GB2109255A

GB2109255A - Toy lawnmower

Info

Publication number: GB2109255A
Application number: GB08229076A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Albert William Lowden
Original assignee: Cassidy Brothers PLC
Current assignee: Cassidy Brothers PLC
Priority date: 1981-11-10
Filing date: 1982-10-12
Publication date: 1983-06-02
Also published as: GB2109255B

Abstract

A toy simulating a rotary lawnmower comprises downwardly-open body 10 which can be pushed about, by means of handle 15, on wheels 35 rotation of which is translated, by a driving band 37, extending around pulleys 36 and 32, into rotation of a paddle 24 disposed within spherical enclosure 16, the upper part of which is transparent. The paddle 24 whirls pellets 31 about in the enclosure 16 to give the impression of grass cuttings. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Toy This invention concerns a toy simulating a rotarytype lawn mower, that is to say a lawnmower of the type comprising a housing which is downwardlyopen and houses a blade which rotates about a substantially vertical axis so as to cut grass by a scything action in contrast with a cylinder type mower wherein moving blades arranged in a cylindrical configuration cooperate with a fixed cutter to cut with a scissor-type action. In some practical forms such an actual lawn mower may be constructed with wheels to enable it to be moved over an area to be mowed, or it may be constructed to produce an air cushion which supports the housing just clear of the area to be mowed.

Naturally, a toy, simulating a lawnmower, for use as a plaything by children, will not incorporate any rotary blades or cutters since these can present substantial risks to a child user. Moreover, it would be relatively impracticable for such a toy to incorporate means for creating an air cushion. Accordingly, such a toy would generally comprise a housing resembling the housing of a real rotary mower, support wheels beneath the housing for supporting it for moving over the ground, and a handle to enable the toy to be moved about.

A toy lawnmower so constructed, whilst resembling an actual full size and operative mower, provides a basic plaything, but possesses little interest.

It merely comprises a wheeled housing, whose wheels are normally masked or obscured, with a handle by which it can be pushed about by its user.

Whilst it may resemble a full-sized mower, and can provide a certain amount of occupational activity for a child, it will be unlikely to involve sustained interest.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction of toy lawnmowerwhich has the specific advantage over and above such a basic plaything that, upon movement over the ground, visible components thereover move to provide visual effects which may be adapted to give the impression of grass cuttings being whirled about.

With this object in view, the present invention provices a toy simulating a rotary lawnmower comprising a downwardly-open housing fitted with a handle and wheels whereby it may be moved over the ground, the housing carrying or incorporating an enclosure within which is a paddle-like rotary member coupled to at least one of the wheels to be rotated upon movement of the toy over the ground, at least an upper part of the enclosure being transparent so that rotation of the said rotary member may be observed.

Preferably the enclosure contains a plurality of pellets which are caused, by the paddle, to move around the enclosure, and are preferably coloured green so as to give the impression of a plurality of grass cuttings mobile within the enclosure, upon movement of the toy.

Advantageously, the enclosure is generally substantially spherical form, the rotary member comprising a rotary spindle extending diametrically thereacross and carrying a plurality of fingers projecting therefrom, e.g. radially to engage with the pellets.

The enclosure may then comprise a pair of hemispheres connected together, one of said hemispheres being transparent and providing the said transparent upper part of the enclosure.

Drive of the rotary spindle may conveniently be derived from the wheels by a resilient drive band which extends around a paddle-driving pulley on the rotary spindle and a main pulley provided on an axle of the wheels.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a practical embodiment, it being understood that the following description is illustrative, and not restrictive of the scope of the invention. In the drawings: Figure I is a perspective view illustrating a preferred embodiment of the toy of the invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 2 - 2 Figure 1; Figure 3 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 3 - 3 of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

The illustrated practical embodiment of the toy lawnmower of the invention comprises a body 10, conveniently made of moulded plastics material. In plan, the body 10 is generally of rectangular configuration with its corners rounded; it is in the form of a hollow downwardly-open housing similar to the conventional housing provided in a full-size rotary lawnmower, but smaller than the latter, and has centrally of its upper surface an upwardly-projecting bowl-like protrusion 11.

Pivotally connected at two diametrically-opposite positions to the protrusion 11 aforesaid, by means of pegs 12 projecting through respective holes in the protrusion 11 and being retained therein by pins 13, are the lower ends of limbs 14 of an inverted-U shaped handle 15 by which the toy lawnmower may be moved about as will be described later.

Let into the bowl-like protrusion 11, substantially centrally thereof, is a substantially spherical enclosure 16. This comprises two flanged hemispherical halves 17 and 18 secured together by their flanges 19 and fitting into an aperture in the bowl-like protrusion 11 with the upper hemispherical part 17 protruding upwards through the aperture. This upper hemispherical part 17 of the enclosure 16 is transparent so that the interior of the enclosure 16 is visible, and the enclosure 16 is secured in place by the flanges 19 being fixed to the underside of the top 20 of the protrusions 11 by screws 21 through the flanges 19 and engage into threaded bosses 22 integral with the top 20.

Extending diametrically across the enclosure 16 is a spindle 23 carrying a paddle indicated generally by the reference numeral 24.

The paddle 24 comprises a central plate-like member 25 which has portions 26 and 27 along its longitudinal centre line pressed respectively in opposites of the general plane of the member 25 so as to form grooves through which the spindle 23 extends. Furthermore, in the centre of the plate-like member 25 is a slot 28 in which a kinked central section 29 of the spindle 23 locates. This kinked central section 29 serves to prevent relative rotation of the spindle 23 and the paddle 24. Projecting from the opposite longitudinal sides of the plate-like member 25 are two series of side by side fingers 30, which resemble a pair of semi-circular combs, which are radially disposed relative to the spindle 23 and also contained in the enclosure 16 is a plurality of plastics pellets 31, which are green in colour.

At one end, (i.e. the right hand end in Figure 2), the spindle 23 is merelyjournalled in place by being held captive in a groove defined by two facing recesses in the flanges 19 of the hemispherical halves 17,18 of the enclosure 16. At its other end, the spindle 23 is similarilyjournalled in a groove, defined between the flanges 19, but in this instance the flanges 19 are cut away to accommodate a small paddle-driving pulley 32 provided on the end of the spindle, 23 outside the enclosure 16.

Moulded integrally on the underside of the housing are two side brackets 33 between which extends a cross-spindle, or axle 34 which extends transverse lyofthe housing about at the middle thereof. Fixed one on each end of this cross spindle, 34 are wheels 35, these being one at each side of the housing, so that the two wheels 35 protrude slightly below the base of the body 10 allowing the toy to be pushed along, e.g. by a child. If the handle 15 is released by the child, the toy will not tip over. It will tilt so as to rest on the ground by the front or rear end of the body 10 and the wheels 35.

Fixed onto the cross spindle 34 in alignment with the paddle-driving pulley 32 is a main pulley 36 which is somewhat larger than the paddle-driving pulley 32, and a resilient driving belt 38, e.g. in the form of a broad elastic band, extends around these two pulleys 32,36.

The mode of operation of the toy mower will readily be understood from the above description.

The entire device can be moved about over the floor or ground by means of the handle 15, and upon being pushed back and forth the wheels 35 will rotate. The consequential rotation of the cross spindle 34 causes corresponding rotation of the paddle 24 in the enclosure 16, and since the paddle-driving pulley, 32 is significantly smaller than the main pulley 36, the paddle 24 is caused to rotate at a relatively high speed. This has the effect of causing the green plastics pellets 31 in the enclosure 16 to be whiried around in the enclosure 16, and this fact is visible through the transparent hemispherical upper part 17 of the enclosure 16.Accordingly, when the toy is moved about by a child, it is not just a question of the toy being displaced; its movement is accompanied by the whirling up of the plastics pellets 31, which affords an additional visual impression of grass cuttings being whirled around beneath the housing. Accordingly, the arrangement of the invention provides, in a very simple way, an additional and very effective visual effect which makes the toy much more attractive and interesting to the child user.

Naturally the invention is not confined to the precise details of the foregoing example and variations may be made thereto. Thus, the housing, the handle 15 and the enclosure 16 accommodating the paddle-like component 24 may be of any convenient shape consistentwith providing a resemblance to a proper mower. The manner in which drive for the paddle 24 is derived from motion of the device can, of course, vary from what has been described, and of course it is not essential to provide the pellets 31 to resemble grass since any other suitable device or component giving mobile visual effects may be employed in the enclosure 16. The shape and form of the paddle 24 can, of course, differ from what has been illustrated.

Claims

1. A toy simulating a rotary lawnmower comprising a downwardly-open housing fitted with a handle and wheels whereby it may be moved over the ground, the housing carrying or incorporating an enclosure within which is a paddle-like rotary member coupled to at least one of the wheels to be rotated upon movement of the toy over the ground, at least the upper part of the enclosure being transparent so that rotation of the said rotary member may be observed.

2. A toy as claimed in claim 1 wherein the housing contains a plurality of pellets which are caused by the paddle to move around the enclosure.

3. A toy as claimed in claim 2 wherein the pellets are green, so as to give the impression of a plurality of grass cuttings mobile within the enclosure, upon movement of the toy.

4. A toy as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3 in which the enclosure is generally substantially of spherical form, the rotary member comprising a rotary spindle extending diametrically thereacross and carrying a plurality of fingers projecting therefrom to engage with the pellets.

5. A toy as claimed in claim 4 in which the fingers project radially relative to the spindle.

6. A toy as claimed in claim 4 or 5 in which the enclosure comprises a pair of hemispheres connected together, one of the said hemispheres being transparent and providing the said transparent upper part of the enclosure.

7. A toy as claimed in claims 4, 5 or 6 wherein drive of the rotary spindle is derived from the wheels by means of a resilient drive band which extends around a paddle-driving pulley on the rotary spindle and a main pulley provided on an axle of the wheels.

7. A toy as claimed in claims 4,5 or 6 in which drive of the rotary spindle is derived from the wheels by means of a resilient drive band which extends around a paddle-driving pulley on the rotary spindle and a main pulley provided on an axle of the wheels.

8. A toy simulating a rotary lawnmower substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

New claims or amendments to claims filed on 17 Jan 1983 Superseded claims 1,4, 6, 7.

New or amended claims:

1. A toy simulating a rotary lawnmower comprising a downwardly-open housing fitted with a handle and wheels whereby it may be moved over the ground, a substantially spherical enclosure which is mounted partially within the housing, substantially centrally of the upper surface thereof and within which is a paddle-like rotary member coupled to at least one of the wheels to be rotated upon movement of the toy over the ground, at least the upper part of the enclosure being transparent so that rotation of the said rotary member may be observed.

4. A toy as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3 wherein the rotary member comprises a rotary spindle extending diametrically across the enclosure and carrying a plurality of fingers projecting therefrom to engage with the pellets.

6. A toy as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the enclosure comprises a pair of hemispheres connected together, one of the said hemispheres being transparent and providing the said transparent upper part of the enclosure.