US3422568A

US3422568A - Spinning toy

Info

Publication number: US3422568A
Application number: US587144A
Authority: US
Inventors: Steve P Vorves
Original assignee: STEVE P VORVES
Current assignee: STEVE P VORVES
Priority date: 1966-10-17
Filing date: 1966-10-17
Publication date: 1969-01-21
Anticipated expiration: 1986-01-21

Description

Jan. 21, 1969 s. P. VORVES 3,422,568

SPINNING TOY Filed Oct. 17. 1966 INVENTOR.

Steve R Von/e5 BY M4 so/v, 557715, 5070954058 United States Patent 3 Claims This invention relates to a toy or amusement device, and more particularly to a tethered aerial toy of the spinning type.

It is a major object of the invention to provide an aerial toy or amusement device of simple and inexpensive construction and which may be easily operated by a young child.

The foregoing, and other objects, are achieved in a toy in which a small battery powered electric motor is suspended from the end of a Wand-like rod, the motor being controlled by a battery and switch combination mounted on the handle end of the rod. A curved disc member is mounted upon the rotor of the motor, and when driven in rotation the disc will tilt and assume various angles upon movement of the wand by the user.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following specification and to the drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective sectional view showing details of the disc, motor and a portion of the motor suspension; and

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of one 'form of the invention.

Referring first to FIGURE 2, one form of the invention is disclosed as including a rod-like wand designated generally having a handle 12 at one end and an elongate rod 14 suspended from its other end for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis as by a pivot pin 16. A rotating disc assembly designated generally 18 is mounted at the lower end of rod 14 by structure shown in greater detail in FIGURE 1.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, disc assembly 18 includes a concave disc member 20 having a central hub portion '22 projecting from the concave or lower side of disc 20. In the form of invention shown in the drawings, hub 22 and disc 20 are integrally joined to each other by an annular stepped shoulder 24 which forms a recess in the upper side of disc 20 into which is snapped or force fitted a cap member 26. The integral disc and

hub

20, 22 and cap 26 are preferably formed from a relatively light weight plastic material.

Disc assembly 1 8 is suspended from the lower end of rod 14 by an eyelet 28 fixed to the lower end of the rod which in turn is coupled to one of a pair of link members 30. The other of link members 30 is passed through a bail 32 which is pivotally connected to the stator 34 of a small, battery powered electric motor. The rotor shaft 36 of the motor is in turn fixedly secured to the central portion of hub portion 22, hub portion 22 and cap 26 substantially completely enclosing the motor and suspension links 30. An opening 38 is provided in cap 26 which freely clears the disc suspension to afford substantially free and unrestricted tilting of disc assembly 18 relative to rod 14.

The batteries which power motor 34 are mounted in a battery casing 40 which in turn is fixedly supported upon wand 10 adjacent handle 12. A control switch 42 is mounted upon the battery casing to selectively electrically connect Or disconnect the motor from the batteries which are carried within casing 40. A pair of electrical leads 44 are connected from switch 42 to motor 34. These leads may either be lightly twisted around wand 10 and rod 3,422,568 Patented Jan. 21, 1969 member 1 4 as shown or, alternatively, the wand and rod member may be hollow and the leads passed through their interior.,If desired, switch 42 may be a three-position switch having an off position and opposed reverse connections so that the direction of rotation of rotor shaft 36 may be reversed if desired.

Because rod 14 is suspended from the end of wand 10 for free pivotal movement about pivot 16, its normal position is truly vertical. To tilt rod member 14 upwardly from the vertical, a lever 46 is pivotally mounted adjacent the end of wand 10 by a pivot 48 and is provided with a fork element 50 at its lower end, rod 14 passing between the legs of element 50. Lever 46 is projected upwardly above pivot 48 and a string 52 is attached to the upper end of lever 46. String 52 extends along wand 10 and may pass through one or more guides 54. A ring 56 is attached to the other end of string 52 adjacent handle 12 so that a person holding the toy by handle 12 can slip one finger through ring 56. Upon pulling upon ring 56, lever 46 is pivoted about its pivot 58 and fork element 50 will thus force rod member 14 from the vertical position shown in full line in FIGURE 2 to an inclined position, such as that indicated in broken line in FIGURE 2. Upon the release of tension from string 52, rod member 14 will gravitationally return to its original vertical position.

When the toy is held generally in the position shown in FIGURE 2 and the motor energized to drive disc assembly 18 in rotation, disc 18 will rotate in the indicated full line position of FIGURE 2 as long as the wand is held stationary. Upon movement of the wand in a horizontal direction, the disc will tilt from its horizontal position in a direction dependent upon the driection of movement of the wand. By increasing or decreasing the speed of movement of the wand, the amount of tilting of the disc can be varied. By swinging rod member 14 about its pivot 16, the tilting effect can further be varied at will and a second tilting effect at right angles to the tilting elfect produced by horizontal movement can be achieved by varying the speed of pivotal movement of rod member 14 about pivot 16. Tilting movement of the disc relative to the lower end of rod member 14 is accommodated by the link connection.

The link connection employs, as illustrated, elongate links so that, upon energization of the motor, the counter torque exerted on the motor stator will rotate the links about the axis of rod 14 until the links begin to bind against each other, eyelet 28 and bail 32, thus resisting the counter torque applied to stator 34. With the connecting arrangement as shown, the necessary counter torque can be applied to stator 34, while at the same time permitting the flexibility of connection to permit substantially unrestricted tilting movement of the axis of rotation gt the disc relative to the longitudinal axis of rod memer 14.

While one embodiment of the invention has been described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the disclosed embodiment may be modified. Therefore, the foregoing description is to be considered exemplary, rather than limiting, and the true scope of the invention is that defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A spinning toy comprising a wand having a handle at one end and an electric motor suspended from its other end, said motor having a stator coupled to one end of said wand and a rotor, electric power means mounted on said wand adjacent said handle, switch means electrically coupling said power means to said motor means and operable to selectively energize said motor means, a rod member pivotally coupled at one end to said other end of said Wand, link means coupled at the other end of said rod member and to the stator of said motor means for resisting counterrotation of said stator during operation of said motor means while accommodating substantially unrestricted swinging movement of said motor means on said other end of said rod member and an annular disc member fixedly secured to said rotor for rotation therewith.

2. A toy as defined in claim 1 wherein said rod member is pivotally coupled to said wand for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis whereby said rod member is normally disposed in a vertical positon, and means for swinging said rod member about said horizontal axis to selected positions of vertical inclination.

3. A toy as defined in claim 1 wherein said disc mem- 4/ 1962 Crawford 46-243 1/1964 Bennett 46243 10 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

ber includes a hollow annular hub portion surrounding 15 4 74

Claims

1. A SPINNING TOY COMPRISING A WAND HAVING A HANDLE AT ONE END AND AN ELECTRIC MOTOR SUSPENDED FROM ITS OTHER END, SAID MOTOR HAVING A STATOR COUPLED TO ONE END OF SAID WAND AND A ROTOR, ELECTRIC POWER MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID WAND ADJACENT SAID HANDLE, SWITCH MEANS ELECTRICALLY COUPLING SAID POWER MEANS TO SAID MOTOR MEANS AND OPERABLE TO SELECTIVELY ENERGIZE SAID MOTOR MEANS, A ROD MEMBER PIVOTALLY COUPLED AT ONE END TO SAID OTHER END OF SAID WAND, LINK MEANS COUPLED AT THE OTHER END OF SAID ROD MEMBER AND TO THE STATOR OF SAID MOTOR MEANS FOR RESISTING COUNTERROTATION OF SAID STATOR DURING OPERATION OF SAID MOTOR MEANS WHILE ACCOMMODATIG SUBSTANTIALLY UNRESTRICTED SWINGING MOVEMENT OF SAID MOTOR MEANS ON SAID OTHER END OF SAID ROD MEMBER AND AN ANNULAR DISC MEMBER FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID ROTOR FOR ROTATION THEREWITH.