Trumark's Discovery
Putting The Chinese finger Trap
Idea To Work on Sling Shots!
Columbus, Nebraska 1953
Tinkering in the Garage
"THE ENTHUSIASTS"

The prongs, on Trumark's second 1953 prototype slingshot, were bent fully backwards towards the shooter. Trumark found some brave enthusiasts willing to try out the new concept.

Surgical latex tubing purchased from a local drugstore was intalled on round metal prongs using a small amount of alcohol. Combining a round rod with surgical tubing at that time was an idea that came about somewhat by chance. The 2nd model was to be made again from a length of small square bar to make improvements on the 1st prototype, which still used the old flat-style bands. The bar material was, fortunately, not available on a return trip to the town's only machine shop. So a round rod was bought instead. After pushing the latex tubes on the prongs, the alcohol was allowed to dry overnight.

THE NEXT MORNING

The new sling shot was then taken outdoors for testing, using any rocks available! The results were surprising! The powerbands would not pull off or creep forward on the fork prongs, and the testers survived...even after hundreds of shots! Initially, the test results were not trusted, and Trumark's first commercial models, incorporating the new discovery, were reinforced with tightly wound plastic tape covering the tube ends. This taping was eventually abandoned since it was unnecessary.

NEW "TECHNOLGY"

Break throughs in all the old slingshot constrution methods had begun...no traditional strings, glue, or fork slots were now needed to attach the bands to the fork, or leather pouches which could now also be attached to the tubes by round plastic pins!

This innovative method develped by Trumark to attach tubular powerbands to a round slingshot fork in a radically new way, made it possible for Trumark to design and manufacture the first "modern slingshot". Virtually all the subsequent tubular-design slingshots now on the market today incorporate this new invention researched and developed by Trumark® over 50 years ago!