US1136707A - Mechanical toy. - Google Patents

Description

M. OEHLER. MECHANICAL TOY. lAPPLICATION FILED JULYIS, |914.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

f all r carica.

MAX OEHLER, or americani), IDAHO.

faussement rovi Y Application led July 18,

T0 all whom z't may concern Y Be it known that I, MAX OEHLER, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Richfield, in the county of Lincoln and State of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Toys," of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to toys, and more particularly, to mechanical or walking toys.

One of the objects of this invention is, to provide a novel toy which will travel on an inclined plane Aby gravity, without any other means of propulsion.

Other objects are, to provide a device whichV is simple inlconstruction, cheap to manufacture, which consists of a few parts, and which will not get out of order.

.Further objects will appear from the detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure is is a side elevation, partly in sectionfillustrating an embodiment of this invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, and, Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3--3, Fig. 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, 10 designates a body which may be formed to resemble any suitable animal. This body '1s provided with a series of legs, inthis case four, designated 11, 12,` 13 and 14. The forward legs 11-and 12 are .attached to wire supports 15 and 16 which pass through slots 17 and 18 in the body and are pivoted on a cross pin 19 at the upper end of the body. The supports 15 and 16 converge after they enter the body, so that their pivotal points will be close together transversely of the body and nea-r the medial line, as shown in Fig. 3. The rear legs 13 and 14 have supports 20 and 21 which pass through slots 22 and 23 in the lower wally of the body and are`pivoted to a cross pin 24 in the upper end of the body. The supports, in this case, are of the same form as the supports 15 and 16 shown in Fig. 3, and their pivotal points are also arranged close together. The legs are thus pivoted in pairs at the forward and rear ends of the body, so as to swing freely forwardly and backwardly with respect to the body, and these legs are preferably weighted with metal. The parts are so constructed that when the toy sets on anl inclined plane 25, as shown in Fig. 1, the front legs 11 and 12 will tend to swing forwardly by gravity to a vertical position until arrested by the ends of the slots. The rear Speccation cf Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915. 1914. serian no. 851,710.

legs 13 and 14 also tend to swing forwardly by gravity in the same manner.

It will be noted that the pivotal connections of the legs to the body are near the top of the body and, therefore, considerably above its center of gravity. It will also be noted that, in view of the fact that the pivotal connections are placed close together transversely of the body, the pivotal connections will be, in fact, nearly directly over the center of gravity of the body. If, therefore, the body is moved to the right and left sidewise, this body will begin to oscillate on the lower ends of the legs, so as to cause first the legson the right side to be raised from the Asupporting surface while the body is supported on the vleft side, and then cause the legs on the left side to be raised while the body is .supported by the legs on the right side. This toy will walk with distinct steps in the following manner.

Referring to the position of the parts, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, with the body resting on .the legs on the left side, and with these legs back so that their supports will engage the rear ends of the slots, the legs 12 and y14, being now raised, will be moved forwardly by gravity until arrested by the forward ends of the slots. The body will now turn over to the right until it rests on the right legs, 12 and 14 while the left legs 11 and 13 are raised. This will cause the body to move forwardly on the right legs 12 and 14 to the position shown in dotted lines. Fig. 1, while the left legs 11 and 13, which are now raised, will move forwardly by gravity to the positions shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1. The body will then oscillate again to the left so as to cause it to be supported by the legs 11 and 13, and it will move forwardly thereon, while the legs 12 and 14, which have been raised from the surface, will move forwardly by gravity. The oscilla tions of the device will thus be analogous to those of a ballistic pendulum having a plurality df points of suspension. The body will first .oscillate' back and'forth on one pair of legs untilV the other pair strike, andI then back and forth on the other pair. Such oscillations on two distinct centers will not only be more sustained, but will be more uniform than by having the bottoms of the legs ity ofthe oscillating body be below the pivotal points of attachment of'the legs. It will thus be seen that the figure walks with distinct steps down the incline, this walking action being accomplished by gravity alone. The body will oscillate as it moves down the incline, and it is not even necessary to give it a start. Moreover, the lateral oscillating movement is kept up by gravity in the same manner that a pendulum is oscillated. This is brought about by pivoting the body to the legs above the center of -gravity of the body, and by bringing the pivotal points close together and practically in the medial line of the body and above its center of gravity.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in details offconstru'ction without departing from the spirit of thissinvention, and it is, therefore, to beunderstood that this invention is n otto be limited to the specific construction described and shown.

Having thus described the invention,

what is claimed is:

ras

1. A toy comprising a body, a pair of legs pivoted to the forwardend of said body, and a pair of legs pivoted to the rear end of said body, said legs being constructed and arranged on said body for free forward and backward movement with respect to said body, the ends o f said legs forming distinct centers of oscillation, and said body being adapted to oscillate laterally about the ends of the legs, whereby said legs. are caused to move by gravity to simulate an animal in walking. l

2. A toy comprising a body, pairs of legs pivoted to the forward and rear ends of sald body and above its center' of gravity and 'adapted for free forward an backward movement with respect to said body, the ends of said legs forming distinctcenters of oscillation, and said body being adapted to oscillate transversely. on the ends of said legs, whereby said legs are caused to move by gravity to simulate an animal in walking. v

3. A toy comprising a body, pairs of legs pivoted to the forward and rear ends of said A body and adapted for free forward and backward movement with respect to said body, the pivotal ends of the legs of a pair being' closer together than the lower ends thereof, and said body being adapted to os,- cillate transversely on the lower ends of saidv on the lower ends of said legs, whereby said legs are caused to move by gravity to simulate an animal in walking..

v`5. A toy comprising a body, pairs of legs pivoted to the forward and rear ends of said body and above its center of gravity. and adapted for free forward and backward movement with respect to said body, the pivotal ends of the legs of a pair bein closer together than the lower ends thereo the ends of said legs forming distinct centers of oscillation and said body being adapted to oscillate transversely on the ends of. said legs, whereby said legs are caused tomove by gravity to simulate an animal in walkmg.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MAX OEHLER. -Witnesses:

A. L. FLETCHER, M. E. BAILEY.

sol

Images