US2598354A - Toy disk projector - Google Patents

Description

y 1952 R. w. CLAUSS TOY DISK PROJECTOR Filed Jan. 12, 1949 JNVENTOR. (Zaawr 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII A 5/5 Arrow [r 0 fi 3 W m w v F m Patented May 27, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOY DISK PROJECTOR Robert W. C lauss, Riverdale, N. Y.

Application January 12, 1949, Serial No. 70,409

This invention relates to pistols for distributing advertising projectiles of the type described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,019,894 granted on November 5, 1935, to Max 0. Clauss.

This invention is an improvement thereover, and presents a compact structure easy to make and install into a pistol casing.

It is characteristic of these inventions to have an impelling element for discharging a projectile, as a disk on which advertising, educational or entertainment matter is preferably applied, move in a curvilinear or spiral path with respect to a horizontal plane or surface on which the projectile is moved forward in rotating motion, for giving the projectile a force to continue its motion by its own momentum in a straight line for a considerable distance.

Thelpresent improvement consists in providing a straight main portion in the impeller rod, adapted to superposed bearings, said impeller rod having a bent portion at right angles to the main portion and a second bent portion atright angles to the first bent portion extending upwardly, with a helical spring surrounding the main portion,-fixed at one end, and having its other end moved by the main portion to tension the spring,

4 Claims. (Cl. 12426) and a trigger mechanism acting directly on the said last named end of the spring to hold it in tensioned position, or to release said end in order to have the spring exert its stored energy upon the main portion, and operate the upwardly extending portion in its curvilinear or spiral path, to impel a projectile by first engaging it and then releasing itself from the projectile.

The invention includes also'an enlarged convolution of the spring to increase its life. The invention includes also the relationship of the spring pressure point on the trigger lever and the pivot of the trigger in one line, substantially perpendicular to the axis of the main portion of the rod.

The invention will be more fully described hereinafter, embodiments thereof shown in the drawings, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side view of the improved pistol, underlying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal vertical view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, that is, with the top removed;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig, 5 is a similar section but only fragmentary of p the trigger mechanism of Fig. 3, but now in momentary unlocked position;

2 Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on line 6-6 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the spring acting on the rod. 7

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the various views.

Referring to the drawings, a rod III has a stem II to enable the rod ID to be rotated in its bearings I2 and I3forming part of the'pistol casing I4. The rod ID with its bearings is placed in an inclined position, as shown in Fig. 3..

Upon the shoulders I1 and Ila, in which the bearing I3 is arranged, is supported a coiled spring I5, which has one end It bent to engage recess Ilia of the shoulder I'Ia of the casing I4 so as to anchor one end of the spring I5. The other end I8 of the'spring I5 is bent at right angles to its axis, and passed through an opening I9 of the rod I0 (Fig. 6). When the stem II is rotated, and thereby the rod I0 is rotated, the convolutions are compressed, and the end I8 is engaged by the notch 20 of a lever 2 I, forming part of a trigger mechanism, which then holds the end I8 against movement. The end I8 may ride freely on the cam portion 2Ia of the lever 2 I, until the end I8 engages the notch 29 and is held thereby. The rod I0 then is in the positio shown in full lines in Figs. 3 and4.

To operate the rod I0 by thestored energy'on the release of the spring I5, the finger lever 23 of the trigger mechanism, is pressed by a finger of the operator of the pistol, in'the'usual manner; as known, whereby said lever 23' raises th lever 2|, the free end'of which'abuts against the interior surface 24 of the' casing I4, to rest there against. When the'lever 2I is raisedand its notch 20 becomes disengaged from the end I8 of the spring I5, the rod' I0 is free to rotate under the forces exerted by the compressed energy of the spring I5, until the rod I0 takes the dotted line position of Fig. 3' andith'e full line position ofFig.5. The rod IOFhas a part 30 bent at'rightangles' to its main portion Illa, and in continuation of the part 30 is another part 3 I, at right angles to the part 30, and extendin upwardly, parallel with the axisv of the main'portion Ifla'of therod ID. The end 32 of the part'3'l engages a holein a paper disk, and its curvilinear and'spiral movement moves the disk'and propels it from the gun, untilthe end '32 descends while in its circular movement, to disengage-itself from the disk, the disk then continuing to move under the force of the propulsion described, in substantially; the manner shown in U. $5. Letters 'Patent No. 2,019,894. a

In making-of the spring I5 it is important to free movement of the lever 2 i.

spring 45 exerts a downward pressure on the lever 1 give the spring wire a special curvature as shown at in Fig. 6. It has been found that, if the spring wire is abruptly bent in the usual convolution form, the wire is subjected to too severe a strain and soon disintegrates, but by providing the special turn as at 35, the spring is given a long life. By having the spring 15 bent around the part [7a of the casing and enclosed in the groove or recess lea when the; matching members abut and are joined together, each match- A ing member having such a part or lug I7, Ila, the spring is held in position against movement. As the spring engages the rod, the rod is held against any substantial axial movement, and thus the spring holds the rod in fixed position, upwardly or downwardly. Whatever expansion or compression of the convolutions of the spring may take place upon the axial movement of the rod, the rod is returned by the action of the inherent resiliency of the spring.

The gun casing 14 consists of two matching members |3a and l3b, substantially alike, save for the interlocking lugs Ho, and these matching members [3a and 1312 are joined by screws 37 and 3B. A hand portion 39 merges into a cylindrical portion 40, and this in turn has forwardly extending parallel portions ll. Abutments 42 and 43, provided with a first pin 44, are spaced from each other to accommodate the elbow lever trigger 23.

A 'coil spring 45 has one end secured by the screw :7

or pin 38 to the matching members and its other end 41 looped around the lever 2|, engaging a notch 23a of the lever 2|. A slot 48 permits the Normally, the

spring 15 to exert the propelling efiect on the disk.

Upon the upper part of the circular portions 40 of the matching members, a plate 50 is se cured, to which a spaced plate 51 is secured by screws 52, the depth of the space 53 being slightly larger than the thickness of the paper disk to be propelled. The plate 50 has downward extending projections 56, entering recesses or cutouts 51 in the matching members. These projections extend laterally to engage recesses 57 in the matching members. A spacer 54 is made a part of the plate 50 as shown in Fig. 4, and preferably extends along the length of the pistol barrel to about 55. The perimeter of the plate 59 is spaced from the cylindrical part 49 of the easing (Fig. 4) to enable the free movement of the part 3i of the rod III to take place, while the free end 32 moves from its uppermost portion as shown in full lines in Fig. 4 to its lowermost position as shown in dotted line position in Fig. 4, that is, during its propelling action on the disk from its engagement thereof to beyond its disengagement thereof.

It will be noted that the matching members, when joined, provide the bearings for the main part'of the rod, and that the support for the upper bearing is engaged by the propelling spring, the other end of which spring engages the rod, with the proximate coil enlarged to provide resiliency securing long life, the main part of the rod extending out of the casing or matching members, to enable the rod to be rotated to tension the spring, with the single bar trigger holding the spring in tensioned position, until the end 'of the spring is releasedfrom the trigger,

enabling the rod to rotate and compel its impelling end to do its work on the projectile. The pressure application point of the spring I5 and the pivot of the trigger lever is on a line substantially perpendicular to the axis of the main part I00: of the rod [0.

The matching members may be readily cast 01 suitable aluminum, white metal, or the like, or made of plastic material, the spring and impelling rod being both of the utmost simplicity, and the top piece to provide the runway for the disk, may be readily cast of similar material and applied to hold the matching members to complete the pistol.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a toy pistol, having a casing with superposed bearing surfaces, a rod supported by said bearing surfaces and having one end extending outside of the casing, and extending at the upper end of the bearing surface at right angles to its axis, and extending upwardly at right angles to said right-angled part, said last named part being parallel with the axis of said rod, and having its free end serving as an impeller, said bearing surfaces being disposed on a line inclined to the vertical, for enabling the impeller end to partake of a curvilinear helical path in respect to the horizontal on the rotation of the impeller end around the axis of the rod in the bearing surfaces, the combination of a trigger lever pivoted to the casing, a spring to hold the trigger in cocked position, and a torsion spring for the rod having one end anchored to the casing and the other end engaging the rod, and engaging the trigger lever when the torsion spring is energized by the rotation of the rod, said trigger lever when moved to uncocked position away from the end of the torsion spring, releasing said spring and enabling its energy to rotate the rod and move its impeller end in said curvilinear path, for projecting a pro- J'ectile by said impeller end. i

2. The structure of claim 1, in which the rod operating torsion spring has a plurality of convolutions, with the convolution contiguous to the end of the spring engaging said rod and engaging the trigger lever, having a rounded portion forming a space around the rod.

3. The structure of claim 1, in which the pressure point of the rod torsion spring on the trigger lever and the pivot of the trigger are on a line substantially perpendicular to the axis of the main portion of'the rod.

4. The structure of claim 1, in which the trigger lever rests against a wall of the casing to prevent the trigger lever from descending.

ROBERT W. CLAUSS.

REFERENSES siren The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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