US1462221A - Flying top - Google Patents

Description

July 17, 1923;

L. WOLFE FLYING TOP 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 11 jov'ezwv Zi /02L Jul 17, 1923. 2 42,22?

" L. WOLFE FLYING TOP I Filed July 11.v 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 17, 1923. v I p urrrn sraes Parrarorricr:

LESTER women, or nnwyoim, N. Y.

T all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, LESTER Zen of the United i azizzi FL ING Tori f "Application filed July 11, 1921. Serial N0..483,631.

VVoLre, a citi- Statesfand resident of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flying Tops, of which the following is a specification.

,This invention relates to fly i is intende d to provide a toy which shall be capable both of air on the helicopter pri spinning upon the as diminished sufliciently to allow rotation 11 floor when .the'flier to drop to the floor.

the flier rises to the ceiling. in

upper point the ceiling thus allowi spinning and to descend and s ing tops and of this kind flying in the nciple while also the speed of The invention comprises; generally speak havinga generally circular lined or oblique wings and hub structure yieldupon an axial pin which th above and'below for thepurpose of per.- t to spin on either end, so that when its flight the a of the pin will impinge against the top to continue pin upon the floor when the force of gravity is greater than the lifting power of its speed slackens.

This an will be particularl exp ing specification andwl d other features of the invention lained in the followll be defined in the claims hereto annexed.

In the vanes as the accompanying drawings 1 have shown in detail orient the forms embodying the principles of this invention, in which:

"Figure 1 is a ver through the flying top its interwinding or I vhich its rot Figure 2 1 flier member proper W1 secured thereto.

Figure 3 1s a similar vie ing meinb torque er removed.

Figure & is a side elevation i tion of the part s Figures the flier.

torque me Figures thereof.

5 and 6 show plan mber.

8 and}? are opposi tical centralsection when connected with device from ative impulse is received s a plan view illustrating the th its clutch member w with the clutchn central sec hown in Figure 3.

' and vertical two members forming apted to the hub of Figure 7 is an elevation of the winding or te end views Figure ldis a detail showing both plan body or cylindrical member' of thetorque or winding box Figure 1% 1s a side elevation showing an "assembled view of the complete top as it appears when flying or spinning.

In the practice of this invention according to the form illustrated in the drawings, I form preferably out of a single disk of very light sheet metal a top comprisino'. a

domed hub or central member I, a circu ar 'rim or peripheral guard portion 2 and a series of oblique vanes 4' formed by cutting out radial T-sha Jed slots 3 in the intermediate portion of t e disk at regular intervals I and thenbending to a suitable inclination the intermediate wing portions 4: so that as air to lift the flier until the speed diminishes to the pointwhere the gravity of the device overcomes the lifting action. Immediately surrounding-the domed part of the hub or central supportlng structure are a series of I arcuate' slots'5u The coupling'means by which the flier is detachably coupled with its windingbox or torque device comprises a disk or plate 10 provided with a vertical annular flange 11 which forms a guide-for temporarily coupling together'the winding box and the top which plate around its edge inside of the flange 11 is provided with a series of arcuate slots corresponding to or registering with the slots 5 in the main flier member. The coupling member proper comprises the plate ordisk 13 provided with an annular peripheral flange terminating in disk 10 with its ears projecting through the slots 12 as indicated in dotted lines in Figures 5, and this two partJstructure is then applied to the central spider or hub portion of the main flier member so that the ears the flier is rotated, let us say in a contraclockwise direction, the vanes act to cause the short ears or lugs 14 arranged to register resides in the structural' 14 will pass through the slots 5 and be clinched on the underside of the flier hub by 'being turned outwardly as shown in Figure 1. The plate 13 of the clutch member is provided with peripheral arcuate slots 15, adapted to receive a projecting tooth 24 of the Windin member, presently to be described, and a so has arcuate slots 16 at a slight distance from the central pin-receiving perforation of the plate to be engaged by the hook 37 of the winding device.

It will be seen that the central openings of the plate 10 of the clutch member 13 and of the domed portion of the hub 1. are all vertically aligned to receive an axial pin 17. Said pin is provided with a flange-d collar 18 secured firmly thereto so as to receive the thrust of helical springs 19 and 20 disposed on opposite sides thereof and forming a spring cushion against the longitudinal or axial movement of the pin in the bearing holes formed in. the parts of the central supportingstructure of the flier.

Obviously. the flier could not be conveniently operated without some'means for imparting the necessarily rapid rotation. there to about its axis to cause I have. therefore, provided an improved starter or torque device which is constructed to cooperate with the flier construction already described so as to impart thereto the necessary rotation or spinning movement.

The detailed construction of the-various parts of the form of the starting or winding device is illustrated in Figures 7 to 13 of the drawings, while Figure 1 shows the starting device operatively attached to the preparatory to setting the latter in rotation. An important feature of the construction of this part. of the invention details'by which the starting device may be individual parts capable of being formed. of stamped. metal without the use of solder, screws or other fastening accessories.

The main winding device comprises a barrel or cylindrical member 22 formed by bending up a flatstrip of metal into cylindrical fornnthe metallic blank being formed on cue end with a series of projecting cars 23 used for fastening the device together and with a projecting tongue 24 which serves as a stop member or tooth for locking the parts temporarily against rotative rotation inone direction. while leaving the memher free toturn in the contr while winding up the spring. I I

It will be understood that Figure 1 shows the parts arranged so as to allow the flier to be pushed off from its spring holderor starting device in order to fly upward, but it is clear that the device might be turned my direction up side down in which case the flier would fly downward toward the floor and spin on its then lowermost point without flying assembled out of above the level whence it started. The showing of the individual parts in elevation on Sheet 2 of the drawings, however, shows those parts disposed in just the reverse position to that shown in Figure 1. For convenience the end of the winding device carrying the interlocked tooth 24 may be called the coupling end of the device, while the end carrying the hand winding disk 36 at the anchored end of the torque spring may be called the winding end of the barrel. The active winding element is the coiled helical spring 35 whose anchored end is bent back on the coil of the spring as shown at 36? to be inserted in an orifice 32 of the anchoring plate 30. The plate 30 is provided with outwardly lit in between the projecting ears 33. formed on the winding end of the starter device and its interior edge is flanged in an axial d1-.

rectionto form a short annular guide against the exterior of the helical spring. A winding disk 35- is formed out of a properly struck-up metallic disk and is provided with a peripheral rim 36 of suflicient width axially to be conveniently grasped by the fingers and a central neck 37 which passes inside the helical spring to prevent it from gripping upon the central or the springis being wound up. As shown in Figure 11, the winding disk is provided with arcuate slots 38 formed to register with the ears 33 on the adjacent end of the barrel or cylinder 22 so that the ears may be bent inwardly after these parts are assembled together asshown in Figure 1 to secure them to ether.

winding device is placed a guide plate 25 (see Figure 12) which has at its periphery an annular flange 26, and immediately ,adjacent to. said flange a series of arcuate slots 28 adapted to registerwiththeears 23 of j the barrel and the interlocking tongue 24 which also forms an of the barrel. Thisguide member also has an internal annular flange 2'T'to act as a guide to the free or coupling end of the spring.

the coupling end of the barrel with the slots aligned to receive the ears 23 and the .tongue 24. vThe ears avardly to lock the guide in place, while the .tongue 24 is allowed to project in an axial direction beyond the surface of the annular plate 25. The adjacent loose end of the spring is formed with a hook as shown at 37 and also projects beyond the end of the barrel or'guide member 25.

This hook 37 is extended to pass into-any one of the three slots 16 formed in the coupling plate of the flier, While the projecting tooth 24 which is inclined on one side and has an abrupt shoulder or stop on the other side will pass through one of the peripheral flanged wings 31 to axial spindle 17 when extension of that end It is assembled by pushing it over i are then turned inn the opposite or coupling end of the slots 15 of the coupling plate of the flier;

Obviously, when the hub of the top is I coupled together into the coupling pressed over the coupling end of the barrel from which project the hook 37 and the tooth 9A, the two devices will be operatively with the spring hooked plate or member 13 and the tooth free to ride .in one direction as the coupling member is rotated relatively to the top in order to wind up the spring. Of course, such rotative movement involves an axial lift or partial separation of the two members as the coupling plate 13 rides up the inclined surface of the tooth 2 1, but as soon as the portion of the plate between two adjacent arcuate slots 15 has passed over the top of the tooth endwise pressure of the flier toward the winding member brings the tooth into the next coupling slot and thus prevents the unwinding of the spring, while a new grip is taken by the hand to further turn or wind the spring. When the spring has been sufficiently wound for the purpose, the devices are held together in interlocked relation. It will be noticed that one end of the flier spindle 17 projects through the whole winding device so that when the finger or thumb is pressed against this projecting end the flier will be pushed off from engagement with the stop tooth 24 and under the torque of the wound-up spring is given a sudden rotative impulse which causes the flier to rotate with suliicient rapidity to fly upward. The upwardly projecting end of the spindle prevents the flier blades from striking against the ceiling which would otherwise result in stopping the rotation of the flier. This feature as well as the feature of mounting the spindle in the flier under a spring tension which keeps the parts snugly but yieldingly engaged has the beneficial effect not only of maintaining the spindle in proper operative axial relation to the flier at all times, but also allows the spindle to act as a shock absorber so that the sudden strong impact of the ends of the spindle either against the floor or against the ceiling does not tend to interfere with the spinning or to knock the assembled parts apart. The thrust spring also causes the flier to rebound when the peg or pin strikes upon the ceiling or floor.

WVh-at I claim is 1. A flying topcomprising a circular flier with oblique vanes, and a central hub por tion provided with axial aligned openings, an axial pin projecting through said openings and held in yielding engagement with the hub portion by tensioning means acting in opposition to axial movement of the pin in either direction, substantially as described. v

2. A flying top embracing in its construc tion, a central axial pin, a circular flier supported thereon by yielding tension springs acting in air axial direction in opposition,

said flier being provided with coupling means by which it may be detachably coutially as described.

3. A flying top embracingin' its construcin spring pressed engagement in 'aiiaxial as 1 described.

4. A flyingt'op embracing in its construction a circular flier comprising a series of oblique wings and a central supporting structure, an axial pin passing through and engaged with the central structure,the ends of said pin being both above and below the central structure to allow the top to spin upon either end, and means for yieldingly cushioning the pin against impact in both directions, substantially as described.

5. In a flying top the combination with a flier member provided with axially aligned openings, a spindle member passed through said openings and thrust springs engaged respectively with the flier and the spindle to exert a yielding pressure in opposite directions against the spindle, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a. flying top embracing an axial spindle,and a circular flier having a central supporting structure operatively connected with the spindle so as to leave spinning ends both above and below the main plane of the flier, a slotted coupling member secured to the central structure, a starting device including a springcontaining casing, one end of the spring and i one endof the casing projecting beyond the end of the casing to form respectively interlocking engagement with said coupling member, whereby rotation may be imparted to the flier when the coupling member is disengaged from said casing, substantially as described. I

7. A flying top embracing in combination sheet metal main body member comprising n integrally formed central hub, outwardly pro ectmg oblique vanes and a peripheral rim the hub being centrally perforated to repled with a spring winding device, substan wings and a central connecting structure comprisingupper and lowenm'embers held tion an axial pin, aflier comprisingoblique spindle inserted in the hub at oblique Wings all formed of a single piece of sheet metal, a slotted coupling member adapted tobe engaged by a starting device, and an axially yielding spring mounted right angles to the main plane of the flier, substantially as described.

9. A starting device for a flying top comprising a split tubular casing held by and interlocked with surrounding end heads, an anchoring plate supported at one end of said casing, a helical spring anchored to said plate and extending axially through said casing and the other end head, and having at its free end a projecting-hook for engaging the flying top, and an interlocking tooth projecting from the end of the casing adjacent to said free end of the spring to detachably interlock with the top to prevent unwinding of the spring" When the starting 20 deviceiis operatively assembled with the flier, substantially as described. I

In Witness whereof, I have subscribed the above specification.

LESTER WOLFE.

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