US2732657A

US2732657A - Krautkramer

Info

Publication number: US2732657A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1956-01-31
Anticipated expiration: 1973-01-31

Description

Jan. 31, 1956 A. KRAUTKRAMER 2,732,657

JET DRIVEN AERIAL TOY Filed Nov. 22, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ADAM KRAUTKRAMER Jan. 31, 1956 A, KRAUTKRAMER JET DRIVEN AERIAL TOY Filed NOV. 22, 1952 'llIIIlIlIIII/l! LIL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1N VENTOR ADAM KRAUTKRAMER BY flaw 9 ATTORNEY United States Patent JET DRIVEN AERIAL TOY Adair] Krautkriimer, Budenheim (Rhine), Germany Application-November 22, 1952, Serial No. 322,077

Claims. (Cl. 46 76 This invention relates to a driving mechanism for toys.

The development of modern industry has been reflected in many Ways in the toy industry. In particular, model airplanes in the most varied embodiments have awakened the keen interest of children.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new toy of this kind. This, and still further objects will become apparent from the following description, read in conjunction with the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a toy airplane in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the fuselage of the plane shown in Fig. 1-, partially in section;

Fig. 3 :shows a perspective view of the airplane shown in Fig". l, mounted on a starting device in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 4 shows an embodiment of the gas filling means inaceordance with the invention;

Fig. 5 shows an embodiment of the'airplane shown in Fig. l with a parachute attachment;

Pig. 6 shows a partial section of the nose of the airplane shown in Fig. 1 with a detonating device;

Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the airplane shown in Fig. l with a parachute attachthem;

Fig. 8*sh'0ws a diagrammatic side elevation of the parachute attachment tube shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a different embodiment of a parachute tube in accordance with the invent-ion;

Fig. 1 0 shows a perspective view of a starting device in 'accordance with the invention with a number of paral lellypositionedgasfilling devices;

1 1 shows a cross-section of the tail portion of an embodiment of the toy airplane shown in Fig. 1*with a re mo'Vable je'toutlet'opening;

Fig. 12 shows a cross-section of a replaceable member with a jet outlet opening; and m Fig. 13 shows a front elevation of the disc 8 in Fig. 11.

The invention relates to an airplane which is not-shot off as heretofore customary by means of some type of catapult or thrown out or up in some other known-mannor, Zbilt rather compressed air or other gas is utilized as the drivingforce. The air acts on solid substances or shown liquids in such a manner that they are expelled from the pressure container which ing. The jet reaction the airplane. v The special advantage of this embodiment lies in the elimination of any danger of fire, inasmuch as there does not enter into question in connection with the drive any lighting of any powder train or the like, but merely the inflation with a gas and preferably air, as, for example, by means of a bicycle pump.

The invention will be described in detail with reference to an embodiment of a toy airplane in accordance therewith.

The airplane consists of a fuselage part a bearing the is provided with an outlet openproduced thereby is utilized to drive 2 air foils n and control surfaces 1:. The one tapered end of the fuselage is provided with a jet-like pipe section b. The fuselage a is developed as a hollow body and serves to receive the compressed air or other gas and a substance to be ejected to exert the reactive force. As such substances there may be mentioned, by way of example, sand, seeds of the most varied kinds, natural or synthetic fine and coarse powders, liquids, as well as elongated, coherent, ribbon-shaped members consisting, for example, of rubber. Of these substances, ordinary water is partic'ularly advantageous, inasmuch as it is available in sufiicient quantity practically everywhere and does not cause any additional expense.

In operation, the hollow fuselage member a is partly filled, for example, with water, with a pipette, syringe, funnel or the like, or through an inlet i*g. Thereupon, compressed air is introduced into the remaining part, as by means of an ordinary bicycle pump, so that the air and thus also the water introduced are under a pressure of a few atmospheres. When introducing the compressed air, the fuselage body is placed on an air inlet i-g in such -a manner that the end of the fuselage provided with an opening points downward, and a dependable seal between the inlet and the outlet opening is obtained. In this way the water collects in the lower part of the pressure container, the water being under the pressure 'of the air which has been blown in. As soon as a restraining device k which presses the hollow body in a pressure tight manner against the air inlet and holds it fast, is loosened, the water discharges under the air pressure from the opening, and the reaction force produced thereby acts in an accelerating manner on the airplane. Depending on "the energy content of the compressed air in conjunction with the substances exerting the reaction, the toy will be propelled upward to a greater or lesser height. After the cessation of the driving action, the airplane, for example, when-developed as a glider, will gradually glide to the earth. 7

The apex of the fuselage is provided with a soft, impactabsorbing cap a, for example, of rubber. Ch the apex there can also be provided a detonating device with the use o'f priine'rs. Such a detonating device is shown in Fig. 6. d is a'rernovable rubberca which fits over the themher q in the front of the fuselage. A firing pin 'r is positioned on the end of a thickened portion s of the rubber cap at. n i "a 'detonating cap, such as the type which is used in a childs toy gun and is positioned on the inertiher 1; in back of the striking-or firing pin r, on impact due to the resiliency of the cap, the pin r will strike the explosive cap n, detonating the same. The gases produced by th'e detonation escape through the openings The cap 11 maybe removed and a fresh detonating cap slipped in place and held in'place by the clips-p,

It is possible, furthermore, to provide the toy with a parachute device so that the parachute l is automatically opened bythe air current when the plane dives and the toy ean be supported by the parachute. For this purpose, the parachute [can be arranged, for example, in a special tube In, which is closed 'while the airplane "is rising and is opened when the airplane falls by means of a mechanism actuated, for-example, by gravity.

One embodiment of such "automatically opening parachute tube isshowninFigs. 7 and 8 of'the drawing. The parachute is "stored in the tube m. This tube at has-"a small auxiliary tube 1 positioned across the top thereof-g so that the axes of the two tubes are substantially parallel. A steel weight ball u is positioned in the auxiliary tube 1. and rolls freely in this tube. The tube m is provided with the cover x, which is urged open by the spring y. The cover x is held in a closed position by the pawl or catch w, maintained on the spring v. When the steel ball it rolls forward, it will press the spring v upwardly,

thus releasing the cover x from the catch w, so that the spring y may open the same.

In operation, the parachute is placed in the tube m and the cover x is closed. When the plane reaches its highest position of flight and starts to dive, the steel ball u falls forward and presses the spring v upward, which causes the catch w to release the cover x. The spring y will thus open the cover x and the air rushing through the tube In will open the parachute and permit the plane to fall slowly to earth.

In accordance with another embodiment for an automatically opening parachute tube of much simpler construction, as shown in Fig. 9, the cover z is freely hinged and carries a weight at its end. As the plane climbs, the weight holds the cover 2 closed, and as the plane dives, the weight swings the cover 2 open, releasing the parachute.

Many embodiments of the toy are possible. In addition to the shape of a glider, it may have the shape of a flying saucer, a pursuit plane, a space ship, and the like.

Although up to the present time mention has been made only of toys, the same principle can also be used for industrial purposes.

The air-filling or starter device consists essentially of an air valve g, such as an ordinary tire valve, with adapter connection i fastened in a holding device 1. In order to obtain the maximum height flight, this valve, together with the adapter, is swingable about a horizontal axis and may be retained in the desired position by the wing nut h, so that the launching angle which is the most favorable for the specific case can be obtained. The airplane is placed on the starting device, so that the adapter connection i is inserted in the outlet opening or nozzle b. The airplane is retained with the adapter connection 1' in the outlet opening b by means of the retaining clip k. The outlet opening b is thus pressure-sealed, and no compressed material can escape, but compressed gas, such as compressed air, can be forced in through the valve g. When the desired amount of air is compressed in the fuselage a, the plane is elevated to the desired angle by loosening the wing nut h, and then tightening it in that position. The clamp k, i. e., the releasable holding means, is then pulled outward and the plane will be released with the air forcing the water through the outlet opening b and propelling the plane through the air in flight. When the driving force ceases, i. e., when the gas compressed in a reaches the outside pressure, the plane either glides to a landing and is protected from injury by the rubber cap d, or is provided with the parachute l and tube m, so when the plane starts to dive, the parachute I will be released and the plane dropped slowly and safely to the ground.

It is also possible to fasten a plurality of air inlet valves to a single starting device, these inlet valves being arranged alongside each other, as shown in Fig. 10 or in opposite directions.

The use of the inventive concept is not restricted to the details related in connection with the embodiment shown. In particular, the airplane and the tube section having the outlet opening can be developed not only in the manner shown, but also in any other desired manner.

Thus, for example, the driving mechanism in accordance with the present invention can also be used for toy ships and toys of all kinds, in which connection the 1:01- low driving body such as a, provided with an outlet opening b, is fastened in a suitable manner to the toy or instrument in question.

The model toy of the invention can be made of any suitable material, preferably plastic of a clear, colored, or translucent-colored nature.

In order to obtain the most favorable value of the driving force, it is-contemplated to make the dimensions of the outlet opening of the fuselage member adjustable and/or to make the tube section containing the outlet opening replaceable. Such an embodiment is shown in Figs. 11, 12 and 13 of the drawing. The jet outlet opening is defined through a tube member 5, which is inserted in the end of the plane fuselage and held in place by means of the set screw 7. The set screw 7 may be loosened and the tube member 5 removed and replaced with a different tube member 6, having a different size jet outlet opening defined therethrough.

In order to make the jet outlet opening adjustable, the bore defining the jet outlet opening in the tubes 5 or 6 may be made eccentric to the center thereof and the tubes may be rotated in the fuselage and held in any desired rotational position by means of the set screw 7. A fixed disc 8 also provided with an eccentric bore is positioned at the end of the plane fuselage for contact with the tube member 5 when the same is inserted and positioned in the fuselage. The disc 8 cannot rotate, and thus, if the tube 5 is rotated, it will rotate in relation to the disc 8. Since the bore of the disc 8 and of the tube member 5 are eccentric, the variation of the rotational position of the tube member 5 in relation to the disc 8 will vary the size of the opening defined through the disc 8 to the bore of the member 5. In this manner, by merely turning the tube member 5, the size of the jet outlet opening may be adjusted.

I claim:

1. In combination, a toy projectile comprising a hollow, pressure-tight body, a jet outlet opening defined at one end of said body in communication with the hollow interior, and a launcher therefor carrying a fluid inlet check valve dimensioned to freely detachably fit said jet outlet opening for the perssure closure thereof, and manually operable releasable holding means carried by said launcher for releasably engaging the rear end of said projectile for holding said fluid inlet check valve in closure contact with said jet opening.

2. Device according to claim 1, in which said hollow body is formed as at least a portion of a toy flying device.-

3. Device according to claim 2, in which said hollow body has a resilient impact cap at the forward tip thereof.

4. Device according to claim 1, in which said fluid in: let check valve has an adapter extension dimensioned to fit within said jet outlet opening.

5. Device according to claim 1, in which said hollow, pressure tight body is a tear-shaped body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 433,674 Irvine Aug. 5, 1890 1,173,563 Dodd Feb. 29, 1916 1,302,659 Horn May 6, 1919 1,678,047 Johnston July 24, 1928 2,136,067 Witte Nov. 8, 1938 2,409,653 Amdur Oct. 22, 1946 2,410,682 Richardson Nov. 5, 1946 2,545,586 Pollak Mar. 20, 1951 2,588,184 Walsh Mar. 4, 1952 2,611,999 Mikolay Sept. 30, 1952