US2066239A - Dancing doll toy - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 29, 1936. R. G. TAHSLER DANCING DOLL TOY Filed Oct. 21, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l I'mvemon ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 29, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4Claims.

This invention relates to toys of'the mechanical type and has for an object to provide a mechanical toy including figures representing dancing couples which are moved about in a cruciform 5 path by a novel chain drive-and which during such movement will rotate or turn at intervals to simulate the movements of actual couples when dancing.

A further object is to provide a motor driven toy of this character which will be formed of a few strong, simple and durable parts, which will be inexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various. modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a toy constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the toy with the cover removed to expose the operating mechanism.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 showing a star wheel andv actuating means therefor.

' Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, l deslgITates a base from which rises vertical, side and end walls II and I2, the vertical walls being provided at the top with respective flanges Hi to which a cover plate I4 is secured by means of screws I 5 threaded into suitable openings I! in the flanges. The cover plate is provided with a substantially cruciform opening ll, the branches of which are sinuous rather than rectilinear as best shown in cured to the base ill by means of screws 2| passed through the flange and into the base. The

walls 20 are provided at the top with flanges 22 which support the closure l8 thereupon and screws 23 are passed through the closure and into the flanges 22 to secure the parts together.

A plurality of sprocket gears 24 are mounted to idle on respective posts 25 secured to the base by screws 26. Certain of the posts are secured at the upper ends to the closure by screws 21 while the remainder are secured to the cover plate by screws 28. Sprocket gears 24 thus are disposed at the ends of the arms of the closure and at the spaces between the arms as best shown in Figures 1 and 2. A sprocket chain 29 is trained over the outer sides of the gears at the ends ofthe arms of the closure and over .this' chain directly underlies and conforms to'the curvature of the sinuous slot 19.

The sprocket chain isequipped with pins. 30

at four equally spaced points and'these pins rise through the slot is. Starwheels 3| are provided.

with hubs 32 which are loosely fitted over associated pins 30 so that each star wheel is free to turn on the associated pin as a vertical axis. As best shown in Figure 3 dancing couples33 in the form of dolls are mounted on the star wheels.

An electric motor 34 is mounted on the base l0 and is connected by a chain drive 35 to a shaft 36 which is mounted in a bearing 31 that rises from the base Ill. The shaft is equipped with a bevel pinion 38 which meshes with a bevel gear 39 that is fixed to the hub of one of the sprocket gears 24. Whenthe motor is started the sprocket chain 29 will be caused to travel below the slot I 9 and will move the star wheels 3| along the slot. For causing the star wheels to rotate and thus filimllate turning of the dancing couples at spaeed intervals during travel along the slot IS, a plurality of abutments 40, preferably four in number, are arranged around the ends of the arms of the closure l8 and extend in an are on the cover plate ll, said are being concentric with the post 25' which supports the adjacent sprocket wheel 24 at the end of the closure arm as best shown in Figure 1. Consequently, as each starwheel progresses along the slot I 9 the arms of the star wheel will be struck in sequence by the four abutments near the end of each arm of the cruciform closure so that the star wheel will make a complete revolution. As there are four arms to the closure it each star wheel and the associated dolls thereon will make a complete turn while being moved around the periphery of the end of each arm of the closure so that tour complete turns will be made during each cycle or complete circuit of the slot l9. For ornamentation pennants H are disposed on the tops of the abutments 40 so that the abutments are flag poles.

Flag poles 42 are arranged at the four corners of the cover plate and are provided with pennants 43. At each corner of the cover plate preferably a miniature table 44 is supported upon a standard 45 which rises from the cover plate and at the table two dolls 46 are seated in miniature chairs .1, to simulate persons watching the dancers. v

In operation the motor is started to feed the chain 29 along the idling sprocket gears 24 and advance the star wheels 3| progressively around the cruciform sinuous slot l9. As each star wheel in succession encounters the series oi! four abutments or flag poles at the end of each arm of the slot, the star wheel will be rotated through a complete turn and the dancing dolls thereon turned accordingly to simulate the turns made by the dancing couples at the corners of a dance floor.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What-is claimed is:

1. A dancing doll toy comprising a support, a plurality of star wheels on the support, dolls in couples in waltz position on the star wheels, an endless carrier on the support mounting the star wheels at predetermined intervals apart, means for moving the endless carrier to advance the star wheels progressively in a sinuous path on the support, and upstanding pins on the support intercepting' the spokes of the star wheels and rotating the star wheels on their axes through one revolution at predetermined points in the path of travel of the star wheels.

2. A dancing doll toy comprising a support, a plurality of sprocket wheels on the support arranged in the form of a rectangle, means for rotating one of the sprocket wheels, a sprocket chain trained around the outer side of certain of the sprocket wheels and around the inner sides of others of the sprocket wheels, whereby the sprocket chain assumes a cruciform shape, a

cover tor the support having a slot of the same shapev as the sprocket chain and exposing the sprocket chain, revoluble star wheels mounted on the sprocket chain at spaced intervals and extending above the cover, dolls in couples in waltz through a complete revolution to simulate waltz turns being made by the dancing couples of dolls,

3. A dancing doll toy comprising a hollow support, a plurality of sprocket wheels concealed between the top and the bottom of the support, an endless sprocket chain trained over said sprocket wheels in a cruciform path, a motor on the supports. connected to one of the sprocket wheels for driving said chain, there being a cruciform slot in the top of the support exposing the chain, pins on the chain and spaced at intervals apart'i'ormingaxles, star wheels having hubs loose on said axles, dollsin couples in waltz position on the star wheels, and stationary pins on the top of the supportat'the ends of the arms of the cruciform chain intercepting the spokes of the star wheels and rotating the star wheels through a complete revolution to simulate waltz turns being made by the dancing couples while being moved around the periphery of the ends of the 'arms of the cruciform chain.v

4. A dancing doll toy comprising a support, an endless sprocket chain, sprocket wheels arranged in the form of a rectangle, the sprocket chain being trained over the sprocket wheels in a cruciform path, means operatively connected to one of the sprocket wheels for driving the sprocket chain in a cruciform path, a cover on the sup-- port concealing the sprocket wheels and having a cruiciform slot exposing the chain, star wheels disposed at intervals along the chain and exposed above said cover, the star wheels being adapted to turn on their axes, dolls in couples in waltz position on the star wheels, pins on the cover located on an arc concentric with the loop formed by the end oi each arm of the cruciform slot and adapted to intercept an advancing star wheel and impart a complete revolution to the star wheel during its progress around said loop whereby to simulate waltz turns being made by the dancing couple on the star wheel.

RICHARD G. TAHSLER.

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