US2942381A - Toy unicycle riding monkey - Google Patents

Description

June 28, 1960 H. o. BUCKEY TOY UNICYCLE RIDING MONKEY Filed Feb. 17, 1958 E 4 /IIIIIA :11.

V V 2,942,381 I TOY 'UNICYCLE RIDING MONKEY Hiram 0. Buckey, 831 Railroad Sh, Caldwell, Ohio Filed Feb. 17, 1958, ser. No. 115,714 3 Claims. c1. 46-247 This inventionrelates to amusement devices andmore particularly to an animated toy.

It an object of the present invention to provide an animated toy that is of extremely novel construction and of amusement value to children and adults alike.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an animated monkey that can be selectively propelled by gravity along a flexible' cord or further provided with a battery operated motor for propelling it along a continuous circuitous path of rigid rod support members.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an animated monkey bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and eflicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an animated monkey made in accordance with one form of the present invention in operative use;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of a rigid rod support member forming a part of a modified form of construction;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view, with parts broken away, showing the connection of certain ones of the elements shown in Figures 3 and 4.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2 thereof, an animated toy monkey made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a main body portion 12 simulating the torso of the animal and having an enlargedweighted depending tail 13 to provide proper balance therefor, as will be hereinafter described. A pulley type drive wheel 15 having a peripheral groove 18 is rotatably supported upon a shaft 16 that is carried by the depending hands 17 of the body portion 12. A pair of legs 19 are provided in which one end of each such leg is pivotally connected to a crank arm 20 at opposite sides of the drive wheel and located at diametrically opposed portions thereof. The opposite ends of the legs 19 are rotatably secured to one end of associated thigh members 21 by means of pins 22, while the opposite ends of these thigh members are rotatably mounted upon the main body portion 12 by means of structure similar pins 23. The tail portion of the simulated animal is "also provided with a slot 24 at the level of the bottom side of the drive wheel 15 for receiving a flexible rope or cord 25 therethrough.

In actual use, the monkey may be mounted upon the cord 25 in the manner shown in Figures 1 and 2, whereupon .it assumes the position of a monkey riding a bi 2,942,331 Patented June 28, 1960 ICE cycle along a rope. Because of the pivotal conn'ection between each of the thigh, leg and crank arms, a downward inclination of the cord 25 will cause the monkey to be propelled downwardly therealong by gravity. As gravity draws the monkey downwardly,the wheel 15 will rotate with the cord guided within the peripheral groove 18, thus eifecting animation of the legs and thighs of the monkey, thus further simulating a monkey riding a bicycle. I

The device may also be provided with a motor 30 having a drive shaft 31 for rotating a friction drive wheel 33 which is in driving engagement with the periphery of the wheel 15. Thus, in response to energization of the motor 30. by means of flashlight batteries 34 carried upon the main body portion of the monkey and being connected by means of a cable 32, the monkey can be electrically propelled along any desired member, such as the cord 25 illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, or a rigid rod 35 carried upon a plurality of spaced apart column supports 36, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. Since, in this embodiment, the device is battery propelled, the rod 35 need not extend continuously downwardly, but may follow a substantially horizontal, or even slightly upwardly inclined path. To facilitate the installation and alteration of the path, the monorail 35 is preferably provided with recesses 37 in each end for receiving pin connectors 38, as shown in Figure 5, whereby the sections may be readily connected and disconnected at will.

It will thus be recognized that an amusementdevice .based on basic principles has beenprovided in various forms, all of which provide the same animated effect of a monkey pedaling a particular device. This type of amusement device is particularly useful for large groups of children since it can be used for extensive tricks and stunts of great amusement value.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An animated amusement device for traveling along a flexible rope support inclined relative to a horizontal plane while it maintains a vertical position comprising, in combination, a flexible rope support, a simulated animal body having a single depending integral tail, two legs, two thighs and two integral rigid depending arms, a cylindrical shaft rotatably carried by the lower end portions of said arms, a pulley type drive wheel having a peripheral groove secured upon the intermediate portion of said shaft and between said arms for traveling upon said flexible rope support, a pair of crank arms connected with the Opposite ends of said shaft with the free ends thereof extending in opposite directions, said,

thighs pivotally connected at one end to said body adjacent the point of junction of said tail with said body, the opposite ends of said thighs being pivotally connected to one end of each of said legs, the opposite ends of said legs being pivotally connected to the free ends of said crank arms whereby each of said legs are connected to diametrically opposite sides of said wheel and on opposite faces thereof, said body, legs and thighs substantially disposed to the rear of a vertical plane passing through said shaft rotatably carried by said arms whereby the center of gravity thereof is to the rear of said shaft, said tail extending downwardly and forward- "ly below said wheel and in front of said vertical plane mass to provide proper balance to the amusement device by efie'c'tin'g the "center 'of gravity "of "the entire device to be below said shaft and said wheel mounted thereon and theupper portion of said tail ha ving a horiioritall slot at the le'velfb'f the b'gi'ttdmsidefo f the drivewhe'el'fdr r'ecivfn'gsaid iiirible'rope siibfor't'therethrough. a

2. Ato'y in'clu"iigEmahifiiifd body, ai1 'iiitegfa1 tail, integral 'arriis, and movable leg fifiemlierjs p'ivfdtallyeonnected to the bod and isup eiiedfth reby, a igr'boved wheel met-mien {6r traiieliiigiipon a fligibk'i'dfie'ktiiiiidft, a crank pas'sing d rou'gh "t'hegr'o'ove d wheel and f secured rigidly thereto and presenting crank membersonoiapbsite sides of mannered-wired, "a pair 6f rigid'arnisdepending from the forward "pobtitin'offi said hody,"the" interi fe aifie portion or s' aid'crank rot'atablycarried by the rower end portions bf isaid arm-exten ing on opposite sides of said wheel, said leg "injml'affs 'inchiding a iiair 1 of thighs a' pair of legs, "said "pair of thighs fpi'v'otially conneeted at one erid thereof tbjth'e lower rear por i'en of saidhddy, the oppositefends ofsiaid thighsfeach'pivot'ally 'oofih'eiited to 'one ehdofo'fie ofsaid legs, theopp'ositeefids' ofsaid legs be'ing'iaivotally 'conneted to the crwalks 'o h the a1;- posite sides of 't'hegrooved 'wheel 'r'esp'edtively, said "tail extending diiwi'iv'siardly axmrarwarmy below and in -firont of said wheel, said tail having a horizontal slot extending "theffliroiigh "tore 'ive said "rape siiplidrt, are center of gravity of said body and leg members being to the rear of said wheel, the terminal end of said tail being weighted whereby the center of gravity of said tail is to the front of said wheel, and whereby the center of gravity of the entire toy is directly below said wheel and whereby said body maintains a vertial pdsition.

3. The combination aecording to claim 2, further comprising afiiotor afid' liattei is, said niotor receiving electricaLenergyfiom said batteries-for efiecting' rotation of said wheel, and said elongated support comprising a rigid France Mar. 1,1955

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