US339443A - Josiah t - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. T. MAREAN.

TOY RACE COURSE.

No. 339,443; Patented Apr. 6, 1886..

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iinrrnn STATES 'PATENT @rri'cn.

JOSIAH T. MAREAN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

TOY RACE-COURSE.

gPECZPZCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,443, dated April 6, 1886.

Application filed November 9, 1835. Serial No. $2,296. (Nomodeh) T 0 (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosIAH. T. ll'lAREAN, of Brooklyn, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Race- Courses, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention has for its object the simulation of a real race; andit consists in arranging any desired number of miniature figures of mounted horses or other figures in such a manner that they will revolve around a common perpendicular pivotal post, and in combining with this arrangement a follower and suitable driving mechanism whereby the figures are projected successively, and without interfering, one beyond the other, as will be hereiuafter explained.

Myinvention also consists in the peculiar construction of the parts above named, and in other details which will be particulary referred to, and afterward pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a plan view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line m at, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view to a larger scale on the line 3 1 Fig. 1..

In the drawings, A represents a box or casing of any suitable size, and formed either of wood or metal. 3 is a cover to the same, hav ing flanges I), which iit down over the box. This cover is formed, preferably, of tin, a though it may be made of wood or any other suitable material.

By constructing the cover,as described,with the flange I), I am enabled to remove it easily whenever desired.

The cover is divided into two parts-an inner and an enter. The inner part is circular in shape, and between it and the outer part is an open portion, which constitutes the race course or track 0.

Connecting the inner and outer parts of the cover B are arches B, under which the figu res travel in moving over the course.

Centrally located within the box or casing A is a rigid post or standard, 1), attached, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, to the bottom of said casing.

in Fig. i l show the lower terminus of the post I), having a square portion which fits into a plate, 12, having a corresponding opening, the.

plate being attached to the bottom of the box.

.Tou rnaled upon the central post, D, are any suitable number of horizontal wires or arms,E. They may be any number desired. In the drawings annexed T have shown live, but do not confine myself to any particular number. These wires are bent upward at the ends 0, and to these perpendicular portions are attached the figures F. Upon the opposite ends of the wires or arms E are placed weights G, which may be arranged so as to be adjustable. These weights counterbalance the weight of the figures F, and by this means I greatly diminish the friction and the consequent wear at the pivots of the horizontal arms, and secure, also, a smooth, steady, and continuous motion, in stead of a jerky and interrupted one. As before stated, these weights are adjustable and are arranged so as to nearly but not quite bal ance the figures at the opposite ends. By such an arrangement the best results are obtained. The horizontal wires or arms E are of different lengths, and the vertical ends e are arranged in succession, one beyond the other, from the top to the bottom, so that the figures F in traveling around the course will pass each other without interference. XVashers H are placed on the central post, D, between the horizontal wires or arms, to prevent their interfering at this point and to facilitate the movement of the working parts.

Jonrnaled upon the central post or standard,D,is a D-shaped follower, J. The vertical shaft K of this follower is journaled at both its ends in the horizontal arms of the follower Land is free to rotate upon its axis. The shaft K is provided with cams L, which are rigidly attached to the shaft and which move in unison therewith when the shaft rotates. A. cam is arranged opposite each of the horizontal wires or arms E, so that as the follower revolves and the shaft rotateseach arm is projected forward by the cam which bears against it.

Attached to the lower horizontal arm of the I follower J is a bevel pinion-wheel, M, which is journaled in the central post, D,and is free to turn thereon. A smaller beveled pinionwheel, N, gears into this and is adapted to be IOO operated by means of a horizontal shaft, 0, provided with a handle, P. A pinion-wheel, R, is keyed to the lower portion of the vertical cam-shaft K and meshes into a larger pinion-wheel, S, rigidly attached to the central post, D.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the handle P'and shaft 0 are turned, the bevel-pinion N, gearing with the bevelpinion M, will cause the latter to rotate, which will in turn operate the follower J attached to it. .As the follower moves around the post D, the pinion-wheel R will be carried with it. The pinion-wheel will also have an independent rotating movement of its own by virtue of its gearing with the stationary pinion S. This double movement is imparted to the shaft K and the cams L, which rotate and revolve at the same time and in unison with the pinion R. It will be seen that as the follower J revolves around the central post,D,the camshaft K and cams L will rotate upon their axes and the faces of the cams will be successively projected against the horizontal wires or arms E, thus diversifying the movements of the figures and causing each in turn to spurt or travel ahead of the others.

The sizes of the wheels R S and the consequent number of the cogs in each can be such as to vary as much as possible the relative position of the figures at the termination of the different races.

A'bell, T, and a suitable stop, t, can be arranged to automatically terminate the race, and one of the arches, B, can be selected as the winning-post, and a figure,U, placed there, representing the judge and judges stand.

A grand stand, \V, can be placed upon the cover or attached at the side of the box furnished with figures representing spectators, thus further simulating a real race.

The figures of the horses and riders may be substituted by men walking, riding. velocipedes, or by any other figures desired, and they may be made removable from the arms and replacable by other figures, so as to give the toy more variety and scope.

The track may be inclosed by a fence, Y.

The toy may be operated in any other way for example, by a clock -work mechanism brought in connection with the upper arm of the follower through a hole to be left in the center of the cover. By reversing the arms end for end and turning the crank the other way the figures may be made to move in the opposite direction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A toy race-course provided with miniature figures attached to wires or arms journaled on a central post, as described, in combination with a follower made to revolve about the axis of such post, having a rotating shaft provided with cams which bear respectively against the several arms and successively pro ject the figures one beyond the other as the follower revolves and the shaft rotates.

2. A toy race-course provided with the horizontal wires or arms and the figures and eoun- 7c terbalancing-weights, in combination with the follower journaled on the same post as the horizontal arms, and provided with the camshaft and cams and the pinion-wheel gearing into the stationary pinion-wheel on the More said central post.

J. T. MAREAN.

lVitnesses:

HERBERT KNIGHT,

LEONARD K. PRINCE.

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