US2400605A - Shadow motion toy - Google Patents

Description

M y 9 6- H. c. SCHULTZ SHADOW MOTION TOY Filed Feb. 3, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l ILL] -- Inventor Patented May 21, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHADOW MOTION TOY Howard C. Schultz, St. Albans, N. Y.

Application February 3, 1945, Serial No. 575,967

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improved toy, for particular service in casting shadows upon a screen or other display surface, and one of its objects is to provide a toy with which motions of an animal may be developed in the projected shadows of the toy.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a toy comprisin two companion parts pivoted to each other, one part comprising a representation of the main profile of an animal, and the other part including minor parts of the profile of an animal, the two parts being constructed for holding in one hand of the manipulator, and so pivoted on each other that various amusing motions may be produced in front of a light source and cast upon a screen or other display surface, which will simulate movements of the animal whose combined profile appears in the projected shadow.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in certain new and useful constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, clearly described in the following specification, and fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a collective view, showing the improved toy in perspective between a hooded lamp and a display screen, also shown in perspective.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the toy.

Fig. 3 is another cross sectional view of the toy.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of one of the parts of the toy, which represents the main part of the animal profile.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the other part of the toy, which represents the secondary part of the animal profile.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the practical constructons of my invention, and some of its uses, 5 designates the main part of the toy, Which is constructed of a single piece of cardboard, plastic or other suitable material. This part 5 represents the main area of an animal head 6, with an eye opening 1, and a single ear 8, two legs 9 and ID, the abdominal area H, and the back l2, and is continued to form a handle I3, which projects downwardly from the lower edge of the body or main part of the toy.

The secondary part I4 of the toy is provided with the second ear form l5, a form part [6 representing the lower jaw of the animal head, a, single upper foot or leg l1, and a tail forming portion l8, and is continued downwardly to provide the second handle 19.

The main body part 5 is provided with a, pivot opening 20, located below the neck region 2|, and another pivot opening 22, located in line with the abdominal area ll thereof. The secondary body part I4 is provided with a transverse pivot slot 23, located just below the lower jaw part l6 thereof, and a second pivot open- The secondary part L4 is coupled to the main part 5 by means of a plastic or rubber pivot 25, which may be extended through the opening 20 and the slot 23, or the opening'ZZ and the opening 24, thus providing alternate pivot centers for the two toy parts, 5 and Hi. When the upper pivot openings 20 of the main toy part 5 and 23 of the secondary toy part M, are used and the two handles I3 and I9 are moved on each other, by the hand movements of the, manipulator or operator, the lower jaw will have a relatively short movement near the upper jaw, of the combined structure, and the same will be true of the single ear of the secondary part with the single ear of the main part.

When the pivot is extended through the lower pivot opening 22 of the main part '5 and the lower pivot opening 24 of the second part M, a greater relative movement will be imparted to the single ears of the main and second parts, and to the two jaws of these parts.

By manipulating the shadow toy in the path of light rays projected from a hooded electrical lamp, as indicated at 30 in Fig. 1, a shadow will be cast upon the display screen 3| The pivot slot 23 provides means for shifting the secondary part on the main part, so that diiferences of position, having the efiect of changes in the amusing results produced, may be obtained. a

The motions produced by the operations of the hand in moving the two handles together and apart will cause the lower and upper jaws to move and the two ears and the upper legs to move relative to each other, while the tail of the secondary part will move back and forth.

It is understood thatthe principle shown and the structure developed may be applied for the shadow representation of any other animal, other than the one shown, which is a rabbit.

It is understood that various changes in the design of the parts, in their detail construction, combination and arrangement, may be resorted to, within the limits of the claim hereof.

ing 24, located in line with the tail part [8 there- 2 I V c Having described my invention, I claim as new:

A shadow toy comprising a, main part constructed to simulate the head and body of an operator, and means for pi'votally connecting said main part and secondary part together at a plurality of selected points including spaced sets of pivot apertures formed through said parts and a, pivot 'pin' adapted to be inserted through the desired set of apertures by the operator of the toy, whereby aset of varying shadows may be cast when the pivot pin is placed through one set of pivot apertures, and a different set of varying shadows may belcast when the pivot pin is placed through a. second set-of pivot apertures; V

HOWARD c. SCHULTZ.

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