US2769988A

US2769988A - Crib music box controlled by drop side of crib

Info

Publication number: US2769988A
Application number: US386755A
Authority: US
Inventors: Victor J Bukolt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-10-19
Filing date: 1953-10-19
Publication date: 1956-11-13
Anticipated expiration: 1973-11-13

Description

Nov. 13, 1956 v. JBUKOLT 2,769,988

CRIB MUSIC BOX CONTROLLED BY DROP SIDE OF CRIB INVENTOR Vicroe tZlBuxou;

ATTORNEY Nov. 13, 1956 Filed Oct. 19, 1953 V. J. BUKOLT CRIB MUSIC BOX CONTROLLED BY DROP SIDE OF CRIB Fag. 3.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q Ra A3 F /7 le 4 :27 24 fi v i9 fi 22 201 /3 2/ n 23 3 {L 3 9 (g INVENTOR Vicro/z 'EZ-BUKOLJ;

ATTORNEY United States Patent CRIB MUSIC BOX CONTROLLED BY DROP SIDE OF CRIB Victor J. Bukolt, Stevens Point, Wis. Application October 19, 1953, Serial No. 386,755 3 Claims. (Cl. -317) This invention relates to cribs having drop sides, and it contemplates the mounting of a Swiss music box on the stabilizing side bar of a crib and controlling the operation of the box by the movement of a drop side of the crib.

The Swiss music box plays a series of musical notes by the action of the pins of a spring driven cylinder on the elements of a reed comb, and it has a pull string to wind up the driving spring. One end of the string is detachably fastened to the crib drop side so that when the latter is let down it automatically pulls the string or cord of the wind-up mechanism to load the drive spring, and so long as the drop side remains in its lowered position the music box will not play. However, when the drop side is raised to its elevated position, the tension on the cord is relaxed, and the music box automatically starts playing and will continue to play the simple tune or series of musical notes until the cord is completely drawn into the mechanism.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive means of the indicated character which may be readily applied to one of the crib side bars located directly underneath the mattress spring frame of the crib, and which may be quickly and easily disconnected from the drop side if the operation of the music box is not desired.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides in the novel combinations struction hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show the present preferred embodiments of the invention.

lowered position in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a detail vertical section taken on the line 22 in Fig. l on an enlarged scale, the drop side being shown in its elevated position;

Fig. 3 is a further enlarged detail section of a part of Fig.

Fig. 4 is a detail view partly in elevation and partly in section showing the drop side latching means at one end of the crib.

Fig.

2,641,775, June 16, 1953. The crib comprises two end members 11, two drop sides 12 vertically slidable on the guide rods 13 inwardly offset from the corner post portions of the end members, a mattress supporting spring frame 14 suitably supported within the sides and ends, and two side bars 15 rigidly connecting the end members to stabilize the crib frame. The stabilizing bars 15 are rectangular wood bars located below the spring frame 14 in inwardly offset relation to the planes of the drop sides and rigidly connected at their ends by metal brackets 16 to the corner post portions of the end members 11. Each drop side comprises upper and lower longitudinal rails or

bars

17 and 18 connected by upright rods or spindles, the ends of the

bars

17 and 18 being apertured to receive and slide on the rods 13 at one side of the crib.

Since each drop side has the same construction and operation, the following description of one applies to both. The bottom bar 18 is movable between upper and lower stops and at each end is a spring projected latch rod 19, the two latches being simultaneously retracted by a foot operated trip 20 located centrally on the bar. The upward movement of the bar is limited by its ends engaging stop arms 21 on upright bracket portions 22 which may be parts of the brackets 16, and these bracket portions 22 have keeper lugs 23 which are engaged by the latches 19 to lock the drop side in its up position. The downward movement of the bar 18 is limited by cushioning springs on the rods 13 and apertured arms in which these rods are disposed, the arms projecting from brackets 24 on the end members, as seen in Fig. l. The brackets 24 have keeper lugs 25 to coact with the latches 19 and lock the drop side in its down position. The foot trip 20 is a substantially U-shaped rod having its arms pivoted in bearings 26 on the inner face of the bar 18 and is constructed to actuate T-shaped levers 27 set in recesses in the bar and connected to the inner ends of the latch rods 19, as will be understood on reference to Fig. 4 and to the above mentioned patent. The foot trip or bar has its central portion outwardly offset so that it may be conveniently pushed inward by the knee or foot to retract the latches against the tension of the springs 28.

The music box with its spring winding mechanism is mounted on the stabilizing bar 15 adjacent its center and opposite the latch trip lever 20. The music mechanism is of the type shown in the Mueller et a1. Patent N 0. 2,519,782, August 22, 1950. It comprises a base casting 30 fastened by screws 31 to the inner face of the rectangular side bar 15, as seen in Fig. 5. On it is fastened a reed comb 32 operated by the pins on a cylinder 33. On the shaft of the pin carrying cylinder are a large gear 34 and a small gear 35. Gear 34 drives a train of gear 36 to operate a governor or air brake 37. Gear 35 meshes with a gear 38 disposed within the casing 39 for a spring 40 one end of which is anchored at 41 to the casing. The spring is coiled about a transverse shaft 42 to which the other end of the spring is anchored. The shaft 42 extends through the base 33 and has fixed to its projection end a spool or drum 43 for the string or cord 44 by means of which the spring is wound. The gear 38 is connected to the shaft 42 by a one-way drive ratchet connection (not shown), so that the spring may be wound up when the cord 44 is pulled without rotating the pin carrying cylinder 33 but when the cord is released the spring in unco-iling will drive the gear 38 and hence rotate the cylinder to actuate the reed comb. The inner face by the screws The cord is preferably made of nylon and has one end anchored to the drum. Its free end passes out of the recess through an upright bore 45 in the bar 15. As shown the bore opens into a transverse cord guiding groove or channel 47 in the upper edge of the bar, but

the casting 30 might be mounted in a reversed position so that the free end of the cord would extend downwardly out of the bore.

The free extremity of the pull cord may be detachably connected to the drop side in any suitable manner so that when the latter is moved to its down position the cord will be pulled to wind the drive spring, and when the drop side is then raised to its up position, the slack in the cord will allow the spring to drive the cylinder and cause the cord to be rewound on the drum, as will be understood on reference to Figs. 2 and 3. One way of detachably fastening the cord to the drop side is by providing on its free end a snap hook 48 which may be easily snapped on and off of the trip lever 20.

To protect the music box mechanism it is enclosed in a rectangular sheet metal casing 49 shown in Fig. 7. The two upright ends 50 of the casing abut the inner face of the bar 15 at the ends of the casting 30 while the top and bottom walls 51 are made wider to overlap the top and bottom faces 52 of the bar 15. Small nails or screws 53 are used to removably secure the projecting portions of the top and bottom of the casingto the bar. In the top of the casing is a notch 54 at a point which overlies the bore 46 and groove 47.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the objects of the invention, and while preferences have been disclosed, attention is invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. The combination of a crib having end members connected by a stabilizing bar, a slidable drop side with guiding means therefore on the end members, said drop side being movable vertically with respect to the stabilizing bar from a lowered position in which the crib is open and the bottom of the bar to an elevated position in which the crib is closed and the bottom of the drop side is above the stabilizing bar, a music box mechanism mounted on said stabilizing bar and having a spring driven Winding drum and a pull drop side is below the stabilizing cord to wind up its spring when the cord is pulled out of the box, and means detachably connecting the free end of the pull cord to the bottom portion of said drop side, the construction and arrangement being such that when the drop side is moved to its lowered open position the cord will be pulled out of the box and held taut to prevent operation of the music box, and when the drop side is then moved to its elevated closed position, the cord will be slackened and the music box will operate until the slack in the cord is taken up.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said drop side carries at its ends spring projected locking latches to coact with keepers on said end members and at its center a U-shaped rod forming a foot trip lever to retract said latches, and in which said detachable connecting means is a snap hook on the free end of the cord detachably engaged with said rod.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which said stabilizing bar is of rectangular shape in cross section and has a recess on its inner face, a vertical bore extending from said recess through the top of the bar and a transverse groove in the top of the bar intersecting said recess, said music box mechanism being secured to the inner face of said bar and having its pull cord wound on a winding drum disposed in said recess with the cord extending upwardly through said bore and inwardly in said groove, and a rectangular casing over said mechanism and said recess, the end Walls of said casing being disposed in contact with the inner face of said bar and the top and bottom walls of said casing being extended and in contact with the top and bottom of said bar, the extended top wall of said casing having a notch to register with said groove, and means removably fastening the extended portions of the top and bottom walls of the casing to said bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 236,545 Brown Jan. 11, 1881 2,519,782 Mueller Aug. 22, 1950 2,641,775 Bukolt June 16, 1953