US2886343A - Roller accessory for a tricycle - Google Patents

Description

y 12, 1959 E. F. PAZIK Y 2,886,343

ROLLER ACCESSORY FOR A TRICYCLE Filed Jul 25, 1957 J INVENTOR.

EDWARD E PA Z/K ,arrakn/e Y llnited States Patent ROLLER ACCESSORY FOR A TRICYCLE Edward F. Pazik, Detroit, Mich.

Application July 25, 1957, Serial No. 674,180

2 Claims. (Cl. 280-289) The invention pertains to tricycles for children, and consists of a bracket supporting a roller, the bracket being adapted to be mounted removably on a horizontal member of the tricycle, located between the two rear wheels thereof.

It has been the observation of the applicant that when two or more children are mounted on their individual tricycles, they like to form themselves into a sort of a train, wherein the front wheel of one tricycle will bear contact with the roller, the outer surface of the roller from the rear against said horizontal platform of the tricycle in front. When the tricycles are put in motion, said front wheels, that is the tires of the front wheels, will, in the course of the rotation of said wheels, rub against the horizontal platforms in front thereof. This contributes to the wear of the tires, and because of the friction against said platform makes the driving of a respective tricycle, back of the platform, so much more difficult.

In view of the above, I have devised my roller accessory, which may be easily and quickly attached to a tricycle in a position where the front tire of a following tricycle will be in contact with a roller on the leading tricycle. This will eliminate friction and will make the driving of the tricycle back of the platform on which the accessory is mounted so much easier.

Another object of my invention was to provide an accessory which may be mounted upon a tricycle without the use of any tools or equipment, but which will be fully practical and useful.

I shall now describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a top elevational view of my roller accessory;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the accessory as mounted upon a platform between the two rear ground wheels of a tricycle;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modified roller accessory in its mounted position on a tricycle.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The accessory includes a bracket generally identified by numeral 10. It consists of two side plates 11, each of which is substantially triangular, the base of each plate being defined by a straight line 12, but including at what is the rear end of the plate, a downwardly extending hook 13, including a claw 14 turned forwardly.

Each plate contains two holes, one, 15, serving for reception of a bolt 16, by means of which the two plates are held together in a spaced parallel relation to each other. The outer ends of the bolt are threaded for reception of nuts. The other hole 18 in each plate 11, serves for reception of a shaft 19 on which, mounted axially, is a roller 20. The roller, which may be made of wood or a plastic material, is best provided with a core 21, which may be made of any suitable substance, such as metal. The shaft 19, projects at each end outwardly of the respective plate 11, and is equipped at each end with a retaining nut 22.

is concave, being curved inwardly towards the axis of said roller, as best shown in Fig. 1.

Connected to the bolt 16, midway its length, is one end of a coil spring 23, its other end being connected to a sheet metal hook including a forked end portion looped upon itself in a hair-pin turn to form a claw 25.

The manner in which the accessory may be installed upon a tricycle is shown in Fig. 3 in which numeral 30 shows the rear axle for support of two ground wheesl 31, while numeral 26 indicates a horizontal platform disposed between said two ground wheels and supported by said rear axle. The platform provides suflicient space for a child to stand back of the drive of the vehicle, who occupies a saddle which is not shown, but which is located forwardly of said platform.

It will be noted that the platform includes a downwardly turned flange 27 at the rear, and a similar flange 28 at the front.

The bracket 10 supporting the roller 20 is mounted on the platform midway its length in such a manner that the claws 14 of the hooks 13 will grasp the rear flange of the platform from below, while the roller 20 will be in a position above said platform and slightly rearwardly thereof. Thereupon the hook 24 is applied to the front flange 28 in such a manner that the claw 25 will engage the flange from below. The coiled spring 23 will exert a pull on the two hooks 13 of the bracket from one end, and on the hook 24 from the opposite end, thus keeping the bracket in place.

A modified roller accessory is shown in Fig. 4. In this case, the bracket 40 has the form of a vertically disposed letter U, and is secured to the platform 26 by means of screws 41. The arms 42 of the bracket extend upwardly from the platform and support a roller 43, which is adapted for rotation on a horizontal shaft journalled at its ends in said arms. The outer ends of the shaft are threaded for reception of retaining nuts 44.

After having described my invention, I wish to present the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a tricycle having a horizontal rear platform spaced from the ground, a roller accessory including a bracket having two upwardly turned arms, a roller mounted therebetween for rotation about its axis and in the plane at right angle to said platform, hook means on the bracket for engagement with the platform from the rear, a hook adapted to engage the platform from the front, and a coiled spring connecting said last named hook to the front end of the bracket to keep said hook under the tension of the spring, the roller being held rearwardly of the platform.

2. In a tricycle having two parallel rear wheels, and a horizontal rear platform spaced from the ground and disposed between said wheels, the platform being provided with a front rim portion and a rear rim portion, an accessory for use with a rear platform of a tricycle, the accessory forming a bracket including two upright members, a transverse shaft joining said members in spaced relation to each other, a roller provided with a concave outer surface, mounted axially on the shaft for rotation thereon in a plane parallel to the planes of rotation of the wheels, one end of the bracket being connected to the rear portion of the platform, the other end of the bracket being connected by intermediate resilient means to the front rim portion of the platform, the bracket serving to hold the roller rearwardly of the platform.

(References on following page) References Cit ed'in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kelley Feb, 23, 1904 Miller Sept. 2; 1930 Jhnstone Oct. 24, 1939 4 Rogers Sept. 13, 1949 Edwards Aug. 22, 1950 Guenther Feb. 20, 1951 Ewers Mar. 3, 1953 Smith Nov. 27, 1956

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