US1561374A - Animal toy - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 10, 1925. 1,561,374

c. l. SWEET I ANIMAL TOY Filed Nov- 1924. 2 Sheets-Shaog 1v W X z an X W 0 o m o a l 5 2 .0 a a z. 2 2 m e 0 a w 5 Z H i. J I 2 I o a J 3 W 6 a v 2 MM 7 9 3 m Nov. 10, 1925- 1,561,374

c. I. SWEET ANIMAL TOY Filed Nov. 15, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet? e7 6 79 ye- 11 35 20 z'l 3s fi9' 9 5.9" /5 I I a 36 27 7/6 (2 54, i; n 2 Q Q 9 i- 9 759! I I I I I5 136' 32 06 9 Q@ 0" 22 Y /j Z? fling/31%;" Wrdl'weeif Patented Nov. 10, 1925.

PATENT OFFSCE.

CLIFFORD 1. SWEET, OF HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS.

ANIMAL TGY.

Application filed November 15, 1924.

Z '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLIFFORD I. SWEET,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Highland Park, in the county of Lake and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Animal Toys, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to toys, and particularly to that class of toy which simulates an animal and in which the legs and other portions of the animal are moved as the toy is drawn over the ground.

The general object of this invention is to provide a very simple, readily operated and amusing toy of this character which is designed to simulate a turtle, the legs, tail and head of the turtle moving as the toy is wheeled along, the construction being such that the legs of the turtle are oscillated in a fairly close simulation of the natural movement of a turtles legs, the tail is oscillated laterally, and the head is alternately projected and retracted.

A further object is to provide a device of this character in which the lower jaw of the turtle is pivoted and caused to open as the head is projected.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view of an animal toy constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is an under side plan view of the toy;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through the middle of the toy;

Figure 4: is a transverse vertical section;

Figure 5 is a like view to Figure 2 but showing a modified arrangement of the parts.

Referring to these drawings, designates a body which is flat upon its under face and rounded from all directions on its upper face so as to simulate in shape the body of a turtle. The forward end of this body is longitudinally grooved, as at 11, while there is also formed a longitudinally extending groove 12 which is off-set with relation to the groove 11 and extends longitudinally of the body nearly to the rear end thereof.

Mounted in suitable bearings on the under side of the body portion are the front wheels 13, mounted on a shaft 14, this shaft Serial No. 750,086.

1% being provided with a crank 15 at its middle. The crank operates within the rear end of the recess or groove 11. The rear end of the body of the turtle is supported by means of wheels 13 mounted upon a transverse shaft lt 'having a crank 15. Pivoted upon the rear end of the turtle is'a tail 16 which is pivoted at 17, and attached to the tail at the butt end thereof adjacent the pivot is an eye 18 to which a connecting rod 19 is connected, this rod, which is in the form of a wire, extending to the crank 15 It will thus be obvious that as the crank is rotated, the turtles tail will be oscillated. Pivotally mounted upon the middle of the under face of the body is a transverse lever 20. This lever is connected by a rod 21 to the rear crank 15 Pivotally mounted upon the sides of the body are the legs 22 which are formed of relatively thin pieces of sheet metal bent so that the feet rest upon the floor. The legs are pivoted at 23and the rear ends of the legs are formed with downwardly extending off-set lugs 24-, and connecting these lugs 24 to the extremities'of the lever 20 are the connecting rods 25. It is obvious, therefore, that as the lever 20 is oscillated through the action of the crank 15*, the legs will be oscillated, both legs on one side of the turtle moving in the same direction and the legs on the other side of the turtle simultaneously moving in the other direction.

Reciprocatively mounted within the groove 11 is the neck 26 of the turtle head 27. This recess 11 has a floor or bottom upon which the neck 26 rests and slides or any other means for guiding the neck of the turtle may be provided. The rear end of the neck 11 is slotted, as at 28, and pivoted in this slot at the rear end of the turtle neck is the connecting rod 29 which engages the crank 15. Therefore, it will be obvious that as the crank rotates, the turtles head and neck will be oscillated forward and backward. The lower portion of the turtles head is cut away at 30, and disposed within this cut-away portion is the lower jaw 31 formed of a small slip of wood and this is hingedly connected to the under face of the rear portion of the head by means of a fabric strip 32. The under face of the cutaway portion 30 is grooved, as at 33, and a cord 34 is fastened to the upper face of the jaw 31 and passes through this groove and back through an aperture in the neck and is connected to any fixed point as, for instance, an eye 35.

It will be obvious now that the neck and head are moved forward, the cord will tighten and thereby pull the aw closed, while when the head is pulled inward the jaw opens by gravity.

With a device constructed as before described and pushed or pulled by a cord over the floor, the wheels 13 will, of course, rotate the shafts 14 and 1i. and this will cause the oscillation of all four feet of the animal, the lateral oscillation of the tail, and the reciprocation of the head, giving a motion which is quite life-like and amusing.

lVhile I have illustrated a construction which I find is thoroughly effective, I do not wish to be limited to this as it is obvious that it might be modified in some ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. Thus, for instance, in Figure 5 I have illustrated the neck 26 of the head 27 as being pivotally connected to a lever 34, which lever is pivoted at 35 upon the under face of the body, the .outer end of the lever, which is the short end, being connected by a wire connecting rod 36 to one extremity of the lever 20, and under these circumstances it is obvious that the same result will be attained. Preferably the neck will extend upward and forward slightly, as shown in Figure 3.

I claim 1. An animal toy of the character de scribed comprising a body, shafts mounted upon the under face of the body at the forward and rear ends thereof and carrying wheels, the shafts being cranked a longitudinally reciprocatable head at the forward end of the body having a neck slidably mounted upon the body, a connecting rod connecting the forward cranked shaft with said neck, legs pivoted upon the sides of the body for movement in an approximately horizontal plane, a tail pivoted upon the rear end of the body for lateral oscillation, a lever pivoted upon the under face of the body, connecting rods connecting the ends of said lever with the inner extremities of the legs, and a connecting rod connecting the cranked roar shaft to the tail at one side of the pivotal point of the tail.

2. In an animal toy of the character described, a body having a fiat under face, a head having a neck reciprocatively mounted in the body at the forward. end thereof, legs pivotally mounted upon the under face of the body for movement in a horizontal plane, a tail pivotally mounted upon the under face of the body for lateral oscillation, wheels upon which the body is supported, means actuated by the wheels for reciprocating the head, oscillating the legs, and oscillating the tail, the under face of the head being cut away, a jaw hingedly mounted upon the under face of the head, and a cord attached to the inner face of the jaw and extending through the neck and being operatively connected to the body at its inner end, said cord being of such length that as the head is shifted outward the cord will tighten and raise the jaw.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

CLIFFORD I. SWEET.

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