US2581976A - Gear shift for toy steering wheels - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 8, 1952 L. SOLOMON 2,581,976

' GEAR sr-mv'f FOR TOY STEERING WHEELS Filed Feb. 1; 1950 law; SB/02 .Z MW

Patented Jan. 8, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEAR SHIFT FOR TOY STEERING WHEELS- Louis solomon, Chicago, Ill. Application February 1, 1950, Serial No. 141,800

1 Claim.

This is an improvement on the gear shift on the toy set forth in my Patent No. 2,486,219 of October 25, 1949 on Toy Steering Wheel and Gear Shift.

Among the objects of my invention is to provide an improved gear shift construction for a toy removably attachable to the instrument panel of an automobile so as to simulate the steering and gear shifting of the automobile, without danger to the car or the user of the toy.

A child greatly enjoys imitating the movements'of his father in driving an automobile. It is always a great temptation for the child to take hold of the steering wheel and thus possibly cause injury and damage. With my devicethe child may copy the movements of his father or other driver in both.steering the car and in shifting of the gears. This will satisfy the childs desire for play, and at the same time afford him instruction, to some degree, in driving.

My toy is also adapted to be attached to other surfaces such as a bath tub, so that the child may imagine that he is driving a motor boat with desired turns and gear shiftings. My toy may also be removably attached to the floor so that the child may stand and imagine he is driving a tractor. There are other uses for my toy, of a similar nature, which may afford the child safe play and constructive education.

My improved gear shift has its construction housed within the hub rather than my previous construction which was attached to the exterior of thehub by a strap.

My invention also contemplates such other objects, advantages and capabilities which will later more fully appear, and which are inherently posses's'ed by my invention.

While I have shown in the attached drawings preferred embodiments of my invention, yet it is to be understood that the same are susceptible of inodiflcation and change without departing from the'spirit of my invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, Fig." l is a side elevational view of my steering wheel with the post broken away; Fig. 2 is a front elevational view; Fig. 3 is a detailed section-Iv-iewonline. 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the hub with the cap removed to show the shifting means; Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 4 and Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the disassembled parts shown therein.

Referring now to the embodiment selected to illustrate my invention, I provide a steering wheel II, circular in shape and having spaced spokes 2 II. The hub I2 has a reduced portion I3 with an opening I4 therein to removably receive the upper end of post I5. The lower end of post I5 is removably fitted in opening I6 of upper portion I! of suction cup I8.

There is an opening I9 between the bottom of hub I2 and the reduced portion I3 surrounded by a circumferential flange 20. A disc 2I has a raised central portion 22, so that when disc 2| is positioned against flange 20, central portion 22 is within opening I9. A coiled spring 23 is placed on the legs 24 of cotter pin 25 and a metal washer 26 is also positioned on said legs 24 at the top of coiled spring 23. The legs 24 exten through a central opening 21 in disc 2 I.

A gear shift lever 28 has a knob 29 on the outer end of rod 30. The inner end of rod 30 extends through slot 3| in the side wall of hub I2 into the interior of hub I2. Adjacent the inner end of rod 30 there is a hole 32 through which extend the legs 24 of cotter pin 25. The legs 24 are peened over to hold the inner end of said rod 30 within hub I2.

Extending upwardly from the floor 33 of hub I2 are spaced partitions or stops 34 and 35 and opposite thereto spaced partitions 36 and 31. Rod 30 in one position bears against partitions 34 and 31 and when moved as far as possible in the opposite direction bears against partitions 35 and 36. Between partitions 34 and 35 and also between partitions 36 and 31 the floor 33 of hub I2 has a pair of spaced raised portions or knobs 38 which temporarily resist the movement of rod 30 and which may be over-ridden by the exertion of greater force on rod 30, thus simulating the feeling to the user of shifting from one gear to another.

A cap 39 is adapted to close the open top of hub I2 and to be removably held in position by integral spaced clip members 40 on the hub. A collapsible bellows M is positioned within the hub I2 and is contacted by a downwardly extending portion of cap 39.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A gear shift for a toy steering wheel adapted to be removably attached to any substantially flat surface of sufficient area to receive it, comprising a wheel having a hub, said hub having a floor, an open top and side walls with an opening therethrough, a gear shift lever with its inner portion extending through said opening into said hub, said gear shift lever having a hole therethrough adjacent its inner end, a disc positioned below the floor of said hub, a cotter pin having a pair of legs extending through said disc and 3 said floor of said hub, a coiled spring mounted on said cotter pin below the floor of said hub, the legs of said cotter pin extending through said hole in said gear shift lever and peened over on said gear shift lever, a pair of upper and lower stops extending above said floor of said hub positioned at an angle opposite another pair of upper and lower stops extending above said floor of said hub so that the gearshift in one extreme position bears against the lower stop of one pair and the upper stop of the other pair, and in the other extreme position bears against the lower stop of one pairiand the upper stop of the other pair, said floor having a pair of raised portions between each pair of upper and lower stops-over l5 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: V

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,566,285 Ruthenburg Dec. 22, 1925 2,171,953- Seaholm Sept. 5, 1939 2,334,421 Leach Nov. 16, 1943

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