US1445477A

US1445477A - Amusement device

Info

Publication number: US1445477A
Application number: US448780A
Authority: US
Inventors: Forrest L Brissey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1921-03-01
Filing date: 1921-03-01
Publication date: 1923-02-13
Anticipated expiration: 1940-02-13

Description

Feb. 13,1923. Y 1,445,474.

` F. L. BRISSEY. v

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

FILED MAR. I, I92I. 2 SHEETSfSHEET l.

III

Feb. 13, 1923. 1,445,477.

- A F. L. BRISSEY. 4

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

mep MAR. i, 1921. 2 sHzEs-snsa 2.

rennes@ L. Burssnv, or

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Application led March 1,

/o V@ZZ whom may Concern;

Be it; known that omms'rli. a. oi'izen off the United. Stai ir fluknd, in julie county o' eine e ltziteof California.;lieveinvented nur: sind useiiiil lmprovemenls iu `Amuseifnenl; Devioes. olf which the followingis espeeilie' tion. l

invention, While relatingin general mnusemeut devices, `:has particular' reiereu-e to an improved puppe show` which in is preferred forni includes in combination, a suitable rniniiture staf-je7 lWith @its usual `:ireouterments, qnd L plurality` of inerionettos, l5 each. of which isveupalble'of,produeiug zum mated exhibitions Aupon `the stage, lo simulate various performances. i i

l ain aware .ftheseveral attempts diere Lbeen .made toproduee' devies of this ohzu; :meter but the saine haveV fallen shortv of profvid realistic jexhibitiousl p iuieriljgvr to fthe unsatisfactory urrziiigemeiits for ,am eommodating `the nisirioueljfces on fthe stage andthe finanipulzit-ion oli' righe sume by' lthe puppetninf v Havingf'gin tn iind overeoming the defecs zexperienced with- ."hesef 'former devices, l propose to provide a CoinpfirativehT simple 1andelieap devicelas Welles one which Will operateur/ith Jthe gre:ii-est of ei'iieieuey, not only from@ realistic point of view but also so 'liu-r `is Aeoneernsfsimplieity of menipula- .ig l

' Oneofthe importent featuresfoif my y iinproved Yaira-ngernent resides lin construc- L'i with lwhich [a variety of specie-cular' apimatepl perforrnerslmey' be lexhibi*red `through fthe medium of tl'iemarionettes `capable Aof :beingi used eithei'seleetivelyl or collectively, 40 :according tofthe najture o;l-',the"perfornianee. 'thisl end in view, l have so yproduced kthe rdiffereru;,sets of'rnariouettes, 'ph-et each one in itself becon'ies a unit,` with the stage made to accommodate either using'le unifi or u. group' of tfhen und with `the controls adaptedto be actuated let'ivill neem-ding to the eii'eets/to be realized.

In falle accompanying `drimfings iorininpv u pairt of phisspeeilicaion Aand infvvhich like numerals are employed dto designate "like p'rtshpoughoutfthe seme, l have "selected ifor fthepurpose offillustrationn preferred forni oi' stage'ai'id tvvo "differentumrionet'te oli e. theatre building'.

1921. Serial No. 448,780.

{tion showing the application oone'oii the nuirionette units, und,

Figure 5 is :1. detail View ol. one of the control cords for the units` T leierring now to the drawings in detail, .i preier to produce the stu from a suitable framework including :it least iwo [front und two reniuprights .llhelzieli two being spaced zipzirthy the uplieif1 horizontal bridge pieces extending: from 'ront tolhe rear oi the listage, Awith :iu upper longitudinal 3.o1ned to the nieinlier C 4rear of the bridge pieees lil. The `lower part of the fui-ine isbraced the stugge floor `D which joins the uprir'llls ii'zihove the lower ends there-oit und extends 'liorifzird oi" @hostage 'front to yeccomi!iodute a iloouliglit iorm E. `"llhe beek of the freine may be covered with Card board orihe `like l" printed or painted to represeutlhe berk The freut ol' Jhe 4freine may be `covered with Gerd board or flielke. G, but the sume should simulate the `arelntecllrre of u theatre st geliy painting or otherwise displaying columns or the lilal designs on the ilrout of the eurd board. The Center of from; perd hoard should be Vut ouf.; ro leave en unobstriuied view `to `the Stege. Inorder to give a. proper eppeai'unee to `the sug'egitis proposed to* use :il-leest two l 1 .1.

Curtains o Luid. (3, euch of which being` olt uleugilgh und Width to Cover `the ope into the siege, :igndthe samedi-(. prei5 ibly Wound upon sepa-rute spindles f3 nud i.

`The spindle o 'For the uirtuius is preferir.-

hl)T slufiported with 'reeddin o rolziion holnveeu bel-Wo 'front uliriiiljits A. slos being eut in the uprlghts to provide bearingslior the spindlev 5 indftl'ie spindle 'for Jche curtain 6 is preferably supportedfwith `freedom of rotatin between Vthe horizontal bridge pieces Bslots being also out thesey pieeestoprovide bearings for the spindles 6.` V

ffluitiible Wings i', also runde `oi gard homd or the like may be employed on each side ot thestage opening the same, cut and paintedl or otherwise made to appear as columns or draperies.

Each of the curtains u'iay be pulled down or up by separate pull cords Wound upon the spool ends 5 and 6 off the spindles.

To make up the different settings the baci; ground oii the stage may be changed at will by means ot suitably painted or printed drops 8. Any number ot such drops nial be onfhand to correspond to different e3.:-

hib'itio'ns to be given by the mariene-ttes and the `same may 'be conveniently suspended from the horizontal bridge pieces li by leaving an over bang' or extension 9 at opiiosite sides oif'their top edgi'e as best shown in if`igures 2 and fl.

.as previously stated each ot-the marionette sets will include a. unit coi'nplete in itseliz and the units may be y used singly or in groups, for instance, for the purpose oit illustration, I have shown two ditl'erentmarionettes or puppets each being capable ot producing (li'fi'erent exhibitions when properly vcord 11 maybe used to raise the arm and thus produce the desired animated effect.

` As heretofore practiced in devices ot this kind the puppet-man usually actuated the y pull cords from in back oi the stage but this position does not appear as real as is desired.

which the cords may be actuated beneath the I therefore have devised means by stage which removes the cords-trom view. To accomplish ,this the stage floor is` provided with small openings 12 at places Where the marionette sets are to be positioned and with the bases of the sets also provided with an openingso thatthe control or pull cords may be passed under the stage Where they be actuated. i

Figure e I have shown a rather elab' orate form ot marionette set, yet, considering the exhibition itis capable oit displaying,

vitis comparatively simple. In this termi-he marionette or puppet 13 is produced to represent an acrobator tight rope Vwalker and the unit set of which it forms a part includes a. supporting base 13', the same being of a length of substantially that of the width of the stage. At each end of the base is arranged anv upright 132 which forms a sup- 'port Alor the guide wire 133 and the tight rope 13, the former acting as a guide for the marionette 13 and the latter representing the -Wire on which the marionette Wallis. 14 represents a platform which is supposed to represent the stand :trom which the tight rope walker ascends the rope.l

The pull or control cord 15 in this set eX- tends through openings in the uprights and .is fixed to the marionetteso that ka pull on either ot its endsiwhich extend through the openings `iu the base' and stage. floor to beneath the stage will cause the marionette to travel across the stage With the appearance as if it were walking the wire 134.l i

In exhibiting this term ot marionette, a very dark drop 8 is used to provide ablaci;` baci( ground which Will hide the wire.' 133 and the lpull cord 15 these tivo being blaclr themselves. The wire 134 as Well as the coloring ot the marionette should Vot course be either white or atleast some light color so they will stand out against the bach ground.

l.)ractically. the same principle would apply it it were desirable to simulate an illusion, such ifor instance as practiced bym'agicians in supporting objects in space.

The pull cords or control cords may each have a threading needle on'their vfree ends `so that `the cords may be threaded through the openings inthe bases and the openings in thestage floor.

t is to be understood that vthe torni of my invention herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preierred'example of the same, and that various changes in the shape,

size and arrangement of parts be resorty edto without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scopeot the subjoined claims.

I-Iaving thus described claim zy 1p. Anv amusement ydevice comprising in combination a stage, and a marionette set, a suljiporting base for the marionette set having an opening therein the stage'iioor having an opening therein adjacent which the marionette set may bepositioned forexhibiting purposes adapted to register With the opening inthe supporting base'othe marionette set, anda controlcord for the my invention, I

marionette extending through said `openings, whereby the marionette may be attached by said cord the stage.

2. An amusement devicecomprising in combination a stage and a marionette set, the marionette set` including a base, parallel Wires supported above said base, one above the other, the highervvire suspending the marionette with the same free to y slide thereon, the lower Wire appearing as a `support for the marionette and a pull cord for moving the marionette along the higher Wire. y

3. An amusementvdevice comprising in from the under side of combination a stage and a marionette set, the marionette set including a base, parallel wires supported above said base one above the other, the higher wire suspending the marionette with the same free to slide thereon, the lower Wire appearing as a support for the marionette and a pull cord tor moving the higher wire and a back ground tor the stage behind the marionette set adapted to obliterate the higher wire and the pull cord but bringing out the appearance of the marionette and the lower Wire.

4. An amusement device comprising in tombination a stage and a marionette set, the marionette set including a base, parallel wires supported above said base one above the other, the higher wire suspending the marionette with the same tree to slide thereon, the lower 'Wire appearing as a support for the marionette, the stage iioor having an opening therein adjacent which the marionette set may be positioned, a pull cord for moving the higher Wire and extending through the opening in the stage floor whereby the marionette may be actuated from below the stage floor.

5. An amusement device comprising in combination a stage and a marionette set, the marionette set including a base, parallel wires supported above said base, one above the other, the higher wire suspending the marionette with the same free to slide thereon, the lower wire appearing as a support for the marionette, the stage Hoor having an opening therein adjacent which the marionette set may be positioned, a pull cord for moving the higher wire and extending through the opening in the stage Hoor whereby the marionette may be actuated from below the stage Hoor and a back ground for the stage behind the marionette set adapted to obliterate the higher wire and the pullcord but bringing out the appearance of marionette and the lower wire.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. t

FORREST L. BRISSEY.