US2990645A - Toy whale - Google Patents

Description

' D. A. POLZIN July 4, 1961 TOY WHALE Filed June 11, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTOR N EYE gram JH/V fizz/1V I I I I I I I I July 4, 1961 D. A. POLZIN} TOY WHALE Filed June 11, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet z 7 3mm 352921052 P05421111 ATTORN EYE United States Patent M Filed June 11, 1959, Ser. No. 819,669

4 Claims. (Cl. 46-243) 7 The. present invention relates to a toy whale of the animated variety.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an animated toy whale having means to simulate the action of a live whale.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy whale of the class described above having means to causethe whale to simulate the action of a whale when harpooned.

A further object of the invention is to provide a toy whale having power driven means for causing the whale to move through the water and to alternately dive and surface while moving through the water.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a toy whale of the class described above which is inexpensive to manufacture, simple to use and which will pro vide entertainment for children over a long period of time.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in light of the attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan View of the mechanism of the invention with the body shown in section, taken along the line 11 of FIGURE 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken along the line 2 -2 of FIGURE 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; I

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sec tional view taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation shown partially in section of a harpoon throwing accessory used with the toy whale; and

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation partially in section of a hook accessory used with the toy whale.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral 10 indicates generally a toy whale constructed in accordance with the invention.

The toy whale 10 includes a hollow plastic body 11 simulating generally the shape of the body of a whale. A hollow plastic false top 12 is secured to the top of the whale body 11 by means of screws 13. An electric motor 14 is mounted in the body 11 in ofiset relation with respect to the center line thereof near the rear end 15 of the body 11. A flipper tail 16 is mounted on the end 15 of the body 11 by means of a vertically extending pivot 17. An actuator arm 18 is fixed to the tail 16 and extends into the body 11. A yoke 19 is mounted on the inner end of the arm 18 and has a vertically extending slot 20 formed therein. A gear train 21 is connected to the rear end of the motor 14 and has a rearwardly extending crank 22 mounted for rotation thereon. The crank 22 engages in the slot 20 of the yoke 19 so that upon rotation of the gear train 21 the tail 16 is caused to oscillate from side to side on the pivot 17.

A second gear train 23 is mounted on the forward end of the motor 14 and carries an eccentrically moving tether pin 24 thereon. A bellows 25 is positioned forwardly of the motor 14 and is normally closed by an Patented July 4, 1961 internal spring (not shown). A pair of cords 26, 27 are connected to opposite sides of the bellows 25 and are trained over a plurality of pulleys 28 with their opposite ends connected to the tether pin 24, whereby on rotation of the gear train 23 the bellows 25 is expanded and then permitted to contract alternately. A conduit 29 extends from the bellows 25 to the mouth 30 of the body 11. A one way conduit 31 extends from the bellows 25 into the false top 12. The false top 12 has a port 32 "formed centrally therein overlying the one-way conduit 31 and a pair of symmetrically arranged holes 33 positioned on opposite sides of the false top 12 adjacent the body 11. The port 32 forms a dual purpose since it permits water forced out of the one way conduit 31 into the false top 12 to be squirted outwardly thereof to simulate the spouting of a whale. The openings 33 serve as drain holes to empty any water remaining in the false top 12 and also permits water to enter the false top 12 as the whale submerges. The water thus entering the false top 12 by means of the openings 33 affects the buoyancy of the whale and port 32 also permits air and water to be spouted outwardly therethrough as the whale submerges and the water enters through the openings 33.

A shaft '34 extends horizontally across the body 11 forwardly of the bellows 25 and has a weight 35 slidably mounted thereon. The weight 35 is normally positioned on the shaft 34 on the opposite side of the body 11 from the motor 14 so as to counterbalance the motor 14 to cause the body 11 to float in an erect position.

A coil spring 36 is held in compressed position by the weight 35, with the weight 35 in its counterbalancing position.

A trigger plate 37 is mounted in one side of the body 11 on a shaft '38 and is normally urged outwardly away from the body 11 by a coil spring 39. A second trigger plate 40 is mounted in the opposite side of the body 11 on a shaft 41 and is normally urged away from the body 11 by a coil spring '42. A cord '43 trained over a pulley 44 connects the shafts 38, 41 so that inward movement of the shaft 41 will cause the shaft 38 to also simultaneously move inwardly. A tripper 45 is secured to the underside of the body 11 by a pivot pin 46. An arm 47 extends inwardly from the inner end of the flipper 45 and is connected to an elongated link -48 by a pivot pin 49. The link 48 has an elongated slot 50 formed therein which engages over a mounting pin 51 supported in the body 11.

A cord 52 is connected to the weight 35 and is trained over a pulley 53 and passes through a bore in the upper end of the link 48 extending to an anchor point 54 adjacent the pulley 53. A latch 55 is mounted on the shaft 38 and normally retains the link 48 in the position illustrated in FIGURE 2. The compression of the coil spring 36 by the weight 35 maintains the cord 52 taut so that on movement of either of the trigger plates 37, 40 the latch 55 will release the link 48, permitting the coil spring 36 to move the weight 35 to the same side of the body 11 as the motor 14. This movement will cause the tripper 45 to be moved outwardly and will simultaneously overbalance the whale body 11, causing it to float on its side with the motor and weight 35 down.

A battery 59 is mounted in the forward end of the body 11 and has a switch connector bar 60 engaging the contact thereof. A pivoted post 61 is mounted in the body 11 and has a tether 62 connected to the switch bar 60. A cord 63 has one end connected to the post 61 and passes through a pair of guides 64, 65 with its opposite end connected to the weight 35. Movement of the weight 35, as described above, upon actuation of the trigger plates 37 or 40, will move the cord 63 to disengage the switch bar 60 from the battery 59 to deenergize the motor 14 so as to stop the propelling and pumping actionthereof.

A magnetized plate is mounted in the mouth 30 on a pair of angle guides 67 formed integrally with the body 11. The forward end of the magnetized plate 66 is provided with an undercut depending flange 68, as best seen in FIGURE 2. The magnetized'plate 66 is connected by a tether 69 to [the lower end of the post 61 so that on forward movement of the plate 66 the post 61 will be pivoted to move the switch bar 60 out of contact with the battery 59 so as to shut off the motor 14.

A harpoon gun is generally indicated at 70 in FIGURE and includes a suction cup base 7 1, standard 72, elongated tubular barrel 73, coil spring 74, release trigger 75 and a harpoon shaft 76 having a suction cup 77' mounted on its outer end. The harpoon shaft 76 is forced into the barrel 73 against a spring follower 78 and the spring 74 is held compressed by the trigger 75. Upon release of the trigger 75, the spring 74 expels the harpoon shaft 76 from the barrel 73 so that if properly aimed, suction cup 77 will strike the trigger plates 37 or 40 to establish the action described above. A tether 79 secures the harpoon shaft 76 to the barrel 73 to permit the harpoon shaft 76 to be retrieved following a shot.

A hook, indicated generally at 80 in FIGURE 6, consists of a shank 81 supported on a line 82 and having a cross bar 83 loosely mounted in the opposite end thereof, terminating in a pair of heads 84 rigidly secured to opposite ends thereof. The hook 80 is adapted to be used in conjunction with the magnetized plate 66 and the heads 84 cooperate with the depending flange 68 to prevent the hook 80 from slipping off of the magnetized plate 66.

In the use and operation of the invention, the whale is released in a pool of water, such as a bath tub with the motor 14 driving the body 11 forwardly by means of the tail 16 and simultaneously pumping water into and out of bellows 25 to vary the buoyancy of the body 11, causing the whale to alternately submerge and rise with a weak stream of water being expelled through the hole 32 as the whale rises to the surface, simulating the spouting of a whale. The whale when harpooned will roll over and cease moving in the water. When caught with the hook 80 the whale will stop moving forwardly and can be pulled in similarly to a fish.

Having thus described the preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that numerous structural. modifications: and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A whale simulating toy comprising a hollow body, a motor mounted in saidbody, propulsion means coupled to said motor, buoyancy varying means positioned in said body and actuated by said. motor, spring actuated oounterbalancing means mounted in said. body, said spring actuated counterbalancing meanscomprising a horizontal shaft mounted in said body transversely thereof, a weight slidably mounted on said shaft, and a coil spring mounted on said shaft and engaging said weight to move said weight from a balancing position to an overbalancing position at the opposite end of said shaft, a battery for energizing said motor, a switch connecting said battery to said motor, means connecting said switch to said weight, and means actuated from outside said body for releasing said spring to move said weight to overbalance said body and to simultaneously deenergize said motor by the weight pulling the means connected to the switch to actuate the switch to disconnect the battery from the motor.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for varying the buoyancy of said body comprises a bellows, and means on said motor actuating said bellows to pump water into and out of'said bellows.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said propulsion means comprises a tail mounted for oscillation on one end of said body and means on said motor for oscillating said tail.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a magnetized plate is mounted on said body for sliding movement with said plate beingengageable by a hook, and means actuated by movement of said plate for deenergizing said motor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,205,759 Lewis Nov. 21, 1916 1,271,272 Bunkley .t July 2, 1918 2,164,340 Morgan July 4, 1939 2,598,487 Anechiarico May 27, 1952 2,611,996 Garelick Sept. 30, 1952 2,854,787 Oberg Oct. 7, 1958

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