US1866490A - Merry-go-round - Google Patents

Description

J. A. SCHARF MERRY- GO -ROUND July 5, 1932.

Filed July 14, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l M M me m MA W a B J S m w, 7

ATTORNEY July 5, 1932. J.' YA.ISCHARFI v v -1,866,490

MERRY- GO-ROUND Filed July 14, 1930 2 ShGQtS-ShfiGt 2 IN ENTOR WITNESS John 116072 07";

WW/ BY MM Vie ATTORNEY Patented July 5, 1932 UNITED STA i JOHN A SCHARF, OF RIOHWOOD, OHIO MERRY-GO-ROUND Application filed July 14, 1930. Serial No. 467,932.

My invention relates to mechanical toys of the type known as merry-go-rounds, more particularly to merry-go-rounds adapted particularly for use by children, and it con- 6 sists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein shown and described.

An object of my invention is to provide a merry-go-round adapted for pedal operation and for particular use in home and childrens 1 recreation centers which may be easily taken down and set up for operation and stored in a small place. 7

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described whichv will be ofexceedingly simple construction, necessitating the use of only a'few parts during the manufacture and which will require only a few simple operations on the part of the user for setting the same up for operation and taking down the same for storage.

A still further object of my inventionis to provide a device of the type described which will be readily adjustable to fit the needs of individual operators.

A still furtherobject of the invention is to provide a device of the type described which will be simple to manufacture and does not get out of order easily.

i Other objects and advantages will appear asthe specification proceeds and the invention will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My device is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application in which: a V.

Figure 1 is an elevational view of my device; i 1

- Figure 2 is a side view of my device;

' Figure 3 is a sectional view, on line 3-3 of Figure 1; and 1 q r Figure 4: is a sectional detail view, on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

In carrying out my invention 1 make use of a'standard 1 consisting of top and bottom 5 plates 2 and 3' and a plurality of legs 4:

hingedly connected for lateral swinging motion between said plates about any suitable means such as the bolt and nut fasteners, in dicated at 5. It will be noted that these legs A; are soformedand so disposed that their outer extremities extend downwardly from a plane in which their inner extremities are fastened, thereby securing elevation of said inner extremities and their cooperating plates 2 and 3 above the base on which said legs are mounted. I

The plates 2 and 8 are each provided with a vertically extending bore 6 and 7 in alinement. These bores are provided with .keyways in which a mast 8 is fixedly keyed. It is about this mastthat the movable portions of my device operate. i

This mast 8 extends vertically a suitable distance to secure for rotation at its upper extremity a bearing member 9 which bearing member is secured to the frame of the rotatable portion of my device for mounting said frame for rotation about the mast 8. This bearing member maybe supplied with balls or other anti-friction members for cooperation with the mast and said bearing member for securing easy rotation of said bearing member about said mast.

At the base of the mast there is further provided a bearing casting 10, which bearing casting 10 is rotatably mounted relative to the mast 8 and is adapted to further mount portions of the rotatable frame for rotation about the same. The casing 10 may have balls or other anti-friction members disposed therebetween and the plate 2 for securing easy rotation of said bearing casting 10 about the mast 8. The bearing casting is provided with slots 11 about the periphery thereof which slots provide ready means for mounting supporting bars 12. Y

The supporting bars 12, as appears most 7 clearly in Figure 1, support at their outer extremities the lower portions of similarly formed frames 13, a pair of frames 13 being supported adjacent the outer extremities of v each of the rods 12. These frames 13 are of substantially U-shaped formation and are connected to the rods 12 at the lower portions or the horizontal bar of the U. The bowed or bent portions 14 of these U-shaped members 13 are interconnected by bracing rods 15 and 16 which extend therebetween and are retained in position by any suitable means such asthe nuts shown thereon.

At the upper extremities of each pair of these U-shaped members 13 seats 17 are secured by means of bolts 18 which project through the frames or by any other suitable fastener engageable with the bent over portions of said frames and the seat. These seats are provided with swingably mounted backs 18 which are swivelled or hinged, as

indicated at 19, thus adapting the same to be a'd'usted to desired positions.

ounted on either side of these seats17 and the back 18 to form arms thereof isany desired figure, which is shown in this embodiment as consisting of a horse 19. These figures are provided in similarly formed pairs for cooperation with each set offrames and each seat and are adapted to be swivelled to said seat for swivel movement in a vertical plane, as indicated at 20. 'The rear portion of these figures are secured to the back 18 by means of the adjustable screw 21 which proj ects through each of the figures and into one of the holes or apertures 22 provided in series on either side of the back 18.

For further supporting the frames and the seats each of the units formed by said frames and seats has a plurality of supporting bars 23, 24 and 25 which bars 23 to 25 inclusive are secured to the bearing member 9 at the top of the mast 8 and to portions of the frames 13 and the seats 17 the horizontally extending bars 23 being secured beneath the seats by fasteners such asindicated at 26 and the downwardly extending rods 2e and 25 being secured to the bracing rods 15 and 16 respectively at their inner extremities.

which are occupied by the users of the merrygo-round about the mast 8 I equip said mast adjacent the bearing member 10 placed thereabout with a beveled ring gear 27 whichis ke ed or otherwise suitably fixed to the mast.

' or cooperation with said beveled ring gear for rotation relative thereto for rotating w the frame about the mast beveled gears 28 These are provided for each seating unit. beveled gears 28 are mounted for rotation with the bearing casting 10 by means of the journal frame 29 secured to said bearing casting and journaling each of said gears for rotation. When these gears 28 are rotated it is obvious that they will carry with them-this frame 29, the bearing casting 10 and consequently the frame which carries the seats.

For rotating the gears 28 about the ring gear 27 for rotation of the frame each of said gears is equipped with a crank shaft 30 in tegrally connected therewith and mounted for rotation in a bearing 31 provided on each of the supporting rods 12 substantially centrally of the frame members 13. As will apear most clearly from an examination of igure 1. each of these crank shafts 30 has a pair of similarly formed and oppositely disposed cranks 32 and 33 adapted to be po- .mounting ofa pe'dal'38 for engagement with the foot of an operator. The short arms 37 of the bell crank lever are connected by swivelled connecting'rods39 to the respective cranks of'that particular lever. Suitable spacer sleeves 40 are mounted on the rod 16 between the frames 13 and the pedal levers 35 and between saidpedal levers to assure proper alinement of each of said pedals with its respective crank.

From the foregoing description the use and operation of my device-is easily understood. The apparatus is set up as heretofore described and the back of the seat adjusted by means of the adjusting screw engageable through the sides of the figures 9 w and with the apertures provided in the back of the seat to suit the needs of an individual operator. The merry-go-round is then easily set into rotation by the engagement of the foot of the operator With the pedals for operation of the cranks which control rotation of F t f t 1F the gears 28 about the ring gear 27 as iseasily or securing a ro a ion 0 1e sea s -1 understood V When itis desired to take down the apparatus for storage or for other purposes the figures forming the arms of the seats are re- 7 moved by removing the adjusting screws and frames are removed from the bars 12 by releasing the fasteners securing the same therei to, and the fasteners connecting the bars 23 to 25 inclusive with the'portion of the frame and seat. The operator may then remove said'rods 23'to 25 inclusive by either discon nectlng them from the bearing member 9 or sliding said member 9 from the top of the mast 8. It is then only necessary for the operator to, disconnectthe swivel connecting rods from the cranks, remove the bearing cap frame 29. This journal frame 29 may then he slid from the mast 8, after which the mast 8 may be slid from the bores in the plates 1 and 2. After these operations thelegs 4 may be swivelled about their pivots into a com-,1

pact formation. The parts thus being easily assembled may be closely packed for storage as can be easily understood.

When it is desired to set up the mechanism the operator has only to reverse the above outlined operations.

It is thus seen that I have provided a me chanical toy of the type known as a merrygo-round, which is particularly adapted for use in homes and recreation centers by children because of its simplicity in assembly and disassembly and operation.

It is also seen that I provide a merry-goround, the back, arms and sides of which are readily adjustable to fit the needs of an individual operator.

It is understood that the embodiment shown is illustrative rather than limiting of my invention, and that the same is to be limited in no way except by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a merry-go-round, a vertically positioned mast, a pair of bearing castings positioned for rotation on said mast, and including radially extending bars connected to one of said bearing castings, a pair of substan tially U-shaped frame members positioned at the outer extremities of each of said radially extending bars, seats positioned on the upper extremities of each of the pairs of U-shaped frame members, said U-shaped frame members having bowed portions extending in opposite directions and underlying said seats, tie rods connected between each pair of U-shaped members, and brace rods connected between said other bearing and said tie rods for lending strength to said frames and seats.

2. In a merry-go-round, a vertically positioned mast, a frame having a pair of bearing castings positioned for rotation on said mast and including radially extending bars connected to one of said bearing castings, a pair of substantially U-shaped frame members positioned at the outer extremities of each of said radially extending bars, seats positioned on the upper extremities of each of the pairs of said U-shaped frame members, said U- shaped members having bowed portions extending in opposite directions and underlying said seat members, tie rods connected between each pair of U-shaped members and medially of the bowed portions, a pair of foot pedals rockably mounted upon one of said tie rods, a bevelled gear stationarily positioned about said mast, bevelled gears journalled in one of said bearings and in mesh with said stationary gear, a a crank shaft journalled upon said radially extending bars and having oppositely disposed cranks, pitmen'connected between said cranks and footpedals, and brace rods connected between said other bearing and said other tie rod for lending strength to said frames and seats.

JOHN A. SGHARF.

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