US3161987A

US3161987A - Bulldozer toy with automatic dump mechanism

Info

Publication number: US3161987A
Application number: US251824A
Authority: US
Inventors: Raymond H Decker
Original assignee: STRUCTO Manufacturing CO
Current assignee: STRUCTO Manufacturing CO
Priority date: 1963-01-16
Filing date: 1963-01-16
Publication date: 1964-12-22
Anticipated expiration: 1981-12-22

Description

Dec. 22, 1964 R. H. DECKER BULLDOZER TOY WITH AUTOMATIC DUMP MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 16, 1963 Dec. 22, 1964 R. H. DECKER BULLDOZER TOY WITH AUTOMATIC DUMP MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 16, 1963 JI/KEM QQ P4Yl/0/MD g DEC/(4? W r United States Patent 3,161,987 BULLDQZER TOY WITH AUTOMATHC DUMP MECHANISM Raymond H. Decker, Freeport, 111., assignor to Structo Manufacturing Company, Freeport, 111., acorporation of Illinois Filed Jan, 16, 1563, Ser. No. 251,824 8 Claims. (Cl. 46-49) This invention relates to a toy bulldozer dump mechanism.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an automatic dump mechanism of simple and economical and yet durable and practical construction designed to recreate in miniature rather realistically the operation of the bulldozer bucket although only a single manually operable bell-crank lever requiresoscillation from the one limit position wherein the bucket is automatically locked in its bulldozing or loading position when lowered to the floor to the other extreme position in which the bucket is automatically tripped after having been raised to a predetermined level, these operations of automatically resetting the bucket and automatically tripping it being capable of repetition as often as the child cares to oscillate the lever in playing with the bulldozer toy.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a phantom perspective view showing all of the essential elements of my invention in full lines with the bucket raised and about to be tripped;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail illustrating the novel relationship of the elements of the dump linkage to their common pivot and the lever operated yoke for raising and lowering the bucket;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are side views of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 showing the bucket in dotted lines before tripping and in full lines as tripped, and FIG. 4 showing the bucket in full lines raised and about to be tripped and in dotted lines in lowered bull-dozing or loading position.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout the views.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 5 designates a bulldozer toy, the bucket 6, and its two pairs of operating links 7 and 8 of which the automatic dump mechanism of my invention shown at 9 has been applied, so that a child is enabled to operate the bucket 6 in the bulldozing or loading position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4 to pick up a scoop of sand, for example, and then by merely pulling back on the bell-crank lever 1! which is suitably pivoted at 11 relative to the frame 12 of the toy, raise the bucket, as shown in full lines in FIGS. 1 and 4, to transport the load to the place for dumping, and thereafter by a further rearward pull on bell-crank lever trip the bucket 6 to dump the load, as indicated in full lines in FIG. 3.

The two pairs of links 7 and 8 are pivotally connected to frame 12 by means of a single cross-pin 13 that is suitably secured to the frame in forwardly spaced relation to the upright manually operable arm 14 of bellcrank lever 10, the links 7 having circular holes 15 in their rear end portions allowing only pivotal movement of links 7 relative to pin 13, whereas links 8 have bayonet slots 16 provided therein which, so long as the pin 13 is engaged in the upwardly offset front end portion 17 of the slots, allow only pivotal movement of links 3 relative to pin 13, as required in the raising of the bucket from lowered loading position to raised transporting position and dumping position. However, in the raised position of the bucket the rear ends 18 of the links 8 are disposed directly over horizontal pad portions or abutments 19 provided on the frame 12 of the toy, as best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4. Hence, if under these conditions the bucket is raised a little farther, enough to disengage pin 13 from the upwardly offset front ends 17 of slots 16, it is apparent that the bucket 6, which is pivoted to the front. ends of links 7, as at 20, and to the front ends of links 8, as at 21, is free to drop by gravity, the bucket pivoting relative to links 7 at 20, as shown in full lines in FIG. 3, thereby dumping whatever has been previously loaded therein:

A one-piece U-shaped wire yoke 22 is slidable up and down by means of its cross-portion 23 in vertical slots 24 provided in the frame 12 and has its arms 25 pivotally connected to links 7 by means of trunnions 26 in holes 27 that are spaced forwardly relative to the holes 15 pivotally connecting links 7 with pin 13. This yoke 22 is movable up and down in the slots 24 by means of the forwardly reaching arm 28 of bell-crank lever 10, this arm 28 being disposed in right angle relationship to and beneath the middle portion of the cross-portion 23 of the yoke 22, as clearly appears in FIG. 1, so that the bucket 6 can be raised and lowered by merely oscillating the bellcrank lever 10, the latter being rocked on pivot 11 by means of its hooked middle portion 29 engaged in slot 30 in the frame. Longitudinally extending flanges 33 on links 7 space the same from links 8 slightly more than enough for arms 25 to extend between these links from trunnions 26. Ends 34 of links 7 are offset inwardly, as shown, toward links 8 to facilitate their pivotal connection with pin 13.

In operation, assuming the toy bulldozer 5 is resting on the floor 31 with bucket 6 in the loading position indicated in dotted lines in'FIG. 4, the child can by forward movement of toy 5 slide the bucket 6 forwardly into a pile of sand or other material to load the bucket and then he can elevate the bucket bypulling rearwardly on arm 14 of bell-crank lever 10, and the load can be transported by moving the toy 5 to the place where the load is to be dumped. Then, in order to trip the bucket 6 the arm 14 is given a further rearward movement sufficient first of all to engage the rear end 18 of links 8 on abutment 19 and then by still further rearward movement to bring the three

points

26, 13 and 32 into alignment on the line ab in FIGS. 2 and 4, whereupon links 8 are free to slide forwardly relative to pivot pin 13 by means of slots 16, as indicated in FIG. 3, so that the bucket 6 pivoting at 20 relative to links 7 dumps the load. After the load is dumped, forward movement of the arm 14 of bell-crank lever 10 lowers the bucket 6 as trunnions 26 move in a counterclockwise direction relative to pin 13, thereby moving pivots 20 forwardly relative to pivots 21 and disposing the bucket 6 accordingly in a favorable position for re-establishment of the locked relationship of links 8 to pin 13 in the ofiset ends 17 of slots 16 when the bucket 6 comes into contact with the floor 31. The operation described may be repeated time and again by simply oscillating the lever 10 in the manner described, and it should be clear from the description that the toy recreates quite realistically in miniature the operation of the bulldozer that the child is accustomed to seeing at work in excavations and in road building, and wherever else bulldozers are used.

It is believed that foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of my invention. The appended claims have been drawn to cover all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

I claim:

1. A toy bulldozer comprising a frame, a bucket in front of said frame pivotally mounted on the front end of a pair of laterally spaced elongated links the rear end of which are pivoted on the frame, a second pair of laterally spaced elongated links pivotally connected at their front end to said bucket above and in vertically spaced relation to the first links, said second links having longimanually operable means for raising and lowering said bucket by means of the first mentioned links.

2. A toy bulldozer as set forth in claim 1 in which the second links are pivoted on said frame on the same pivotal axis with the first mentioned links.

3. A toy bulldozer as set forth in claim 1 wherein the last mentioned means comprises a generally U-shaped yoke having means on the upper ends of the arms thereof pivotally connected to the first mentioned links in 'for- Wardly spaced relation to the pivot for said links on said frame, and means for raising and lowering said yoke.

4. A toy bulldozer as set forth in claim 1 wherein the last mentioned means comprises a generally U-shaped yoke having means on the upper ends of the arms thereof pivotally connected to the first mentioned links in for- Wardly spaced relation to the pivot for said links on said frame, and means for raising and lowering said yoke comprising a bell-crank lever having two arms 'in transverse relationship to one another, one of which serves as a handle for manual oscillation of said hell-crank lever and the other of which is disposed in transversc'relationship to the cross-portion of'said yoke and arranged to raise and lower the same in the oscillation of said lever, said lever being pivoted with respect to said frame at the junction of said arms.

5. A bulldozer comprising a frame, a bucket in front of said frame pivotally mounted on the front end of an elongated link the rear end of which is pivoted on the frame, a second elongated link pivotally connected at its front end to said bucket above and in vertically spaced relation to the first link and having a sliding pivotal connection at its rear end with said frame, means providing a detachable connection between the second link and its pivot prohibiting endwise movement of said second link relative to said pivot except when the bucket is elevated to a predetermined level for tripping of the bucket, and means for raising and lowering the bucket by means of the first mentioned link.

6. A bulldozer as set forth in claim 5, in which the Second link is pivoted on said frame on the same pivot with the first link.

7. A bulldozer as set forth in claim 5 wherein the means providing the detachable connection for said second link with said pivot, and the means providing a slidable pivotal connection for said second link with said frame comprises a bayonet. slot provided in the rear end portion of said second link longitudinally thereof, said slot having an upwardly directed front end receiving the pivot on said frame.

8. A bulldozer as set forth in claim 5 wherein the means providing the detachable connection for said second link with said pivot, and the means providing a slidable pivotal connection for said second link with said frame comprises a bayonet slot provided in the rear end portion of said second link longitudinally thereof, said slot having an upwardly directed front end receiving the pivot on said frame, the bulldozer including an abutment on said frame on which the rear end of the second link is slidably pivotally engaged when the bucket is raised to a predetermined level preliminary to dumping, where by further upward movement of the bucket results in the dumping thereof by disconnection of the upwardly directed front end of the bayonet slot from the pivot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,827,541 Opperman Oct. 13, 1931 1,929,516 Redmond Oct. 10, 1933 2,702,963 Swenson Mar. 1, 1955 2,812,869 Nisperly Nov. 12, 1957 2,886,192 Schwartz May 12, 1959

Claims

5. A BULLDOZER COMPRISING A FRAME, A BUCKET IN FRONT OF SAID FRAME PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE FRONT END OF AN ELONGATED LINK THE REAR END OF WHICH IS PIVOTED ON THE FRAME, A SECOND ELONGATED LINK PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT ITS FRONT END TO SAID BUCKET ABOVE AND IN VERTICALLY SPACED RELATION TO THE FIRST LINK AND HAVING A SLIDING PIVOTAL CONNECTION AT ITS REAR END WITH SAID FRAME, MEANS PROVIDING