US3081578A - Spinner toy - Google Patents

Description

March 19, 1963 G. w. MOSHER SPINNER TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 4, 1960 INVENTOR.

GEORGE W. MOSHE/P BY ATTORNEY March 19, 1963 G. w. MOSHER 3,081,578

SPINNER TOY Filed 001;. 4, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. GEORGE W. MOSHE/i BY V .7

' ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,631,578 SPINNER TOY George W. Masher, 4412 W. Fork Road, Cincinnati 39, Ohio Filed Oct. 4, 1960, Ser. No. 60,329 '1 Claim. (Cl. 4672) This invention relates to a rotatable toy, and more particularly to a spinner simulating a yo-yo, having means associated therewith for producing pleasing sound effects and wherein the device is constructed in such a manner as to provide a pronounced gyroscopic effect.

An object of the invention is to provide a spinner type toy which comprises a pair of laterally spaced hollow annular disks which are interconnected for unitary rotation about an axial shaft which extends through said disks and wherein the opposite ends of said axial shaft terminate in axial end element or abutment means one or both of which may be held by the user of the device when operating the spinner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spinning toy which includes a finger-engageable bracket or bearing member which may be associated with an end element of the axial spindle of the toy for mounting said toy during operation.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a spinning toy having the hereinabove described characteristics which may be inexpensively manufactured and which will combine certain features of a yo-yo and gyroscope.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and as disclosed in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a spinning toy embodying the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a finger bracket which comprises a detail of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the finger bracket of FIG. 4 may be associated with the ball of the thumbof a user of the device.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the device may be held when imparting rotary motion thereto.

'FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are views illustrating various manners in whch the spinning device may be associated with the thumb of a user utilizing the finger bracket of FIG. 4.

FIG. 10 is a view illustrating the device of FIG. 2 when used as a yo-yo.

With particular reference now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the numerals 10 denote a pair of similar hollow disks fabricated from inner and outer panels 12 and 1 4 whose peripheral edges 16 are suitably secured in abutting relationship. Each of disks It} is suitably interconnected in laterally spaced relationship for unitary rotation about an axial spindle or shaft 18 which, as best illustrated in FIG. 3, terminates in ends 20* which project outwardly beyond faces 22 of outer panels 12 of the disks 1i Disks 10 may be secured to and carried by a hollow sleeve 30 and spaced apart by a shoulder 32 whereby hollow sleeve 30 is rotatably journaled relative to shaft 18.

The numerals 4!) denote generally a pair of axial end elements or abutment members each of which is secured to and carried by an opposite end 20 of shaft 18. End elements 46 are provided with an annular groove 42 intermediate an inner, axial face '44 normal to the axis of shaft 18 and an outer abutment element 46. In the preferred embodiment of the invention a resilient member 48 is secured to and carried by the outer face of abutment 46.

From the foregoing, it will be noted that disks 10 are thus mounted for concurrent and unitary rotation about axial shaft 18.

The numeral 50 denotes a mass-increasing member which may comprise a loop of heavy wire, or the like, wherein said mass-increasing member is located adjacent the maximum radius of the disks for thereb'y providing sufficient mass for enhancing the gyroscopic characteristics of said disks when rotating about shaft 18.

With particular reference now to FIG. 4, the numeral 69 denotes generally a finger bracket fabricated from sheet metal whereby to provide a body portion 62 from which a pair of outwardly divergent wings 64 project. The forward end of body portion 62 comprises a bearing plate '66 having an open-ended slot '68 provided therein, wherein said slot is defined by a pair of side edges 67 and 69 interconnected at their inner ends as at 65. The lateral spacing between edges 67 and 69 is of such a dimension as to receive annular slot 42. of ends 40 of the spinning device of FIGS. 1-3.

-As best illustrated in FIG. 5, finger bracket 60 may be associated with the thumb of a user of the device by disposing portion 66 over and in parallelism with the ball of thumb 82. The bracket may be securely though releasably anchored to the end of a thumb by bending side arms 64 away from the plane of portion 66 around the end of the thumb, as shown.

Rapid rotary motion may be imparted to the disks by means of a cord 0 wrapped about spacer 32 in opening 11 between disks 10.

As clearly illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawings, the spinner may be held by interposing the axial end elements 40 between thumb 82 and forefinger 86 for fixedly securing the spindle 18 in order that the disks 10 may be rotated incident to rapid pulling of cord 90 in the direction of headed arrow 92.

It should be understood that when an end element 40 has been associated with the finger bracket 60, the spindle 18 will be securely though releasably anchored to bearing plate '66 thereof and project at right angles therefrom. The spinning disks may be manipulated while suspended from the finger bracket on the thumb as in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 for thereby imparting an unusual play-effect to the device.

If it is desired to utilize the device as a yo-yo, a closed loop is provided in the end 'of cord 90 for precluding separation of the cord from central spacer element 32 for enabling the device to be used as a yo-yo as in FIG. 10.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, openings denoted by the numerals 93, and 97 may be provided in the outer panel 12 of the disks, and preferably four such openings are provided in the outer panels of one of said disks and a greater or lesser number of openings in the outer panel 12 of the other of said disks, whereby each of the disks, when rotated, will produce a different humming or whistling effect. This feature provides an interesting and novel effect to the toy in that the tones emitted from the disks when spinning at a high rate of speed will suddenly change as the momentum of the disk decreases.

The numerals 100 denote annular bands of resilient material disposed around the outer maximum periphery of each of the disks for providing a cushioning effect to the disks.

It should be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the structural details of the device, within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A spinner assembly comprising in combination, an

elongate spindle, axial end elements fixed relative to opposite ends of the spindle wherein at least one of said end elements includes an axial groove, a sleeve rotatably journaled on said spindle between said end elements, a pair of laterally spaced disks secured to and carried by said sleeve for rotation relative to said spindle and end elements, each of said disks including an annular weighted member adjacent its outer periphery for increasing the mass thereof, and a finger bracket including a bearing plate and finger engaging means integral therewith, said bearing plate having an open-ended slot therein to receive the groove of said end element for securely though releasably anchoring said spindle at one end to and supporting it to extend at right angles from said bearing plate and said finger engaging means including a pair of flat wing extensions of the bearing plate adapted to be fitted on and around a finger for the support of the 5 assembly by the finger.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,561,601 Szonnell July 24, 1951 10 2,645,881 Frangos July 21, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 862,866 Germany Jan. 12, 1953

Images