US3137093A - Electric gyroscope toys - Google Patents

Description

June 16, 1964 A. ULRICH ELECTRIC GYROSCOPE TOYS Filed March 20, 1962 V 74 INVENTOR AARON ULR\Q\-\ WAN 351:

United States Patent 3,137,093 I ELECTRIC GYROSCOPE TOYS Aaron Uirich, 219 Berry, Park Forest, llll.

Fiied Mar. 20, 1962, Ser. No. 180,962 7 Claims. (Ul. 46-243) This invention relates to toys.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a self-propelled gyroscopic type of toy.

Another object of this invention is to provide a gyroscopic type of toy provided with a self-contained'motor and battery. I Another object of this invention is to provide a gyroscopic type of toy which is motorized and which has a compact removable current supply unit provided with a battery or batteries for supplying the current to the motor, 'the removable current supply unit being readily attachable to and detachable from the toy frame, and being so constructed and arranged that when the removable current supply unit has been removed the toy will continue its spinning gyroscopic operation. Another object of this invention is to provide a gyroscopic type of toy which will be very entertaining and FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view partly in section of the lower end of the toy.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the removable current supply unit, and

.. "FIGURE Sis a view of the circuit.

Supported within the frame, adjacent the upper end thereof, is a small battery operated motor generally designated by the numeral 16. The motor 16 and motorshaft 17 is axially alined within the vertically positioned ring member 12 and said ring member supports at the upper end thereof a bushing or sleeve 13 Within which the upper end 20 of the motor is supported. Encasing the motor 16 is a housing 22 formed of nylon 'material or the like which is anchored to the vertically positioned ring 12 by suitable fastening members 24.

The lower end of the housing 22 continues downwardly to provide a reduced hollow stem portion 26 which is provided with a central opening 28 in the bottom wall thereof. The lower end of the vertically extending ring 12 has a depending stem portion 30 which communicates with an axially alined opening 32 in said vertically positioned ring member 12. Said stem portion 30 and said axially alined opening 32 are internally threaded to receive an externally threaded member 34 which extends below the stem 30, as best seen in FIGURE 3.

The externally threaded member 34 is provided with a bore 36 at the upper portion'thereof to receive a nylon bushing 38. Within the bushing a jewel bearing 40 is of metal or the like and should have suflicient weight since it provides the fly-wheel type of momentum for the toy, as is well understood. The wheel 44 is rigidly or fixedly secured to the shaft or spindle 42 to rotate therewith.

The upper end of the'shaft or spindle 42,'as best seen in FIGURE 2, has a comically-shaped portion 48 and a reduced spindle section 50. The comically-shaped portion 48 of the spindle 42 extends into the opening 28 of the stem 26 of the housing, with the reduced spindle section 50 extending upwardly into the stem 26 and in axial alinernent with the motor shaft 17. The motor shaft 17 and the fly-wheel spindle 42 are coupled together by means of a spiral spring 52 so that rotation of the motor will through the coupling spring rotate the fly-wheel spindle 42.

As best seen in the enlarged view in FIGURE 3, the lower end of the shaft or spindle 42 is reduced to provide a comically-shaped portion indicated by the numeral 54, which is further reduced in diameter to provide a pin 56 having a pointed or tapered end which is supported in the jewel bearing 40. The conical-shaped portion 54 of the shaft or spindle 42 bears against the ny- 1 The threaded member 34 is adjustable relative. to the depending stem 30 to compensate for any wear on the bushing 38 or jewel bearing 40 In operation the toy is supported on? the threaded member 34 which rests on the ground surface. The flywheel shaft 42 has a slight vertical play due to the arrangement shown.

As best seen in FIGURE 2, electrical conducting wires 56 and 57 extend from the motor 16along the insides of the vertically positioned ring member 12 and each wire passes through suitable openings in the rings 12 and 14 where they are joined to connect to metal contact members 58. The contact members 58 are diametrically opposite and are secured on the horizontalring 14 facing outwardly. The conducting wire'57 is connected to a suitable switch 60 which is mounted on the vertically positioned ring 12 of the frame.

The removable current supply unit which .is' generally designated by the numeral 62 includes an annular rim or ring member 64 which is generally U-shaped in crosssection. This rim 64 is made of plastic or like material and is adapted to support therewithin a plurality of equally spaced small pen light batteries indicated by the numetal 66.

As best seen in FIGURES 2 and 4, spring metal contact clips 68 are suitably spaced around the inside of the rim 64 and are anchored thereto. Each metal clip 64 has its opposite ends inturned as at 70 so that as the pen light batteries are positioned around the inside of the rim, a battery will be positioned between the end 70 of one clip 68 and the end 7 0 of an adjacent clip 68. This connects the spaced batteries in series. The clips which are formed of spring metal serve to mechanically hold the batteries within the annular-rim and provide the conducting contacts. Thus, for example, when four pen light batteries 66 are used, the four clips 68 would be positioned between the four batteries.

Two of such diametrically oppositely positioned clips 68 are connected to spring-like metal contact fingers designated by the numeral 72. These spring metal contact fingers are adapted, when the rim is positioned on the Patented June 16, 1964 frameof the toy, to make contact with the exteriorly positioned contact members 58 on the horizontal ring 14.

The lower lip of the annular rim 64 adjacent said spring contact fingers is recessedas at 74, best shown in FIGURE 4, and this permits the rim 64 with the batteries therein .to be .positionedon the frame member around the horizontal'ring 14, .and when the recessed portions 74 are alined with the outwardly extending metal contacts 58 on the horizontal ringlof the frame, the rim can then he slid down, with the annular rim surrounding the horizontally disposed ring '1-4'ofthe frame and the metal fingers 72 on the rim will. make contact with the contact members 58 on the horizontal ring 14. This completes the electrical .circuit, and whenthe switch 60 is closed the current will flowfrom the pen light batteries 66 through the metal clips .68, through the metal spring fingers 72, through the metal contacts v58 on the frame, and through conductors 56 and 57 to the motor 16 tooperate said motor and to rotate the shaft 42 and the fly-wheelthereon, which will produce a .gyroscopic action of the toy. The toy will rotate and will be supported and balance on the member 34 extending below the frame.

The removable current supply unit 62 is retained on the horizontal ring 14 of the frame and will not slip down over the top thereof since the upper lip 76 of the rim 64 will extend over the top of the ring 14, as best shown in FIGURE 2. However, it is relatively easy to remove the current supply unit 62 when desired and this is done by merely lifting .the ring or rim- 64 of the horizontal ring.

While it is necessary that the current supply unit 62 be mounted on the'frame 10 to electrically operate the motor 16, the rim-may bereadily removed from the frame, as aforesaid, while the motor 16 and shaft 42 are rotating, thus the motor 16 and shaft 42 will continue to rotate by virtue ofits momentum after the current supply unit has been removed.

The positioning of the batteries 66 within the rim v64 is such that they will not impair the perfect balance of the toy. The toy will continue to operate as long as current is supplied by the'batteries and the switch is closed. It will continue to operate by virtue of its momentum after the current supply unit has been removed. This toy provides a great deal of play value as a toy and may be used for scientific I experimentation where a gyroscope would be used.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made from the foregoing Without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A gyroscope toy comprising a frame member, a motor secured to said frame member, a shaft operated by said motor and rotatable within said frame, a bearing member secured to said frame below said shaft and supporting said frame on a ground surface, a ring member supporting a battery, means for detachably securing said ring member to said frame to provide current to said motor.

2. A gyroscope toy-comprising a frame member, a motor secured to said frame member, a shaft operated by said motor and rotatable within said frame, a bearing member secured to said frame below said shaft and supporting said frame on a ground surface, a ring member supporting a battery to provide current to said motor, means for detachably securing said ring member to said frame, said toy continuing to operate as a gyroscopic toy when said ring member is detached.

3. A gyroscopic toy comprising a frame member having a vertically positioned ring and a horizontally positioned ring fixedly secured to each other, a motor secured to said vertically positioned ring adjacent the upper end thereof and provided with a motor shaft extending vertically therebelow, a rotatable shaftsupported within said vertical ring and in axial alinement with said motor shaft, means connecting said motor shaft'and said shaft so that rotation of said motor will rotate saidshaft, a flywheel secured to said shaft and rotatable therewith, a battery secured to said'horizontal ring and connected to said motor for supplying current to'said motor.

4. A gyroscopic toy comprising a frame member having a vertically positioned. ringand a horizontally positioned ring fixedly secured to each other, a motor secured to said vertically positioned ring adjacent the upper end thereof and provided with a motor shaft extending vertically therebelow, a rotatable shaft supported within said vertical ring and in axial alinement with said motor shaft, means connecting said motor shaft and said shaft so that rotation of said motor will rotate said shaft, a flywheel secured to said shaft and rotatable therewith, a battery secured to said horizontal ring and connected to said motor for supplying current to said motor, said battery being detachably secured to said horizontal ring member.

5. A gyroscopic toy'comprising a frame member having a vertically positioned ring and a horizontally positioned ring fixedly secured to each other, a motor secured to said vertically positioned ring adjacent the upper end thereof and provided with a motor shaft extending vertically therebelow, a rotatable shaft supported within said vertical ring and in axial alinement with said motor shaft, means connecting said motor shaft and said shaft so that rotation of said motor will rotate said shaft, a flywheel secured to said shaft and rotatable therewith, a battery secured to said horizontal ring and connected to said motor for supplying current to said motor, said shaft rotating within said vertical ring, said vertical ring having a portion depending therefrom and adapted to engage a ground surface whereby said frame is supported during rotation of said shaft.

6. In a structure defined in claim 5 in which the connection between the motor shaft and the flywheel shaft comprises a coiled spring.

7. In a structure defined in claim 2 in which the ring member comprises an annular ring having a generally U-shaped cross-section in which are spacedly mounted a plurality of small batteries so distributed so as not to impair the balance of the toy when said rim is secured to the frame.

Easterling Aug. 23, 1960 Poticha Feb. 6, 1962

Claims (1)

1. A GYROSCOPE TOY COMPRISING A FRAME MEMBER, A MOTOR SECURED TO SAID FRAME MEMBER, A SHAFT OPERATED BY SAID MOTOR AND ROTATABLE WITHIN SAID FRAME, A BEARING MEMBER SECURED TO SAID FRAME BELOW SAID SHAFT AND SUPPORTING SAID FRAME ON A GROUND SURFACE, A RING MEMBER SUPPORTING A BATTERY, MEANS FOR DETACHABLY SECURING SAID RING MEMBER TO SAID FRAME TO PROVIDE CURRENT TO SAID MOTOR.

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