US1836640A

US1836640A - Toy

Info

Publication number: US1836640A
Application number: US520905A
Authority: US
Inventors: Roy L Bowman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1931-03-07
Filing date: 1931-03-07
Publication date: 1931-12-15
Anticipated expiration: 1948-12-15

Description

Dec. 15, 1931. R. L. BOWMAN TOY Filed March 7, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Karl. BOWMAN,

MQM

BY q

ATTORNEY.

Dec. 15, 1931. BOWMAN 1,836,640

TOY

Filed March '7, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

[For 11 Bow/WA N,

A TTORNFVx Patented Dec. 15, 1931 PATENT OFFICE BOY L. BOWMAN, F SAGINAW, MICHIGAN Application filed March 7, 1931.. Serial No. 520,905.

My invention relates to mechanical toys, and has particular reference to improve ments in the toy shown in my Patent No. 1,323,002, granted to me under date of November 25th, 1919.

One of the improvements embodied in the present invention is the provision of means whereby the arms and legs of the monkey are moved with relation to the body of the monkey, as the monkey travels up and down the upstanding support. The means to move or swing the llIIlbS of the monkey are simple, and may be retained in proper adjustment, so that the travel of the monkey, due to the action of weights, may be properly effected. A further improvement resides in the simplification of means forfeeding the weight or ball into the recess or mouth of the monkey, as it reaches the end of its upward travel. The improvement also resides in the wheel and track arrangement, which properly guides the monkey, during its travel, and retains its recess or pocket in alignment withthe discharge opening of the ball feeding means.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mechanical toy, embodying my invention,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same,

' Figure 3 is a plan view of the ball or spherical weight holding trough,or receptacle.

Figure 4 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the toy,- I

Figure 5 is an elevation of the inner face of the monkey,

Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken on line 66 of Figure 4. I 1

In the drawings, wherein'for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 10 designates an upstanding tubular support, preferably formed of tin, or other sheet metal. This tubular support is, preferably, circularly curved in horizontal cross-section, and the edges of the sheet metal may have interlocking engagement, as shown at- 11. The upstanding tubular support 10 has the material thereof provided with transverse slits ranged within the tubular support 10 is a reinforcing or stiffening element or plate 18, which is curved in cross-section, and has its concave surface arranged next to the slot 17. The reinforcing plate 18 is suitably at tached to the tubular support 10, as shown at19, thereby imparting suflicient stiffness to the adjacent portions of the tubular body portion 10, so that the

tracks

14 and 15. will maintain their proper positions.

At its lower end, the tubular support 10 is inserted into a hollow cone 20, and is attached thereto, and the tubular support '10 and this cone are both mounted upon and within a flanged base 2]., the

elements

18 and 20 being suitably attached to the bottom of the base 21, as shown. The cone 20 carries a stationary trip 22.

The animated figure, preferably in the form of a monkey, embodies a carriage 23, which is U-shaped in horizontal cross-section, including sides 24, and a back 25, the bottom of the carriage being open, as shown. The sides 24: are provided with openings for rotatably receiving shafts 26, carrying wheels 27, rigidly secured thereto, and these wheels travel upon the outer tracks 14, outwardly of the flanges 16. The shafts 26 are provided centrally thereof with cranks 28, for a purpose'to be described.v Disposed inwardly of the inwardly facing grooved tracks 15, is a cross-head 29, having wheels 30 rotatably mounted upon its opposite ends, and'these wheels 30 operate within the grooved tracks 15. The cross-head 29 is rigidly attached to an adjustable bolt 31, passing through an opening in the block 25 of the carriage, and having no screw-threaded engagement therewith, and this bolt carries a nut 32, having screw-threaded engagement therewith. It is obvious that by adjusting the nut 32, that the proper amount of frictional engagement will be had between the wheels 27 and the tracks 14, without liability of the parts binding, so that the carriage will be actuated by the weight elements, to be described.

The numeral 33 designates the body portion of the animated figure or monks, and this body portion is U-shaped in horizontal crosssection, and embodies sides 34, and a back by means of lugs 36-, secured to the carriage, and having tongues 37, passing through slots formed in the sides 34. The body portion 33 is provided at its lower end with a plate 38, suitably attached to the carriage 23, and at its top with a horizontal plate 39, arranged beneath the l ead 40. This'head is providedv with a ball or weight receiving pocket or recess 41, preferably representing the mouth of the monkey. Pivoted to the upper ends of the sides 34, of the body portion of the monkey, are upper arms 42, by means of a transverse shaft 43, and a transverse shaft 44 is pivoted within the lower ends of the sides 34, beneath the plate 38, and this shaft carries lower legs 45. The pair of upper legs or arms 42 are connected by a rod 46, bent near their center into an eye 47, for pivotal connection with the end of a connecting rod or pitman 48, the inner end of which is pivotally connected with the crank 28, of the upper shaft 26.

A similar rod49 connects the lower pair of legs 45, and has pivotal connection with the connecting rod or pitman 50, pivotally connected with the crank 28, of the lower shaft 26. It isthus seen thatas the shafts 26 rotate, the cranks 28 and associated connections will cause the upper and lower legs to swing back and forth upon their pivots, thereby simulating a climbing movement. h

The numeral 51 designatesa reciprocatory ejector rod, operating through openings formedin the plates38 and 39. The upper end of this ejector rod extends into the pocket or recess 41, and its lower end extends beneath the plate 38, in alignment with the stationary rip 22.

The numeral 53 designates a tail element, attached at its lower end to the body portion of the monkey, and near its upper end to a cap 54, and extendingupwardly beyond this cap. in the form of an inclined or curved portion 55, having its convex side facing toward the upstanding support'lO.

' The carriage 23 is provided with a tongue 56, which is'slctted for connection with a flexible element or cord 57, passed about a grooved pulley 58, arranged within the upper end of the tubular supportlO, and rotatably supported by a transverse shaft 59. -A weight is attached to the free end of the flexible element 57 and operates within the tubular support 10, and this weight is sufliciently heavy to elevate the animated figure, when the pocket 41 is empty.

The numeral 60 designates a top element, suitably secured to the tubular support 10 and preferably simulating leaves- Arranged beneath this top element is a ball or weight receiving and feeding trough 61, attached to the tubular support 10, by means of tongues 62, or other suitable means. This trough V embodies a ball holding section 63, having an 35. The sides are attached to the carriage 23 inclined bottom 64, which extends downwardly, outwardly from the tubular support 10. The intake end of this trough section is arranged beneath an opening 65, formed in the top element- 60. The trough further embodies a feeding section 66, in communication with the'section 63, bya transverse passage 67. The troughsection 66 is provided in itsbot-tom with a ball seating opening 68, see particularly Figure 3, and this ball seat opening is of substantially smaller diameter than the ball. The ball cannot pass through this opening, but the opening simply seats the ball so that'it will not roll within the trough section 66. This trough section is provided inwardly of the ball seating opening 68, with a larger ball feeding opening 69, having a diameter larger than that of the ball. 'InFigure 3, the trough 61 is shown as being generally V- shaped, with balls 70, within the ball holding section 63. As more'clearly shown in Figure 4, when the monkey travels upwardly and approaches the end of its movement, the inclined or curved extension 55 of its tail will pass through the ball seating opening 68, and engaging behind the ball, will shift it forwardly into the opening 69, so that it may drop through this opening. I v

The operation of the toy is as follows:

The balls-or spherical weights 7 0 are fed through the opening 65 and enter the trough storage section 63. .When the ball is'fed into the trough section 63, it rolls down the same and runs through the passage 67 and enters the ball feeding section 66, and becomes seat-ed within the seating opening 68. The successive balls entering the'section 66 become stored therein as the lowermost ball is resting against the ball seated within the opening 68. The bottom 64 has onlya slight inclination so that there will be no tendency for the ball to run over the seating opening 68. The rolling action of the ball in the trough holding section may be properly retarded at the discharge end of the same, when the ball contacts with the end wall of the trough section, prior to traveling transversely through the passage 67, to the seat ing opening 68. The figure may now be drawn to the bottom of the tubular support 10, which, of course, will elevate the weight 60, and when the figure is released, the

weight 60 will automatically draw the same up the tubular support 10.

During this upward movement, the wheels 27 are turned, rotating shafts 26, whereby cranks 28 and associated elements cause an oscillating movement of the upper and lower legs, simulating a climbing action. When the figure approaches the end of its upward travel, the tail extension 55 passes upwardly through the ball seating opening 68, and its curved or inclined portion engages behind the ball seated within the ball seating opening 68, pushing the same forwardly from the seating opening and causing it to pass into and through the feeding opening 69. The recess or pocket 41 of the figure is now beneath, near and in alignment with the ball feeding opening 69, and the ball is accordingly caught within the pocket 41. This ball is sufiiciently heavy to over-balance the weight 60, and the figure then travels downwardly, the upper and lower legs being oscillated during the downward travel. When the figure approaches the end of its downward movement, the ejector rod 51 strikes the trip 22, and this rod ejects the ball from the pocket 41, the ball falling within the flanged base 21. The figure again starts upon its upward travel, and the cycle of operation is repeated automatically until all of the balls have been discharged from the trough.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a referred example of-the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is I 1. A mechanical toy comprising an upstanding tubular support having outer longitudinal tracks and inner longitudinal tracks arranged between the outer tracks, the inner tracks being spaced to provide a longitudinal slot there-between, a figure having movable limbs to traveloutwardly of and longitudinally of the tubular support, wheels connected with the figure and traveling upon the outer tracks, operating connecting means between the wheels and limbs, an element connected with the figure and extending through the slot to the interior of the tubular support, wheels arranged within the tubular support and traveling upon the inner tracks and mounted upon the element, and weight-operated means to effect the travel of the figure longitudinally of the support.

2. A mechanical toy comprising an upstanding tubular support having outer longitudinal tracks and inner longitudinal tracks disposed adjacent to the outer tracks, the inner tracks having side walls serving as flanges for the outer tracks and the inner tracks being spaced to afford a longitudinal slot, :1 figure having movable limbs to travel out wardly of and longitudinally of the tubular support, wheels connected with the figure and traveling upon the outer tracks, operating connecting means between the wheels andthe tubular support, transverse independently rotatable shafts connected with the figure and having cranks, wheels carried by the shafts and engaging the exterior of the tubular support, a connecting rod between each crank and the corresponding set of movable limbs, means engaging the interior of the tubular support and serving toretain the wheels incontact with the exterior of the tubular support, and weight-operated means to effect the longitudinal travel of the figure.

4. In a mechanical toy, an upstanding support, a figure to travel longitudinally of the support and having a ball-receiving pocket, weight-operated means to move the figure upwardly of the support, a generally V- shaped trough mounted upon the upper portion of the support and including a ballholding trough section and a ball-feeding trough section and a transverse passage connecting the trough sections, said ball-feeding trough section being provided in its bottom with a ball seating opening and a larger ball feeding opening disposed forwardly of the ball seating opening, the ball feeding opening being arranged in general alignment with the ball receiving pocket of the figure, a trip element carried by the figure and arranged to be moved upwardly through the ball seating opening for engagement behind the ball to unseat the. same and cause it to travel through the ball feeding opening, and automatic means to'eject the ball from the ball receiving pocket when the figure approaches the end of its downward travel.

5. In a mechanical toy, an upstanding support, a figure to travel longitudinally of the support and having a ball receiving pocket, weight-operated means to move the figure upwardly of the support, a trough mounted upon the upper portion of the support and including a ball-holding trough section and a ball-feeding trough section and an inclined passage connecting the trough sections, the side wall of the transverse passage serving to close the lower end of the ballholding trough section, said ball-feeding trough section being provided in its bottom with a ball seating opening and a larger ball feeding opening disposed forwardly of the ball seating opening, the ball feeding opening being arranged in general alignment with the ball receiving pocket of the figure, a trip element carried by the figure and arranged to be moved upwardly throughthe ball feed-- ing opening for engagement behind the ball to unseat the same and cause it to travel throu h the ball feeding openin 6. n a mechanical toy, an upstanding sup port, a figure to travel lon itudinally of the support and simulating a monkey and including pivotal limbs and means to move the limbs during the travel of the monkey, said figure having a ball receiving pocket and a tail element extending above the pocket and having an inclined part, weight-operated means to move the figure upwardly, a trough mounted upon the upper portion of the support and having an inclined bottom and pro-- vided with a ball seating opening and a larger ball feeding opening disposed forwardly of the ball seating opening, the ball seating opening being arranged in general alignment with the tail element and the ball feeding opening in general alignment with the pocket, a movable ejector carried by the figure and extending into the ball receiving pocket, and a trip arranged near the lower end of the support in the path of travel of the ejector.

In testimony whereof I affix my signaturev ROY L. BOWMAN.