US2344723A

US2344723A - Expanding ornament

Info

Publication number: US2344723A
Application number: US451401A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph M Pettorossi
Original assignee: Paper Novelty Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Paper Novelty Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1942-07-18
Filing date: 1942-07-18
Publication date: 1944-03-21
Anticipated expiration: 1961-03-21

Description

March 21, 1944. J. M. PETTOROSSI EXPANDING-ORNAMENT Filed July 18, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Arr mm March 21, 1944. p o oss 2,344,723

Patented Mar. 21, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EXPANDING ORNAMENT Joseph M. Pettorossi, New York, N. Y., assignor to Paper Novelty Mfg. 00., Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 18, 1942, Serial No. 451,401

8 Claims. (Cl. 41-41) The invention relates to an ornament of the type conventionally used for decorative purposes during the Christmas season and which takes the form of a bell or similar object. The ornament is constituted of a plurality of adjacent and superposed leaves joined together in honeycomb fashion which are sold in flat folded condition, but may be brought to the expanded condition to form a bell by rotating the two sections thereof about an axis, usually the central, longitudinal axis, the bell being retained in its expanded condition by means of metal clips provided along the edge of one of the backing strips of the leaves and which are bent around the edge of the other backing strip.

Ornaments of this character have been made and marketed for many years and the present invention relates to an improvement in the construction thereof whereby the ornament is brought to its expanded condition and held in such condition by a string or cord which acts at the same time as a means of suspending the ornament in its decorative position, for instance on a Christmas tree.

The ornament is ordinarily made of a plurality of sheets of tissue paper, although it may be made of other material, for instance Cellophane or the like.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a. construction of such an expanding ornament in which the use of all metal parts is eliminated. In addition to the two or more metal clips which have been conventionally used in the fabrication of this type of ornament to maintain the ornament in open, expanded condition, fastening members such as metal staples have been used which have extended through tabs provided along the inner edges of the two backing strips, by means of which the superposed leaves or layers of tissue paper have been joined together or retained upon such backing strip in addition to gluing the immediately adjacent leaf or layer of the tissue paper to such backing strips. The construction of ornament which I have devised eliminates the necessity of using such staples and also the clips.

In accordance with the construction of my invention, I utilize a single length of cord, which is so disposed and secured upon certain portions of the ornament, that it is utilized in the operation of expanding the plurality of tissue paper leaves to bring the ornament to the bell or'other form, and at the same time, secures such ornament in its fully expanded condition, by the simple expedient of pulling upon the free end of the cord extending upwardly from the top extremity of the ornament and then using such free end of the cord as the means of suspending the ornamerit in its fully expanded condition, when it is in the shape of the bell.

Particular embodiments of my invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front view of the folded ornament;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the ornament, in which one of the backing strips has been rotated 180 about the axis formed by its inner edge;

Fig. 3 is a front View of the ornament with the bell opened to approximately three-quarters of its fully expanded position, i. e., in which one of the backing strips has been rotated about the axis;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the ornament showing in full lines the expansion thereof to the extent shown in Fig. 3 and in dotted lines the further expanding of the ornament;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the backing strips of the superposed leaves or layers of tissue p p Fig. 6 is a plan view of the other backing strip; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of a slightly modified form of one of the backing strips.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in which similar reference characters identify similar parts in the several views, the ornament of the familiar bell type illustrated, is formed of a body of a plurality of adjacent superposed leaves or layers Ill joined together by suitably disposed adhesive material to form a honeycomb structure in the form of a half bell. It will be understood, of course, that while the particular form of my invention is illustrated as an orna ment forming a bell in its expanded condition,

my invention is of equal utility and may be applied to ornaments of any character, whether in the form of a sphere, a diamond-shaped solid, or of any other shape operating on the same principle and having the same general construction.

The leaves or layers H! are die-cut to their intended shape, with a pair of tabs I I and I2 along their inner straight edges, which edges define the axis of rotation about which the bell unfolds. In the conventional method of fabricating this type of ornament heretofore practiced, the leaves are secured together by means of two staples extending through the tabs H and I2. In accordance with my invention, however, and in order to eliminate the necessity of using any metallic means whatsoever in the fabrication of the ornament, the leaves are fastened together by dipping the tabs I l and I2 in a solution of a suitable adhesive, whereby such leaves are then held together at such tabs by such adhesive. The adhesive is sought to be illustrated in the drawings throughout the tabs l I and I2 by means of the stipling.

The outermost leaves of the layers ii] are secured by pasting, for instance by any suitable adhesive, to a pair of backing or reinforcing strips l3 and I 4. Each of these backing strips is of conventional configuration, except that near their lower exterior rounded extremities, there is provided a cut-out or channel l5 of comparatively narrow width and extending inwardly either at right angles to the inner edge of the backing strips or slightly inclined, as is shown in the drawing, to such right angular disposition. The purpose and functioning of these cut-outs or channels will be described more fully hereinafter. The backing strips i3 and M, which, for instance, may be of cardboard, conform generally to the outline of the leaves Iii.

In one form of the invention, illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 of the drawings, there .is secured to the interior surface of one of the backing strips, a small strip I5 (see Figs. 2 and 3), also of cardboard, and extending partway down the upper surface of such backing strip, which has formed integrally therewith a tab ll extending upwardly from the bell ornament and which conveniently, for decorative purposes, may be in the outline of a bow and may carry any design or legend such as Merry Christmas and appropriate holly decorations. Substantially in the center of the tab ii, and in vertical alignment with the axis of rotation of the ornament, is an aperture H3.

The means of unfolding the ornament, and to retain the same in such unfolded condition, comprises a length of cord or string H! which, during the fabrication of the ornament, has its lower portion 2!] (see Figs. 2 and 3) secured by the adhesive extending throughout the inner surface of the backing strip- I3 and which lower portion of the cord is secured to such backing strip surface concurrently with the securement of such backing strip to the adjacent one of the plurality of superposed leaves Ill. The cord is then passed through the angularly disposed cutout l5 and across the opposite unpasted surface of the strip l3 and then across the unpasted surface of the backing strip M on the opposite side of the axis of rotation of the ornament, when it passes within the angularly disposed cut-out I5 of the second backing strip l4. From there the cord H3 is passed upwardly across and diagonally over the underlying surface of the backing strip M in the area H of the surface of such backing strip which has not been provided with paste or adhesive (the remaining surface of such backing strip being so provided, so as to have adhesively secured thereto the adjacent leaf of the plurality of leaves or layers of tissue paper). The cord is then passed upwardly over the surface of the decorative tab I! and passed through the aperture 18 therein.

In the operation of expanding the ornament to its bell shape, it is only necessary for one to grasp the free end of the cord is by a portion thereof extending through the aperture l8 and to exert a pull upon the cord, after opening the leaves Iii, by grasping the two curved edges of the backing strips l3 and I4, to a position thereof approximately illustrated in Fig. 3. By pulling upon the cord in the direction of the arrows in Figs. 2 and 3, the two backing strips I 3 and M will be brought further toward each other by shortening the length of cord extending between the opposed faces of the backing strips l3 and [4, as shown in Fig. 4, and thereby move the two backing strips toward each other. By continuing to pull upon the cord IS, the length r of cord extending between the backing strips l3 and I4 and diagonally across the open space therebetween will be taken up, and the leaves ill will be brought by the movement of the backing strips to the completely open condition in which the two outer faces of the backing strips abut. When the complete expansion of the ornament to the bell shape has thus been accomplished, by pulling the cord l9 upwardly as far as it will go, the cord may be released and the ornament will be held in its expanded condition by the friction and binding action of the cord against the backing I4 and at its various turns. The ornament may then be suspended from any suitable support, for instance the branch of a Christmas tree, by means of the loose upper extremity of the cord 19.

In order to refold the ornament, it is only necessary to grasp the ornament with the thumbs positioned along the arcuate edges of the backing strips and pull the two backing strips apart whereby there takes place the reverse operation of pulling the cord l9 downwardly and extending the length of the portion thereof stretching from one backing strip to the other, until the backing strips are in substantial alignment, when they can be folded together.

It is not absolutely essential to have the upper free end of the cord pass through the aperture 43, but such upper end of the cord may be merely twisted around the upwardly extending portions 22 of the backing strips 13 and I4 and the end of the cord left extending upwardly. However, to have the ornament suspended in precise vertical position it is preferable to thread the cord l9 through the aperture I8.

In Fig. 7 there is illustrated the upper fragment of a backing strip 23 of slightly different configuration in its upper portion. Either one of the backing strips l3 or M of the first embodiment may be replaced by a backing strip such as 23 which is provided with an upwardly extending tab 25 having a central aperture 25 through which the cord may be passed if the ornament is not provided with a decorative tab such as ll of the first embodiment. The operation of expanding and folding together the ornament having a backing strip of the configuration of the backing strip 23 is identical with the expending and unfolding of the first embodiment.

In the construction of my novel expanding ornament, I have accomplished not only the elimination of all metal parts, but have produced an ornament, the construction of which greatly facilitates the operation of opening it to the expanded condition and refolding it to a fiat condition. The use of the cord to bring the ornament to its expanded condition and to retain it in such condition, prolongs greatly the life of the ornament, because in the conventional constructions, the operation of bending the metal clips carried by one backing strip around the edge of the other backing strip, frequently involves crushing or destruction of the adjacent portions of the very fragile tissue paper constituting the honeycomb leaf construction of the ornament. In expanding or refolding the ornament of my construction, it is never necessary for the operator to bring any fingers or any portions of the hand into contact with the very fragile material (tissue paper) constituting the leaves of the ornament. Furthermore, when the ornament has been brought to its expanded condition, it is automatically retained in such condition by the fact that a positive downward pull is required on the cord in order to disturb the condition of the ornament. Once the ornament has been suspended by means of the cord, it will always retain its fully expanded condition in the precise form in which it was hung.

While I have described specific embodiments of my invention, it is obvious that various modifications therein may be made, for instance in the configuration and disposition of the cut-outs and of the cord, without departing from my invention, so long as the principle, constituting the basis for the construction f my novel ornament, is utilized.

I claim:

1. In an expanding ornament comprising a pair of backing strips hingedly associated about a longitudinal axis and having secured between opposed faces thereof an expansible element constituted of a plurality of superposed leaves interconnected to form a honeycomb structure, a string secured in fixed position at one end to one of said backing strips and extending from said strip transversely to the longitudinal axis to the other strip and means on such other strip providing for a change in direction of said string toward said end of the ornament, the string passing to and emerging at such end, whereby a pull exerted upon said string is effective to aid in moving the two backing strips toward each other.

2. An expanding ornament, comprising a pair of backing strips rotatable about an axis approximating their contiguous, hingedly associated inner edges, an expansible element constituted of a plurality of superposed leaves interconnected to form a honeycomb structure and secured between opposed faces of said backing strips, and a string adhesively secured to one of said backing strips, said string emerging from said one strip at a distance from its inner edge, and extending to the other strip, means on such other strip providing for a change in direction of said string toward the upper end of the ornament, the string passing upwardly to a point approximately in line with the axis of rotation of said backing strips, whereby a pull exerted upwardly upon said string is effective to aid in moving the two backing strips toward each other.

3. An expanding ornament, comprising a pair of backing strips rotatable about an axis approximating their contiguous, hingedly associated inner edges, an expansible element constituted of a. plurality of superposed leaves interconnected to form a honeycomb structure and secured between opposed faces of said backing strips, and a string secured at one end to one of said backing strips, and passing to the other strip, means on such other strip providing for a change in direction of said string toward the upper end of the ornament, the string passing upwardly to a point approximately in line with the axis of rotation of said backing strips whereby a pull exerted upwardly upon said string is effective to bring the ornament, after partial opening, to its fully expanded condition, the points of emergence of the string from the backing strips being spaced from the inner edges to provide sufficient leverage for the frictional and binding forces to overcome any tendency of the expanded leaves to separate the backing strips and move them toward the collapsed condition.

4. An expanding ornament as claimed in claim 2 in which the two backing strips each have cutouts extending inwardly from their outer edges at an angle to the inner edges thereof, said cut-outs guiding the string over the surfaces of said backing strips.

5. An expanding ornament as claimed in claim 3 in which the two backing strips each have cutouts extending inwardly from their curved outer edges at an angle to the inner edges thereof and opposite the line of securement of the string to the first backing strip, the string being guided by the inner edges of said cut-outs.

6. An expanding ornament as claimed in claim 3, in which one of said backing strips is provided with adhesive throughout one face thereof with the exception of a limited area extending diagonally and upwardly thereof, for accommodating the free movement of the string over said unpasted portion of said backing strip.

'7. An expanding ornament as claimed in claim 3, having a decorative tab secured to the upper portion of one of said backing strips, said tab having an aperture for the passage of the string therethrough.

8. An expanding ornament as claimed in claim 3 in which the plurality of superposed leaves constituting the expansible element are provided with tabs along their inner straight edges, the honeycomb structure constituted of such superposed leaves being joined together at such tabs by an adhesive permeating the sheets at such tabs.

JOSEPH M. PETTOROSSI.