US1490815A

US1490815A - Method of and toy device for projecting shadow pictures

Info

Publication number: US1490815A
Application number: US519450A
Authority: US
Inventors: Fleming Thomas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1921-12-02
Filing date: 1921-12-02
Publication date: 1924-04-15
Anticipated expiration: 1941-04-15

Description

April 15 T. FLEMING METHOD A ,D T

H FOR FROJECTING SHADOW PICTURES Filed Dec. 2. 19,21

ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 15, I924.

THOMAS FLEMING, OF SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

METEOD 0F AND TOY DEVICE FOR PROJECTING SHADOW PICTURES.

Application filed December 2, 1921. Serial No. 519,450.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS FLEMING, a citizen of the United States and a resident of South Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Method of and Toy Device 'for Projecting Shadow Pictures,

and

which the following is a full, clear, exact description.

This invention relates to a method of and toy device for projecting shadow pictures. An object of the invention is the provision of a method whereby any desired material may be formed or treated in accordance therewith whereby the projection of shadow pictures thereby will result in ictures which very accurately and in a liiblike manner simulate the subject which it is desired to project.

Another object resides in the rovision of a sheet of material so formed tliat the pro- 'ection of a shadow icture therethrough, or

y means of this evice,'will result in a much im roved and more lifelike picture.

A furt er object resides in the particular construction and arrangement of parts which are hereinafter described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings.

The invention is illustrated in the drawing, which is a perspective view showing the device and the shadow picture which it forms when held up in front of a source of light.

The particular application of the invention shown is a design of the device of the general preferred type, although it is understood that modifications in the construction and arrangement of the parts and in the character of the materials used may be adoplted without departing from the spirit of t e invention.

In the drawing, the figure marked A is a sheet 1 of material, preferably cardboard, which has been cut to any desired outline so that when held up in front of a source of li ht a shadow of this outline will be projects on the desired surface. This sheet may, of course, be of any desired size and material and outline. Since it is, however, intended to project a picture and not a mere outline or silhouette it becomes necessary to treat the sheet so that a most accurate and lifelike picture I have found, therefore, that by studying the subject which it is desired to project or throw on a surface as a shadow picture,

. shown a sheet out which the high lights are will be projected.

there are certain portions of this subject, which may be a photograph, a view of a person or other animate object, which are so illuminated by the light falling thereon as to produce what are known in the art as lights, especially high lights. In other words, if the entire surface, of an object is subjected to'the same degree of light and that same degree of light is reflected 'into the observers eyes from all points of the object, then there is no contrast presentr ed to the eyes of the observer from which a pictorial representation can be formed. However, when a picture contains these socalled lights, there is always a cient' contrast for the observation of a definite picture or impression of the subject. I have found, also, that if the sheet of material 1 above mentioned has cut from within its outline those portions, of the picture or figure which in the real subject are high lights, when light is, therefore, transmitted through this sheet these ortions of the sheetor the picture proected on any desired surface will be illuminated and form the high 1i hts desired in the simulation of the origina subject.

Therefore, in the representation of the invention as shown in the drawings I have out to represent the outline of a well-known actor, and from this sheet I have cut out portions thereof which are located in those parts of the sheet in located in the original picture of the subject or on the features of the subject itself when disposed in a certain position with respect to the light thrown thereon. I have found that by cutting out the high-light portions of an. opaque sheet of material representing in outline a given figure, a very remarkable, accurate and lifelike simulation of the original subject is produced when this sheet is held up in front of a source of light and the shadow picture thrownon anyfsurface. The figure'marked B of the drawing is a representation of the shadow picture formed by the projection of light against and through the sheet shown in Figure It will be observed not only by a consideration of this drawin but by cutting a sheet in accordance wit tinned invention that astonishing likenesses are produced. It is a parent that these pictures may be former by cutting out of a sheet of cardboard, paper or any other such as 2, 3, 4, etc,

opaque substance, the light portions of a portrait, caricature or animal, by means of a suitable die, knife or stamp in such manner that sunlight or artificial light will cast a shadow representing the complete picture of the object intended.

What I claim is:

A device for projecting life-like silhouettes which comprises a sheet of material having the desired outline of the silhouette 10