US2577309A - Amusement device - Google Patents

Description

Bec. 4, 1951 R. l.. cARwlLE 2,577,309

AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Feb. 25, 1947 INVENTOR., Fe ROGER L. CARWILE 'aL/W7 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 4, 1951 UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,577,309 l AMUSEMENT DEVICE Roger L. Carwile, Cambridge, Mass. Application February 25, 1947, Serial No. 730,715

Claims. l The present invention relates to a device which may serve as a means for demonstrating the action of certain physical phenomena, or in other capacities, as a toy for instance, or as a means for producing certain physical action Where desired. Essentially, the device produces a physic'al action or motion which, while simple, is diflic`ult for the eye to follow and causes an optical illusion which is mysterious and therefore engages the interest of the observer, whether adult or child.

' The physical principle involved is akin to that demonstrated by two free pendulums, suspended side by side, having highly elastic balls suchV as ivory, of equal mass. If one pendulum is swung so that the moving ball strikes the stationary one at the bottom of its stroke, the first ball will stop and the second will move, assuming substantially the velocity of the rst ball. In the present invention, two or more flat, perforated, thin plate or disc-like members are used. These `perforated thin plates or discs slide over a guide plate or disc at a certain place in its course of motion over the guide wire where `the stationary plate or disc is positioned. A series of pairs or groups may be used in such a manner that a succession of operations of similar or different motions and eiects may be obtained.

1 The present invention will be more fully described in the specification below, in connection with the drawings illustrating the same, inv which Fig. 1- shows a perspective drawing of the invention in one form. Fig. 2 shows a sectional elevation of theform of Fig. l, and Figs. 3 and 4 show modiiied forms of the invention of Figi.

"In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1, I is a stiff guide wire supported in a substantiallyupright position by a base2. There are two or more thin, substantially equal vperfora-ted platesV or, discflike members, 3,14, `5,13, which may be of steel or /other highly elastic material. These plates or Vdiscs will slide freely on the guide wire passing through theperforations. The guide wire I has a steeply inclined section I2 with' a short smooth S curve consisting of a depression I3 and a hump I4, followed by a downward sloping section 30. The steep portion I2 has suiiicient length so that the disc may gain the desired velocity in its descent.

The depression I3 will provide a resting station where a disc or plate will rest in stable equilibrium. There is also a section 8 near the upper end of the guide which will hold one or more 2 discs in stable equilibrium ready to be sent down the incline I2. The end of the guide may be formed as a stop I9 to prevent the discs from sliding off the upper end.

After an element 3 is placed in the depression I3, another disc or plate 4 may be released from the upper region 8 in the direction of the incline and will slide down the guide I and strike plate or disc 3, whichwill suddenly take up the motion and slide over the slight hump I4 and on down the guide to the base 2, the disc 4 suddenly stopping in the depression I3 and remainf ing there. This interchange of motion and position occurs so suddenly that it is diiiicult for the human eye to sense it-disc or plate 4 apy pears to go right through disc 3 without sensibly disturbing it. Similarly, additional discs or plates 5, 6, when dropped suddenly, displace the previous ones resting in the depression on the guide, although the appearance is as above injdicated. Those conversant with the science of dynamics will recognize that the actions just described clearly demonstrate the laws of conservation of linear momentum and conservation of energy, as applied to the collision of elastic bodies of equal mass. The action described here is uniquely different from collisions between croquet balls, billiard balls, marbles, etc., in that the moving objects or projectiles used in my device are so thin that at the instant of collision the two bodies are so closely contiguous that it is diiiicult to distinguish their individual identities, Whereas croquet balls, marbles, etc., even while colliding, have their centers sufliciently far apart that their separate identities are readily per'- ceived.

I consider it desirable to have the base detachable, for convenience in packing and transporting the device. One way of making the base detachable is to have one or more grooves I5 into which the guide iits snugly. Fig. 2 shows a sectional view of the way the guide may nt into the base 2. `,The base is grooved around its middle section and the guide bent into an open loop I5 which snugly ts into the groove. The guide wire may have sumcient spring tension sorthat it may be slid into the grooved base which will hold the guide wire in a rigid position, permite ting the action and operation described above.

Obviously, there are many variations of embodiment and operation of this device, e. g.:

'Ihe guide may be supported at the eyelet I9 instead of a base as shown in Fig. 2.

The guide may have two or more depressions,

3 I1 and I8 as indicated in Fig. 3, so that successive collisions may occur at such depressions.

The number of discs or projectiles participating in collision is optional-one moving projectile may strike one stationary one, two moving ones may strike one stationary one, one moving one may strike two stationary ones, etc., with characteristic and interesting results.

The projectiles may be set in motion manually v'or in any suitable manner, and instead of having the discs drop they may be impelled by spring laction or in any other way. If the projectiles are set in motion by means other than gravity, l

then section l2 does not necessarily have to be steeply inclined. In such case, the device may employ double action, if desired. One embodiment of such a variation isV shown in Fig. 4, in which the guide 20 is substantially horizontal, but has one or more slight depressions 2|. A thin disc 2'2 resting in equilibrium in a depression 2.1, when hit byy anotherV thin 'disc 23 pro-v pelled against it by release of spring 24, lby drawing down latch Z5, suddenly ltakes up the motion of disc 23 which suddenly stops in the depression. Obviously such action may be produced from left to right, or righ-t to left, or alternately. In the embodiment of Fig. 1, various `colors may be used to make the device more attractive, particularly on the `discs orv plates. The discs may also be Varied in size, mass, and shape to show corresponding collision effect, so long as they are thin. The device Works more satis-factorily if the guide and discs -or projectiles ar smooth so as to slide freely. v

Having now described my invention, I claim: l. An amusement device' of the character described comprising a smooth guide Wire having relatively long portions and a short depressed region therein intermediate the long portions, a base supporting said guide in a substantially upright position with the depression forming a horizontal step, a vdat, thin, highly velastic member formed vas a disc with a hole therein through which the guide loosely extends, supported freely by said guide in upright position in said depression, a second similar member positioned about said guide at a point above said first member and adapted to be propelled along said guide against said iirst member, whereby said second member will abruptly stop on contact with the iirst member and impart its momentum to said rst element.

2. An amusement device of the character described comprising a smooth guide Wire having a plurality of steeply inclined portions connected by short depressed regions forming substantially horizontal steps, a plurality of flat, thin, highly elastic plate members having perforations through which the guide loosely extends and supported freely in the depressionsadapted to f be propelled out of said depression when another similar member is permitted to descend freely the steep incline to a depression and impact against said plate member, in said depression and cause it to descend the next incline and strike the member in the next depression for successive and similar reaction.

3. An amusement device of the character describedv comprising a smooth guide wire having 4, a plurality of steeply inclined portions connected by short depressed regions forming substantially horizontal steps, a base member having a groove therein for supporting the guide wire in a substantially upright position, a plurality of flat, thin, highly elastic plate members having perforations through which the guide loosely extends and supported freely in the depressions adapted to be propelled out of said depression when another similar member is permitted to descend freely the steep incline to a depression Y and impact against said plate member, in said Vdepression and cause it to descend the next in- @elineY and strike the member in the next depression for successive and similar reaction.

4. An amusement device of the character described comprising a smooth guide wire having a plurality of steeply inclined portions connected by short depressed regions forming substantially horizontal steps, a removable base member having a groovetherein for supporting the guide Wire in a substantiallyupright position, a plurality of at, thin, .highly elastic plate members having perforations through which the guide loosely extends and supported freely in the depressions adapted to be propelled out yof sa'd depression when one of said members is permitted to descend freely the steep incline toa depression and impact against said plate mem ber, in said depressions and cause it to descend the next incline and strike the member in the next depression for Ysuccessive and'similarv reaction. f

5. An amusement device of the character described comprising a smooth guide wire hav-ing a plurality of steeply inclined portions connected by short depressed regions'forming substantially horizontal steps, a base member having a. groove therein for supporting the guide wire in a substantially upright position, the upper end of said guide wirehaving a loop, a plurality of hat, thin, highly elastic plate members having perforations through which the guide loosely extends and supported freely in the depressions adapted to be propelled out of said depression when another REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,424,659 Linder Aug. 1, 1922 `1,627,970 Held May 10, 1927 1,890,950 Sharp Dec, 13, 1932 2,224,405 McIntyre Dec. 10, 1940 OTHER REFERENCES Page 406` of book Magic by Hopkins, published 1906 by Munn & Co., New York.

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