US3299563A

US3299563A - Holder for spinning top

Info

Publication number: US3299563A
Application number: US324269A
Authority: US
Inventors: Pedro B Arboladura
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-11-18
Filing date: 1963-11-18
Publication date: 1967-01-24
Anticipated expiration: 1984-01-24

Description

Jan. 24, $1967 P. B. ARBOLADU-RA 3,299,563

HOLDER FOR SPINNING TOP Filed Nov. 18, 1963 INVENTOR,

PEDRO 5. ARBOLADURA;

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,299,563 HOLDER FOR SPINNING TOP Pedro B. Arboladura, 261 Rosemont Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 90026 Filed Nov. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 324,269 1 Claim. (Cl. 4672) The present invention relates to a spinning top and holder and has for an object a construction whereby tops of any form and particularly a top having two spinning points, may be held in a position which permits the operator to stabilize the top and to rapidly spin the same through the medium of a pull cord.

Double ended tops or tops that have two spinning points which are spaced apart axially are diflicult to stabilize so that the top may be spun. The present invention holds a top having two spinning points so that the top may be rapidly rotated by a pull cord without the holder imposing too great a friction against the top which would impede its rotation. Accordingly, in my invention I have provided a holder adapted to surround a top with the spinning point exposed for surface engagement together with means for the holder which stabilizes the top while the top is spun and which holder readily releases the top.

Other objects include a holder for a spinning top which is inexpensive in cost of manufacture, easily positioned relative to the top, eflicient in operation, and generally superior to devices now known to the inventor for holding a spinning top.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a separated view showing a double pointed top in perspective and positioned above a holder for the top, the holder being shown in fragment and in perspective; and,

FIGURE 2 is a transverse sectional view of the top and the holder, the top being positioned within the holder.

While the holder of the invention is particularly adapted for a double pointed top of the character shown in the figures, the holder nevertheless is likewise adaptable to single spinning point tops. The top 1 as shown in the drawing is of a type which has two identical size sep .arated circular disks 2 and 3 centrally secured to a stem or spindle 4, the disks 2 and 3 being parallel as shown. Secured to each disk is an identically sized and formed frust0-conical cap 5 and 6 the apex of each frusto-conical cap providing a spinning point, as shown at 7 and 8. The stem or spindle 4 lies on the axis of the spinning points 7 and 8, and ends of the spindle may abut the interior of the frustoconical caps, for stabilizing purposes as shown at 9 and 10. Each frusto-conical cap is provided with aligned perpendicular

annular flanges

11 and 12 which are provided with annular shoulder portions 13 and 14 for receiving edges of the respective disks 2 and 3. It is intended that a pull cord 15 should be wound upon the stem or spindle in the annular space between the disks 2 and 3, as shown at 16.

A top of the type just described is hard to stabilize or hold; i.e., to spin the top after the pull cord has been wound about the stem as shown at 16. Obviously, the top must be held and. the pull cord given a rapid pull in order to rotate the top on one of the selected spinning points 7 or 8. Accordingly, my invention is adapted to stabilize the top during a pulling of the pull cord 15.

"Ice

The holder 18 comprises an outer cuplike member 20 having an annular side wall 21 and a wall 22 closing one end of the annular wall, the opposite end of the annular wall is open, as shown at 23. The open end of the side wall 21 is provided with spaced apart inwardly extending keyhole grooves 24 and within the member 20 is an inner cuplike member 25 having an end wall 26 and an annular side wall 27, the wall 26 being secured to the end wall 22. The

annular side walls

21 and 27 are concentric. The annular side wall 27 terminates in an outwardly extending curved rim 28.

The side wall 21 of the outer cuplike member has an internal diameter greater than the greatest diameter portion of the top 1 so as to loosely receive the top within the confines of the annular side wall 21. The depth of the side wall 27 of the inner cuplike member 25 together with the outwardly curved rim 28 is such as to lightly engage the periphery of a fnusto-conical cap while holding a spinning point 7 or 8 spaced from the wall 26.

The operation, uses and advantages of my invention are as follows.

I am assuming for the present that -a top of the type shown in the drawing is contemplated, and accordingly, the operator will first wind the pull cord 15 about the spindle 4 between the disks 2 and 3, as shown at 16 in FIGURE 2. The holder 18 is positioned so as to stabilize the top 1 by inverting the holder from the position of FIGURE 1 to that of FIGURE 2 with a length of the pull cord 15 received in one of the keyhole slots 24. Thus, a portion of the pull cord will extend outwardly from the side wall 21, as shown in FIGURE 2. A spinning point, such as 8, is then positioned on a surface such as 30, the operator grasping the holder 18 with the top therein. It will be noted that the position of the holder is such that there is no interference with the pull cord due to the keyhole slots directly communicating with the space between the disks 2 and 3. The operator then lightly holds the holder 18 so that there is light engagement between the curved rim 28 of member 25 and the surface of the frusto-conical cap 5, in fact, the holder may be slightly elevated and still maintain stability of the top. The operator then pulls sharply upon the pull cord 15 which will unwind the cord from about the spindle, producing rapid rotation of the top on its spinning point. Release of the pull cord from the spindle of the top permits a raising of the holder from the top, as shown by the dotted lines in FIGURE 2.

The ordinary spinning top has an inverted, pear shape body provided with a spinning point, with a stem extending from the body in axial alignment with the spinning point and around which stem .a pull cord is adapted to be wound. The present invention will function with this type of top as the stem may be received within the confines of the member 25 with the outwardly curved rim 28 lightly engaging the top body with the cord extending outwardly from the side wall 21.

I claim:

A holder for a top of the type which has a body formed to provide two axially aligned spinning points, and around which apull cord may be wound to spin the top, said holder including: outer and inner cuplike members fixedly secured together, the outer cuplike member having an annular side wall and an end wall, the opposite end being open; said annular side wall having a greater diameter than the greatest diameter of the body of the top, one spinning point of the top adapted to be received within the holder through the open end of the outer cuplike member and the inner cuplike member having an annular side Wall provided with an outwardly curved rim, the annular side walls of the outer and inner cuplike members being concentric, with the curved rim of the inner cuplike member adapted to engage the body of the top, said annular side wall of the outer cuplike member being provided with spaced apart keyhole grooves extending inwardly from the outer edge thereof, and which keyhole grooves communicate with the interior of the outer cuplike member at points spaced below the curved rim of the inner cuplike member a distance such that a cord passed through a groove can be wound upon the spindle of a top having its upper curved surface engaging said rim.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1933 Morgan 4670 10/ 1952 Darden 4664 DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner.

R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner.