US1264449A - Educational appliance. - Google Patents

Description

iunrrnn strane ravrniwr ornpn LOUIS W. STOGBAUER, k015 BIRNAMWOOD, WISCONSIN.

EDUCATIONAL APPLIANCE.

This invention relates to an educational appliance and particularly to a device for illustrating in a simple and clear manner for the use of schools, the motions of the earth around the sun and about its own axis. To this end the primary object is to provide an appliance of the kind which will be quite simple, strong, of few parts and easily operated; which shows the earth with its polar axis correctly inclined to its axis of rotation around the sun or its inclination to the plane of the ecliptic; which has means for imparting daily revolutions of the globe representing the earth about its axis, and which maintains the axis of the globe always at the proper angle throughout its rotation.`

With the above as the principal obj ect in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of the appliance, and

Fig. 2 is a detailed sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing, 10 indicates a base or standard of any construction, here shown as being formed of a central tubular-support 11 mounted on legs 12 which radiate at an angle from its lower end and are adapted to rest upon the floor, table, desk, or wherever convenient. Slidable longitu- `dinally in the tubular support is a rod or post 13 that projects upwardly from the top of the support and is held at any desired elevation by a thumb screw or nut 14 threaded in the top of the support. The rod or post 13 is made of any desired length and rigidly fastened on its upper end is a large spur gear wheel 15 immediately below which is a small beveled wheel 16 also fixed with the gearwheel 15 against rotation.

Below the gear wheel 15 is a frame 17 comprising a horizontal member 18 having a bearing 19 on its inner end rotatable about the post 13, and an inclined member Specification of Letters Patent.` )Patented dpr. 30, 11918.

Application filed August 2, 1917.

Serial No. 184,076.

20 that extends downwardly and inwardly freni the outer end of the member' 18 to the post 13 where it terminates in a bearing 2l also freely rotatable around the post 13. The two members of the frame 17 are connected together near the post 13 by a vertical brace 22. rllhc frame 17 as thus constructed is very light and strong and as the two bearings 19 and 21 are separated some in engagen'ient with the beveled gear wheelV 16 and rotated thereby vupon moving the frame 17. Theopposite or outer end of the shaft 24 has fixed thereon a beveled gear wheel 26 meshing with a like gear 27 mounted on the lower end of a short vertiv cal shaft 28 stepped in a projection 29 on the forward end of the frame 17 andrunning upwardly` through a bearing in a bracket 30 extending outwardly from the top'of the outermost bearing 23.

Rotating freely on the shaft 28 above the bracket `30 is a small pinion 32 in engagement with the large gear wheel 15 and rotatable by said gear wheel when the frame 17 revolves about the post 13. Carried upon the top face of the pinion 32 is a conically shaped projection or cup 33 provided on its inner side at the top edge with gear teeth 34 that engage and rotate a pinion 35 fixed on a pintle 3G projecting radially from a sphere 37 that is intended to represent the earth. The pintle 36 represents the South Pole of the earth while the North Pole is indicated by a like pintle 38 projecting from the sphere at a point diametrically opposite the pintle 36. The pintle 36 turns in a bearing in the upper end of the shaft 28 while the upper pintle 38 revolves in a bearing carried on the end of a semi-circular arm 39 that extends around one side of the sphere 37 and is attached to the upper end of the shaft 28.

To protect the gearing from injury, a drum 40 of suitable width and diameter surrounds said gearing and frame 17 and is supported from its lower edge by a shallow conical base 41 secured to the post 13. The top of the drum projects a short distance above the gear wheel 15 and in the plane of said top is a disk 42 that lies above the spur gear, its peripheral` edge being spaced fromv the drum L to provide a circular slot or opening 43 in which the conical cup 33, projecting upwardly therethrough, may travel. Supported by the disk 42 in the axial line of the gear wheel is a holder 44: for a candle or other form of illumination 45 which is designed to represent the sun.

Any desirable means may be provided for I rotating the frame 17 about the post 13, the movement causing the pinion 32 meshing with the large gear wheel 15 to revolve and through the gearing on the cup 33 revolve pinion 35 and also the sphere 37 about its axis of support. The gearing is so proportioned that' a. complete rotation around the light will cause the sphere to turn three hundred and sixty-live times, thus showing clearly the annual rotation of the earth about the-sun and its daily revolution about its own axis and the proportioned speed of these various movements. By means of the gearing 16, :25, 9.6 and 27 the shaft 28 rotates once on its own axis With each rotation of ther frame 17 and in the opposite direction, resulting in the inclination of the earth re maining constant and in the position illustrated in the drawing which shows the sun shining with greater directness upon the Southern Hemisphere than upon the Northern Hemisphere thereby producing summer in the Southern Hemisphere. A half turn of the frame 17 Will carry the sphere to the opposite side of the gear wheel 15, but through the action of the gearing driven by bevel pinion 16, the inclination of the sphere will not change but in this position the North Pole of the earth will incline toward the sun and` summer will prevail iu the Northern Hemisphere.

Vhat is claimed is:

An educational appliance comprising a fixed vertical post, a large spur gear wheel secured against rotation on the upper end of said post, a smaller gear wheel immediately below said first gear wheel and fixed thereto, a frame rotatably mounted at one end on said post below the gear wheels, a vertical shaft rotatably carried by the outer end of said frame, a gear wheel on said vertical shaft, gearings carried by said frame between said small iixed gear wheel and the gear wheel on the vertical shaft for rotating the latter at the same speed of rotation as that ofvl said frame about the post but in reverse direction, a sphere mounted on the upper ends of the vertical shaft and rotatable independently of said shaft in a bearing there` onl about an axis inclined to the shaft, a Second bearing for the sphere fixed to the vertical shaft, a pinion secured to said sphere, a second pinion driven by said fixed spur gear wheel and freely rotatable on the ver` tical shaft, and a gear ring mounted ou and rotatable with said second mentioned pinion and engaging the pinion on the sphere to cause the latter to rotate about its own axis.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS W. STOGBAUER.

litnesses ANDREW Honirrr, E. O. KinsnR.

Copiesnfrthis patent maybe obtained for tive cents each, byaddressng the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

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