US2105904A - Automaton merchandising device - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 18, 1938'. DALE 251135304 AUTOMATON MERCHANDIS'ING DEVICE Filed June '20, 1956 L2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Jan. 18, 1938. F, L, DALE 1 2,105,994

AUTOMATON MER CHANDI S IxNG DEVI CE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR n -L L ATTORN EY Patented Jan. 18,1938 Q a I 2,105,904

UNE'E'ED? STATES PATENT iOFFlCE 2,105,904 AUTOMATON MERCHANDISING DEVICE Frank L. Dale, Hartsville, Ind. Application June 20, 1936, Serial No. 86,380 3 Claims. (cl. 46-118) This invention relates to an improved autom- Link I8 has 2. depending lug 20 which works aton merchandising device. in slot ll of arm l6. Upon energizing motor l9 1' contemplate in a generic sense the provision it is apparent through the connections just deof a robot-like figure which is operated, preferscribed, that the tubular member l and the head 5 ably, by remote control to simulate certain human and neckwhich are fixed thereto will oscillate. 5 characteristics, such for example as, movement Upon particular reference to Figs. 1 and 4 of of the head, smoking, saluting and speaking. the drawings, it will be seen that a mouthpiece More specifically the invention comprises the 2! is positioned in the mouth 22 and is adapted figure of a human within the body of which is to receive a cigarette or the like 23. Nose 25 has 19 compactly arranged the mechanism for oscillatan orifice 25 at its base, and towards its top and ing the head and simultaneously exhaling smoke extending through head 6, is a small nipple 26. from a lighted cigarette through the nostrils, The inner terminals of mouthpiece 2| and nipple raising one arm from the body to the head, as 25 connect with couplings 28 and 29 respectively, in saluting, and speaking through a loudspeaker, said couplings being joined by the T 30 disposed 155 all of said mechanism being operable electrically at the upper end of pipe 3| which extends'downat any desired point removed from the automwardly through the tubular member l5. Each aton. coupling 28 and 29 is equipped with a ball valve To the accomplishment of the recited objects 32 and 33. Within housing H is a ep ndin and others co-ordinate therewith, the preferred bracket; 34 which supports a pair of reducing embodiment of my invention resides in the congears 35, crank-shaft 36 and pulley 3i. The 20 struction and arrangement of parts hereinafter outer end of crank-shaft 35 is pivotally condescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawnected to piston 38 of pump cylinder 3Q, suitably ings and embodied within the scope of the apsupported by bracket fill while a belt El is trained pended claims. over pulley 3! and is operated by an electric 2e In said drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation meter-42. t of the complete figure. A flexible tubing 43, in length ample to resist Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along any undue tensile distortion as the head is oscillines 2-2 of Fig. 1. lated, serves to connect the bottom of pipe 3i and Fig. 3 isa transverse sectional view taken along the corresponding end of cylinder 39. 80 lines a-s of Fig. 2. In the reference to Figs. 2 and 3 of the'draw- Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section of a portion ings, with respect to the mechanism for elevating of the head, and the arm. it is noted that shaft 43 extends trans- Fig. 5 is a schematic view of the electrical wirversely through body 5 and is rigidly fixed to ing system employed. arm 1 and the figure as at 45-arm 8 remaining 5 Similar reference characters indicate correstationary. This shaft carries a flanged pulley spending parts throughout. 46, and below said shaft are a pair of worm gears Broadly; the figure comprises a body 5, head 6, 41 and 48, the former having mounted thereon arms I and 8, legs 9 and Hi, all constructed from a disc 49 and the latter having a pulley 50. A

' cylindrical elements, as cans or drums. flexible wire or cord 5| connects pulley 46 and The body 5 serves as a housing for the major disc 49, and belt 52 is connected to motor 53.

portion of the operating mechanism, and is In the front of wall H of body 5 there is proformed of a relatively'large cylinder or drum vided a circular opening 55. In juxtaposition to having a vertical side wall ll, top plate I! and this opening is disposed at loudspeaker 55. Tobottomplate l3. wards the base of body 5 the various conductors Head 5 is carried by neck It which latter rests noted generally by the reference numeral 56 enter 45 upon top l2 of body 5, and both the head and through the small opening Ell-being suitably neck are designed to oscillate with respect to the connected to the motors et cetera. body, as will now be explained. Extending In the schematic view shown in Fig. 5, 58 is through top H of the body'and the-junction of the sound-amplifying unit, 59 is a microphone,

the head and neck is a tubular member l5, open 60 is a phonographic record turn-table 'and GI at both ends, and at its lower end having rigidly is a center control outfit. In this showing all fined thereto and extending laterally therefrom circuits can be easily traced from any suitable an arm 16, slotted at ll, said arm cooperating source of current supply as Aand B.-

, with link l8 carried by a small electric motor Hi In practical operation the automaton'figure is of the windshield wiper type. positioned at any suitable location and the con 55 trol with its accessories is hooked up at a distant building which usually point. By way of example, the figure may be set up in front of a conventional type of gasoline station and the control positioned within the comprises a part of 'such cut-out switch 62, motor I9 is energized resulting in an oscillating movement of head 6 and neck l4. When cut-out switch 63 is closed, motor 42 becomes energized stations. Upon closing and through the connection hereinbefore deimitation of a salute. This result follows through connections 44, 45, 46, worm gears 41, flexible wireil and the other associated appurtenances. The salute arm 1 is caused to resume a normal position similar to that of stationary arm ,8, by reason of its own weight. The salute may be accentuated ii head-oscillating means is actuated simultaneously, for then the movement of the arm and head'is synchronized, i. e. as the" movable. arm: 1 starts to move from its normally lowered position motor [9 is energized which causes head-Q to oscillate time arm I. is raised to the limit of its swing,

head 6 will j ave returned to create a mechanical simulationgf ihfa salute, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. I

Through the microphone 59 an attendant may greet a customer ashe drives up to the station,

or the attendant directed in the service cream by one who may be in charge of the station. The microphone may be employed in various other W ys which may suggest themselves to the owner or the operator of the station.

If preferred, on certain occasions a phono- Kraphic record can be placed on tum-table 60 and the sound emitted therefrom reproduced through-loudspeaker 55. Such record may en body a song, music, sales talk or the like. In this connection the amplifying unit 58 is provided with the usual input and, output circuits. Microphone .59 and phonographic producer are each show connectedto the input circuit through the leads as and respectively. The output circuit,

" point adjacent the lower extremity in profile, and by the the body head and the arm.

imitation. Various combinations can be worked out to suit the dictates of the particular occasion.

It should be understood that in its broader aspects the invention comprises not only the various means described but similar means for performing the recited functions. It is desired to reserve the right to make such changes or modifications as may come fairly within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An automaton merchandising device including a body, a head oscillatablein a horizontal plane, a pair of arms one of which is pivoted at the shoulder of the body and movable from a of the body to a position of salute and motor-actuated means associated with the body whereby upon a single movement of said arm from one position to the other, the head is timed to oscillate from front to profile and profile to front.

2. An automaton merchandising device including a body, a. head oscillatable in a horizontal plane, a pair of arms one of which is pivoted at the shoulder of the body and movable from a point adjacent the lower extremity of the body to a position of salute and means operable. within whereby upon movement of said arm from its lowermost point to salute, the head will concurrently oscillate in profile and return to a front view.

3. An automaton merchandising device including a body, a head oscillatable in a horizontal plane, a pair of arms, one of said arms being movable from a. point adjacent the lower extremity of the body to a position of salute, one

of said arms being immovable, a mouth-piece carried by the head, means operable within the body whereby upon a single movement of said arm from one position to the other, the head is timed to oscillate fromfront to profile and profile to front, and means adapted to simulate the act smoking through the mouth andnose of the with said movements of the mm: L. DALE.

head concurrently

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