US552881A - Meave thomson - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

M. THOMSON.

Now by marriage M. T. GEDNEY.

TOY. A

@gw-w Hoz/14mg UNITED STATES PATENTv Ormes,

MEAVE Tl'lOlllStDJ, (NOlV Y MARRIAGE MEAVE THOMSON GEDNEBQ) OF NET YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,881, dated January 7, 1896.

Serial No. 546,158. (No modelJ To @ZZ whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, MEAVE THOMSON, (now by marriage MEAVE THOMSON GEDNEY,) a citizen of the United Stat-es, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have in ven ted certain new and useful Improvements in Toys; and I do hereby declare the following to he a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to toys.

The object of the invention is to produce a toy having an exterior form representing a person or animal. which by its construction will be caused when placed on a level surface in an upright position to move forward for a distance and then to assume a horizon` tal position and continue the forward movement.

With this object in view the invention consists essentially of a frame preferably made of a contour corresponding to that of a person or animal provided with a propellingwheel or propelling-wheels, a movable weight, and means for causing the weight to move to change the position of the toy from an upright to a horizontal position.

Further the invention consists of various novel details of construction, whereby the ob ject of the invention is accomplished, the effectiveness of the device insured, and a cheap and simple construction provided.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a side elevation of a toy constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a cent-ral vertical section of the toy, and Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of a modified form of device.

In the embodiment of the invention herein shown I have represented it as applied to a iigure of a boy holding before him a sled, the device being so constructed that the figure will move forward a short distance in an upright position, and will then assume a horizontal position and continue the forward movement, after the manner of a boy running and throwing himself face foremost on a sled.

It will be clear from an understanding of the invention that it may be applied, without requiring modification of the parts, to a figure representing a fourfooted animal moving forward at iirst in an upright position on its rear legs, and then assuming a position on all fours and continuing the forward movement.

In the drawings, A represents a figure of a boy, and B represents a sled. The two are preferably formed together in two longitudinalhollow sections, and are of cast-iron, paper or other suitable material, having their meeting edges so formed as to facilitate their being readily connected. The interior faces of the sections are con cave in order to provide a space for the reception of the operating parts of the device.

At the end of the toy which is, at the first of its movement, its lower end, are four supporting-wheels a and d, one of each form being placed at each side of the toy, and the wheels d being preferably provided with rubber tires for giving frictional contact with the surface over which the toy is to run. The wheels a are mounted on a shaft a2, having a square outer end, and about this shaft is wound a band or stap C, to which is attached one end of an elastic band c, the other end of the band or strap being attached to the upper part of the toy. Placed at the point of juncture between the band or strap C and the elastic band c is a cage D for the reception of a spherical weight D.

The inner faces of the parts A and B have formed with them proj ecting ribs a3 h3, which form passages d* leading from a point near the shaft a2 to a point a5 near the upper part of the toy, and another passage a leading` from the point a5 to the front of the toy, and thence downward to the lower end of the passage at. The outer face of the sled portion is provided with wheels E E, which serve to support the toy when the latter assumes a horizontal position.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the shaft c of one of the wheels E has wound around it a band c', to which is attached an elastic band e2, the outer end of the elastic band being attached to the frame of the toy. The end of the shaft c is provided with a square portion for the reception of a winding-key, and it is also provided with IOO A it is placed.

ratchet-teeth e, engaged by a pawl e5, by which the shaft is kept from turning. The pawl @i is pivoted at a point e, and its end eT is in the path of movement of the weight C, so that when the pawl is struck by the weight the ratchet-teeth will be released.

In the operation of the device the shaft a? is turned by means of a suitable key placed on its square end, winding the band G around the shaft a2 and extending the elastic band c and bringing the cage D to the limit of its downward movement. As the cage reaches its lowest position, the spherical weight C', which is at the end of each operation in the passage e6, enters the cage. When this is done, the toy is placed on a level surface, in a position to rest on the wheels u d, and the shaft a2 released allowing the band c to contract and to impart movement to the wheels o, resulting in the forward movement of the toy. As the band c contracts, the cage D, carrying the spherical weight D', is raised, and when it reaches the limit of its upward .movement the weight moves into the passage et'. rlhe presence of the weight in the passage a renders the forward part of the toy heavier than the rear part, and as a result the toy is thrown forward on the wheels E E, on which it will travel until its momentum is exhausted.

Then it is desired to cause the toy to move a greater distance than would result from the use of the form of device shown in Fig. 2, the modified form shown in Fig. 8 may be elnployed. In this form one of the wheels E is given movement through the elastic band e2, which is extended by winding around the shaft c. Then the weight C comes in contact with the end e7 of the pawl and releases the ratchet e* on the end of the shaft, the wheel E will be given a rotary movement, carrying the toy along over the surface on which lVhen this form of device is used, it will be seen that after the toy has assumed a horizontal position its forward movement will be continued until the complete contraction of the band cL takes place.

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

1. A self propelling toy, comprising a movable weight, and provided with means for moving the weight to change the position of the toy, substantially as described.

f2. A self propelling toy comprising a movable weight and provided with means for moving the weight, and a guide whereby the weight is directed upward and to one side of the center of the toy to change its position from an upright to ahorizontal one, substantially as described.

A toy comprising a supporting wheel, a band wound upon the shaft of the supporting wheel, an elastic band attached at one end to the band thus wound and at the other end to the frame of the toy, a movable weight for changing the position of the toy from an upii-ightto a horizontal one, and means for moving the weight, substantially as described.

fx A toy comprising a body having wheels on its lower and forward faces, means ferimparting a forward movement to the toy, a movable weight whereby the toy is changed from an upright to a horizontal position, and means for moving the weight substanti ally as described.

5. A self propelling toy having interior communicating passages, one leading from a point near the lower end of the toy in an upward direction, and the other leading from the upper to t-he lower end of the first, through the front of the toy, a weight designed te move in the passages, and means for raising the weight, substantially as described.

G. A toy having supporting wheels on its i lower and forward faces, a band attached to the shaft of the wheels on the lower face, an elastic band attached at one end of the band so wound and at the other end to the frame of the toy, a cage attached to the bands, passages in the interior of the toy, and a weight adapted to be received by the cage and by the passages, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof l afx my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MEAVE THOMSON. lVitnesses:

FRED. G. GEDNEY, E. MoD. HAwKEs.

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