US2609640A - Muffler-type toy - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 9, 1952 s, NEwELl. ET AL 2,609,540

MuFFLER-TYPE Toy v Filed Dec. 1. 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 l Milli: 2O r4/l Y.

BY n

Sept. 9, 1952 s. NEWELI. ET AL MUFFLER-TYPE TOY 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Dec. l, 1949 INVENTORS arma/Fys atentec Sept. 9'-, i952V Burbank, Calif.

2,609,640 MUFFLER-TYiE' TOY Strohm Newell, Los Angeles, and Lew Ferl Y l Application December 1, 1949, VSerial No. 130,378Y

This invention relates to a muffler-type toy adapted to be used on Vehicles such-as for example bicycles, tricycles, and other childrens toy vehicles.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a device that. may be readily applied to a childs vehiclesorasto be driven thereby in the course of movement of the vehicle and which will create a sound simulating the exhaust through the mufiier; of afmotor-driven vehicle. Many children possessing leg-driven vehicles or even gravity propelled vehicles desire to have the vehicles create suchsound simulating a motor-driven vehicle ev`en though their vehicles are not so equipped.' .The present device is designed to fulfill such desires.' f

More specitlcally. an object of the invention is to providera muiiier-type toy consisting essentially of an. elongated tube providing a type of resonance chamber, one end of which is closed by rubbe'rgor arubbersubstitute in which a reed is embedded .so .as to project into the chamber formed by thetube the projecting end being en-Y gageable. by 'a star wheel driven as the vehicle progresses so as to cause the reed to be vibrated to simulate the sound emanating from the mufiier of a motor-driven vehicle. By having the reed thusi'embedded in yrubber or rubber substitute at an end of the resonance chamber the desired sound may be produced in contrast with a structure wherein the .reed is mountedv on a wall of the metallic tube. In such constructions, the sound produced is 'objectionable in that it is quite tinnywhereas a muled sound is desirable.

Still another object of the invention-is to provide a toy vof this character applicable to bicycles, tricycles, and the like which canbe easily installed without modifying or altering the construction of the bicycle or the tricycle as the case may be and which is so designed that it may be optionally renderedl inoperative.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following de- 2 claims. (ci. ifL-iursipg u .uw `2- Fig. 4 is a partial- ,viewin thev direction indicated Y I Fig. 5 is a partial view `in-vvertical section taken; substantially uponthe line 5''5 upon" Fig. r2 in-J the direction indicated; y

Fig. 6 is a partial view in vertical section taken substantially upon the line 6 6 upon Fig. 2; and

'.Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but illustrating ,v

mounted thereon which drives a smaller drivenV sprocket I I on the rear wheel thereon through a chain I2. Conventionally, both of these sprockets are mounted on the right-hand side of the bicycle. The toy, embodying thepresent invention is preferably mounted on that end of the axle I3 for the rear wheel of the bicycle opposite the driven sprocket II. It 'consists essentially of a thin-walled metal tube I4 of suitable length,

tailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the acthe forward end of which is closed by rubber or rubber substitute I5. The rear end of the tube may be beveled oil as indicated at IB. Within the rubber closure I5 there is disposed a metal reed I'IY which is preferably vulcanized directlyl in the rubber I5. This reed may be apertured as at I8 so that in the .course of molding the closure I5 to shape the rubber stock may pass through the apertures to firmly anchor the reed I'I therein. The closure I5 can be fastened inA the forward end of the tubing I4 `by spinning the forward edges inwardlyA asA indicated Yat I9. The reedA projects rearwardly within the tube I4 a short distance so as to beengageable with a star wheel 2|l1that is rigidly .mounted onfa spindle'2I that extends transverselyr through the tube I4 adjacent its forward end. The side walls; of the tube are preferably merely pierced so that the inwardly bent edges of lthe holes that accommodate the spindle 2 If form inexpensive bear ings therefor indicated ,at 22. kThat end ofgthe Spindle 2l that extends toward the rear wall of the bicycle carries apinion 23 which may `be secured to the yspindle lsuch as by riveting the end of the spindlel as indicated at 24. Any other means may Vbe employed to rigidly secur'e'the' movement 'being vlimited by th'efhea'd' 26 on 'tli'e side elevation-taken substantially yupon the line, 4,4 upon Fig.,2,lin

spindle engaging the opposite wall of the tube I4. A gear 21 is provided which consists of a sheet metal disc applicable over the end of the axle I3 and which carries ears 28 through which bolts 29 may be extended to clamp the gear on the spokes of the rear wheel in concentric relationship to the axle I3. This gear is preferably formed by merely striking out of the body of the disc projections 30 which provide teeth that mesh with the teeth on the pinion 23. A bracket 3l is riveted or spot welded to the tube I4 adjacent its forward end and is slotted as indicated at 32 to receive the end of the axle I3. This bracket may be either interposed between the. nut on the end of the axle and the bicycle frame, or if the axle I3 is of adequate length it may be slipped onto the end of the axle and an additional nut and washer provided to rigidly mount the tube I4 in a substantiallyhorizontal position extending rearwardly from the rear axle.

Thezbracket is so mounted on the tube I4 that when the device is installed on a bicycle it will not ordinarily interfere with the braces for mud guards if the bicycle is so equipped.

As the bicycle progresses its rear wall which constitutes a ground wheel thereof on rotating rotates the gear 21 therewith which drives the pinion 23 and thus rotates the spindle 2| and the star wheel 29. The star Wheel, while in engagement with the reed vibrates the reed I1, causing a sound to issue from the tube I4 that is quite similar to the sound issuing from the mufiier of a motor driven vehicle. The fact that the reed is out of direct contact with the tube I4 but is embedded in the rubber closure I5 brings about the desired type of muffled sound. It the reed I1 were so mounted as to be in direct contact with the metallic tube I4 or with a metallic end closure for the tube, the sound produced would be of a tinny character which would not adequately resemble the sound issuing from the muier of a motor driven vehicle.

It is desirable to be able to disengage or render the toy inoperative without disassembling it orremoving it from the bicycle. To this end, the compression spring 25 enables the spindle 2l to be axially shifted a suicient distance to disengagethe pinion 23 from the gear 21. The outer wall of the tubing I4 has alatch 33 pivotally mounted such as by bolt 34 and this latch may assume either of the two positions illustrated in Fig. 4. When the latch is in the full-line position the spring 25 is effective to maintain the spindle 2l in that Vposition wherein the pinion engages the gear. On the other hand, if the spindle 2l is forcibly shifted in opposition to the compression spring 25 the latch may be swung into the full-line position shown in Fig. 3 and dotted line position shown in Fig. 4, wherein it occupies a position between therhead 26 and the tube I4 holding the pinion 23 out of engagement with the gear 21. In this position the bicycle may be ridden without causing the toy to func-` tion or operate. Reverse swing of thel'atch enables the compression spring 25 to reengage the pinion 23 with the gear 21.

It is, of course, possible tov mount the improved toy on the right-hand side of the vehicle and equip the pinion 23 with a rubber tire which will' engage the chain l2 and sprocket II on the right-hand side. This arrangement, however, isv

not preferred due to the fact that most bicycles are either equipped with coaster brakesv or over--V running clutches enabling the bicycle to coast without involving a, rotation of the sprocket; |;I, or,`

movement of the chain i2. By mounting the toy on the bicycle in the position shown, the device will continue to function whether the bicycle is coasting or not.

In Fig. "I, a slight modification is illustrated wherein the closure lia for the forward end of the tubing has been cored out as indicated at Ib around the location where the reed I'Ia is anchored. This arrangement permits the closure to be made without employing as much rubber stock and to some extent enables the anchoring of the reed to be made somewhat more resilient.

From the above-described construction it will be appreciated that an improved muiiler-type toy has been provided which is readily applicable to childrens vehicles so as to be driven thereby and which will produce a sound closely resembling the sound produced from the muilier of a motor driven vehicle.

Various changes may be made in thedetailsof construction without kdeparting from theV spirit.

and scope of the invention as defined by-lllfiev Aal1-- pended claims, wherein:

We claim:

1. A device of the class described comprising a.V`

tube, a rubber closure for one end ofthetube. a reed anchored on said closure and projecting therefrom into the tube, a spindlev rotatably mounted on the tube, a star wheel on the spindle engageablewith the reed, a pinion on the spindlev on the exterior of the tube and a gear applicable to a wheel of a childs vehicle for meshing engagement with the pinion enabling the star wheel to be driven thereby, said spindlebelng axially adjustable, spring means urgingy the spindle into that position wherein the pinion will engage the gear, and means forlatching the spindle in a position wherein the. pinion and gear are mutually disengaged.

2. A device of the class described comprising a tube, a rubber closure for one end of theV tube, a reed anchored on said closureV and projecting therefrom into the tube, a spindle rotatably' mounted on the tube, a star wheel on the spindle engageable With the reed, a pinion .on the spindle on the exterior of they tube anda gear' applicable to a wheel of a childs` vehicle for meshing engagement with the pinion enabling the star wheel tobe driven thereby, said spindle being axially adjustable, spring means urging-V the spindle into that position wherein thepinion will engage the gear, said spindle having a head`r thereon adjacent one side of thetube `anda latchv pivotally mounted upon saidl side oi? the` tube adapted to be swung intoa position between the head and the tube tohold the spindle in a position wherein the` pinion and gear aremutuallyf disengaged.

STROHM NEWEIL.

FAY;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordin the;

` l'e of' this patent:

UNITED STATES .PATENTS

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