US2570913A

US2570913A - Toy film viewer

Info

Publication number: US2570913A
Application number: US50522A
Authority: US
Inventors: Meyer M Brown
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1948-09-22
Filing date: 1948-09-22
Publication date: 1951-10-09
Anticipated expiration: 1968-10-09

Description

` M. M. BROWN 2,570,913

, TOY FILM VIEWER Filed Sept. 22, 1948 Patented Oct. 9, 1951 MeyerM. Brown, New York, N. Y,.

vApplicationSeptember 22, 1948, Serial'No. 50,522

10 Claims.

This 'invention relates vto a toy lm viewer, y

vpfirticularly to a lm viewer; for viewing a plurality of pictures in successionby mea-ns .of a

. lens-:focused uponr the pictures.

One of the objects ofthe-invention is to providea toy lmviewer of the general type, above 1 referred to, which is very simple and sturdy in design and can be inexpensively manufactured.

Anothervv object ofthe invention is to provide atoy film'viewerof the general type, above referred-to, which consists oifew parts, and can be easily assembled andi disassembled for the purpose of inserting or replacing a film so that the viewer can be handled by the operator without difculty and without :theneedof technicalV skill or experience.

Another object ofthe invention, allied with the preceding one,` is"y to provide a toy lm viewer which comprises-as principal parts, a casing including the lens, acover detachably secured to the casing, and support means for supporting a.

film being held between the casing and the cover. Another. object of rthe invention is to provide aznovel toy Lnlm-'viewer Aoff -the general type, above `referred to, shaped to simulate-a radio set or a 'television set orfanother-suitable item', thev lens being inserted in-the front .wall of the casing.

Another object of the inventionis to provide a novel toy lm viewer ofthe general type, above referred to, comprising'a casingproviding storage space for one` or more films.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel toy lm viewer` ofthe general type. above referredto, inwhichsuccessive pictures viewable through the lensare mounted on a circular disc cording to the invention..

Fig, 2 isv a side vewoi Fig., 1. c Fig, 3 isa rear view ofthe viewfinder ofjFig. l. I'ig.y 4 is a View of thecasing showing ytheinte- "rior thereof.

Fig. 5 isan exploded View oitheiilm viewer iaccordingto the invention. and

Fig. 6 is a planr view-of a picture bearinglm "disc as may be used in connection with;v the .anose I0 atthe .bottom wall of casing I.

viewer.

Referring n ow tov the iigures in detail, thetoy film viewer according to the invention comprises a--casingl l and ay cover 2. The casing maybe madeofplastic, metal or any other suitable material. Similarly, the cover may be made-of plastic, metal Aor other material.

The casing may-beI shaped and designedto simulate aflradioreceiver set, particularlya television receiver set having a screen 3 and control knobs 4. However; it shouldvbevunderstood that it is well within the-scope oithe invention to provide' any-other desired shape for. the casing of the viewer, for instance the' casing mayfbe shaped to simulate an item of merchandise. The nlm disc, which will be more fully explained-hereinafter, may` then bear pictures advertisingthe item simulated by the shape of theviewer. Any other shape, for instance the shape of a figure,

I may also be LAKemployed which shape `rmay or may not bear a relation to :the pictures to Vbe viewed by means of the viewer.

The-front wall ofv casing 2, preferably th screen portion 3r thereof, serves-assupportfor a lens V5` which may comprise a simple magnifying lensv or amore complicated-lens means if so desired. The lensis-secured-to the Afront wall-of the casing by-any suitable means land positioned in alignment` with'z-a-window 6in-cover 2. The outline of .window 6 maybe of any suitable shape, preferably it is shaped approximately corresponding to one of thepictures-tobe viewed. In this exernplic-ationv of the invention, as shown, the window outline is `composed of a semi-hexagon completed by a section of the Vperiphery of-a circle, as can bestbe seen onFig. 3.

Cover 2 can be removably secured to casing Iv by .any suitable means. According to a now preferred arrangement, two noses orprojections 'lvfextend from the top. wall of casing. i and.v are arranged. to engage corresponding hooks r of coverrZ. These hooks are shown as extensions `oi the cover bent-off. at a. substantially right angle.

As will, be evident, noses ,1- andhooks .8, form two hinges for thecoverwhich is secured tothe casing along its opposite edge by means of a somewhat springy clamp 9 arranged to snap .over It. will be apparent that it is also possibleY and quite practical-in some instances to provide noses] andV l 0 on the cover and the hooks and thev clamp on casing I. Furthermore, recesses engagediby the hooks may be provided instead of projections 1'.'

"stance the front wall of casing I.

, with two slanted arms or wings I8 and I8.

The pictures to be viewed by means of the film viewer are shown as being mounted on a substantially circular disc I I made of translucent or transparent material suitable for use Vas a transparency, such as a film. In the embodiment shown, five pictures are spaced about the center of the disc, as can best be seen on Fig. 6. However, any greater or smaller number of Dictures may be employed. Pictures may be either black and white or colored. The term picture as used herein, is intended to include also print or script. It will be evident that the shape of the lm disc is not necessarily circular and that the pictures may be spaced and shaped in various manner. It is merely essential that the pictures are so disposed on a carrier that they can be successively placed in alignment with lens and window 6.

For the purpose of mounting the disc, the same is provided with a center hole I2 by means of which the disc can be slipped on a pin I4 extending from a bracket I5 secured to a `wall for in- The end of pin I4 is arranged to extend intoy a hole I6 of cover 2, thereby securing the disc between casing and cover when the cover is secured t0 the casing.

The center of hole IB may be positioned so as to constitute the center of rotation of the curved portion of the outline of window 5. As can be clearly seen on the figures, the position of pin I 4 and the diameter of disc I I are so selected that the disc protrudes slightly beyond cover 2 and the top wall of casing I, thereby permitting rotation of the disc, preferably manually, about pin I4. Lens 5 is focused upon a film disc supported on the pin.

To facilitate a close t of the cover to the open side of the casing without impeding rotation of the disc, a recess I1 is provided at the upper edge of the casing Yand the cover is also recessed at 2' from which recesses the lm disc protrudes,

thereby leaving suicient space for a free rotation of the disc.

While the described rotatable support of the disc has been found highly practical and is precasing. Furthermore, the pin may extend directly from a casing wall rather than from a bracket supported on a wall of the casing.

It will be obviousthat any one of the pictures on disc II which is rotated into alignment with lens 5 and window 6 mav be viewed through the lens, the picture being framed by the window. To prevent warping or bending of a disc placed on nin I 4, thereby adversely affecting the presentation of a picture, bracket I5 may be provided The angle of these wings preferably corresponds approximately to the angle of the respective sides of window 6. The wings are disposed in axial alignment with the lens and the window. As will be apparent, wings I8 and I8' serve t0 support a film disc slipped on the pin and also assist in the framing of the pictures. Bracket I5 is preferably so disposed within the casing that it confines storage spaces I9 and 2U in which additional nlm discs may be placed, thereby making it conveniently possible to vary the pictures viewable by means of the viewer.

The operation of a toy nlml viewer according t0 the invention is as follows:

A film disc I I is placed on pin I4. Then cover 2 is secured to the casing, the film disc now being rotatable between casing and cover. When the operator now places one of his eyes close to lens 5 while holding window 6 toward the light, a clear magnified presentation of the picture placed in alignment with window 6 will be viewable, the outline of the picture being distinctly framed by the Window. By placing a finger against the protruding portion I I' of the film disc, the operator can conveniently rotate successive pictures into alignment with the lens and the framing window. When it is desired to exchange the lm disc, the cover is snapped off the casing and another disc is slipped on pin I4 after removing the first disc.

As will appear from the previous description, the lm viewer hereindescribed o'ers the possibility of showing a great variety of pictures. By reason of its smallness and simplicity it Vcan be either used as a toy for a child or as an advertising device. Y

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to a certain now preferred example and embodiment of the invention it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: I

l. A toy nlm viewer comprising in combination a substantially rectangular box shaped to simulate the cabinet of a television set, the rear wall of said cabinet beingopen, a lens mounted in an opening of the front wall of said cabinet substantially flush with said wall, a substantially rectangular cover member, clamping means on the cover member and receiving means on a wall of said cabinet engageable one with the other for removably attaching the cover member to the cabinet, the top wall of the cabinet being recessed to provide a slot between the cabinet and the attached cover member, said cover member including a window positioned in optical alignment with said lens, a substantially circular film disc having a center hole and a plurality of transparent pictures thereon spaced about said center hole, support means extending into the cabinet from the front wall thereof, and a pivot pin protruding from said support means for rotatably supporting the film disc in a position in which a marginal portion thereof protrudes from said slot and in which different pictures are placed in optical alignment with the lens and the window in response to a rotation of the disc said support means forming an abutment for a film disc placed on the pivot pin, said lens being focused upon a nlm disc placed on the pivot pin.

2. A toy iilm viewer comprising in combination a generally rectangularly shaped box, the rear -wall of said box being open, a lens mounted in an opening of the front wall of the box, a cover member for the open wall of the box, clamping means for removably attaching the cover member t0 the box, said box and said cover member being shaped to form a slot between the top wall of the box and the attached cover member, said cover member including a window positioned in optical alignment with said lens, a lm disc having a center hole and pictures thereon spaced about said center hole, support means extending into the box from the front wall thereof for rotatably supporting the lm disc in a position in which a marginal portion thereof protrudes from said slot and in which different portions of the disc are placed in optical alignment with the lens and the windo-w in response to a rotation of the disc, said support means forming an abutment for a film disc placed upon the support means, said lens being focused upon a hn disc placed upon the support means.

3. A toy nlm viewer as dened in claim 2, wherein said support means are shaped and arranged to support said nlm disc at the center hole thereof and at points radially spaced from said center hole.

4i A toy lm viewer as dened in claim 3, wherein dependent wings extend from the support means and are arranged to support a nlm disc placed upon the support means.

5. A toy film viewer as defined in claim 2, wherein said support means include a pin forming a pivot for the film disc.

6. A toy nlm viewer as dened in claim 5, wherein said cover member includes an aperture in alignment with said pin for securing the lm disc between the support means and the cover member.

'7. A toy lm viewer as defmed in claim 2, wherein the edge of the top wall of the box is recessed to define together with the attached cover member the said slot for the lm disc.

8. A toy film viewer, as described in claim 2, wherein said support means are shaped and arranged to form a substantially triangular abutment for a llm disc placed on the pivot pin,` the said pin being positioned at the apex of said triangular abutment and the optical axis between the lens and the window passing through the triangular space defined by said support means.

9. A toy lm viewer, as described in claim 2, wherein each of said pictures on said lm disc forms an irregular polygon, and wherein the outline of said cover member window corresponds substantially to said outline of a picture.

10. A toy lm viewer comprising in combination a box, the rear wall of said box -being open, a lens mounted in an opening of the front wall of the box, a cover member for the open wall of the box, said 4box and said cover member being shaped to form a slot between the top wall of the box and the attached cover member, said cover member including a window positioned in optical alignment with said lens, a film disc having a center hole and pictures thereon, support means extending into the box from the front wall thereof for rotatably supporting the lm disc in a position in which a marginal portion thereof protrudes from said slot and in which diierent portions of the disc are placed in optical alignment with the lens and the window in response to a rotation of the disc, said support means forming an abutment for a film disc placed upon the support means, said lens being focused upon a film disc placed upon the support means.

MEYER M. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,564,321 Bornmann Dec. 8, 1925 1,918,631 Burnham, Jr July 18, 1933 1,964,879 Jelinek July 3, 1934 2,029,415 Dennis Feb. 4, 1936 2,135,952 Stephens Nov. 8, 1938 2,189,285 Gruber u Feb. 6, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 448,017 Great Britain Aug. 24, 1934