US2964791A - Molding toy - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 20, 1960 N. T. MCFARLAND 2,964,791

MOLDING TOY Filed May 1, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 \IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII l II/ ////AIIMII\ w" '"rri-"v-wmmxm INVENTOR.

United States Patent 2,964,791 MOLDING TOY Norman T. McFarland, North Aurora, lll., assignoito Marvin I. Glass, Chicago, Ill.

Filed May 1, 1957, ser. No. 656,235

3 Claims. or. 18-42 The present invention generally relates to a molding toy and more particularly to'a toy which can be simply operated by a child to mold fanciful articles from a moldable material.

Various molding toys have been constructed to mold articles resembling animals, soldiers, Indians, cowboys and other fanciful objects. The present invention comprises a simple, relatively inexpensive, easily operable molding toy which may be used to mold one or more articles from a moldable material, for example molding clay. The toy is preferably designed so that it may be used to make a variety of articles. It is also designed to have a pleasing and attractive physical appearance.

Accordingly, the principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel, simply operated molding toy in which a variety of articles may be molded, the toy being simple and inexpensive in construction and rugged and durable in use. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a novel molding toy which has a pleasing and attractive physical appearance.

Further objects of the present invention will be apparent from a study of the following detailed description and from the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, of which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a molding toy in accordance with the present invention; 7

Figure 2 is a sectional view, taken substantially along line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the molding toy shown in Figure 1, illustrating the mold members in open position with a lump of molding clay positioned between the mold members; and

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the molding toy shown in Figure 1, partially in section, illustrating the mold members in closed position with a clay article being molded.

The toy mold 5, illustrated in the drawings, includes a lower mold member 7 and an upper mold member 9. These mold members, 7 and 9, are centrally and rotatably mountedon a short, vertically extending shaft member l l which is supported at its lower end by a base member 13. Each of the mold-members, 7 and 9, has a plurality of arcuately spaced forming sections or'cavities 21 therein. Each of theforming sections in the lower mold member has a related forming section positioned directly above it in the upper mold member. The mold members, therefore, have a plurality of matching pairs of forming sections therein. The forming sections in each of the mold sections are usually cavities, however, the forming sections may have male portions projecting therefrom. The mold members are normally urged apart by springs 15. A feed means 17,'mounte'd on the base member 13, is provided to deliver a predetermined amount 19 of moldable material between a pair of matching forming sections 21 in the mold members. In order to move the mold members together against the force of the springs 15, to the. closed position, a cam lever 23 is provided.

axis of the shaft member is maintained vertical.

.in a direction parallel to the axis of the shaft.

4 2,964,791 Patented Dec. 20, 1 960 The cam lever is pivotally mounted on the shaft member 11 and has a cam portion which acts against the top of the upper mold member 9 forcing the upper mold down into closed position in contact with the lower mold membet 7. As the mold members are moved together, by the action of the cam lever 23, they squeeze the lump of moldable material 19 positioned therebetween and the moldable material is forced to conform to the outline of the cavities in the cooperating mold members to form the article desired. The cam lever 23 is also so designed that it may then be moved to permit the mold members to be moved apart by the springs 15. With the mold members apart in open position, the molded article may be removed from between the mold members.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the illustrated toy 5 includes the lower mold member 7 and the upper mold member 9. Each of these mold members has a generally flat right cylindrical or disc-shaped outline. Each of the mold members may be constructed of a single piece of suitable material, such as, for example metal or plastic, or each of the mold members may be constructed as illustrated in the drawings so as to have an outer shell 25 and a mold insert member 27 which fits within the outer shell. Each of the mold insert members is secured within its associated outer shell 25 by any suitable means. For the sake of simplicity, the insert member preferably is constructed so that it fits tightly within the outer shell and is thus held in place by friction. The type of construction illustrated has an advantage in that the mold insert members 27 may be easily removed from the outer shell and replaced with other mold insert members which may have mold cavities or forming sections 21 therein which form articles difierent from those formed by the original mold insert members. This enables the toy 5 to be used to mold alarge variety of articles. The forming sections 21 in these mold members may be designed so as to form various articles of the type herein set forth. In Figure 1 a star and an Indian head are indicated. Each of the mold members, 7 and 9, has an opening in the central portion thereof so that they may be slidably fitted over the shaft member 11. The lower mold member 7 rests on the frusto-conical base member 13, and as hereinbefore mentioned, the shaft member 11 is supported by the base member so that the In order to aid in maintaining the shaft member 11 upright and to more rigidly secure the shaft member 11 in the base member 13 as well as to give support to the base and added rigidity to the structure, the shaft member 11 has 'a base portion 31 of larger diameter than the rest of the shaft 11. The lower end of the base portion 31 is level with the bottom of the toy and therefore it will rest on the table or other platform on which the toy is placed.

As hereinbefore mentioned, the mold members, 7 and 9, are rotatably mounted on the shaft member 11 and these mold members may also slide along the shaft 11 When these mold members 7 and 9 are rotated on the shaft 11 during the use of the toy, it is, of course, necessary that they rotate as a unit so that the forming section 21 of the lower mold member remains directly below the related or associated forming section 21 of the upper mold member. In order that the mold members 7 and 9 rotate as a unit, the upper mold member is provided with a plurality of vertical'sleeve members 33 secured therein. One end of each of the sleeve members is fitted flush with the upper surface of the upper mold member 9 and the length of the sleeve member is preferably equal to the thickness of the mold member 9. The lower mold mem her 7 has a plurality of vertically extending pins 35 secured therein which are adapted to slidably engage the in terior of the sleeve members 33 and are positioned in the lower mold member 7 so as to register with the sleeves in the upper mold member 9. .When the upper mold member 9 is placed on the shaft member 11 over the lower mold member 7, the mold members are positioned relative to each other so that related forming sections 21 of these mold members are positioned directly above and below each other. In this position the vertical the vertical pins 35 register with the sleeve members 33 and the molds may be brought together with the pins slidably engaging the interior of the sleeves 33. The pins 35 are designed with a sutficient length so that. the pins remain in engagement with the associated sleeves throughout the movement of the mold members to open and closed position. The sleeve and pin structure described is preferred since the sleeve and pin mechanism not only maintains the molds 7 and 9 in relative position but the sleeve and pin mechanism also aids in vertically guiding the upper mold 9 down onto the lower mold '7. The mold members, 7 and 9, also have smallv recesses 53 therein leading from the mold cavities to the outside of the molds. The reason for these recesses will be explained hereinafter.

The mold members 7 and 9 are normally urged apart by the springs 15 which are positioned about the sleeves 33 and vertical pins 35. These springs 15 are under compression when the mold members are brought together to closed position and, therefore, when the cam lever 23 is moved to permit the upper mold member 9 to move upwardly the compression springs 15 move the upper mold upwardly to open position.

When the mold members 7 and 9 are rotatably moved on the shaft member 11, any one of the matching pairs of forming sections of the molds may be brought into a specific position adjacent the feed means 17 so that a lump of moldable material may be fed by the feed means between the adjacent pair of forming sections 21. The feed means 17 is positioned on an outwardly extending portion 29 of the base member 13. The feed means 17 includes a stationary vertically extending spindle-like protrusion member 41, a cup-like rotatable hub member 43 which is 'slidably fitted over the spindle 41 so that the hub 43 may rotate on the spindle 41 as well as move vertically up and down, and a plurality of horizontally extending relatively thin fingers 45 which are secured in a flange portion 43a of the hub. In the illustrated structure, three of these fingers 45 are illustrated, however, a lesser or greater number may be provided. These fingers are of a sutficient length to reach into the forming portions 21 of the molds and since they are relatively long and thin, they are preferably fabricated from a strong material such as steel; however, other materials, for example plastics, may be used for the fingers. The hub 43, may therefore, be rotated so as to bring the outer portion of each of the fingers 45 alternately into position between the mold members 7 and 9.

In the operation of the molding toy a lump 19 of moldable material, such as clay, is placed on an end portion of one of the fingers and the hub 43 is rotated so as to position the lump on the finger 45 directly between a matching pair of forming sections 21 in the mold members. A detent mechanism (not shown) may be provided on the feed means 17 to indicate when the hub 43 has been rotated a sufficient amount to position a finger 45 in a specific position between the mold members. Any suitable type of detent mechanism may be used and it may be of the type hereinafter described for use with the mold members. The moldable material is preferably one which is readily moldable at room temperature and which will retain its shape after being removed from the mold. Examples of suitable molding materials are molding clay and some types of waxes and resins. When the mold members are closed, a finger 45 remains between the mold members 7 and 9 and after the mold members are separated to open position the hub 43 and finger 45 should move upwardly to lift the molded article from the lower mold so that the hub 43 may then be rotated to bring the molded article out from between the mold members. It is, therefore, necessary that the hub 43 be movable in a vertical direction as well as being rotatable on the spindle 41. The rotating movement enables the lump of clay to be brought between the mold members by a simple turning of the hub 43 and the vertical movement enables the finger 45 between the molds and the hub 43 to which it is connected to move downwardly on the spindle 41 as the mold 9 is moved downwardly into contact with the lower mold '7. When the mold members are again brought to open position after the article has been molded therein, the fingers 45 and the hub 43 to which they are connected must move vertically upward so as to bring the molded article between the mold members so that upon revolving the hub 43 the molded article may be removed from between the mold members. When the molded article is removed from between the mold members, the molded article may be readily removed from the finger by merely sliding it therefrom.

To provide for the vertical movement of the hub member 43 and the finger portions 45 on the spindle 41, a spring 47 is provided between the hub 43 and spindle 4L This spring 47 normally urges the hub 43 and the spindle 41 apart. To prevent the hub 43 from being too easily removed from the spindle 41 and to aid in guiding the spindle 43 in its vertical movement on the section 41, as well as to limit the upward vertical motion of the hub 43 so that the fingers 45, when positioned between the mold members in open position, are centered between the mold members, a guide shaft 49 is provided. The shaft 49 is fixed at its upper end to the hub 43 and has a section 51 of greater diameter at the lower portion thereof to act as a stop to limit the upward travel of the hub 43. However, instead of an enlarged portion 51 other suitable means, for example, a locking pin, could be provided in the shaft 49. Since a finger 45 remains between the mold members 7 and 9 and moves downwardly as the upper mold member 9 is brought downward onto the lower mold member 7, the mold members are preferably provided with the small recesses 53 which are substantially the same width and thickness as the fingers and extend from the mold cavities to the outside of the molds. This enables the mold members 7 and 9 to be brought directly into contact with each other and not held apart by the thickness of a finger member 45.

As the mold members 7 and 9 are rotated on the shaft 11 so that various of the pairs of forming sections 21 are brought into position adjacent the feed means 17, so that different articles may be formed, it is preferred that some type of detent mechanism be provided to indicate the position when the mold members have been rotated a sufiicient amount to bring a pair of forming sections of the mold members into correct position. Any suitable type of restraining mechanism may be used. In the structure indicated, the base member 13 is provided with a recessed portion 55 and a suitable biasing spring 57 and ball 59 are fitted within the recessed portion. The spring 57 normally urges the ball 59 out of the recess so that the ball is in bearing relationship against the lower portion of the lower mold 7 which is resting on the base member 13. The lower portion of the lower mold 7 is provided with a plurality of small, substantially hemispherical recesses 60, one for each of forming sections 21 in the molds and these recesses are adapted to receive a portion of the ball 59 as the recesses 60 are positioned over the ball 59. As the mold members 7 and 9 are rotated as a unit, therefore, the recesses 60 in the lower mold member are periodically brought into position over the recess 55 in the base member whereupon the ball 59 partially enters the recess 60 and causes a slight restraining to the rotating of the mold members 7 and 9. This restraining action, however, is not reat enough to prevent the mold members 7 and 9 from being rotated further by merely turning the mold members with greater force.

To move the upper mold vertically downwardly against the force of the springs 15 which urge the mold members apart, the cam lever 23 is provided- The cam lever 23 has a bifurcated end 23a which is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 61 which is secured in a narrowed upper portion 11a of the shaft member 11. The cam lever 23 is provided with a cam portion 63 on both of the arms of the bifurcated end 23a. A knob 65 is provided on the cam lever 23 which is indicated as being threadedly attached to the cam lever. The knob 65 is provided so that the cam lever 23 may be easily grasped and pivoted about the pivot pin 61 from the position indicated in Figure 2 by solid lines to the position indicated by dotted lines. In the position of the lever indicated by solid lines, the cam portion 63 forces the mold members 7 and 9 together so as to mold articles from a lump of moldable material positioned between the mold members. In this closed position, it may be noted that the cam portion 63 of the lever 23 is pushing down on the upper surface of the mold member 9 against the force of the springs 15 so as to bring the mold member 9 into engagement with the lower mold 7. The part of the cam lever which is pushing down on the upper surface of the upper mold member 9 is substantially flat and the cam lever is therefore in a somewhat stable position and the cam lever may be released by the operator and the cam lever and mold members will remain in the molding position indicated by solid lines in Figure 2. After the molds have been brought together to form the molded article, the lever 23 is pivoted about the pivot pin 61 to the position indicated in dotted lines and the cam portion 63 of the lever 23 permits the upper mold 9 to move upwardly by the biasing force of the springs 15. Therefore, as the lever 23 is moved from the right to the left (Figures 1 and 2) about the pivot 61, the mold members are alternately moved from closed to open position. The cam lever is provided with a pair of small protruding stops 67 which rest on the top of the upper mold 9 when the lever is in the position as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 2. These stops maintain the level of the cam lever slightly above the horizontal position so that the knob may be grasped more easily.

In Figure 3 the molding toy 5 is indicated with the mold members in open position with a lump of clay positioned between the mold members. With the mold members apart the cam lever 23 is in the position indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 2. It may be noted that the hub 43 is in its uppermost position on the spindle 41 and that the enlarged portion 51 of the pin 49 is pres-sing against the bottom of the spindle portion 41 so that the hub 43 may not move upwardly any further. In this position the fingers 45 may one at a time be brought into position between the mold members.

In Figure 4 the molding toy 5 is indicated with the mold members in closed position with an article being molded. The cam lever is now in the position as indicated by the solid lines in Figure 2. It may be noted from the figure that the hub 43 and the fingers 45 have been moved downwardly by the force caused by the edge of the upper member 9 bearing downwardly against the finger 45 which is between the mold members. After the molding operation which is accomplished by closing the molds to the position shown in Figures 2 and 4, the lever is moved to the position indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 2, whereupon the mold members open and the fingers 45 and hub 43 move upwardly so that the molded article may be brought out from between the molds.

In the operation of the molding toy 5 a lump of molding clay 19 is placed on one of the fingers 45 and the hub 43 is turned so as to position the lump of clay between the forming sections 21 of the upper and lower mold members. The fingers 45 may be lubricated by an oil or grease to facilitate placing the predetermined lump of moldable material thereon as well as facilitating the removal of the molded article therefrom; however, a lubricant is ordinarily not necessary. The cam lever 23 is then moved so as to bring the mold members together. While the mold members are in the closed position, the child may place a lump of clay on another finger 45 preparatory to forming another article. The cam lever 23 is then moved to permit the springs 15 to force the upper mold upwardly and while the molds are in open position the hub 43 may be turned so as to bring the molded article out from between the mold members and so as to position the new lump of clay between the mold members. The mold members while in the open position, may also be rotated about the shaft member 11 to position a new pair of forming sections adjacent the feeding means 17 so that a new figure may be formed. The mold members may again be closed by moving the cam lever to the position shown by solid lines in Figure 2. While the mold members are again in closed position, molding a new article, the child may remove the formed article from the finger by merely sliding the article therefrom, and a fresh lump of clay may be positioned on the finger 45 preparatory to another molding operation. The toy of this invention is, therefore, very simple in operation and its construction renders the toy rugged and durable in use.

Modifications in the construction and/or design of the molding toy of the present invention as are within the skill of those versed in the art, are contemplated as being within the scope of the present invention.

Various features of the present invention which are believed to be new are Set forth in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A molding toy comprising a base member, a vertical shaft member attached to said base member and extending upwardly therefrom, a mold rotatably mounted on said shaft member, said mold including a substantially disc-shaped lower m'old member and a substantially discshaped upper mold member, each of said mold members having a plurality of forming sections therein so that a variety of articles may be molded by said mold members, said upper mold member being vertically movable on said shaft upwardly away from said lower mold member to an open position and downwardly into contact with said lower mold member to a closed position, a rotatable feed means supported on said base member for positioning a lump of moldable material between said mold members, a spring biasing means between said mold members for urging said upper mold upwardly, and a cam lever pivotally connected to said shaft member for moving said upper mold member downwardly to said closed position wherein said mold members are together to form said moldable material to the contour of a forming section.

2. A molding toy comprising a base member, a vertical shaft member attached to said base member and extending upwardly therefrom, a substantially disc-shaped lower mold member and a substantially disc-shaped upper mold member rotatably mounted on said shaft member, each of said mold members having a plurality of forming sections therein so that a variety of articles may be molded by said mold members, said upper mold member being vertically movable on said shaft upwardly away from said lower mold member to an open position wherein said mold members are apart and downwardly into contact with said lower mold member to a closed position, a rotatable feed means supported on said base member for positioning a lump of moldable material between said mold members, said feed means including a stationary spindle on said base member and a hub mounted on said spindle so that said hub is rotatable and movable vertically on said spindle, said hub having a plurality of finger portions extending therefrom of a length suificient to reach between said mold members, a spring biasing means between said mold members for urging said upper mold upwardly to said open position and a cam lever pivotally connected to said shaft member for moving said upper mold downwardly to said closed position wherein said mold members are together to form said moldable material to the contour of a molding section, said rotatable mounting of said mold members enabling said mold members to be rotated on said shaft members so that any one of the different forming sections in said mold members may be brought to a predetermined position adjacent said rotatable feed means.

3. A molding toy comprising a base member, a mold mounted on said base member, said mold including a lower mold member and an upper mold member, each of said mold members having a complementary plurality of forming sections therein so that a variety of articles may be molded by said mold members, rotatable means associated with said base member and being selectively positionable relative to said mold for locating a lump of moldable material between a selected pair of said complementary forming sections, and means connected to said base member for moving said mold members together to a closed position wherein said moldable material is formed to the contour of said selected pair of complementary forming sections with which it is in contact.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,651,376 Clark et al. Dec. 6, 1927 1,807,155 Frederick May 26, 1931 2,183,869 Randall et al. Dec. 19, 1939 2,298,057 Kelm Oct. 6, 1942 2,642,782 Chapman June 23, 1953 2,733,479 English Feb. 7, 1956 2,775,790 Lappin et al. Jan. 1, 1957

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