US2106818A - Display figure - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 1, 1938. w. J. SWEENEY 2,106,813

DISPLAY FIGURE Filed April 3, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l i l VENTOR i WILL/AMd-S'WEENEY EE Wm Feb. 1, 1938. w. J. SWEENEY DISPLAY FIGURE Filed April 3, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WILL/AM cLSWEEA/EY Patented Feb. 1, 1938 UNITED STATEfi PATENT orr ce 5 Claims.

The invention disclosed herein relates to display figures for advertising, amusement and other purposes.

Special objects of the invention are to produce the balancing efiect of a tight rope or slack wire performer or to provide a dancing or jumping effect in figures use-d for display purposes and to accomplish such results in highly attractive forms with relatively simple inexpensive structure.

Further special objects are to provide display apparatus of the character outlined in knock down shape, which can be packed and shipped in compact form and be quickly and easily set up in a practical self-sustaining structure at the point of display.

Additional objects and the novel features constituting the invention are set forth and will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate difierent practical embodiments of the invention, but it should be understood that the structure may be modified and changed in various ways all within the true intent and broad scope of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of the invention depicting a performer balanced on a tight rope.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation.

Figs. 4 and 5 are broken detail views as taken substantially on the planes of lines 4-4 and 5--5 respectively of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a broken detail illustrating the connection of the wires with the supported figure.

Figs. '7 and 8 are front and edge views respectively of a second embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 9 is a broken plan View of the same.

Fig. 10 is an enlarge-d broken sectional detail as on substantially the plane of line l0l0 of Fig. 7.

The first embodiment of the invention is representative of the figure of a tight rope performer i i, balanced on a wire 12, extending between supports It.

This figure and supports may be made of flat sheet material, such as suitable cardboard and the whole be foldable, so that it may be readily knocked down for shipment or set up for display.

In this particular illustration, the supports 13 are shown as connected by an intermediate portion i l, hingeable along a vertical line I5. Fixed on the back of one of these relatively hinged sections is shown a base piece It, Fig. 3, having hingedly attached edge portions 11, which project beyond the hinge line 15, crossing back of the other section of the base, where they are caught by extending through slots E8, in a securing tab 19, hingedly attached to said second base section as indicated at Zil. Fig. 4 shows how when the side strips ll are turned back from the first base piece and the ends of the same are caught in the securing flap I9, on the back of the other base piece the two portions of the base will be held extended and the hinge connection between the two he braced and secured relatively rigid.

The base, secured in the extended relation described is shown supported in a slightly backward inclined relation by easel strips 2|, hingedly secured at 22, on the backs of the support or tower portions i3, which are indicated as caught in the rearwardly outstanding relation by flaps 23, hinging down from the base portions 22, in through openings 24, in the easel props 2! and slotted to engage over the edges of such props as shown at 25, Figs. 2 and 3.

The effect of a figure balanced on the wire is attained in the construction illustrated by making the wire in two sections I211 and !2b, havin angularly turned outer ends 26, extending down through receiving openings in the pairs of rearwardly projecting lugs 27, at the back of the supports l3, and angularly turned inner ends 30 28, meeting and entering a receiving socket 29, in the back of the figure.

The anchorage lugs 21, for the ends of the two piece wire are shown in Fig. 5, as hinged tabs on the upper and lower ends of base pieces 30. secured over the base portions 22, of the braces or props 2!, perforated in vertical alignment to take the downwardly extending ends 26 of the Wire pieces. The socket 29, for the inner ends of the wire pieces is shown as a downwardly opening recess on the back of the leg of the figure of a size to snugly receive the upwardly extending end portions of the wire, thus locating the juncture of the two wire pieces behind the foot of the figure, with the substantially horizontal portions in alignment and having the appearance at the front of a single continuous wire.

The anchorage of .the angled outer ends of the wire pieces prevents them from turning and the anchorage of the figure on the upturned inner ends of the wire pieces secures this figure in an upstanding relation, appearing as balanced on a length of supporting wire. The resiliency of the wire causes apparent balancing and back and forth swinging movements of the figure with 55 vibrations, producing a life-like similitude of a tight rope performers actions. The torsional or twisting movements of the wire pieces may be governed or controlled to an extent by the material, size and temper of the wire and by the weight and height of the figure, so that various desired back and forth swaying effects may be accomplished.

The wire anchorage lugs 21, are shown as held in their extended positions by having the ends of the same projected through slots 3|, in the braces or props 2i. The base construction described folds substantially fiat yet may be quickly set up in firmly supporting relation. After being so set up, the downwardly angled ends of the wire pieces may be passed down through the openings provided for them in the anchorage lugs 21, and the figure be mounted by simply forcing the socket portion firmly down over the abutted upwardly angled inner ends 28, of the wire pieces. In this assembled relation, the parts are all firmly connected and .well braced, but the wire pieces are left in a more or less tensioned springy condition, subject to the slightest vibration to set the figure moving in simulation of a balancing act.

In the second illustration of the invention, a figure I Ia, such as representative of an animal, is resiliently supported on a wire I2c, in a position suggesting a dancing or jumping action over a background or support I3a.

In this particular construction, a single piece of Wire I20 is employed, having a downwardly angled lower end I211, entered in a pocket 32, on the back of the support, said wire extending from this bent lower end rearwardly, upwardly and forwardly in a wide loop and terminating in an upwardly projecting angled end I2e, engaged in a pocket 33, on the back of the figure. The wire in this case is tensioned by the weight of the figure and with sufiiciently resilient wire, a wide sustaining loop and the proper weight of figure, cornparatively slight vibrations will cause the figure to dance or jump over the face of the background, which in the case of an animal may represent a field, possibly with a fence over which the animal may appear to jump. This construction may well be used to provide the illusion of a figure suspended in air, such as an adagio dancer at the top of her leap, etc. The wire, where it is exposed, as it is in the first form of the invention, may be colored the same as the background, making it invisible or less noticeable. In the second form of the invention, the wire may be entirely concealed and arranged to suspend the figure in a floating relation in front of the background or base structure.

The invention may be carried out in a great many ways and the claims should be interpreted accordingly, the terms employed being used in a descriptive rather than in a limiting sense, except as possible limitations may be imposed by the state of the prior art.

What is claimed is:

1. In display apparatus, a figure having a downwardly opening socket on the back of the same, spaced supports having upwardly opening sockets on the back of the same and wire pieces having upwardly angled ends engaged in said downwardly opening socket of the figure and downwardly angled ends entered in said upwardly opening sockets on the support.

2. In display apparatus, supporting wire having downwardly angled ends and upwardly angled intermediate portions, a support having spaced parts receiving said downwardly angled ends and a figure resiliently supported on the wire and having a socket receiving said upwardly angled intermediate portions of said supporting wire.

3. Apparatus for providing the illusion of a figure balancing on a wire, comprising spaced supports, wires having angled ends held in said spaced supports and extending in alignment toward each other across the space between said supports, the adjacent ends of said aligned wires being angled and a figure engaged over said last mentioned angled ends, forming a connection between and concealing said angled ends of the wires.

4. Display apparatus, comprising an upstanding support, a wire having an angled end engaged in the back of said support and extending rearwardly therefrom in a wide loop projecting upwardly and forwardly toward the front of the support and a figure engaged on the upper end of said wire over the face of said support.

5. Display apparatus, comprising an upstanding support, a wire having an angled end engaged in the back of said support and extending rearwardly therefrom in a wide loop projecting upwardly and forwardly toward the front of the support, a figure engaged on the upper end of said wire over the face of said support, the upper end of said Wire being angled and said figure having a socket fitting said angled end.

WILLIAM J. SWEENEY.

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