US2121355A

US2121355A - Mechanical toy

Info

Publication number: US2121355A
Application number: US133?A
Authority: US
Inventors: Krupp Herman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1937-04-28
Filing date: 1937-04-28
Publication date: 1938-06-21
Anticipated expiration: 1955-06-21

Description

June 21, 1938. H KRupp 2,121,355

MECHANICAL TOY Filed April 28. 1937 8 1 1 12 a dfiouwq h Hrman Krupp Patented June 21, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application April 28,

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a mechanical toy, and more particularly to a vehicular toy, such as an automobile, engine, car or the like, that is propelled by means of a spring motor. The primary objects of the invention are to provide means whereby the toy will automatically turn away from the edge of a. table or other flat surface upon reaching its edge and will thus be prevented from falling off. While I am aware that.

prior to my invention, toys of a similar nature have been invented, it is my observation that they are either somewhat complicated, have ungainly projecting parts which destroy their natural appearance, or fail to function properly,

and my present endeavor is to overcome these objections.

In the drawing: Fig. -1 is a view in side elevation of a toy automobile embodying the principal features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same; and Fig. 3 is a view in front end elevation. Referring in detail to the drawing wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts in the several views, the numeral I-designates the body or shell of the device which may be made in any desired form. The numeral 6 indicates a. spring motor mounted within said body and which may comprise a winding stem, a spiral spring, and a plurality of gears forming a connection with and adapted to rotate a transverse axle l. A rubber tired driving wheel 8 is fixed to one end portion of said axle, and a wheel 9 of the same diameter is loosely mounted on the other end of the axle. One of the most important features of the invention resides in a protuberance "I which depends from the forward bottom end portion of the body 5, from the same side on which the driving wheel 8 is located. and somewhat in longitudinal alignment therewith. Placing this protuberance in near longitudinal alignment with the driving wheel causes the vehicle to travel in a substantially straight line. The protuberance l0 slants oii' gradually toward the other side of the vehicle thus forming an inclined plane Ii for reasons presently set forth. when the toy is normally resting or running on a flat surface, its weight is supported by the driving wheel I, the loosely mounted wheel-9, and the protuberance III, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawing.

Another very important feature of the invention ,resides in the idler pilot wheel I! which is mounted substantially in the central portion of the bottom of the body I and slightly to the side whereon the loosely mounted wheel 0 is located. Said pilot wheel. together with the

wheels

8 and 9, form a somewhat equilateral triangle, and said 1937, Serial No. 133,-"

pilot wheel is disposed slightly above the horizontal plane defined by the

wheels

8 and 9 and the protuberance i II. It will be particularly noted that the axis of rotation of said pilot wheel is aligned with the center of the loosely mounted wheel 9, as indicated by the dotted line at I! in Fig. 2.

In the operation of the device, we may assume that same is running on a flat surface such as a table and is headed toward one edge thereof. The vehicle is supported on the table by the protuberance iii, the loosely mounted wheel 9, and the driving wheel 8, and the idler pilot wheel I! is above and out of contact with the table. At the instant the forward end of the vehicle pro- Jects over the edge of the table, the protuberance I0 drops down allowing the idler pilot wheel I! to contact and rest on the table. It being remembered that the axis of said pilot wheel is aligned with the center of the loosely mounted wheel 9, said loose wheel becomes a pivot point about which the pilot wheel turns, and the driving wheel 8,-under the influence of said pilot wheel, instantly causes the vehicle to swing sharply around as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2. In swinging around, the inclined plane portion ii of the protuberance i0 slides easily against the edge of the table, lifting the forward end of the vehicle, causing the said protuberance to regain its bearing on the table, and raising the pilot wheel I2 out of contact with its surface. The vehicle is thus turned away from the edge of the table,.prevented from falling off, and headed toward another edge where it will be again caused to turn away. The inclined plane ll together with aligning the axis of the pilot wheel I! with the center of the loose wheel 9 are prime factors in causing the vehicle to swing instantly around regardless of its speed.

. I claim:

A mechanical toy comprising in combination a driven axle, a driving wheel fixed to one end of the axle. and a loosely mounted wheel on the other end of the axle, a protuberance depending from the forward end of the toy and disposed substantially in longitudinal alignment with the driving wheel, said protuberance slanting upwardly toward the side of the toy on which the loosely mounted wheel is positioned and forming.

an inclined plane extending a greater part of the width of the toy, a pilot wheel interposed between the protuberance and the said two other wheels and raised above the horizontal plane thereof. and the axis of rotation of. said pilot wheel being aligned'with the center of the loosely mounted wheel.

HERMAN KRUPP.