US2810986A - Action toy - Google Patents

Description

United States Patent ACTION TOY Walter P. Doe and Leslie W. Sly, East Aurora, N. Y., assignors to Fisher-Price Toys, Inc., East Aurora, N. Y.

Application June 25, 1956, Serial No. 593,663

1 Claim. (Cl. 4699) This invention relates generally to the amusement device art and more specifically to a new and useful action toy particularly adapted for use by young children.

It is an object of this invention to provide an action toy adapted to be rolled along a supporting surface and providing a unique and highly entertaining combination of a movable figured part and sound producing means actuated thereby.

Another object of this invention is to provide the foregoing in a durable toy which is safe for use by very young children and which adds greatly to their entertainment and amusement.

Still another object of this invention is to provide the foregoing in a toy constructed of only a few pieces which are relatively inexpensively fabricated and readily assembled by modern mass production techniques thereby comprising a low-priced toy.

In one aspect thereof, a toy constructed in accord with this invention is characterized by the provision of sound producing means including a sounding mechanism, a reciprocating member arranged to actuate the sounding mechanism during its stroke in one direction and traversing a different path of movement so as to avoid actuating the sounding mechanism during its return stroke, with means for reciprocating the member upon movement of the toy across a supporting surface.

In another aspect thereof, a toy inaccord with this invention is characterized by the provision of a sound producing mechanism including a sound tube comprising a major body portion of the toy and a sounding member, together with a reciprocating figured member arranged to actuate the sounding member as the toy is moved along a supporting surface.

in the presently preferred embodiment, a toy in accord with this invention comprises a body member simulating a steam locomotive, wherein the sound tube of the sound producing mechanism forms the locomotive boiler, and wherein the reciprocating member simulates an engineer or the like and is arranged for generally vertical reciprocation within the locomotive cab with the head part thereof protruding through the roof of the cab.

The foregoing and other objects, advantages and characterizing features of this invention will clearly appear from the ensuing detailed description of the presently preferred embodiment thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of the toy;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, longitudinal sectional view thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view thereof.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, there is shown a toy in accord with the invention designed to simulate a steam locomotive having a cab part generally designated 1 and a boiler part generally designated 2. Cab part 1 comprises a pair of side wall members 3, a front wall member 4 and a rear wall member 5, all secured to a base member 6 by means such as nails or the like, not illustrated, and a top wall member 7 forming the roof of the cab and having an opening 8 therethrough.

The boiler part 2 is mounted on a platform 10. carried by the base member 6. The boiler part 2, platform 10, base member 6 and a smoke stack simulating member 12 are interconnected as by a nail 11 extending generally vertically therethrough.

It is a feature of this invention that there is provided a sound producing mechanism which includes a sound tube comprising a major body portion. of the toy. Ac.- cordingly, in the illustrated embodiment the boiler part 2 comprises a tube closed at its forward end as by a plate 13, and at its rearward end. fitting within an annular recess 14 in the cab front wall member 4. Wall member 4 has an opening 15 therethrough generally concentric with. tube 2 and recess 14, and the boiler tube 2 assists in holding a voice card 16 in place over opening 15 and against the inner annular shoulder 14 formed. by recess 14, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2.

A sounding member is provided in the form of a resilient spring 17 fitted within a vertical groove 18 in the front face of wall member 4. Spring 17 has a part- 19 arranged to strike the drum-like voice card 16, and one end of spring 17 is hooked. under wall member 4 as shown at 20 and held thereagainst as by the staple 21, with the other end of spring 17 projecting rearwardly into the cab part 1 and terminating in a rolled part. 22.

The. toy is arranged to be rolled across a supporting surface 23, and to. this end there is provided a pair of front wheels 24 carried by an axle 25 journalled in base member 6 and a pair of rear wheels 26 carried by an axle 27 journalled in grooves 28 in base member 6 adjacent the bottom edges of side wall members 3.v In addition, means are. provided to actuate the sounding spring 17 as the toy is rolled across a supporting surface, and it is a feature of the invention that such means comprise areciprocating figured member, as follows.

A figured member is arranged. in cab part 1 for generally vertical reciprocation relative thereto, and comprises a body member 29, a head member 30, a visor 31 and a hat member 32. Body member 29 is carried on one end of a wire or nail 33, and the head member 30, visor 31 and hat member 32 are assembled in that order and on the top of body member 29 as by a nail or pin 34.

The rear axle 27 is formed with a double crank portion 35, and the lower end of wire 33 is provided with an opening 36 through which the axle crank portion 35 extends for swinging the nail 33 as the axle rotates. Therefore, as the toy is rolled along the supporting surface 23, the rotating crank portion 35 causes the figured member, which in this instance simulates the engineer or fireman of the locomotive, to reciprocate in a generally vertical direction. The figured member projects through the opening 8 in the roof 7 of cab 1, whereby as the toy is rolled along a supporting surface, the engineer alternately pops up from a relatively low or hidden position within the cab, as illustrated in Fig. 2, to an exposed position as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, and then is retracted, such reciprocation of the figure simulating member between these positions providing considerable amusement for children of the age group to which this toy is directed.

In accord with the invention, reciprocation of the figured member actuates the sounding spring 17 on its stroke in one direction, which is accomplished as follows.

When the toy moves in a forward direction, as indicated by the arrows 37 in Fig. l, the spring part 22 projects into the path of downward movement of the reciprocating figured member. When the spring is in the position of rest illustrated in broken lines in Fig. 2, as the figured member moves downwardly from its exposed 7 position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 the shoulder 38 provided by the flat bottom surface of the body member 29 bears against the spring part 22 and forces the same downwardly to retract the sounding spring, until the figured member reaches approximately its lowermost position illustrated in Fig. 2. Upon continued rotation of the wheels 26 in the direction of arrows'37 crank portion 35 swings'the wire33'and the figured member rearwardly and the body member 29 slides off the rolled spring part 22, releasing the spring to snap against the voice card 16 and thereby produce a noise. The crank'portion 35 then'swings the figured member upwardly through a path of movement rearwardly displaced from its downward path of movement so as to avoid the sounding spring part22; V

Thus, as the toy is rolled along a supporting surface the engineer bobs'up and down and each time he moves downwardly he retracts the sounding spring 17 and then releases the same to produce a sound from the voice card 16. The sound produced by the voice card is amplified bodiment of the invention have been disclosed herein, it a will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible of various modifications thereof and variations therein with out departing from 'the spirit'of the invention and the scope of the appended claim. a V

Having fully disclosed and completely described this invention, together with its mode of operation, what is' claimed as new is:

A wheeled action toy comprising, a body including a cab simulating housing part and a boiler simulating part arranged to simulate a steam locomotive, a sound producing' mechanism including a sound tube forming said and made somewhat hollow in a particularly effective 7 manner by the sound tube comprising the boiler 2.

It will be noted that the body and head members 29 and 30 of the figured member are of curved form so as to slide freely in and through the opening 8 and facilitate oscillation of the figured member in a longitudinal direction as the same is reciprocated vertically. The visor 31, which preferably is of a plastic material, is positioned to bear against the top wall member 7 of the cab part-1 as the sounding spring 17 is released, and provides a flexible bearing plate on which the figured member pivots before beginning its upward movement. Also, the rear face of wall member 4 is vertically grooved, as indicated at 39, to better accommodate the reciprocating figured member. 9 Accordingly, it is seen that thetoy of this invention fully accomplishes the foregoing objects. It is readily fabricated of Wood parts with the exception of boiler 2 which conveniently is made of rolled cardboard tubing and end plate 13 and the various pins, axles and springs which are of metal. The walls of the cab can have colorful lithographs thereon as indicated at 40 in Fig. 1, and the figure simulating member will have appropriate paint or other markings thereon as indicated at 41.

boiler part, a drum-like end wall for said sound tube ad jacent said cab part, and a resilient sounding spring positioned to strike said end Wall, said cab part having a top wall formed with an opening therein, a figure simulating member within said cab 'part projecting through said opening and arranged for generally vertical reciprocation relative to said cab part, and means including crank means engaging said figure simulating member and reciprocating the same as said toy is rolled along a supporting surface, said sounding spring projecting into the path of said figure simulating member on its stroke in one direction for being retracted and then released thereby, and said crank means swinging said figure simulating member clear of said sounding spring during itsreturn stroke.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 361,606 Bailey Apr. 19, 1887 1,301,669 Englund Apr. 22, 1919 2,055,848 Marx Sept. 29, 1936 2,069,181 Fisher Jan. 26, 1937 2,089,885 Fisher Aug. 10, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,100,820 France Nov. 16, 1953

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