US3471143A - Enclosed ferris wheel toy - Google Patents

Description

Oct- 7, 1969 w. M. LAKIN ENCLOSED FERRIS WHEEL TOY 3 Sheets$heet 1 Filed May 16, 1966 mvsmoa Willis M. Lakm Oct. 7, 1969 I w. M. LAKIN 3,471,143

ENCLOSED FERRIS WHEEL TOY Filed "ma 16, 1966 s Sheets-Sheet 2 MA 653 INVENTOR.

Fig 4 I Wfl1isM-LaKi/n a, ATTORNEY.

United States Patent US. Cl. 272-61 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toy Ferris wheel is disclosed wherein a wind-up music box is elevated above a base with its wind-up spindle aligned with one end of an axle about which the wheel turns and is rotated by power taken from the bull gear of the music box by means of a gear rotating freely about the spindle and coupled with a hub portion of the wheel, the wheel and motor being enclosed within a transparent enclosure which is of somewhat drum-shape with an approximately intermediate cylindrical wall between opposite motor and the other of which is distant from the motor and beyond the side of the wheel which is distant from the motor and supports the end region of the axle which is farthest from the motor, the enclosure having an opening in the intermediate wall portion by which it is fitted down upon the Ferris wheel into engagement with the base.

by a transparent globe-like enclosure within which a miniature Ferris wheel rotates 1n accompaniment to the tune of a music box which also drives the Ferris wheel dependently uponcertain combinations and constructions of supporting and driving components which are among the features of novelty and utility of the disclosure.

Among some of the principal innovations in the construction are the provision of an elevated mounting of the combination music box and driving mechanism which affords a direct driving interconnection with the Ferris wheel and an axial support for the wheel, the transparent enclosing dome affording another axial support for said wheel.

Further features of the disclosure relate to the construction and method of seating and securing the elevated motor mechanism, as Well as the interengagement and securing of the base and dome components, and the inclusion as part of the axial support of the Ferris wheel of a control member accessible exteriorly of the enclosing dome member.

Still further aspects of novelty and utility relate to details of the preferred commercial embodiment of the toy more particularly described hereinafter in view of the annexed drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective of the toy Ferris wheel;

FIGURE 2 is an end view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevation showing the elevated motor housing and support;

FIGURE 3-A is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail of the scalloped flange seating;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the bottom of the base section;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical section to enlarged scale through the music box mechanism and Ferris wheel axle structure as seen along lines 5-5 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5-A is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail of thief-gear coupling;

side walls, one of which is proximate to the elevated ice FIGURE 6 is a partial exploded perspective of parts of the elevated motor unit, Ferris wheel structure and axle means;

I FIGURE '6A is a magnified elevational detail of wheel hub coupling;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the inner side of the bottom of the base structure (which is seen in FIGURE 4) and looking in the direction of lines 77 of FIGURE 1.

As depicted in FIGURE 1, the toy comprises a base 10 having a pedestal portion 11 of somewhat dished configuration defined by downwardly-turned arcuate side flanges or ledges 12 on the opposite sides thereof, and recessed horizontally-extensive scalloped end flanges 13, recessed as at 19, at a higher level at the opposite ends thereof, FIGURES 2 and 5, constituting upper wing portions.

Seating upon the base in mating interfit with said arcuate side flanges, is a transparent enclosure 15 of somewhat flattened globular configuration made of clear, shatter-resistant plastic with a bottom opening having margins 16 fitting in behind said arcuate side flanges 12 in the manner illustrated at the bottom of FIGURES 2 and 5, there being a number of conical prongs 18 upstanding on the inner face of said bottom and disposed in closely spaced relation to said margins 16, as in FIGURE 5, thereby confining said margins close against said bottom flanges, the plastic material of the enclosing dome being sufliciently yieldable to permit a close seating of the margins of its bottom opening in behind said prongs 18 in the floor of the base.

The aforesaid bottom opening of the enclosing dome extends upwardly to a higher level at the opposite narrowed sides thereof into conjunction with transversely-extending margins 16T (FIGURES l, 2 and 3), the marginal portions of which are turned outwardly to define horizontal scalloped flanges 17 respectively nesting within the correspondingly scalloped and recessed ledges 12 which are part of the base structure (FIGURE 3-A also). Rivets 20 through the dome scallops and the base scallops secure these parts in, recessed portions 19, assembly after the internal components such as the Ferris wheel and motor block have been installed, as will more fully appear hereinafter.

As seen in FIGURES 5 and 6, the Ferris wheel structure is also fabricated from molded plastic components and comprises a pair of spider frames each having a polygonal rim 24 joined by radial spokes 25 to a tubular hub portion 26. The spiders are joined together by cross members 27 respectively cemented at opposite ends to the rims of the frames at the respective junctures of the spokes therewith, thus forming a rigid open-work wheel.

Between each pair of spokes is a pendulously swinging carriage taking the form of an open seat 28, a figurine 29 being disposed in each seat and there being pivot studs 30 at opposite sides of the carriages and journalled in aligned holes in the two spiders, so that the weight of each carriage is below the pivotal axis and the simulated occupants maintain an upright position as the wheel rotates, in the manner of the actual Ferris wheel.

The wheel structure, as such, is completed by addition of a decorative device, such as the spangled and colored star 33, FIGURE 6, carried on the hub member.

Rotational mounting of the wheel is effected by means of a long hexagonal axle 32 (FIGURES 5 and 6) extending through and beyond both ends of the bore of said hub and engaging in the hexagonal socket 37X of the hub 37 of a control member or knob 38 disposed on the outside of the enclosing hood or dome in a manner such that the hub of the knob affords a bearing for itself and for the wheel spindle on that particular side of the dome, while the opposite end 35 of the long axle is provided with an internally threaded socket 34 turning onto the exposed end of a winding spindle 40 projecting from the power spring 41 carried by the frame 42 of the motor (FIGURES 5, 6 and 6A).

Some of the components of the music box motor are well-known, such as the combination frame and harp casting 42 aforesaid, a tone drum 51 (FIGURE rotatable with a coaxial bull gear 52 driven by other known gear means, not seen, from the usual wind-up clock spring means 41.

A novel aspect of the music-box motor (which is the subject of my U.S. Patent No. 3,279,793, filed December 14, 1964, and granted on October 18, 1966) is the provision of a thief gear 54 in the form of a crown gear having a crown of teeth 55 meshing with the bull gear, the crown gear being supported for free rotation about the spring winding spindle 40, and seating rotatively in an angular seat 56 especially provided in the motor casting 42 (FIGURE 6-A). The face of the thief gear opposite from the teeth (FIGURES 6 and 6-A) is provided with a coupling formation in the form of an hexagonal hub 57 which has driving interfit with a mating hexagonal socket formation 26X (FIGURE 5A) molded in the juxtaposed hub of the Ferris wheel spider on the motor side of the Wheel.

The hub 37 of the winding knob is rotatably captured in the side wall 15A of the dome member, which is opposite from the side 15B confronting the motor unit, by means of a circumambient groove at 376 therein in which the margins of an undersized hole at 15X in said dome wall fit as a result of forcing the knob hub into the hole, in consequence of which the knob is freely rotatable but to all purposes otherwise fastened to the wall, and may be manually rotated to transmit spring-winding motion through the hexagonal shaft 32 and its threaded engagement with the motor-spring spindle 40 on which the small compression spring 43 is carried, the latter spring acting against the thief gear to hold the same in engagement with the bull gear on the one hand and against the Ferris Wheel hub in hexagonal socket 26X to urge the opposite end of said wheel hub against the near end of the knob hub 37, whereby the Ferris wheel is prevented from shifting axially along the axle rod 32 upon which it otherwise freely floats, since the bore of the wheel hub 26 is round and closely but amply oversize so as not to intercouple with the axle, whereas the axle rod does couple with the knob hub owing to interfit of the hexagonal configurations thereof with the like socket configurations within the knob hub 37.

Thus, the Ferris wheel is wholly supported upon and rotates freely about the axle 32, but is drivingly coupled With the thief gear through the hexagonal coupling means 58 on the latter and the interfitting socket 26X on the wheel. The simple motor spring drive means 41 is of a known character usually found in music boxes such that the spring winding spindle 40 turns quite slowly as the spring unwinds, this motion being transmitted through the axle to the winding and control knob means 37, 38, it being recalled that the latter is rotatably seated in the dome wall, so that the control or winding knob likewise turns very slowly as the spring unwinds. However, the Ferris wheel may turn at a different speed quite independently of the spring spindle 40 since the speed of the wheel depends upon the speed of the thief gear which in turn depends upon the speed of the bull gear 52 and its associated tone drum 51.

It will be seen accordingly that the construction affords a means supporting the Ferris wheel for free rotation whereby an axle has support at one end by a coupling with the spring spindle of a wind-up motor which is elevated in a special housing into alignment therewith for the purpose, and for the further purpose, of intercoupling in axial alignment a hub portion of the Ferris wheel with a coupling member on a thief gear freely rotating about the same spring spindle and urged into driving engagement with the bull gear on the music box as well, while opposite end portions of the wheel axle are journalled in like elevation cooperatively with the control knob rotating in a wall of the enclosure opposite from the elevated motor, such an enclosed assemblage of the parts being possible as a consequence of the limited flexibility or yieldability of the plastic material of which the dome is formed.

Elevation of the music box for the driving purposes described is achieved by encasing the same in a small plastic housing 60 (FIGURE 6) with spaced support means of required height, such as the stilts or legs 62, depending therefrom and securing a footing 64 of the resulting unit upon an inside portion of the base member 11.

In the embodiment shown the supporting means consists of tri-podal projections 62 integrally moulded as rigid pendant parts of the housing 60, together with means for locating this assemblage and securing it simply in operative position, the latter means comprising the footing or platform 64, which likewise is moulded integrally with the stilt or leg elements and the housing, said platform or footing plate having polygonal marginal portions afiording at least two spaced angular projections 65A, 65B along the same side thereof for positioning in juxtaposition with respectively corresponding undercuts 67A, 67B formed in corner portions of a recess 68 moulded in the floor of the pedestal 11, FIGURE 4 showing the outside of this recessed pedestal part as well as the aforesaid angular projections 65A, 65B on the platform as they are exposed through the slots or undercuts 67A, 67B into and through which they are fitted, while FIGURE 7 shows the inner side of this recessed pedestal structure and the interfit of the angular platform projections as aforesaid.

The platform 64 is locked in the foregoing position by means of a single rivet 69 therethrough and through the bottom of the recessed part of the pedestal, as in FIG- URES 4 and 7, it being observed in the latter view that the platform is provided with a notch 70 which clears one of the upstanding prongs 18 previously described as guarding the placement of the margins of the dome opening. Perforations 71 are provided in the recessed floor area of the pedestal for propagation of the music box sound waves, the plastic housing 60 for the music box affording a sulficient sounding board for transmission of the vibrations of the usual music reeds (not seen) sounded by rotation of drum 51, with the result that the described motor encasement and elevated mounting does not impair the propagation of the music with adequate volume to the exterior of the otherwise more or less sealed enclosure of the music box and associated dome, it being further observed in FIGURE 4 that, to the same ends, the outer face of the bottom of the base pedestal 11 will be cleared from a supporting surface by integrally moulded leg formations 73.

I claim:

A toy comprising a simulated Ferris wheel, a dished base of bow-shaped configuration, a motor housing and means supporting the same at an elevation above said base opposite one axial hub portion of said wheel, a music box supported within said housing and including a spring-driven motor, a spring-winding spindle, a thief gear supported upon and rotating freely about said spindle, both the spindle and thief gear being exposed and aligned in juxtaposition with said hub portion and the axis of rotation of the Ferris wheel; and a transparent dome structure of approximately drum-shaped cylindrical configuration having an opening in a side thereof fitting over the Ferris wheel and motor housing and secured to said base and having opposite approximately circular side walls each lying in planes approximately normal to the axis of the Ferris wheel; together with a normally horizontal axle rotatively supporting the Ferris wheel with said hub portion thereof in close juxtaposition with said thief gear, said axle for the wheel having support at one end by engagement with said spindle, and having further support at an opposite end region thereof with journalling means carried by one of said side walls of the dome, together with means drivingly interconnecting said thief gear with the Ferris wheel at said hub portion thereof.

2. The construction of claim 1 wherein said Ferris Wheel floats freely about said axle, said journalling means carried by the side wall of the dome is a winding knob coupled with said axle and accessible exteriorly of the dome such that the spindle may be turned by the knob through the axle to wind the motor spring and the Ferris wheel rotates independently upon and about the axle.

3. In a toy of the class described, a simulated Ferris wheel having a hub structure, an axle, a base structure, a motor, means supporting the motor at a predetermined elevation above said base structure and opposite an end of the axis of rotation of the Ferris wheel and the appertaining end of said hub structure thereof with one end of said axle having rotative support cooperatively with a spindle forming part of a wind-up means for the motor and carried by the latter, said spindle being rotatable by said axle; a transparent enclosing dome having opposite side walls and fitting about said motor and Ferris wheel and carried by said base structure with one of its said side walls adjacent said motor and the other side wall juxtaposed to an end of said Ferris wheel hub which is remote from said spindle; means carried by said other side wall of the enclosure in alignment with said axis and journalling an appertaining end region of said axle which is opposite from the end thereof at the motor spindle; and means for imparting rotary motion to the Ferris wheel by the motor and comprising a thief gear having total rotative support upon said spindle and driven by the motor freely about the axis of said spindle at the supportive conjunction of the axle with the spindle and in close juxtaposition with an appertaining axial end portion of said wheel hub structure; together with coupling means between said thief gear and wheel for rotation of the latter by the former.

4. A toy Ferris wheel comprising an enclosure structure including a bottom section and a surmounting hood section of transparent substantially rigid material in approximately drum shape having opposite side walls connecting with an approximately cylindrical intervening wall and an opening in said intervening wall closed in assembly with said bottom section; a simulated Ferris wheel disposed within said hood section to rotate about an axle one end of which has journal support in a particular one of said side walls; a motor having a salient spindle; support means mounting the motor at an elevation within the hood section with said spindle coaxially and drivingly engaging the end of said axle remote from said one thereof whereby the axle is disposed in a horizontal sense in the normal upright attitude of the toy; said Ferris wheel having a hub portion juxtaposed with said motor and spindle; a driven gear having a hub supported on said spindle for free rotation thereabout but independently of rotation thereof, said gear having driving engagement with a driving gear in said motor; and means drivingly intercoupling the driven gear with said wheel hub portion.

5. The construction set forth in claim 4 wherein said support means for the motor is a tower-like structure situated on the bottom section in adjacency to that one of the sidewalls which is opposite said particular wall.

6. The construction of claim 4 wherein the support means for the motor is an upstanding trestle-like structure surmounted by means securing the motor in assembly therewith, and said upstanding structure and motor are' 6 of an overall size in relation to the area of said adjacent sidewall such as to leave a substantial area of unobstructed view through said sidewall to expose a major portion, more than half, of the Ferris wheel.

7. The construction of claim 4 wherein said base section is in the form of an approximately U-shaped pedestal having abutting assembly with marginal portions of said opening in the intervening wall.

8. The construction of claim 4 wherein said support means for the motor is a multipodal structure upstanding from said base section.

9. The construction of claim 4 wherein said journal support comprises a wind-up knob secured to rotate in said particular sidewall and-has driving interfit with the appertaining end of said axle.-

10. The construction of claim 4 wherein said motor is a spring wind-up music box and said spindle is rotatable to wind up spring means therein; wherein said journal support is a wind-up knob exposed on the outside of said particular sidewall and rotatable to turn said axle and impart winding action to said spindle.

11. A construction according to claim 4 wherein said motor is a spring-windup music box having a bull gear rotating coaxially with a tone drum, and said spindle is a windup spindle for spring means powering the motor with the spindle projecting saliently from'a side of the motor at right angles to the rotative axis of the bull gear; and said driven gear has teeth meshing with the teeth of the bull gear, said hub of the driven gear contributing the entire rotative support therefor.

12. In an action toy, a base structure, a motor having a salient spindle and a bull gear rotating about an axis at right angles to the axis of said spindle; said spindle being rotatable for motor control purposes; means mounting said motor at an elevation above said base structure with said spindle extending approximately horizontally; an axle for a rotatable action structure, one end portion of said axle having coaxial driving and support interengagement with said spindle; means journalling the opposite end of said axle for rotation in approximately horizontal alignment with said spindle, said axle being rotatable to impart control and rotation to the spindle; an action structure freely rotatable about and upon said spindle and having a hub portion juxtaposed with said spindle; a first gear having a hub portion carried upon said spindle and freely rotatable thereon to support such gear for rotation independently of any rotation of such spindle, said first gear having driving intermesh with said bull gear; and means drivingly intercoupli ng said first gear with said hub portion of the rotatable action structure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,733,528 2/1956 Miller et al 272-45 2,949,697 8/1960 Ligitisetal.

3,114,216 12/1963 Crawford et al 46175 3,243,183 3/1966 Scranage 272 1s x OTHER REFERENCES Playthings, December 1963, page 76 (marble pump). Playthings, March 1966 (Ferris wheel).

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner ARNOLD W. KRAMER, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 46-175 4 QMTED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 3,1171, 1143 Dated October 7, 1969 Inventor: Willis M Lakin It is certified that error appears in the aboveidentified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 5, line 52 (claim 14), for "said one thereof" read --said one end thereof--,

Signed and sealed this 28th day of April 19 70 (SEAL) Anew WILLIAM E. 'S-GHUYLER, m.

issioner of Patents Edward M. Fletcher, 1:, 00mm Attesting Officer

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