Gas Powered Pogo Stick from 1960’s, Dangerous Toys Banned!

Here is a novel item that was marketed in 1960 by Chance Mfg. Co. of Wichita, Kansas. It’s called the “Hop Rod”. It’s a gasoline-powered pogo stick. Powered by a two-cycle gasoline engine. Caster oil was mixed in the fuel and poured into the small tank located directly above the foot pegs. The spark plug received the spark from several “C” cell batteries located in the tubular handle. As the operator bounced down, the piston went up, and as it reached the top of its stroke, the spark plug would fire and propel the piston shaft down, rapidly, (I assume, because I have no intentions of experiencing this for myself, I value my old ankle too much).
You can see a young man operating a HOP ROD on U-Tube.

They only were around for about one year or so. I guess, even in the 60’s, there were a lot of lawyers looking for work and would welcome an injury lawsuit from this item.
The problem arises,(if your ankles hold up to the vertical impact) when you come down. If you come down quite perpendicularly to the ground, you will be propelled straight up, but, if you come down at an angle when you hit the ground, that is inversely proportional to the way you will be propelled on the next upstroke. This is the start of your trouble.