US2792224A - Jumping rabbit and egg pull game - Google Patents

Description

y 1957 A. WHITE 2,792,224-

JUMPING RABBIT AND EGG PULL GAME Filed Feb. 10, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F E INVENTOR.

AMANDA LILLIAN WHITE BY y; u

May 14, 1957 A; WHITE 2,792,224

JUMPING RABBIT AND EGG PULL GAME:

Filed Feb. 10, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 llllllll INVENTOR. AMANDA LILLIAN WHITE Unite This invention relates to a game apparatus which, summarized briefly, comprises an upstanding, stationary post; an elongated arm extending radially from the post and mounted on the post to turn about the axis of the post; a figure in the form of a rabbit or other small animal on the outer end of the arm having a removable object in its mouth to be pulled out of the mouth by a child standing at a particular location upon a circle concentric with and disposed in proximity to a circular path taken by the figure when the arm is turned about its pivot axis, and means in association with the arm, mounted on the post, adapted to impart up and down movement to the arm as it rotates about said axis, to correspondingly impart a bouncing motion to the figure, making more difficult the pulling of the object from the figures mouth.

Important objects of the invention are to provide apparatus as stated which will provide a maximum amount of enjoyment, excitement, and physical development for the children playing the same; to impart such motion to the figure as will stimulate alertness on the part of the players, and will promote skill and dexterity on the part of the players while at the same time providing valuable education in self discipline; will be adapted to be played both outdoors and indoors; will be further adapted to be played by both sexes; will be rugged and relatively inexpensive to make; will be adapted to be played by both small and larger children; and will be capable of being played by a substantial number of children at one time.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a game apparatus formed according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 in which a portion of the arm has been broken away.

Fig. 3 is a still further enlarged sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view, still further enlarged, on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view, the scale being enlarged still further, on line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a greatly enlarged, fragmentary sectional view through the head of the toy figure, on line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modified construction.

Pig. 8 is a greatly enlarged sectional view on line 8-8 of Fig. 7. i

The apparatus constituting the present invention-includes a stationary, upstanding pedestal or standard, comprising a flat base 10 which can be of cast metal construction, and is formed with an upstanding, centrally disposed socket 112 having an upwardly opening, cylindrical recess receiving the lower end of a tubular post 14 formed open at its upper end and secured fixedly within the socket by States .atent ice diametrically opposed connecting screws 16 extending through smooth-walled openings formed in the socket and threadedly engaged in registering openings provided in the lower end of the post.

Extending about the upper end of the post 14 is a sleeve 18, having at its lower end diametrically opposed openings receiving connecting screws 20, which screws are threadedly engaged in correspondingly located openings provided in the upper end portion of post 14. Welded at their inner ends to and projecting radially from the sleeve are support rods 22, angularly spaced ninety degrees apart about the circumference of the sleeve, and inclined in a direction upwardly, outwardly from the sleeve. At their outer ends, the, rods 22 are welded to the inner surface of a large diameter ring 24, concentric with the post and lying in a horizontal plane above the upper end of the post. The ring 24 is formed from a length of flat bar material, which is formed to an annular shape with its ends welded or otherwise fixedly secured together, and the top edge of the ring is provided with a continuous series of undulations 26 alternating with curved recesses 27. The undulations and recesses cooperate to provide a scalloped or waved top edge on the ring, for a purpose to be made presently apparent.

A cylindrical spindle 28 is rotatably supported in the upper end portion of post 14, and is provided intermediate its ends with a cross pin 39, the ends of which project outwardly from the spindle to engage against the top ends of the post and sleeve, thus to support the spindle within the post with the upper end portion of the spindle pro jecting above the upper extremity of the post. The upwardly projected part of the spindle is formed with an upwardly opening, longitudinal recess 32 (see Fig. 3) and extending through said recess is an elongated arm generally designated 34. The arm 34 can be formed from a suitable length of board stock made of one or more pieces and set edgewise. The arm 34 has a relatively short portion 36 having an opening at one end receiving a pivot pin 38, whereby the arm is pivotally mounted upon the spindle 28, for swinging movement about a horizontal axis intersecting perpendicularly with the axis of rotation of the spindle.

At the end thereof adjacent the pivot pin 38, portion 36 of arm 34 merges into an inclined end portion 40, which is inclined in a direction upwardly, outwardly from the pivot axis of the arm, so as to project above the periphery of the ring, and beyond the ring. The outer end of the end portion 40 is apertured to receive a crossbar or handle 42, which is adapted to be grasped by a child for the purpose of swinging the arm about the axis of rotation of the spindle, during the playing of the game.

At its other end, the portion 36 of the arm 34 merge into an elongated main portion 44 of the arm, disposed radially, outwardly from the ring and inclining in a direction downwardly from the ring to the outer end of the arm, as best shown in Fig. 2.

Where the portion 36 extends across the ring circumference, said portion is formed with a downwardly. opening recess 46 (Figs. 2 and 4), and mounted rotatably in said recess, for rotation about a horizontal axis extending radially of the axis of rotation of spindle 28, is a roller 48. The roller 48 can be of any desired type, and preferably is so formed as to reduce friction between the roller and the ring to a minimum. The roller, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, is in contact with the waved top edge of the ring 24, and is formed with trunnions 50 (Fig. 4) rotatably engaged in downwardly opening bearing recesses 52 (Figs. 4 and 5). To hold the trunnions in the recesses, retaining bolts 54- are provided, extending through transversely aligned openings'provided in opposite walls of the recess, and the portions of the bolts that extend across the recess may be provided with bushings or sleeves 56 contacting the trunnions 50.

Secured fixedly to the outer end of the arm 34 is a toy figure 58, which in the illustrated example is in a shape of a jumping rabbit. As shown in Fig. 6', in the head of the figure there is formed a mouth opening 60, in which is adhesively or otherwise fixedly secured a relatively soft liner 62 of rubber or like material, adapted to relasably grip an object 64 which is preferably in the shape of an egg. The mouth is open at opposite sides thereof, so that the egg can be pulled out of the mouth by a suitable ring by a child standing close to but outside of a circle 65 marked upon the ground surface or other playing area.

Preferably, the stationary pedestal or standard is firmly anchored against accidental movement from its assigned position at the center point of the circle 65, and in a permanent mounting, there may be provided openings spaced ninety degrees apart about the marginal portion of the base 10, receiving anchoring studs 67 embedded in a concrete base 69 sunk into the ground surface G.

In playing the game, the children space themselves apart uniform distances, as for example three feet, over the full circumference of the circle 65, outside said circle, and are required to remain in the position to which they have been assigned. Then, a child in the center of the circle grasps the handle 42, and in one movement will operate a vertical motion of the rabbit by turning the arm about the axis of the spindle, the spindle rotating in the post 14, thus causing the animal figure 58 to move through a circular path concentric with and spaced inwardly a short distance from the circle 65 previously marked upon the ground surface.

As the arm 34 turns about the axis of the spindle, it moves upwardly and downwardly a number of times during the travel of the animal through the circular path, the up and down rocking of the arm resulting from the waved formation of the upper edge of the ring, with the roller rolling upwardly and downwardly over the undulations passing alternately the crests and valleys thereof.

This causes the toy figure to be given a hopping motion shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, as it travels through its circular path. As the toy figure hops during its travel through a circular path, each child standing upon the circle 65, as the animal passes by him, reaches out and attempts to grasp the eg -shaped object 64, to pull it from the figures mouth. The task of grasping the egg and pulling it out of the mouth is, of course, rendered difiicult by reason of the hopping motion of the animal and the relatively fast movement of the animal along the circular path prescribed therefor.

The child succeeding in pulling the egg out of the mouth is called the champion and is entitled to take the place of the child at the center of the circle, to turn the arm, the egg is replaced in the mouth of the toy rabbit and the game continued. As a result, it will be seen that considerable enjoyment, excitement, and dexterity results from playing of the game, with all of a large number of children being given equal participation. With this arrangement the child may operate the handle 42 so that the toy figure 58 may jump higher and lower, to accommodate children of various heights.

In Figs. 7 and 8, there is shown a slight modification, which is adapted to permit changing of the hopping motion of the animal at a particular part of its travel through a circular path. A ring segment 66 has openings spaced along the length thereof, registering with openings formed in the ring 24, and connecting bolts 68 are passed through the registering openings. The segment 66 is engaged against the outer surface of the ring 24, is concentric with the ring, and is formed with undulations providing alternating crests 70 and valleys 71. The undulations, however, are substantially longer and the crests 70 thereof are substantially higher than those of the ring 24, as best shown in Fig. 8, with the valleys 71 being, however,

4 no deeper than the valleys 27 of the ring 24 and being in full registration with said valleys 27.

By reason of this arrangement, whenever the ring segment is attached to the ring 24, the toy rabbit, while it passes through that part of its circular path corresponding to the length of the ring segment, will be given fewer but higher hops. Then, as the rabbit moves through the remaining part of its circular path, it will return to its original hopping motion, in which there are more but lower hops.

It will be seen that by attaching the ring segment, children of different sizes can play the game at one and the same time, and larger children, for example, can be stationed at that part of the circle 65 where the rabbit makes large, high hops, while smaller children can be stationed through the remaining part of the circle, where the rabbit makes small, low hops.

The ring segment can be attached or detached whenever desired, and in some commercial embodiments, various types of rings or segments may be employed, to impart different, corresponding motions to the animal. For example, the crests of a single ring used may be of various different heights, so that the rabbit sometimes leaps high, and other times makes a short, low bound. Still further, the path described by the rabbit when it makes each leap can be predetermined as desired, by forming the crests and valleys in different shapes. Thus, for example, each crest, rather than having a symmetrically, upwardly bowed shape as shown, can have a straight, inclined surface terminating in a short, vertical drop, so that the hops of the rabbit will be made through paths corresponding to the shape of the particular undulations.

It is to be understood that the crossbar or handle 42 may be pushed down by the child to make the rabbit jump one step at a time always in the same direction.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 1. A game apparatus of the class described comprising a stationary pedestal, a spindle rotatably supported in said pedestal, an arm carried by said spindle to rotate therewith and extending radially outwardly from the spindle, a figure on the outer end of the arm having a recess, and an object removably engaged in said recess to be pulled out of the recess by a player positioned adjacent a circular path described by said figure during rotation of the arm, a ring on the object to facilitate removal thereof, the arm being pivoted upon the spindle for up and down movement about a horizontal axi intersecting perpendicularly with the axis of rotation of the spindle, said apparatus further including means to impart up and down motion to the arm about its pivot axis during rotation of the arm and spindle, comprising a ring concentric with and fixedly secured to the pedestal and formed with a circumferential series of undulations on its upper edge, said arm being supported at a location spaced from the pivot axis thereof upon said upper edge of the ring so as to be rocked upwardly and downwardly about its pivot axis as it passes over successively following undulations of the ring, the arm including a roller in engagement with the undulant top edge of the ring.

2. A game apparatus of the class described comprising a stationary pedestal, a spindle rotatably supported in said pedestal, an arm carried by said spindle to rotate therewith and extendingradially outwardly from the spindle, a figure on the outer end of the arm having a recess, and an egg-shaped object removably engaged in said recess to be pulled out of the recess by a player positioned adjacent a circular path described by said figure during rotation of the arm, the arm being pivoted upon the spindle for up and down movement about a horizontal axis intersecting perpendicularly with the axis of rotation of the spindle, said apparatus further including means to impart up and down motion to the arm about its pivot axis during rotation of the arm and spindle, comprising a ring concentric with and fixedly secured to the pedestal and formed with a circumferential series of undulations on its upper edg said arm being supported at a location spaced from the pivot axis thereof upon said upper edge of the ring so as to be rocked upwardly and downwardly about its pivot axis as it passes over successively following undulations of the ring, said undulation being formed as alternating crests and valleys and said crests and valleys being symmetrically, oppositely curved, said figure being formed in the simulation of a rabbit, and a ring protruding from said object to facilitate removal of the object.

3. A game apparatus of the clas described comprising a stationary pedestal, a spindle rotatably supported in said pedestal, an arm carried by said spindle to rotate therewith and extending radially outwardly from the spindle, a figure on the outer end of the arm having a recess, and an object removably engaged in said recess to be pulled out of the recess by a player positioned adjacent a circular path described by said figure during rotation of the arm, the arm being pivoted upon the spindle for up and down movement about a horizontal axis intersecting perpendicularly with the axis of rotation of the spindle, said apparatus further including mean to impart up and down motion to the arm about its pivot axis during rotation of the arm and spindle, comprising a ring concentric with and fixedly secured to the pedestal and formed with a circumferential series of undulations on its upper edge, said arm being supported at a location spaced from the pivot axis thereof upon said upper edge of the ring so as to be rocked upwardly and downwardly about its Pivot axis as it passes over successively following undulations of the ring, said undulations being formed as alternating crests and valleys and said crests and valleys being symmetrically, oppositely curved, said apparatus further including a segment of a ring fixedly secured to the first-named ring and formed with undulations greater in length than those of the first-named ring, the undulations of said segment including crests rising to a height greater than the crests of the ring.

4. A game apparatus of the class described comprising a stationary pedestal, a spindle rotatably supported in said pedestal, an arm carried by said spindle to rotate therewith and extending radially outwardly from the spindle, a figure on the outer end of the arm having a recess, and an object removably engaged in said recess to be pulled out of the recess by a player positioned adjacent a circular path described by said figure during rotation of the arm, the arm being pivoted upon the spindle for up and down movement about a horizontal axis intersecting perpendicularly with the axis of rotation of the spindle, said apparatus further including means to im part up and down motion to the arm about it pivot axis during rotation of the arm and spindle, comprising a ring concentric with and fixedly secured to the pedestal and formed with a circumferential series of undulations on its upper edge, said arm being supported at a location spaced from the pivot 8X18 thereof upon said upper edge of the ring so as to be rocked upwardly and downwardly about it pivot axis as it passes over successively following undulations of the ring, said undulations being formed as alternating crests and valleys and said crests and valleys being symmetrically, oppositely curved, said apparatus further including a segment of a ring fixedly secured to the first-named ring and formed with undulations greater in length than those of the first-named ring, the undulations of said segment including crests rising to a height greater than the crests of the ring, said segment extending through substantially of the circumference of the ring.

5. A game apparatus of the class described comprising a stationary pedestal, a spindle rotatably supported in said pedestal, an arm carried by said spindle to rotate therewith and extending radially outwardly from the spindle, a figure on the outer end of the arm having a recess, and an object removably engaged in said recess to be pulled out of the recess by a player positioned adjacent a circular path described by said figure during rotation of the arm, said figure being formed in the simulation of a rabbit with said recess being provided at the location of the mouth of the rabbit, the figure including a relatively soft, resilient liner in said mouth adapted to grippingly or yieldingly engage about said object.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 734,681 Dorsey July 28, 1903 1,277,272 Tanabe Aug. 27, 1918 1,583,287 Fisher May 4, 1926 2,200,864 Spinelli May 14, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 8,922 Great Britain 1911 934,751 Germany Nov. 3, 1955

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