U.S. patent number 3,648,373 [Application Number 05/071,868] was granted by the patent office on 1972-03-14 for drawing device.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Marvin Glass & Associates. Invention is credited to Marvin I. Glass, Howard J. Morrison.
United States Patent |
3,648,373 |
Morrison , et al. |
March 14, 1972 |
DRAWING DEVICE
Abstract
A drawing device which includes a frame movable over a marking
surface by at least a pair of wheels fixedly secured to a shaft for
rotation with the wheels. At least one marking member is mounted on
the frame and movable relative thereto to draw a predetermined
pattern onto the marking surface in response to movement of the
frame over the marking surface. A cam drum, having a plurality of
different, individual cam runs disposed longitudinally therealong,
is secured to the rotating shaft and a linkage is operatively
connected to the marking member, with a cam follower of the
linkages engageable with the cam drum to move the marking member
relative to the frame in a pattern determined by the individual cam
runs on the cam drum. The cam follower portion of the linkage and
the cam drum are relatively shiftable to thereby permit selective
determination of the pattern to be drawn by the drawing device. The
marking member is journaled on the frame for movement toward and
away from the frame, as well as pivoting movement relative to the
frame, to provide for further selective changes of the drawn
pattern.
Inventors: |
Morrison; Howard J. (Highland
Park, IL), Glass; Marvin I. (Chicago, IL) |
Assignee: |
Marvin Glass & Associates
(N/A)
|
Family
ID: |
22104117 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/071,868 |
Filed: |
September 14, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
33/18.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B43K
8/00 (20130101); A63H 13/15 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B43K
8/00 (20060101); A63H 13/00 (20060101); A63H
13/15 (20060101); B43l 013/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;33/18R,18B,27E |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Forman; Leonard
Assistant Examiner: Phillips; Charles E.
Claims
We claim:
1. A drawing device comprising, a frame, wheel-supporting means on
said frame affording movement of said frame across a supporting
surface, a pair of mounting means pivotally supported on said
frame, one marking means movably supported on each said mounting
means affording independent angular positioning of said marking
means relative to the path of movement of said frame, actuating
means connecting said wheel-supporting means with said pair of
mounting means so as to provide for oscillatory movement of said
mounting means through spaced-apart paths which are mirror images
of each other in response to movement of said wheel-supporting
means, whereby the movement of said device over a surface produces
a pair of generally similar linear patterns which may vary in
amplitude in accordance with the selective positioning of said
separate marker-supporting means.
2. The drawing device of claim 1 wherein said marking members are
independently adjustable in a direction generally parallel to the
direction of movement of the frame over the marking surface to
provide for further selective determinations of the drawn
pattern.
3. The drawing device of claim 1 including a drive shaft mounted on
said frame and rotatable in response to movement of the frame over
said marking surface, a cam drum mounted on said shaft and
rotatable therewith, and a linkage operatively connected to said
mounting means and having a cam follower portion engageable with
said cam drum to move the marking means in a pattern determined by
the cam drum.
4. The drawing device of claim 3 wherein said cam drum has a
plurality of different individual cam runs disposed longitudinally
therealong, and including means for shifting said cam follower
portion relative to said cam drum for selective engagement with
selected ones of said cam runs.
5. The drawing device of claim 3 wherein said cam drum has a
plurality of rises and falls to effect movement of said mounting
means through said linkage, the rises causing movement of the
mounting means outwardly perpendicular to the direction of movement
of the device, and including spring means to urge the mounting
means back inwardly as said cam follower portion moves over the
falls on the cam drum.
Description
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a self-contained designing toy or drawing
device movable over a marking surface to draw a predetermined
pattern thereon.
Various manual drawing devices presently are available and include
a positioning frame which has a marking surface or an area for
receiving materials such as paper or the like which have marking
surfaces, and a variety of stencillike members, such as perforated
guide bars or rings, are provided for movement within the frame or
guide means with a pencil or like marking device to trace various
patterns on the marking surface. Such devices normally draw
concentric rectangular, spiral, or circular patterns on the surface
by manual manipulation of a pencil or like marking device guided by
the perforated bars or rings. Ingenuity in creating designs is the
primary purpose of such devices. Other manual drawing devices have
been provided which are movable over a drawing surface, with a
marking member adapted to draw a continuous pattern in response to
movement of the device over the marking surface. However, with
devices of the latter type, use thereof becomes quite monotonous
because the pattern always is the same. The present invention is
directed to providing a new and improved designing toy for drawing
a predetermined pattern on a marking surface in response to
movement of the device over the marking surface, and the device has
means permitting an extremely wide range of selections and/or
changes in the drawn pattern and thereby enhance the artistic
creations of the user, particularly a child.
An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a new
and improved drawing device of the character described, and,
particularly, a new and improved drawing device which provides for
selectively determining the patterns drawn on the marking surface
by the device as it is moved over the marking surface.
The invention contemplates employing a frame which is movable over
a marking surface, with marking means mounted on the frame and
movable relative thereto to draw a predetermined pattern onto the
marking surface in response to movement of the frame over the
marking surface. Means are provided to selectively change the
movement of the marking means relative to the frame to thereby
change the pattern drawn thereby. The device is a self-contained
unit, with the means for selectively changing the pattern mounted
on the frame of the device.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a pair of wheels are
fixedly secured for rotation with a drive shaft mounted on the
frame, the wheels being in engagement with the marking surface so
that the drive shaft rotates with the wheels in response to
movement of the frame over the marking surface. A cam drum is
mounted on the shaft and rotatable therewith, and a linkage is
operatively connected to the marking means and has a cam follower
portion engageable with the cam drum to move the marking means
relative to the frame in a pattern determined by the cam drum. The
cam drum has a plurality of different individual cam runs disposed
longitudinally along the cam drum, and means are provided for
shifting the cam follower portion of the linkage selectively along
the cam drum for engagement with selected ones of the cam runs to
thereby selectively change the pattern drawn by the marking
means.
The marking means of the present invention preferably comprises a
pair of marking members oscillated by the linkage between the cam
drum and the marking members in a predetermined sequence generally
perpendicular to the direction of movement of the frame over the
marking surface. Each cam run on the cam drum has a plurality of
rises and falls to effect the oscillating movement of the marking
members. The rises cause the marking members to move outwardly
perpendicular to the direction of movement of the device, and
spring means are provided to urge the marking members back inwardly
as the cam follower portion of the linkage moves over the falls on
the cam drum.
The marking members preferably are independently journaled on the
frame on an axis generally perpendicular to the direction of
movement of the frame over the marking surface to permit the
marking members to be pivoted about the axis to adjust the
amplitude of the oscillatory movement of either of the marking
members to provide further changes for the drawn pattern. The
marking members also are independently adjustable in a direction
generally parallel to the direction of movement of the frame over
the marking surface to provide further changes for the drawn
pattern. Such adjustment of the marking members, along with the
plurality of different cam runs on the cam drum, provide for
greater creativity in the selection of patterns to be drawn by the
device than has heretofore been available.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become
apparent from the following detailed description taken in
connection with the accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drawing device, embodying the
concepts of the present invention, and shown positioned on a
marking surface;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to that of FIG. 1, with the
two marking members moved outwardly from the positions shown in
FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, on
an enlarged scale, with portions cut away and in section to
facilitate the illustration;
FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken generally along the line 4--4 of
FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken generally along the line 5--5 of
FIG. 3; and
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the cam drum utilized in the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The drawing device of the present invention, as shown herein, is
incorporated in a self-contained manually movable unit which is
designed to ride over and upon a marking surface to draw patterns
on that surface corresponding to the movement of a pair of marking
members movable relative to the frame of the device, and having
means permitting the user of the device to selectively determine
the movement of the marking members relative to the frame as the
device moves over the marking surface. For illustration purposes,
the device is shown in the form or configuration of a mechanical
insect which has a pair of movable head portions, the device being
manually movable over the drawing surface, all of which will be
described in greater detail hereinafter.
Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the device of the
present invention, generally designated 10, includes a generally
hollow frame 12 within which most of the operative components of
the device are housed. The device is manually movable over a
marking surface 14 by a pair of front wheels 16 and a pair of rear
wheels 18. The rear wheels 18 are fixedly secured to a
rectangularly shaped (in cross section) drive shaft 20 for rotation
therewith, the wheels being spaced in a direction generally
perpendicular to the direction of movement of the frame 12 over the
marking surface 14. Each wheel 18 has a friction surface about the
periphery thereof, the disclosed embodiment comprising rubber rings
22. The rubber rings 22, along with the wheels 18 being fixed to
the shaft 20, facilitate the frame 12 in moving over the marking
surface 14 in a straight line.
The marking means of the present invention comprises a pair of
holders 24 within which are received vertically a pair of marking
members 26 (such as pens, pencils, and the like) for engagement at
their lower ends with the marking surface 14. As will be described
in greater detail hereinafter, the holders 24 and the marking
members 26 move relative to the frame 10 to draw a predetermined
pattern onto the marking surface 14 in response to movement of the
frame over the marking surface, and means are provided for
selectively changing the movement of the holders 24 (and thus the
marking members 26) relative to the frame 12 to thereby permit
selective determination of the pattern to be drawn by the marking
members 26.
Referring to FIGS. 3 through 6, a cam drum, generally designated
28, is fixed to the shaft 20 between the wheels 18 for rotation
therewith. The cam drum has a plurality of different, individual
cam runs 28a through 28g disposed longitudinally therealong. A
linkage, generally designated 30 in FIG. 3, is provided to
operatively associate the cam drum 28 with the marking holders 24,
and marking members 26, so that the marking members oscillate in a
predetermined sequence generally perpendicular to the direction of
movement of the frame 12 over the marking surface 14. The sequence
and amplitude of the oscillatory movement of the marking members
are determined primarily by the rises and falls on the cam runs
28a-28g of the cam drum 28.
More particularly, the linkage 30 between the cam drum 28 and the
marking members 26 (and holders 24) comprises an elongated flap 32
pivoted by ears 32a, disposed along the top edge thereof to the
frame 10, so that the flap is freely swingable, as like a pendulum,
as best seen by the dot-dash and full lines in FIG. 5. The flap 32
has a cam follower portion 32b which operatively engages the cam
runs 28a-28g of the cam drum 28. Thus, as the cam drum 28 rotates
with the shaft 20, the rises and falls on the particular selected
cam run, as will be described in greater detail hereinafter, will
cause the flap to move back and forth, as shown best in FIG. 5. The
linkage 30 further includes a lever, generally designated 34, for
each of the marking holders 24 and pivoted on a vertical shaft 36.
Each lever 34 has a forwardly protruding arm portion 34a fixed to
one of the marking holders 24 and an offset rearwardly protruding
arm portion 34b which is maintained in engagement with the flap 32
by means of wire springs 38 (as more fully described
hereinafter).
Thus, the operative chain between the cam drum 28 and the marking
holders 24 (and marking members 26) is as follows: As the follower
portion 32b of the swingable flap 32 engages a rise on one of the
cam runs 28a-28g of the cam drum 28, the flap will be moved in the
direction of arrow A (FIG. 5) and, through its engagement with the
lever arm portions 34b, will cause the levers 34 to pivot in a
direction whereby the forwardly protruding arm portions 34a of the
levers will move outwardly in the direction of arrows B (FIG. 3) to
separate the marking holders 24 and cause the marking members 26,
held thereby, to mark diverging lines on the marking surface 14 as
the device moves in a forward direction. As the cam follower
portion 32b of the swingable flap 32 reaches a fall in one of the
cam runs 28a-28g of the cam drum 28, the springs 38 will bias the
levers 34 in a direction so that the marking holders 24 move back
inwardly in a direction opposite that of arrows B (FIG. 3) and
thereby mark converging lines on the marking surface, as drawn by
the marking members 26. In essence, the marking holders 24 and
marking members 26 are oscillated generally perpendicular to the
direction of movement of the frame 10 over the marking surface in
identical but oppositely oriented patterns. The sequence of
oscillation and the amplitude thereof are determined by the rises
and falls on the cam runs 28a-28g of the cam drum 28.
To provide for selective changing or determination of the movement
of the marking holders 24 (and marking members 26) relative to the
frame 10 as the frame is moved over the marking surface 14, the cam
drum 28 is slidably mounted on the shaft 20 so that the different
individual cam runs 28a through 28g may be selectively positioned
for engagement with the cam follower portion 32b on the swingable
flap 32. To facilitate shifting the cam drum 28 along the shaft 20,
a handle 40 is provided and protrudes from the casing 10, as best
seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, and is secured to a yoke, generally
designated 42 in FIG. 4, disposed within the casing and embracing
the cam drum 28. The yoke 42 has a pair of downwardly depending
arms 42a (FIGS. 4 and 5) disposed on opposite sides of the cam drum
to sandwich the cam drum therebetween and the arms 42a have
apertures 42b through which the rectangular shaft 20 extends. The
apertures 42b are sufficiently larger than the rectangular shaft 20
and is circular in shape to permit the yoke 42 to move freely
longitudinally along the shaft 20, with the handle 40 moving
therewith, to move the cam drum 28 along the shaft 20 and shift the
cam drum relative to the cam follower portion 32b of the flap
32.
As best seen in FIGS. 1-3, the top wall of the casing 12 has an
elongated slot 44 to accommodate movement of the handle 40
longitudinally of the shaft 20. The front of the slot 44 has a
plurality of notches 44a corresponding in number and position to
the cam runs 28a-28g on the cam drum 28 so that a narrow rib
portion 40a (FIGS. 3 and 4) of the handle 40 may be disposed in the
slots to accurately locate and hold the cam drum in position along
the shaft 20 with one of the cam runs 28a-28g in engagement with
the cam follower portion 32b of the flap 32. As seen in FIG. 5, a
front lip portion 42c of the arms 42a (which depend from the handle
40) are held in engagement with the flap 32 along the lower edge
thereof. This engagement is maintained by the springs 38 which urge
the lever 34 against the flap 32 and into engagement with the cam
drum 28. Consequently, the springs 38 hold the narrow rib portion
40a of the handle 40 in the notches 44a in the top wall of the
frame 20. To shift the cam drum 28 longitudinally along the shaft
20, the handle 40 is depressed in the direction of arrow C (FIG. 5)
to the position shown by the dot-dash lines in FIG. 5. Thus, the
handle and the depending arms 42a will pivot about shaft 20 and
urge the flap 32 away from the cam drum 28 in the direction of
arrow A (FIG. 5) so that the follower portion 32b of the flap will
not interfere with the movement of the cam drum 28 longitudinally
along the shaft 20.
As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 5, the holders 24 for the marking
members 26 have rearwardly extending rod portions 50 journaled in
bushings 52 secured to the front of the forwardly extending arm
portions 34a of the lever 34. This structure permits the holders 24
for the marking members 26 to be pivoted about an axis which
normally extends generally parallel to the direction of movement of
the frame 12 over the marking surface 14, so as to adjust the lower
end of the marking members 26 generally perpendicular to the
direction of movement of the frame 12 over the marking surface 14
and thereby adjust the amplitude of the oscillatory movement of
either or both of the marking holders 24 for the marking members
26. The holders 24 and marking members 26 also may be adjusted in
the bushings 52 along the axis of rods 50 in a direction generally
parallel to the direction of movement of the frame 12 over the
marking surface to further provide for greater creativity in the
selection of patterns to be drawn by the device of the present
invention.
Each marking member 26 also may be removed from the holders 24 to
further change the drawn patterns.
The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of
understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be
understood therefrom as some modifications will be obvious to those
skilled in the art.
* * * * *