Roly-poly device

July 9, 1946.

F. M. HOOVER ETAL

ROLY-POLY DEVICE

Filed Jan. 6, 1945

2,403,531

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INVENTORS

JErank M.Hoover

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Patented July 9, 1946

2,403,531

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,403,531

ROLY-POLY DEVICE

Frank M. Hoover and Edwin E. Hoover, Youngstown, Ohio, assignors to Hoover Products, Inc., Youngstown, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio

Application January 6, 1945, Serial No. 571,593

Claims.

Our invention relates to a roly poly, that is, to a device which may be rocked or tilted from a vertical position on a supporting surface, and which upon being freed from external influence, will right itself. The center of gravity of the device is so oriented that the body tends always to return to· a true vertical position.

A roly poly device of the sort to which the invention is more particularly directed, consists in a hollow body having, and being adapted to stand on, a substantially semispherical bottom. Within the body a weight or mass is concentrated to provide a center of gravity so located that the body is in stable equilibrium as long as it stands in righted position. When rocked or tilted out of such position the tendency of the unbalanced mass is to swing the body back into righted position.

Our invention consists in certain new and useful improvements in the construction of roly poly devices, whereby such devices may be manufactured in mass production, with maximum precision and uniformity in the structure and operation of the devices, and with economy of labor and materials.

The device of the invention is particularly designed for roly poly toys, such as the toy illustrated and described in Letters Patent No. 2,351,762, granted to us June 20, 1944. The toy of these Letters Patent consists in a hollow ball or sphere formed of transparent material, and having a roly poly enclosed therewithin, whereby, when the sphere is rolled or turned the roly poly resting upon the internal surface of the sphere at its lower point or bottom portion, rocks and sways, and creeps or slides over said internal surface of the sphere, ultimately comes: to rest, the roly poly will stand in an upright position.

The invention will, for purposes of illustration, be described as it is embodied in a roly poly for use in such toy. In the accompanying drawing such a device is illustrated.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the roly poly device;

Figure d is an exploded view, showing the elements that form the body of the roly poly invertical section, and the weight element that is secured -with the body in side elevation; and

Figure 3 is a view in front elevation of one of the body elements of the device, with the weight element illustrated in assembled position therein.

Referring to the drawing, it will be understood that the roly poly device 2 in this case consists in a hallow body having ά relatively large spherical body portion 3 and a relatively small spherical (CL 46—1) head portion 4 connected to the body portion by means of a neck portion 5. The device is adapted, to stand upon a supporting surface, and the lower half of the spherical body portion 3 pro₅ vides a semispherical base portion upon which the device may be caused to rock or roll on said supporting surface. Within the hollow body of this semispherical base portion a weight element 6 is secured, thereby giving the device a center 10 of gravity which is effective normally to sustain the supported device in the upright position in which it is shown in Figure 1. «

In accordance with the invention the body of the device is formed of a plurality of hollow shell 15 elements, in the present instance, and preferably in any instance, of two complementary shell elements 7 and 8, each integrally molded of any suitable molding plastic material or molding compound. One half of the body portion 3, head 20 portion 4 and neck portion 5 is formed in each shell element, and the two shell elements are adapted to be united edge to edge to form the completed hollow body of the device. The edge of the shell element 7 is provided with a continu25 ous flange or rib 9, while the edge of shell element 8 is provided with a complementary groove 10. The two shell elements are united by means of a plastic cement, with the flange 9 seated in the groove 10, and in the assembled structure ³⁰ the joint between the two shell elements is fine seam ί ί that is almost imperceptible when the shell elements are formed of colored plastic material.

Of course, a simulation of the hair, eyes, ears, 35 nose and mouth of a human being may be painted or otherwise applied to the head portion 4 of the device, and arms and clothing, etc., may be similarly applied to the body portion 3.

An important feature of the invention resides 40 in the particular manner in which the weight element 6 is organized and secured within the lower half of the body portion 3 of the device. Additionally, the specialized form of the weight element, and of the means for securing it in ⁴⁵ place are also matters Of prime importance.

The weight, necessarily formed of a heavy material, such as a suitable metal, is disk-shaped, and as such may be readily and inexpensively stamped from a sheet or plate of such metal as 50 lead or steel, the latter metal being preferable, and if need be the sharp edges resulting from the die-punching of the circular disk from steel plate may be ground or filed off, as is indicated in the drawing.

The means for securing the disk-shaped weight

2,403,531 element 6 in. proper position in the assembled body of the device comprises protuberances 12 molded integrally with the dished or hollow bodies of the shell elements 7 and 8. The protuberances 12 advantageously are fashioned in the form of webs or partition-like members that extend trans veresly of the interior of the hollow body portion 3 of the assembled, device, and provide within the bottom region of the device a chamber 14 in which the weight element is confined. The partition member (2 in each shell element need not extend all of the way from the internal semispherical surface to the plane of the edge of the shell element (see Fig. 2), since the partition 12, 12 in the assembled structure (Fig. 1) need not be continuous in its extent across the interior of the hollow body portion 3. It suffices that these protuberances or partitions (or their equivalents) shall be effective to secure the weight element in a horizontal position in the chamber 14, as may be understood upon viewing Figures 1 and 3. In its ultimate position of assembly the diskshaped weight element bears marginally or at its edge upon the internal surfaces of the assembled shell elements, and the partition members 12 bear from above on the weight element and secure it in tightly seated position. It will here be noted that each partition element is integrally formed with a cylindrical rib 13. In the assembled structure the ribs on the two partitions 12, 12 are aligned, and are adapted to bear upon the upper face of the weight element, thus providing a diametrical line contact with the top of the weight element, while at the bottom of the weight element a circumferential line of contact is established with the confining body of the device. This insures accuracy and permanency of position of the weight element, with elimination of any tendency for the weight element to become loose and to rattle.

The structure described is not only distinctive and valuable in its ultimate assembly, but it is noteworthy that the structure admits of ease of the assembling operation. In making the assembly, the two shell elements, with plastic cement applied to their edges, are brought together laterally upon the weight disk 6, and, as the two shell elements are pressed together edge to edge, the weight disk is automatically forced into precisely the proper position, and there secured by the marginal and diametrical line contacts already described. The cement used on the edges of the shell elements is a quick setting cement, whereby the operation of assembling the structure is effected with speed as well as accuracy.

Within the terms of the appended claims many modifications and variations of the exemplary structure described may be adopted without departure from the spirit of the invention.