US2461644A

US2461644A - Toy

Info

Publication number: US2461644A
Application number: US690515A
Authority: US
Inventors: Earl C Hillhouse
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-08-14
Filing date: 1946-08-14
Publication date: 1949-02-15
Anticipated expiration: 1966-02-15

Description

Feb. 15, 1949. c, HlLLHOUsE 2,451,644

'TOY

Filed Aug. 14, 1946 j 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2.

INVENTOR.

Earl C. Hillhuusa ATTORNEYS.

Fe 15, 1949. E. c. HILLHOUSE 2,451,644

- Toy Filed Aug. 14, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .26 0 o ooeo -e o o e o 6 33 I INVENTOR Earl Ill-11111101 52 ATTORNEYS.

during use of the toy.

Patented Feb. 15, 1949 ES PATENT OFFICE TOY I Earl C. Hillhouse, Tulsa, Okla. I Application August 14, 1946, Serial No. 690,515

4 Claims.

the axis of the shaft which will be entertaining to children,

Another object of the invention is to provide a'toy wherein the elements of the movable member are constructed and arranged to permit adjustment of the figures toward and from the strip or body whereby they may be arranged substan 'tially in balanced relation to cause the movable member to descend rapidly with the axis of the shaft substantially horizontal, and to permit relative adlustmentofthefigures toward or from the plane .of the strip or body whereby they may be arranged in. unbalanced relation to cause the movable member to descend slowly and have a wobbling movement as it travels along the slot,

ifsodesired. v

Another objectof the invention is to provide a toy so formed that the shaft and the roller may be easilyfitted into place through the slot but prevented from accidently slipping out of the slot I Another object of theminvention is to provide atoy having a body orstrip which may be set vertically in place upon .atablenor ,iloorwith either enduppermost and reversedafter the shaft has moved along the slot to'the lower end thereof and thus again dispose the shaftatthe upper end'of the body for travel downwardly through the slot. n 7

Another object of theinvention is to provide a toy having a body'which will'be well supported foruse, but may be taken apart and packed in a small box when not in use or when initially packed for shipment and storage.

. Another object of theinvention is to provide a body which may be formedeither of wood or sheet material, and manufactured at low cost.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the improved toy. v

Fig. 2 is a side View thereof.

Fig. 3 is a view looking down upon the end piece or support for one end of the body of the toy.

4 Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary view, partly in vertical section, and partly in elevation, showing in full lines the balanced position of the shaft of the movable member, and in dotted lines, the unbalanced position thereof.

Fig.5 is a view showing a modified form of the toy, partially in front elevation and partially in vertical section. V

Fig. 6 is a side view of the toy shown in Fig. 5. Fig. Tie a View in side elevation showing the end piece at the upper end of the toy detached from a fragment of the upper portion of the strip or body of the toy shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing in full lines, the shaft of the movable member of this modified form of toy, in a balanced position, and by dotted lines, the unbalanced position thereof.

v Fig. 9 is a plan view looking down upon an end piece of the modified form.

Fig. 10, is aplan view of the blank from which the metal end piece shown in Fig. 9 is formed.

Thistoy consists briefly of a body adapted to be supported in anupright or vertical position and formed with a longitudinally extending. zigzag slot through which passes a shaft carrying at its ends figures which have movements imparted to them about theshaft as the shaft moves downwardly through the slot. 7 The toy may be formed mainly of wood or similar, material, as shown in Figs. 1 through 4, and in this embodiment v of the invention the body 1 consists of a strip of Wood. of appropriate length A and width and having its ends out straight across at, right angles to its side edges. A slot 2 extends'longitudinally of the strip or body I, and upon referring to Fig 2' it will be seen that this slot is a zigzag slotand at the intersections of its diagonally, extending sections 3 is formed with a rcuate edges 4 so that during use of the toy a roller 5 may easily movedownwardly along the slot'from one section 3 thereof to another. A narrow slit 5"is formed longitudinally of the body from one end thereof to the adjacent end portion of the slotZ, this slit being formed during manufacture'of the toy by use of a scroll saw used in producing the zigzag slot. This slit 5 also allows theseparated portions 6 of the slit end portion of the strip or body to be sprung away from each other for insertion of the roller 5 through the slot.

. The roller is formed as shown in Fig. 4 and consists of a tubular sleeve I having circumferentially extending flanges 8 at its ends, and attention is called to the fact that the length of the sleeve is such; that when the roller is passed into' the slot 2 it will project from opposite sides of the body a sufficient distance to allow the roller to be tilted in either direction as shown by dotted lines in Figure 4. The shaft 9 is formed from a dowel of such diameter that it will fit snugly in the bore of the roller and is of such length that when it is passed through the roller it will project a considerable distance from each end of the roller.

Acrobatic figures I are carried by end portions of the shaft and as the roller moves along the slot, from: the upper endthereof towards its lower end, the shaft turns with the roller and the figures will be moved about the shaft and execute turning movements.

In the present illustration, each figure l0 represents an acrobat having its arms and legs -H and (2 respectively, pivoted to a body l3 and outer ends of the arms reduced'to form pinsd' l' groove 11 to receive the cooperating endof the body. By this arrangement the body .I may be detachably connectedtothe pieces l6, and the end piecev thatislowermost projects'laterally of the body L'asufiicient distance to cause the body to be supported in an upright position. This is clearly shown in Fig. 1 and referring to this figureit will be seen that the body maybe supported upright with either end uppermost. Therefore, after (the roller 5," and parts carried thereby, has. moved do'wnwaridly'in the slot to the lower end thereof, the bo-dy may be inverted and the movable member will'again" travel down-' wardly to' the lowerend of the slot. As the roller travels downwardly in the slot, it rides upon lower edges of'theportions 3 thereof, andsince these portions slope in opposite directions, .the roller and parts carried thereby :will'turn first in .one directionand then'in an opposite direction, ,during this'downward movement and cause the figures to alternate the direction of their movement about the axis of'the shaft. By adjusting the position of the shaft 9 .throughthe roller .5rso. that it. and the acrobatic .figures ill? are in balanced relation with. respect to the roller, the movable member-will descend rapidly andnot wobble,'.butlif in unbalancedrelatiomit will descend more slo'wly,,and'the flanges 8 rubbingon thebo'dyl .will cause it to wobble.

InFigs. 5 .throughlD, there .isshown the modified form of construction which may be formed chiefly-of metal. In this embodiment of the invention abody |8.is .formed .froman elongated blank or .strip of .tin .or other suitable sheet metal. The metalstrip hasrside edge portions bent .to form tubular-beads or columns 19 and adjacent its ends-the metal .stripiis crimped to form transversely extending reinforcing v1-ibs-2ll. Slits 2 l which are cut-along inner sides -:of the ends of the columns l9, provideztonguesiz,which extend .thefu-ll width-of the body between the columns at the ends: of the body.

End pieces. .23 are gprovided for support of the body |.8,and they are of duplicate construction, each. being preferably formed from asheet metal blank orstrip 24,-shownin Fig. 10. This blank is preferably formed with transversely extending rows of

perforations

25 and 26 which serve as fold lines and allow the blank to be easily and -versely-and cooperate .with each other to form isleeves:3l=-at ends of the tongues 29. When the end pieces'are applied to the body l8 the sleeves 35 are fitted into ends of the tubular columns 19, the tongues 22 of the body are fitted between the tongues 29 of the end pieces and the ends of lipswor tongues 29 are accommodated in the slits 2|.

A"shaft' 3'2 'of "the movable member carries figurest33 and the shaft passes through a roller 34 corresponding to the roller 5. This roller 34 has annular flanges 35*at the ends of itssleeve '36,"-and when this roller is mounted; in a zigzag slot 31 forme'd'in' the body N3, the roller will roll downwardly inthe slot, and alternately turn in opposite directions during its downward movement.-

In this form ofthe invention, thexshaft 32 may be 'in'fixed relation to the roller 34, .and the figures 33 islidably'secured "by "frictional engagement on theend portions of .the shaft aslby use 30 of hubs-38 formed integral with thefigures. Thus the figures 33 may beremoved fol-packing and storage, and may be adjusted "longitudinally of the shaft-32' for balancing the "movable member in'the slot '-'31,"or,as'shown by'dotted' lines in Fig.8, one'of the figures 33" may be moved closer to the rolle'rt l than the other figureito' obtain unbalanced relationshipand thereby "cause the movable member to wobble as it. descends with respect to the-body I.

The flanges '35 'of' the roller"34' are spaced apart a distance=greater than thethicknes of body'lB. so that this wobbling of the movable membermay be accomplished and also so'that the roller 34 may be placed inthe zigzag slot '31, as by springing a tongue likeportion 39of the body {I 8'between runs 40 "of the slot 31 outwardlyv a'dista'nce .sufiicient -to permit a person .tO cant the rollerinto place, after'which'the tongue'39 will spring back to "normal position. This enables me to fixsthe roller 34 tothe shaft 32 at the time. of manufacture and when placing the rollerinto thezigzag slot, it is understood that.amorticnofthe shaft 32 is first extendedthru theslot. at a time whenthe figure 33 .atthat portion of the shaft is removed therefrom. Alsowhen removing-the roller andshaft fromlthe. slot, .at least one of the figures must first be removed from theshaft.

I claim .1. In a toy,lan.upright body-memberprovided with .a zigzag slot-extending from an :upperportion to alowerportion thereofyanda movable member adapted to descendbygravity with respect to the body member,comprisinggashaft extending transversely thru. and revoluble in said member to descend rapidly with the axis of the shaft substantially horizontal, and to permit of relative adjustment of the figures toward and from the plane of the body member whereby they may be arranged in unbalanced relation to cause the movable member to descend slowly with the peripheries of the flanges rubbing against the upright member and the axis of the shaft extending diagonally with respect to the plane of the body member.

2. In a toy, an upright body member provided with a zigzag slot extending from an upper portion to a lower portion thereof; and a movable member adapted to descend by gravity with respect to the body member, comprising a roller, 1

spective end portion of the shaft whereby the figures may be adjusted longitudinally of the shaft to substantially balanced relation to cause the movable member to descend rapidly with the axis of the shaft substantially horizontal, and to permit adjustment of one of the figures on the shaft to a position nearer the plane of the body member than the other figure, whereby they may be arranged in unbalanced relation to cause the movable member to descend slowly with the peripheries of the flanges rubbing against the upright member and the axis of the shaft extending diagonally with respect to the plane of the body member.

provided with an axial bore, revoluble in said slot,

a flange carried by each end portion of the roller, said flanges disposed at opposite sides of the body member and spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the thickness of said body member, a shaft extending thru said bore and having snug frictional engagement with the roller, and an acrobatic figure on each end portion of the shaft, said shaft being adjustable longitudinally in said bore whereby the figures may be arranged in balanced relation to cause the movable member to descend rapidly with the axis of the shaft substantially horizontal, and to permit adjustment of the shaft with one of the figures to a position nearer the plane of the body member than the other figure, whereby they may be arranged in unbalanced relation to cause the movable member to descend slowly with the peripheries of the flanges rubbing against the upright member and the axis of the shaft extending diagonally with respect to the plane of the body member.

3. In a toy, an upright body member provided with a zigzag slot extendingfrom an upper portion to a lower portion thereof; and a movable member adapted to descend by gravity with respect to the body member, comprising a roller revoluble in said slot, a flange at each end portion of the roller, said flanges disposed at opposite sides of the body member and spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the thickness of I said body member, a shaft carried by and coaxial with said roller and extending outwardly beyond said flanges and an acrobatic figure on each end portion of said shaft, said figures each having a hub in snug frictional engagement with its re- 4. A toy comprising a body formed from a strip of sheet metal having side edge portions rolled to form tubular columns along opposite side edges of the body, said body being formed with a longitudinally extending zigzag slot, base members detachably engaged with the ends of the body for reversably supporting the body upright, said base members each consisting of a sheet of metal provided withfold lines and bent along the foldlines to form a bottom plate and leaves extending inwardly over the bottom plate from opposite ends thereof and terminating at their free ends in upwardly projecting lips constituting jaws, the said jaws having their ends bowed transversely and cooperating to form sleeves at opposite ends of the jaws, said sleeves fitting snugly in the ends of the columns and end portions of the body between the columns being gripped between the jaws of the base member, a shaft passing thru the slot and mounted for rolling movement downwardly in the slot, and figures carried by ends of the shaft.

EARL C. I-IILLHOUSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS France Got, 30, 1907