US3083498A

US3083498A - Tops

Info

Publication number: US3083498A
Application number: US8775A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard A Kelley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-02-15
Filing date: 1960-02-15
Publication date: 1963-04-02
Anticipated expiration: 1980-04-02

Description

R. A. KELLEY April 2, 1963 TOPS Fi led Feb. 15, 1960 3,083,498 TOPS Richard A. Kelley, 174 Taft Ave., Portland, Maine Filed Feb. 15, 1960, Ser. No. 8,775 3 Claims. (CI. 4665) The present invention relates to tops and to the bodies thereof.

For many years, tops of various types have proved to be popular toys and the principal objective of the present invention is to provide a top whose pivot is part of a writing element and is so arranged and disposed, preferably adjustably, relative to the axis of the body that, when the top is in use, its path is recorded by its pivot as a series of interconnected loops.

In accordance with the invention, this objective is attained by connecting a writing element, usually and pref erably a pen of the ball-point type, to the body so that the axis of its writing pivot meets the axis of the body at an angle that is a small departure from a straight angle whereby the path of the pivot, as the top is spun on a sheet of paper, for example, is recorded in the form of interconnected loops. In order that the path may be varied, the connection between the axes is adjustable and it is preferred that the body be in the form of a fly wheel through which the recording of the path of the top may be watched.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown an illustrative embodiment of the invention from which these and other of its objectives, novel features, and advantages will be readily apparent.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a top in accordance with the invention, as seen from above, and

FIG. 2 is a section taken approximately along the indicated lines 22 of FIG. 1.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the body of the top is indicated at 5 and is shown as a fly wheel of transparent stock. The fly wheel 5 has an axial hole 6 in which there is anchored an annular, resiliently deformable member 7 conveniently in the form of a rubber sleeve.

As illustrative of a writing element, there is generally indicated a conventional pen 8 of the ball-point type whose ball 9 is a pivot for the top and whose holder 10 is polygonal in cross section. The hole 6 and sleeve 7 of the fly wheel are dimensioned to permit the pen holder 10 to be inserted therethrough and to be frictionally held thereby. The cross sectional shape of the holder 10 ensures that when the top is spun by means of the holder, an effective driving connection therebetween is established without the necessity of compressing the sleeve 7 to the nite tat-es Patent Patented Apr. 2, 1963 extent that would otherwise be required. It is desired that the holder 10 be capable of being moved slightly out of a position perpendicular to the fly wheel 5 and to remain in a selected position during use as it is the angular relationship, other than a straight angle relationship, between the axis of the wheel 5 and that of the pen that results in a path in the form of connected loops and determines the particular form thereof. In FIG. 2, this angular relationship is exaggerated but the axis as established by the wheel 5, when rotating, is indicated by the broken line 11, while that defined by the pen 8 is indicated at 12. Since these axes do not define a straight angle, the ball travels along a path recorded on a suitable surface as a series of interconnected loops visible through the fly wheel as the series is formed.

I claim:

1. A top comprising an elongated holder of polygonal cross section and including a writing element as the surface engaging pivot, and a body member including an axially located annular member of deformable stock through which said holder extends and which frictionally engages said holder, said member maintaining said holder at a predetermined angle relative to the axis of said mem her, as it rotates, such that the path of said element is in the form of connected loops.

2. A top comprising an elongated holder of polygonal cross section and including a writing element of the ballpoint type as the surface engaging pivot, and a body member including an axially located annular member of deformable stock through which said holder extends and which frictionally engages said holder, said member maintaining said holder at a predetermined angle relative to the axis of said member as it rotates, such that the path of said element is in the form of connected loops.

3. A top comprising an elongated holder that is polygonal in cross section and that includes a writing element as the surface engaging pivot, and a fly wheel including an axial sleeve of deformable stock through which said holder extends and which frictionally engages said holder, said sleeve maintaining said holder at a predetermined acute angle relative to the plane defined by said wheel as it rotates such that the path of said element is in the form of connected loops.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 541,802 Barus June 25, 1895 1,319,123 Simon Oct. 21, 1919 FOREIGN PATENTS 591,256 Germany Jan. 18, 1934

Claims

1. A TOP COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HOLDER OF POLYGONAL CROSS SECTION AND INCLUDING A WRITING ELEMENT AS THE SURFACE ENGAGING PIVOT, AND A BODY MEMBER INCLUDING AN AXIALLY LOCATED ANNULAR MEMBER OF DEFORMABLE STOCK THROUGH WHICH SAID HOLDER EXTENDS AND WHICH FRICTIONALLY ENGAGES SAID HOLDER, SAID MEMBER MAINTAINING SAID HOLDER AT A PREDETERMINED ANGLE RELATIVE TO THE AXIS OF SAID MEMBER, AS IT ROTATES, SUCH THAT THE PATH OF SAID ELEMENT IS IN THE FORM OF CONNECTED LOOPS.