US2641865A - Toy locomotive - Google Patents

Description

June 16, 1953 GOWLAND 2,641,865

TOY LOCOMOTIVE Fi ed April 5, 1948 Inventor Mttorney Patented June 16, 1953 i' TOY, LOCOMOTIVE .J ohn" Pinkney Gowland; Palo Alto', Calif.

... Applic'ati01LApril 5,

1948, SerialLNo..,19,041

1' IriGreat Britain April 8, 194;?

ZIGlaims. 1

."This' inventionprovidesa; toy or amusement 'device'in which a"toy"figure"or object is- 'con- ""structed withrigid 'end parts *connected" by an "intermediate body part WhiClTiS expansible and contractible" and is normally maintained in expanded or contracted condition byspring or'like means, control means being provided for effecting relativemovement of the end parts against "the action of the spring 'or like means so as to contract or expand (as 'the'case'may be) the intermediate part. According to a feature of the invention, the intermediate part iscon structed 'as' a bellows, and according to, aim- "ther feature of the invention, suchbellows-may be adapted, under the control"'of-"said control means; to operate a sound-producing device concealed within the toy figure orobject.

According to a further feature of the invention,

'the' toy figure or object preferably'is mounted "on-wheels-onis' otherwise adapted to behauled= or pushed along the' ground or some other supporting surface; and is provided with a-lead or 'handle for hauling or pushing it "and also with a control member such as a rod, wire, cord or the likewhich extendsfromthe lead-or handle and is attached to oneoftheendparts of the toy figure or object for eflfectingthe relative movement 'of the two end: parts. "*Such a toy may be providedwith a lead'co nprisi-ng a Bowden cable or similar, device having a" sheath within whichextends awire; cord" or the like control member, thesheath and inner, control member being respectively connected directly 'orindirect- 1y to theztwoLendzparts'of 'rtheztoyfi-figure or object, so that relative longitudinal movementapa plied to the sheath and inner..member otthe. lead causes relative movement of-the twocend-sparts v.ior actuatingthe intermediate body partfoi the Y toy figure. .or object.

:In constructing toys according to ltheinvenz'tion, the two end parts may be .connectedby a coil'spring of diameter suitable to formtheintert .m'edi'ate'body part, the'ends of'the spring'bearing against suitable abutment surfaces onthe end parts respectively, .ancl'eachx'end part may "be.

provided with a boss which projects from its abutment surface andifits into :the .endrof the spring, so a to serve for locating the spring and parts have-the headhand limbs ofthe. figure'ythese members may .be rigid with their respective end parts;-or alternativelmone or more of these membets-may be articulated tdthe respectiveend 5 part andarranged to be moved relativelythereto by the contraction 'and'expansion of the i'ntermediate body'part. Suchan;articulatedimember may, "for example; be held against a socket or seating on the bodypart'by'meansfofa wire, cord or'other suitable'delvice connecting the member to the intermediate bodypartoriits'sprin 'means so that,'for"examplehthe connecting wire or the like is alternately tensionediand 'sla'ckened or otherwise; 'actuat'ediby the. movement of "the intermediate bodyitpart or its;spring:means so as to move thermemberypivotally; e g.;' up and down. Thus,"for'example,"thefigure.mayr;.be I

-providedwith: a head and legs separately artic- 'ulated'to their. end; .parts'iand all connected, singly and/or imgroups: of "two or-"more "members togetherytethespring means.

' The'invention is jsusceptibleipf numerous con- 'structional forms. Some embodiments of the in- "vention-are illustrated. in" the accompanying 25'drawing,--in which Fig. 1 shows one embodiment in. perspective; Fig; 2'is a side 'view of a second. embodiment, shownin actuated position; and

Fig. 3yis alongitudinal section of a'third em- 5 b-odiment.

"Theitoy; figure shown'inll'ig. 1 representsva -mock' human. figure and is constructed .with'. a "rigid. lowerrend: part :HJ havin or representing the; legs: and "feet of'ithe figure. on, I which is g'mounted a'collap'sible body part I l which is surmounted by ari'gid'end part'12 representinglthe headyand shoulders and-"equipped Withmoyable arms I241. V

' The" collapsible part -.II is formed by; a. coil 46 spring l3 which connectsithe two en :1.parts w .IB and I2 togethen'the ends jof 'f the .spring. bearing against suitablejabutment facesxon theend parts .10 and 12- respectively .andeach oflthoseiend parts being provided with a boss I l-whichprojects from its. abutment face. andrfitsinto the .end of the spring I3,so as to serve J for. locating and attachingf-the sprin and ,endparts .':to-

...gether, a flexible-or telescopic tubular covers,

e. g., of fabric, being fitted over the spring and 50 secured at its ends to the end parts It and I2 around their bosses M. The figure is shown as being fixed by its lower end part III in a substantially erect position on a wheeled platform or carriage I6 to which is attached the outer 55 sheath l! of a lead I 8 as above mentioned, the

inner member IQ of which extends through the carriage l6 and figure and is attached to the upper end part |2 of the figure. The outer end of the lead I8 is terminated by a suitable handle 20 attached to the sheath l7, and the corresponding end of the inner control member H3 is attached to a suitable element, shown as a ring 2|, providing a fingerhold or trigger which may readily be engaged and pulled by a finger of a hand gripping the handle 20. Such a pull on the inner member l9 relatively to the sheath ll of the lead will pull the upper end part 12 of the figure downwards and so compress its body part I I against the action of the spring |3 which normally holds the body part extended. The body part may be made as a bellows for operating a suitable sound-producing device, e. g. of the conventional reed type, concealed in the figure, for instance, in the upper end part l2 in the vicinity of the mouth, or representation thereof, of the figure. For operating such a sound-producing device, the cover I5 of the body part II is made reasonably airtight.

The second embodiment of the invention as shown in Fig. 2 represents a mock figure of a quadruped animal such as a dog and is constructed with rigid end parts 22 and 23 represen ing the fore and hind quarters respectively, which are connected by an intermediate collapsible body part 24, the legs or feet of the figure being fitted individually with wheels or rollers 25. The collapsible body part 24 is similarly formed as in the embodiment of Fig. 1, by a coil spring 26 enclosed by a fiexible cover 21, which are secured to the end parts 22 and 23 similarly as described with reference to Fig. 1. The outer sheath ll of the tubular lead I8 is fixed to the fore part 22, and the inner control member IQ of the lead extends through the fore part 22 and body part 24 of the figure and is attached to the hind part 23 so that a pull on the inner member I9 relatively to the sheath I! of the lead l8, by means of the handle 20 and ring 2| of the lead, draws the hindquarters part 23 of the figure towards its forequarters part 22. The toy may be constructed so that this action causes the hind part to sink, as shown in Fig. 2, thus simulating the animal sitting down on its haunches. In this embodiment, as in the case of Fig. 1, the body part 24 may be constructed as an air bellows for operating a suitable sound-producing device provided in the figure, for instance, in the vicinity of its mouth. Instead of fitting the legs of such a figure individually with wheels 25, the

figure may be mounted on a wheeled platform or carriage, the fore legs being fixed tothe carriage and the hind legs being free to slide on it.

In another embodiment as shown in Fig. 3, a figure representing a toy locomotive is constructed with two rigid end parts 28 and 29 each mounted on a pair of wheels 30, the part 28 representing the front end and funnel of the locomotive and the other part 29 the cab, these parts being connected by an intermediate collapsible part 3| representing the boiler. Similarly as in the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, the part 3| is formed by a coil spring 32 enclosed by a flexible cover 33 and similarly secured to the end parts 23 and 29. In this case, the part 3| is preferably constructed as an air bellows, with the cover 33 reasonably airtight, and a whistle 34 is suitably arranged, for instance, in the funnel of the front part, as shown, so as to be blown upon the bellows boiler being collapsed by operation of the inner control member IQ of the tubular lead I8. For this purpose, the outer sheath I! of the lead is fixed to the front part 28 and the inner control member |9 extends through the parts 28 and 3| of the toy and is attached to the rear or cab part 29.

I claim:

1. A wheeled pull-along toy representing a locomotive having a longitudinally extending boiler, the toy comprising a front part representing the front end of the boiler, a pair of running wheels rotatably attached to said front part, a rear part separate from said front part representing a drivers cab, a further pair of running wheels rotatably attached to said rear part, a cylindrical longitudinally collapsible bellows interposed between said front and rear parts to represent a substantially cylindrical further portion of the boiler, one end of said bellows being attached to said front part to form a continuation of said front end of the boiler and the other end of said bellows being attached to said rear part to represent the boiler connection to said drivers cab, whereby said bellows forms a removable connection between said front and rear parts, spring means in said bellows for normally maintaining it in its substantially cylindrical extended position, a flexible sheath attached to the said front part, a flexible core positioned within said sheath for longitudinal movement therein, one end of said core extending from said attached end of the sheath and being connected to the rear part of the toy, and manual 1y operable actuating means for exerting a pull at the free end of said core relative to said sheath to longitudinally contract said bellows against the action of said spring means, thereby reducing the distancebetween said front and rear wheels.

2. A toy as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a whistle in pneumatic communication with the interior of said bellows, whereby movement of said bellows to vary the distance between said front and rear wheels causes the whistle to be sounded.

JOHN PINKNEY GOWLAND.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 202,990 Chinnock Apr. 30, 1878 281,360 Hall July 17, 1883 381,922 Hale May 1, 1888- l,098,303 Steiner et al. May 26, 1914 1,276,224 Isaaks Aug. 20, 1918 1,669,993 Muller May 15, 1928 2,022,861 Long Dec. 3, 1935 2,224,456 Janas Dec. 10, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 141,544 Great Britain Apr. 22, 1920 631,749 France Sept. 20, 1927

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