US3423873A - Rolling carousel - Google Patents

Description

R. I. GENIN ROLLING CAROUSEL Jan. 28, 1969 Sheet of .3

Filed Jan. 5, 1967 R. I. GENIN 3,423,873 ROLLING CAROUSEL Jan-28, 1969 Sheet Filed Jan. 5, 1967 INVENTORL I 6.5

flJ ZOIPA EX Jan. 28, 1969 R. 1.v GENIN 3,423,873

ROLLING CAROUSEL Filed Jan. 5, 1967 Sheet l of 5 United States Patent 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rolling toy carousel in which a turntable supported on a wagon is arranged to rotate as the wagon is pulled. Mounted above the turntable is a circular array of xylophone bars which are struck in sequence by a hammer operatively linked to the turntable, the hammer being caused to rock back and forth as the turntable rotates.

This invention relates generally to rolling toys, and more particularly to a rolling carousel which is caused both to rotate and to play a tune as the toy is pulled.

Carousels or merry-go-rounds, which are often found in amusement parks and carnivals, consist essentially of a turntable having seats thereon in the form of horses or other animals. The turntable rotates about a fixed center, usually to the accompaniment of calliope music. Because of their popularity, miniature versions of carousels have been produced as toys. The turntable of such toys is generally operated by a crank or spring-wound motor.

Pull toys are known which produce sounds as the toy is pulled by a child. Such toys usually include a reciprocating hammer which is operatively coupled to the wheels of the toy, the hammer being arranged to strike a bell or tone bar. The drawback to such toys is that the sounds are repetitive in nature and are not in a musical sequence.

Accordingly, it is the main object of this invention to provide a toy carousel mounted on wheels and adapted to turn as well as to produce musical effects as the toy is pulled.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a pull toy of the above type, having a turntable operatively coupled to the wheels of a wagon, the turn table having a circular cage of musical bars mounted thereon which are struck in sequence by a hammer as the turntable rotates.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rolling carousel of simple, inexpensive, 'but sturdy design, which may be manufactured at low cost.

A significant feature of this invention is that the toy intermingles the pleasures to be derived from both a carousel and a pull toy, a combination of motions and of sounds being produced concurrently. In pulling the toy, the child experiences the rolling motion of the wagon, the rotation of the carousel and the reciprocation of the hammer, as well as the musical sounds accompanying these actions.

Briefly stated, these objects are accomplished in a toy constituted by a flat-bed wagon having a turntable mounted thereon, the turntable being peripherally driven by a pinion operatively geared to the shaft of one set of wheels, such that as the wagon is pulled, the turntable is caused to rotate slowly. Mounted on the turntable about a circular cage is a series of tone-producing bars which are struck in sequence by a hammer. The hammer is mounted on a rocker which is actuated by pegs circumferentially arranged about the turntable so that as the turntable rotates, the hammer is caused to rock outwardly in advance of each bar, and when the bar is in alignment with the hammer, the hammer is then released to strike the bar.

3,423,873 Patented Jan. 28, 1969 In the course of a single rotation of the turntable all of the bars thereon are struck in sequence to produce a melody which is repeated when the turntable makes its next revolution.

For a better understanding of the invention, as well as other objects and further features thereof, reference is made to the following detailed description to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rolling carousel toy in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the toy, a portion thereof being cut away to expose the gear arrangement for turning the turntable;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section taken along the plane indicated by line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 separately shows the hammer mechanism before it is actuated;

FIG. 5 shows the hammer mechanism as it is being actuated;

FIG. 6 tone bars;

FIG. 7 is a section taken along the line 77 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the carousel with removed.

Referring now to the drawings, and mOre particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, there is shown a rolling carousel in accordance with the invention, the toy comprising a fiatbed wagon 10, having a front set of wheels 11 and 12 and a rear set 13 and 14. The wagon is pulled by a string 15 or by other means.

A vertical spindle 16 is anchored on the wagon at the center thereof, and rotating thereon is a circular platform or turntable 17 whose rim 17A is provided with gear teeth, the turntable having a vertical flange portion 18. Supported above turntable 17 is a circular array of xylophone bars 19 of various lengths to provide distinct tones in a sequence producing a simple melody. The bars in the array thereof lie against a cage 20 having the configuration of a truncated cone, the lower edge of which is received in a circular trackway 21 on the turntable. The upper edge of cage 20 is received within the circular trackway 22 of a spider 23 covered by a tent-like canopy 24.

The rear set of wheels 13 and 14 is mounted on an axle 25 having a drive gear 26 thereon which is at right angles to and intermeshes with the teeth of a transmission gear 27. Gear 27 is disposed at the underside of the wagon l0 and is linked by a stub shaft 28 to a pinion 29 disposed on the top side of the wagon, the pinion in turn engaging the teeth 17A on the periphery of the turntable. Thus as the wheels turn when the wagon is pulled, drive gear 26 rotates, and through the associated gear train, causes the turntable to turn about spindle 16. The speed of rotation depends on how fast the wagon is pulled and the gear ratio.

Cage 20, which may be molded in a single sheet, is composed, as best seen in FIG. 6, of slightly tapered rectangular sections, the first of which is identified by numeral 20A and the last, by 20N. These sections are interconnected by flexible hinge portions of reduced thickness which make it possible to bend the interconnected sections into the configuration of a truncated cone which is completed by joining the end sections together. Section 20A is provided with a pair of extension arms X and Y having pins X' and Y projecting therefrom which enter corresponding bores in section 20N.

Each section of the cage is provided with a window, on opposing edges of which are disposed small posts 30 and 31, projecting through rubber discs 32 and 33, respectively. The tone bars 19 have openings to receive posts 30 and 31, the bars being thus suspended on the cage but illustrates the framework for supporting the the canopy being acoustically isolated therefrom by the rubber discs, so that the bars may vibrate freely.

Mounted on top of the wagon adjacent the front set of wheels is a reciprocating hammer mechanism having a ball 34 attached to the end of a stick 35, extending upwardly from a pivoted rocker 36. A compression spring 37 urges the rocker to swing the ball against a tone bar. Rocker 36 is provided with a cam extension 38 in the form of a curved strip which has a sight inclination relative to the horizontal plane.

Projecting outwardly from flange 18 on the turntable is a series of spaced pegs 39, each peg being positioned thereon intermediate the tone bars thereabove. As the turntable rotates in the counterclockwise direction (FIGS. 1, 4 and 5), the pegs travel under cam 38 of the rocker and engage the undersurface of the cam, causing the rocker to swing outwardly to compress spring 37 and thereby withdrawing the hammer from the bars. When the moving peg exits from cam 38, rocker 36 is released and the hammer is then caused by the spring to swing inwardly to strike the bar then in its path. Thus as the turntable rotates, the pegs successively cause the hammer to swing outwardly in advance of each bar and then to release the hammer to strike the 'bar.

It will be seen that the bars have numbers and letters thereon, each representing a note in the scale. By the proper choice of bars, any desired melody may be played in the course of a single cycle of turntable movement. In practice, the bars may be replaceable, so that the child is able to arrange the toy to play different melodies. Consequently, as the child pulls the wagon, the turntable is caused to rotate, this rotation causing the hammer to reciprocate and to strike successive bars. To further simulate a carousel, the bars may have animal figures painted thereon.

While there has been shown and described a preferred embodiment of rolling carousel in accordance with the invention, it will be appreciated that many changes and modifications may be made therein without, however, de-

parting from the essential spirit of the invention as defined in the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. A rolling carousel comprising,

(a) a wagon having at least one set of wheels,

(b) a turntable mounted for rotation on said wagon,

(c) means operatively coupling said turntable to said set of wheels to cause rotation of the turntable as the wheels turn,

(d) an array of tone-producing elements supported on said turntable, said elements being constituted by Xylophone bars mounted on a conical cage,

(e) a reciprocating hammer mechanism associated with said elements, and

(f) means operatively coupled to said turntable to cause said mechanism to reciprocate to cause the hammer thereof successively to strike each of said elements in said array in the course of a single revolution of the turntable.

2. A rolling carousel as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means causing rotation of said turntable includes a pinion engaging teeth on the periphery of the turntable, and gear means intercoupling the set of wheels with said pinion.

3. A rolling carousel as set forth in claim 1, wherein said hammer mechanism is constituted by a rocker for supporting the hammer, said rocker having a cam extension which is engaged by a series of pegs projecting from the turntable.

4. A carousel as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cage is formed by rectangular sections which are hinged together.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,566,411 12/1925 Lopez 27231 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

H. DINITZ, Assistant Examiner.

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