US2533556A

US2533556A - Toy tractor having improved track guiding means

Info

Publication number: US2533556A
Application number: US116573A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ernest D Cayce
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-09-19
Filing date: 1949-09-19
Publication date: 1950-12-12
Anticipated expiration: 1967-12-12

Description

Dec. 12, 1950 E. D. CAYCE 2,533,556

TOY TRACTOR HAVING IMPROVED TRACK GUIDING MEANS Filed Sept. 19, 1949 Fig.

E mes! 0. Cayce IN VEN TOR.

Patented Dec. 12, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOY TRACTOR HAVING IMPROVED TRACK GUIDING MEANS Ernest D. Cayce, Santa Barbara, Calif.

Application September 19, 1949, Serial No. 116,573

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in toy Vehicles and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a toy tractor having a track and embodying a novel and improved means for retaining the track relative to the wheels of the tractor and for also guiding the track during rotation thereof.

Another. important object of the present invention is to provide a toy tractor including a track that is composed of an endless belt'having slats secured thereto so as to resemble the actual construction of a tractor.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a tractor that is constructed of relatively few, easily assembled parts to reduce the manufacturing cost thereof.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a toy tractor that is small and compact in structure, simple and practical in construction, neat and attractive in appearance, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of Figure l and with parts thereof broken away and shown in section;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the track used in conjunction with the present invention; and,

Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purposes of illustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral I represents the instant toy vehicle or tractor generally, including an elongated substantially rectangular body member l2 having forward and rear, spaced parallel, transversely extending openings I4 that receive forward and rear axles I6 and 48.

The body member I2 is preferably constructed from building lumber, such as a two-by-four and is suitably notched in its upper rear end to provide a seat 20 and floor portion 22. A post 24 rises from the floor portion 22 and is provided with a crank handle 26 so that the instant toy will more closely resemble an actual tractor.

3 Claims. (Cl. 46-219) "the forward axle like.

Forward wheels 28 are mounted on the ends of IE and rear wheels 30 are mounted on the ends of rear axle 18. The

wheels

28 and 30 are held spaced from the sides of the body member [2 by spacer sleeves 32 receivedon the axles and interposed between the body member I2 and the

wheels

28, 30,

' Endless belts 34 are trained about the forward and rear wheels and a plurality of spaced parallel substantially rectangular slats or traction members 36 are fixed to the belts by staples 38 or the The slats are of any suitable material such as wood (shown), plastic or rubber. Each of the belts 34 is formed from an endless piece of fabric material or a length of flexible material having overlapping end portions that are secured together and to a selected one of the slats by the aforementioned fasteners or staples 38.

Means is provided for retaining the belts 34 about the wheels and for also guiding the belts 34 during rotation thereof. This means consists of a pair of elongated channel shaped members 40 having curved end portions 42 and 4H that embrace the forward and

rear wheels

28 and 30. Offset attaching flanges 46 are formed on the inner leg portions 48 of the channel shaped members 49 and are secured to the sides of body member l2 by fasteners 50.

The channel shaped members 40 are of a width slightly greater than the length of the slats and of a depth slightly greater than the combined thickness of a belt and a slat so as to prevent the belts from slipping off the wheels. The

end portions

42 and 44 of the members 40 constitute fenders in addition to their guiding and retaining function.

The outer extremities of the axles l6 and I8 are flattened, as at 52, and form abutments for washers 54 received on the ends of the axles.

Obviously, the body member l2 may be suitably painted or colored to add to the attractiveness thereof and to more closely simulate an actual tractor.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of the device will be clearly apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A toy tractor comprising an elongated body member having forward and rear transversely extending openings therein, a forward axle received in said forward opening, a rear axle received in said rear opening, a forward wheel on the forward axle, a rear wheel on the rear axle, an endless belt trained about said wheels, traction means on said belt, and means carried by said body member for guiding the belt durin rotation thereof and for also retaining said belt on said wheels, said last mentioned means including an elongated channel shaped member secured to one side of said body member and having curved end portions embracing said wheels, said channel shaped member constituting forward and rear fenders.

2. A toy tractor comprising an elongated body member having forward and rear transversely extending openings therein, a forward axle received in the forward opening and including end portions projecting outwardly from the sides of the body member, a rear axle received in the rear end portions of the rear axle, a first endless belt trained about one of the rear wheels and one of the forward wheels, a second endless belt trained about the other rear wheel and the other forward wheel, each of said belts including upper and lower horizontal flights, traction means on said belts, and an elongated channel shaped member secured to each side of said body member, said channel shaped members extending between said forward and rear wheels and including end portions embracing said wheels to guide the belts and retain the belts on the wheels.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said belts include lengths of fabric each having overlapping end portions secured together, said traction means comprising flat substantially rectangular slats, and staples securing said slats to said lengths of fabric.

ERNEST D. CAYCE.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,294,237 Cloonan Feb. 11, 1919 1,364,513 Ono Jan. 4, 1921 1,592,559 Dean .'July 13, 1926 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 92,423 Switzerland Jan. 2, 1922 647,396 Germany July 3, 1937