US3060597A - Toy - Google Patents

Description

v F. GILBERT Oct. 30, 1962 TOY 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 18, 1961 INVENTOR 9- ATTORNEYS l F. GILBERT TOY Oct. 30, 1962 Filed Dec. 18, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 30, 1962 F, GILBERT 3,060,597

TOY

Filed Dec. 18, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig-6 ATTORNEYS Oct. 30, 1962 F. GILBERT 3,060,597

TOY

Filed Dec. 18, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR a, ATTORN EYS Oct, 30, 1962 F. GILBERT 3,060,597

TOY

- Filed Dec. 18, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR a ATTORNEYS' United States Patent O Filed Dec. 18, 1961, Ser. No. 160,112 10 Claims. (Cl. 35-12) This invention relates to a toy, and particularly to a toy flight simulator designed to give its pilot the illusion of being at the controls of his own jet or other airplane.

It is an object of the invention to provide simple and effective means for presenting before the pilot a sne corresponding generally to what might be observed in an actu-a1 flight, the scene being presented in an approximately proper perspective, expanding realistically as it is caused to move from top to bottom of a screen, in such a way that the observer may feel he is actually moving with respect to the scenery being portrayed.

It is a further object to provide a small representation of an airplane silhouetted against the moving scene, with means for moving it horizontally and vertically with respect to said scene and to bank on left or right turns, the small silhouette representing a leader which the pilot is following, by appropriate manipulation of coordinated controls, or even, by a transfer which is easily made by many children, representing the airplane which the pilot is operating.

It is another object to provide means for changing the appearance of the scene 4to represent changes in altitude as by diving toward the ground o-r climbing away from it.

It is a further object to provide realistic appearing controls which can easily be operated even by a young child in order to obtain the above described visual effects, and appropriate sound effects also, if desired.

It is another object to provide certain improvements in the form, construction, arrangement and materials of the several parts of the device whereby the above named and other objects may effectively be attained.

A practical embodiment of the invention is `shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 represents a front elevation of the flight simulator showing the relative positions of the control wheel, the control handles, the viewing screen and the silhouettes;

FIG. 2 represents, on a larger scale, a vertical cross section on the line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 represents a detail vertical section on the line III-III of FIG. 1 showing the silhouette moved to its highest position;

FIG. 4 represents a top plan View of the entire flight simulator;

FIG. 5 represents a diagrammatic vertical section showing how a change in position of the light source changes the appearance of the scene;

FIG. 6 represents a front View of the screen, corresponding to FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 represents a detail perspective view of the light source operating linkage;

FIG. 8 represents a detail vertical section on the line VIII-VIII of FIG. 2, showing the silhouette moving mechanism;

FIG. 9 represents a `detail horizontal section on the line IX-IX of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 represents a detail perspective of the serrated inner end of the main shaft;

FIG. ll represents by way of example a suitable wiring diagram for the light and motor;

FIG. 12 represents in perspective a first modified form of scene-bearing film or belt and drive therefor;

3,060,597 Patented Oct. 30, V1962 FIG. 13 represents in perspective a second modified form of sceneabearing fihn or belt and drive therefor, and

FIG. 14 represents a diagrammatic side elevation of a third modified form of film or belt and drive therefor.

Referring to the drawings, the housing 1 has one face 2 designed to simulate an airplane instrument panell with a transl-ucent window 3 in the middle, the housing having forwardly projecting side parts 1', 1 (FIG. 4) to -form convenient supports for control levers, -as described below. The window is preferably of tapering outline, narrower at the top than at the bottom, and may be of frosted glass or an equivalent translucent sheet of plastic material.

Within the housing, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, there are journaled three rollers 4, 5 and 6, the rollers 4 and 5 being uppermost with the roller 5 nearest to the window 3, and the roller 6 being lower and spaced substantially farther from the window, near the rear of the housing, and arranged to be driven by the motor 7 through suitable reduction gearing 8 (or an equivalent pulley and belt drive). One of the rollers (such as the roller 4, may have its axis urged outward as by a spring 4 in order to maintain proper tension on the `film band.

The rollers 4, 5 and 6 carry an endless film band 9 on which is reproduced, as a transparency, a scene rep resenting the view which the pilot is to see in the course of his simulated flight, the scene being, conventionally, an aerial View of elds, woods, water, towns, etc. Alternatively, the scene may contain only stars, planets, satellites and the like so that the pilot may imagine himself engaged in a llight through outer space.

Projection of the scene on the window 3 is effected by locating a strong point source of light 10 (e.g., a flash` light bulb) within the area bounded by the band 9, in a position such that a substantial part of the scene on the band between the rollers 5 and 6 can be projected onto the window 3.

It will be noted that the light 10 is nearer to the upper edge -of the `screen than to the lower edge, and that the course of the band 9 places it close to the screen at the top but moving quite sharply back away from the screen and relatively closer to the light as it passes through the space between the light 10 and the screen surface. Thus, a feature occupying a distance D on the film band is projected on the screen with only slight enlargement as indicated at P when it appears at the top of the screen and grows progressively larger as it moves toward the bottom where the same distance D (=D) is projected to the much greater size indicated by P, the effect being to give the viewer a feeling of approaching distant objects and ilying over or past them; The images of objects are enlarged both horizontally and vertically in a very realistic manner.

An additional illusion can be effected by changing the vertical position of the light, as indicated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the light moving mechanism being shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 7. The light 10 is shown as being supported on the end of a bracket arm 11 which projects in horizontally. from a vertically movable rod 12 slidably held in bear- V ings 13, 13 on a side wall 14 of the housing 1. The lower end 15 of the rod 12 projects horizontally inward to engage in a slot 16 in the inner end of a control lever 17, pivoted at 18 on the projecting part 1 of the housing. The exposed end 19 of the control lever may have any suitable configuration adapting it to be grasped by the pilots right hand and moved up or down. When the handle moves up the end 17 moves down and the light 10 is correspondingly moved down, the effect being illustrated diagrammatically in FIGS. 5 and 6. In its upper position the light will project a given feature on the film band (represented conventionally by the arrow A) on the screen so as to have dimensions as indicated at B in FIG. 6. When the light is moved to a lower position closer to the film band, with the film band also moving downward as usual, the same arrow (A' in FIG. 5) is projected to a larger size, suggesting a lower altitude, as shown at B in FIG. 6. The flying progress illusion resulting from the normal movement of the band is transformed, during downward movement of the light, into an illusion of losing altitude, as in a dive. When the light is moved upward the projected scene grows smaller, as if receding, and also passes at a faster rate (while the light is being moved) giving the pilot a feeling of ascending to a higher altitude.

Because of the varying results obtainable by different combinations of band movement and light movement, or even stopping the band while moving the light, the foregoing is given only as one example of a possible altitudechange illusion, which illusions `are necessarily subjective. It has been noted also that the moving of the light has a different effect on theoretically vertical features (buildings, tall bridges, etc.).

The motor 7 may receive its power from a battery 20 (FIG. l1) the power being turned off and on by a switch or rheostat 21 actuated by a control handle 22 on the projecting part 1" of the housing, within easy reach of the pilots left hand. The circuit for the light 10 may conveniently be combined with the motor circuit as shown in FIG. 11 so that movement of the handle will first turn on the light and further movement forward will actuate the motor at increasing speeds.

An important feature of the invention is the small airplane silhouette 23 positioned near the inner surface of the screen 3 so that its shadow will fall sharply on the screen in any position of the light 10. The silhouette is designed to be movable horizontally and vertically, one form of supporting and moving mechanism being the rack and pinion arrangement shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10.

The opaque silhouette 23 is mounted on a transparent clear stem 24 projecting upward from a rack 25 which is slidably guided in an open track 26. The track may be formed integral with a sleeve 27 journaled in a steering post 28 which projects from the front of the housing below the middle of the window 3. An airplane-type control wheel or grip 29 is fixed on the outer end of a control shaft 30 passing slidably through the sleeve 27. The inner portion of the shaft 30 is bifurcated by the provision of a slot wide enough to accommodate the rack 25, and the upper surface of the shaft is serrated to form a split rack 32 along the bifurcated portion. 'Ihe racks and 32 should be similar so that both can mesh accurately with the teeth of the wide pinion 33 which is journaled in inward extensions of the sleeve 27 The silhouette may be regarded as being in neutral position when it is centered in the screen, approximately as shown in FIG. 1. It can be moved to the right or left by turning the control wheel accordingly, rocking the sleeve 27 about its axis and swinging all the parts carried thereby to a distance which should be limited by suitably placed stops, not shown, so that the silhouette will not leave the screen. Alternatively or simultaneously the silhouette may be moved up or down suitably limited distances by pulling out or pushing in the control wheel; as the control shaft is moved out the rack 32 will rotate the pinion 33 in a direction to drive upward the rack 25, raising the silhouette, and as the control shaft is pushed in the pinion 33 is rotated oppositely to lower the rack 25 and the silhouette mounted thereon. Since lateral motion of the silhouette is around the axis of the sleeve 27, the shadow of the silhouette will be seen as banking properly whenever it is moved off center. Light springs tending to return the silhouette to neutral position can be provided if desired, one such spring being shown at 30' in FIGS. 2 and 3.

It is desirable to have the film band long enough to carry an interesting and varied array of scenes since whatever it carries is projected and viewed over and over. It is also desirable to eliminate as many parts as possible, particularly moving ones, for the sake of economy. In FIG. l2 is shown a film band supporting arrangement using only a pair of rollers 35, 35 on a single shaft 36 (corresponding to roller 6) which is motor driven as before, the edges of the lm band 37 and surfaces of the rollers being slightly roughened or knurled to ensure good driving engagement. The edges of the film band are guided through the projection space between the light and the screen by passing between fixed inner and outer guide tracks 38, 39 and the lower curved ends of the tracks 39 hold the edges of the band in engagement with rollers 35. The film band should be stiff enough to be partly self-.sustaining in order to maintain its generally cylindrical form subject only to the bending imposed by the rollers and guide tracks.

FIG. 13 shows a further possible alternative in which the guide tracks of FIG. l2 are replaced by an upper pair of rollers 4f), 4f) on an axle 41. Frictional drag can be provided by the small arcuate retainers 42, 42 which hold the band edges resiliently against the rollers, while similar retainers 43, 43 hold the edges in engagement with the drive rollers 44 (corresponding to rollers 35 in FIG. l2).

As a simpler modification, the film band 45 may be led around only two rollers 45, 46 as indicated in FIG. 14, the upper roller 46 being large enough to provide space for the light 10 and the lower roller 47 being driven, as before. In such an arrangement the variety of scenes to be projected is materially reduced by the shortening of the film band.

The operation of the motor 7, at varying or constant speeds, will necessarily provide a certain minimum sound effect which can readily be supplemented, if desired, by any suitable small device for producing a jet whine, roar or other more or less realistic airplane noise.

Certain points on the projected scene may be designated as target areas for attack by the airplane represented `by the silhouette, the success of the attack being conditioned on the movement of the silhouette to a specified position with respect to the target area, and an indication of such succesful maneuvering being given, if desired, through the provision of a signal circuit suitably coordinated with the film band and the silhouette. An example of such an arrangement is given in the contemporaneously filed application of Felix Gilbert and Sol Friedman, Ser. No. 160,113.

It will be understood that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and hence I do not intend to be limited to the details herein shown or described except as the same are included in the claims or may be required by disclosure of the prior art.

What I claim is:

l. A toy fiight simulator comprising a housing, a translucent vieking screen in one side of said housing, a point source of light within the housing and spaced from said screen, an endless band bearing pictorial material in the form of a transparency, means for moving said band downward through the space between the light and the screen, and means for guiding said band along a path lying closer to the screen at the top thereof and progressively more distant from the screen toward the bottom thereof.

2. A toy flight simulator according to claim l in which the ratio of the light-to-band distance to the band-toscreen distance is greatest on a line from the light to the top of the screen and decreases progressively on lines from the light to lower points of the screen down to the bottom thereof.

3. A toy flight simulator according to claim l in which the means for moving the band includes at least one driving roller in engagement with the band and a motor operatively connected to said roller.

4. A toy flight simulator according to claim 3 which includes means for driving the motor optionally at different speeds.

5. A toy ight simulator according to claim 1 which includes an airplane silhouette, means for supporting the silhouette between the screen and the band, and means for moving the silhouette to points adjacent selected different parts lof the screen.

6. A toy light simulator according to claim 5 in which the silhouette moving means includes means for moving the slihouette laterally about an axis below the screen and means for moving the silhouette vertically toward and away from said axis.

7. A toy flight simulator according to claim 6 in which the silhouette moving means includes a control grip rotatable about said axis to cause lateral movement of the silhouette and slidahle along said axis to cause vertical movement thereof in simulation of actual aircraft-inight controlability.

8. A toy ight simulator according to claim 2 in which 6 the light source is mounted for adjustment to diierent heights.

9. A toy flight simulator according to claim 8 in which the light source is farthest from the endless band in its highest adjusted position and is nearest to the endless band in its lowest adjusted position.

10. A toy Hight simulator according to claim 3 which includes manually operated means for causing the motor to operate at selected different speeds and separate manually operated means for adjusting the light source fo dierent heights.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,312,370 Soule Mar. 2, 1943 2,855,823 Klaus Oct. 14, 1958 2,943,855 lavna et al July 5, 1960 3,012,779 Friedman Dec. 12, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 492,946 Germany Mar. 7, 1930 714,921 Great Britain Sept. 8, 1954

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