US2839302A - Toy or game device - Google Patents

Description

June 17, 1958 H. ALMOSLHNO TOY 0R GAME DEVICE Filed June 21, 1956 IN V EN TOR. Hams ALMOSL 0Y0 United States Patent fiice 2,839,302 Patented June 17, 1958 TOY OR GAME DEVICE Hans Almoslino, Hollis, N. Y.

Application June 21, 1956, Serial No. 592,865 3 Claims. 01. 273-108) This invention relates to a novel toy or game and more particularly to a toy or game which features a figurine adapted to glide back and forth down an inclined plane.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel toy which simulates the movements of an athlete such as a skier or skater While gliding down an inclined plane.

Another object of this invention is to provide a toy which may also be used as an interesting game by merely imprinting indicia adjacent the lower end of the inclined plane.

A further object is to provide a toy or game which can be simply and cheaply constructed and will furnish many hours of entertainment as the movement of the figurine on the inclined plane is unique and requires no winding of springs or other mechanical motivation.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the toy or game;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation of the toy or game taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a portion of the inclined plane illustrating the movement of the figurine thereon; and

Fig. 4 is a partial cross-section of the inclined plane showing a front view of the figurine thereon.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the figurine 1, as shown, resembles a skier and therefore has a simulated pair of skis for a base 2. It should be appreciated that the figurine can resemble any one of a number of athletes such as a skier or skater and can further resemble other characters, such as a dancer, as desired. Also by changing the base 2 and the costume of the figurine 1 these various characters can be simulated from one basic body design.

The figurine 1 has a rotatable member, such as wheel 3, mounted in the base 2 thereof. As shown there is a slot 4 in the base 2 having an axle 5 extending thereacross and the wheel 3 is rotatably mounted on this axle in such a manner that the wheel extends slightly below the base. A projection, such as a pole 6, extends outwardly from each side of the figurine 1. A friction-creating means or member, such as friction disk 7, may be disposed adjacent the outer end of each of these poles. This disk 7 or other resilient friction means may also contact the surface in lieu of the end of the pole and thus protect the surface against the abrasion of the pole end.

An essential part of this invention is the provision of an inclined plane 8 for the figurine 1 to operate upon. This inclined plane 8 is shown as a rectangular piece of Bristol board and is inclined by the use of a leg 9 under one end. At the opposing or lower end of this inclined plane there may be a barrier 10 and adjacent this end there may be imprinted indicia 11, both of which have a purpose when using the toy as a game as will be shown below. Further, the inclined plane may have decorations .ing the path of movement.

12 on the upper surface thereof depicting such things as trees, slalom poles, etc. as desired.

In operation the figurine 1 is positioned near the top of the inclined plane 8 headed generally down the incline. It will be seen in Fig. 4 that the figurine, unless balanced, will tip to one side or the other of vertical until it is supported in a leaning position on one or the other of the poles or projections 6. When in position on the slope and one side is ahead of the other the figurine will lean to the down side and the outer end of the pole 6 on this down side will contact the surface of the plane 8. If a further friction-creating means is used, such as friction disk 7, adjacent the end of the pole it contacts the plane in this position and tends to hold the outerend of the pole 6 at one point. Because of the incline of the plane 8 and the rotatable support for the figurine, the body of the figurine 1 will tend to move down the plane 8 and this movement Will be substantially as an arc of a circle with the body pivoting about the outer end of the pole 6 in contact with the plane 8. As the figurine 1 continues along this path it reaches a point where its center of gravity shifts to the side away from the contacting pole 6 because of the incline and when this point is reached the figurine 1 tips or leans to the opposite or down the incline side. The end of the pole or projection 6 on this down the incline side contacts the plane 8 and the figurine 1 swings in an are around this point of contact until the center of gravity of the figurine 1 passes to the down side, the figurine 1 tips or leans to that side, the end of the pole 6 on that side contacts the plane 8 and a new are is begun. Thus, the figurine Will glide all the way down the inclined plane 8 in a back and forth or slalom manner.

As shown in Fig. 3 the movement of the figurine 1 down the inclined plane 8 is a gliding movement which extends back and forth across the plane in a graceful manner. This wider path movement is caused by the fact that as the figurine 1 is tipping from one side to the other it travels forward during the interval that neither pole 6 is in contact with the inclined plane 8. Further the end of the pole 6 in contact with the plane 8 tends to drag along the plane so that the point of contact is actually a moving point of contact thus further widen- If a friction member, such as disk 7, is placed adjacent the end of the pole 6 in such a manner that it rather than the pole contacts the surface then this drag will be curtailed. It will therefore be appreciated that the overall design of this invention provides a toy or game having a figurine 1 that moves in a graceful, full swinging, wide back and forth path that is much more appealing than a narrow path straight down the hill movement. As shown, in a preferred embodiment, this gliding movement of the figurine is very similar to the path of a skier slaloming down a slope.

It will be recognized that this continuing back and forth movement of the figurine all the way down the inclined plane without any motivating power other than the inclined plane makes this toy a fascinating and unique type of toy which can also be used as a game by adding the barrier 10 to stop the figurine over one of the indicia 11. In practice the point at which the figurine 1 hits the barrier 10 and the indicia 11 it stops on will vary with each trip down the plane 8. Thus, as a game, this toy provides an element of guesswork or chance which makes it more interesting and enjoyable.

Having thus described my invention and the operation thereof, I claim:

1. A toy comprising a plane, a leg attached to one end of said plane to raise that end above the opposing end, a barrier extending along said opposing end, indicia imprinted adjacent said opposing end, a figurine adapted adjacent the 'free'end. of each pole whereby thefigurine adapted tonglide back and forth downthe-"inclined plane. 7

2. Aztoy. comprising an inclined plane, a barrierextending along the lower -end of said plane, indicia .imprinted adjacent said lower end, a figurine having a slot in. the base thereof, an axle extending across said slot,

at least one wheel rotatably mounted on'said axle and extending below the base of thefigurine, an :inclined pole. extending outwardly. from each side ofthe'figurine and a friction'disk disposed adjacent the outer end of in said slot, an inclined pole extending outwardly from 1 each side ofthe'figurine and africti'ondisk disposed 'adjacent the outer end of each pole whereby said figurine. is adapted to glide down saidplane in a back' and forth fashion. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent ,UNITED STATES PATENTS 750,506 Wells Jan. 26,1904 1,879,511 Rodgers Sept. 27, 1932 1,927,861 Wypy -Sept. 26, 1933 2,183,144 McIntyre "Dec."12, 1939 2,248,214 .Bleeker. July 8, 1941 2,590,002 Frazier Mar. 18, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 197,110 .Great Britain .;Mayk10, ,1923' 834,348 .France Aug. 16,1938

Italy. Oct.v 1 1, 1950

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