US2015974A - Toy vehicle - Google Patents

Description

Cd. 1, 1935. STANNARD 2,015,974

TOY VEHICLE Filed May 14, 1954 2/0 2/ "Fm-m1! INVENTOR. \BENJAMIN ESTANNARD hm... MMwLk/7 ATTORNEYS. f V

Patented Oct. 1, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOY VEHICLE Application May 14, 1934, Serial No. 725,617

1 Claim.

This invention relates to and has for an object the provision of a toy vehicle which in one of its many adaptations is constructed in simulation of a horse adapted to be ridden astride by a child and to have imparted thereto by various movements of the child, motions in simulation of galloping, bucking, rearing, etc., all to the end. of providing amusement and healthful exercise for the child.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy vehicle embodying a support for the operator, and a novel mounting means therefor by which the support can be moved over a surface and will yieldingly sustain the weight of the operator in such manner that by certain movements the operator can depress the support vertically and/or tilt the support in a fore-and-aft direction.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of elements as set forth in the fol lowing specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the toy vehicle embodying this invention;

Figure 2 is a view of the toy vehicle in side elevation;

Figure 3 is a view of the toy vehicle in front elevation.

In its present embodiment, the toy vehicle coinprises a support for an operator, in the form of a flat body H], the outline of which simulates a horse. The surface of the body can be painted or otherwise marked to enhance its appearance and is provided with a seat I I in simulation of a saddle, and with a handle bar l2 in advance of the seat, adapted to be gripped by the operator. A bridle I3 is also provided for use in lieu of the handle bar.

In conjunction with the support formed by the body Ill, a novel mounting means is provided which includes front and rear members l4 and I5, respectively. These members are identical in construction in order to simplify manufacture, and each comprises a triangular frame, the side bars l6--l 6 of which are secured together at their free ends by a rivet I! which passes through the bars and through a plate l8 interposed between the bars. The other ends of the bars l6l6 are connected by a cross bar l9; and adjacent the latter an axle passes through the side bars and has wheels 2l2l mounted thereon at the outer sides of the side bars.

The mounting members I4 and I5 are fulcrumed on the body It at their upper ends by means of bolts 22 and 23, respectively, which pass through the side bars l6 and plate i8 of the respective members, and through bearing bars 2t-25 vertically disposed at opposite sides of the 5 body it and rigidly secured thereto by rivets 26 and 2?, respectively. I

The bearing bars 24 and 25 project a short distance below the bottom edge of the body H) to receive the bolts, and it will be clear that by this 1:) construction the mounting members are connected to the body for pivotal movement about transverse axes located at points spaced apart a considerable distance in a fore-and-aft direction.

Col-acting with the mounting members M and l5 i5 is a yieldable or resilient means in the form of a coil spring 28, the ends of which pass through suitable openings in the plates l8 of the respective members. The spring operatively connects the members and urges same towards each other 20 relatively to the position shown in full lines in Figure 2, wherein the plates I8 abut the under edge of the body I 0 to definitely limit such movement of the members under the action of the spring. 25

The operation of the invention is as follows:

Assuming that the vehicle is resting on a level surface and that the seat II is unoccupied, the spring 28 will co -act with the members M and I5 to sustain the body it in the fully elevated and 30 substantially level position shown in full lines in Figure 2. When a child is astride the body H), the body will be depressed against the action of the spring 28, and to an extent depending on the strength of the spring and the weight of the child. In response to j-ouncing movements or shifting of the childs weight forwardly or rearwardly, cor responding movements will be imparted to the body it) as the spring 28 will yield to allow pivotal movements of the mounting members i l and I5 about their respective axes of the body IEI, all as shown in Figure 2. By working the feet against the surface on which the vehicle is resting, the child can propel himself as the body is caused to move vertically and/ or tilt in a fore or aft direction in simulation of galloping, bucking and rearing movements of a horse, much to the enjoyment of the child. Ihe device also provides healthful exercise and is otherwise beneficial to the child in enabling him to develop a sense of balance, so as to maintain himself in equilibrium on the vehicle.

What is claimed is:

A toy vehicle comprising a support consisting of a vertically disposed thin strip of material of uniform thickness having bearing bars secured in front and rear pairs to the respective sides thereof; identical front and rear frame members each pivotally connected at its upper end to a re- 5 spective pair of the aforementioned bearing bars; stop devices carried by said frame members and disposed to contact the lower edge of the support; and a spring for normally urging the frame members toward each other and the stop devices against said lower edge of said support.

BENJAMIN F; STANNARD.

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