US1772256A - Toy airplane - Google Patents

Description

H. L. KRAEFT TOY AIRPLANE Aug. 5, 1930.

Filed July 21 192 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H. L. KRAEFT TOY AIRPLANE Aug. 5, 1930.

Filed July 21. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q kn Q Q 8 k 8 an Q Q E z E nw m A QM IIHLWNI Q 3 Q i E Q 3 N QM N ha QM vw n NM 3 gwumkk Patented Aug. 5, 1930 UNITE STATE oFI Y HERMAN L. KRAEFT, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE MURRAY-OHIO MFG.

COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A GGRPORATION OF OHIO TOY AIRPLANE Application filed. July 21,

This invention relates to a wheeled toy for small children. As shown in the drawings, the embodiment is representatlve of an airplane of the monoplane type.

The essential object is to provide a toy of the character above mentioned which may be very economically made from fairly heavy sheet material whereby the toy will with stand considerable abuse.

A further object is to provide a toy which may be rapidly and accurately assembled, 1rrespective of considerable variation in the thickness ofmaterials used.

A further object is to provide a toy which shall be substantially entirely made from pressed metal parts andwhich will nevertheless closely simulate a full sized airplane.

Further objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description relating to the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred form. The essential characteristics are summarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of the entire toy; Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view thereof as indicated by the line 22 on Fig.

, 1; Fig. Sis a transverse sectional view as indicatedby the line 83 on Fig. 2, Figs. 4: to 7 are fragmentary sectional detail views as respectively indicated'on Fig. 2, and Fig.

.8 is a development of one of the component parts of a preferred landing gear structure.

Briefly, the embodiment of the invention illustrated comprises a main body or fuselage made up of side panels and an overlapping top panel, the side panels being joined forwardly and rearwardly into a solid structure. At the front of the. vehicle is a sheet metal member which represents in appearwas the cylinders of'a well-known type of airplane motor.

WVithin the body or fuselage is a support 1828. Serial No. 294,389.

The body of the plane is preferably formed i of two side members or panels 1 extending substantially the entire length of the body and having inwardly overlapping extensions 2 (see Fig. 7) at the'extreme front of' the body. These overlapping portions maybe, joined as by spot welding or rivets (rivets being shown at 3 in Fig. 2). The side members are separated from each other substantially throughout the entire length of the body, but at the rear end thereof they coni verge and are secured by means which in; clude the skid and rudder fastening means, as will be presently shown. I

Extending over the top edges of the members 1 is a'panel 4 which has downwardly eX- tending flanges 5, outwardly overlapping the upper edges of the members 1 and arranged to be secured thereto asby spot or line welding. The plane or wing structurev preferably comprises a single piece of sheet metalfi suitably formed torepresentthe usual monoplane wing. This may be secured to the top member 4 by a bolt 7, a suitable space'r being employed between the panel 4 and the body of the wing to prevent-crushing or bending the metal thereof. e Y

The landing gear of the vehicle includesa bracket structure designated generally at 10,

'made in two parts from sheet metal and. ar-

ranged to support an axle 11 carrying wheels 12. The bracket members are substantially C-shaped, when viewed in plan, and each. member has two upward extensions or cars 13 which may be bolted tothe sides 1 as at 14, and downwardly extending cut-out portions 15, perforated to receive the shaft 11. The inwardly extendingends 17 of the bracket members overlap and may be secured to gether' asby singleflrivets 18. The contour of the upper edges of the'overlapping r'nem-" bers is such as to cause the members to lie tight against'the lower edges of the members 1 when the bracket is secured in place as by the bolts 14. The bracket assembly also serves to support the outer ends of the wing as by reason of rigid struts 2O suitably flanged for strength and secured to the bracket and the wing. I

T" F 8 I have shown a development of one of the parts which make up the bracket structure 10. In this figure, the various bend linesin "the blank are indicated in broken lines. The bend lines L show where the ears 13 are bent out of the plane of the blank to lie flatwise against the body sides 1. The lines L indicate where the ends 17 of the blank are bent up substantially parallel to each other. Line L indicates the bent line for the .lowermost portion ofthe bracket member which directly supports the aXle 11.

The securing means between the struts and bracket" assembly preferably comprises the formation of elongated openings 60 in the portions 15 of the bracket through which are inserted upturned ends 61 of the struts. In

assembly, the procedure is to swing the struts as from respective positions alongside the body down to their wing supporting position shown, causing pairedabutment surfaces 63 (the ends of the flanges) to bear against the portions 15 of the bracket slightly before the struts have reached their final position. Thereafter when the struts are fastened to the wing, as by bolts 64, and the wing is secured to the body, as at 7, the lower ends of the struts bind at the bracket, and are held securely in place against removal or vibrat1on.

Lying partly within the body is a propeller shaft 22, this being supported near its rearward end by an upright strip of sheet metal 23 secured in place by one of the rivets 18, the shaft passing through enlarged openings in the overlapping portions 2 of the side members to su port a propeller member 24.

Surrounding the shaft and secured as by the rivets 3 to the overlapping portions 2 of the body is a substantially circular sheet metal device formed to represent an airplane motor of a well-known type. T his comprises a circular plate having at its outward edges, substantially circular extensions 26, and these are bent rearwardly at right angles to the general plane of the plate, in which position they are strikingly suggestive of the cylinder heads of a motor. r V

' The propeller may comprise a strip of sheet metal 27 which'lies directly against a conically shaped sheet metal member 28 having rearwardly flanged extensions 29 at its edges, which straddle the propeller blade strip 27, and outwardly extending flanges 29 to which the strip 28 may be joined as by spot welding. The flange 29 forms an abutment against the body-member of the motor simulating device. The end of the shaft may tightly fit an opening in the small portion of the conical member 28 to hold the propeller on the shaft, and the end of the shaft is riveted as at 30 beyond the bottom of a U-shaped swivel clip 31 perforated to receive a cord orv strin 32 by which the vehicle may be drawn. The swivel permits the shaft to turn and drive the propeller without twisting the cord.

The propeller shaft is held against outward movement from the strip 23 as by'a pair of nibs 33 which bear against a .washer 3d adjacent the strip 23. On the rearward free end of the shaft 22 is a rubber tube 25 which serves as a pulley and over which passes a suitable bel' 36 driven by another. rubber tube 37 which may be suitably fastened in place on the shaft 11. I

A suitable noise maker may be provided, such as the notched wheel 38 cooperating with a light spring strip 39 carried by one of the members forming the bracket 10.

At the rear end of the body is a ru'ddei like member 4-0, a pair of elevator-like members 41 and i2. anda tail skid 43. In designing these members, due re ard is had for the fact that by reason of their exposed position, they are especially susceptible to vibration, destruction or removal. The rudder member is hooked into a slot in the top member as by a forwardly extending lug 4:5 which, when in place, underlies the member a so that'it can not be lifted directly out of place. The rear portion of the rudder, the shape of which is well shown in Fig. 2 seats between the rear most portions of the side members 1 shown in broken lines at 1 The skid member 43, as shown particularly in Figs. 5' and 6, is generally U-shaped and has a forwardly extending lip which in assembling the skid onto the body is inserted through a pair of notches in the flanges 1 and which lies tightagainst the upper surface of these flanges when the v rear end of the skid is swung upwardly into place on the opposite sides of the portions 1 of the side members, as shown in Fig. 5.

The skid is made restricted as at 47to serve as a stop against the lower edges of the side body members, and the whole tail structure above described. including the side body portions 1 the-rudder member l0 and the skid member. are tightly secured in place by one spotwelding operation as-at 48. r

The elevator members are preferably formed in two pieces and have inward eX tensions as at 50 which overlie each other and extend through slots 50 in theside body members. Rearwardly from the inward e2;- tensions 50, the elevator members are flanged downwardly as at 51 to lie against the rear ends of the side body members to which they may be secured as by spot welding. The extensions are so formed as to go into the slots in the members 1 easily with the flanges 51 somewhat separated from the body, where fore when the flanges are brought in tightly against the body and secured in place, the

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extensions 50 bind in place. F or example, the uppermost extension 50, as shown in Fig. 4, binds at. 50 and 50", thereby eliminating vibration of the forward end of the elevator members without the necessity for a spot welding operation which would be very difficult to effect by reason of the close position of the side body members at this point.

I claim: 7 1. In a toy airplane, a body, a running gear comprising a wheel axle, and means supporting the axle comprising two sheet metal members having side bracket portions joined to the body and extending downwardly therefrom to engage the axle, said side members having inwardly bent extensions mutually gveirlapped and rigidly joined beneath the 2. In a toy vehicle, a sheet metal body, a bracket beneath the body formed to support a wheel axle, said bracket comprisingtwo substantially identical sheet metal members,

the free ends of said members being bent inwardly into mutually overlapping relation and secured together forwardly and rearwardly of such axle.

3. In a toy airplane, a hollow body structure including side wall members, a landing gear for the toy including a wheel axle and a bracket supporting the axle, said bracket comprising a sheet metal structure with vertical transverse webs passing beneath and directly supporting the body, a propeller shaft partly within the body and drivingly connected with the axle, there being a supporting memher for one end of the shaft carried rigidly by one of said'webs.

4:. In a toy airplane, a sheet metal body structure, a sheet metal wing structure adapted to be secured to the body, one of said structures including a part having an opening therein, a wing bracing strut having a lug at one end extending abruptly out of the general plane of the strut for free insertion into said opening when the strut is swung into an abnormal position with relation to the part having said opening, said lug preventing the said end thereof, arranged to engage the adjacent said structure when the strut is swung to normal position, whereby longitudinal movements of the strut in both directions will be preventedconsequent upon signature.

HERMAN L. KRAEFT,

longit'udial movement of the strut in one direction when the strut is swung to wing bracing position, a flange forming a shoulder on the strut opposite the lug for engaging said part on the surface thereof opposite the surface engaged by the lug to prevent longitudinal movement of the strut in the opposite direction, and means to secure the other end of the strut in'such normal position.

5. In a toy airplane, a sheet metal body structure, a sheet metal wing structure adapted to'be secured to the body, a wing bracing strut for rigidly associating the two struc tures, one end of said strut and one of said structures being formed to interengage freely only when the strut is swung to an abnormal position, there being oppositely disposed abutment means associated with the strut at

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