US564853A - thobndyke - Google Patents

Description

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T. B. THORNDYKE. MEGHANIGAL THEATER;

No. 564,853. Patented July 28, 1896.

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THOMAS E. THORNDYKE, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

MECHANICAL THEATER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 564,853, dated July 28, 1896.

Application filed October 12, 1895. Serial No. 565,460. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. THORNDYKE, of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Mechanical Theater, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to coin-operated machines; and its object is to provide a new and improved mechanical theater arranged with an automatically rising and falling curtain, dancing figures, music, due.

The invent-ion consists principally of one or more figures adapted to be moved from the wings of a miniature stage upon a movable platform on the stage-floor to cause the figures to dance upon setting the platform in motion.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a transverse section of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a sectional front elevation of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. '1. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan View of the lower part of the improvement, showing the motor and mechanism for operating the various parts. Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation of part of the mechanism on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5 5 in Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the same on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

The improved mechanical theater is arranged in a suitably-constructed casing A, representing a miniature theater-building and formed with the lower part A and the top or stage part A set on the said lower part A, as is plainly illustrated in the drawings. The top of the lower part A forms the stage-floor B, having a movable platform B, upon which the figures C are adapted to dance, said platform being preferably of the construction shown and described in the Letters Patent of the United States for a dancing toy, No. 512,589, granted to me on January 9, 1894. The figures O are visible through an opening A in the front of the top part A said opening being normally closed, however, by a curtain D, adapted to be automatically raised and lowered, as hereinafter more fully described.

A coin-chute E extends from the inside of the lower part A through the front thereof to the outside, so that a coin can be passed into the said chute, the coin causing an unlocking of a motor F, preferably in the form of clockwork, and adapted to actuate a mechanism G for manipulating the dancing figures O, the platform B, the curtain D, and other parts if desired, such, for instance, as the wings or flies, footlights, &c. The motor F also actuates a music-box H, in the form of the usual Swiss music-box, located in the rear of the lower part A of the casing A.

A coin passing down the chute E strikesdriving-shaft of the motor F. Thus when thelever E swings downward the wind-wheel shaft G is released and the motor F is released to actuate the mechanism G and the various parts connected therewith. When the arm E swings downward past the lower end of the chute E, then the coin drops out of the chute and through the lower part A of the casin g into a delivery-chute E extending downward to a suitable box, in which the coins accumulate. The lever E is balanced so as to stand in either a lowermost or uppermost position, and a return movement of the lever is accomplished, as hereinafter more fully described, to lock the wind-wheel shaft G of the mechanism G.

The motor F and mechanism G are preferably mounted on the same framework or casing F, and the motor is provided with a winding-shaft F for winding up the spring in the barrel, and with a driven sha'ft F connected by a gear-wheel F ratchet-Wheel F and pawl F with the winding-shaft, so that the winding up of the latter does not affect the driven shaft and gear-wheel F The latter is connected by a train of gear-wheels (see Fig. 3) with the mechanism G, and the driven shaft F besides carrying cams, as hereinafter more fully described, is connected by gearwheels with the music-box H to actuate the latter so long as the motor is in unlocked position.

The platform B is hung at its ends on springs B and is provided at its middle with a bracket B connected by springs 13 with the sides of the lower part A of the stagefloor B. This construction is fully set forth in the patent above referred to, and the action of the platform, owing to the suspended springs, need not further be described.

Movement is given to the platform in the following manner: To the frontend of the platform is pivoted a link I, connected with a lever I, fulcrumed at I to the front of the motor;casing, and the free end of this lever l is adapted to be engaged successively by pins 1 projecting from a disk 1*, and arranged in a circle thereon, said disk being secured on the front end of a shaft 1 journaled in the motor-casing and geared with the gearing of the mechanism G, so that when the latter is actuated the shaft 1* is rotated, and the pins 1 in successively striking the free end of the lever 1, cause the latter to swing downward, so that a downward pull is eX- erted on the platform B by the link I. As soon as the pin 1 passes over the free end of the lever I then the springs supporting the platform B cause the latter to suddenly move upward, back into its normal position. As the pins I strike the end of the lever I very rapidly a very quick and continuous vibrating action is given to the platform B, so that the jointed dancing figures C are actuated and dance.

The curtain D, previously mentioned, is provided at its lower end with a weighted bar D, carrying at its ends suitable bearingsfitted to slide on guide-rods D secured on the rear side of the front of the casing A as plainly indicated in Fig. 1. The curtain winds and unwinds on a roller D journaled in the sides of the casing A and carrying a gearwheel D in mesh with a larger gear-wheel D carrying a drum D", on which winds a rope D extending downwardly and over a number of guide-pulleys D (see Figs. 2 and 3,) to then pass and wind upon a drum D secured on a shaft J, journaled in suitable bearings in the frame of the mechanism G.

On theshaft J (see Figs. 5 and 6) is secured a large gear-wheel J, in mesh with a pinion J mounted to rotate loosely on a shaft G, forming part of the mechanism G and driven from the motor F by the gearing, so that a continuous rotary motion is given to said shaft G as long as the motor F is in operation. A clutch K, held to slide on the shaft G, is adapted to engage and rotate the pinion J so as to drive the latter, and consequently the gear-wheel J. As the latter is rotated the shaft J is set in motion and the drum D winds the rope D so that the gearwheel D is rotated, and with it the attached drum D ,1:o revolve the roller D through the pinion D on the end of said roller, and wind up the curtain D. This motion takes place as soon as the coin has passed through the chute,

E and actuated the arm E, as previously described.

The clutch K is engaged by a slotted arm K, pivoted at K to the framework F, (see Figs. 3 and 5,) and the said slotted arm is pressed on at its free end by a spring K so as to hold said arm in engagement with a wedge K formed on one end of a bar K mounted to slide longitudinally and provided for this purpose with slots K engaged by screws K held on the framework F for the motor F and mechanism G. The outer end of this bar K is engaged by the free end of a lever L, fulcrumed on a rod L and provided at its bottom with a pin L engaging a lever L fulcrumed at L and adapted to be tripped by a cam N. Now, when the bar K is pushed to the right by the action of the lever L, the arm K is caused to swing rearwardly, so as to move the clutch K in engagement with the pinion J 2 and rotate the latter, as previously described. When the lever L releases the bar K a spring K pulling on the said bar, draws the latter to the left, back latter is then at a standstill, and the curtaincan drop by its weighted bar D as soon as a pawl J 5 is lifted out of engagement with a ratchet-wheel J secured on the shaft J alongside the gear-wheel J. The pawl J 5 is springpressed and is connected by a link 0 with a lever O, fulcrumed at O and engaged at its free end by a cam-arm 0 secured on a shaft 0*, connected by suitable gearing to the motor F, so as to rotate in unison therewith. Thus, when the latter is turned, the arm 0 imparts a swinging motion to the lever O to lift the pawl J out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel J", so that the shaft J is free to rotate and permit an unwinding of the rope D from the drum D. Normally, however, the arm 0 is in an uppermost position, to permit the spring J 6 of the pawl to press the latter in engagement with the ratchet-wheel J.

As illustrated in the drawings, two dancing figures 0 are provided having jointed legs and arms and supported on rods O,extending obliquely, as indicated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, each of the rods 0 being secured or formed on the upper end of a vertically-disposed shaft 0 journaled in suitable bearings on the casing part A. The lower end of each shaft 0 is provided with an arm 0 formed in its free end with a slot, and the two slots of the arms 0 are engaged by a pin 0 engaging a transversely-extending rod-O (see Fig. 3,) fitted to slide transversely in suitable bearings attached to the bottom of the casing part A. The forward end of the rod 0 is pivotally connected with one arm of a bell-crank lever 0, connected by a link 0 with an arm P, hung on a shaft P and arranged to be actuated by a cam Q, operatively connected to the motor F. Now it will be seen that when a swinging motion is given to the lever P from the cam Q the link 0 imparts a swinging motion to the bell-crank lever 0 and the latter bypushing the rod 0 rearwardly causes a swinging of the arm 0 a turning of the shaft 0 and a swinging of the rods 0, so that the two figures 0 swing from opposite sides of the stage upon the platform B, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. The rods 0 are sufficiently fiexible to permit the figures to stand with their feet on the platform B, and as the latter is vibrated, as previously described, the figures commence to dance. The performance continues until the cam Q has made a revolution, at which time a swinging of the lever P is had in the opposite direction, so that the shafts C are turned in the opposite direction to cause the figures C to move from the platform back to the sides of the stage into the flies or wings. When this takes place, the pawl J 5 is lifted, as previously explained, to permit the curtain D to drop. At the same time the extension-arm E of the stop-lever E is actuated by a pin on the cam Q, so that the said lever is moved in the position shown in Fig. 4 to engage the arm G of the Wind-wheel shaft G2 to lock the mechanism G, and consequently the motor F. The music then stops playing, and the above-described operation is only repeated when another coin is passed into the chute E.

In order to prevent the rods 0 from being seen by the onlookers, I provide a mirror R, arranged in an inclined position at the back of the figures, as plainly shown in Fig. 1.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A mechanical theater, comprising a movable platform, supports carrying figures and movable independently of the platform to carry the figures to different points of the platform, mechanism for imparting vibrating motion to the platform, and means for moving the supports of the figures, substantially as described.

2. A mechanical theater, comprising a stage having a vibrating platform in its fioor, and swinging arms carrying figures at their free ends and adapted to move said figures from the wings of the stage upon said platform and back again, substantially as shown and described.

3. A mechanicaltheater, comprising a platform, arms carrying figures, and mounted to swing about approximately vertical pivots and operatively connected to move simultaneously but in opposite directions so as to approach and recede from each other, and mechanism for actuating the said arms to carry the figures toward each other and from each other, substantially as described.

4:- A mechanical theater, comprising a stage, a coin-controlled mechanism, a motor for drivin g said mechanism, and a platform mounted on springs and connected with said mechanism for imparting a vibrating motion to the said platform, substantially as shown and described.

- 5. A mechanical theater,comprising a stage, a coin-controlled mechanism, means for driving said mechanism, arms mounted to swing and adapted to be actuated from said mechanism, said arms carrying figures moved from the wings to and upon the stage and back again, and a platform mounted on springs and connected with said mechanism, to cause said figures to dance while standing on the platform, substantially as shown and described.

6. A mechanical theater, comprising a stage, a coin-controlled mechanism, amotor for the same, a platform mounted on springs and forming part of the stage-floor, means for agitating said platform from said mechanism, a curtain for said stage and controlled from said mechanism, and arms carrying figures adapted to be moved from the wings to the said platform and back again, substantially as shown and described.

THOMAS B. THORNDYKE.

Witnesses Tnno. G. HOSTER, JNo. M. BITTER.

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