US2076658A - Sparkling yo-yo toy - Google Patents

Description

SPARKLING YO-YO TOY Filed Aug. 8, 1955 .INVENTOR Lows Marx ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 13, i937 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE SPARKLING Yo-Yo Tor Louis Marx, New York, N Y. Application August s, 1935, serial No. 35,253 p Claims.

which is simple and inexpensive; which includes flints so mountedV as to be readily replaceable;

which causes the flints to bear against the abrasive surfaces of the yo-yo with a light pressure or contact in order to minimize friction and to in no way impede the normal operation of the toy; and which is fully as easy and in some respects easier to operate than an ordinary yo-yo toy not equipped with sparking'l mechanism.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and other objects which will hereinafter appear, my invention consists in the yo-yo and spark producing elements, and their relation'one to the other, as are hereinafter more particularly described in the specification and sought to be defined in' the claims. The specification is accompanied by a drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one form of sparknsyO-YO;

Fig. 2 is a partially sectioned side elevation of the same; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the yoke or flint holder shown in inverted position.

Referring to the drawing the yo-yo is generally conventional in comprising a deeply centrally grooved circular or disc-like body I2 having an operating cord I4 looped in the central groove I6. Considered in another aspect, the

toy comprises two circular disc-like bodies I8 and 2i) connected in coaxial slightly spaced rela-v provided with sparkling or spark producing mechanism; As here exemplified, the bodies I8 and 20 are provided with abrasive surfaces v24 and 26 on the rims or outermost peripheries thereof'j These surfaces cooperate with suitable 5 elements 28 and 30 which are preferably made of pyrophoric metal but which may for convenience be referred to simply as flints. The iiints are carried by a flint bearer 32 which is perforated at 34 to receive the operating cord I4. It will be understood that cord I4 holds the flint bearer 32 duringV relative rotation of the yo-yo body, thereby affording movement of the abrasive surfaces relative to the flints, With resulting sparkling of the yo-yo when operated.

Considering the arrangement in greater .detail, the circular bodies I8 and 20 are preferably made of sheet metall The abrasive surfaces 24 and 26 may be constructed by cementing in place narrow strips of emery cloth or like ab- A rasive material. However, `I find it advantageous to rotate the yo-yo body and to apply cement at the bands 24 and 26, and to thereafter apply abrasive grains to the adhesive bands, as by the use of an air spray gun or the like. 25 It will be understood that the sheet metal bodies are preferably so shaped as to provide a flat raised rim for the abrasive bands. It may also be pointed out that it is desirable that the inner face of each body be stepped outwardly in one or more rounded steps, as indicated at 36, thereby facilitating passage of the operating cord I4 into the groove I6, and also preventing rubbing of the operating cord on the abrasive surfaces which otherwise would prematurely wear out the cord.

The flint bearer 32 is in the form of a sheet metal yoke the arms. 38 of which are rotatably related to the yo-yo body. In the present case the arms 38 are provided with bearing pins 40. 40 These pins are tubular and are preliminarily expanded or collared at 42, after which they areV passed through perforations in arms 38 and are riveted'or flanged at 44. Arm 38 is clamped between collar 42 and flange 44. The outer walls 4 of the rotatable bodies I8 and 26 are centrally perforated to receive pins 40, as is clearly sho-Wn in Fig. 2. The yoke is preferably made of somewhat resilient metal and may be expanded or spread when applying the same to or removing the same from' the yo-yo` body I2. The normal or closed position of the yoke is as shown in Fig. 2, with the bearing pins 40 received in the mating bearing holes of the yo-yo.

Perforation 34 is preferably rounded to smooth condition in order not to wear out the operating cord I4. This may be done by adding an eyelet to the perforation or by folding the lmetal over and rounding the resulting folded edge.

'Ihe flints 28 and 30 are secured at their upper ends to flint plates 4B best shown in Fig.- 3. These plates have outwardly. projecting pivot lugs 48 at the lends remote from the flints. 'Ihe sides sides of yoke 32 and leading Vto the bearing perl of yoke 32 near the top or bend of the yoke are perforated at 50 to receive the outermost lugs 48. mounted on independent flint plates, thetop of the yokehas a bearing 52 bent inwardly therefrom, this bearing being perforated to receive the inner pivot' lugs 48 of flint plates: 46.A Y

In order to make the flints readily-replaceable when worn, I provide slots 54 cut through the forations 50. These slots readily pass pivot lugs 48 when the lugs are presented in an'dgewise directionfgbut when :the vlugs are turned side-V p wardlyV as shown inl Fig. l or,3,vthey areunableito 1 pass/.through slots;54fand are locked in the bear-,fV

ing holes 50.- When the yoke andyo-'yobody I2` are assembled as shownin Figs. 1 and2; the flint plates. 45 Vare freely oscillatable and rest lightly gravitationally on the abrasive surfaces, but the permissible oscillation vof the flint plates is rela- Y tively limited, andthe plates cannot turn down- Wardly to a position in which they may fall or be removed fromY the bearings 50. When the yoke armsV are spread and the yoke removed from the yo-yo body, however, `it is readily possible to tilt the flint plates downwardly (or upwardly as viewed in Fig'. 3) until the plates are aligned in the direction of slots 54, at which .time they may be removed from the yoke. With the construction herershown,A in which one central bearing hole 52 is used for both flint plates, it is necessary to move both plates tothe loading or unloading position so that the overlapping lugs '48 at the inner or` adjacent edges of the flint plates are keptl in parallel relation.

' It is believed that the mode of constructing and using', as: wellas the -many advantages of Inyimproved sparkling yo-yo, will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description thereof. The yo-yo is operated in the usual manner, it being dropped or thrown while holding the free end of the operating cord, thus imparting rotation to the yo-yo body, which, when the string is unwound, continues to rotate in the samek direction and then winds itself up on the operating cord. During the operation of the yo-yo, a' sparkling or illuminated effect is obtained which is especially attractive at night. The rotation of the yo-yo is not appreciably restrained because the flint bears against the abrasive surface with only a light gravitational pressure and is quite fr ee for self-adjusting movement. 'Ihe mechanism added forjproducing the desiredsparkin'g is Acomparatively simple and inexpensive.

flints are readilyy accessible for replacement.

An advantage of the yoke construction here disclosed is the ease with whichy the yoke may b e removed from the yo-yo, thus restoring the rotatable body to the form of an ordinary yor-yo which may be used in the regular manner. A child playing with the yo-yo may preferito remove the yoke during the day-time and to replace the sameV at night, thus using the'sparkling Y feature only when most effective.

It will be apparent that while I havel shown and described my invention in preferred forms, many changes and modifications may be made Where, as is here krthe case, the .flints are The in the structures disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention defined in the following claims.

I claim: f

1. A sparkling yo-yo Vcomprising a centrally grooved circular disc-like body, an operating cord looped in said groove and adapted to be wound or unwound in either directionduring operation of the toy, Ya relatively wide yoke mem-V ber, said yoke member andbody having mating bearing parts for free rotation of the body Within the yoke, said yoke being perforated to receive the operating cord, abrasive surfaces on the outerperipheries of the body membenand flints mounted on flint carrying arms shorter than the Vwidth of the yoke member and housed within the lyoke membeijsaid arms being pivotally mounted on said yoke member and resting gravitationally on the abrasive surfaces, said operating cord serving to prevent rotation of the yoke and thereby providing relativemovement of the flints and abrasive surfaces to cause sparkling of theyo-yo during operation. 1

2.,A sparkling yo-yo comprising two `circular f disc-like bodies connected in coaxial spaced re lation by a hub, an operating cord looped about,

the hub and adapted to be Wound or unwound in.

either direction during operation of thertoy, a. sheet metal yoke member, said yoke member and body having mating bearing parts for free rotation of thebody Within the yoke, said yoke being perforated to receive the operating cord, an abrasivel surface on the outer periphery` of a ybody, member, a flintlsecured `on a sheet metal int plate having outwardly projecting pivot lugs at one end thereof, the side wallsof said yokenear the edge thereof being :perforated to receive the pivot lugs of said ilint plate in ordervto pivotally. support the'flint in contact withathejabrasive surface, said flint plate being directed towardthe l other edge of the yoke and held in place between theV yoke'and the` body, said walls being slotted'r from the outside to the perforations in such die Y rection thatrthe flint plate is readily removed and replaced when the body is separatedfrom the yoke, but cannot be removed when the body is borne by the yoke.` f

3. A sparkling yo-yo comprising two circular disc-like bodies connected in vcoaxial spaced relation by a hub, an roperating cord looped about in either direction during operation of theV toy, a sheet metal yoke member having bearing pins received in bearing holes at the center of the body, said yoke being perforated to receive the operating cord, an abrasive surface on the outer periphery of a body member, a flint secured on a sheet-metal flintplate having outwardly project ing pivot lugs at oneend thereof, the side ,walls` of said yoke near the top thereof being perforated and slotted from the outside to said perforations,

the hub and adapted to be wound or unwound` the pivot lugs of said flint plate being detachably Y eries of the body member, ints secured on sheet metal int plates having outwardly projecting pivot lugs at one end thereof, the side walls of said yoke near the top thereof being perforated and slotted from the outside to said perforations, a central bearing lug being turned downwardly from the top Wall, the pivot lugs of said int plates being detachably received in said central and outside bearings in order to pivotally support the flints in contact with the abrasive surfaces.

5. A sparkling yo-yo comprising a centrally grooved circular disc-like body, an operating cord looped in said groove and adapted to be Wound or unwound in either direction during operation of the toy, a relatively wide yoke member, said yokemember and body having mating bearing parts for free rotation of the body within the yoke, said yoke being perforated to receive the operating cord, an abrasive surface on the outer periphery of the body member, and a flint mounted on a flint carrying arm housed within the yoke member, said arm being pivotally mounted -on said yoke member and resting gravitationally on the abrasive surface, said operating cord serving to prevent rotation of the yoke and thereby pro- Viding relative movement of the int and abrasive surface to cause sparkling of the yo-yo during operation.

LOUIS MARX.

Images