Toy chariot

Application filed April 9, 1927. Serial No. 182,282.

My invention relates to improvements in toy chariots, and it more especially consists of the features pointed out in the annexed claims.

- The purpose of my invention is to provide a chariot for the use of children which is provided with a seat, a driving crank, a tongue, steering wheels and a steering mechanism ; that has supported on the tongue simu10 lated bodies of a pair of horses; that pivotally supports articulated legs and pivoted head and neck members; that connects the pivoted parts to each other and to the crank in any desired relation as to positive and 15 negative movements and in whatever sequential order such movements may take place; that interdependently connects simulated driving lines to pivoted parts of the horse so as to react onto the crank and thus assist in 2o moving the chariot forward; that may pivot non-articulate horse’s bodies on the chariot tongue and connect it to the crank to produce a rocking movement as the crank is rotated; and that may extend the tongue to support 25 a separate pair of leaders.

With these and other ends in view. I illustrate in the accompanying drawing such instances of adaptation as will disclose the broad underlying features of my invention 30 without limiting myself to the specific details shown thereon and described herein.

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a steering plate attached to a steering column.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of a pair of rigidly connected legs.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic elevation of the 40 inter-related moving parts showing alternative connections.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a rocking horse and chariot.

In carrying my invention into actual use, 45 I may use whatever alternatives of construction etc., that the exigencies of practical service may demand without departing from the broad spirit of my invention.

Instead of confining my invention to a 50 chariot and attached horses, the same form of interconnected mechanism will serve for a simulated sled with wheels, and reindeers to take the place of horses, as are exemplified in the drawings. Neither do I limit myself to horses or reindeers, as any other animals may 55 be simulated and all used in the same manner.

The chariot body 1 has wheels 2 attached to an axle 3 in any well known compensating manner. The axle has a sprocket 4 on which a drive chain 5 moves as it is actuated by an- eo other sprocket 7 on the crank 6. This crank is supported on the tongue of the chariot in any desired manner. It has pedals 8 which serve the child 10, while sitting on the seat 9, to drive the chariot. A tongue 11 projects 65 forward from the body 1 and it serves to support the horses or other animals. Some distance in front of the chariot the tongue is provided with a pair of steering wheels 33 which are connected together by a steering bar 25 70 that is pivoted to the tongue by a king pin 24. The steering bar is connected by means of two links 28 to a cross bar 34 at the lower end of the steering column 26 placed directly behind the “dash” of the chariot. At the upper end 75 of the column 26 a hand wheel 35 is placed so that if the child wishes he can actuate the steering wheel by his hands. On the contrary, if the hands are to be left free to manipulate the “driving” lines 23 then the “joy so stick” plate 27, which extends backward from 26, between the child’s legs, can be used to do the steering in airplane fashion.

The horses 13 are supported on the tongue 11 in any desired manner; for instance, by 85 U or V-shaped members 12 so as to be held against movement when the articulated animals shown in Fig. 1 are used. The head and neck portion 14 of each of these horses is pivoted to the body at 20. A pair of rear legs 16 are pivoted to the body at 22, and a pair of front legs 15 are pivoted to the body at 21. The legs are placed on opposite sides of the body in any desired staggered relation where ₉₅they are held on their pivots 21 and 22 by nuts 36. Distance tubes 37 through which pivot pins 21 and 22 pass serve to hold a pair of grouped legs in rigid spaced apart relation, by means of a nut 36. By loosening the 100

1,732,030 nut 36 the legs may be set in any desired relation to each other.

Movement from the pedals 8 is transmitted to a hind leg 16 of each horse by separate ₅ links 17, and in turn each hind leg 16 is connected by a link 18 to its respective horse’s head 14. The link 18 is connected by link 19 to a pair of front legs 15. Each horse is provided with duplicate links etc., but the rela10 tive relation of the connecting points where the links 18 and 19 are pivoted to their respective parts is optional, as shown in Fig. 5. It is obvious that the relative movements of a pair of horses can be changed as desired, by 15 connecting the links on diametrically opposite sides from the pivots or fulcrums of the legs and the horses’ necks.

Should it be desired to connect a chariot to a pair of rocking, non-articulated horses 20 29, they may have movement around a pivot 30 at the upper end of any desired support from the tongue 11, shown in Fig. 6. When a pair of horses are so attached to the chariot, links 32 pivoted to a hind leg of each horse, 25 similar to links 17, imparts movement to the horse as the crank 6 and pedals 7 are actuated by the child. Lines 23 may be attached to the heads of horses 29, if desired. The steering and driving mechanism of the ar30 rangement shown in Fig. 6 is the same as that shown in Fig. 1. Whenever it is desired to use a pair of horses in tandem, the pole 11 may be extended at 31, shown in Fig. 6. and the hind legs of the leaders connected by links 35 to the front legs of the first team. These are not shown, as such a connection is an obvious one.

A unique feature of my device lies in the cooperative effect I am able to secure by rea40 son of the lines which are connected to the horses’ heads. These may be coordinated with the pedal movements in any desired manner through the change in pivotal points of the links, so that a pull on one or both lines 45 will impart motion back to the crank to actuate it over the ordinary idle or return stroke. In this way I am able to secure a continuous torque on the crank. When the lines are so used the child will do the steering 50 by means of the “joy stick” plate which is attached to the steering column.