US1345578A - Equestrian toy vehicle - Google Patents

Description

I. A. BURNETT.

EQUESTRIAN TOY VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED 0130.8, 1919.

1,345,578 mentalMy 6, 192m.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

umrsns'raras trier...

Jinan. remannrtr, or ci-ircaeo, rririinors.

minare i all :LUZLO'HL it may coaccra 1' l 3e 1t known that I, IRA A. .lBrmnnrr,a citizen of the United States,-resid1n at Chicago, in the county of Cook and: tate construction, novel arrangement, combination and operation ofythe various. parts thereof as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

The principal objectof the invention is to provide a riding toy or vehicle in the form of a miniature horseor pony mounted on a wheeled frame, which can be propelledand steered by a child sitting astride the body of the horse, the legs and head of which will be caused, in the propulsion of thevehicle to move in a life like manner or natural way, the simulation of the speed at which the animal appears tobe travelingbeing indicated by the rapidity of the movement of its legs, which movement is caused and regulated by the rider. i

Another object of the invention is toprovide means whereby the device can be eco nominally made, the parts easily assembled and the major portion of the propelling mechanism thereo-fhoused or inclosed, to

the end that liability of the childbeing injured thereby, or its clothesbecoming entangled therewith will be reduced to a minimum.

Other objects and advantages of theinvention will be disclosed in the followmg explanation. and :description.

In the accompanying drawings, Wl11Cl1 serve to illustrate an embodiment of the in vention l igure 1 is a View in sideelevation of the toy vehicle showing the legs of the horse in one of the positions they will assume in the movement of the vehicle. i i

Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view,

through the body of the horse taken. on line 2-2 of F 3 lookingin the direction indicated bythe arrows but showing the sup porting frame in elevation.

3 is a plan sectional view+talrenon line 3-8 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 4 isa cross-sectional View taken on Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed members, 191a neunsrnran TOY VEHICLE.

Patented duly t1, i-eao.

' Serial No. 343,159.

i one of the legs of the horse showing the means forconnecting the parts thereof together atits joints.

*ig. a cross-sectional view of aimodifled form of the body of the horse but with the interior mechanism thereof removed, and

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan View thereof.

Like numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout the different .views of the drawings.

lieferring now more particularly to Figs 1 to 6 inclusive of the drawings, the reference numeral 10. designates the base or lower portion of the supporting framewhich as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is in the form of a long narrow bar having at: its rear end a pair of prongs 11 on which is horizontally and transversely mounted an axle 12 for the rear wheels 13 of said frame, which are journaled on said axle near its ends. Rigidly mounted on the axle 12 between the prongs 11 of the frame 10 is a sprocket wheel 14f around which is extended a sprocket chain 15 which also passes around a sprocket wheel 16 located at a point about the longitudinal middle of the lower portion of the body of the horse and mounted in the presently explained.

supporting frame is extended upwardly and forwardly as at 1.7 and is provided at its front end with a downwardly extended buffer or fender l8. Vertically journaled in the front portion of the base 10 is a steering post 19 which has in its lower portion a pair of spaced apart prongs 20 between which is mounted on an axle 21 journaled in.

the lowerends of the prongs 20, a wheel 22 used for supporting the front end of the base 10 and for steering and for turning the vehicle in thedesired direction.

Fixed at its lower end to the base 10 near the rear end of the upwardly and forwardly extended portion 17 thereof isya tubular standard 23 which extends upwardly and is rearwardly inclined as is clearly shown in :Figs. land. 2 of the drawings. Connected at its front end to the standard 23 at a point about midway between its ends is a brace member 24 which is extendedrearwardly in a horizontal plane from the standard 23 and then downwardly in a rearwardly in clined direction as shown in Fig. 2and has its'lower end secured to the upper surface of. the baselO at the frontendsor juncture of the forks 11 of said base. The base 10, standard 23- and brace member 24 constitute the main or supporting frame of the vehicle as will be readily understood. The standard 23 is provided in its lower front portion with an. openingor. semi-circular-slot 25 for the reception and; operation of a steering rod 26 which, is extended through the opening 25' and up through the tubular standard and i has at its upper end a handle 27 by means of which it can be turned.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2the rod 26 is provided with an elbow 28 at its portion l0- cated in the-opening 25 and is extended forwardlyandpivotally connected at its lower BIIClitO; a. crank 29 onthe upper end of the steering post 19 for the front wheel 22 of the vehicle. Mounted onthe uppersurface of the horiZontal-portionofthe brace member 24 are apai'r of spaced apart screw bolts 30 around each of which isa coiled spring 31 which rest atone of their ends on the brace 'member 24-andat their other ends against the lower surface'of'a board 32 which is pro- I vided near each ofits 'endswith a suitable opening to 'recelve sa1d bolts. The board or through the apertures of the lugs 34 and 35 and thus pivotally connects them together so asto permit of atilting movement of the board 32longitudinally withrespect to' the supporting frame, the springs 31 yieldingsufliciently to permit of such movement at the desired" time.

By reference to Fig. 4 of the drawings, it will-be seen that the brace member 24 is quite narrow while the board 32 is of suflicient width torest against the inner surfaces ofthe sides of the body of the horse where it may be secured by any suitable means.

Secured to the lower surface of the horizontal port-ionjof'tlie brace member'24 di-' rectly under the plate 36thereon is a depending hanger '38 in which is transversely journaled a shaft 39'on which is mounted near 7 one sideof the hanger38'a sprocket wheel '40; over which a sprocket chain 41 passes,

whichchain also passes over a sprocket horizontal portion 24 of the brace member and strides the hanger 38 as is clearly shown 111 Fig. 2 of the drawings, in which view, as well' as in Figs. 1, 4 and 5 it will be seen .that .the crank or pedal shaft 43 is located transversely at the lower middle portion of the body of the horse and has at each of its ends a crank 45, each of which is by preference provided with a pedal 46 or foot rest for the feet of the child or rider of the horse.

The shaft 39 unites the opposite sides of the body of the horse and may be suitably secured thereto so as to assist the tilting member 32 in holding said sides together. The sprocket wheel 16 above referred to is mounted on the shaft 43 between the sprocket wheel 42 and the hanger 44 and is geared to the sprocket wheel 14 on the rear axle by means of the sprocket chain 15 as is ings. 4

The body and neck of the horse, in the present instance, is shown as consisting of two side pieces 47 and 48 which are counterparts of one another and are fashioned to resemble in outlines the figure of a miniature horse or pony. These side pieces 47 and 43 may be made of any suitable material such as papier mach and hollowed on their inner surfaces as shown to aiford when joined together at their meeting edges a housing for that part of the propelling mechanism located therein.

It will be understood that the edges of the upper part of the side pieces 47 and it; of the body of the horse, as well as the lowcr edges or belly portion 49 thereof. will meet and may be secured together by ccmcnt or otherwise after they have been placed on the supporting frame of the vchiclc. in order .to providemeans for the operation of the drive chain 15 and for the reception of the upwardly extended standard 23 and the upwardly extended portion of the brace member '24 the lower meeting edge of each of the side pieces 47 and 48 is provided with cut-away portions 50, 5]., and 52 for the said parts respectively, which construction is clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The tubular standard 23 extends at its upper end through a suitable opening 53 in the upper part of the neck of the horse and may be secured in said opening in any suitable manner.

It will be observed by reference to the last named figure that the openings 54). 51 and 52 in the lower portion of the body of the horse or in the meeting edges of the sides thereof areof sufiicient size to permit of slight longitudinally tilting movement of the body of the horse on the pivot 37 of the clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawto said connections of the legs to impart pivlast named shaft to the crank shaft, and a steering rod connected, at one of its ends to the steering post and extended upwardly through the said body.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a supporting frame including a horizontally disposed base and a support extended upwardly therefrom, of a drive shaft transversely journaled 011 the rear portion of said base, a pair of wheels on said drive shaft, a steering post vertically journaled in the front portion of the base a wheel mounted on said post, a crank shaft transversely journaled on the upper portion of the support of the main frame but below said portion, means connecting the crank shaft and the drive shaft for transmitting rotary motion from the former to the latter, a horizontally disposed member pivotally mounted on the upper portion of the support of the main frame, a transversely disposed shaft mounted on said support above the crank shaft, gearing uniting said shafts, a body in simulation of the body of a horse inclosing said pivoted member and secured to the same and terminating above the crank shaft, and a steering rod connected at one of its ends to the steering post and extended upwardly through the front port-ion of the body.

IRA A. BURNETT.

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