US1004814A - Humming-top. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Oct. 3, 1911.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH conwAsrnNuToN. D. C.

SALLY PLAUT, OF DUSSELDORF, GERMANY.

HUMMING-TOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1911.

Application filed December 19, 1910. Serial No. 598,148.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SALLY PLAUT, a citizen of Germany, residing at Dusseldorf, Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements in Humming- Tops, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a humming top which on being spun is adapted to consecutively produce a number of different notes or chords so that a pleasing musical effect is obtained.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a vertical section of a humming top embodying my invention; and Fig. 2 a horizontal section on line 22, Fig. l.

The hollow body or shell a of the top is provided with upper and lower perforated disks a, through which extends loosely a spindle (Z having upper knob or handle (Z. Vithin body a, spindle (Z is provided with a collar (Z by means of which a lower disk 0 is firmly secured to the spindle. Upon disk 0 is rotatably supported a coacting annular reed plate 6 which is attached to body a and by means of which the latter is supported on the spindle. The reeds b of plate 6 are radially arranged, and" plate 0 has similar radial slots 0 the number of slots being however less than that of the reeds, the drawing showing the use of twelve reeds and four slots. It will be seen that by shifting the relative position between body a and spindle (Z the slots will become alined with different groups of reeds, so that different notes or chords will be sounded, the air entering through apertures 663 formed in body a above plate Z) and leaving through apertures a below plate 0. Upon spindle (Z may be mounted an upright circular vane (Z which serves to increase the volume of sound by driving the air toward egress openings Below handle (Z, body a is provided with a neck (Z around which the usual spinning cord is adapted to be wound.

The lower end of spindle (Z protrudes from body a and is received within a ferrule 6 within which the spindle is rotatable and tiltable. Ferrule e is provided with a protruding foot Z made of cork, rubber of similar soft material. Foot Z is surmounted by a cork plate is supporting a bearing 2' perforated as at m. Upon this bearing is free to glide a shoe h, the lower face of which is bulged as shown. Shoe it has an upper,

central indentation into which sets the lower pointed end (Z of spindle (Z. To prevent a disengagement of ferrule e from spindle (Z, the latter is provided above point (Z with a circumferential groove into which enters a perforated flexible disk f which is slipped over point (Z Disk f and consequently spindle (Z is confined within ferrule e by an upper perforated plug 9 driven into the ferrule and between which and disk f a metal plate n is interposed. The bore of plug 9 is such that spindle (Z is not only freely rotatable within the ferrule, but that it is also tiltable relatively thereto.

When the top has been started, the parts a and (Z will incipiently rotate with like speed to sound a chord. During this rotation ferrule 8 will be taken along, but owing to the frictional engagement of flexible foot Z with the floor the ferrule will be retarded relatively to the spindle. As the top during spinning does not maintain its vertical position but rolls from side to side, spindle (Z will be deflected within the ferrule, this deflection causing a tilting movement of shoe h on hearing 2'. This tilting movement together with the lateral displacement of the spindle within the foot and the resulting frictional engagement between the spindle and plug causes a retardation of the spin dle, while the rotation of body a remains unchanged. In this way plate Z) is shifted on plate a, so that different groups of reeds Z) become successively alined with slots 0, thus producing the desired change of tune.

I claim:

1. A humming top comprising a spindle, a shell rotatable thereon, a pair of co-acting sound producing disks secured to the spindle and shell respectively, a ferrule loosely encompassing the lower end of the spindle, a slidable shoe engaged by the spindle, and a bearing for said shoe within the ferrule.

2. A humming top comprising a spindle, a shell rotatable thereon, a pair of co-acting sound producing disks secured to the spindle and shell respectively, a ferrule loosely encompassing the lower end of the spindle, a slidable shoe engaged by the spindle, a bearing for said shoe within the ferrule, a resilient foot below the bearing, and spindleconfining means above the shoe.

3. A humming top comprising a spindle, a shell rotatable thereon, a pair of co-acting sound producing disks secured to the spindle located within the ferrule above said disk and shell respectively, a ferrule loosely enand perforated for the accommodation of coinpassing the lower end of the spindle, a the spindle. slidable shoe engaged by the spindle, a bear- SALLY PLAUT.

5 ing for said shoe within the ferrule, a resilient foot below the bearing, a disk fitted to the spindle above the shoe, and a plug Witnesses:

RALPH W. DoX, ELIZABETH HnLLMUTI-I.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

Images