US2934854A - Animated pull toy - Google Patents

Description

Filed April 15, 1959 J. N. COMFORT, SR

ANIMATED PULL TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ja/m N; Comfarf, 5/:

IN VEN TOR.

A. BY ZW EM ay 3,, 1960 J. N. COMFORT, SR 2,934,354

ANIMATED PULL TOY Filed April 15, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l. l, in

United States Patent The present invention generally relates to an amusement device and more particularlyto apull toy having a doll mounted thereon together with a ring member which encircles the dolls midsection in which both the doll and the ring move thus simulating a child using a hula hoop."

, The primary object of the present invention is to provide an animated pull toy incorporating a simulated doll and hoop in which the structure incorporates a mechanism for causing the doll to move back and forth and the ring to move in a circular motion during movement of the toy over a floor surface with the mechanism being actuated by the rear wheels which are provided with an eccentric cam disposed on an interconnecting shaft for causing operation of the movable components of the device.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an animated pull toy which is simple in construction, highly entertaining, easy to use, effective in simulating the movement of a person and hoop during movement of the hoop about the waist of a person and generally inexpensive to manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of. construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings forming'a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the animated pull toy of the present invention illustrating generally the structural details thereof;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the construction of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 33 of Figure 1 illustrating the details of construction thereof; and

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the construction of Figure 1.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral generally designates the pull toy of the present invention which includes a generally elongated and flat platform member 12 which is Wider at the rear end thereof than at the front and provided with a generally curved rear edge 14, although the rear edge could be straight, and converging side edges 16. The forward end of the platform 12 is downwardly curved as indicated by the numeral 18 and the downwardly curved portion terminates in a rearwardly extending horizontal flange 20.

Depending vertically from the sides edges 16 is a pair of side members 22 and 24 each of which is relatively narrow in the central portion thereof and depend to a juncture with the front horizontal flange 20 at the front end thereof and depend to a lower elevation at the rear thereof. Mounted on the front flange 20 is a spacer 26 provided with a bolt 28 extending through and secured to the flange 26. The bolt 30 extends through and supports a front axle 36 for pivotal movement about a vertical axis and the axle 30 has a wheel 32 on each end thereof which is secured in place by flanges 34 one of which may be removable and held in position by a re- "ice movable pin 36. A longitudinally extending pull tongue 38 extends forwardly from the front end of the toy and is connected to the axle or shaft 30 by bracket members 40 secured to the tongue 38 by fasteners 42 and secured to the axle 30 by eye members 44 encircling the same adjacent the inner surface of the wheels 32 whereby the tongue 38 may be manipulated for pivoting the axle 30 about the vertical axis formed by the bolt 28 thus providing steering control for the toy.

The rear portions of the side members 22 and 24 are provided with bosses 46 rotatably supporting an axle 48 interconnecting a pair of rear wheels 50 which engage the surface and which are locked to the axle or shaft 48 for rotating the shaft or axle 48 in response to longitudinal movement of the pull toy. Mounted rigidly on the axle or shaft 48 intermediate the ends thereof is an eccentric or cam 52 which rotates with the wheels 50 and with the axle 48.

Adjacent the center of the platform 12, there is provided a bracket 54 having a pair of depending lugs 56 which are interconnected by a pivot bolt 58 at their lower end with the pivot bolt 58 extending through an elongated lever 60 which has a flattened portion 62 at the rear end thereof in engagement with the surface of the eccentric 52 whereby the eccentric 52 will cause oscillation of the lever 60 about the pivot bolt 58. The front end of the lever 68 is also flattened horizontally as indicated by the numeral 64.

Rigidly attached to the lever 60 in rearwardly spaced relation to the pivot bolt 58 is a tubular member 66 which extends upwardly through an elongated slot-like opening 68 whereby oscillation of the lever 60 will cause arcuate swinging movement of the elongated tubular member 66 longitudinally in the slot 68. Mounted on the upper end of the tubular member 66 is an annular ring 70 having a depending rod 72 detachably and rotatably received within the tubular member 66.

Rigidly affixed to the platform 12 adjacent the forward end thereof and generally overlying the flattened end 64 is a tubular sleeve 74 which extends through the platform 12 and is secured thereto in any suitable manner. The tubular sleeve 74 slidably receives an elongated rod 76 having a laterally offset upper end 78 and having a weighted and rounded lower end member 80 which rests against the upper surface of the flattened end 64 of the lever 66 whereby oscillation of the lever 60 will raise and lower the rod 76 from the full line position to the dotted line position illustrated in Figure 3.

intermediate the slot 68 and the sleeve 74, there is provided a pair of L-shaped lugs 82 secured to the platform 12 and pivotally supporting a pair of leg members 84 by virtue of pivot pins 86 extending through the lower ends of the leg members 84 and the respective lugs 82. The upper ends of the leg members 84 are pivotally attached to a torso member 88 by virtue of a pivot pin 90 and the torso member 88 is received between the leg members 84. The torso member 88 is provided with a simulated head 92, arms 94, and hands 96 which are pivotally attached to the horizontal rod 78 by a pivot pin 98. The entire construction of the doll is disposed within the confines of the ring 70 and the arms 94 are rigid with the torso 88 thus providing anchored pivotal movement about pins 86 and vertical movement of the pin 98 thus causing arcuate swinging movement of the pivot pin Ni and associated parts of the legs 84 and torso 88 about the pivot pin 86 thus moving the simulated doll in substantially the same manner as a person would move when moving a hula hoop in a circular manner. As the sleeve 66 rocks back and forth, the ring 73 will be caused to move in a manner that actually simulates the circular movement of a person when causing a hoop to spin about the waist in a manner well known.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed. I

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An animated pull toy comprising a platform, steerable front wheels mounted on the forward end or" said platform for movement about a vertical axis for steering control of the platform, a pair of rear wheels journaled on said platform for supporting the rear end thereof, an eccentric driven by said rear wheels, an articulated doll member pivotally mounted on said platform and including a pair of leg portions pivotally attached to the platform and a torso portion pivotally attached to the leg portions, said torso portion having forwardly extending rigid arms, a substantially L-shaped rod having one end thereof pivotally attached to the ends of the arms with one leg of the L-shaped member slidably extending through the platform, and means mounted below the platform and engaged with said eccentric for raising and lowering the L-shaped member thus raising and lowering the arms and causing arcuate swinging movement of the leg portions and the torso about the pivotal connection between the leg portions and the platform thus providing a forward and reverse swinging movement of the pivotal connection between the torso and leg portions of thedoll.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 together with an annular ring member encircling the Waist portion of the doll, an elongated member depending from the rear edge of said ring, said depending member being rigidly connected to said lever for rocking movement therewith in a forward and rearward direction thus simulating the action of a child using a hoop spinning about the waist region.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said annular ring member is detachably and rotatably connected to the upper. end of said depending member.

4. The structure as defined in claim 3 wherein said rear wheels are interconnected by an axle with said eccentric member being rigidly mounted on the axle, said lever having flattened end portions with one end portion engaging the undersurface of the eccentric and the other end portion engaging the lower end of the L-shaped rod.

5. The structure as defined in claim 4 wherein said L-shaped rod is slidably received in a sleeve rigid with the platform thus guiding the movement of the L-shaped member in a vertical direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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