US2402861A - Amusement device - Google Patents

Description

Patented June 25, 1946 AMUSEMENT DEVICE Raymond' M. Winnick, Stratford, Conn., assigner to Mary H. Wnnick, Stratford, Conn.

Application December 29, 1943, Serial No. 516,015.

(Cl. liii-32) 2 Claims. l

The present invention relates to a device for young children having educational, amusement and attention-attracting means thereon. and more particularly to a device for attachment to a high chair tray or the like device.

As is well known, small children seated in high chairs quite frequently drop or throw their toys on the oor and require the attention of someone to restore them. Further, while being fed, there is atendency for the child seated in the high chair to grab or hit the spoon, spilling the contents thereof. Also during feeding, unless the child has something to attract his attention, he may turn his head or assume such a posi-tion that it is difficult tok place the food in his mouth.

Eiorts have been made to overcome these diiculties by providing attachments for high` chairs which are mounted on the back of the chair and have an arm extending from the back, over the childs head to a point above the tray and from which one or more wires or strings depend and support a plurality of toys, a nursingY bottle or other devices. .Such arrangements are cumbersome and present an unsightly appearance on the chair. Further, they are dangerous for when relatively heavy objects, such as a nursing bottle or toy are mounted thereon, they will swing freely and may hit the child causing injury to him.

The present invention overcomes these difficulties by providing a device on the tray of a high chair or the like which extends over and above the tray and is provided with educational, amusing and attention-attracting means. The d evice is preferably made as an attachment which may be readily mounted thereon.

A feature of the invention resides in the mount-. ing of the educational, amusing and/ or attentionattracting means on a eXible resilient member so that the child may grasp it and pull it toward him and play with the said means without being able to drop them or throw them on the ilcor. The resilient mounting of the attentiomattracting means will return it to a position over the tray when it is released by the child and there is no danger of the same striking the child and injuring him. Also, when the child holds on to the device his hands will be occupied so that he will not be as apt to grasp or knock the spoon as food is being carried to his mouth, thus aiding in the feeding of the baby.

Preferably, the device is located above the tray so as to position the attention-attracting means thereon at -or about the eye level of a child sitting in the high chair. A child watching this means on the transversely extending member will be facing forwardly and have his head in an upright position so that food can be 'readily carried to his mouth.

In the preferred form of the invention, a resilient member has a pair of mounting means at the ends thereof for attaching the device to each side of a tray of a high chair or the like. The resilient member is of such a length that, when so mounted, it extends across the tray at a4 predetermined height above the tray. The member has mounted thereon a plurality of beads. a,nd blocks of irregular shape and may have suspended therefrom suitable toys such as beaded dolls, or other attention-attracting and amusing devices.

The beads which are of various shapes may be of different colors so that a child may be taught the shapes and colors while sitting in the high chair.

The device, preferably, may be readily detached from the high chair tray for removal tc other trays or to permit the high chair tray to be cleaned.

Other features and advantages of the invention will bc apparent from the specification and claims when considered in connection with the drawing in Which- Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a high chair With the attachment of the present invention mounted on the tray.

.SQ Fig. 2 is a front view of the attachment with the tray in section.

Fig. 3 `is a detail View showing a clamp and the 'neans for anchoring the resilient member there- The present invention is illustrated as an attachment applied to a high chair Il) having a tray ll provided with an upstanding wall or rim l2` The device comprises a resilient member I3 having at its ends clamping members I4. Prefi erably, the resilient member is a steel wire but it may be a ribbon, coil spring or other shape and be of other resilient material. The resilient member has mounted thereon a plurality of beads I5 and blocks I6 of different shapes and color and at the center a beaded doll I1 or other attentionattracting device or ornament may be mounted so as to depend therefrom and move thereon.

The member is of such a length, that, when the clamps I4 are in position on the sides of the tray, it will extend transversely of the tray to position the attention-attracting means above .the tray and at about eye level of a child sitting in the chair.

While the present invention is shown as extending from side to side on the tray in a connormal position over the tray. This eliminates the danger of striking the child heretofore present in devices having depending objects. By providing a means which' may be readily grasped by the child, his hands may be occupied'and greatly remove the tendency of thechild or hit the spoon when being fed.

The colored beads, blocks and the dependent. ornament provide mearrs for amusing the child While in the high chai'r" and since they cannot be dropped on the floor they are always available for him to play with. Further, the beads being of diierent shape and color can be used to teach' the child to distinguish colors and shapes and thus have an educational value.

With the attention-attracting means disposed at substantially eye level the child watching them will face forwardly and hold his head erect so that his mouth will be in, proper position sov that he may be more easily fed. v

If it is desired to move the device out of position soltbat adrink maybe oiered the child in a glass, the flexibility of the Amember will permit it to be readily bent away from the child. If de i sired, a latch' orV separate clip may be provided which Wil1 tie the tray and member together while in this position, thus freeingY the hand which normally would be required to overcome the resiliency of the member.

high chair tray and has a bottom ledge 2B ex- 'o tending under the tray. A movable clamping member 2| is threaded into the ledge andhas a linger piece 22 whereby it may be turned into engagement with the underside of the tray and; draw the lip into clamping relation with the top"`v of the rim. A

The wireis anchored to the clamp by forming the lip with a threaded nipple 23 and providing a. plug 24 with a longitudinal bore in the center to grasp 4 thereof through which is slipped the end of the resilient member and an abutment provided for preventing the plug from separating therefrom. This may be a separate member or the end of the wire may be bent over as at 25. The plug is then threaded into the nipple and effectively anchors the resilient member in position.

Preferably, lip I9 and the clamping member 2i 'are provided with a `rubber cover 21 so as to yavoid marring the tray or other .device to which the attachment is mounted.

In the broader aspects the device may be constructed as a part of the high chair instead of as an attachment therefor. Such would lack, however, the advantages of the readily removable device which may be applied to other trays and removed to permit cleaning of the tray.

Variations and modications may be made `within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim: y l. An attachment for a childs highL chair tray or the like comprising a pair of clamps adapted to fit over and be secured to the sides of the tray,

said clamps having screw-actuated clamping members disposed under and engaging the underside of the trayand being free of rigid extensions cxposed to contact by the child; and a iiexible resilient member` having connector means on the ends thereof secured to the clamps, with the ends of the resilient member disposed within the clamps, said resilient member being of a length as to extend therebetween in an arc disposed above the surface of the tray and in position to be grasped by a child in the high chair, the flexible resilient member yieldingly moving from normal position under the tugs of the child and returning to'normal position over the tray upon release thereof by the child.

2. An attachment for a childs high chair tray or the like comprising pair of clamps adapted to fit over and be secured to the sides of the tray, said clamps having screw-actuating .clamping members disposed under and engaging the underside of the tray and being free of rigid extensions exposed to contact by the child; a flexible steel wire having threaded means mounted on the ends thereof, said clamps having a threaded portion for receiving the threaded means for detachably securing the ends of the wire to the clamps with the ends of the wire disposed within the clamps, the wire being of a length in excess 0f the distance between the clamps when in position on the tray whereby the Wire extends in an arc transversely of and spaced above the surface of the tray; beads and blocks threaded on the wire; and attention-attracting means carried by the Wire.

RAYMOND M. WINNICK.

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