US1097891A - Novelty device. - Google Patents

Description

E. C. SWINNERTON. NOVELTY DEVIGB.

, APPLICATION FILED mum. 1914.

1,697,89 1 Patented May 26, 1914.

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ELIZABETH C. SWINNERTON, OF LANCASTER, OHIO.

NOVELTY Dawes.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented lIay 26, 1914:,

Application filed March 4, 1914. Serial No. 822,383.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIZABETH G'SWIN- NERTON, citizen of the United States, residing at Lancaster, in the county of F airfield and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Novelty Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to novelty devices, and the object thereof is to provide a simple, attractive and educational toy wherein a plurality of colored spools or blocks are so arranged upon wire strands as to represent, when properly assembled, the stripes of the American flag, a music box, of appropriate design, being disposed in such relation to said wire strands as to represent the field or star portion of the flag, such arrangement, as pointed out hereinafter, providing a pleasing, amusing, and interchangeable toy particularly appropriate as an amusement device for babies and children.

As a further object, the invention aims to provide a toy wherein movable spools or blocks are arranged in series, said series preferably alternating in color, and each series being mounted upon an individual wire strand, which strand, is bent intermediate its ends to provide a pair of parallel spaced extensions upon either of which said blocks may be shifted or arranged to thereby provide for representation of the flag upon either side of the toy.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a toy constructed in accordance with the present in vention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view; Fig. 3 is an enlarged end view of one of the spools, one of the wire extensions being shown in section; and Fig. 4: is an end view of one of the wire strands illustrating the arrangement of the spools thereupon.

Before proceeding with the description of the drawings, I desire to call particular attention to the fact that while I have evolved my invention as representing an American flag, the same may be, by slightly modifying the arrangement of the wire strand, made to represent flags of various nations.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates a suitable staif, which,

if desired, may be provided with an appropriate inscriptionfor instance Our babys flag. Attached in any suitable manner to the said staff 1 at a point adjacent the top thereof is a music box designated 2, the opposite faces of said box being appropriately colored or delineated to represent the field or star portion of the American flag. A handle 3 projects from one of the lateral faces of the said box 2, the turning of which is adapted to operate any suitable mechanism contained within the box to provide for the playing of an appropriate tune such as The Star Spangled Banner or America? Arranged in parallel spaced relation, and to extend in a substantially horizontal plane, are a plurality of wire strands 4, preferably thirteen in number, said strands being arranged in such relation to the staff and box as to represent or indicate with the latter, the American flag. Each wire strand is bent at a point intermediate its end as indicated at 5 or in other words substantially U- shaped, the respective terminals of each strand being connected in any suitable manner to either the music box 2 or the staif 1 as is clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. Mounted for sliding movement upon the said strand 4 are a plurality of spools or block members 6, each strand having a series of the said spools thereupon, the series of one strand being colored differently from the series of blocks upon the strand next adjacent thereto. The colors, are preferably red and white, which coloring, as is obvious provides for the representation, with the colored music box 2, for the representation of the American flag.

If desired, the toy or device may serve as a computing apparatus, the shifting of the spools upon the respective strands adding greatly, in either adding, subtracting or otherwise calculating in a manner old in the art. The said spools, when all of the spools of the several series are shifted, may be so arranged as to represent the American flag upon either side of the device, as the respective extensions of the several strands are connected by the bent portion 5 of each.

The device, by reason of the novel arrangement of the elements constituting it, tend, when handled or played with by babies or very young children, to impress upon them, first, the beauty of the American flag, and second, appropriate songs, the tunes of which may be sounded by the operation of the music box 2 forming a part of the de- VlCe.

From the above, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it is apparent that the device is both pleasing and attractive in appearance; instructive and educational in its nature; and amusing to babies and very young children by reason of the bright colors and movable parts above noted.

In reduction to practice, I have found that the form of my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most eflicient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that Various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a novelty device, the combination, of a music box, a stafi, and a plurality of wire strands attached to said music box and staff, said wire strands and music box being arranged in such relation as to represent a flag, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a novelty device, the combination, of a music box, the opposite faces of which are designed to represent the field of the American flag, a staff, and a plurality of wire strands attached to said music box and stafi, said strands being arranged in parallel spaced relation to represent the stripes of the American flag, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a novelty device, the combination, of a music box, a staff, a plurality of wire strands attached to said music box and staff, said wire strands and music box being arranged in such relation as to represent a flag, and a plurality of differently colored blocks arranged in series upon the said wire strands, said blocks being shiftable upon said strands, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a novelty device, the combination, of a music box, the opposite faces of which are designed to represent the field portion of the American flag, a staff, a plurality of wire strands attached to said music box and stafi, said wire strands being bent intermediate their ends to provide a pair of parallel extensions, said wire strands and music box being arranged in such relation as to represent the stars and stripes of the American flag, and a plurality of differently colored spools arranged in series, one series being upon each of the wire strands, the said series being movable from one to the other of the said extensions of each strand, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELIZABETH G. SIVINNERTON.

WVitnesses:

JAMES T. PIOKERING, KATHARINE M. SwINNEnToN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

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