US3283442A

US3283442A - Spinning toy launcher

Info

Publication number: US3283442A
Application number: US374716A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gould Albert
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-06-12
Filing date: 1964-06-12
Publication date: 1966-11-08
Anticipated expiration: 1983-11-08

Description

Nov. 8, 1966 A. GOULD SPINNING TOY LAUNCHER Filed June 12, 1964 FlG.6

I Y M 5 mm M. 3 O R 1;. m w 11k AIM M United States Patent 3,283,442 SIINNING TOY LAUNCHER Albert Gould, 14 Shady Brook Road, Great Neck, N.Y. Filed June 12, 1964, Ser. No. 374,716 7 Claims. (Cl. 46-72) The present invention relates to spinning toys and their launchers.

These toys may be classed as tops for spinning on the ground or they may be of the propeller-type which twirl and soar in the air. These toys include a central downward shank on which a free cord is wound. Then the toy is set with its laden shank entered into the upper end of a vertically-held tubular member; said end having a downward notch. The free end portion of the cord is positioned through said notch and allowed to hang down outside the tube. Now the cord is pulled until it is separated from the toy to which it has imparted a rapid rotary movement. If it is a top, it will rise out of the launching tube, drop to the ground and spin. If the toy is of the propeller-type, it will soar into the air and twirl.

It would be simple and economical to make these toys and their launchers in particular out of plastic. But in pulling the cord, which must be at a rapid rate to be effective, launchers made of plastic become useless after only five or six'employments thereof, because the cord either cuts a slit in the tube along its length or slits said launching tube circumferentially, when it is of plastic.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide a novel and improved plastic launching tube provided with means which will prevent the cord from cutting into it.

Regardless of what material the launching tube was made of heretofore, the hand that held it many a time had a finger cut into by the rapidly moving taut cord during the launching operation.

It is therefore another object of this invention to provide a novel and improved launching device of the kind set forth, in which the hand holding it is protected from being harmed by the cord.

A further object of this invention is to provide for the matters discussed, by oilering novel and improved constructions which are simple to manufacture, reasonable in cost and eflicient in carrying out the purposes for which they are designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

For one practice of this invention, a channel is provided in and along the entire wall of the notch in the launching tube. A rounded bottom, V-shaped piece of metal wire is forced into said channel. The cross section of said piece of wire is of a dimension that it extends into said notch and offers a notch for the cord to pass through which is somewhat smaller than the notch which it lines. To protect the hand holding the launcher, the notched tubular component, at top end, has an outward flange to support the toy and a protective skirt around the tubular component to serve as a handle. Said flange has a radial opening exposing said notch and the skirt has a heightwise opening, connecting with the opening in the flange so that a cord positioned through said notch could be passed through both said openings. To lift a spinning top, a permanent magnet piece is carried at the free end of the cord. To lift the spinning top, the cord is held so that said magnet is suspended therefrom.

The V-shaped wire liners may be associated as a slug of staples to be ejected by a suitable staple tacker device one at a time directly into said channels respectively. This materially affords a very cheap and easy manner of mounting them in the mass production of said launchers.

3,283,442 Eatented Nov. 8, 1966 lCQ In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a top and its launcher. This launcher embodies the teachings of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a pictorial view showing a propeller toy for which said launcher can be used.

FIG. .3 is an enlarged perspective view of the launcher, shown partly in section. The V-piece of wire is not shown herein, hence the channel along the notch is discernable.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary front view of FIG. 3, showing the wire piece in place.

FIG. 5 is a section taken at line 55 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a section taken at line 6-6 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a pictorial view showing the top of FIG. 1, spinning while suspended.

FIG. 8 is a front view of a staple tacker adapted for applying the V-shaped wire pieces into the channels provided in the launchers.

In the drawing, the numeral 15 designates generally a launcher for a top indicated generally as 16 or the propeller toy denoted generally as 17. Each of these toys has a downwardly extending shank on which a free cord 18 is tightly wound, leaving a portion of the cord to hang. For the top, if desired, the hanging cord end may carry a permanent magnet piece 19. In each instance, the

laden shank

20 or 21, as the case may be, is set into the upper end of a tubular member 22; said upward end of the tubular member having a downward notch 23. As is well known, the free end portion of the cord 18 is set from within said tube to extend through said notch and thence hang downwardly outside said tube. The free end of the cord is then quickly pulled with one hand, while said tube 22 is held in the other, whereupon a rapid rotary motion is imparted to the toy. The top 16 will rise out of the launcher 15, fall to the ground and spin on its lower peg 24. In the case of the propeller 17, it will soar and twirl. In the embodiments shown, the toys and their launcher are made of plastic. So on the top toy 16, the pointed peg 24 is of iron to stand the wear and an iron pointed peg 25 is provided at the upper end of the top body; said pegs of course, being along the tops axis. When the top is spinning on the ground, the magnet 19 may be suspended to attract the peg 25. This permits the spinning top 16 to be lifted 0d the ground and suspended from the said magnet. It will continue to spin as shown in FIG. 7; the top being hollow.

The upper end of the tubular member 22 is provided with an outer flange 26 from which an apron 27 depends in concentric relation with said tube. However, said flange has a radial opening 28 exposing the notch 23 and said apron is open heightwise at 29, to expose the heightwise lane of said notch. Said apron 27 serves as a handle and keeps the fingers away from the rapidly pulled string or cord 18 when a toy is actuated on the launcher 15. The outer face 26 of the flange may be concave to better support the toy resting thereon while being launched.

A feature of this invention is to provide means whereby the cord 18 will not cut into the tubular member 22, during the launching operation. To accomplish this, the entire surface of the wall of the notch 23 is edged with a V- shaped piece of metal, so the cord portion being unwound does not touch the launcher body proper which is of plastic. To mount a metal edging to line the notch wall, has heretofore been easier said than done. I have tried many ways and find that the tools necessary to form the metal piece andto securely mount it, required costly dies and assembly jigs, which made them prohibitive. Finally, I have devised the construction herein illustrated which consists of forming the wall of the notch 23 with a channel or groove 30 of a depth equal to less than the diameter and at least the radius of the stiff iron or other metal wire which I form into a V-shape 31 and force-fit into said groove; the width of said groove being a bit less than the diameter of said wire piece to afford such force-fit and of coursethe plastic of which the launcher is made has some resiliency and tightly holds such inserted piece.

The wall of the tube 22 has a thickened region which is an outer pad 32, in which the notch is, so as to give ample material to have the required seating for the metal piece 31. At the bight of said notch 23, the pad 32 is cut to make the channel 33 to expose the bight 31 of the metal piece 31 and offer a clearance for the pulled cord 18 when drawn straight downward along said tube. In such instance, the bight 31' will keep the cord away from said tube. Such cut 33 in the pad is straight downward.

Of importance to note is that with an ordinary staple tacker 34, reconstructed to take a slug 35 comprising a multiplicity of V-pieces 31 in upright position and adapted to eject one of said pieces as inverted staples into the grooves 30 of launchers being manufactured, I have an inexpensive tool and an easy way to mount said pieces 31. It will be easily understood by those versed in the art that the tacker is properly fixed above a locating means to hold a launcher 15, so the piece 31 being ejected will enter the groove 30.

The launcher body is preferably a one-piece item molded of polystyrene or any other suitable plastic.

The terms spinning and twirling as used herein shall be deemed synonomous.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applications without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore intended and desired that the embodiment shown herein shall be deemed illustrative and not restrictive and that the patent shall cover all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had to the following claims rather than to the specific showing and description herein, to indicate the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. For a spinning toy having a central downward shank for a free cord to be tightly wound on and then rapidly pulled oif to impart rotary motion to said toy, a launcher comprising an upright plastic tubular member having a downwardly extending upright V-shaped notch in the top end of its wall and a V-shaped metal piece on and along the surface of said notch, securely held on said member; said tubular member being adapted to receive the laden shank.

2.- For a spinning toy having a central downward shank for a free cord to be tightly wound on and then rapidly pulled off to impart rotary motion to said toy, a launcher comprising an upright plastic tubular member having a downwardly extending upright V-shaped notch in the top end of its wall; said notch having a groove in and along its surface and a V-shaped metal piece along and securely held in said groove; said tubular member being adapted to receive the laden shank.

3. The article as defined in claim 2, wherein said metal piece extends into said notch whereby the size of the notch is diminished.

, 4. The article as defined in claim 2, wherein the metal piece is frictionally held in said groove.

"'5. The article as defined in claim 2, including a pad along each side of the notch, on the front surface of said tubular member and integral with said member; said pads being spaced whereby a downward channel is formed on said member immediately below the bight of said metal piece.

6. For a spinning toy having a central downward shank for a free cord to be tightly wound on and then rapidly pulled off to impart rotary motion to said toy, a launcher comprising an upright plastic tubular member having an outward flange at its top end and an apron extending downwardly from said flange;both said flange and apron being split in a common plane whereby said flange and apron each has an opening; said tubular member having a downwardly extending upright V-shaped notch in the top end of its wall; said openings exposing said notch and that portion of said tubular member which is below said notch and a V-shaped metal piece on and along the surface of i said notch, securely held on said member; said member being adapted to receive the laden shank.

7. An article as defined in claim 6, wherein the tubular member, its flange and the apron are integral.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS- 347,032 8/1886 Gold 46--72 1,411,974 4/1922 Mann 46242 1,633,486 6/1927 Lunz 4672 FOREIGN PATENTS 230,722 4/1944 Switzerland.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner.

R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. FOR A SPINNING TOY HAVING A CENTRAL DOWNWARD SHANK FOR A FREE CORD TO BE TIGHTLY WOUND ON AND THEN RAPIDLY PULLED OFF TO IMPART ROTARY MOTION TO SAID TOY, A LAUNCHER COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT PLASTIC TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING UPRIGHT V-SHAPED NOTCH IN THE TOP END OF ITS WALL AND A V-SHAPED METAL PIECE ON AND ALONG THE SURFACE OF SAID NOTCH, SECURELY HELD ON SAID MEMBER; SAID TUBULAR MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE LADEN SHANK.