US930265A - Progressing hobby-horse. - Google Patents

Description

O. W. BADGER. PROGRESSING HOBBY HORSE. APPLICATION TILED 001'. 12, 1906. RENEWED JAN.14,1909.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 WITNESSES A TTOHNE 0. W. BADGER.

PROGRESSING HOBBY HORSE. APPLICATION FILED 001 .12, 1906. RENEWED 13.11.14, 1909.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

/NVENTO/? W/ TNE SSE S ATTORNEK sectional view, at line ee of Fig. 1.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

OREN W. BADGER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PROGRESSING HOBBY-HORSE.

Specification ofLettera Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909 Application filed: October 12, 1906, Serial No. 388,562. Benewed'January 14, 1909. Serial No. 472,372.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OREN W. BADGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Progressing Hobby- Horses, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates especially to hobbytween the f-ront and rear legmeces, andmeans for causing a forward movement of the horse whenthe weight of the rider is transferred from the saddle mounted on the body, to the stirrups; all of which will be hereinafter first fully described, and'then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my progressing hobby-horse, with the sidewall of the body removed. Fig. 2 is an enlarged, vertical, sectional view at line aa of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional ow at line 0-0 oi Fig. 1, looking downward. Fig. 4 is an enlarged, horizg ntal, '1g. 5 is an enlarged, detail view of the horizontalspring mechanism.

Similar numerals of reference, wherever they occur, indicate correspondingparts inall the figures. I

1 is the back-piece of the horse body, and 2 is a saddle mounted thereon.

3 are thin side-pieces, fastened to and depending from the back-piece.

4 is the rear leg-piece, hinged to the piece 1 at 5. a

The feet 6 are supported on wheels 7, and are provided with stops 8 which engage the floor when the horse is being operated, and while allowing the feet to move forward, prevent any retrogression or backward movement.

9 is the front leg-piece, hinged to the piece 1 at 10.

11 are rods, having cranks 12 at their upper extremities, and extending longitudinally through the front legs to the feet 13, which are separate from the legs, and free to move horizontally, independent of the move ment of the legs, this movement being describedand claimed in United States Letters Patent No. 818,826, dated April 24, 1906, issued to Adrian Hit-t, and assigned to me. The cranks 12 extend through slots 14 in plates 15 fixed to the neck 16, said neck being hinged to the piece 1 at 18 and free to move from side to side, when pulled upon by the bridle rein 17.

Secured to the leg-pieces within the body, are eyes 19, and. pivoted thereto are togglebars 20 and 21, pivoted together at 22. Bars 20 are provided with extensions 23 to which stirrup-straps 24 are connected, said straps passing over rollers 25 mounted on the backpiece, and down to stirrups26. The rollers 25 permit a side movement of the stirrupstraps, as well as a vertical movement.

Mounted in bearings 36 on the front and rear leg-pieces, are spirals or screws 27, each provided with a manipulating hand-wheel 28. On the'screws 27 are located links, 29, engaging ,a strong outer spring, 30, anda weaker innerspring 31.

32 is a spring passing from the piece 1 to each toggle.

33 is a yoke which limits the movement of the leg-pieces on the hinges connecting them to the back-piece 1.

When constructed and arranged in accordance with the foregoing description, the operation of my improved progressing hobby-horse is as follows: The spring mechanism between the leg-pieces is first adjusted in accordance with the weight of the rider; if a light weight, the screws 27 are rotated so as to carry the springs upward, lessening the distance between the bearings of the springs and the leg-hinges, which constitute the center of movement. For a heavier rider, the springs are moved downward, thus increasing the distance of the bearings from the center of movement, and consequently providing for a greater stretch of the springs. The rider places his feet in the stirrups, and as long as the weight of his body is supported by the stirrups, 1n the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, and there is no actionof the movable parts. of the device. weight of the body from the stirrups to the By transferring the the toggles are held saddle, the toggles are released, and the weight of the body causes the front legs to move forward, retrograde movement of the hind legs being ]-]'t-VG]1i/0(l by the stops 8 coming in contact with the floor, and the legs will move on their hinges until the body is depressed as far as the yokcs 33 will porwit the legs to move. This action throws the front legs forward, stretchingthe spring mechanism connecting the leg pieces, straightening out the toggles, and stretching the springs 32, while at the same time the stirrups are drawn upward close to the body of the horse. As the device begins to operate, the smaller, weaker spring first acts to retard and regulate the depression of the body, and. then the larger spring comes into play, and at the same time the springs 32 act on the toggles. Not only does the spring mechanism insure a proper and gradual movement of the parts, but also materially assists in the reverse movement thereof when the horse progresses. When the legs are full extended and the body depressed to the lowest point, the rider bears upon the stirrups, removing the weight of his body oil of the saddle. This action brings the toggles gradually back to their initial positions, and as the stops 8 on the front feet prevent backward movement, the horse is drawn forward until all of the parts of the mechanism are back in their orignial positions, and repetitions of such actions of the rider cause the horse to progress, such forward movement being varied from a straight line by drawing the head to the right or left, as desired, causing the feet 13 to partially rotate horizontally, and varying the angle of movement of the wheels 7 with respect to the direct line with the horse-body.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A progressing hobby-horse in which is comprised a hollow body, front and rear legpieces hinged to the interior of the backpiece of the body; spring mechanism extending between the front and rear leg-pieces,

and means for causing a forward movement of the horse when the weight of a rider is transferred from the saddle or back of the horse to the stirrups and a pair of stirrups.

2. A progressing hobby-horse in which is comprised a hollow body; front and rear legpieces hinged to the interior of the body; ad-

justable spring mechanism extending be tween the front and rear leg-pieces, andv means for causing the forward movement of the horse when the weight of a rider is transferred from the saddle or back of the horse, to the stirrups and a pair of stirrups.

2 A progressing hobby-horse in which is comprised a hollow body; front and rear legpieces hinged within the body; adjustabe spring mechanism extending between the leg-pieces; means for icausing a forward movement of the horse when the weight of a rider is transferred from the back of the horse to the stirrups, and a pair of stirrups and means for varying the direction of progression.

4. In a progressing hobby-horse, a hollow body, bearing a fixed saddle; leg-pieces hinged to the interior of the back-piece of the body; bars pivoted to the leg-pieces and to each other; stirrup-straps attached directly to the said bars inproximity to their pivotal connections, and a pair of stirrups, the Whole combined and arranged substantially as shown and described.

5. In a progressing hobby-horse, the combination with the leg-pieces hinged to the back-piece, of bearings secured to the legpieces, screws mounted in said bearings and provided with manipulating hand-wheels, and spring mechanism extending between said screws, and carried thereby.

6. In a progressing hobby-horse, a hollow body, bearing a fixed saddle; leg-pieces hinged to the interior of the back-piece of the body; bars pivoted to the leg-pieces and to each other; stirrup-straps attached directly to the said bars in proximity totheir pivotal connections and passing over roller bearings above the said bars, and then downward, and a pair of stirrups, the whole combined and arranged substantially as shown and described. 7. In a progressing hobby-horse, the combination with movable leg-pieces and toggles connecting said leg-pieces, of stirrup-straps connected to the toggles, and passing over rollers fixed above the toggles.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OREN W. BADGER.

l/Vitnesses:

LOUIS F. BRAUN, A. M. PIERCE.

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