US2506890A - Amusement or exercising device - Google Patents

Description

May 9, 1950 w. PRATT AMUSEMENT 0R EXERCISING DEVICE- 2 sheets-sheet `:1

Filed Jan. 51,` 1946 INVENTOR /4///o/? Pfaff,

BY I M f ATTORNEYS May 9, 1950 w. PRATT 2,506,890

AMUSEMENT 0R ExERcIsING DEVICE Filed Jan'. 51, 194e;v 2 sheets-Sheet 2 iNvENToR ATTORNEYS Patented May 9, 1950 AMUSEMENT OR' EXERCISING DEVICE Wilson Pratt, Salt Lake City., Utah; David Wilson- Pratt administrator of said Wilson Pratt, de-

ceasedv Application January 31, 1946, Serial No. 644,538

6 Claims.

This invention.y relates'. to improvements in hobby horses. or the like, and `more .particularly to a novel device designedtobe usedfor exercise or pleasure `and which-'fsimulatesfthe action of va running horse.

One of the objectsof thei'nvention is to provide a deviceof.' this character in which the simulation of the 'action ofi-a running horse may be created by the rider whoshiits'his weight forward andy backward from` stirrup to saddle` and vice versa.

Another object isV to'- provide a device of this type which is of simple, inexpensive constructionA andA including adjustable means to enable the-'device to be adjusted Ato accommodate riders of various weights.

With! the foregoing'objects` outlined and. with other objects in View which appear as the description proceeds, `the 'invention consists inthe novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the 'accompanying:'drawings` and more particularly vpoint'ed'out in. the appended claims:-

In the drawings- Fig; 1 is a side elevation of an example of the device.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevationofthe same.

Referring to the drawings, it will be noted that the device consists of three essential parts, a" base 3, a seat 4 and connecting means 5 for sup-- porting the-seat above-the base.

The base" may be made-in any suitable way. For example, it may consist o'fa pair of angle irons 6, arranged side-byesideand spaced from one another by blocks l. Bolts t extend through the angle irons and blocks, to rigidly hold these parts together. ends of the angle irons and extending outwardly therefrom, may be employed for lateral stability.`

Each angle iron is provided intermediate its ends'with anA upstanding bracket lli, and each bracket is, pivotallyv connected tothe lower end of one of the front links li and one of the rear links' t2. The` front links are preferably of angle iron construction and they are rigidly and adjustably connected to a vertical4 triangular plate or member t3, by means oi a bolt it or the like, which extends through an arcuate slot l5 in the plate. Due to this construction, the plate can be set at various anglesrelatively to the front links I l As will be seen from Figure; 1, the platev I3 is rockably mounted` on a `transverse pivot extending between the spaced upstanding brackets It. A coil spring or elastic means I5 has itsA iront end nivo-tally connected to rear end ofthe plate I3, and its opposite end pivotally secured to a threaded-bolt I-, passing through a bracket I8, at the rear encloithe base, and-prom' vided with a nuty I9. Asthe nut bears against-the Cross arms 9, rigid with the 2A i bracket, it* Will be obvious that turning of the nut will.` cause tensioning-off. the spring. 1

The gure 2G off a hoj-rseor-tlfie` like isi provided internally with a pair of. vertical plates 2l that are rigidly secured at 22 to-the body-of the-horse.- The pair-oi'front links I l-,- together forma; main standard 'and are preferablyl providedl at their upper ends with a comm'on transverse bearing sleeve 23a which may be welded or otherwisersel cured tothe links andccoperate-with' a pivot pin 23 to pivotally'connectthe standard to the plates 2l. The rear links lZ-Which asvbeforestate'd; are pivoted at their lower ends to the brackets' Iii, are similarly connected at their upperv ends, to

" the respective plates 2|` by pivots-.24 and, to-

gether form a stabilizerwhich in cooperation with the main standard-maintain the -horsef in a substantially horizontal-position.

A second triangular plate 25 is.- rigidly connested to the upper` ends ofthe links-I-I-'by rivets or the like, as indicated at1 2-6. A stirrup1mem ber 211 has an upper medial portion pivotally-connected to the plate 2-5, as indicated at 28, and the end portions of the stirrup'member forms treadles 29 projecting from opposite sidesof the horses body.

In operation, if the-rider `elects to'- go forward, he puts-his weight onthe treadles-291 and thus moves himself downward and forward. After going as far forward as desired, he sits backinv thesaddle-'or'seat @,releasing his weight'ffrom the stirrups and sincethe links I l-wou-ld be working on a shorter fulcrum arm, the spring I6 returns himto-his original position, and he con' tinuescn backward, -d-ue--tov momentum and thefact that the linksv II have` a fulcrum arm acting to makerthehorse go backward. vThe tension:

or spring i6 is such that 'itjust about balances the-rider inthe position as shown in Fig. 1. When the horse proceeds4 backward', the treadles 29 will abut against the links IIv and thus advise the rider of thev rearward limit of the horses motionl When the desired backward movement has-been-reached, the rider in` order to go forward, leans forward, putting his weight against the stirrups, which makes the fulcrum arm less than 'ifsitting lon the horse, and; therefore, he moves forward.- and upward through-'an arc. In other words, the rider; by shifting hisweight from the stirrups tothe saddle and vice versa, creates an unbalanced conditionwhich causes-movement of the supporting, means-5 about theA pivot point vor center Sli;

As the coil spring 'has its frontendpivotally connected to the rear 'endofthe plate i3 andits.v

rea-r end pivotally secured to the bolt Il, the adjustrnent of the plate relative to the links I'I is of paramount importance, as far as the ease of operation is concerned.- A slight change of angle between the trangular adjustableA plate and-the upright supporting members I l makes the device either difficult or easy to operate. The included angle between the links il and the line of tension aorded by the spring may vary between 9G degrees and 45 degrees.

It will be understood that as the horse moves forward or backward, it will remain in a horizontal position, and the construction is such that the device may be used for amusement purposes or as an exerciser.

While I have disclosed the invention in connection with a hobby horse, it is obvious that the body 28 may be made to simulate other animals, birds, etc., or the seat 4 could be simply a chair,

From the foregoing, it is believed that the construction, operation and ladvantages of the device may be readily understood, and while I have disclosed what I now consider to be a preferred embodiment of the conception, I am aware changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in the following claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, a base, a standard fulcrumed on said base, a seat member pivotally mounted at the upper end of said standard, la stabilizer means for said seat. a pedal mechanism xed to said standard adjacent said seat and disposed forwardly out of vertical alignment with the fulcrum of said standard, a spring anchor bracket fixed to the fulcrumed end of said standard, and double acting spring means extending between said bracket and said base, normally urging said standard to a neutral balanced position from either direction, whereby `a downward pressure on said pedal mechanism will offset the opposed tension of said spring and tend to throw said standard off balance, causing the seat member and standard to rock forwardly on its fulcrum, while a shifting of pressure from said pedal to said seat member will relieve said spring tension land cause a reverse movement of said seat member and standard.

2. In a device of the character described, a base, a main standard and a stabilizing standard fulcrumed at their lower ends on said base, at longitudinally spaced points, a seat member pivotally mounted at the upper end of said standards, said main standard having angularly disposed brackets xed thereon adjacent its upper and lower ends, said brackets extending longitudinally of said base and projecting respectively in opposite directions to points out of vertical alignment with the fulcrum of said main standard., spring means connected between the projecting end of said lower bracket and a xed point on said base, its normal line of pull urging said main standard and seat member to a neutral balanced position on said fulcrum, said lower bracket, upon the rocking of said standard, beingr arcuately movable in opposite directions to shift the line of pull of said spring, alternately above and below said normal balanced line of pull, and a pedal member pivotally suspended from the projecting end of said upper bracket, whereby a downward pressure on said pedal will offset the opposed tension of said spring and tend to throw said standard off balance, causing the seat member and standard to rock forwardly on its fulcrum, while a shifting of said pressure from said pedal to said seat member will relieve said spring tension and cause a reverse movement of said seat member and said standard.

3. In a device of the character described, a base, a seat member, a main standard and a supplemental standard spaced from the main standard and fulcrumed on said base -and pivotally connected to said seat and supporting the latter for longitudinal rocking movement on the base, a double-acting spring anchor bracket xed to said main standard adjacent its lower end and projecting rearwardly beyond the fulcrum point of said main standard, spring means extending between the projecting end of said spring anchor bracket and a fixed point on said base, normally urging said main standard to a neutral balanced position on its fulcrum, a pedal bracket xed to the upper end of said main standard and projecting forwardly out of vertical alignment with the fulcrum point of said main standard, and a pedal pivotally suspended from said pedal bracket and disposed forwardly of said main standard, whereby a downward pressure on said pedal will oiTset the normal tension of said spring and tend to throw said main standard off balance, causing said seat member and standards to rock forwardly on their fulcruxns, while an alternate shifting of pressure from said pedal to said seat member will relieve the forward tension on said spring and cause a reverse movement of said seat member and standards.

4. In a device of the character described, a base, a vertically disposed longitudinally extending anchor bracket fulcrumed on said base, a standard xed at its lower end to said bracket and pivotally secured at its upper end to a seat member, means for stabilizing said seat member, said anchor bracket projecting longitudinally in one direction a predetermined distance beyond its fulcrum, spring means connected between the projecting end of said -anchor bracket and a fixed point on said base, a pedal bracket fixed to the upper end of said standard and projecting longitudinally of said frame in the opposite direction, and a pedal pivotally suspended from said pedal bracket, whereby a downward pressure on said pedal will offset the normal tension of said spring and tend to. throw said standard off balance, causing said seat member and standard to rock longitudinally in one direction on said fulcrum, while an alternate shifting of pressure from said pedal to said seat member will relieve the tension on said spring and cause a reverse rocking movement of said seat member and standard.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, including means to adjust the position of said lower bracket with respect to said main standard to vary the line of tension of Said spring with respect to the fulcrum of said main standard.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said anchor bracket and standard are relatively adjustable to permit variation of the line of tension of said spring with respect to the fulcrum of said anchor bracket.

WILSON PRATT.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 348,513 Conover Aug. 3l, 1886 974,194 Schulze Nov. 1, 1910 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 14,761 Great Britain Nov. 13, 1886

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