Abstract:
A push toy having a wheel housing rotatably supporting a pair of wheels with an impeller within the housing actuated upon rotation of the wheels, the impeller coacting with the interior of a generally transparent, continuous loop tube formed partially within the handle with a plurality of colored spheres therein, rotation of the impeller moving the string of spheres up the tube to the apex thereof, whereupon the spheres drop under the force of gravity. The toy may be operated in forward or reverse directions.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The background of the invention will be discussed in two parts: 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to push toys, and more particularly to a wheeled push toy having colored spheres actuated through a conduit on movement thereof. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     For toddlers, wheeled push toys with a handle resembling lawn mowers have provided a source of amusement for decades, particularly the types of push toys which have some form of motion or animation connected therewith. 
     One such early toy is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 480,619, issued to Park on Aug. 9, 1892, such patent being entitled &#34;Toy&#34; and disclosing a wheeled push toy having a wheel with an annular channel formed in a side thereof for captively retaining a plurality of ball members which rotate within the channel upon movement of the toy. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 906,471 is directed to another such toy, and is entitled &#34;Wheeled Toy&#34;, such patent being issued to Townsend on Dec. 8, 1908, the toy including a pair of wheels on an axle with projecting crank pins on the axle actuating spring members upon movement of the toy, thus propelling captively retained balls along a wire extending through the balls. 
     Another such toy is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,543,143, entitled &#34;Toy&#34;, issued to Woznuck, on June 23, 1925, the toy being a wheeled push toy having one wheel thereof toothed to coact with the extending post ends of a rotary cage mounted for rotation in response to movement of the toy on a surface. 
     Another such wheeled push toy is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,577,321, issued Oct. 13, 1925, to Parke, for a &#34;Toy&#34;, such toy being a wheeled push toy having reciprocatory ball members manipulated on movement of the toy. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 1,736,176, entitled &#34;Toy&#34;, issued to Shepherd on Nov. 19, 1929, such patent disclosing a wheeled toy having a runway for marbles or other rolling elements with a first terminal end of the runway being at a higher elevation than the other terminal end, which coacts with an element responsive to movement of the wheels for carrying a marble from the lower to the higher elevation for thereafter rolling under the force of gravity to the lower end. 
     Another wheeled push toy resembling a lawnmower is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,352,676, issued to Gainsley on July 4, 1944, such patent being entitled &#34;Toy&#34;, and having a pair of wheels on an open framework rotary cage with balls therein moving around in response to pushing of the toy. 
     Another such wheeled push toy is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,377,104, issued May 29, 1945, to Rapaport for a &#34;Toy&#34;, the patent disclosing a lawnmower like toy with a rotary cage including angularly disposed rods having washer-shaped members thereon slidable on the rods during movement of the toy. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,521,331, was issued to Biggs, on Sept. 5, 1950, and is entitled &#34;Marble Cage Push Toy&#34;, the patent disclosing a cage formed of two wheels with angularly disposed transparent tubes therebetween with marbles therein movable under the force of gravity during movement of the toy. The tubular path may be a separate unit or may be formed with part of the path within the wheel members. 
     Another push toy is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,385, entitled &#34;Beehive Push Toy&#34;, issued Aug. 11, 1970 to Noble, the toy having inner and outer spaced beeehive members with a helical surface configuration and a generally central vertical tubular member. Balls are elevated through the tubular member by a wheel actuated plunger providing an upward force, whereupon the balls descend between the surfaces from the top by the helical configuration. 
     Another such push toy is shown in U.S. Pat. No. D. 167,975, issued to Fisher et al on Oct. 21, 1952, for a &#34;Trundle Toy&#34;, the toy being in a form resembling a lawnmower with graphic depictions on the rotary surface thereof. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved push toy. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved push toy having the handle thereof configured for passage therethrough of rolling objects such as spheres. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved push toy having a transparent tubular handle with colored spheres therein with a wheel actuated impeller elevating the string of spheres during movement of the toy along a surface. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The foregoing and other objects are accomplished by providing a push toy having a wheel housing rotatably supporting a pair of wheels with an impeller within the housing actuated upon rotation of the wheels, the impeller coacting with the interior of a generally transparent, continuous loop tube formed partially within the handle with a plurality of colored spheres therein, rotation of the impeller moving the string of spheres up the tube to the apex thereof, whereupon the spheres drop under the force of gravity. The toy may be operated in forward or reverse directions. 
     Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the specification, when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements in the several views. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the push toy in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the lower portion of the push toy of FIG. 1 as viewed generally along line 2--2 thereof; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the lower portion of the push toy depicted in FIG. 2, as viewed generally along line 3--3 thereof; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the push toy of FIG. 1 as viewed generally along line 4--4 thereof; and 
     FIG. 5 is an end view of the lower portion of the push toy of FIG. 1 with one of the wheel members removed to illustrate details. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a push toy generally designated 10, having a wheel housing, generally designated 12, secured to a handle member, generally designated 14, with an opening 15 therethrough for gripping by the hand of a toddler. The wheel housing 12 rotatably supports a pair of wheels 16 and 18. The handle 14 has formed therein a portion of a continuous loop tube 20, the portion being of generally transparent, inverted generally U-shape, which has movably enclosed therein a string of a plurality of spheres 22, which may be varicolored marbles or the like. The handle portion of tube 20 has a first generally straight arm section 20a, an arcuate apex section 20b and a &#34;zig-zag&#34; arm section 20c formed in the handle 14. 
     As the child pushes the toy 10 along a surface, the wheels 16 and 18 rotate, and, depending on whether the toy 10 is being pushed or pulled, the spheres 22 will move up one arm 20a or 20c of the tubular portion 20 to the apex 20b thereof, whereupon the spheres 22 will descend down the other arm 20c or 20a under the force of gravity. To operate, there are a sufficient number of spheres 22 to equal or exceed, in length, the length of the longer of the two arms 20a or 20c (including that portion of the conduit within the wheel housing 12) to enable the spheres to pass over the apex 20b. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 2 through 5, the wheel housing 12 and handle 14 are formed as a unit of two matingly attachable parts, preferably formed as by molding of clear plastic material, with the conduit means or tube 20 formed integrally therewith in the form of a continuous loop. The two parts, after assembly of the axle 32 and impeller 30, and after insertion of the string of spheres 22, are then suitably secured to each other, such as by screws 33. 
     The wheel housing 12 is formed as a two part generally drum shaped housing with a generally centrally disposed impeller housing 24, having an impeller 30 rotatably supported therein. The center of the impeller housing 24 has aligned apertures 26 and 28 for passage therethrough of an axle member 32, with the wheels 16 and 18 fixedly secured to the outer ends thereof. Also secured for rotation with the axle 32 within the impeller housing 24 is the impeller 30 which, as can be seen in FIG. 3, has a centrally disposed keyed aperture 34 for matingly engaging a keyed section of the axle 32. 
     The impeller housing 24 defines a cavity or reservoir of sufficient width for rotation of the impeller 30 therein with the periphery of the impeller housing 24 having a generally U-shaped tubular portion 20d of cross-sectional diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the spheres 22, the portion 20d being a continuation of the tube 20. The impeller 30 is formed of a width less than the diameter of the tubular portion 20d, with the inner diameter of the tubular portion 20d being slotted for access by the impeller 30. 
     By reference to FIGS. 3 and 5, in side elevational view, the impeller 30 is formed in the shape of a gear with ten equiangularly spaced radially extending teeth or paddles 30a, 30b, etc., with the intervening web portions between paddles being arcuately configured to form recesses capable of receiving therein only one sphere 22. The spacing between the outer edge of each of the paddles 30a, etc. and the outer diametric surface of the tubular portion 20d is selected to enable separation of the string of spheres 22 during travel thereof within the tube 20 and enable upward motion of the string of spheres 22 as the toy 10 is pushed or pulled. For this purpose, the paddles 30a-30j intrude into the tubular portion 20d approximately half way. 
     For the purpose of precluding the entry of fingers into the interior of the working mechanism, and to provide a compact configuration, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the wheels 16 and 18 are generally cup-shaped and somewhat hollow and formed with a peripheral tread portion 16a and 18a, the inner diameter of which overlies the outwardly extending drum surface of the wheel housing 12, in proximate relation thereto. The outer surface of each of the tread portions 16a and 18a are provided with ribs to facilitate friction with a surface upon which the toy 10 is pushed. The center of the interior of each of the wheels 16 and 18 has an integrally formed hub portion 16b and 18b with an axle receiving recess formed therein for frictional engagement with the axle 32. The axle 32 is preferably formed of metal, such as steel or a suitable alloy. 
     As the toy 10 is pushed along a surface, the outer ribs of the wheel treads 16a and 18a cause rotation of the axle 32 coupled thereto, thus concurrently driving the impeller 30. By reference to FIG. 3, as the impeller 30 rotates in the direction of the arrow thereon, paddle 30c acts to block the string of spheres 22 within the tubular arm portion 20a which are urging downwardly under the force of gravity. Simultaneously, the string of spheres 22 in the tubular arm portion 20c is being urged upwardly as another sphere 22 enters this string, with paddle 30i providing the upwardly propelling force. As can be seen, the intervening paddles 30d-30h, in conjunction with the tubular portion 20d, form separate compartments, each of which contains one sphere 22. The length of the paddles 30a-30j in relation to the diameter of the spheres 22 must be such that a paddle passes under a sphere 22 which is resting on an adjacent sphere 22. The configuration of the web portions of the impeller 30 between paddles enables the toy 10 to operate effectively in the forward or reverse direction. Upon rotation of the impeller 30 in a given direction, the string of spheres 22 in one of the tubular portions, such as portion 20c increases in length until the uppermost sphere 22 approaches the apex 20b of the conduit or tube 20. The incremental addition of spheres 22 within the same arm portion thereafter causes the incremental release of spheres 22 over this apex 20b  whereupon each sphere then descends down the tubular arm portion 20a under the force of gravity, therby providing both visual and audible entertainment for the child. 
     In construction, the toy 10 is uncomplicated, requiring only six parts exclusive of the marbles or spheres 22 and screws 33, is readily assembled, and is compact. Although the conduit or tube 20 has been described as being integrally formed with the handle 14, and the wheel housing 12 is formed in conjunction with the handle 14, it is to be understood that such elements may be separately formed and thereafter assembled. Howver, such a construction will not have the manufacturing simplicity of that shown and described. While there has been shown and described a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that various other adaptations and modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention.