US1305842A - Jay tohey - Google Patents

Description

1. TONEY.

AMUSENIENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 23. 1919.

Patented June 3, 1919.

I ATTORNEYS? .TAY ronny, or OMAHA, NEBRASKA AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented .rune a, raie.

Application led January 23, 1919. Serial No. 272,644.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAY TONEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Amusement Devices, of which the following is a specilication.

My invention relates tok amusement devices 'in which a freely suspended body, preferably in the form of an aeroplane or Zeppelin, is driven lthrough the air by means of a propeller. The general object of the invention is to provide in a device 0f this character means whereby the body may be driven either as a meretoy, or, when constructed on a slightly larger scale, as an exhibition device for hotel lobbies or places. of entertainment. I have chosen to illustrate the invention as embodied in a device of th'e last mentioned type.

I accomplish my objects by mechanism of which one type is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fi ure 1 is a general view showingthe device 1n flight.

Fig. 2 is a verticalaxial section ofthe ceiling fixture.

Fig. 3 is a bottomvplan section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is' a vertical axial section 'of .the

fixture at the lower end of the suspending cord.

' Similar numerals refer to similar parte throughout the several views.

While the body 1 may assume either the form of a Zeppelin4 or an aeroplane, I have selected the'latter form. This is provided with a propeller 2 of' ordinary design, drivenA by an electric motor 3 mounted on "said body, In the form illustrated, the body is both suspended and energized by an ordinary twisted lamp cord com-posed of circular braids 6, inclosing metallic conductors 7. A suspen sion plate 4 is fastened to the suspended A correlative /object is to provide c -body for *carrying the weight thereof. This is' centrally apertured, as shown in Fig. 4, and a knot 8' tied inthe cord beneath it. The conductors. are led thence to the motor terminals 5, 5.

The ceiling fixture, shown in detail 'in Figs. 2 and 3, includes a suspension plate 10 which is centrally apertured to permit the passage of the lamp cord. A knot 11 is tied in the cord above the plate fwith the result that the weight of the cord and parts attached thereto are transferred to the plate. The conductors are electrically connected to two distributing rings 13, 14 and current is supplied 4to them by brushes 15, 16 vrespecv ings 18, 18 screwing into the side of the housing 19, suitably fastened to the ceiling 20. The bushings form terminals for the supply conductors 22, 23; Plate 10 is rotatably supported within the housing and by preference has a ball race 25 formed inits innerl face, vadapted tol coperate with the corresponding ,ball race 26. formed in the bottom liange' of the housing. Anti-friction balls 27 run in said races and the whole constitutes a ball bearing for minimizing the friction between the rotary plate 10 and the supporting housing.v

The supply conductors 22, 23 are led along the ceiling to a convenient point and thence down along the wall to a push button 30 of any suitable type.

With the device constructed as above described, as soon as the attendant closes the switch he causes the motor to be energized.

'This causes the propeller to revolve and as the speed increases, but this is a matter of choice, and it is not even Vessential that any type of rudder be provided; As the motor is supplied from an external source of energy it may be kept rotating as long as desired,in which particular my device is an improvement over those operating .by spring or other mechanism carried `in the suspended body itself. My device doesnot run down, nor is it necessary to reach the device itself in order to energize it, or to. stop it. And yet to all appearances the cord wing spread (in case the 6 is merelya suspending element as is the case with similar mechanisms driven by springs. 1

When the -body travels in a circular path it willtend to twist the lamp cord. This tendency is neutralized, however, by the suspension plate 10 which rotates, under the torque transmitted to it through the cord. The twist in the cord will increase until the resulting torque is sufficient to overcome the friction of the plate on the housing and the friction of the brushes against the distribu ting rings, after which the plate will rotate 1n unison with the cord.

It is evident that the size of the device may be varied. The body may be of 'such small size as toconstitute merely a toy or it may be of medium size adapted for exhibition purposes in hotel lobbies or places of entertainment. In the latter instance the I aeroplane type of body is employed)l may be several feet.y It

y.is possible, however, to increase the size until the body is capable of carrying one or more `passengers,-a feature which adapts the device for amusement parks and like places. With such larger sized machinesthe cord will properly consist of three strands instead of two, two of the strands forming the conductorsand the third of wire or rope, 1[sjnply carrying the weight of the suspended .y o y. c

Having thus described my invention what I lclaim as new and desirev to secure by Letters Patent, is

1.4An' amusementv device comprising a tubular member. having means at one end for rigidly connecting same to an overhead jsupport, a second member Arotatably sup` i for -rigidly connecting ported within the tubular member,-continu vously coperating electrical contacts on .the f tubular and rotatable members, flexible electricjconductors secured to the rotatable memberl and in. electrical connection with the contacts'thereof respectivel and a v'motor propelled aerial toy suspen ed by said conductors and lhaving its motor electrically connected therewith.

2, An amusement device ycomprising a tubular member having means at one end same to an overhead support, an inwardly directed flange at the other end' of the member, asecond member rotatably supported within the tubular member v'by said flange, continuously copv'erating electricalcontacts on the tubular and rotatablemembers, flexible electric conductors secured to the rotatable member and in electrical connection .with the contacts thereof respectively, and'. a motor propelled aerial' toy suspended by sa'idconductors and having its motor electrically connected therewith.

3. Anamusement device comprising` a tubular member having means at one end Laoaeea .other end of the member, a plate having a central aperture disposed within the member and rotatably supported by said flange,

ya tu'bular extension on the plate concentric with said aperture, an insulating collar surrounding said extension, continuously coperating electrical contacts on the collar and member, flexible electric conductors in elec-- trical connection with the contacts of the collar respectively and extending through the o ening in the plate, and a motor propelle aerial toy suspended .by said conductors ,and having its motor electrically connected therewith.

4. An amusement device comprising a tubular member having means at one end for rigidly connecting the same to an overhead support, a second member rotatably supported within the tubular memberfan anti-friction bearing between said' members, a suspension member having its upper end fast to the rotatable member, and a propelled aerial toy carried by the lower end of the suspension member. E

5. An amusement device comprising a tubular member having means at one end for rigidly connecting the same to overhead support, an inwardly directed flange at .the ot .er end of the member, a second member rotatably supported by said fiange within the-'g tubularmember, an. anti-friction bearing between the-second member and flange, a suspension element havingl its upperend fast to the' second member, and a propelled aerial toy carried by thelower endof the suspension member. l

6. In a-device of the class .-described, -the combination of a ceiling attachmentin the form of ya chambered member having a .cen-l tral opening at the bottom surrounded b Va ball race facing upward, a `second mem er located within the ceiling attachment and having a-.ball race facing downward over the first mentioned one, anti-friction balls coperating with said ball races, an aerial toy, an air propeller for driving said toy, an electric motor for driving the propeller, a dpair of flexible electric conductors ada te @to energize the motor and carry t e weight of it and of the toy andV propeller, said conductors vb'eingzfsus endedl from said secondmember, and distrlbvutingl rings andcoperating contact fingers, one on the ceiling attachment and one on said second member, said conductors being electrically connected lto the distributin parts on the second member, whereby the conductorsper- 'form the dual function of weightrzcarriers combination of ka chambered member'adapt- 130 by a ball race facing upward, a second mem'- ber located within and housed by the chambered member and having a ball race facing downward, antisfriction balls working in said races, an aerial toy, an air propeller for driving the toy, an electric motor for driving the propeller, a pair of flexible electric conductors adapted to energize the motor and carry the weight of it and of the toy andpropeller, said second member having an aperture at the center and the con-A ductors passing up through said aperture and being knotted above the aperture whereby the weight of the conductors and parts suspended thereon is carried by the -knot and second member, .and distributing rings and coperatingv contact fingers, one on the chambered member and one on the second member, Asaid conductors being electrically connected to the distributing parts on said second member.

8. A structure as specified in claim 7 in which the aperture at the center of the second or suspending member is rounded at the edges to permit side swing of the conductors and yet avoid danger of abrading them.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto sub;y

JAY TONEY.

.scribed my name.

Witnesses: e

H. LEDYARD E. J. LEDYARD.

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