US1607231A - Mechanical figure toy - Google Patents

Description

S. I. BERGER MECHANICAL FIGURE TOY Filed July 6, 1925 w 2 1 33 wloxwac m l l w 009 y w Z flu Z a Nov. 16 ,1926.

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SAMUEL I. BERGER, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

MECHANICAL Florian TOY;

Application filed July 6-,

This invention relates to improvements in motor driven mechanical toys particularly to a toy that simulates a person playing a musical instrument such as a violin.

An object of the invention is to provide a toy of this characterwhich may be manufactured with comparative'economy, which will be of simple rugged, durable structure, and which by virtue of the. life-like movement of the figure, will prove interesting and amusing to watch. 1

y In a, preferred embodiment of the invention the figureis mounted upon a platform which forms the cover of a motor housing. In one hand, the figure carries the representation of a violin or similar stringed instrument and in the other hand carries a playing implement such as a bow. Through the intermediacy of suitable mechanism, operated by the motor, the arm of the figure which carries the bow is caused to swing and draw the bow back and forth across the instrument to simulate a violin player.

The invention may be more fully understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a toyembodying the invention, part of the motor casing being broken away to disclose the motor, 7

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view with the top of the motor casing broken away, and

Fig. 3 is an end elevation with the end wall of the motor casing removed, and; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. V

I have used thereference character to designate the side walls of the motor casing. This casing includes end walls 11,a bottom 12, and a removable coverror platform 13. The motor which I prefer to use is of conventional construction and is described at some length in my copending application Serial No. 17,162 filed March 21, 1925.

It includes a driving gear 14 impelled by a torsional spiral spring 15 wound by key 16 disposed on the exterior of the housing. This key is integral with the end of a drum shaft 17 carrying a drum (not shown) about which the spring is coiled and at one end of which is arranged a ratchet and pawl mechanism (not shown) to prevent retrograde movement of the driving gear or retrograde uncoiling of the spring. driv- 1925. Serial no. 41,474.

ing gear 14 operates a train of four speed increasing inert- ia gears 18, 19, 20, 21 which exert'a fly wheel effect on the motor. train of gears are arranged alternately'on a drive shaft 22 and a countershaft 23,'the gear 21 of the train being-adapted for coaction with a brake lever 24 of conventional construction which prevents. movement of the train while the spring'is being wound.

An extension of the power shaft is offset at 25 to form a crank arm 26 and it isthe This crank armavhich effects movement of the a vertical actuating rod 29 projecting upwardly therethrough and through an opening 30 in the platform. The feet' 31 of the figure'are provided with extensions in the through slots 33 in the platform, and twisted under the platform to prevent their withdrawal through the slots. The representation of a musical instrument 34 is preferably integral withone of the arms 35 of the figure, this arm being secured'by a tongue- 36 struck out from one of the shoulders and the instrument including a tongued end 34 locking in the neck portion ofth figureso that the figure appears to be holding a violin with the end thereof tucked under its chin.

The actuating rod terminates in a ri ht angular extension 38 at its upper end, this extension working in an arcuate slot 39 in one of the sections of the figure and being pivotally connected at approximately the nature of bendable tongues 32 passing elbow portion as indicated at 40 to the other arm 41 of the figure; The arm 41is pivoted upon tongues 42 projecting from the shoulder of the figure curved against the outline of the body and carries the representation of a how 43. Thus, as the actuating rod 29 is verticallyreciprocated, the arm 41 is caused to swing up and down and move the how. Preferably the centralportion of the instrument 34 or that portion which represents the strings thereof is slitted as indicated at 44 and thrust upwardly providing aguide 45 in which the bow is movable. I

Adjacent its lower end, the vertical actu-V ating rod 29 is bent to form a horizontally carrying arm.

projecting U bend 46.. The intermediate portion of this U bend is also offset horizontally but at right angles to the main portion of the U to form a finger 47 for a purpose which will be more fully hereinafter described. In operation, the U bend 46 which is approximately the same width as the thickness of the crank 26, straddles the crank and as the power shaft rotates, vertical reciprocating movement is imparted to the rod to cause swinging movement of the Inasmuch as the crank terminates'short of the end wall of the casing, it is necessary to provide some means for preventin U shaped bend of the actuating rod from sliding off the crank. The finger 47 of greater length than the distance between the end wall and the crank end is adapted to contact the end wall, to limit the sliding movement of the U bendalongth crank shaft.

The motor may, if desired, be used for operating one or more additional toy figures on or associatedwith the platform. F or this purpose. I have shown a second verticallydisposed actuating rod 50 projecting upwardly through an opening in the center of the platform, and in my previous application above referred to, I have indicated a preferred manner of driving this red to actuate a dancing figure.

It will thus be seen that there is herein described apparatus in which the several features of this invention are embodied,an-rl which apparatus in its action attains the various objects of the invention and iswell suit edto meet the requirements of practical use,

As the description of this invention shows that various'embodiments of this invention cou d be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description o shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

- Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire-to secure by Letters Patent is:

1.. A toy of the class described including a base constituting a motor casing, a platform serving as a cover for the casing, a m'otor'in the casing including a power shaft, and an offset extension forming a continuation of one end of the power shaft, a vertically disposed operating rod projecting upwardly through the platform and including a substantially horizontally U bend adjacent its lower end straddling the offset portion of the power shaft, a toy figure mounted on the platform and including a movable portion operatively connected to the upper end of the operating rod, the intermediate portion of the U bend being formed with an angular extension engageable with a wall of the motor casing to prevent theU bend from slid ing off the end of the crank.

2. In a mechanical toy, the combination with a base, of a hollowfigure having its feet secured to the base, said figure including a substantially rigid arm, arepresentation of a musical instrument integral with. the end of the arm and including a portion secured to the neck of the figure, the other arm of the figure being mounted for swinging movement and carrying a how, a motor within said base, a vertical operating rod actuated from said motor and extending with n the hollow figure, said rod having an angularly disposed upper end projecting through an arcuate slot in the figure and connected to the swinging arm at a part thereof below its pivot mount.

Signed at low York in the county of New Yolz and State of New Yorl this 2nd day of July A. D. 1925.

I SAMUEL I. BERGER.

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