US3818629A

US3818629A - Novelty aerial spinner device

Info

Publication number: US3818629A
Application number: US00291578A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Davidson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-09-25
Filing date: 1972-09-25
Publication date: 1974-06-25
Anticipated expiration: 1991-06-25

Abstract

A novelty spinner device attachable to a vehicle radio aerial. A rotary wind-driven impeller wheel is secured on the end of the stem with bracket means adapted to be received and held on a vehicle radio aerial. A pull tab beverage container which can carry advertising and promotion material is secured to the center of the impeller wheel to rotate with it and to be movable circularly around the aerial.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Davidson June 25, 1974 NOVELTY AERIAL SPINNER DEVICE [76] Inventor: Jack H. Davidson, 16058 Mariner Dr., Huntington Beach, Calif. 92647 [22] Filed: Sept. 25, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 291,578

[52] u.s.c1. 46/53, 40/307 [51] Int. Cl A63h 33/40 [58] Field of Search 46/53; 40/307; 248/125,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,096,872 10/1937 Baker 1. 46/22 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 713,773 7/1965 Canada 46/53 Primary ExaminerHugh R. Chamblee Assistant Examiner-R0bert F. Cutting Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Herzig & Walsh [5 7] ABSTRACT A novelty spinner device attachable to a vehicle radio aerial. A rotary wind-driven impeller wheel is secured on the end of the stem with bracket means adapted to be received and held on a vehicle radio aerial. A pull tab beverage container which can carry advertising and promotion material is secured to the center of the impeller wheel to rotate with it and to be movable circularly around the aerial.

8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures NOVELTY AERIAL SPINNER DEVICE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is a novelty wind-driven rotary device adapted to be mounted or carried on a typical vehicle radio aerial or similar rod or stem member. Typically, such aerials are of telescoping construction having sliding tubular parts which telescope within each other.

The device embodies a wind-driven impeller wheel or rotor mounted on a stem attached to a bracket which is carried horizontally from the vehicle aerial. In a preferred form of the invention, a conventional container which may be a pull tab beverage container such as a beer can has an end part attached to the center of the impeller wheel to rotate with it as it is driven by wind or the blast of air occasioned by movement of the vehicle. Particular constructions are involved to simplify construction of the article and its assembly as described more in detail hereinafter.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an article of manufacture as described which is a unique wind-driven spinner type device adapted to be assembled on and carried on a vehicle radio aerial or the like.

A further object is to provide a device of this type wherein the wind-driven impeller or rotor rotates a pull tab beverage container or like container which is attached to it. A corollary object is to provide a simplified bracket means in the form of a bent strip of plastic or metal having portions with aligned openings therein adapted to be mounted on and carried on a typical vehicle radio aerial or comparable rod or stem member whether telescoping or not and of any cross section.

A further object is to provide improved means for i holding the bracket means and the stem carrying the impeller rotor in assembled relationship.

A further object is to provide a similar device provided with a lenticular vane rather than a rotor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further objects and additional advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and detailed drawings, wherein:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a preferred form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the rotor stem and tin can mounted to the rotor;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a view of a modified form of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the drawings, numeral 10 designates a typical vehicle radio aerial of the telescoping

type having portions

12 and 14 which telescope within each other. The upper end of section 12 forms a shoulder as shown at 16. The device of the invention comprises a rotor 20 which is in the form of a disc made of any suitable material which can be plastic or tin having equally spaced radial slots as shown at 22. Portions between radial slots form impeller blades as designated at 24 which are bent into a configuration as illustrated in FIG. I. Preferably, the blades are bent to have a slight curvature as shown. Circumferential slots may be provided as shown at 26 in one side of each blade to facilitate bending of the blades to the appropriate shape to form an impeller wheel as shown.

Near the root of each blade, there is provided an aperture as shown at 26' near one edge of the blade as shown for blade 24 in FIG. 1. A wire as designated at 30 is passed through all of these openings into a circular configuration as may be seen in FIG. 3 to assist in holding the blades in the desired configuration.

Disc 20 has a center extending flange 34 as shown in FIG. 3. Numeral 36 designates a tubular mounting sleeve having a central bore 40 and a threaded end counterbore 42. It provides a combined journal bearing and thrust bearing.

The foregoing describes a preferred exemplary construction of the rotor. It can be injection molded in one piece and wire 30 can be omitted. Bearing sleeve 36 may be molded integrally with the rotor.

Numeral 54 designates a container which may be a typical pull tab beverage container in which beverages are marketed, such as COCA-COLA, FRESCA, etc. Such containers may be made of tin or aluminum; and in the herein device, the use of the container is for the purpose of promotion and/or advertising of whatever printed material may appear on the container. The can has an end 56 and end rib 58. Numeral 60 designates a radial slot which is formed in the canwhich diverges outwardly towards the periphery as shown. The inner end of slot 62 is on the axis of the can.

Numeral 66 designates a mounting bracket which is in the form of a strip of plastic or metal bent to have

portions

67, 68, and 69 having apertures ,of a size to fit over the sections of aerial 10. Aperture 69 is of a size to receive section 14, and then bear against shoulder 16 previously referred to. Bracket 66 has spaced

vertical portions

70 and 71. Portion 71 has an aperture of the size to receive the threaded stem 46.

FIG. 3 shows all the parts in assembled relationship. Numeral 76 designates a screw having a head 77 with threaded part 78 and a shank part 79 of smaller diameter between threaded part 78 and head 77. Shank part 79 of screw 76 is inserted through slot 60 in the end of container 54 and moved to the inner end of the slot so that this part of the screw is on the axis of container 54. Preferably, the container tab is only partially pulled open to remove the beverage. Then, the ring portion is flexed to fracture the aluminum to remove the ring. The remaining part of the tab is folded back down into the smaller shank part 79 to better center screw 76 and prevent sideways motion. This also closes the top and prevents it from acting as an air scoop. Threaded part 78 is then extended through the center opening of disc 20, that is, through flange 34, and it is threaded into the threaded end of bearing sleeve 36. Threaded end 46 of bearing shaft 37 is threaded through nut 48 and then extended through an aperture in the vertical part 71 of bracket 66. Then, bearing nut 50 is threaded onto Numeral 84 designates a ball chain which as may be seen in FIG. 4 extends through

openings

85 and 86 in vertical part 70 of bracket 66. Then, its end parts are received in

slots

87 and 88 formed in side walls of vertical portion 71 of bracket 66. The material of bracket 66 is flexible so that its vertical portion is resilient. By adjusting chain 84 with respect to the slots in vertical portion 71, the frictional pressure of bearing nut 50 against section 12 of the radio aerial can readily be adjusted so that the assembly is held firmly in position but yet in a way to allow it to swing in a circle around the axis of the aerial, depending on the direction of the wind or to align itself with the direction or movement of the automobile. The aerial can be telescoped with the bracket thereon. The bracket can be mounted on any rod-like member whether if round cross section or otherwise.

FIG. shows a modified form of the invention having a lenticular vane 84 carried by the device rather than a container. Rotor is secured by nut 85 on stem 86, the end of which is threaded into threaded bore 87 in bearing shaft 37. The linticular effect is obtained by use of doubled printed sheets or cards insertable preferably back to back in the device between border or frame members such as indicated at 90 which are commercially available plastic elements forming a slot to receive the edges of sleeve elements. Vane 84 is stationary with a promotional message on it or a changing message or simulated motion of a figure achieved by the lenticular elTect.

From the foregoing, those skilled in the art will readily understand the nature of the construction and the manner in which it achieves and realizes the objects as set forth in the foregoing. Any typical pull tab beverage container may be easily procured for mounting on the rotor to rotate therewith with promotional or advertising material on the container. All of the parts of the article are easily assembled. Mounting on the radio aerial is simply by way of slipping the bracket over the aerial into position as shown. Then, the chain can be adjusted to any desired degree of tautness.

The foregoing disclosure is representative of a preferred form of the invention and is to be interpreted in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense, the invention to be accorded the full scope of claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a device adapted for attachment to a vehicle radio aerial comprising in combination: a stem carrying a rotatable impeller wheel adapted to be driven by the wind; and bracket means carried at the other end of the stem, said bracket means having aligned opening means positioned to fit over a telescoping type of radio aerial or the like whereby the bracket means is held with the impeller wheel in a generally horizontal position but free to rotate about the axis of the aerial with one of said portions of said bracket means engaging an end part of one section of the telescoping aerial.

2. An article as in claim 1, including a round object attached to the impeller wheel having its axis aligned with said stern whereby to rotate therewith.

3. An article as in claim 1, wherein said bracket means comprises a strip of material bent to have a plurality of transverse portions having aligned openings therein adapted to engage on the radio aerial or the like.

4. An article as in claim 3, including a ball chain having parts passing through apertures in said bracket means and having end parts received in slots formed in a vertically bent portion of said bracket means.

5. An article as in claim 2, including a screw extending through a center opening in said impeller wheel threaded into an end part of said stem, the end of said object having a radial slot tapering to a wider dimension from the center towards the periphery of the container and adapted to have the head of said screw received therein so that the shank of the screw can be received at the inner end of said slot at the center of the end of the container.

6. An article as in claim 1, wherein the stem comprises a sleeve member forming a combined journal bearing and thrust bearing, said sleeve member having a bore and a counterbore and a mounting shaft member having a part of a diameter to fit in said bore in another part of smaller diameter to fit in said counterbore.

7. An article as in claim 1, including a nonrotating vane attached at the axis of said rotatable impeller wheel.

8. An article as in claim 3, wherein said bracket means comprises a strip of material bent to have a plurality of transverse portions having aligned openings therein adapted to engage on the aerial or the like, said bracket having a portion extending normally to said transverse portions and having said stem secured thereto.

Claims

2. An article as in claim 1, including a round object attached to the impeller wheel having its axis aligned with said stem whereby to rotate therewith.