US1523283A

US1523283A - Theatrical amusement, educational, and advertising device

Info

Publication number: US1523283A
Application number: US456506A
Authority: US
Inventors: William F Powers
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1921-03-29
Filing date: 1921-03-29
Publication date: 1925-01-13
Anticipated expiration: 1942-01-13

Description

- w. F. POWERS -THEATRICAL AMUSEMENT, EDUCATIONAL, AND ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed March 29," 1921 vii-3 I/ m I "fi'il E I llllllll I) 2 ATTORNEYS WILLIAM F. rowens, or ENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY.

THEATRICAL AransnMENT, EDUCATIONAL, AnnAnvEitTIsInG DEVICE.

Application filed March"29, 1921. Serial No. l56i506.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, lVILLIAM F. Pownas, a citizen of the United States, residing in Englewvo'od; county of Bergen, andState of New Jersey, have invented the following new and useful Improvements in Theatrical Amusement, Educational,. and Advertising Devices.

My inventionrelates to I improvement of the combination, fully set forthand claimed in my application X6 outed March 24, 1921, of a phonograph record and a miniature knock-down, theatrical stage setting, togetherwith movableor adjustable actor-figures therefor, said stage setting and actor-figures bearing pictorial representations, designs or. other insignia corresponding to the words'and action of the phonograph record and being made of cardboard of such size and contour as to be capable of compact assembly flatWise with the record in a package "of substantially the dimensions nowcommonly used for the sale and shipment of records, so that the purchaser of such a package can unfold or assemblethe stage setting and use the same and-the movable actor figuresindemonstra tion or illustration of the sub ect of 'the record to whichsaid setting refers. I am of course aware thatuniniature stage mecha nism and actor figures have heretofore been madeandsold, but so far asI am" aware no one has previously proposed to make and correlate such'mechanisin with a particular theme of a phonograph record and combine the same with its said record in compact com mercial package form so as to make thereof a combination that constitutes a sales commodity having educational, recreational and advertisement advantages as above mentioned, and in whichthestage setting has a stiffening effect and serves, as to a cer'-' tain extent the figures do also, as a protection to the record.

The invention of this applicationlike that f my aforesaid application is air-amusement, educational and advertising" device,

but differs therefrom in that the miniature knock down stage setting is adapted to serve when fiat as a container for the phonograph record and if desired'for the actor figures, all of which cooperate as before in the dramatic interpretation of the record. M

The present application is thus largely concerned with such a miniature knocka modification or.

down theatrical stage setting adapted as stated to act as a container for a phonograph record and also with the construction of the knock-down stage setting itself spe cifically and in a broader sense, and with the combination of the stage setting and the recordfor which it acts as container and of these with the actor figures.

Referring to thedrawings: Figure l is a perspective view of" the stage set-ting folded fiat'or in knock-down position and showing a phonograph record contained therein; Figure "2 is a plan of the blank for the stage setting, and Figure 3 is a per spective View showing the stage setting setup in' position for use with actor figures thereon. I V

The stage setting and in particularthe back drop may be illustrated artistically in any appropriate way so as to be suggestive of the theme or subject matter of the record for which it acts as container andtherange ofthemes or subject matter ofrthe records chosen may be indefinitely varied through the realms of song, story and other literature and music. Indeed the field from which the maker of the phonograph records may select themes for records is by this invention enlarged," since their visual portrayal makes attractive and salable records of subjects such for instance as bird calls and Bible stories not otherwisesuflici'ently interesting to command a ready market! Such artistic matter may be specific or general and is often the latter 'etc., could also be used. This ancient favorite wlth 1ts perennial, age old appeal to children inay'thus be enacted by the child himself, who shares in Robinson Crusoes varied emotions andexperiences, or by some interested older person. Both instruction and entertainment inhere in this well directed literary and dramatic play.

In describing the miniature stage setting, I have used the word knock-down, meaning by this term to include both structures in which the parts of the stage setting are separate and may be assembled, and structures such as that illustrated in the drawings, in which the stage setting is flat or capable of being folded flat, or into set-up position. The stage setting has a front member 1 constituting the stage arch and containing the stage opening and a back drop 2, parallel scoring lines enabling the blank to be folded to form an accordion hinge or folding connection 3 between the two parts. The front member 1 may be provided with flaps at and 5, which may be cut out along the edges which are designed in use to be free, or may be left as a 0011- tinuous part of the said member, lines being provided to indicate where the flaps should be cut or bent. These flaps before they are folded occupy the stage opening, at least in part. They are illustrated as designed to be folded respectively about the top and the bottom edges of the stage opening, each flap may be provided with a scoring line 6 parallel with its free edge in order to permit the free end of each flap to be bent, these bent portions or supplemental flaps 7 and 8 respectively being adapted one to form the support for the stage proper or platform which the flap 5 constitutes when the stage setting is in set up position, and the other to assist in keeping in place the stage top which is constituted by the flap at when in set up position. Both the

members

1 and 2 are provided with flaps for retaining the record in place and means for releasably connecting said front and back members are also provided. lVhile of course the construction need not be just as illustrated, it is shown as follows: The memher 1 is provided with a flap 9 at one side thereof, which flap is folded or designed to be folded on the scoring line 10. This flap is provided with a pair of what may be de scribed as hinge lugs 11, since they are arranged like pairs of hinge pintles. These lugs are beveled as shown to facilitate their cooperation with a pair of slots 12 near the edge of the back member 2, the arrangement being such that the lugs 11 may be passed through the slots which are long enough to permit this and then be moved endwise in the slots until the neck portions 13 are pushed home against the bottoms of the slots 12. A separable and alocking connection is thus provided when the stage setting is in set up position, as indicated in Figure 3. These lugs or slots perform a further function since they constitute releasable connecting and locking means which may be brought into play when the stage setting is in flat or knock-clown condition. This connection may be efiected by folding the flap 9 over the edge of the back member 2 and behind it and by pushing the lugs through the slots and then moving them endwise to lock in a manner substantially like that above explained. The accordion hinge and theflap 9 constitute, when the parts are in knock-down position, means for preventing the record 14 from sliding out at the sides of the container formed by the stage setting. To prevent the record from sliding out at the top or bottom, flaps 15 and 16' folded or foldable on the scoring lines 17 and 18 are provided, these flaps being shown as located on the back member 2. The flap 15 may also serve as a top for the stage. The stilfening and record protecting effect of the stage setting when acting as container is evident.

It will be apparent that the record might be shipped in the stage setting without the use of any outer receptacle, although to avoid soiling the stage setting I prefer to enclose it in an outer envelope, the package being in either case of substantially the dimensions now commonly used for the sale and shipment of phonograph records and constituting a sales commodity having educational, recreational and advertisement advantages. 1

The actor figures as in my aforesaid application may be cut outs or adapted to be cut out, if for commercial reasons or to provide further amusement to the child in cutting them out, this is considered desirable. Of course they need not be placed in the container constituted by the stage setting, although where they are already cut out this is convenient. The use of the stage setting as a container for the record during shipment is very advantageous.

The artistic background being so placed on the stage setting as to be on the inside of the container when closed or fiat is in this way protected and the fact that the stage opening is then closed makes the pro tection complete.

The stage setting with the actor-figures constitute a Visualizer or dramatizer for the phonograph record on which is recorded for audible indication thereby subject matter susceptible of dramatic representation or illustration, to which the appearance of the stage setting is appropriate and of which the actor figures are illustrative.

Claims:

1. The combination of a phonograph record, actor-figures bearing pictorial representations, designs or other insignia corresponding to the words and action of the phonograph record, and a phonograph record container capable of re-arrangement as a stage setting, adapted to be shipped fiat with the record within it, having record retaining means constituting it when in that condition, a container for the record,'and

11. In a miniature knock-down theatrical stage setting a front member providing the stage arch and containing the stage opening andhaving a flap occupying originally part of the stage opening foldable inward around an edge of said opening to constitute the stage proper or platform when the stage setting is in set up position and having a supplemental foldable flap to assist in supporting the platform.

12. In a miniature knock-down theatrical stage setting a front member providing the stage arch and containing the stage opening and flaps occupying originally part of the stage opening foldable inward respectively around the top and the bottom edge of said opening to constitute respectively the top of the stage space and the stage proper or platform when the stage setting is in set-up position.

13. In a miniature knock-down theatrical stage setting a front member providing the stage arch and containing the stage opening and having flaps occupying originally part of the stage opening foldable respectively around the top and the bottom edgeof said opening to constitute respectively the top of the stage space and the stage proper or platform when the stage setting is in setup position and having supplemental flaps to assist in supporting said top and said platform.

14:. A cardboard structure serving both as a phonograph record container having record retaining means and as a stage setting provided with a stage opening and having adjacent front and rear members having mutually opposed inner front and rear surfaces in substantially the same plane adapting it to be shipped flat and having also means for supporting the stage setting structure with the part of its back member behind the stage opening spaced to the rear thereof to provide stage space.

15. A miniature theatrical stage setting having connected front and back members having opposed inner surfaces and occupying substantially the same plane during shipment, and capable of rearrangement in,

set-up position ready for use as a stage setting, the front member being providedwith a stage opening obstructed by the material of the front member during shipment and the back member having on its front or inner side artistic matter thus located on the inside and protected when the stage setting is flat but visible through the stage opening as a background when the stage opening has been freed from obstructing material and the stage setting is set-up, and means for spacing and maintaining the part of the back member opposed to the stage opening a distance in the rear thereof to provide stage space. H

16. A miniature theatrical stage setting provided with flexibly connected front and back members having mutually opposed adjacent inner surfaces adapting it to be shipped fiat and having record retaining folds constituting it when in that condition a container for a phonograph record, the front of the back member being decorated and the decorations being thus so placed on the stage setting as to be on the inside of the container when it is flat.

17. A cardboard structure serving both. as a phonograph record container having record retaining folds and as a stage setting and comprising front and back members connected by a flexible fold along one side and foldable into set-up position spaced apart from front to rear in readiness for use or into substantially the same plane in mutual opposition for shipment, said members constituting means for supporting the stage setting in set-up position.v

18. A miniature stage setting capable of occupying a fiat position and having a front member provided with a stage opening closed when the stage setting is in that position, and a back member connected to said front member at onev side thereof, said members having means for retaining them in flat position and for keeping a phonograph record in place intlie flat stagesetting behind the closed stage opening, the inner surface of said back member bearing artistic matter illustrative of the theme of said record, and means for supporting the stage setting in set-up, position with the inner surface of the back member visible through the stage opening then unobstructed, so as to constitute a background appropriate to the theme of the record.

19. A miniature theatrical stage setting having connected front and back members one of which has a stage opening and whicn. have opposed inner surfaces said stage setting being adapted to be shipped flat with its material obstructing the stage opening and to constitute when in this condition a container for a phonograph record and having on its inside opposite said obstructed opening artistic matter protected during shipment by said material and constituting a when the stage setting is set up and the stage opening freed from obstruction a background visible through the stage opening.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

IVILLIAM F. POIVERS. A