There was a need and friends Arthur Melin and Richard Knerr decided to make something to fill that need. The need was feeding falcons in flight. They developed a slingshot that could shoot meat up to the falcons. Thus, the sling shoot was invented and young boys, including myself were seen with them sticking out of their back blue jean pant pockets. How many of you have ever owned this:
I had one that I believe was like the one pictured above. Yep, a Wham-O Sling Shot and it was patented in 1963. They also came up with a lot of other things, like the Frisbee and the Slip 'N' Slide. Here is a picture of some more of Wham-O's products.
OK, now don't you wish you were a kid again? Heck, If I tried to use some of his toys, especially the Hula-Hoop, I wouldn't be able to walk for a week or more. Rocking in my rocking chair is enough exercise for me (grin). Oh yes, before I go, I suppose that I should tell you that the Hula-Hoop was patented on this day in 1963, now you all have a great day, you hear.
Check Hula-Hoop on wiki. I got one in 1958 and in Houston downtown, it looked like everyone was carrying an arm full of them. Must have just hit town!
ReplyDeleteIt was invented in 1958 but not patented until 1963. They were being sold, starting in 1958 without a patent.
DeleteI had one of those, not very accurate:)
ReplyDeleteMaybe you needed more practice or maybe mounting a scope on it would help. . . Heck, I don't think that they were make to be very accurate.
DeleteI made my own slingshot out of a tree branch and pieces of an old inner tube... never was good at hitting anything. Hula Hoops... my granddaughter in NY teaches "hooping" classes... not much like the old days.. more like a dance/exercise routine, including tossing them up and catching them on various appendages. Next time she puts a video on Facebook I'll have to post it... a real workout!
ReplyDeleteI think we all did back "in the day". I made a few of them before I got that store bought one. Don't you feel sorry for today's kids? They just don't know what fun is and making stuff was half the fun.
DeletePatented the slingshot in '63? I'd thought slingshots had been around forever... live & learn!
ReplyDeleteI've got a wristrocket folding slingshot, marbles make great ammo.
There are a lot of slingshot videos on youtube if you're ever looking to kill some time.
They have been around for ever, but no one got around to getting a patent. I wouldn't think that it would have been patentable.
DeleteMy Dad made ours, and i got pretty good with it. We had plenty of round rocks out of the river. Didnt shoot my thumb but once.
ReplyDeleteNever could do hula hoops, kids did.
Slip n slides were great. So were water wiggles, but they got outlawed... Our german sheppard killed ours,,,she hated it.
I can imagine a German Sheppard chasing that thing around. . . and killing it. (grin)
DeleteNo Wham-O for me. It was a forked limb, inner tube strips and the leather tongue from a worn out shoe for this country boy.
ReplyDeleteHad one of those, too. BTW, we used inner tube strips for lots of things. Put them on the end of straps to make it easier to tie down things, like a canoe on the roof of the car.
DeleteI didn't ever have one but my brothers probably did. I think I was finally able to keep the hula hoop going for a minute or two, but was never very good at it.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on not being very good with the hula hoop, I preferred the slinky.
DeleteGuess I had most of them or at least used someone else's if I didn't.
ReplyDeleteYep, we used to share things.
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