supports swimming apparatus. The apparatus includes a Vertical propeller 16 mounted within a protective frame 14. Propeller 16 is rotated in a vertical plane as a generally horizontal flexible driving shaft 18 secured to propeller 16 at frame 20 is rotated.

Frame 20 is held rigidly attached to the chest of the bather 10 by crossed shoulder straps 22 and 24, belt 26, and leg straps 28 and 30.

A rigid hollow tube 32 carries the shaft 18. One end of the tube 32 is pivotally secured to belts 26 and 34. The other end of the tube 32 is secured to a gear frame 36. This frame 36 carries a bevelled driving gear 38 which 'turns shaft 18. A wheel gear 40 engages and drives gear 38. Gear 40 is rotated by pedals 42 rigidly secured thereto and operated by the bather in the manner indicated in FIGURE 1.

Depending upon the pitch of the Propeller and the direction of pedalling (re clockwise or counter-clockwise) the bather can travel backward or forward in the water.

While I have shown and pointed out and described my invention as applied in a preferred embodiment, many other modifications and variations within the scope and sphere of my invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art. I desire therefore, 'to be limited in my protection only by the terms of the claims which follow.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. Propelling apparatus to be attached to a swimmer, comprising a flexible harness, an elongated tubular frame connected at one end to the harness, pedals supported at the opposite end of the frame from the harness to be rotated by a swimmer, a fleXible shaft extending through the tubular frame operably connected to the pedals for rotation when the pedals are rotated, a second frame connected to the harness and spaced from the tubular frame, a propeller rotatably supported in the second frame, and 'the propeller being connected to the end of the shaft opposite from the pedals and rotated by such shaft when the pedals are rotated, the second frame and the propeller being movable relative to the tubular frame by movement of the body of a swimmer for steering.

2. Propelling apparatus in accordance with claim 1, and the second frame having a screen guard encircling the propeller.

3. Propelling apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the harness is comprised of a plurality of belts, and the end of the shaft connected to the propeller is fiexible to provide movement of the second frame relative to the tubular frame moving the propeller to provide steering.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 222,951 Richardson Dec. 23, 1879 885,212 Young Apr. 21, 1908 1,342,619 Bechtel June 8, 1920 1,732,679 Haby Oct. 22, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS 585,646 Germany May 18, 1930 687,869 France Aug. 1, 1930 648,794 Great Britain I an. 19, 1951

Claims

1. PROPELLING APPARATUS TO BE ATTACHED TO A SWIMMER, COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE HARNESS, AN ELONGATED TUBULAR FRAME CONNECTED AT ONE END TO THE HARNESS, PEDALS SUPPORTED AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE FRAME FROM THE HARNESS TO BE ROTATED BY A SWIMMER, A FLEXIBLE SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH THE TUBULAR FRAME OPERABLY CONNECTED TO THE PEDALS FOR ROTATION WHEN THE PEDALS ARE ROTATED, A SECOND FRAME CONNECTED TO THE HARNESS AND SPACED FROM THE TUBULAR FRAME, A PROPELLER ROTATABLY SUPPORTED IN THE SECOND FRAME, AND THE PROPELLER BEING CONNECTED TO THE END OF THE SHAFT OPPOSITE FROM THE PEDALS AND ROTATED BY SUCH SHAFT WHEN THE PEDALS ARE ROTATED, THE SECOND FRAME AND THE PROPELLER BEING MOVABLE RELATIVE TO THE TUBULAR FRAME BY MOVEMENT OF THE BODY OF A SWIMMER FOR STEERING.