US1456429A - Land and water toy - Google Patents

Description

May 22, 1923.. 1,456,429

- J. L. DUGGAN LAND AND WATER TOY Filed June 29 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I ale.

. ATTORNEYS May 22, 1923. 1,456,429

J. L. DUGGAN LAND AND WATER TOY FiledfJune 29 1921 4 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES INVEfl/ TOR i r A Jay A TTORNEYS Ma 2i2, -1-923. 1,456,429

- J. 1.. DUGG AN LAND AND WATER TOY FiledfJune 29 1921 s sheets sh et 5 INVENTOR Z .Dug'a'azp.

A TTORNEYS Patented May 22, 1923.

UNITED STATES JOSEPH L. DUGGAN, OF SPARROWS POINT, MARYLAND.

LAND AND WATER TOY.

Application filed June 29, 1921.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrrr L. DUGGAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Sparrows Point and the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Land and ater Toys, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates in general to land and water toys and more particularly to a toy boat of this character in which an animated figure simulating an oarsman is arranged.

The object of the invention is to provide a toy of this character in which the boat progresses forwardly seemingly by virtue of the action of the animated figure which partakes of the motion of an oarsman to operate a pair of oars.

Another object is to provide a toy of this character in which the motion of the animated figure has the cadence and the char acter of the natural motion of the human oarsman, especially as it partakes of the body swing and of the translation or bodily movement due to the leg drive.

Another object is to provide a toy of this character which is of simple and durable construction, easy and inexpensive to manu facture and attractive and amusing in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention reside in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and in which:.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a toy embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a view in longitudinal vertical section; r

Figure 3 is a plan view;

Figure 4. is a-detail view of the spring motor in side elevation, one of the blades of the barrel being removed and parts being shown in section for the sake of illustration;

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the plate of the spring valve, the T head of the coil spring being shown in position prior to assembly;

Figure 6 isa detail perspective view of the means for securing'the inner end of the coil spring; a

Serial No. 481,285.

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of the ratchet disk of the spring motor;

Figure 8 is a detail perspective View of.

the link; and

Figures 9, 10, 11 and 12 are diagrammatic views illustrating the manner in which the animated figure is constrained to partake of its motion.

Referring to the drawings wherein for the sake of illustration is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention the nu meral l0 designates the body or hull of the boat, which includes a bottom wall 11 and side walls 12, both of which converge toward the forward end to form the bow and a rear wall 13 which forms the stern.

At the rear end of the body a fixed axle 15 extends transversely between the side walls of the hull and is supported thereon and has rotatably mounted thereon wheels 16. A drive axle 18 is rotatably mounted in the side walls of the body adjacent the forward or bow end of the boat and has fixed thereto traction wheels 19 by which the boat is advanced.

I An animated figure indicated generally at 20 is arranged in the hull and is constructed to simulate an oarsman, the figure comprising a body 21, a head 22, arms 23 fixed to the body and extending outwardly therefrom and legs 21 pivotally connected to the lloloily, the legs resting on the bottom of the A pair of oars 25 is provided, the oars including shanks 26 and blades 27, the shanks 26 being mounted in oar-locks 26 and the shanks having at their ends grips 28 which are pivotally connected to the arms 23 as indicated at 29. A crank shaft is rotatably journaled in bearings provided therefor on the side walls of the-hull and preferably is arranged forwardlyof theanimated figure. The crank shaft 35 has a crank 36 intermediate its ends'with which one end of a link 38 connects by means of a bearing portion 39 formed therein whereby the link is pivotally connected to the crank. The opposite end of the link is positively and rigidly connected to the body of the animated figure by means of an extension 39 which is arranged to extend between slits 21 formed in the body of the animatedfig ure. The link 38 includes a rocking lever arm 40 and a lower curved retaining arm 41 for a purpose to hereinafter more fully appear.

A spring motor designated generally at 45 is carried by one of the side walls of the hull and includes a winding shaft 46 having a winding key 47 at one end. The winding shaft 46 extends transversely of the hull and between the rocking lever arm 40 and the curved retaining arm 41 of the link 38, the winding shaft constituting a sliding fulcrum for the rockinglever arm of the link. A spring barrel, designated generally at 48 is rotatably mounted on the winding shaft and comprises amain plate 49 and a gear plate 50 held together inspaced relation by means of connecting bars 51 having lock lugs 52 at their ends which extend through suitable openings provided therefor in the gear plate and are then bent to secure the elements of the spring valve in the assembly. The gear plate 50 is provided on its periphery with gear teeth 53. A coil spring 55 is arranged in the spring barrel and has a T head 56 formedatits outer end and seated in a notch 57 provided therefor in one of the connecting bars 52 whereby the outer end of the springis connected with the spring barrel. The inner end of the spring is provided with a loop 58 with which the bridge piece 59 of a retaining clip 60 is engaged, the retaining clip 60 having a pair of ears 61 provided with squared openings 62 which receive the squared winding shaft. In this manner the inner end of the spring is connected, to the winding shaft since the loop embraces the bridge piece of the clamp and the clip overlies the adjacent portion of the coil spring.

Retrograde movement of the spring barrel is prevented by means of a ratchet disk 65 having a squared opening 66 receiving the winding shaft whereby it is constrained to motiontherewith. A plurality of ratchet teeth 67 are provided at the periphery of the disk and are ofiset laterally from the plane of the disk proper. In the assembly, the ratchet disk is disposed between the spring barrel and the adjacent side wall of the hub and cooperates with a detent 68 struck from the metal of the side wall and engageable with the ratchet teeth 67. The ratchet teeth 67 being resilient ride over the detent during the winding of the spring but positively engage it to prevent retrograde movement of the spring barrel.

The gear plate 53 of the spring barrel drives a pinion 70 fixed to the crank shaft 35. Preferably the pinion 70 comprises a circular plate 71 having a circular series of openings which receive the free ends of spaced bars 72 extending longitudinally of the crank shaft and at right angles to a small disk 7 3by which they are carried.

Gearing is provided for driving the traction wheels from the crank shaft and includes a large gear 75 fixed to the crank shaft and meshed with a small gear 7 6 fixed to the drive axle.

In the use of the toy the spring .motor is wound by manipulating the key 47 of the winding shaft to tension the coil spring, the traction wheels being held by the operator against movement during this action.

The toy is then placed upon the floor, table, tank or other fiat surface and released. The spring motor then rotates the crank shaft which in turn rotates the drive axle to advance the toy. Assuming the oars to be at the catch that is where the blades of the oars are at the position where they would just enter the water on the power or drive stroke, the crank of the crank shaft is in a position just in advance of the position shown in Figure 10. Then as the crank shaft continues to rotate the link 38 draws the figure to the rear of the boat and the lever arm of the link riding on the fulcrum constituted by the 'winding shaft lifts thebody of the figure slightly and causes it to swing relative to the legs of the figure thereby giving the efiect of the body swing. As the power stroke progresses the lever arm of the link rides downwardly on the fulcrum constituted by the winding shaft to swing the body of the figure downwardly in the final phase of its body swing as shown in Figure 11. In Figure 12 the body and crank are shown in the position they assume in the initial phase of the recovery, at which time the lever arm of the link being lifted upwardly by the crank and the curved retaining arm of the link comes into play to prevent upward displacement of the animated figure. On the recovery or return motion of the figure the link slides downwardly in the opposite direction to permit the figure to ride forwardly and its body to swing forwardly about the joint between the legs and the bow.

In this manner the cars are made to partake of the usual motion under the action shaft assist in the advance of the boat butas this mechanism is concealed within the boat the animated figure apparently constitutes the driving force. The body or hull of the boat is water tight up to the axles so that when it is placed in water. the blades in partaking of their movement themselves function to move the boat. If the boatis placed in a shallow container of water both the oars and the traction wheels act to move the boat. 5 r

I claim:

1. In a toy of the character described; a boat body, a fixed axle carriedat one end of said body, wheels rotatably mounted n said fixed axle, a drive axle mountedatthej other end of thebody, tract-ionv wheels to said drive axle, an animated figure. simulating an oarsman arranged in said body and including a body portion and legs pivotally connected thereto, a pair of oars operated by the animated figure, means for causing said animated figure to partake of a rowing motion including a crank shaft, a spring motor for driving said crank shaft including a winding shaft, a spring barrel rotatable on said winding shaft, a coil spring having one end connected to said spring barrel and the other end connected to said winding shaft, and means for preventing retrograde movement of the winding shaft, a link including a rocking lever having a sliding fulcrum on the winding shaft and connected at one end with the crank shaft and at the other end with the body portion of the animated figure, and a retaining bar for preventing displacement of the link from the winding shaft, and gearing for driving the drive axle from the crank shaft.

2. In a toy of the character described, a boat body, an animated figure simulating an oarsman arranged in said body and including a body portion and legs pivotally connected thereto, a pair of oars operated by the animated figure, means for causing said animated figure to partake of a rowing motion including a crank shaft, a spring motor for driving said crank shaft including a winding shaft, a spring barrel rotatable on said winding shaft, a coil spring having one end connected to said spring barrel and the other end connected to said winding shaft, means for preventing retrograde movement of the winding shaft, a link inwinding shaft.

3. In a toy boat, a boat body, an animated figure arranged in said boat body simulating an oarsman, and means for causing said animated figure to partake of a rowing motion and including a crank shaft, a motor for driving said crank shaft, a shaft arranged in approximately the same horizontal plane and offset horizontally from said crank shaft, and a link including a rocking lever having a sliding fulcrum on said shaft and operatively connected at one end'to said crank shaft and also pivotally connected at its other end to said animated figure.

4. In a toy, a boat body, an animated figure arranged in said body and means for causing said animated figure to partake of a rowing motion including a spring motor comprising a winding shaft, a spring barrel rotatably mounted on said winding shaft, a coil spring arranged in said spring barrel and having one end connected to the spring barrel and the other end connected to the winding shaft, a ratchet carried by said winding shaft and having peripheral ratchet teeth deflected laterally, and a detent carried by the boat body engageable with said ratchet to prevent retrograde movement of the winding shaft.

JOSEPH L. DU GGAN.

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