US2529721A - Crib and mechanism for oscillating the same - Google Patents

Description

Nov, M9 1950 s. N. BARUCH CRIB AND MECHANISM F'OR OSCILLATING THE SAME Filed March 21, 1949 N W ma. 2 Kuh@ 3 mr L WMMHW lll l in ,E TTVJ r 5 M :E l l L \|\\\.H m l \\\\\\\\\\\U\MMWWMM\\MJ\ INVENTOR.

SYDNEY N. BARUCH ATTORNEY Patented Nov.. 14, 1950 CRIB AND MECHANISM FOR OSCILLATING THE SAME Sydney N. Baruch, New York, N. Y., assigner to Norton Patents Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application Marcil 2i, 194e, serial No. 82,662

(ci. -1o9) 3 Claims.

1 The present invention relates to the art of lulling infants into a condition of sleep, More particularly, the invention relates to a mechanism designed to impart to a crib a movement vwhich is similar to that customarily used by a mother in rocking a baby to sleep in her arms. Additionally, the mechanism is designed to simultaneously with the rocking action reproduce a lullaby, the reproduction being by means of a record either of the voice of the babys mother or, in some instances, a reproduction of the voice of a person such as a mammy which is particularly pleasing and soothing to infants.

It is an object of my invention to provide a mechanism which may be utilized as an attachment for a crib or bed and which will rock (oscillate) the crib or bed in a manner conducive to sleep.

It is another object or" my invention to produce a rocking motion which is substantially a replica of the movement customarily utilized by a mother in rocking her baby in her arms in order to induce sleep. f

It is another object of the invention to provide in combination with a crib rocking mechanism a means for mechanically reproducing a lullaby or the like in order to further induce sleep.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a common means for energizing the rocking mechanism and the lullaby reproducing mechanism.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a timing means settable to a desired period for deenergizing the cradle rocking mechanisrn and the lullaby reproducing mechanism.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear when the vfollowing description is considered in connection with the annexed drawings in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a typical form of crib showing my rocking mechanism attached thereto. This ligure additionally shows in dotdash lines the various positions which will be assumed by the crib as the mechanism goes through a cycle of operation;

Figure 2 is a partial side elevation of the rocking mechanism of my invention having portions in section and showing particularly the mode of attaching the mechanism to a crib; and

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the crib rocking mechanism of my invention showing also the mode of connecting the motor of the rocking mechanism to a power source through a timing clock and the mode of likewise connecting a record player to the power source through the same timing clock.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown at I Il a crib of a type commonly used which is provided with castors II in the usual manner. These castors II are retained at one end of the and replaced with the rod-like extensions I2 (Figure 2) which at their lower ends are provided with bearings I3.

The mechanism for rocking the crib comprises the motor Il mounted on a base plate I5 and being provided with a worm I8 meshing with a wcrznwheel Il on a shaft I8. The shaft I8 is supported from the base plate I5 by means of the brackets 2t, the shaft being split at 2l and the split ends being fastened together by means of the sleeve 22, this arrangement being utilized in order that cribs of varying widths may be accommodated. The shaft I6 terminates atY its ends in the crank arms 23 which extend into and rotate in the bearings I3 already mentioned.

Track-like extensions 24 of the base I5 extend beneath the crib on either side thereof and form smooth surfaces on which the castors II are guided for reciprocating movement. One track 2li is permanently xed to the base plate I5 while the other track is fastened to the base plate by means of the screw 25 extending through a slot 26 in the base plate I5, this arrangement being provided in order that the tracks may be placed a varying distance apart in order to accommodate cribs of different overall widths. Power is supplied to the motor Ill by means of a plug 21 which may be inserted into the usual plug receptacle or power outlet. From this plug 27 the power conductor leads to a timing clock or mechanism 28 and thence to a connector 30 and through that connector to the motor I4. Connected to the power line at the connector 3U is a conductor 3l' which leads to the motor of a suitable record player 32. This record player is equipped with a device for causing the tone arm thereof to be returned to its starting position when it has reached its final position on the inner periphery of the sound track. One device suitable for this purpose is the well known form of record repeater which comprises a disc having a radial slot therein terminating in a spiral groove which connects the inner end of the radial slot with the outer end thereof.

Referring now to the dash-dot representations of the crib position shown in Figure 1, it will be seen that one end of the crib (the left end as shown in Figure 1) reciprocates along the track 2li while at the same time pivoting slightly about the bearing for the castor II, While at the same time the righthand end is moved through a circular path due to the offset of the crank arms 23 with respect to the shaft I8. This resultant motion of the crib as a whole is substantially identical with the motion produced by a person who is rocking a baby in her arms. In use the device will be mounted as stated hereinabove and upon the baby awakening and crying or otherwise indicating that it has awakened, it

will be only necessary for the mother or other person attending the wants of the infant to insert the plug 21 in a power outlet, whereupon the motor I4 and the record player 32 will be energized, the crib will rock and the record player will emit the strains of a lullaby or the like which may be in the mothers voice or in that of another whose voice is soothing to the infant. Of course, it will be understood that the power lead from the clock 28 to the connector 30 may extend from the sleeping quarters of the infants parents or others in attendance to the sleeping quarters of the infant so that it will be unnecessary for the attendant to arise in order to energize the crib rocking mechanism and the record player. It may also be desirable to supply a switch between the plug 21 and the timing mechanism 23 so that it will be unnecessary to insert the plug 21 in a power receptacle but will be necessary only to operate the switch. The timing device 28 is of a usual form such as a synchronously driven clock having suitable contacts which may be preset to open and thereby deenergize the motor and record player after a desired interval of operation. Thus it will be seen that it is only necessary for the attendant upon being awakened by the babys crying or otherwise evidencing its awakening to throw the switch or insert the plug after which the crib will rock and the lullaby will play for a predetermined time interval at which time the motor and record player will be deenergized, the baby having meanwhile again resumed its slumber.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that modifications thereof may be utilized within the scope and spirit of my invention. Consequently, I wish to be limited not by the foregoing description but, on the contrary, solely by the claims granted to me.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for rocking a crib or the like comprising means for guiding one end of said crib for reciprocation, and means for causing the opposite end of said crib to move through a path generally defining a complete circle.

2. A mechanism for rocking a crib comprising, in combination, a motor, a crankshaft driven thereby, and means for attaching one end of the crib to said crankshaft for operation thereby, to thereby move one end of the crib through a path defining a complete circle and to cause reciprocation of the opposite end of the crib.

3. A mechanism for rocking a crib comprising, in combination, a base plate adapted to be located beneath one end of the crib, a motor mounted on said base plate, a shaft having crank arms at either end thereof, said shaft being supported in brackets on said base plate and being driven by said motor, track-like members extending from said base plate, to the opposite end of said crib on either side thereof, and bearing members depending from the legs of said crib at the end adjacent said motor, said bearing members encompassing said crank arms, whereby the end of said crib adjacent said motor is imparted a movement in a path dening a complete circle and the remote end of said crib is reciprocated along said track-like members.

SYDNEY N. BARUCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 236,545 Brown Jan. 1l, 1881 238,843 Brown Mar. 15, 1881 293,530 Sine Feb. 12, 1884 618,946 McCarty Feb. 7, 1899 1,909,204 Marchese May 1S, 1933 2,053,852 Tracy Sept. 8, 1936 2,311,542 Holme Feb. 16J 1943

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