GYROSCOPIC TOP DEVICE

• US 3,628,285 A
• Filed: 11/20/1969
• Issued: 12/21/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Murakami Masahiro
• Original Assignee: Murakami Masahiro
• Inventors: MURAKAMI MASAHIRO
• Application Number:
  US04/878,281
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• US Class Current: 446/233
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 1/00 Tops diabolos or similar thrown and caught spinning tops or throwing and catching devices therefor A63B67/16; flying tops A63H27/12
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 29/00 Drive mechanisms for toys in general
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/005 Motorised rolling toys

Abstract

An electrically operated gyroscopic top device which comprises a hollow body, an electric motor housed in said hollow body and having an output shaft extending in alignment with the central axis of said body, at least one end of said output shaft projecting outwardly of said body, and a flywheel fixedly mounted on the output shaft. The device can be used either independently or in combination with certain accessories.

Claims

1. A toy comprising in combination a gyroscopic top device and an accessory in which said top device is engageable, said top comprising a hollow body symmetrically shaped about a central axis, an electric motor positioned within said hollow body, an output shaft extending from said electric motor on the central axis of said hollow body, one end of said output shaft projecting outwardly from said hollow body, a flywheel positioned on said output shaft within said hollow body for rotation therewith, dry cell batteries symmetrically positioned within said hollow body about its central axis, a power takeoff mounted on the end of said output shaft projecting outwardly from said hollow body, and said accessory being arranged to receive the one end of said output shaft projecting outwardly from said hollow body.

2. A toy, as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said accessory being a vehicle, said vehicle comprising a vehicle body, means positioned within said vehicle body for driving said vehicle and comprising an elongated shaft located within said vehicle body, means attached to said shaft and engageable with said power takeoff means on said output shaft for driving said shaft in said vehicle, gear means on said shaft for imparting driving motion to said vehicle, said vehicle body having an opening therethrough for receiving the end of said shaft projeCting from said hollow body so that said power takeoff means on said output shaft can engage said means on said shaft in said vehicle body.

3. A toy, as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that said power takeoff means of said top comprising a pinion, and said means on said shaft in said vehicle body comprising a gearwheel for transmitting the motion from said output shaft to said shaft in said vehicle body.

4. A toy, as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that a hollow cap being detachably engaged on the one end of said output shaft projecting outwardly from said hollow body, said hollow cap having a spherical portion at its end remote from said hollow body, said spherical portion having a slot therein passing through the central axis of said output shaft, and said slot being engageable with a tensioned stringlike member for supporting said top during its gyroscopic action.

5. A toy, as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said accessory comprising an annular vertically extending support member having an annular groove in its upper surface forming an endless track, said groove having an inwardly inclined bottom surface, and the one end of said output shaft projecting outwardly from said hollow body being supportable on said inclined bottom surface of said annular groove so that as said output shaft rotates said top travels along the endless track formed by said annular groove.

6. A toy, as set forth in claim 4, characterized in that said accessory comprising a supporting column, a concavely shaped surface formed in the upper end of said column forming a seat for said hollow cap so that said top is supportable in the seat on said supporting column during its gyroscopic action.