US2398122A - Teeter - Google Patents

Description

A. N. SOUZA Apri g, 194.

I'EETER Filed Feb. 14, 1945 Patented Apr. 9, 1946 TEETER August N. Souza, Oakland, Calif., assignor ofonehalf. to Reuben A. Souza, Oald'and,.Ca1i.f;

Application February 14, 1945-, Serial Noi 577,780

4 Claims.

This invention relates to toys of the see-saw or pivot board type upon which children may ride, and particularly to devices of this character that are light enough in weight and small enough to be used indoors as well as outdoors and to be picked up and moved around at will.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a toy of the type described that is adapted to be used either by one child alone or by two children simultaneously.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy of this type having a protective feature adapted to prevent injury to one of two children using the device together if the other should suddenly dismount without warning.

A further object of the invention isto provide a protective feature for the above mentioned purpose that is simple in construction, requires a minimum number of parts, and is adjustable according to the weights of the children to be using the toy.

The invention possesses other. objects and features of advantage, some of which,, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying. and forming. part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said'drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following specification and the accompanying drawing, in which Figure I is av side elevation of a device embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device shownin Figure I.

Figure 3. is an end elevation of the device. shown in Figure 1'.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken along the line 44 of Figure 2'.

Figure is a side elevation. of another embodiment of my invention.

Referring now to. the. embodiment of. the invention shown in Figures: 1 to 4, the device. comprises a long base board Ill that rests upon a pair of oppositely disposed end blocks II and a pair of spaced-apart intermediate blocks l2. A pair of vertical columns 13. are secured to the upper surface of the base board I'll in laterally spaced apart relation, separated by a center block I4 that is secured to the columns and to the base board to unite them into a rigid structure. A pivot board,

generally designated I5, is mounted between the upper ends of theeolumns it for limited, reciprocating, rotary motion ina vertical plane. Lhe pivot board t5 comprises a pair of beams t6, approximately the length of the base boa-rd I 0, but preferably slightly shorter, that are held inspaced apart relation by a pair of seat boards ll respectively located at opposite ends-of the pairof'beams i6 and secured thereto, and by a cross-strut t8 rigidly secured between the pair of beams at right angles thereto at the longitudinal center thereof. The pivot board I5 is secured in place between theupper ends of the columns l3- bya hollow bolt 20 that passes through: aligned holes in the columns, in the centers of the, beams l6, and in the cross-strut 18;. The bolt 20: has a head at. one end. and is internally threaded at the other to accommodate. an internal screw head 2|, and the length of the bolt 20 is such that, when the nut 2| is tightened. therein, the columns 13 are not forced tightly against the adjacent sides of the beams IS in order that free rotation of the pivot board will not be prevented. A rod 22' passes through an aperture in the upper end. of the cross-strut. l8" and extends outwardly on each side thereof to forma handle ofsufl-lci'ent extent thattwo children seated on the oppositely disposed seat boards IT may both grasp the handle with both hands. A pair of similar rods 23 are. respectively secured adiacent opposite edges of the pair of columns l3 and on top ofthe. center block. Id at its opposite ends to. provide a pair of footrests disposed in cooperative relation withthe pair of seat boards l1. respectively.v

With the above described! structural. have provided a see-saw devicevadapted to be used by two children. simultaneously in a. well-known manner. In order to adapt the device. for use also by one child alone, and toprovidea. protective feature designed to prevent injury toone: of. two children using the. device. together should the other suddenly dismount without warning, I have provided a. spring controlled mechanism that. is adjust.- able. to. afford a desired degree of resistance to rotary movement of the pivot board. l5 in. either direction from a. normally. horizontal position The cross-strut l-8 projects belowv the. lower edges of. the beams t6 and below the bolt. 20. that constitutes. a fulcrum for the pivot board;v A generally U-shaped bracket 25. is mounted on they lower end. of. the cross-strut It. with. the legs. oil the bracket secured to opposite sides of the'cro'ss strut. A pair of rivets 25 secure the bracket to the cross-strut. In the center of the base board It, and in vertical alignment vn'th the bolt 20, an eye bolt 28 is mounted with its ring uppermost and its shank passing downwardly through the center block [4 and through and a short distance below the base board 10. A nut 21 is threaded on the end of the shank of the eye bolt 26 to anchor it against an upward pull. A coil spring 28, having a hook at each end, is held under tension between the bracket 24 in the eye bolt 26 by having one of its ends hooked over the bend in the bracket and its opposite end hooked through the ring of the eye bolt. With this arrangement, the tension in the spring 28 normal- 1y holds the cross-strut I8 in a vertical position.

and thereby normally holds the beam iii of the pivot board in a horizontal position. force that causes the pivot board I5 to rotate in either direction from its horizontal position also causes the lower end of the cross-strut l8 to travel to one side along the arc of a circle having its center in the bolt 20. This moves the upper end of the spring 28 along the same arc, causing it to elongate and increasing its tendency to rotate the pivot board back to its horizontal position, both as a result of its elongation and as a result of a change in the angle of th force applied thereby to the lower end of the crossstrut. This condition is illustrated in Figure l, by the two dotted Outlines of the pivot board l5 and cross-strut i 8. By suitably proportioning the length of the cross-strut I8 below the bolt 20, and by selecting a spring '28 of appropriate strength, any desired resistance to rotation of the pivot board from its horizontal position may be obtained. By turning the nut 21 on the shank of the eye bolt 26, the tension in the spring may be adjusted within limits according to the weights of the children using the device.

With this spring control added to the pivot board device, one child alone can siton one of the seat boards I! with his'hand on the handle 22 while partially supporting his weight by pressing his feet against the associated foot-rest 23. By altemately relieving and increasing his foot pressure against the footrest, he can cause the pivot board i5 to oscillate around the bolt without requiring a companion to be seated on the'opposite seat. Movement of the pivot board can also be facilitated by alternately pushing and pulling on the handle 22. Or, if two children use the device together, while seated on opposite ends of the pivot board, they can cooperate in causing the oscillation thereof by each employing their feet, or their hands and feet, in the manner described above.

A modified form of the invention adapted for use only by one child at a time is illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawing. This modification is changed from the device of Figures 1 to 4 only by terminating the beams [5 a short distance to one side of the bolt 20, by terminating the base board l0 a short distance to the same side of the columns [3, and by eliminating one of the intermediate blocks l2 and one of the footrests 23. As modified, a. shorter base board In is supported at one end on a block H and at its opposite end on a block l2, and a pair of shorter beams l6" are pivoted adjacent one of their ends and carry only a single seat board I! adjacent their opposite ends. All of the other structuralparts of the modified device may be identical with the corresponding parts shown in Figures 1 to 4 and are identified by the same reference characters.

Any

A child using the device shown in Figure 5 does so in exactly the same manner as he would alone use the device shown in Figures 1 to 4.

While I have illustrated two embodiments of my invention in the foregoing specification, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the specific structural features described are subject to wide modification without departing from the essential principles of the invention. It is intended that the following'claims should embrace all such modifications as fall within the scope of their natural meaning,

I claim:

1. A toy of the see-saw type comprising a support, a normally horizontally disposed pivot board, a normally vertically disposed cross-strut rigidly connected thereto, said pivot board and said cross-strut being mounted on said support for limited reciprocating rotary movement in a vertical plane about a horizontal axis passing through said cross-strut between its ends, and a spring secured under tension at its opposite ends respectively to one end of said cross-strut and to a point therebeyond on said support in vertical alignment with said axis.

2. A toy of the see-saw type comprising a support, a normally horizontall disposed pivot board, a normally vertically disposed cross-strut rigidly connected to and extending above and below said pivot board, said pivot board and said cross-strut being mounted on said support for limited reciprocating rotary movement in a vertical plane about a horizontal axis passing through said cross-strut between its ends, and a spring securedunder tension at its opposite ends respectively to theilower end of said cross-strut and to a point therebelow on saidsupport in vertical alignment with said axis.

3. A toy of the see-saw type comprising a support, a normally horizontally disposed pivot board, a normally vertically disposed cross-strut rigidly connected to and extending above and below said pivot board, said pivot board and said cross-strut being mounted on said support for limited reciprocating rotary movement in a vertical plan about a horizontal axis passing through said cross-strut between its ends, a spring secured under tension at its opposite ends respectively to the lower end of said cross-strut and to a point therebelow on said support in vertical alignment with said axis, at least one end of said spring being secured by means adjustable to vary the tension in the spring. a 4. A toy of the see-saw type comprising a support, a normally horizontally disposed pivot board having a seat at each end thereof, a normally vertically disposed cross-strut rigidly connected intermediate the ends of and extending .above and below said pivot board, said pivot board and said cross-strut being mounted on said support for limited rotary movement in a vertical plane about a horizontal axis pas jngwthrough said cross-strut between its ends'aspring secured under tension at its opposite ends respectively to the lower end of said cross-strut and to a point therebelow on said support in vertical alignment with said axis, and a handle mounted on the upper end of said cross-strut in cooperative relation with said seats.

AUGUST N. souzA.

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