Coin operated kiddie ride

• US 3,173,686 A
• Filed: 07/18/1962
• Issued: 03/16/1965
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1962
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: George W. Rettie, Robert D. Hotchkiss
• Original Assignee: George W. Rettie, Robert D. Hotchkiss
• Inventors: Rettie, George W., Hotchkiss, Robert D.
• Application Number:
  US04/210,713
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• US Class Current: 472/59
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 19/20 motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/16 creating illusions of travel

Claims

1. A MECHANICAL DEVICE HAVING:

A HORIZONTAL BASE WITH TWO RIGIDLY ATTACHED VERTICAL STANCHIONS;

A HOLLOW BODY SIMULATING IN REDUCED SIZE A FAMILAR DEVICE AND ATTACHED INSIDE THE SAID BODY A SEAT TO ACCOMMODATE A CHILD PASSENGER;

A BALL AND A SOCKET OF MATCHING SIZE WITH THE SAID BALL FIRMLY ATTACHED TO THE UPPER END OF THE FIRST OF THE SAID TWO VERTICAL STANCHIONS AND THE SAID SOCKET SECURELY ATTACHED TO THE INSIDE OF THE BODY AND RETAINED OVER BUT FREE TO REVOLVE ON THE SAID BALL TO A LIMITED EXTENT IN ALL PLANES PASSING THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE SAID BALL;

A HORIZONTAL SHAFT EXTENDING FROM THE SIDE OF THE SECOND OF THE SAID TWO VERTICAL STANCHIONS AND SECURED AWAY FROM THE SAID FIRST VERTICAL STANCHION AND SECURED TO THE SAID SECOND STANCHION AT A DISTANCE ABOVE THE SAID BASE WHICH IS RELATED TO BUT NOT NECESSARILY THE SAME AS THE HEIGHT AT WHICH THE SAID BALL IS MOUNTED ABOVE THE SAID BASE;

A YOKE WITH A JOURNAL BEARING AT THE CENTER RETAINED OVER AND FREE TO ROTATE ON THE SAID HORIZONTAL SHAFT AND HAVING SHAFTS AT THE ENDS WHICH ARE IN LINE WITH EACH OTHER;

A MOTOR DRIVEN TRANSMISSION HAVING AN OUTPUT SHAFT, SAID TRANSMISSION BEING FIRMLY ATTACHED TO THE INSIDE OF THE SAID BODY BY MEANS OF A SHAPED BRACKET AND HAVING A CRANK WITH A CRANK PIN ATTACHED TO EACH END OF THE OUTPUT SHAFT WHICH EXTENDS FROM TWO SIDES OF THE SAID TRANSMISSION;

A PAIR OF LINKS CONNECTING THE SAID SHAFTS OF THE SAID YOKE AND THE SAID CRANK PINS AND HOLDING SUSPENDED THE SAID TRANSMISSION AND PART OF THE SAID BODY TO WHICH THE SAID SHAPED BRACKET IS SECURELY ATTACHED;

AND WHEREIN THE SAID BODY SUSPENDED IN THE ONE PART FROM THE SAID BALL BY MEANS OF THE SAID SOCKET AND SUSPENDED IN THE OTHER PART FROM THE SAID HORIZONTAL SHAFT BY MEANS OF THE SAID YOKE AND THE SAID LINKS IS FREE TO MOVE RADIALLY TO A LIMITED EXTEND IN ALL PLANES PASSING THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE SAID BALL WHETHER THE MOVEMENT BE THAT OF A GENERALLY VERTICAL NATURE IMPARTED BY ROTATION OF THE SAID CRANKS OR THAT MOVEMENT AWAY FROM THE VERTICAL WHEN FORCE EXERTED ON THE SAID BODY CAUSES THE SAID YOKE TO OSCILLATE ON THE SAID HORIZONTAL SHAFT AND WHETHER THESE MOVEMENTS OCCUR SEPARATELY OR SIMULTANEOUSLY;

AND WHEREIN THE SAID SUSPENDED BODY HAS POSITIVE VERTICAL STABILITY SO THAT THE SAID BODY TENDS TO REMAIN IN OR RETURN TO THE VERTICAL POSITION WITH OR WITHOUT A PASSENGER IN THE SAID SEAT.