US1026112A - Spinning-top. - Google Patents

Description

- 11.1. OBRIEN.

SPINNING TOP.

APPLIOATIOH 1ILED my 11, 1911.

Patented May 14, 1912.

ARTHUR P. OBRIEN, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK.

SPINNING-TOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1912.

Application filed May 11, 1911. Serial No. 626,642.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR P. OBRIEN, citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of VVestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spinning-Tops; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it an pertains to make and use the same.

This invent-ion has for its object to provide a spinning top adapted solely for amusement of youths and adults, and consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention: Figure -1- is a view partly in elevation and partly in central vertical section of a spinning top constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. -2 is a detail perspective view of the manually actuated member which imparts motion to the spinning tops. Fig. -3 is a collective view in perspective of the several spinning tops actuated by said manually operated member.

.My invention may be aptly termed a multiple spinning top. It consists of the handle A upon which the hub B of a disk C is rotatably mounted in any suitable manner, the axis of rotation being coincident wit-h the longitudinal axis of said handle A. In the instance illustrated the said disk C and its hub B is rotatably mounted on said handle A by means of the screw D passing centrally through said hub B and entering a block E of metal set in the lower end of said handle A. 011 said hub B a cord F equipped at one end with a button G is adapted to be wound and by the rapid unwinding of said cord F from said hub the latter and the disk C are rotated at high speed in the usual and well-known manner. In the lower face of said disk 0 is an annular beveled groove H in which the peripheral edge portions of a plurality of nested conical spinning tops I, J, K, L and M are received, the said tops being consecutively of smaller diameter and depth and each fitting snugly within the next larger one. When so nested, as shown in Fig. -l, the peripheral edge portions of all of said spinning tops are disposed in contact with the beveled face of said annular groove H so that by pressing the disk 0 down upon the nested spinning tops as the latter are supported upon the floor or other supporting surface and then rotating said disk by rapidly unwinding said cord F all of said spinning tops will be rotated at high speed. As soon as the cord F has been entirely unwound or just preceding the unwinding thereof the said disk C is raised out of contact with the peripheral edge portions of said nested tops whereupon all of the latter will separate and spin independently of each other.

As shown in Fig. l the several tops are rendered gradually more shallow, the one of largest diameter being of greatest depth and bevel and each succeeding smaller top of less depth and bevel so that the apeXes thereof are separated from each other by small air spaces. By this means the respective tops are caused to separate where as if they are all of the same conicality they will have a tendency to remain nested while spinning. The said air spaces may also be provided in any other convenient manner with the same result.

Aside from the novel effect produced by spinning a multiplicity of tops simulta neously the device is capable of being used as a game, as for example, by drawing circles on a floor and awarding points for maintaining all of the tops spinning within a given area. In practice it has been found that the rotation of the disk C at different speeds causes the tops to scatter over a greater or less area in accordance with the speed of rotation imparted thereto.

I claim as my invention:

1. A spinning top comprising in combination, a plurality of inter-fitting members each adapted to spin independently of the others, and a single manually rotatable memberadapted to engage all of said interfitting members to impart rapid rotary movement thereto simultaneously to cause the same to spin.

2. A spinning top comprising in combination, a plurality of conical interfitting members varying in depth and diameter and each adapted to spin independently of the others, and a single manually rotatable member adapted to engage all peripheral edges of all of said conical members to impart rapid rotary movement thereto simultaneously to cause the same to spin.

8. A spinning top comprising in combination, a plurality of interfitting members each adapted to spin independently of the others, and a member for simultaneously imparting rapid rotary movement to all of said first-named members, comprising achandle, a disk revolubly mounted thereon and adapted to be rapidly rotated relatively thereto, one face of said disk adapted to be maintained in contact With the peripheral edges of all of said interfitting members when nested to simultaneously rotate all of the latter.

at. A spinning top comprising in combination, a plurality of conical interfitting members varying in dept-h and diameter and each adapted to spin independently of the others, and a member for simultaneously imparting rapid rotary movement to all of said first-named members, comprising a handle, a disk revolubly mounted thereon and adapted to be rapidly rotated relatively thereto, one face of said disk adapted to be maintained in contact with the peripheral edges of all of said interfitting members When nested to simultaneously rotate all of the latter.

5. A spinning top comprising in combination, a plurality of interfitting members each adapted to spin independently of the others, and a member for simultaneously imparting rapid rotary movement to all of said first-named members comprising a handle, a disk revolubly mounted thereon and adapted to be rapidly rotated relatively thereto, one face of said disk adapted to be maintained in contact with said interfitting members when nested to simultaneously rotate all of the latter, said face of said disk provided with an annular groove in which the edge portion of the largest-of said members is adapted to be received and engaged to maintain the same concentric with said disk during rotation of the latter.

6. A spinning top comprising in combination, a plurality of members adapted to be nested and each adapted to spin independently of all the others, and a member for simultaneously imparting rotary movement to all of said members to cause the same to spin, said last-named member comprising a handle, a disk rotatably mounted thereon and adapted to rapidly rot-ate relatively thereto while maintained in surface contact with at least one of said first-named members, and means on said disk for maintaining said first-named members centered relatively thereto while engaged therewith.

7. A spinning top comprising in combination, a plurality of members adapted to be nested and each adapted to spin independently of all the others, and a member for simultaneously imparting rotary movement to all of said members to cause the same to spin, said last-named member comprising a handle, a disk rotatably mounted thereon and adapted to rapidly rotate relatively thereto while maintained in surface contact with at least one of said first-named members, and an annular shoulder on said disk, corresponding in inner diameter substantially with at least one of said firstnamed members and adapted to engage the peripheral edge portion of the latter to maintain the same centered relatively to said disk while engaged therewith.

8. A spinning top comprising in combination, a plurality of separable members each adapted to spin independently of the other and each successively smaller than the others, said members adapted to be nested, there being air spaces between opposing faces of said members when nested, and a single member adapted to engage all of said interfitting members when nested and adapted to be rapidly rotated while in engagement therewith to simultaneously impart rapid rotary movement to all of said members to cause the same to spin.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR l7. OBRIEN.

lVitnesses JOHN ALLEN, CEonLm LINKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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