Kite controller

Claim 2

A controller for dual lines comprising a frame member having means for guiding control lines, a reel disposed in said frame member, means mounting said reel about its periphery for rotation about its vertical axis, said reel having spaced-apart line grooves, and means for selectively applying a braking force to the periphery of said reel intermediate of said line grooves.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes a peripheral tongue and groove interconnection.

Claim 4

A controller for airborne devices comprising support means having a central body portion and spaced apart line guide means, said central body portion having a cylindrical recess and having a transverse access opening, trigger means received in said access opening, handle means depending from said central body portion, spool means for control lines received in said recess, first peripherally disposed mounting means on said support means, second peripherally disposed mounting means on said spool means and in cooperative engagement with said first mounting means, said first and second mounting means being disposed intermediate of said control lines for mounting said spool means for rotation about its vertical axis, and means on said trigger for frictionally engaging said spool means intermediate of said control lines, said trigger means being selectively movable to vary the frictional force on said spool means.

Claim 5

A controller for airborne devices comprising support means having a central body portion and spaced apart line guide means, said central body portion having a cylindrical recess and having a transverse access opening, trigger means received in said access opening, handle means depending from said central body portion, spool means for control lines received in said recess, first peripherally disposed mounting means on said support means, second peripherally disposed mounting means on said spool means and in cooperative engagement with said first mounting means, said first and second mounting means being disposed intermediate of said control lines for mounting said spool means for rotation about its vertical axis, and means on said trigger for frictionally engaging said spool means intermediate of said control lines, said trigger means being selectively movable to vary the frictional force on said spool means.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said support means, said trigger means and said handle means have coextensively arranged portions and a single fastener means interconnects said support means, said trigger means and said handle means.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said trigger means is pivotally mounted on said support means and includes said frictionally engaging means located above the pivot location of said trigger means and selectively operable latch means below the pivot location for normally preventing disengagement of said frictionally engaging means from said spool, said latch means being received in a recessed portion of said support means, and means for disabling said latch means for permitting disengagement of said frictionally engaging means from said spool.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said trigger means is pivotally mounted on said support means and includes said frictionally engaging means located above the pivot location of said trigger means, said support means having a recessed portion below the pivot point and a second pivot location located in said recessed portion whereby said frictionally engaging means is disengageable from said spool when said trigger means is pivoted about said second pivot location.

Claim 9

A controller for airborne devices comprising a main support having handle means and spaced-apart line guide means, a spool on said support, said spool having spaced apart grooves, a control line wound in each groove on said spool, said control lines respectively extending from said spool and passing through said guide means, support means disposed intermediate of said grooves for peripherally supporting said spool for rotation about its central axis without a center support, said support means including interrelated tongue and groove means where one of said tongue and groove means extends about the periphery of said spool, and the other of said tongue and groove means includes means for selectively applying a friction force to said spool.

Claim 10

A controller for airborne devices comprising a main support having handle means and spaced-apart line guide means, a spool on said support, said spool having spaced apart grooves, a control line wound in each groove on said spool, said control lines respectively extending from said spool and passing through said guide means, support means disposed intermediate of said grooves for peripherally supporting said spool for rotation about its central axis without a center support, said support means including interrelated tongue and groove means where one of said tongue and groove means extends about the periphery of said spool, and the other of said tongue and groove means includes means for selectively applying a friction force to said spool.

Claim 11

The controller of claim 7 wherein said spool has an annular groove means and at least two tongue means interengage with said annular groove means, one of said tongue means being resiliently biased into frictional engagement with said annular groove means.

Claim 12

A controller for airborne dEvices comprising support means having a central body portion and spaced apart line guide means, said central body portion having a cylindrical recess and having a transverse access opening, trigger means received in said access opening, handle means depending from said central body portion, spool means for control lines received in said recess for rotation about its vertical axis, and means on said trigger and said support means having coextensively arranged portions for frictionally engaging said spool, said trigger means being selectively movable to vary the frictional force on said spool, and single fastener means interconnecting said support means, said trigger means and said handle means.

Claim 13

A controller for airborne dEvices comprising support means having a central body portion and spaced apart line guide means, said central body portion having a cylindrical recess and having a transverse access opening, trigger means received in said access opening, handle means depending from said central body portion, spool means for control lines received in said recess for rotation about its vertical axis, and means on said trigger and said support means having coextensively arranged portions for frictionally engaging said spool, said trigger means being selectively movable to vary the frictional force on said spool, and single fastener means interconnecting said support means, said trigger means and said handle means.

Claim 14

A controller for airborne devices comprising support means having a central body portion and spaced apart line guide means, said central body portion having a cylindrical recess and having a transverse access opening, said support means further including thin wall extensions extending transversely from said central body portion to said line guide means, said central body portion being extended below said wall extensions, trigger means received in said access opening, handle means depending from said central body portion, spool means for control lines received in said recess for rotation about its vertical axis, a control line on said spool means disposed above said recess and a control line on said spool means disposed within said recess, said body portion having an opening to said recess thereby permitting the control line within said recess to be disposed below said extensions, and means on said trigger and said support means for frictionally engaging said spool, said trigger means frictionally engaging said spool intermediate of said control lines and being selectively movable to vary the frictional force on said spool.

Claim 15

A controller for airborne devices comprising support means having a central body portion and spaced apart line guide means, said central body portion having a cylindrical recess and having a transverse access opening, said support means further including thin wall extensions extending transversely from said central body portion to said line guide means, said central body portion being extended below said wall extensions, trigger means received in said access opening, handle means depending from said central body portion, spool means for control lines received in said recess for rotation about its vertical axis, a control line on said spool means disposed above said recess and a control line on said spool means disposed within said recess, said body portion having an opening to said recess thereby permitting the control line within said recess to be disposed below said extensions, and means on said trigger and said support means for frictionally engaging said spool, said trigger means frictionally engaging said spool intermediate of said control lines and being selectively movable to vary the frictional force on said spool.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said spool means has upper and lower control line grooves and an intermediate groove, a tab member in said recess opposite said trigger means in registry with said intermediate groove and a tab member on said trigger means in registry with said intermediate groove.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said extensions are triangularly shaped and said line guide means are openings in said extensions.

Claim 18

In a control assembly for airborne devices a reel comprising a main support having a handle portion, a cylindrically configured spool received for rotation about a vertical axis in a cylindrical recess in said support, said cylindrical recess having a flat bottom surface, said vertical axis being located forwardly of said handle, said spool being provided with upper and lower control line-receiving grooves thereon, a guide member positioned on said main support forwardly of said spool including oppositely directed, laterally extending arms, a guide portion at the outer terminal end of each arm, a pair of control lines respectively extending in opposite directions from each of the grooves and each control line passing through one of said guide portions for connection to the airborne device, and means on said support for mounting said spool only about its outer periphery for rotation about its vertical axis relative to said support, said mounting means being disposed intermediate of said control line grooves and extending between said spool and the wall of said cylindrical recess whereby a loop of a control line may be added or subtracted from a spool in a stationary position without incurring entanglement in said reel.

Claim 19

In a control assembly for airborne devices a reel comprising a main support having a handle portion, a cylindrically configured spool received for rotation about a vertical axis in a cylindrical recess in said support, said cylindrical recess having a flat bottom surface, said vertical axis being located forwardly of said handle, said spool being provided with upper and lower control line-receiving grooves thereon, a guide member positioned on said main support forwardly of said spool including oppositely directed, laterally extending arms, a guide portion at the outer terminal end of each arm, a pair of control lines respectively extending in opposite directions from each of the grooves and each control line passing through one of said guide portions for connection to the airborne device, and means on said support for mounting said spool only about its outer periphery for rotation about its vertical axis relative to said support, said mounting means being disposed intermediate of said control line grooves and extending between said spool and the wall of said cylindrical recess whereby a loop of a control line may be added or subtracted from a spool in a stationary position without incurring entanglement in said reel.

Claim 20

A controller for airborne devices comprising a main support having handle means and spaced-apart line guide means, a horizontally disposed spool in a cylindrical recess in said support said cylindrical recess having a flat bottom surface, said spool having upper and lower line carrying grooves containing upper and lower control lines which respectively extend through said guide means, and means disposed in a horizontal plane intermediate of said upper and lower line carrying grooves for supporting the outer periphery of said spool for rotation about its central axis without necessity of a center support thereby providing unrestricted upper and lower surfaces on said spool and permitting unlooping of a control line without entanglement.

Claim 21

A controller for airborne devices comprising a main support having handle means and spaced-apart line guide means, a horizontally disposed spool in a cylindrical recess in said support said cylindrical recess having a flat bottom surface, said spool having upper and lower line carrying grooves containing upper and lower control lines which respectively extend through said guide means, and means disposed in a horizontal plane intermediate of said upper and lower line carrying grooves for supporting the outer periphery of said spool for rotation about its central axis without necessity of a center support thereby providing unrestricted upper and lower surfaces on said spool and permitting unlooping of a control line without entanglement.