US3444644A - Tethered aerial top - Google Patents

Description

May 2U, 169 L. J. SAYEGH 3,444,644

TETHERED AERIAL TOP Filed July 26. 1966 FIG I INVEN LAWRENCE JO SAYEGH ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,444,644 TETHERED AERIAL TOP Lawrence Joseph Sayegh, One Sunset Ave., Cumberland, RI. 02864 Filed July 26, 1966, Ser. No. 567,909 Int. Cl. A63h 1/30 U.S. CI. 46-61 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A return top construction comprising two similar disc members, each disc member having a hub with a tapered axial opening, and an axial member having oppositely located truncated cones and a central circumferential slot, whereby, said two disc members are fastened, respectively, upon said oppositely located truncated cones in spaced relation about said central circumferential slot.

This invention relates to toys and more particularly to a stringed spinning toy commonly referred to as a return top or Yo-Yo.

In the past, such toys were very often made of wood and/or metal, however, recently, there has been an increase in the use of plastic for such return tops. The tops, which are composed of two discs joined by a center peg as an axle have had these pegs made of metal or wood. The present invention is primarily concerned with an improved top construction having two plastic discs joined by a center wooden peg.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved return top construction wherein the two discs of the top are joined to a wooden peg axle by mechanical means, removing the necessity for glue or solvents to make such a fastening.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved return top construction in which the central wooden peg axle acts as a spacer to fix the relative positions of the two discs.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment and the annexed drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a complete return top ready for use.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevational side detail view of the peg axle used in my novel return top construction.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the present novel return top with a cover panel removed to show the interior of one of the two discs of the return top.

Referring in greater particularity to the drawing, generally indicates, the novel return top. The top basically includes two plastic discs 12 and 14 joined by a wooden peg axle 16.

Each disc has a hub at its center, e.g. 13 in 12 and 15 in 14 and a retaining outer lip; 21 on 12 and 23 on 14, which contains and retains a convex shaped cover plate, e.g. 25 in 21 and 27 in 23. In addition, each disc has a central uniform opening through its hub. This is indicated by 30 in disc 12 and 32 in disc 14. Each opening has sidewalls which taper inwardly from the central slot between 3,444,644 Patented May 20, 1969 P CC the two discs 12 and 14 toward the cover plates 25 and 27. This is indicated by sidewalls 31 in opening 30 and sidewalls 33 in opening 32. In addition, the sidewalls 31 and 33 have inwardly directed equally spaced teeth such as are indicated by 35 in FIGS. 4 and 5.

Since the discs are preferably made of plastic they normally might be considered too light to provide sufiicient inertia for acceptable action. Accordingly, a plurality of uniform cylindrical slugs are integrally formed in each disc about its hub and located so as to be concealed by the disc cover plates. Such slugs are indicated in FIG. 5 by the numerals 36a, b, c, d, e and 1. These slugs provide additional properly distributed weight to supply the necessary inertia.

The two disks 12 and 14 are held in fixed spaced relation to each other to form a slot 20, by means of a substantially barrel shaped peg 16. The peg has a central circumferential slot 40 substantially equal in width to slot 20. This slot causes the peg to have a central cylindrical necked down portion 42. Joined to this necked down portion are two equal truncated conical members 44 and 46 at their respective broad bases 47 and 49. From its base each member 44 and 46 tapers inwardly, terminating at an enlarged circular lip; 50 on 44 and 52 on 46. The smoothly tapering surfaces are indicated by 54 on 44 and 56 on 46. The taper of surface 54 corresponds to the taper of sidewall 31, and the taper of surface 56 corresponds to the taper of sidewall 33. Preferably, lips 50 and 52 correspond in diameter to the bases 47 and 49.

To assemble the return top the discs 12 and 14 are placed with the larger parts of openings 30 and 32 in contact with the lips 50 and 52 and then pressed over the lips until the discs are snapped over the lips placing the tapering sidewalls of the openings in contact with the tapering surfaces of the peg, and so that the teeth 35 dig into the tapering surfaces. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the sidewall 31 is in contact with surface 54 and sidewall 33 is in contact with surface 56. Both surfaces 54 and 56 have teeth 35 embedded in them. The cover plates 25 and 27 are then cemented into place respectively with retaining lips 21 and 23. The string, indicated here as 60, is then placed in slot 40. The top is then ready for use.

I claim:

1. A return top construction comprising two similar disc members in facing, spaced relation joined by a centrally located axle member,

(a) said axle member including a central circumferential slot separating two similar end members substantially shaped as truncated cones and having facing base portions, each said end member including (I) a surface tapering inwardly from its base portion toward its outer end, terminating at said outer end in an enlarged circumferential lip no greater in diameter than its said base,

(b) each disc member containing two substantially parallel walls (I) one of said walls being fiat,

(II) the other of said walls having an outwardly extending centrally located hub with an outer end,

(III) said hub having an interior opening extending from said fiat disc wall to its outer end,

(IV) said opening being defined by smoothly tapering sidewalls extending from said fiat disc wall to said hub outer end,

(c) each said disc member being mounted on an axle member with the tapering sidewalls of the central opening of each disc member corresponding to the tapering surface of its respective end member,

(I) the enlarged circumferential lip of each end member engaging said outer end of its respective disc member hub and retaining said hub in place on said axle member,

(II) means for preventing rotation of each said disc member with respect to said axle,

(d) said two disc members being spaced on said axle with the flat walls of said disc members being in spaced relation to form a slot corresponding in width and orientation to said central slot in said axle member.

2. A return top construction as called for in claim 1 wherein said axle member is made of wood.

3. A return top construction as called for in claim 2 wherein said means for preventing rotation of each said disc member with respect to said axle are a plurality of teeth extending inwardly from the tapering sidewalls of each said disc opening and embedded into said axle.

4. A return top construction as called for in claim 3 wherein each disc member has a cover member joined to it to conceal its hub.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1965 Stivers 466l 6/1966 Radovan 46-61

Images