US2402949A - Mechanical toy high diving apparatus - Google Patents

Description

y 2 A. B. CARMlCHAEL, SR I 2,402,949

MECHANICAL TOY HIGH DIVING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 25, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jive/#01 fix: 3. Carmichael, Jr.

July 2,1946. A. BQCARMICHAEL, sh 2,402,949

MECHANICAL TOY HIGH DIVING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 23, 1945 ZSh eetS-Sheet 2 v Jvefifar I visa 6; Carmicfiqel, Jr.

Patentecl July 2, 1946 MECHANICAL TOY HIGH DIVING APPARATUS Asa B. Carmichael, Sr., Tujunga, Calif.

Application November 23, 1945, Serial No. 630,194

This invention relates to a mechanical toy diving apparatus and more particularly to a highdiving apparatus in which the toys dive freely under the influence of gravity.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved mechanical toy diving apparatus in which the toys dive free of the apparatus in simulation of high diving and in which the diving cycle is repeated automatically.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved mechanical toy diving apparatus in which toy devices dive free of the apparatus into a water tank and from which the toy divers are mechanically conveyed to the diving board to repeat the cycle.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved mechanical toy high-diving apparatus in which the toy divers are conveyed to the diving position while upright and in which the divers dive head first free of the apparatus into a water tank from which the toy divers are then automatically conveyed to repeat the cycle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanical toy high-diving apparatu in which the toy is carried by belt conveyors through magnetic attraction to the diving position and in which the divers are weighted so that they will fall head first into the water and be reconveyed to the diving position in an upright stance.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an automatic toy high-diving apparatus in which the toys are magnetized and are conveyed to the diving board by belt'conveyors and in which the toys are provided with cavities containing metallic mercury so that the toys will dive head first under the influence of gravity and be reconveyed in upright position to the diving board to repeat the cycle.

Other objects of this invention will appear from the following specification and claims and from the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view with part of the side wall cut away to show the construction;

Figure 2 is a plan view of part of the apparatus taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of part of the apparatus showing the diving position;

Figure 4 is a sectional detail through one of the conveyor belt supporting rollers and showing the belt construction; and

Figure 5 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing the construction of the toy diver.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, numerals l, 2, 3, 4, 5

8 Claims. (01. 46-130) and 6 constitute structural frame members between the side walls I and forming a structural core for supporting the whole upright structure. The side walls have been removed from Figure 1 to more clearly show the construction. Extending through the walls 1 is a drive shaft 3 on one end of which is mounted a powerful clocktype spring 9 of conventional construction which is Wound by the key ll] for rotating the shaft 8 counterclockwise, when viewed from Figure 1. At H and i2 stufiing boxes are provided to prevent water from leaking from tank I3 which is formed by the lower portions of side walls I and the front and rear walls 14 and [5, respectively.

Mounted on shaft 8 is the main power roller l6 which drives the main endless conveyor belt l1, passing thereover. Pulley [8 also mounted on shaft 8, drives pulley IS in a clockwise direction, through the crossed drive belt 20. The pulley I9 is fixed to a shaft 2|, journaled in side members 22 (Figure 2), the shaft 2| supporting the roller 23 for clockwise rotation. The roller 23 carries one end of conveyor belt 24, the other end of which is supported .by the roller 25 journaled in the upper ends of members 22.

The shaft 8 is further provided with pairs of rings 26, 21 and 28 in which the shaft 8 freely rotates. The rings 26, 21 and 28 carry bars 29, 30 and 3|, respectively, for supporting idler rollers32, 33 and 34, respectively, which guide conveyor belt I! in the proper path. The bars 35 assist in supporting the rollers 32 and 33. The upper end of the apparatus is provided with roller 36 rotating counterclockwise, roller 38 rotating counter-clockwise, and roller 31 rotating clockwise for guiding conveyor belt H, as shown in Figure 1. These rollers are suitably journaled in the frame members 4 and 5. The roller 36 is provided with a gear 39 meshing with a gear 40 on roller 31 and the bars 4| are provided to keep the rollers 36 and 31 in proper relationship. The opposite end of roller 31 is provided with a sprocket 42 having a chain 43 for driving sprocket :44 fixed on one end of roller 45 for driving the auxiliary endless conveyor belt 46 clockwise. The roller 45 is suitably journaled in frame member 2, and bars 41 connected to frame member I serve to strengthen the structural core. Endless conveyor belt 46 passes over idler rollers 48, 49 and 50 and the bars 5| and 52 further serve to steady the rollers and the structural core at the top of the apparatus.

The belts H, 7.4 and 46 are provided with steel cleats 53 at spaced regular intervals. Chrome steel is used so that the cleats will be rust-resistis to be noted that the diver is entirely free from the remainder of the apparatus during the dive and is held to the cleats by magnetism 'duringl the return trip to the diving board.

The conveyor belt 24 is located adjacent the bottom of a box-shaped trough having a bottom 55 and perpendicular side walls 22. 'Theperp'endicular side walls 22 are carried up a short dis-- tance and merge into diverging walls 56 extending .to the topof theside walls of the tank. At the rear of thetank, a floor and wall structure 57 is provided, spaced from the conveyor belt I! to form a channelway therewithfor the return passage of the diver, as shown in Figure 1. The floor and wall structure5'l is suitably supported by struts 5 8. All of the materials in the tank, under the water level are made of rust-resistant quality to prolong the life of the apparatus.

As can be seen in FigureS 1 and 5, the "chrome steel diver has a pivoted shoulderjoint at 59 so that the arms will be free to turn from a side position to aposition extending above the head. A cavity 60 in the posterior part of the head and a cavity 61 in the arms are partially filled with metallic mercury or quick-silver so that when the diver tips off the diving board the mercury stays inthe lower part of the arms to cause them to extend downwardly duringthe dive, as shown in Figurel. As seen in Figure 1, the horizontal portions of conveyors l1 and 46 are spaced apart a distance equal to the height of the diver, and, the lower conveyor I! extends slightly beyond the upper conveyor 46. Thus the magnetized diveris conveyed along anupright position, the feet being held by one of the metallic cleats on conveyor I! andthe head being held by one of the metallic cleats on the conveyor 46. When the diver reaches the diving position, .the upper conveyor 46 is disengaged from the divers head and the diver will tend to fall forward while the feet are still held by the lower conveyor, The mercury inthe diver assists in thefalling operation and causes a head-first dive. Since the mercury is in the posterior part of" the head, there will be a tendency for the diver to turn on,his back when he strikes the water we reaches theconveyor belt 24. If the diver should happen to land on conveyor 24 on his stomach, he will reach the diving board backwardly and result in a backward dive. This will lend diversity to the diving and will not be a, disadvantage. Even if the diver is conveyed sidewise, a side dive will appear as another of the divers tricks. A stout spiral spring 62 is provided at a point under the divers belt so that he may bend sufiiciently to negotiate the curved portion 63 of the lower part of the return passageway, as shown in Figure 1.

In eration, starting at position A, in Figure 1, on conveyor 24, the diver 54 is moved downwardly under conveyor belt H to become attached to the metallic cleats 53 on belt l! by magnetism. The diver is carried through position B and thence upwardly to position C, where cleats 53 on conveyor belt 45 assist in conveying the diver up wardly. Conveyors l1 and 4B, acting together,

then carry the diver in an upright position horizontally to the diving position D where the conveyor 4'6 disengages first from the diver and then conveyor l1 disengages. The magnetism in the toy diver is slight enough to permit disengagement to take place, Then the dive occurs as shown by position E and the diver strikes the water and floats down onto conveyor 24 and the cycle is repeated. The power spring 9 may be rewound at'intervals to provide continuous operation.

While a certain specific embodiment of this in- ';vention has been shown it will be understood that various modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention. Therefore, no limitations on the invention are intended other than are imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A toy high-divingapparatus comprising a diver, a water tank, and conveyormechanism in said water tank and extending upwardly and over said tank for conveying said diver in an upright stance to a high-diving position over said tank, said conveyor mechanism being constructed and arranged to disengage from the diver in the diving position to permit said diver to fall freely under the influence of gravity into said tank in simulation of a high dive and to repeat the cycle.

2. A toy highdiving apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said diver is magnetized and said conveyor mechanism is provided with metallic cleats to hold said diver by magnetic attraction during conveyance to the diving position.

3. A toy high-diving apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said diver is magnetized and said conveyor mechanism comprises a series ofendless belts, said belts being provided with metallic cleats, and a pair of said belts including vertically spaced horizontal runs over said tank whereby said diver is held in an upright stance between said horizontal runs and conveyed to the diving position. I

4. A toy high-diving apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said diver ismagnetized, said conveyor mechanism is constructed to metal for carrying the diver to diving position, and said diver includes mercury containing cavities for directing the diver in a head-first dive with arms extended. 7' p 5'. A toy high-diving apparatus comprising a diver, a water tank, a chute in said tank, a first belt conveyor in the bottom of said chute, a second belt conveyor having a lower horizontal run in said tank, a vertical run, and an upper horizontal run over said tank, a third belt conveyor having a vertical run and a horizontal run, said vertical runs being partially coextensive and said horizontal runs being vertically spaced from each other a distance equal to the height of said diver, and means for driving said conveyors whereby said diver is conveyed successively by said first conveyor, the horizontal run of said second conveyor, the vertical runs of said second and third conveyors, and the horizontal runs of said second and third conveyors.

6. A toy high-diving apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said diver is magnetized and said belt conveyors are provided with metallic cleats to hold said diver by magnetic attraction during conveyance.

7. A toy high-divingapparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the upper horizontal run of the second conveyor extends beyond the horizontal run of the third conveyor and constitutes a diving board, and wherein said diver contains mercuryis held and conveyed in an upright stance be- 10 tween s'aid horizontal runs, the feet of the diver engaging the upper horizontal run of the second conveyor and the head of the diver engaging the horizontal run of the third conveyor, and whereby the head of the diver is disengaged from the horizontal run of the third conveyor causing the diver to tilt forward and fall freely in simulation of a high-dive from the diving board.

ASA B. CARMICHAEL, SR.

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