Soldiers parade game

Application filed March 5, 1S30. Serial No. 433,361.

Tb.e object of my invention is to provide a novel and interesting game for children, especially boys, of suitable construction for them to manually operate the game and to provide a relatively simple but efficient com bination of parts for actuating the mannequin figures used in connection with the game, and to provide a device which can readily be assembled and disassembled and which can also be manufactured at a reasonable cost.

I attain these and other objects of my invention by the game apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,—

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a detailed sectional view on line 2—2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of my invention with a portion broken away to show the interior construction;

Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal section substantially on line 4—4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one method of fastening the soldier mannequin figure to the play block.

Like numbers designate like parts in each of the several views.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I provide a box 1 having a tray 2, the tray 2 having a portion of its rim 3 extending downwardly to engage over the upper portion of the box at 6, as shown in Fig. 4. I provide an elongated or approximately elliptical slot between the tray top 2 and the affixed central table member 5 which is permanently secured to the box by the vertical shafts 8, 9 and 10. The shafts 8 and 9 have threaded ends 7 which project above the surface of the central table member 5 and on which the base 11 of a stationary mannequin figure 12 is removably mounted.

I provide a horizontally disposed gear 14, which preferably is a beveled gear, and which meshes with the vertically disposed gear 15, which latter gear is affixed to the crank 16, the handle 17 of which functions as a means for operating the toy. The shaft 10 on which the gear 14 is keyed also carries a roller or spool 18 on which is mounted the belt 20 which also travels over a like roller or spool 21 removably mounted on a reduced portion of the shaft 8, as shown in Fig. 4. The endless belt 20 carries spaced L-shaped metal plates. 22 which are each provided with an opening 23 to receive the stub shaft 24 depending from the play block 25 on which the mannequin figure 26 is carried. This play block 25 rides on the surface of the table 5 and tray 2, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and is provided with a web 27 that connects it with the under plate 28 from which the stub shaft 24 depends downwardly, as shown in Fig. 2. It will be noted that the portion of the plate 28 under the table top 5 is narrower than the portion under the tray 2 to prevent possible interference with the endless belt 20.

I provide a slot 29 preferably in the central portion of the tray 2, as shown in Fig. 1, to receive a removable strip 30 which is releasably held in place by a suitable screw 31, which may, if desired, be provided with a knurled head projecting beyond the surface of the rim 3 of the tray to permit the child to manually remove the screw and the strip 30, to permit of insertion of the play block 25 carrying the mannequin figures of United States soldiers 26. A suitable number of these play blocks carrying the mannequin, soldiers is provided to permit of operatively connecting one with each of the series of spaced L-shaped perforated strips 22 carried by the endless belt.

In operation the screw 31 is removed, permitting of withdrawing the strip 30 from tb.e tray. 2 and insertion successively of the play blocks 25, the webs of which project through the slot 4 so that the bottom plates 28 prevent overturning of the mannequin figures and stub shafts 24 are inserted through the openings 23 in the plates 22, which plates are affixed in spaced relation to the endless belt 20. The endless belt which is mounted on the spools 18 and 21 is kept moving in any suitable manner as by the child grasping the handle 17 of the crank 16 which crank carries the bevel gear 15, which gear meshes with the corresponding bevel gear 14, the latter gear being keyed

1,802,884 or otherwise suitably affixed to the shaft 10 to which shaft the screw 18 is also affixed and thus operates the endless belt.

It will be especially noted that I require only two gears for the operation of this ^δ device; that the central table top is fixed and not removable; and that the tray 2, which is removable, has a rim 3 which seats snugly on the top of the box 1 to hold it in place. It will also be noted that the screw 31, which ^!υ is provided with a roller may be readily removed and replaced to release or secure the removable strip 30 in place to which the play blocks 25 with their mannequin figures 26 are inserted to engage in the actuating '° plates carried by the endless belt. It will thus be seen that the child himself may put the figures in place and operate the device entirely without the assistance of an older _Q person. Screw 31 may be any suitable ° screw, such as a knurled screw, as shown.

The arrangement of the tray with the rim 3 projecting downwardly over the top of the box also facilitates properly placing the top _y. in place on the box, while the central table top 5 is substantially held in place on the box so that it cannot be readily removed.

The web 27 between block 25 and plate 28 is rounded near its side edges to permit its ,₄ following a rounded course in slot 29.

Referring to Fig. 5 of the drawings, one method which I have devised of fastening the mannequin soldier figure 26 to the play block 25 is to provide a metal plate 32 hav.,. ing a suitable aperture 34 to receive the tack 35 by which the plate may be fastened to the play block 25. Plate 32 is provided with diagonally disposed tabs 33 which may be folded, over, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to θ engage the .flat base of the mannequin soldier. The tabs 33 being of flexible material permit the child to readily remove and replace any of the mannequin figures by raising these tabs sufficiently to disengage them _J5 from the base 36 of the mannequin figure and withdraw it and substitute a different figure. This makes it unnecessary to withdraw the block 30 from the tray top 2 and provides a convenient means for changing ₎₀ the mannequin figures used in the game.

If desired, I may provide more than one aperture 34 and also more than one tack 35 to fasten the plate to the play block and may, if desired, insert the tacks 35 directly .-- through the base plate 36 of the mannequin figure.

An important result obtained by the combination and arrangement of parts disclosed is that the number of parts is reduced to the Go minimum and the cost of manufacture is thereby kept down; which, from a practical standpoint, is very important to the manufacturer.