Knots and knot tying – Hand implements
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-27
2001-08-14
Calvert, John J. (Department: 3765)
Knots and knot tying
Hand implements
C289S001200, C289S001500, C289S018100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06273479
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the general art of amusement devices, and to the particular field of inflatable toys having an externally applied sealing element as well as to the field of knot tying and means peculiarly adapted to assist the hand or operated by hand to form a knot by forming a loop through which a portion of a the inflatable toy is passed and the loop tightened.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many situations include providing balloons for people. Examples of such situations include parties, fairs, promotional activities and the like. Often, a multiplicity of balloons must be inflated and sealed. This is often a difficult task, especially if speed is required as is often the case in a situation where a great number of inflated balloons are to be provided.
The situation involving inflating and sealing a multiplicity of balloons generally requires use of a tank of pressurized gas. Each balloon is placed over an exhaust nozzle of the tank, a valve opened, the balloon inflated to a desired size and the valve closed. Once inflated, the balloon must be sealed. This generally is carried out by tying a neck portion of the balloon.
Tying an inflated balloon requires some manual dexterity, and there is a limit to how fast such an operation can be carried out. This is especially true of the balloon neck is not supported in some manner during the tying process as the operator must supply the support during the neck tying process.
Accordingly, the art contains several systems for inflating and sealing off balloons. However, these known systems are often cumbersome, expensive and difficult to use. Still further, many such known systems are not entirely and efficiently amenable to use on a tank of pressurized gas. Furthermore, many of these known systems are fragile.
Often, balloons are sealed off and a ribbon is then attached to the balloon. The ribbon can be decoration in and of itself or it can serve to attach the balloon to another element, such as a greeting card or the like.
Attaching a ribbon to an inflated balloon adds yet another difficultly to the above-discussed problems.
While the art does contain systems for sealing an inflated balloon and attaching a ribbon to such sealed balloon, these known systems are often cumbersome, fragile, difficult to use and are not amenable to use in a variety of situations. This makes such known systems inefficient.
Still further, many of these known systems; are not amenable to packaging with ribbon to be sold as a kit. Therefore, their use is somewhat limited.
Still further, if a prior art system supports a spool of ribbon, that ribbon is often supported in a position that is not as stable as it could be. Ribbon is often being pulled off a spool in a manner that may pull the spool off the support. If a spool of ribbon is pulled off its support, the overall process is slowed down, or the ribbon may be damaged or soiled, all of which are wasteful.
Still further, many known systems are designed for use by a right-handed person and are very difficult, if not impossible, for a left-handed person to use. In order to be most efficient, such a system should be amenable to efficient use by either a right-handed person or a left-handed person.
Furthermore, pressurized gas can be sold in a wide variety of containers having various sizes and shapes. Many known systems can only be efficiently used with large cylindrical tanks. This limits the number of situations in which these known systems can be efficiently used.
Therefore, there is a need for a unit which can be efficiently used to externally seal an inflated balloon that is easy to use by either hand, is amendable to a wide variety of applications and can be packaged with ribbon.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is a main object of the present invention to provide a unit for tying a balloon which is compact, easily stored and used.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a unit for sealing a balloon which can be easily used by either a right-handed or a left-handed person.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a unit for sealing a balloon which can be packaged with ribbon.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a unit for sealing a balloon which can be used with a wide variety of tanks of pressurized gas used to inflate balloons.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a unit for sealing a balloon which securely supports spools of ribbon thereon.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a unit for sealing a balloon which can be easily stored in kit form.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These, and other, objects are achieved by a unit which includes a minimum number of simple and compact elements which are easily and quickly assembled with each other and mounted on a tank in a universal manner. Once mounted on a tank, the unit securely supports itself on the tank and also securely supports the ribbon spool. The unit is also amenable to use with a plurality of spools of ribbon. Furthermore, the unit is amenable to being stored and sold in a kit form either alone or in combination with a ribbon spool and is easily used by either a right-handed user or a left-handed user.
More specifically, the unit includes a supporting bracket having a support section attached thereto by a mounting element when the mounting element mounts the supporting bracket on a tank. A ribbon supporting unit is supported on the support section and ribbon from the spool supported on the ribbon supporting unit is threaded through holes in the supporting bracket so that a balloon neck wound around the supporting bracket encircles the ribbon. Removing the balloon neck from the supporting bracket captures the ribbon. Tying the ribbon thus ties off and seals the balloon.
The unit is mounted on a tank of gas used to inflate balloons adjacent to the exhaust valve of the tank. A balloon is easily inflated using the exhaust valve of the tank and is then easily and quickly moved to a position to be wrapped around the supporting bracket and the ribbon.
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Calvert John J.
Gernstein Terry M
Welch Gary L.
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