US3774586A - Spring type projecting device with revolvable magazine - Google Patents

Abstract

A toy successive missile launcher having a launching device and a transmission device. The launching device has a hollow complex cylindrical body having plural launching tubes, a circular disk, and supports for a plurality of launching levers and a rotatable shaft. The transmission device has a frame provided with a member, a reduction gearing, a changing lever and a motor. The launching device is connected with the transmission device by the rotatable shaft which is mounted on said frame. The cylindrical body is attached to the circumference of said disk and contains said lever support and said launching levers inside it. The transmission device is caused to operate by a motor. The transmission device causes the launching device, with the in place missiles, to rotate. As the launching levers rotate they engage the fixed cam on the frame and are caused to pivot out of engagement with the in place missiles. A compressed spring in each launching tube will project a missile once the launching lever has been pivoted from engagement with the missile. A new missile may be positioned for firing by placing it in the launching tube while compressing the compression spring. An elastic band is used to bias each launching lever so that once the missile is in place in the launching tube the forward end of the launching lever will engage a ring on the missile and hold the missile until the launching lever is pivoted out of engagement with the missile.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Saito Nov. 27, 1973 SPRING TYPE PROJECTING DEVICE WITH 4 [5 REVOLVABLE MAGAZINE [75] Inventor: Shigeru Saito, Tokyo, Japan [7 3] Assignee: Masudaya Toy Co., Ltd., Tokyo,

Japan [22] Filed: July 7, 1972 [21] AppL. No.: 269,564

Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant ExaminerWilliarn R. Browne Attorney-Michael S. Striker [5 7 ABSTRACT A toy successive missile launcher having a launching device and a transmission device. The launching device has a hollow complex cylindrical body having plural launching tubes, a circular disk, and supports for a plurality of launching levers and a rotatable shaft' The transmission device has a frame provided with a member, a reduction gearing, a changing lever and a motor. The launching device is connected with the transmission device by the rotatable shaft which is mounted on said frame. The cylindrical body is attached to the circumference of said disk and contains said lever support and said launching levers inside it. The transmission device is caused to operate by a motor. The transmission device causes the launching device, with the in place missiles, to rotate. As the launching levers rotate they engage the fixed cam on the frame and are caused to pivot out of engagement with the in place missiles. A compressed spring in each launching tube will project a missile once the launching lever has been pivoted from engagement with the missile. A

lever will engage a ring on the missile and hold the missile until the launching lever is pivoted out of engagement with the missile.

4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures I Patented Nov. 27, 1973 4 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Nov. 27, 1973 3.774,586

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 27, 1973 3.774586 4 Sheets-Sheet :5

Patented Nov. 27, 1973 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 SPRING TYPE PROJECTING DEVICE WITI-I REVOLVABLE MAGAZINE This invention relates to a toy missile launcher launching successively toy missiles.

Therefore, one object of this invention is to provide a toy missile launcher modelled after a real thing.

Another object of this invention is to provide a toy missile launcher actuated easily and exactly by a simple means.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a toy missile launcher so as to attract childrens interest.

Briefly stated in accordance with one aspect of this invention, there is provided a toy missile launcher launching successively toy missiles which comprises a launching device and a transmission device. Said launching device is constructed with a hollow complex cylindrical body having a plural launching tubes, a

lever support having the same plurality of launching levers, a circular disk and a rotating shaft extends therethrough. Said transmission device includes a frame having a cam member, a reduction gearing, a changing lever and a motor. Said complex cylindrical body has a hollow short cylinder, a hollow polygon shaped prismoid in front of said cylinder. Said plural launching tubes are positioned around said prismoid. The base of the cylinder is attached to the circumference of said circular disk. Each of the launching tubes contains a spiral spring. The lever support is housed in the cylindrical body and fixed concentrically to said circular disk. Said rotatable shaft is made to pierce concentrically through said circular disk and said lever support and is fixed to them. Said lever support is provided with the a plurality of fulcrums around the front portion thereof. Said launching levers are pivoted at said fulcrums and fastened by a rubber ring to the rear portion surface of said lever support. The front end of each launching lever has a check pawl while the rear end of each launching lever protrudes backwards through a rectangular slot in said circular disk. Said hollow polygon shaped prismoid has a plurality of slots positioned on the sides thereof for the check pawls. Said rotatable shaft is made to mesh with or is detached from the reduction gearing by thechanging lever. The cam member is attached to the frame so as to be on the passage of the rear ends of said launching levers during rotation of the launching device. When missiles are charged into the launching tubes, it is preferable to detach the rotating shaft from the reduction gearing. The missile has a hoop around the body of it and is held in said launching tube by hooking said hoop with said check pawl. During rotation of said launching device, when meshed with the transmission device, the rear end of each check pawl comes in contact with the cam member successively and is pivoted about a fulcrum. The above pivoting causes each check pawl to be detached from the hoop of the missile and to permit the spiral spring to shoot the missile from the launching tube. Thus the missiles are launched successively from the launcher by rotation of the launching device.

This invention will be better understood and other objects and additional advantages of this invention will become apparent upon perusal of the following description taken in connection with drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a missile launcher of this invention loaded on a toy tank.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the launcher thereof.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the launcher stripped of a case and a lid thereof.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of launching levers which are pivoted on a lever support fixed to a circular disk thereof.

FIG. 5 is a back side view of the launching levers and the circular disk getting the transmission device cut off along line V--V in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the cylindrical body thereof.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the missile.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the preferred embodiment of this invention will now be described as follows.

A rotatable shaft 1 is driven by a reduction gearing 17. A cylindrical lever-supporter 7is fixed concentrically to the front surface of a circular disk 2 and to said rotating shaft I. Said shaft 1 passes through said circular disk 2 and said lever-supporter 7. There are four fulcrums 8 on the circumference of the front end of said lever-supporter 7. Four launching levers 9 are pivoted on said fulcrums 8 and arranged around said leversupporter 7. Each of said levers 9 has a check pawl 10 on the front end. Each lever extends through a slot 13 in said said circular disk 2. The four levers 9 are fastened to the side of the rear portion of said supporter 7 by a rubber band 14. A hollow complex cylindrical body 3 comprises a hollow short cylinder 4, a hollow octagon-like prismoid 5 in front of said cylinder 4, and four launching tubes 6 which are arranged around said prismoid 5 and extend inside said cylinder 4. Said cylindrical body 3 is fixed to the circumference of said circular disk 2 and houses said lever-supporter 7 and said four launching levers 9. Each launching tube 6 contains a spiral spring 16. Said octagon-like prismoid 5 is closed at the front end and has four slots 12 positioned on the circumferential side of it near the opening of each launching tube 6. Said rotating shaft 1 is mounted on aframe l8 and is made to engage and disengage the reduction gearing 17 by a changing lever 19. A roundish triangular cam member 15 is attached to the upper end of the front surface of the frame 18 so as to be positioned in the path of rotation of the rear end of each launching lever 9. The transmission includes a reduction gearing 17. When the rear ends of said launching levers 9 come in contact with said cam member 15, they are rotated about a fulcrum. The check pawls l0 sink down into the prismoid 5. Then the rear ends of each lever separates from said cam member 15, and returns to the original state by the action of the rubber band 14. Said check pawls 10 then move into said slits 12 of said prismoid 5. A missile 20 has a hoop 22 around the body of it and when it is charged into said launching tube 6, said spiral spring 16 in said tube 6 is compressed and said check pawl 10 hooks said hoop 22 and prevents the launch the missile 20. When the missile is positioned in the launching tube 6, it is preferable that the rotatable shaft 1 be out of meshing engagement with the reduction gearing 17. After charging the missiles 20 into the launching tubes 6, the changing lever 9 is made to return back to the original state. Said launching and said transmission are installed in a case 23 covered by a lid 24 modelled after the real missile launcher, and the launching tubes 6 protrude from the opening 25 on the front side of said case 23 covered by said lid 24.

This invention is such a toy missile launcher as described above. Therefore, in playing this toy, at first the launching is made to be out of mesh from the transmission by the changing lever in order to avoid shooting the missile by accident. Next, missiles are inserted into the launching tubes, respectively, then they compress the spiral springs in the tubes and are held by the check pawls which protrude through the slits of the polygonlike prismoid. After charging the missiles, the changing lever is made to return back in order to set the launching in mesh with the transmission means. The launching is driven through the rotating shaft by the transmission. Therefore, the launching tubes and the launching 1evers revolve about the rotating shaft and when the rear ends of the launching levers come successively in contact with the cam member, they are pushed up by it and the check pawls are depressed inside the polygon-like prismoid. Then the missiles become free from the check pawls and are shot successively by repulsion of the compressed spiral springs. The above sequence is repeated every time when the rear end of the launching lever is brought to the position of the cam-like piece by revolution.

This toy differs from the conventional one, namely the former is able to launch successively the missiles, but the latter is able to do only one launch with one charge. Therefore, this toy may attract childrens interest as it behaves realistically like a real thing.

While a particular embodiment of this invention has been illustrated and described, modification thereof will readily occur to those skilled in the art. It should be understood therefore that the invention is not limited to the particular arrangement disclosed but that the appended claims are intended to occur all modification which do not depart from the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A toy successive missile launcher, comprising a launching means for propelling a projectile, and a transmission means for rotating the launching means, said launching means constructed with a hollow complex cylindrical body having a plural launching tubes, a circular disk, lever supports with a plurality of launching levers, a rotatable shaft passing through the disk and rotatably supporting said launching means, said cylindrical body consists of a hollow short cylinder; a polygon shaped prismoid in front of said short cylinder; and said plural launching tubes arranged orderly around said polygon shaped prismoid, each of said launching tubes contains spring inside each said tube, said circular disk having a lever support mounted on the front surface thereof, said lever support having a plurality of fulcrums circumferentially positioned on the front end thereof for supporting longitudinally said launching levers on said fulcrums, the front end of each of said launching levers having a check pawl and each rear end of each of said launching levers protruding rearwards through a rectangular slot in said circular disk, said plural launching levers fastened to the rear end side surface of said lever support by a rubber band, said hollow polygon shaped prismoid having circumferentially arranged therearound a plurality of slots on the sides so as to permit the movement of said check pawls, said shaft through and fixed to said circular disk and said lever support, said transmission means having a frame provided with a cam member which touches successively each rear end of each of said launching levers during rotation of said launching means and synchronously disconnects successively each of said check pawls from the hoop of a toy missile; said transmission means having a reduction gearing; and a changing lever, said rotatable shaft of said launching means being engageable with said transmission means by the action of said changing lever.

2. A toy missile launcher as defined in claim 1, in which said polygon shaped prismoid is an octagon and said slots comprising four in number, said launching tubes are arranged four around said octagon shaped prismoid and said launching levers are pivoted on said lever supports.

3. A toy missile launcher as defined in claim 1, wherein said launcher is covered with a case and a lid modelled after a real missile launcher.

4. A toy missile launcher as defined in claim 1 wherein said launcher, is mounted on a toy tank.

Claims (4)

1. A toy successive missile launcher, comprising a launching means for propelling a projectile, and a transmission means for rotating the launching means, said launching means constructed with a hollow complex cylindrical body having a plural launching tubes, a circular disk, lever supports with a plurality of launching levers, a rotatable shaft passing through the disk and rotatably supporting said launching means, said cylindrical body consists of a hollow short cylinder; a polygon shaped prismoid in front of said short cylinder; and said plural launching tubes arranged orderly around said polygon shaped prismoid, each of said launching tubes contains spring inside each said tube, said circular disk having a lever support mounted on the front surface thereof, said lever support having a plurality of fulcrums circumferentially positioned on the front end thereof for supporting longitudinally said launching levers on said fulcrums, the front end of each of said launching levers having a check pawl and each rear end of each of said launching levers protruding rearwards through a rectangular slot in said circular disk, said plural launching leVers fastened to the rear end side surface of said lever support by a rubber band, said hollow polygon shaped prismoid having circumferentially arranged therearound a plurality of slots on the sides so as to permit the movement of said check pawls, said shaft through and fixed to said circular disk and said lever support, said transmission means having a frame provided with a cam member which touches successively each rear end of each of said launching levers during rotation of said launching means and synchronously disconnects successively each of said check pawls from the hoop of a toy missile; said transmission means having a reduction gearing; and a changing lever, said rotatable shaft of said launching means being engageable with said transmission means by the action of said changing lever.

2. A toy missile launcher as defined in claim 1, in which said polygon shaped prismoid is an octagon and said slots comprising four in number, said launching tubes are arranged four around said octagon shaped prismoid and said launching levers are pivoted on said lever supports.

3. A toy missile launcher as defined in claim 1, wherein said launcher is covered with a case and a lid modelled after a real missile launcher.

4. A toy missile launcher as defined in claim 1 wherein said launcher, is mounted on a toy tank.

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