US3608235A - Whirling skill toy - Google Patents

Abstract

A TOY INCLUDING A CYLINDRICAL IMPELLING AND CONTROLLING HANDLE ADAPTED TO BE HELD SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY IN THE HAND AND POINTED GENERALLY AWAY FROM THE BODY OF THE OPERATOR, THE OUTERMOST END OF THE HANDLE HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING OPEN BORE WITH TWO EQUILENGTH CORDS OR THE LIKE FIXEDLY SECURED THEREIN, EACH CORD HAVING AN IDENTICAL WEIGHTED BALL, PREFERRABLY RUBBER, TETHERED OR SECURELY ATTACHED TO ITS FREE END, THE SAID OUTERMOST END OF THE HANDLE BEING PROVIDED WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY ANNULAR CAM-LIKE CORD POSITION DEFLECTING SURFACE THEREON OBLIQUELY DISPOSED WITH RESPECT TO THE CONTROLLER HANDLE AXIS, WHEREBY WHEN EQUAL AND OPPOSITE CIRCULAR OR ORBITAL MOVEMENTS ARE IMPARTED TO THE TETHERED BALLS BY MANUAL

OSCILLATION OR MANIPULATION OF THE CONTROLLER HANDLE IN A GENERALLY VERTICAL PLANE AND RESPONSIVE TO THEIR MOMENTUM, GRAVITY AND LONGITUDINAL POSITIONAL CONTROL EFFECTED MECHANICALLY BY THE GENERALLY ANNULAR CAMMING OR DEFLECTING SURFACE ON THE END OF THE HANDLE, SUCH BALLS WITH BE CAUSED TO FREELY PASS EACH OTHER DURING THEIR ROTARY ORBITAL MOVEMENTS MAINTAINED BY THE OPERATION''S SKILL IN CORRELATING THE RATE OF ROTATION OF THE TETHERED BALLS WITH THE RATE AND EXTENT OF UP-AND-DOWN OSCILLATORY MOVEMENT HE IMPARTS TO THE IMPELLING AND POSITION CONTROLLER HANDLE.

Description

Sept. 28, 1971 G. G. HARTON 3,608,235

WHIRLING SKILL TOY Filed June l2, 1969 INVENTOR ff 62 H1? 7' 0N United States4 Patent It CC U.S. Cl. 46-51 9 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A toy including a cylindrical impelling and controlling handle adapted to be held substantially horizontally in the hand and pointed generally away from the body of the operator, the outermost end of the handle having a longitudinally extending open bore with two equilength cords or the like fixedly secured therein, each cord having an identical `weighted ball, preferably rubber, tethered or securely attached to its free end, the said outermost end of the handle being provided with a substantially annular cam-like cord position deflecting surface thereon obliquely disposed with respect to the controller handle axis, whereby when equal and opposite circular or orbital movements are imparted to the tethered balls by manual oscillation or manipulation of the controller handle in a generally vertical plane and responsive to their momentum, gravity and longitudinal positional control effected mechanically by the generally annular camming or deflecting surface on the end of the handle, such balls with be caused to freely pass each other during their rotary orbital movements maintained by the operators skill in correlating the rate of rotation of the tethered balls with the rate and extent of up-and-down oscillatory movement he imparts to the impelling and position controller handle. y

BACKGROUND OF THIE INVENTION (l) Field of the invention The invention is in the iield of relatively inexpensive childrens toys which involve the use of two equal weightcarrying yflexible cords attached to a manually held irnpelling and controller device whereby the two identical weights are adapted to be caused to simultaneously and oppositely rotate without interference in separate orbits.

(2) Description of the prior art The prior art as exemplified by the Rogers Pat. No. 1,915,868 of June 27, 1933, discloses a toy having a handle unit with two flexible connections of differential length suspended together from its free end and wherein the said free end of the handle is of part-spherical or convex shape. By oscillating the handle vertically, it is stated on page 2 of the patent that due to the convex charatcer of the free handle end, from which the ball-suspending portions of the connections extend, it permits the connections to swing freely in planes which are sufficiently inclined to each other to prevent interference of the balls or their connections with each other. It is not clear from the patent, however, just how the convex character of the handle end effects this control.

In Edson No. 1,374,002 of Apr. 5, 1921, a similar toy empolying a vertically oscillatable handle, hemispherical at its free end, from which two cords of differential by Patented Sept. 28, 1971 adjustable length extend, each with a weight and if desired an ornamental device such as a ag may be at tached. When the suspended weights are caused to rotate in opposite directions by vertical oscillation of the handle about its manually held opposite end, the weights will rotate in substantially the same vertical plane without seriously interfering with each other due to the differential lengths of their flexible connections to the handle.

SUMMARY OF 'IHE INVENTION AND OBJECTS This invention relates to inexpensive toys of the type employing a pair of identical weighted balls flexibly tethered at a common connection to a controller handle of such a functionally novel mechanical shape that the weighted balls can be caused to simultaneously rotate in opposite directions in orbits of equal size without interference from each other.

It is an object of the invention to provide a whirling type toy involving scientific principles of motion and forces such as curvilinear motion, gravitation and momentum.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a whirling type toy involving an impelling and position coutrolling handle generally of cylindrical shape with an annular outer controller end of such angular disposition to the handle axis as to mechanically control the spacial position of the orbits of two identical weighted t balls attached by exible members of identical lengths to the controller handle outer end, whereby the balls may be made to simultaneously orbit in opposite directions without interference from each other.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a whirling type toy employing a manually operable controllermember of extremely simple constructional design having a cam-like annular control surface obliquely formed on one end thereof and two correspondingly shaped equally weighted members attached to the handle at a point adjacent the annular control surface by tethering flexible members of equal length such that coaction between the fiexible tethering members and the obliquely positioned control surface enables the weighted members to be made to simultaneously rotate in opposite directions without interference from each other.

It is a further object to provide a whirling toy of the type described employing a simple dowel-like controller handle having a longitudinal bore open at one end, an annular obliquely positioned deflector control surface on the said one end in surrounding relation to the longitudinally extending bore, a single length flexible cord for suspending two identical ball-type projectiles of equal Weight and size to the said one end of the controller handle at identical distances therefrom `and other bore means intersecting the longitudinally extending bore, whereby the bores jointly provide a looped anchoring connection of the central portion of the single liexible cord to the handle, whereby the cords depend centrally therefrom.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a boy using the toy and shows the manner in which it is held in the hand and moved to effect simultaneous and opposite orbiting of its two tethered balls.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing relative extreme positions of the two orbiting balls at quadrantal compass positions that they relatively occupy while the handle of the toy is vertically reciprocated in use.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the handle in its approximately normal position when used and showing the manner in which the cords for tethering the balls are secured to the handle and also showing the oblique camlike contoured control end face of the latter for eiecting clearance control of the tethered balls relative to each other during their orbiting movements.

FIG. 4 is a plan View of the cam-like cord deiiecting and control end face of the handle viewed in the direction of the arrows 4-4 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal horizontal section taken through the control end of the handle on line 5 5 in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The invention comprises a relatively small cylindrical controller handle member which may be made of wood, plastic or any other suitable material, and in the embodiment illustrated is constructed of a relatively small section of wooden doweling of a suitable length and diameter. In its outer end or orbit controlling portion 12 it has a longitudinal extending bore 14 opening into an obliquely disposed transverse camming end face 28, the details of which will be described later. The bore 14 may be disposed either in offset relation to the axis of the controller handle, as illustrated, or coaxially thereof if preferred. Another and smaller bore 14, preferably obliquely disposed as shown, extends from the periphery of the controller handle 10 and opens into bore 18 at a point spaced from the open end of the latter. A flexible cord is folded over midway on itself to form ball-tethering sections 20a, 2Gb of equal length and the folded-over mid- Way portion extends into the central bore 14 and out through the obliquely extending bore 18 to the outer end surface 28 of the handle 10 and then opened up and looped at 20 around the handle, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. A plug 22 is then driven into the bore 18 to rmly anchor and prevent any lengthwise movement of the medial portion of the cord relative to the handle. Obviously any other suitable way of anchoring the mid-section of the cord 20 can be used as desired. The outer free end extremity of each equi-length cord section 20a, 2Gb extends diametrally through a suitable weight device or projectile, such as a rubber ball 24a, 24b, or the like, and is knotted as at 26 to fixedly secure the ball onto the free end of either cord section 20a, 20b, the balls being of equal size and weight. Any other equivalent form of Weight or projectile may lbe used as desired.

The outer end face 28 of the controller handle .10, through which cords 20a, 2011 for the balls 24a, 24b extend, is obliquely disposed to extend approximately at an angle of 3 degrees to a plane passing through the cylindrical controller handle axis to form the generally eircular annular orbital control end face 28, previously referred to, in encircling relation to the longitudinall bore 14 to form an obliquely positioned control annulus. The obliquely positioned control face 28 constitutes a cam-like deflection surface against which portions of cord sections 20a, 20b, adjacent their anchored ends frictionally engage to mechanically'deect and change the orbital paths of the cords and consequently as a result thereof effect changes in the planes of rotation of the balls attached thereto as they orbit in space.

Noting FIG. 5, the portion of the obliquely positioned annular control face 28 lying above the longitudinal axis H of the controller handle 1l) forms a low camming or control face portion 28a on the short or low side 40 of the handle, while similarly the cont-rol face portion of the handle end face 28 lying below the longitudinal axis H of the handle forms a high camming or control face portion 28b on the diametral long or high side 42 of the handle. FIG. 3 shows the normal or usual orientation of the low and high camming sides `40 and 42, respectively, when the toy is manually held for use, as in FIG. l.

The outer circular peripheral edgeof the control face 28 is radiused or rounded at 30 to merge smoothly into the cylindrical outer surface of the controller handle to prevent chaiing of the cords 20a, 2Gb when in frictional rubbing contact therewith when the balls 24a, 24b are in orbit. Correspondingly, the outer peripheral edge of the longitudinally extending bore 14 is rounded at 3.2` to merge smoothly into the obliquely positioned control face 28. As shown in FIGS. 4l and 5, face 28 is provided with an eccentrically positioned, generally round shallow or slightly hollowed-out area 34, inclusive of the end of longitudinal bore 14, covering a major portion of the 10W camming surface portion 28a and approximately one-half of the high camming or deflection surface 28h, whereby the control face 28 presents a somewhat concave profile. As clearly indicated in FIG. 5, it will be noted that the central portion of hollow-out area 34 forms a central transitional area 136 which in effect gives a slight increase to the pitch of the high camming portion 28h of the control surface 28 to provide slightly augmented aid in its cord deflection function, hereinafter described in greater detail.

With particular reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, in. the operation of the whirling toy the operator with his body relaxed holds the toy in high right hand substantially in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 and 3; that is, the controller handle 10 will be disposed in substantially a horizontal position and pointed away from the plane of the operators body and with the highest part 42 of its high control surface portion 28b disposed to the extreme right of the operator, whereby the highest and lowest deflection portions 42 and 40, respectively, of the annular control surface will lie substantially in a horizontal plane.

Holding one ball 24b in the left hand, the operator moves the handle to cause the other ball 24a to swing in a depending arc from right to left of the operator, i.e., left to right in FIGS. 1 and 2, and also obliquely forwardly of the operator so as to swing in an arc oblique to the longitudinal axis of the handle 10 aud forwardly of and free of high side 28b of the handle end face 28. When the ball 24a is swinging clockwise and approaching the lowest point of its swing and swinging toward the operators left (right side in FIGS. 1 and 2), the first ball 24b is swung downwardly counterclockwise in an' arc by the left hand (toward the left in FIGS. 1 and 2) into a plane intermediate the plane of the handle end camming control face 28 and the ball 24a, which at this time will be disposed in a plane appreciably forward thereof due to its oblique swinging couuterclockwise to the right in FIG. 2. At the instant that the two balls 24a and 24b pass each other at the lowermost or 270- degree quadrantal point, the operator moves the handle 10 upwardly with a positive, rhythmical impulse-like motion, akin to a tossing motion, which imparts added angular velocity and resultingly increased momentum to the two balls 24a, 24b in their now upward orbital arcs simultaneously in opposite directions 'which causes increased tension and tautness in the cords 20a, 20h. The taut cord 20b of ball 24b, `which was projected in a downward couuterclockwise arc by the left hand, and now is in its upward arcuate movement, moves in sliding contact with the high deilecting or camming surface 28h and, as a result, is deflected forwardly and away from the operator. As cord 20h in its contact with control section 28h of the handle reaches the highest point 42 thereon as it continues to move upwardly, the ball 24b tends to be deflected additionally forward by the impulse 'which has imparted to it increased angular velocity, the degree of which 'will depend on the rate of movement of the handle by the operator as it continues toward the uppermost point of its orbit, i.e., the 9U- degree quandrantal point. Due to its forward defiection,

as previously described, the cord 20b of the ball 24b will also likewise be spaced forwardly of the surface of the high deection point 42 of control surface 2811. Meanwhile, as ball 24a is moving upwardly at the same identical angular velocity but in an opposite or clockwise direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 2), its cord 20a will slidingly move along the recovery or low control surface portion 28a and in a plane of movement appreciably closer to the operator than that of ball 24b as it approaches the highest point of its orbit at the 90- degree quadrantal point. By reason of these momentary spaced planes of orbital movement, the balls 24a and* 24b will be able to pass each other without interfering or clashing. At the instant that the balls pass each other, the operator swings the controller handle in a rhythmical and rapid downward motion to increase the orbital or angular velocity of the balls and thereby their momentum as well as the centrifugal and gravitational forces acting on them.

As both balls now swing downwardly and oppositely, the ball 24a will approach the highest deflection point at 42 on the handle control surface 28, while the ball 24h will approach the defiection recovery or lowest point 40 thereof. It is now believed clearly apparent that ball 24a undergoes a corresponding maximum deflection at the high cam point 42 in its downward clockwise (counterclockwise, FIG. 2) swing that ball 24b received in its upward counterclockwise swing at the same high deection camming point 42, while the relative planar positions of the balls at point 40 of the control surface 28 will likewise be reversely spaced to permit the balls to freely pass each other at the lowest point, the 270- degree quadrantal point. While reference has been made thus far only to the circular orbiting of the balls 24a, 24b, it is to be noted that since their orbital movement is dependent on a continuous variable but generally vertical oscillatory movement of the controller handle 10 of some generally predetermined extent, they in effect in their maximum orbits move in elliptical paths, as indicated in FIG. 2, the vertical lengths of which are dependent on the velocity desired by the operator to be imparted to the balls. This in turn is dependent on the rate and linear extent of the oscillatory movement likewise imparted to the controller handle by the operator. The continued operation of the device now becomes a rhythmical combination of the longitudinal deflections or responses of the cords and the attached balls or projectiles and the responsive reflexes and judgment of the operator. This involves continuing rhythmically controlled upward and downward positive oscillations of the controller handle 10 in maintaining the simultaneous but opposite orbital rotation of the balls 24a, 24h.

The reactions of the cords and their attached balls to the motions of the controller handle, as well as the instants of maximum and minimum camming actions and resulting deflections on the taut lines 20a, 20b, can with practice be readily sensed by the operator.

What is claimed is:

1. A whirling toy of the character described comprising an elongated controller handle having at least one end of generally cylindrical configuration circular section, two flexible cord means of equal length secured to depend from said controller handle end portion, each of said cord means having a corresponding weight member attached to its outer free end, said controller handle end of portion having an obliquely positioned cord deflection control face at its end, said obliquely positioned cord deflection control face having high and low camming surfaces thereon respectively at diametrically opposite portions of said face, said two flexible cord means being secured to depend from within the central area of said deflection control face, and said obliquely positioned cord deflection control face constituting means for effecting free passage of said weight members with respect to each other when placed in simultaneously equal and opposite orbits by generally vertical oscillatory movement imparted to said elongated controller handle.

l2. A whirling toy as defined in claim '1 wherein said handle end portion has a longitudinally extending bore therein open to said defiection control face, said deflection control face being disposed at an angle of approximately 3 degrees to the axis of said controller handle end portion and in surrounding relation to said bore to form said high and low camming surfaces respectively, said two flexible equal length cord means depending in anchored relation from within said longitudinally extending bore.

3. A whirling toy as defined in claim 1 wherein said handle end portion has a longitudinally extending bore open to said defiection control face, a second bore extending from the periphery of said end portion into said longitudinally extending bore, said two flexible cord means comprising a single cord member looped midway of its total length to extend in anchoring relation around the outer periphery of said controller handle portion and through said second and longtudinal bores, and plug means in said second bore in frictional holding relation thereto and to a portion of said cord means to fixedly anchor said mid-length looped portion of said cord means against movement.

4. A whirling toy as defined in claim 1 wherein said portion of said controller handle has a longitudinally extending bore therein open to the said deflection control face, said deflection control face extending at an angle of approximately 3 degrees to the axis of said controller handle portion in surrounding relation to said longitudinally extending bore therein 'whereby said deflection control surface comprises an annulus, said obliquely disposed annulus providing said high and low camming surfaces for effecting said free passage of said weight members during their simultaneous equal and opposite orbits about said controller handle.

S. A whirling toy as defined in claim 1 wherein said control handle end portion has a longtudinal bore therein open to said deflection control face, said obliquely positioned cord defiecting control face being disposed at approximately 3 degrees to the longtudinal axis of the handle end portion and forming an annulus in surrounding relation to said longtudinal bore, and an additional shallow depression formed in said cord defiecting control face, said shallow depression formed in portions of said low and high camming surfaces, respectively, whereby to provide a generally centrally depressed surface and a slight increase in pitch to said high camming surface.

6. A whirling toy of the type defined in claim 1 wherein said controller handle is of cylindrical shape, said obliquely positioned cord defiecting control face extends transversely of the longitudinal axis of said cylindrical controller handle and at an acute angle thereto, said control face having a shallow depression extending in both high and low camming surfaces to slightly increase the effective [pitch of said high camming surface.

7. A whirling toy of the type defined in claim 1 wherein said obliquely positioned control face includes, a generally round and shallow depression extending into both said high and low cord deflecting surfaces, whereby said shallow depression slightly flattens said low cord defiection surface and slightly increases the effective pitch of said high cord deflecting surface.

8. A whirling toy of the type defined in claim 1 wherein said obliquely positioned control face includes, a generally round and shallow depression formed in a major portion of both said high and low cord deflecting cam surfaces whereby said shallow depression slightly attens said low cord deflection surface and slightly increases the effective pitch of said high cord deflecting surface and also provides a slightly transitional concavity interconnecting both said cord deflection surfaces.

9. A whirling toy as defined in claim 1 wherein said control handle portion has a longitudinal bore therein open to said deliection control face, said obliquely positioned cord deecting control face being disposed at approximately 3 degrees to the longitudinal axis of said handle portion forming an annulus in surrounding relation to said longitudinal bore, said cord deecting control face having an additional shallow depression extending in both said high and low camming surfaces slightly flattening said low camming surface and slightly increasing the pitch of said high camming surface and also providing a slightly hollow concavity adjacent the open end of the longitudinal bore in said handle end portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,374,002 4/ 7921 Edson 46-51 1,915,868 6/1933 Rogers 46-51 1,932,943 10/1933 Smith 46--51 2,1218 15 8/1938 Rowell 46-5 1X FOREIGN PATENTS 12/ 1889 Great Britain 46-51 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner D. L. WEINHOLD, ik., Assistant Examiner

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