US789802A

US789802A - Rocking-horse.

Info

Publication number: US789802A
Application number: US18701703A
Authority: US
Inventors: Benjamin F Fowler
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1903-12-29
Filing date: 1903-12-29
Publication date: 1905-05-16
Anticipated expiration: 1922-05-16

Description

PATENTED MAY 16, 1905.

B. F. FOWLER.

ROGKING HRSE.

APPLICATION FILED DB0.29,1903.

I m v n u.

/l/llllll lllllll/l l NrTnD STATES Patented May i6, 1905.

BENJAMIN F. FOVLER, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

ROCKING-HORSE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,802, dated May 16, 1905.

Application filed December 29, 1903. Serial No. 187,017.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. FOWLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Rocking-Horse, of which the following is a specication.

The invention relates to improvements in traveling rocking-horses.

The object oi' the present invention is to improve the construction of traveling rockinghorses and to increase the strength, durability, and efficiency and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive one adapted to have the length of its stroke readily controlled and capable oil readily taking up any wear or lost motion.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described` illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, itbeing understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, and Ininor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a traveling rocking-horse constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail longitudinal sectional view illustrating the manner of hinging the front and rear sections together. Fig. 4L is a horizontal sectional view ot' the same. Fig. 5 isa detail sectional view illustrating the manner of adjustably securing the rockers to the legs of the horse.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 and 2 designate front and rear sections oi' a rocking-horse, which sections are mounted upon independent front and

rear rockers

3 and 4 and pivoted eccentrically with relation to each other, whereby the adjacent ends of the front and rear rockers are adapted to swing past each other when the rocking-horse is operated. The rockers are arranged in pairs, and the front rockers 3, which have their rear portions arranged between the rear rockers, are connected by front and rear transverse bars 5 and 6, the front transverse bar having the front or fore' legs 7 of the rocking-horse mounted upon it. The rear rockers are connected by front and rear transverse bars 8 and 9, the rear transverse bar 9 having the rear or hind legs 10 of the rocking-horse mounted upon it. The legs of the rocking-horse are connected with the

transverse bars

5 and 9 by knees-or brackets 11, consisting of L-shaped plates having upright and approximately horizontal portions. rIhe lower or horizontal portions of the L-shaped plates or knees 11 are perforated for the reception of bolts or other suitable fastening devices for securing them to the

cross-bars

5 and 9 of the rockers. The upright or forwardly-extending portions oi the L -shaped plates or knees are provided with curved slots l2 for the reception of fasteningdevices 13, whereby the L-shaped plates or knees are adjustably secured to the legs or' the rocking-horse. This construction permits the rockers to be readily adjusted and properly positioned with relation to the sections of the rocking-horse, and they also enable any wear or looseness of the parts to be readily taken up.

The inner transverse bars 6 and 8 ot' the front and rear rockers are connected with the sections of the rocking-horse by rods 14 and 15, arranged in pairs and having' upper threaded ends 16 for engaging the threaded apertures of

plates

17 and 18 of the sections of the rocking-horse. The

plates

17 and 18 are suitably secured to the adjacent ends of the sections of the rocking-horse, at the bottom thereof, and the lower ends of the rods 14 and 15 are threaded for the reception of nuts 19 and pierce the transverse bars 6 and 8, the nuts 19 being arranged at the upper and lower faces of the said bars 6 and 8, whereby the adjacent ends of the sections of the rocking-horse are adjustably connected with the adjacent ends of the rockers. The adjustable connections between the adjacent ends of the sections of the rocking-horse and the inner ends of the rockers cooperate with the L-shaped plates or knees and enable the inner portions of the rockers to be readily adjusted to arrange them in proper position and also to take up any wear or looseness of the parts.

The front and rear sections of the rockinghorse have the configuration of a horse, as illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings, and the said sections may be of any other desired form. The front and rear sections are provided with registering

kerfs

20 and 21, which receive a plate or web 22 of a saddle 23. rlhe plate or web, which is disposed approximately vertically in the said kerfs, is fixed to the front section by suitable fastening devices 24 and is pivotally connected with the rear section aty They the top thereof by a transverse pin 25. saddle 23 projects in rear of the pivot Q5 in order that the rider by throwing his weight on the rear portion of the saddle may rock upon the rear set of the rockers and simultaneously swing the front section and the front rockers forwardly. The weight of the rider is then transferred to the front section, which is oscillated, and the rear section swings forwardly, thereby advancing the rocking-horse. The rocking-horse is adapted to travel in this manner, as will be readily understood. ASuitable stirrups 26 are provided, and the front section is also provided at opposite sides of the horse with plates 27, which overlap the joint of the sections and prevent the clothing of the rider from catching in the same.

'lhe stroke of the rocking-horse is limited by a flexible strap 28, secured at its terminals by suitable fastening devices 29 to the inner cross-bars 6 and 8 of the front and rear rockers. This iiexible strap may, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, be constructed of elastic material, such as elastic webbing, to assist and render positive the forward movement of the rear section of the rocking-horse. By this construction the fiexible connection is adapted to perform the double function of limiting the stroke and assisting the operation of' the rocking-horse.

1t will be seen that the rocking-horse is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that it possesses great strength and durability, and that it is readily operated. Furthermore, it will be clear that the parts are readily assembled and that any wear or lost motion may be readily taken up. Also it will be apparent that means are provided for limiting the stroke of the rocking-horse and for assisting the operation thereof.

By employing the intermediate adjustable connections the legs of the animal can be arranged at the outer ends of the rockers, so that the horse will assume the position of galloping, and also any wear of the inner portions of the rockers may be readily taken up in order to position the rockers properly with relation to each other so that such wear will not interfere with the traveling movement of the rocking-horse.

Any suitable means may beemployed for locking the front and rear rockers together to ,prevent longitudinal movement of the same and to prevent the rocking-horse from traveling and to causethe same to operate similar to the ordinary rocking or hobby horse. By the term hobby-horse it will be understood that the device is not limited to the configuration of a horse,as the form of a giraffe or any other animal may be employed.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A device of the class described, comprising front and rear sections hinged together and provided with front and rear legs, frontk and rear rockers secured at their outer portions to the said legs, and rods connecting the sections with the inner portions of the said rockers, said rods being provided with means for adjusting the inner portions of the rockers toward and from the sections, substantially as described. A

2. A device of the class described, comprising front and rear sections hinged together and provided with front and rear legs, front and rear rockers, brackets or plates mounted on the front and rear rockers, and having upwardly-extending portions ad justabl y secured to the legs and connecting the same with the outer portions of the rockers, and means for adjustably connecting the sections with the inner portions of the rockers, substantially as described.

3. A device of the class described, comprising front and rear sections hinged together, front and rear rockers connected at their outer portions with the sections, and rods connecting the inner portions of the rockers with the sections and threaded for adjustment, substantially as described.

4. A device of the class described, comprising front and rear sections having corresponding openings, and a saddle provided with'a rigid depending web or portion arranged in the openings and fixed to one of the sections and pivoted to the other and hinging the sections together, substantially as described.

5. A device of the class described, comprising front and rear sections, and asaddle provided with a rigid depending web or portion fixed to one of the sections and pivotally connected to the other and serving as ahinge for the said sections, said saddle being extended beyond the pivot of the web, substantially as described.

6. A device ofthe class described, comprising front and rear sections provided with longitudinal kerfs, a saddle provided with a rigid depending portion or web arranged in the kerfs and fixed to one of the sections and pivoted to the other and hinging the sections to- IOO IIC

IIS

gether, and side plates mounted on one of the sections and overlapping the other, substantiallyas described.

7. A device of the class described, comprising front and rear sections hinged together, front and rear rockers arranged in pairs and slidable past each other, front and hind legs extending from the sections to the outer portions of the rockers, and intermediate longitudinally-adjustable connections extending from the sections tothe inner portions of the rockers for adjusting the same, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiiixed my signature in I5 the presence of two Witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. FOVVLER. Witnesses:

JOHN T. GETTY, CHAs. I. SWEET.