Launcher for a toy glider

Abstract

A method for making an affordable toy glider and launcher with intrinsic cross-sectional strength and extended useful life, each made from a sheet of corrugated paperboard. The sheets have a patterned layout of a complete set of glider and launcher parts that are printed on a printable side of the corrugated paperboard. All parts are precut and retained in place. The central body (fuselage) has two mirror imaged sides foldable along scored guide lines to form a three sided “U” shaped structure. A nose pack with coin weights used for balance, is placed at the nose section between the sides. A wing and stabilizer cutouts are inserted in slots with tabs used to center and fix the cutouts in place. Included is a pistol grip launcher which is universal in its use for launching all types of toy gliders.

1 . A launcher device for hand launching a toy glider comprising:
 a sheet of corrugated paperboard having pre-cut parts containing two pistol grip patterns, a first pattern used as an external member for each side of said hand launcher, and a second pattern used as an internal spacing member, said first pattern aligned and sandwiching at least one of said internal spacing member;   said internal spacing member having a top surface that is shorter than said top surface of said external members thereby forming a channel runway between said internal and external members;   a continuous loop rubber band used for launching said toy glider;   said rubber band is looped around a lower front hook provided by said internal spacer member, each side passing outward through the rubber band guide slots in respective external members, continuing along the outside of the external members and looping around upper hooks in said external members, completing a sling-shot arrangement at the upper end of said outside members.   
   
   
       2 . The hand launcher of  claim 1  wherein said launcher is well-suited to launch any of a variety of non-powered gliders without impeding the flight path of said glider as it passes through said channel runway. 
   
   
       3 . The hand launcher of  claim 1  wherein said pistol grip shape in combination with said sling-shot arrangement provides a simple two hand operation for launching said toy glider. 
   
   
       4 . The hand launcher of  claim 1  wherein said launcher has a self-restoring, quick-cocking, sling-shot action using a closed loop rubber band for “rapid fire” launching. 
   
   
       5 . A method of hand launching a toy glider, comprising the steps of:
 providing a hand launcher for launching said toy glider;   said hand launcher is built from a sheet of corrugated paperboard having pre-cut parts containing a plurality of two different patterned pistol grip parts, a first pattern used as an external member for each side of said hand launcher, and a second pattern used as an internal spacing member, said first pattern aligned and sandwiching at least one of said internal spacing member;   said internal spacing member having a top surface that is shorter than said top surface of said external members thereby forming a channel runway between said internal and external members, and   a continuous loop rubber band used for launching said toy glider;   said rubber band is looped around a lower front hook provided by said internal spacer member, each side passing outward through the rubber band guide slots in respective external members, continuing along the outside of the external members and looping around upper hooks in said external members completing a “H” shaped sling-shot arrangement; and   providing a toy glider.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said toy glider is placed to intercept with said sling-shot arrangement, said toy glider is pulled back and released to launch said glider. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said launcher is well-suited to launch any of a variety of non-powered gliders without impeding the flight path of said glider as it passes through said channel runway. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said pistol grip shape in combination with said sling-shot arrangement provides a simple two hand operation for launching said toy glider. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said launcher is ready to be used immediately after launching in a rapid launching mode.