US1423035A - Toy - Google Patents

Description

E. G. SCHREYER.

TOY. APPLICATIONTILED 0:013. 1919.

Patented July 18, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J mf f E. G. SCHREYER.

TOY.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I3 I9I9.

Patented July 18, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

a. L u I v r J W PI 4 w I 6 M4 w u 4 H PATT OFFIQE.

ERNEST G. SCI-IREYER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 18, 1922.

Application filed December 13, 1919. Serial No. 344 5 81).

ment in hand operated toys for simulating a race between vehicles driven by the respective players.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following de scription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section taken approximately on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4c is a fragmentary plan view of one corner of the invention with the deck removed to expose parts below.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a counter and its casing forming part of this invention.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation and Fig.3 atop plan view illustrating the adaptabil ty of the invention as a table.

The invention comprises a box like structure generally indicated at 10 and including an imperforate bottom 11, side walls 12 and a deck 13. The latter is pierced by a plurality of endless slots 14 each shaped like an elongated race track and paralleling the others. Those portions 15 of the deck enclosed by the slots are each supported on a vertical riser 16 rigidly fixed along its lower edge to the bottom 11.

At the center end curve ofthe forward end of each slot 14 a vertical spindle 17 has its upper and. lower ends respectively jour nalled in the deck portion '15 and the bottom. 11, and a similar spindle, 18 is journalled in like .manner at the rear end ofeach 519314, A sprocket wheel 19 isfixed upon spindle 1,7 and an identical sprocket wheel 21 1s fixed on sp1ndle18, thesesprockets being of such radius as to cause the teeth of each to rotate directlybelow the respective iemtcircularends of the slot 14. Applicant as I I his toy containing four'of therace track slots 14:, but it will be obvious from the further description that, a toy may be built with any number, of, slots desired. A'vertical.

crank shaft 22 is journalledin the bottom 11 and deck 13 neareach spindle 17 and car rles the spindle wheel 23which, by means of a chain2et, isconnected to sprocket pinion 25 fixed on spindle 17. Preferably pinion 25 has less teeth than sprocket 23 so that it turns faster than the latter. ,An, endless chain 26*connects the sprockets 19 and 21,;

and by rotation of a hand crank 27 keyed to shaft 22, the chain 26 and spindle 18 are rotated. By means of brackets 28 upstanding.

stiflly from chain 26, and projecting above the deck through the slot14, a miniature object such as a small automobile 29 depicted in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is fixedwith relation to the chainv and travelsv above the deck portions 13 and 15- through a path defined by the slot 14;. If desired the image of a race horse or any other suitable object may be substituted for the miniature automobile 29. Oppositely positioned standards 31 and 32 illustrated in Fig. 1 an embodimentbf rise from, the deck 13. near opposite sides thereof and. on their iii-turned faces, are each. vertically slotted asat 33 to provide a guideway' for a; block 34. One of these blocks is fixedly connected near each end of a. signal rod 35,' and each extremity of the rod is normallyupheld by hearing npona trigger 36 pivoted, as at 37 within a hollow standard. Pivotal movement of trigger 36 in a. direction outwardly of the deck 13 permits, rod 35 to drop into close proximity with the automobile 29 travelling along the deck; this latter position of the signal rod hem and '3.

Within the structure 10, near and parallelinglthe rear wall thereof are mounted two spaced bearing brackets 38 and 39 which also parallelthe deck 13 just below the latter. Thesebars extend across the ends of all the slots 14C but are positionedrearwardly of those slots. Spaced back of each spindle'18 is a vertical driving shaft 41 having its upper and lower ends respectively journalled g indicated in dotted lines in Fig s. 2

of a pinion 42 on spindle 18 and a meshing gear &3 on the driving shatt, the latter is ro-- tat-ed from the spindle, the pinion being much slower than the gear in order to reduce the speed. of the driving shaft with respect to that of spindle 18. A thrust bar lt traverses the rear portion of structure 10 and is pivotally connected and partially supported from bracket 39 by means ottour parallel links respectively numbered from 45 to 4-8 inclusive. One of these links is provided for eachslot 14 and its associated mechanism. For each slot let there is provided in connection with the heretofore described associated mechanism, a counter shaft 49 driven from the driving shaft 4:1 by means of a pinion 51 on the driving shaft and a relatively larger gear 52 on the coun ter shalt. A stud 53 projects upwardly "from gear 52 into the level of: the link 45, or 4:6 to 48, as the case may be. @bviously the re duction of gear herein described results in a very slow rotation 01"- stud 53 about the couiiter shaft 4-9 with respect to any given rotation of crank shaft 22 and spindle 17.

That end. of thrust bar 4: 1; nearest standard 81 pivoted to the rear end of trigger lever iulcrumed on a pivoted axis 55, the opposite end of this le er being positioned to trip the trigger of standard when bar 4st is moved in the direction indicated by arrow 56 in Figs. 1 and 1. The trigger in standard 32 is simultaneously tripped by such movement of bar 44: through the medium of a similar but shorter trigger lever 57 tulcrumed on a pivotal axis 5d and having' its rear end slotted for pivotal engagement at 59 with a reversing lever 61 which is tulcrumed at 62 and has its rear end pivoted to bar set. Clockwise rotation of cranks 27 produces much slower rotation of studs 53 in the same direction as indicated by arrows 63 in Fig. t, so that one of these studs finally strikes its link e5, 46, 4:7 or as and swings the link in a counter-clockwise direction about the pivot (i l which connects the forward end of each link with bracket 39. Such movement of any one of the links 45--l-8 shifts the bar 4 in the direction of arrow 56, trips triggers 36, and results in the dropping of signal bar 35. This movement of link a5 is depicted in Fig. 45 by the dotted line position of that stud 53 associated with link 4L5 and by the dotted center line 65 shown for that link: the consequent swing of trigger lever 5% is indicated by dotted cen ter line 66 in that figure: and the resulting oscillation of trigger 36 is indicated by a dotted center line 67 in Fig. Of course when any given stud 53 strikes and moves its associated link, all of the links 4:548 swing in synchronism with bar l l.

Each countersha'ft 49 projects above deck 18 and there carries a counting wheel 68 which is marked on its periphery with a zero and the consecutively arranged digits 1 to 9. A cover 69 encloses each number wheel and is pierced by a forwardly exposed window 71 through which a single digit exposed at a time. Preferably the digits are so placed on wheel (38 that i is visible through each window 71 when each stud 5? is in the rear half its circular path and near its link 45, 46, 41-? or 4:8, and when all oi? the automobiles 29 are similarly positioned with relation to their respective race-treek-shaped slots 14..

' in the operation ol the invention. and with the parts all arranged as last above described, the trigger tripping levers, thrust bar and links are set as shown in lull lines in Figs. 3 and el, and the signal bar 35 is mounted upon the triggers 36 as shown in -lull lines in Fig. 3. The toy is designed for operation by several players, one for each crank handle 26. At a given sign each player grasps his crank handle and rotates in a. clockwise direction at his utmost speed, this rotation being continued until that stud 53 driven by the most rapid player strikes its link and causes the signal bar 35 to drop. The players immediately stop turning and the apparatus is again set for play. Bitter every play each players score, as indicated by the diget appearing in windows 71, is set down in a separate column and, after a predetermined number of plays,v the relative skill of the players is determined by the totals of these columns. Tl hile the progression of the digits of the various players across the windows 71 is not visible to all persons in an audience grouped about the apparatus, the whole audience, and the players as well, are advised of the relative progress of the players during each play by the travel of the small automobile 29 about their respective race tracks.

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate another advan tags of my invention namely its use as a. table top. In these figures it will be seen that the box like structure 10 is inverted to place the imperiorate bottom 11 uppermost. The inverted apparatus is now set in a table frame 72 fitted with the ordinary table legs 73. In this position the device may be used in the same manner as any ordinary table, while, to arrange it for playing, there needs be reversal of the apparatus in the frame 72.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious that one skilled in the art may make modifications thereof without de parting from the spirit of the invention. wish, therefore, not to be restricted to the precise embodiment shown, except in so far as the same is limited in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a toy, the combination with a suitable t'rame, of a pair of spaced spindles mounted therein, a sprocketfixed on each spindle, an endless chain connecting said sprockets, a toy image fixed at a given point to each chain, hand operated elements for ro-' tating said spindles and chain, a rotatable counting wheel, means indicating a point fixed with relation to said counting wheel, and gearing whereby the counting wheel is rotated from one of said spindles.

2. In a toy, the combination with a suitable frame, of a pair of spaced spindles mounted therein, a sprocket fixed on each spindle, an endless chain connecting said sprockets, a toy image fixed at a given point to each chain, hand operated elements for rotating said spindles and chain, a rotatable counting wheel, means indicating a point fixed with relation to said counting wheel and reducing gearing whereby the counting wheel is rotated from one of said spindles.

8. In a toy, the combination with a suitable frame, of a pair of spaced parallel spindles journaled therein, a pair of sprocket wheels of equal radius fixed one to each spindle, an endless chain connectingsaid sprocket wheels, a toy image secured to said chain at a given point thereon, a crank shaft, multiplying gearing whereby one of said spindles is driven from the crank shaft, a numbered counting wheel, means indicating a posit-ion fixed with relation to the numbers carried on the counting wheel, and reducing gearing whereby said counting wheel is rotated by one of said spindles.

4. In a toy, the combination with a suitable fr'ame, of a plurality of sets of rotatable hand operated apparatus, each of said sets comprising a stud travelling in a circular path, a signal tobe operated, and mechanism for operating the signal comprising a thrust bar operatively connected to the signal, a plurality of parallel links of equal length each pivoted at its forward endto the frame and at its rear end to said thrust bar and each positioned with one of its edges forming a chord of the circle described by one of said studs.

5. In a toy, the combination with a suitable i'rame, of a pair of standards spaced apart upon the frame, said standards being provided with opposed vertical guideways, a guide-block movable in each guideway, a signal bar extending from one standard to the other and connected to said guide-block, atrigger in each standard for supporting the signal bar and guide box in an elevated position, a plurality of sets of hand operated apparatus and mechanism operatively related to each of said sets and so arranged as to be operable by any one of said sets to trip said trigger and permit the signal bar to drop.

6. In a toy, the combination with a frame, of a pair of spaced spindles mounted there in, a sprocket on each spindle, an endless chain connecting said sprockets, a toy image connected to said chain, means for actuating said chain, a pair of standards, anda signal bar extending between said standards, means for supporting said bar in elevated position on said standards, means actuated after a predetermined tr.vel of said chain after releasing said signal bar.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

ERNEST G. SGHREYER.

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