US2455887A - Toy steering wheel - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 7, 1948. I J. J. BRAUDE 2,455,887

TOY STEERING WHEEL Filed March 30, 1948 IN V EN TOR."

JA CK J. BRA UDE ,4 T TORNEK Patented Dec. 7, 1948 .qQUNITE-Df STATES PATENT; j oF'FIcE Jack J.;Braude, Los Angeles,0alif., assignor to ,Evco, Inc., Los..Angeles, Caliit, a corporation 'of California 7 Application March 30, 1948, 'Serial No. 17,939

, The invention relates to a toy steering wheel, and more particularly, to a steering wheel and flexible column therefor, with means, such as a suction cup, for attaching the same to any suitable objectsuch as a toy wagon or the dashboard of an automobile.

The invention particularly relates to improvements in the steering wheel itself and the manner in which it is coupled to the outer end of the flexible column. According to the invention, the steering wheel is provided with a sleeve slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of a round flexible column, the sleeve having spaced from the inside thereof a stud slightly smaller in diameter than the internal diameter of the flexible column. The wheel with its sleeve and stud are molded in one integral piece of thermo-plastic material. To facilitate the draft of the die, the stud is cast concentric with the sleeve, the stud and sleeve being slightly tapered. However this would permit the wheel to drop off from the column. To prevent this, when the casting is taken from the mold and while it is still warm and pliable, the outer end of the stud is pushed to an eccentric position in the outer end of the sleeve, and allowed to cool and harden there so it will pinch the flexible column. This provides a removable coupling which prevents the wheel from falling off while permitting it to be rotated by hand. The advantage of this arrangement is that while the steering wheel, column and suction cup may be taken apart to make a compact package, the coupling between the outer end of the flexible column and the steering wheel is of such a nature that the steering wheel can be readily turned or rotated with reference to the column thereby more nearly simulating an actual steering wheel.

For further details of the invention reference may be made to the drawings wherein Fig 1 is a perspective view of the toy steering wheel illustrated as applied to the dashboard of a typical automobile.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the front of the toy steering wheel.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the toy steering wheel on line 33 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the toy steering wheel I comprises three elements removably fitting together, namely, the steering wheel 2, the flexible column 3 of rubber or the like and a suction cup 4 of rubber or the like.

The invention relates particularly to the manner in which the steering wheel 2 is coupled to I the outer end 5 of the column 3. According to the invention, the column 3 has a round exterior 5 Claims.

6 and a round bore I. The steering wheel 2 has three-hollow .ribs, one of which is indicated at 8;-which radiate from a central outwardly facing cups. The outer ends of the ribs like 8 merge withthe rim [0 of the wheel and preferably the front surface H of the ribs is streamlined or tangent with the outer end of the cup 9 as shown at 13 in Fig. 3. Arranged in the cup 9 is a mechanical horn l4 having a push button 15. The bottom of cup 9 has a partition l6 and extending rearwardly therefrom is a sleeve [1 having an internal bore slightly greater than the diameter of the column 3 which may be a piece of hard rubber hose. Coaxial with the sleeve l1 and also rearwardly projecting from the center of the wall 16 is a stud l8 which is preferably the same length as sleeve I! as shown in Fig. 3, stud [8 being slightly smaller in diameter than the bore 1 of the column 3. After the wheel 2 is taken from the mold and While stud I8 is pliable, its outer end 20 is pushed to an eccentric position and allowed to cool and set there, whereby its portion 2| which is closest to the sleeve I1 I provides a gap 22 of less width than the thickthe column 3 and the cup 4 to prevent the column 3 from turning in the cup 4 when the wheel 2 is operated.

As a result of the above construction, the wheel 2 is readily uncoupled from the outer end 5 of the column 3 and readily coupled thereto while making it possible for the youngster to turn the wheel 2 with respect to the column 3 when assembled thereon. The sleeve I! and the stud l8 therefore provide a rotatable coupling with the outer end 5 of column 3.

It will be apparent that various modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A toy steering wheel of plastic material having a central outwardly facing cup having a bottom wall; a sleeve projecting rearwardly from the rear of said Wall; a stud projecting rearwardly from said wall within said sleeve, said stud having a base concentric with and spaced from the inside of said sleeve to provide a gap therebetween, the outer end of said stud having a side surface at a given peripheral region thereof which is spaced from said sleeve by a smaller gap than the remainder of the periphery at the outer end of said stud to thereby provide a gap between said sleeve and outer end of said stud at said region which is of less radial width than the gap at theizbase of r-said study-rand-a resilient, hollow steering column'having an endportion fitting inside said sleeve and over said stud, said column having a wall of greater thickness than said smaller gap, whereby to providet-alfriction grip at said smaller gap for preventing said wheel from falling off said steering-column while permitting rotation of said Wheel "relative to-said steering column.

2. A toy steering wheel of piastic materiali'having a central outwardly facing cup having a bottom wall; a sleeve projecting rearwardly "from the rear of said wall; and a stud projecting rearwardlyirom said wallwithin said sleeve, said stud having a base concentric "with and spaced from -'the inside of said sleeve to 'provide-agap therebetween, the'outer end'of said stud having a side surface ata given peripheralregionthereof which is spaced from said-sleeve by a smaller gap than 'the remainder of the outer 'peripheralportion of -"the outerendof said stud to thereby prov'ide a gap atapoint betweensaid'sleeve-and 4 outer end of said stud which is of less radial width than the gap at the base of said stud.

"3. Autoyssteering wheel-comprising; a central outwardly facing "cup having a 'side'wa'll and a bottom wall; a substantially cylindrical sleeve projecting rearwardly from said bottom wall; and 'a substantially cylindrical stud within said sleeve and also projecting rearwardly from said bottom wall, the inner *end of said stud being concentric with'reSpectttQ-YLsaid sleeve and the outer end of said stud being eccentric with respect to said ,asleeve.

4..A toy steering wheel according to claim 1 wherein said stud is round, the interior of said sleeve isround, and said steering column is round and has a round hore,- said end portion: of said column rotatably fitting in said sl eeve"and over said stud. I I r --5. 'A toy steeri-ng -wheel -accordi'r'1g :to claim 1 wherein said-stud is: substantially aslongaas :said sleeve.

JACK 'J. BRAUDE.

: 'No: references' cited.

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