US3516322A

US3516322A - Music box operated musical toy

Info

Publication number: US3516322A
Application number: US759120A
Authority: US
Inventors: Benjamin Kinberg
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1968-09-11
Filing date: 1968-09-11
Publication date: 1970-06-23
Anticipated expiration: 1987-06-23

Description

June 23, 1970 Filed Sept. 11. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVE June 23, 1970 3.. KINBERG MUSIC BOX OPERATED MUSICAL TOY Filed sept; 11, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3,516,322 MUSIC BOX OPERATED MUSICAL TOY Benjamin Kinberg, 425 Riverside Drive,

New York, N.Y. 10025 Filed Sept. 11, 1968, Ser. No. 759,120 Int. Cl. Gf 1/06 US. Cl. 84--95 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A musical toy in the form of a piano having movable keys, 2. music box within the piano, an arrangement for playing the music box intermittently upon playing any of the keys so that a child believes that he is playing a tune on a piano. The music box has a series of selectively playable tune cylinders.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a musical toy such as a piano wherein a music box produces a number of tunes by playing the piano.

PRIOR ART.

Pat. No. 105,972 to Paillard and Pat. No. 310,645 to Bradshaw disclose music boxes provided with an arrangement for selectively playing a number of tune cylinders. However, these music boxes are so complicated that they would be too expensive to use as a toy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a musical toy which is equipped with a simple, economically constructed music'box.

Another object is to provide such toy a which has a simple arrangement for playing the music box.

Another object is to provide a music box which requires a minimum of special parts.

A further object is to provide such a toy which is durable in construction.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

In accordance with the present invention, the foregoing objects are generally accomplished by providing a musical toy which comprises a musical comb, a pair of spaced apart discs, means rotatably supporting the discs, bracing rods connecting the discs, a series of tune cylinders journalled for rotation between the discs at evenly circumferentially spaced points and being positioned for selectively engaging the comb, one of the discs having circumferentially spaced index means thereon corresponding in number and position to the cylinders, spring urged means for engaging the index means to selectively position the cylinders with respect to the comb, a drive shaft journalled for rotation at the center of the discs and having an outwardly extending end, a drive gear on the shaft, a driven gear on each of the cylinders at all times in mesh and driven engagement with the drive gear, a spring motor having its output connected at all times to the shaft to rotate the same whereby a music box is provided, and means for intermittently allowing the motor to operate including a control element for the motor. The toy includes a body simulating a toy piano and confining the music box; and the means for intermittently allowing the motor to operate include a series of keys arranged to simulate a piano keyboard, a rod secured at its ends within the body and having all of the keys pivot- 3,516,322 Patented June 23, 1970 ally mounted thereon, the keys each having an inner end which is weighted to raise the outer end of the keys to a non-played position, a pivotally mounted bar resting on the inner end of all of the keys, and a member on the bar for operating the control element, whereby the motor will operate upon playing any of the keys.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a toy piano in accordance with the present invention, the top being partially removed to illustrate the interior of the piano.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 on FIG. 1, with a music box illustrated schematically in box diagram.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the music box illustrating the same in detail.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 on FIG. 3 with a spring motor for the music box being shown schematically in box diagram.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings in detail, a toy piano is shown which generally comprises a body 10 in the form of a so-called grand piano, a keyboard ill, a music box 12 confined within the body of the piano at the bottom thereof, and an arrangement generally indicated by the reference numeral 14 for controlling the operation of the music box by means of the keyboard.

The keyboard 11 includes a series of a suitable number of keys 15, and a horizontal rod 16 secured at its ends within the body 10 of the piano and having all of the keys pivotally mounted thereon. Each key has an inner end which is weighted at 17 to raise the outer end of the keys to a non-played position as shown in FIG. 2.

The arrangement 14 includes a bar 18 pivotally mounted at its ends 16' within the body 10 of the piano and positioned to rest on the inner end of all of the keys, an element 19 for controlling the release of a conventional brake of a spring motor of a music box, and a depending rod 20 on the bar 18 for normally engaging the control element 19 to prevent operation of the spring motor and adapted to be raised when any key is played to lift the bar and thereby allow the Spring motor to operate. In this manner, the music box can be operated intermittently by playing of the keys at random so that a child is under the impression that he is playing the tune.

In FIGS. 3 and 4, the music box 12 is shown in detail. The music box generally comprises a spring motor 21 having a wind-up key 22 at the bottom thereof which is accessible from the bottom of the body of the piano, and the release element 19, already referred to, of a conventional brake 24 shown schematically in box diagram.

More specifically, the music box comprises a pair of spacd apart discs, 25 and 26, rotatably supported in a casing 27 and braced together by rods 28, and four tune cylinders 29 journalled for rotation between the discs at evenly circumferentially spaced points and being positioned for selectively engaging a musical comb 30 by pins 31 on the cylinders.

The disc 25 has four evenly circumferentially spaced index recesses 32 on its periphery adapted to be entered by a projection 34 on a leaf spring 35 to maintain the

discs

25 and 26 in position for the selected cylinder to play the musical comb.

A drive shaft 36 is journalled for rotation at the center of the

discs

25 and 26 and has an end extending outwardly of the disc 25. The shaft has a drive gear 37 secured thereto for rotation therewith which at all times is in mesh and driving engagement with a driven gear 38 on each of the tune cylinders so that all of the cylinders 3 rotate at all times and a complicated clutch arrangement is eliminated. Likewise, the output of the spring motor 21 is at all times in driving connection with the shaft 36 to thereby eliminate a clutch arrangement.

In order to select the tune cylinder to be played, the casing 27 has an opening 39 which renders the

discs

25 and 26 accessible so that they can be turned manually. Here again mechanism is eliminated for selecting the tunes to be played.

SUMMATION From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the present invention provides a musical toy which fascinates children and is able to accomplish the same result of expensive and complicated apparatus by an arrangement of the essential elements in a simple and practical manner.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A musical toy comprising a musical comb, a pair of spaced apart discs, means rotably supporting said discs, bracing rods connecting said discs, a series of tune cylinders journalled for rotation between said discs at evenly circumferentially spaced points and being positioned for selectively engaging said comb, one of said discs having circumferentially spaced index means thereon corresponding in number and position to said cylinders, spring urged means for engaging said index means to selectively position said cylinders with respect to said comb, a drive shaft journalled for rotation at the center of said discs and having an outwardly extending end, a drive gear on said shaft, a driven gear on each of said cylinders at all times in mesh and driven engagement with said drive gear, a spring motor having its output connected at all times to said shaft to rotate the same whereby a music box is provided, and means for intermittently allowing said motor to operate comprising a control element for the motor, a series of keys, a rod having all of said keys pivotally mounted thereon, a pivotally mounted bar resting on the inner end of all of said keys, and a member on said bar for operating said control element, whereby said motor will operate upon playing any of said keys.

2. A toy piano comprising a body; a spring motor operated music box confined within said body; brake means for normally preventing operation of said motor adapted to be released to allow said motor to operate; an arrangement for operating said brake means including a control element, a series of independent keys simulating a piano keyboard, a rod secured at its ends within said body and having all of said keys pivotally 4 mounted thereon, a pivotally mounted bar resting on the inner end of all of said keys, and a member on said bar for operating said control element, said keys each having an inner end which is weighted to raise the outer end of said key to a non-played position and thereby causing said brake means to be rendered effective, said piano being characterized in that said music box will operate upon depressing any of said keys and allowing said music box to operate so long as a key remains depressed whereby said music can operate continuously or intermittently to produce tonal effects under the control of the player of said piano.

3. A musical toy comprising a body simulating a toy piano, a musical comb, a pair of spaced apart discs,

means rotatably supporting said discs, bracing rods con- I necting said discs, a series of tune cylinders journalled for rotation between said discs at evenly circumferentially spaced points and being positioned for selectively engaging said comb, one of said discs having circumferentially spaced index means thereon corresponding in number and position to said cylinders, spring urged means for engaging said index means to selectively position said cylinders with respect to said comb, a drive shaft journalled for rotation at the center of said discs and having an outwardly extending end, a drive gear on said shaft, a driven gear on each of said cylinders at all times in mesh and driven engagement with said drive gear, a spring motor having its output connected at all times to said shaft to rotate the same whereby a music box is provided, said music box being confined within the body, and means for intermittently allowing said motor to operate comprising a control element for the motor, a series of keys arranged to simulate a piano keyboard, a rod secured at its ends Within said body and having all of said keys pivotally mounted thereon, said keys each having an inner end which is weighted to raise the outer end of said keys to a non-played position, a pivotally mounted bar resting on the inner end of all of said keys, and a member on said bar for operating said control element, whereby said motor will operate upon playing any of said keys.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 105,972 8/ 1870 Paillard 84-95 310,645 1/1885 Bradshaw t 84-95 356,251 1/1887 Junod 84-95 1,638,327 8/1927 'Eckstein 8495 1,667,078 4/ 1928 Patten 8495 2,882,778 4/ 1959 Scott 8495 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner J. F. GONZALES, Assistant Examiner