US3457671A - Toy slidable with oscillating motion under gravity down a zigzag slot - Google Patents

Description

July 29, 1969 ROT TOY SLIDABLE WITH OSCILLATING MOTION UNDER GRAVITY DOWN A ZIGZAG SLOT Filed Dec. 4, 1967 mvzcw'rou. DAN ROTH A'I'TOR I'IYS United States Patent Olfice 3,457,671 Patented July 29, 1969 US. Cl. 46147 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toy including a teeter with a pair of parallel zigzag slots. A different figure is associated with each slot. The figures slide down the teeter in either direction of inclination. Each figure has a pendant headed stud the shank of which extends through the associated slot. Each shank is connected to its figure at a point spaced from the center of gravity of the figure. When the teeter is inclined in either direction each figure and stud are cocked with respect to the upper surface of the teeter so that as the shank slides along the zigzag slot the shank and the then rear of the figure will oscillate about a zone of contact betwen the then front of the figure and the upper surface of the teeter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention Toy slidable down an inclined irregular slot under the influence of gravity.

Description of the prior art The toy of the present invention is unique, there being nothing of which the applicant is aware that might properly be described as prior art.

The closest references of which applicant is aware are those which disclose a vertical path with zigzag transverse reaches of substantial lengths down which a shaft rolls, the shaft having elements attached to its opposite ends. The shaft experiences rotation as it proceeds down reach after reach, thereby causing the elements at the ends of the shaft to turn therewith. However, such references are remote to the structure and concept of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a unique toy which imparts a new and novel type of movement to a figure, the movement being motivated purely by gravity, so that it merely requires reversal of the toy to reactivate the same.

It is another object of the invention to provide a toy in which a figure courses along a substantially straight path with What seem to be tiny darting lateral excursions, so that the toy may be said to have a nervous action.

It is another object of the invention to provide a toy in which the figure descending along the essentially straight path experiences side to side swinging movement of its head and tail, thereby creating the impression that the figure is experimenting with a movement to one side, but quickly changes its mind and tries out the movement to the opposite side.

It is another object of the invention to provide a toy in which a unique structural interrelationship is provided between a figure and a track by virtue of which the hereinabove described unusual type of movement is achieved.

It is another object of the invention to provide a toy in which plural figures experience the foregoing movement so that the toys can be raced side by side and thereby furnish a spirit of competition.

It is another object of the invention to provide a toy constituting relatively few and simple parts and which is easy and inexpensive to manufacture.

It is another object of the invention to provide a toy which is rugged in construction and simple to play with, requiring no skill or learning on the part of the child.

It is another object of the invention to provide a toy the play of which will attract children of all ages because of the irregular, irresolute and quick motions of a figure.

Other objects of the invention in part will be obvious and in part will be pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the toy hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a side view of the toy showing in solid and dot-and-dash lines alternate positions of the teeter and the figures;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged auxiliary view taken substantially along the line 33 of FIG. 1 and illustrating alternate transverse positions of one of the figures in solid and dotand-dash lines; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 denotes a toy constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention. The toy essentially constitutes a teeter 12 and one or more figures 14, 16. The figure 14 has been depicted as a mouse and the figure 16 as a duck.

The teeter 12 constitutes a stationary support 18 and a teeter board 20, as well as means 22 pivotally interconnecting the two. For ruggedness of structure and ease of manufacture, the base and teeter board, as well as the pivotal interconnecting means, are manufactured from a synthetic plastic, preferably one which has a high impact resistance, such, for instance, as polystyrene or a butadiene modified polystyrene.

The stationary support 18 includes a base 24 which presents a long and broad fiat horizontal undersurface which is adapted to be placed on a fiat plane surface, such, for instance, as a floor or a table top. Preferably, the base is formed as an upstanding squat peripheral wall, leaving a large hollow interior so as to minimize the amount of plastic that is utilized. Portions of the base, such, for instance, as the ends and parts of the center, are furnished with a protruding horizontal flange 26 to enhance stability.

The stationary support 18 further includes standards 28 which extend integrally upwardly from the base wall and are illustrated in the form of triangles with their apices uppermost. The standards are transversely registered and are of the same configuration and dimensions. The edges of the standards are provided with inwardly extending webs 30. These webs run from adjacent the base where they are joined by an extension 32 to and around the apex of each of the standards, as caps 34. The standards are fashioned with transversely registered through openings 36, the upper part of the edge of each of which is aligned and registered with the adjacent cap 34 of the associated web 30.

Said openings 36 and caps 34 constitute hearings in which there is journaled a tubular horizontal shaft 38.

One end of the tubular shaft abuts against a standard 28 (the left-hand standard in FIG. 2). The other end of the tubular shaft extends through the right-hand opening 36. It will be observed that the left-hand opening 36 is slightly smaller than the right-hand opening 36 to permit the foregoing arrangement to be effected. The right-hand side of the hollow shaft 38 projects outwardly from the right-hand standard 28 (as viewed in FIG. 2) and has fixed thereto an actuating knob 40.

The teeter board 20 is an elongated element the length of which is such that when the board is rocked about a central horizontal transverse axis to either extreme of its movement (as shown by the solid and dot-and-dash lines in FIG. 1), one tip or the other of the board Will strike the base near an end. The longitudinal sides of the teeter board have dependent flanges 42 which are of greater depth at the center of the board and gradually reduce toward the tips of the board, for the sake of appearance and as a matter of good structural design.

The central portions of the flanges 42 are provided with transversely registered apertures 44, the left-hand aperture 44 (as viewed in FIG. 2) being slightly smaller than the right-hand aperture 44. The tubular shaft 38 passes through the right-hand aperture 44, the right-hand flange 42 being sandwiched between the undersurface of the knob 40 and the outer surface of the right-hand standard 28. The tubular shaft 38 is a tight fit in the righthand aperture 44 and the right-hand flange 42 has a sliding clearance against the outer surface of the right-hand standard 28, whereby to permit the teeter board to rock when the knob 40 is turned in one direction or the other.

A headed pin 46 has its shank dimensioned to extend in a tight fit through the left-hand opening 44, so that the pin will rock with the teeter board. The shank of the pin is a tight fit in the left-hand end of the tubular shaft 38. Hence, the shaft 38, the knob 40 and the pin 46 are functionally unitary with the teeter board and they all can rock with respect to the standards 28. The shank of the pin is a rotatable fit in the left-hand opening 36.

The top 48 of the teeter board is generally flat, being provided, however, with a medial longitudinal trough 50 which stitfens the teeter board against longitudinal flexing, i.e., flexing about a transverse axis. The trough 50 subdivides the teeter board into flat-topped transversely spaced elongated segments 52 that extend the full length of the teeter board.

Each segment 52 has formed therein an elongated zigzag slot 54 that runs from adjacent one end of the segment (see FIG. 2) to adjacent the other end. Each such slot is essentially straight in that the lateral deviations are small in comparison to the over-all length of the slot from end to end. The term length of the slot is used herein to mean the length along the center line 56 (see FIG. 3) which runs down the slot midway between the lateral excursions formed by the zigzags.

Each zigzag slot is specifically composed of alternate oppositely inclined portions 58 the opposite ends of which terminate on opposite sides of the center line 56. As just noted, the length of each of these portions is relatively short. Typically, the length of any given portion 58 is only a few, e.g., two to three, times the width of the slot 54. Moreover, the lengths of these portions are such that the tips of the crests of the Vs formed along each edge of the slot between successive oppositely inclined portions are in the immediate region of the center line 56. From inspection of FIG. 3, it will be observed that this center line passes through alternate crests of the opposite edges of the slot near the tips of the crests. In other words, the lengths of the portions 58 are so short that these portions do not widely swing from side to side, so that the center line 56 would pass through the alternate crests at sites remote from the tips of the crests.

The angular inclination of the portions 58 with respect to the center line 56 is preferably about 45, although the invention will function with somewhat larger and somewhat smaller angles, e.g., between 30 and 60. The largest angle which can be used will depend upon coefficients of friction and upon the angle of inclination of the teeter board to the horizontal in either of its extreme positions, as will be obvious to a skilled engineer. If the coefficients of friction are somewhat high and the angle of inclination of the teeter board low, a smaller minimal angle of inclination of the portions 58 will be required and vice versa. The coeflicients of friction are those between the figures 14, 16 and the teeter board and those between a headed stud subsequently to be described and the teeter board. Coeflicients of friction are minimized by providing smooth surfaces on parts which experience relative sliding movement as the figures move down the slots, and by having these parts made of materials with low coefficients of surface friction. It already has been observed that the teeter board is fashioned from polystyrene or a butadiene modified polystyrene, which has a low coefficient of surface friction. The figures are molded from polyethylene which likewise has a low coefi'cient of surface friction and the headed studs which, in association with the figures, move down the slots are made of steel which, too, has a low coefiicient of surface friction.

The figures 14 may be of any desired configuration, the ones herein illustrated being those of animals, to wit, a mouse and a duck. It will be apparent that figures of other animals can be used, if desired, or figures of humans, or figures of inanimate objects, preferably objects which in real life experience translatory movement, such, for instance, as trucks, automobiles, airplanes, railroad trains, etc.

The upper portion of each figure is fashioned to represent a desired object. The lower surface of each figure preferably is substantially flat, although deviations from this configuration are permitted, as, for instance, some rounding of the edges or a slight concavity or convexity.

Each figure has associated therewith a headed stud 60. Although the stud can be made of plastic and attached in any suitable fashion to the figure, it has been found to be simpler to make the stud of steel; for example, the stud may simply constitute a thumbtack. The stud depends from the lower surface of the figure, this arrangement being most easily achieved by pressing the shank of the stud may simply constitute a thumbtack. The stud depends tate this interengagement between the shank of the stud and figure, the figure as initially molded desirably is formed with a deep well the mouth of which is at the lower surface of the figure and the cross-section of which is smaller than the cross-section of the shank of the stud, so that when the shank is inserted therein it will be with a force fit in order that after such insertion the stud will be firmly secured to the figure. The orientation between the stud and figure is such that the shank of the stud is perpendicular to the lower surface of the figure and the undersurface of the stud (top surface, as shown in FIG. 4, because the stud is upside down) faces the lower surface of the figure.

The distance between the facing surfaces of the figure and head of the stud is somewhat in excess, e.g., ,4 inch in excess, of the thickness of the teeter board through the slot, so that if the teeter board is horizontal and the lower surface of the figure rests flatly on the upper surface of a segment 52, the head of the stud 60 is slightly spaced from the lower surface of the segment 52. This clearance prevents the figure and head of the stud from binding on the opposite surfaces of the teeter board and also permits a cocking action of the figure and stud, soon to be described, when the teeter board is inclined in either direction. Preferably, the point of connection of the headed stud to the figure is at a location removed, i.e., spaced, from the center of gravity of the figure. Desirably also, this point of connection is spaced from the center of gravity of the figure in a direction rearwardly of the figure, that is to say, if the figure has front and a rear, the headed stud will be located between the center of gravity of the figure and the rear of the figure. Thereby, when the teeter board is inclined in either direction, the initial action of the figure is to swing about the shank of the stud as the center of rotation until the figure has its front pointed downwardly in the direction it is about to travel. This will avoid the unrealistic appearance of a figure pointing and moving with its rear fore-most.

To describe the operation of the toy, let it be assumed that a figure, whose movement is to be explained, is located at one extreme end of its associated slot 54, this being the end which at the moment is adjacent that end of the teeter board touching the base 24. At this time the shank of the stud 60 is at the then bottom end of the slot and the figure has its front pointing in a direction down the slot, i.e., toward the base 24, inasmuch as the figure, acting as a pendulum fulcruming on the stud. has swung into an orientation in which its center of gravity is lower than the shank of the stud.

Now the knob 40 is manipulated to raise the end of the teeter board at which the figure is located to its maximum elevation with respect to the base, i.e., the opposite end of the teeter board is brought into abutment with the base. Immediately this occurs, or even as the teeter board has the figure occupying end raised above the horizontal sufficiently, the figure will swing 180 about its stud, so that its front is pointing in the opposite direction toward the far end of the track which is now lowermost.

Also the figure will cock, that is to say, it will rock so as to slightly lower its nose and slightly elevate its rear. This occurs because the figure is overbalanced when the teeter board is inclined in either extreme position thereof, i.e., the figure is so positioned that its center of gravity is, when the figure is so inclined, located in front of the front tips of the lower surface of the figure. Thereby, the front tip of the lower surface of the figure will contact the upper surface of the teeter board (point A in FIG. 4) while the rear tip of the lower surface of the figure will lift clear of the teeter board. This slight rocking of the figure is permitted because of the clearance between the space between the figure and the head of the stud on the one hand, and the thickness of the segment 52 on the other hand. The cocking also causes the rear tip of the head of the stud 60 to contact the lower surface of the teeter board. This cocking position is clearly shown in FIG. 4.

It will, of course, be understood that at such time, and, indeed, at all times, the shank of the stud 60 is disposed within the slot 54, at this specific time the shank being located at the then highest end of the slot. The force of gravity acting on the figure tends to make the figure slide down the flat ramp which is constituted by the segment of the inclined teeter board. The angle of inclination is so selected, as are the various coeificients of friction, that the figure will in this tilted position of the teeter board start sliding down the segment 52.

As the figure slides down, the shank of the stud courses through the Zigzag slot experiencing alternate excursions from side to side, while the stud rides along alternate oppositely inclined portions 58 of the slot. The front end of the figure, where its lower surface touches the upper surface of the segment 52 at the front of contact A, acts as a fulcrum so that the figure oscillates like an upside down pendulum. In other words, the shank rocks in an arc to the right and left about the pivot point A which is descending down the teeter board ahead of the shank. This causes the nose to swing left and right, since it is ahead of the point of contact A between the figure and the teeter board, and the rear of the figure to swing right and left (opposite from the head movement), since it is behind the aforesaid point of contact A. As this opposite rocking movement of the head and rear is taking place, the figure is moving down the teeter board. The extreme alternate rocking positions are shown in full and dot-and-dash lines in FIG. 3. Such movement constitutes a series of tiny, darting lateral excursions which create the impression of a nervous action, as if the figure cannot make up its mind whether to move entirely to the right or entirely to the left as it progresses down the teeter board. Such erratic, irresolute movement is attention calling, and, because of its jerkiness, eye catching and therefore attractive to children. The lateral swaying motions are small and, indeed, only possible because the distance from point A to the shank of the stud is considerably greater, at least two and preferably at least three times, than the length of the portions '58.

It will be observed that the shank of the stud (and the figure) does not roll down the slot. Rather, it slides down the slot, sliding down alternate oppositely inclined portions 58. Actually, it slides down one side of the slot as it moves down one portion, then falls off the crest and slides down the opposite side of the slot for the succeeding portion. When the figure then reaches the then lower end of the slot, the motion terminates. The toy can be reactivated by oscillating the knob to change the inclination of the teeter board.

In the illustrated form of the invention two slots and two figures have been shown, enabling children to use the toy in a competitive spirit by selectively choosing different figures to win races down the slots. However, it will be understood that only a single figure can be employed with a single slot or that more than two figures can be employed, each with its own slot.

It also will be understood that the element which has been described as the teeter board can be employed as the member on which a figure slides without the necessity of mounting the element for oscillation, that is to say, the stationary support 18 and the pivotal mounting means 22 can be eliminated without departing from the spirit and scope of the essential novelty of the invention. In such event the element 20 has its orientation changed simply by manual manipulation, i.e., holding it in different desired angular positions, or even oppositely different vertical positions.

It thus will be seen that there has been provided a toy which achieves the several objects of the. invention and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Having thus described the invention, there is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent:

1. A toy comprising an elongated element having a smooth fiat upper surface, a zigzag slot extending longitudinally of and along said element, said slot constituting oppositely inclined short portions, a figure slidable along the upper surface of the element, said figure having a headed single stud extending from its lower surface with the shank of the stud passing through the slot from the upper surface to the lower surface of the element, the head of the stud being located adjacent the lower surface of the element, whereby when the element is inclined end to end to the horizontal without being tilted sideways the figure will slide down the upper surface of the element toward the then lower end thereof and the shank of the stud will alternately slide down opposite edges of successive zigzag portions of the slot, the distance from the head of the stud to the lower surface of the figure exceeding the thickness of the element at the slot, the center of gravity of the figure being forward of the front tip of the lower surface of the figure when the element is inclined so that when the element is inclined the figure and stud will cock with the front end of the lower surface of the figure contacting the upper surface of the element, the rear end of the figure raised above the upper surface of the element and the end of the head of the stud corresponding to the rear end of the figure contacting the lower surface of the element, whereby as the figure slides down the element the shank of the stud and rear end of the figure will rock from side to side about a pivot constituting the point of contact between the front end of the figure and the upper surface of the element.

2. A toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein the element and figure are made of synthetic plastic and the stud is made of steel.

3. A toy as set forth in claim 2 wherein the figure is made of polyethylene.

4. A toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein the stud extends from the figure at a point spaced from the center of gravity of the figure.

5. A toy as set forth in claim 4 wherein the figure has a front portion and a rear portion, and wherein the stud extends from the figure at a point between the center of gravity of the figure and said rear portion.

6. A toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein the tips of the crests of each edge of the slot are adjacent the straight center line extending from end to end of the slot.

7. A toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein the angle of the inclined portions of the slot are from about 30 to about 60 to the straight center line extending from end to end of the slot.

8. A toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein the angle of the inclined portions of the slot is about 45 to the straight center line extending from end to end of the slot.

9. A toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein the length of each inclined portion of the slot is about two to about three times the width of the slot.

10. A toy as set forth in claim I]. wherein the distance from the point of contact to the shank of the stud is at least twice the length of the inclined portions.

11. A toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein the distance from the point of contact to the shank of the stud is at least three times the length of the inclined portions.

12. A toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein the toy includes plural of said slots in mutualy parallel relationship with a different figure and stud slidable along each different slot.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1903 Garrecht 46147 3/1914 Heyman 46-147

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