US1403950A - Amusement device - Google Patents

Description

W. C. HADLEY. AMUSEMENT DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED AUG-20, I920.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

TEDDY BU 0 PET JANE TOM JERRY PETE NELL SAM JOE TIM BESS "M wsml s" BUNNIES INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER C. HADLEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO CENTRAL TALKING MACHINE SHOP, INCL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AOORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

Application filed August 20, 1920. Serial No. 404,972.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, lVnrxrnn C. Hawaii, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Devices, of which the following is a full and complete description.

The present invention relates more particularly to an amusement device designed to be used in connection with the keys of an automatic piano and as shown it embodies a box or'container for a music roll, a portion of the device being carried by the box which, when in use in connection with the piano, forms a body portion or support.

The object of the invention is to provide a pictorial representation of a plurality of juxtaposed heads or upper portion of heads from the mouth up, the heads being substantially the width of the white keys of the piano and supported thereon so that as the keys rise and fall they will simulate the opening of the mouths of the heads.

A further object is to combine with such pictorial representation, a separate base member provided with independent flaps which may be positioned under the heads over the white keys, the flaps partaking of the up-and-down movement of the keys and simulating the tongues of the heads.

A further object is to combine the amusement device with a box within which to pack and preserve the music roll, preferably the heads and the decorative cover of the box being appropriate to the music produced by the roll contained therein.

To the above ends the present invention consists of the amusement device and music roll container which will be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 shows the apparatus in position for operation on the white keys of a piano;

Figure 2 shows a vertical cross section through the apparatus positioned upon the forward ends of the white keys, a porition of which is shown, and illustrating in dotted lines the operation of the device;

Figure 3 shows the blank from which the base-member is produced;

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a portion of the base member in condition for operation Figure 5 shows a cross section through the box with the music roll and base member and the panel in condition for storage and shipment; and

Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the top or cover of the box.

Similar reference characters will be employed to indicate corresponding parts.

The apparatus comprises a panel 1 upon which is displayed a line of heads 2 arranged in close justaposition to each other and preferably of a width substantially that of the white keys of a piano. Only the upper part of the heads is shown or that portion extending from the mouth upward and the line of the mouth, or what may be called the line of severance between the upper and lower jaws, corresponds substantially with the lower or base line 3 of the panel 1.

As illustrated, the heads are grotesque representations of rabbits, but theymay be of any animal or they may be human heads, and they may or may not be grotesque. The panel 1 is afiixed to one of the sides 4 of the box 5, and, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, it is of a width to project above the side 4: forming a flap 6 which, when the apparatus is in position upon the piano keys, stands up as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but which may be turned down for packing, as indicated in Fig. 5. The panel 1 is secured in any suitable manner and by any suitable adhesive to the face of the side 4 of the box 5, with the lower edge 3 coinciding with the lower base line of the box 5. As indicated in Figure 1, the panel 1 is somewhat shorter than the box 5 so that the flap 6 may be turned down within and protected by the box when the cover is applied thereto. as shown in Figure 5. The box, of course, will be of suflicient length to contain a music roll and in width it will approximate the distance that the white keys project beyond the black keys, as shown in Fig. 2.

Co-operating with the box and panel when in operative position on the keys, is a base member 7. a portion of which is shown in Figure 4c, in perspective. This base member 7, comprises a body strip 8 provided with a series of independent tongues 9 which are folded beneath the body strip 8, as at 10,

' teeth 13,see Fig. 4.

In operation the base member is laid upon the upper surface of the white keys, with the tongues 9 resting directly thereon, the tongues being somewhat narrower than the white keys and free to partake of the up-and-down movement of the forward ends of such keys. The box 5 is laid upon the body strip 8, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, a head being placed directly over each tongue. The weight of the box is suflicient to hold the device upon the white keys. In the position shown in Figure 2', as the white keys 14 move up and down, the tongues 9, because of the elasticity of the material, will move downwardly with the key and will be raised as the ke is raised; the downward movement of t 1e key and tongue, of course, simulates the opening of the mouth of the head, and ifthe tongues are colored red, as suggested, the effect becomes more realistic.

As indicated in Fig. 2, the tongues project slightly beyond the end of the white keys and'the superimposed panel, and while the piano is at rest the projecting ends give the impression that one is looking at the teeth of'the lower jaw of the head. Preferably the base member will be manufactured in the form of a blank, shown in Fig. 3, the body strip 8, the flap 12 and the tongues 9 being formed integrally and the tongues being formed by cutting a row of parallel slots 15 in the blank. The forward ends of the tongues will be connected by an integral strip 16, and the forward ends of the slots 15 passing slightly beyond the line 17, form the outer ends of the tongues. This blank will be folded upon the dotted line 18 and bycutting off the strip 16 along the line 17, the separate tongues will be pro- 1 duced. For shipping purposes,howev er, the

blank will be simply folded along the line 18 and inserted in the box, as indicated in Fig. 5. The cover 19 will be of a size and shape to receive and enclose the box 5 and the top of the cover will have an ornamentalpicture as indicated at 20 suitable and appropriate for the music roll therein contained The music roll is indicated at 21 within the box. The black keys of the piano are indicated at 22, see Fig. 2. With the apparatus positioned as shown in Figs.

1 and 2, as the white keys move up and down, the tongues 9 W111 move therewith.

heads being substantially the width of the white keys of a piano and the mouth portion of the heads coinciding withthe base of the panel, and a base member provided with a plurality of independent tongues positioned to coincide with the heads. when interposed between the support and the white keys of a piano.

2. An amusement device comprising a box' for containing a music roll, a line of heads mounted upon one side of the box, said 7 heads being substantially the width of the white keys of a piano, and the mouth portion of the heads coinciding with the base line of the side of the box, and a base member provided with a plurality of independ-' ent tongues positioned to-coincide' with the heads on the box when interposed between the box and the white keys of a piano.

3. An amusement device comprising a box for containing a music roll, a panel secured to one side of the boxv and projecting above the upper edgeof the box, a line of heads on the panel, said heads being sub stantially the widthof the white keys of a piano, and the mouth portion of the heads coinciding with the base line of the panel and the side of the box, the upper portion of the panel forming a flap folded inward over the music roll, and a cover for the box adapted to cover the'panelrflap.

4. An amusement device comprising a box for containing a music roll, a panel mounted thereon of a length shorter than the box and of a height exceeding the height of the box, a line of heads carried by the panel, said heads being substantially the widthof the white keysof a piano with the mouth portions of the heads coinciding with the base line of the side of the box and of the panel, and base member provided with plurality of independent tongues substantially the width of the heads andpositioned to coincide with the heads when interposed between the box and the white keys of'a' piano said base member-also'comprising a body strip over-lapping the tongues. j

5. An amusement device comprising a support,- a panel mounted on one side of the supporthaving a line of heads thereon, said heads being substantially the width of the White keys of a piano, 'With the mouth portion of the heads coinciding with the base line of the support and panel, and a base member provided with a plurality of independent tongues positioned to coincide with the heads on the panel when interposed between the support and the white keys of a piano, and means carried by the base member to prevent longitudinal displacement 10 thereof While in operation.

6. A blank from which to form a base member of an amusement device comprising a strip of flexible material having a row of parallel slots adjacent one edge with an ornamental line adjacent one edge and Within a parallel line bounding the ends of the slots to indicate a line of severance, the uncut marginal portions of the strip being of different width and the wider portion forming a body strip and foldable with relation to the slotted portion.

WALTER O. HADLEY.

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