US658489A - Top-spinner. - Google Patents

Description

. Patented Sept 25, Mo. A. w. MORGAN.

T 0 P S P I N N E B.

(Application filed May 14, 1900.)

[No Model.)

gang

Witnesses we NCRRIS PETERS cc, womunm. WASHKNGTON, a c.

lTE TATES ALFRED W'HITE MORGAN,

OF BURLINGTON, IOWA.

TOP-SPINNER.

SPECIFICATION forming att r Letters Patent No. 658,489, dated se t'emter 25, 1960.

Application filed May 14,1900.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that LALFRED WHITE MORGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Burlington, in the county of Des Moines and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Top- Spinner, of which the following is a specification.

This inventionrelates to top-spinners; and the object of the same is to provide simple and effective means for spinning a top with-- out applying the cord directly to the same. and wherein the parts are reversible, so that either end of the improved device may be em? ployed to carry out the operation desired, and embodying structural features which will pre-- vent obstructive entanglement or disarrange- 'inent of the primary operating device.

The invention consists, essentially, of a' holder having a spindle freely slidable therethrough and arranged adjacent to a bearing surface and having a cord or strap, either flat or round, wound thereabout and the coils dis-; posed in regular order within the confines of the holder and adapted to contact with said bearing-surface and be thereby prevented from overlapping or becoming entangled and caused to feed outward from and on the said spindle with regularity and uniformityirrespective of the end of the latter used to support the top.

The invention further consists of a holder having a spindle freely rotatableand longia tudinally slidable therein and provided with' a hollow terminal seat with similarly-extend ing spiral arms and a top having similarly-arranged spiral grooves adjacent its plug end and means for operating the said spindle.

The invention further consists in the construction, arrangement, and'combination of the details, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the improved device, showing a top in operative relation thereto and a roundcord on the spindle. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the improved device, showing a flat cordon the spindle. Fig.3 'isa horizontal section through the holder and spindle shown by Fig. l, illustrating the cord on the spindle and the relation of the latter and the cord to the bearingsurface or guard of the holder. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail perspective view of one of the v views.

Serial No. 16,669. kNo model.)

terminal seats of the spindle. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section through the device Fig. Sis aperspective view of a different form of the improved device, showing a skeleton holder and a difie'rent manner of attaching the cord to the spindle. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view of a portion of the spindle shown by Fig. 1.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several The numeral 1, Figs. 1 and 2, designates a holder, which ispreferably of elongated oval form and comprises an outstanding inclosing rim 2 and a continuous slightly-bowed resili-' out back 3, which yields sufliciently to produce an easy contact for a -purpose which will be presently set forth. Freely rotatable in and longitudinally movable through the opposite end portions of the rim 2 is a spindle 4, having terminal seats 5, (clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5,) and comprising, primarily, bent wires applied to the ends of the spindle and spirally twisted to form a socket at each end of the latter and the free ends bent out a greater distance than the coils of the sockets and spirally bent and projected in the same direction to produce engaging arms 7.

'The seats loosely receivefthe plug 8 of the top 9, and the arms 7 loosely bear in spiral grooves 10 in the body of the top adjacent the plug to properly support and whirl the latter simultaneously with the rotation of the spindle. The ends of the arms 7 contact with shoulders 11 at the upper ends of the grooves 10, so. that the top willbe caused to rotate at the same rate of speed as the spindle without lost motion. The wire length employed in forming each seat is firmly secured b0 the spindle by solder or other means. Regularly wound on the spindle within the confines of the holder is an operating-cord 14,

the cord shownin Fig. 1 being round and-1 that disclosed by Fig. 2 being fiat. The'opposite extremities of the cord extend away from the spindle in reverse directions and havefree movement through eyes 15 in the end portions of the holder, the said eyes being sufiiciently large'to avoid abrasion and wear on the cord. The flat cord will adhere to the spindle with greater frictional tendency in view of its flat construction than the round cord and need not therefore be secured to said spindle. It is preferred, however, to secure the cord, and particularly the round cord, in order to prevent slipping of the same and any tendency to lost motion and to obtain a positive response to the actuation of the cord. In Fig. 7 the cord is shown threaded through and secured in a transverse opening 16 in the spindle, the said opening being the intermediate limit of the reverse unwinding operations of the opposite cord extremities. In Figs. 8 and 9 the spindle is formed with a groove 17, in which the cord is tied, and other means for securing the cord will be adopted at will.

In Fig. 8 the holder 18 is of skeleton form and comprises an elongated oval band 19, having its terminals overlapped, and the opposite end portions of said band are connected by a brace-band 20, extending centrally over one side of the same. The band 19 provides a supporting means or main body of the modified form of the holder, and the ends of the brace-band are bent around the end portions of said band 19 and at one end cover the overlapped terminals of the latter, openings for the spindle being formed through the two engaging parts at each end to thereby produce a reinforced hearing. In other respects the form of the improved device shown by Fig. 8 is similar to the forms heretofore referred to, and the brace-band 20 also provides a frictional hearing or guard of a yielding nature, and the function of the two different forms of bearings or guards as disclosed by the said back 3 and the band 20 is to prevent the coils of the cord on the spindle from overrunning or becoming entangled during the winding or unwinding operation of the same, and the distance between the said spindle and the hearing or frictional structures will be about equal to the thickness of the cord, so that the latter will always have a loose contact with the said structu res to prevent the coils from overlapping, yet permit perfect freedom in winding and unwinding without strain or injurious pressure on the said cord. It will also be seen that the triotional structures or guards engage the cordcoils at one point only, which is sutficient to cause the latter to properly climb and bind on the spindle with ample friction to obtain the desired regularity and rapidity of rotation of said spindle and without requiring undue exertion in drawing the cord from the spindle. This particular arrangement of parts and the function of the same are material in view of the fact that the cord will be less liable to break, the operation of the spindle will be forceful with a minimum amount of applied operating power, and the strain on all the parts of the device will be reduced, and

thereby overcome the disadvantages of pre'' viously-constrncted devices of a similar character, wherein the cord-coils are completely surrounded and an increased resistance established to the ease of operation of the same and a constant tendency to break. The terminal seats on the spindle never come in contact with the ends of the holder by reason of the fact that the cord will be attached to or operate on such intermediate portion of said spindle that either extremity of the same will have become fully unwound before the inner portions of the said seats will have come into contacting proximity to the ends of the holder, and consequently the operation of the device will be effected without jar or abrupt vibration. When the cord extremities become fully unwound, the point of inner limit of the same on the spindle will stand in direct trans verse alinement to the eyes in the rim, and the length of cord between said inner limit on the spindle and the eye in either instance will operate as a resilient cushion in View of its tense dondition and obstruct any tendency of the spindle to further project from the holder in the direction in which it has been moving without jar or irregular movement. The principal object sought in the improved construction of spinner is to give the spindle a positive upward movement, and this will beparticularly apparent in the forms having the found convenient in continuing a number of actuations without delay.

In the operation of the improved device the plug end of the top is disposed in one of the terminal seats 6, with the arms 7 engaging the grooves 10. The holder is firmly outward movement of the cord extremity.

When the spindle will have reached its full projection by reason of the cord extremity having been fully unwound from the same, there will be no shock or jar for reasons before expl ined, and the top continuing to move or tate'willsily unseat itself by reason of the arms 7 and the rooyes 10 having the same spiral direction, and the top can thus be caused to fall on the ground or other surface desired while the holder is held stationary in the hand of the operator. The other end of the spindle can then be turned uppermost fora similar operation, and the cord extremity corresponding thereto will be fully wound and ready for actuation without delay.

It is proposed to make the parts of the improved device of light material of a strong and durable nature and to ornament the same by plating or otherwise. The two forms of holders shown are so shaped and arranged that they may be easily grasped by the hands of the operator without engaging any part of the spindle, and thereby avoid retarding the operation of the latter and the unwinding and winding of the cord.

Changes in the form, size, proportions, and minor details may be resorted to without depart-ing from the principle of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new isl. A top-spinner having a holder, a top-engaging spindle mounted in the holder, and a flexible spindle operating element reeled upon the spindle, the holder open at one side and having a guard at the opposite side parallel with and spaced from the spindle a distance equal to the thickness of the spindleoperating element and having contact with one point only of the coils of the latter.

2. A top-spinner having a holder, a spindle slidingly mounted in the holder and having terminal top-engaging members for alternate use, and flexible spindle-rotating elements connected with the spindle and either coiled or reeled thereon as the spindle is turned by the uncoiling or unreeling of the other.

3. A top-spinner having a holder, a spindle slidingly mounted in the holder and having terminal top-en gaging members for alternate use, and flexible spindle-rotating elements connected with the spindle and either coiled or reeled thereon as the spindle is turned by the uncoiling or unreeling of the other, the holder having a guard at one side exclusively parallel with and spaced from the spindle a distance equal to the thickness of the spindle-operating element and having contact with one point only of the coils of the latter.

4. The combination of a top, and an operating-spindle therefor,one of said devices havin g similarly-projecting spiral members and the other grooves of a corresponding construction to receive said members;

5. A top-spinner comprising a holder, and a rotatable spindle having top-engaging seats at the opposite terminals thereof for reversi ble use.

6. A top-spinner comprising a holder hav ing a yielding frictional bearing element at one side exclusively, a spindle longitudinally and rotatably movable therein and provided with terminal seats to receive a top, and a cord regularly coiled on the spindle in loose contact With the frictional bearing element and having its opposite extremities extending through reverse portions of the holder near opposite ends of the latter.

7. A top-spinner comprising a holder having a bearing element, a spindle longitudinally and rotatably movable therein and proing a yielding bearing element, a spindle lonthrough which said cord extremities extend,,

when the latter are unwound, forming resilient cushions for the spindle.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED WHITE MORGAN.

Witnesses:

HARRY H. HOLLANDER, O. E. VOGLE.

Images