US1225733A - Musical toy. - Google Patents

Description

H. A. GRASS.

MUSICAL TOY. APPLlcATloN r|LED1uNE26.1s16.

Patented May 8,1917.

ANT FIC.

MUSICAL TOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented l/ay 8, 1917.

Application led June 26, 1916. Serial No. 105,785.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY ANDREW GRASS, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Musical Toys, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to musical skipping ropes of the kind in which the handles are provided with mechanism for making the musical tones while the child is skipping the rope.

The object of my invention is to provide an impro-ved construction and arrangement whereby .effective musical tones are obtained by a very simple and novel form of mech anism in either` one or both of the handles of the rope.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general desirability and effectiveness of a musical skipping rope of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends, my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of one of the handles of a skipping rope embodying the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section on line 2-2 in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line 8 3 in Fig. l.

Fig. 4L is an enlarged longitudinal section of the end portion of the handle.

Fig. 5 shows a complete skipping rope equipped with two handles of the kind shown in Figs. l to t, inclusive.

As thus illustrated, my invention comprises a handle A of wood or any other1 suitable material. Said handle is bored longitudinally, so that it is hollow, and is closed at its outer end by the integral portion a, or by any other suitable means. The inner end of the handle is closed by a disk B, and a longitudinal shaft C extends through this disk and engages the bearing c at its other end, which bearing is formed in the center of the integral portion a'. of the handle. This shaft is provided with a threaded portion for the disk I), which is adjacent the outer end of the handle, and the inner end of the shaft is formed with a crank-arm 1 which has an eye 2 for the end portion of the rope 3, so that when the rope is swung around it will rotate the shaft C within the handle. Adjacent the disk B, the said shaft is provided with a thick shoulder E for the disk e, the latter being similar to the disk D, except that only the latter is threaded and screwed onto the shaft. The wires F extend through notches 4f in the disks D and e, and are looped around the portions of these disks between adjacent notches, in the manner shown in Fig. 3, so that a plurality of wires extend between the two disks. By rotating the disk D, and also the disk e, these wires F can be tightened to give the desired tone. The plectrums Gr may be of any suitable form, and, as shown, are each in the form of a staple-shaped piece of metal driven through the side wall of the handle. (See Fig. 2.) These plectrums may be distributed around the surface of the handle in any desired manner,- and are of a length to engage the wires F, causing the latter to vibrate and give forth musical tones when the shaft C is rotated by the swinging motion of the rope.

Both handles of the rope can be constructed in this manner, if so desired. The construction practically involves a rotary harp in the handle, the means for engaging the strings of the harp being held stationary in the hand, as the handle A will be gripped tightly and held against motion. The swinging motion of the rope causes the harp to rotate within the handle, and the engagement of the strings or wires with the plectrums causes the desired musical effect.

The cylindric walls of the handle can be provided with perforations or apertures 5 to allow the sound vibrations to pass out of the handle.

I do not limit myself to the exact construction shown and described.

What I claim as my invention is z- 1. In a musical skipping rope, a handle, a rotary harp in said handle, and means in the handle for engaging and vibrating the strings of the harp during the rotation thereof by the swinging motion of the rope.

2. The structure of claim 1, substantially as shown and described, said harp comprising a longitudinal shaft provided with disks spaced apart thereon, and wires stretched between said disks.

3. The structure of claim l, substantially on the end of said shaft for the end of the rope, a fixed shoulder on said shaft, a'disl:V

bearing against said shoulder,v said shaft having a threaded portion, a disk screwed onto said threaded portion,V and wires stretched between said disks.

4. na musical skipping rope, a handle, a'

Vswinging, motion of the rope.`

5. Ina toy, a hollow body, a support in said body, said support and body being ca'- pable of relative rotation, Wires stretched taut on said support and extending Substantially parallel With the aXis of said rotation, mea-ns on the inner surface of said body to engage and vibrate said Wires, and meansto rotate said body and support relative to each other. Y

Signed by me at Chicago, lllin'ois, this 15th day of June, 1916. Y Y HENRY ANDREW' GRASS.

f Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, lay-addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

n Washington, D. C.

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