US2693362A

US2693362A - Telephone simulating puzzle toy

Info

Publication number: US2693362A
Application number: US220599A
Authority: US
Inventors: Silas M Ford
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1951-04-12
Filing date: 1951-04-12
Publication date: 1954-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 1971-11-02

Description

Nov, 2, 1954 s. M. FORD TELEPHONE SIMULATING PUZZLE 'roy Filed April l2, 1951 nwExmR 5f/a6 M F'or'd BY ATTORNEY is cut out.

Patented Nov. 2, `195,4,

2,693,362 TELEPHONE SIMLATING PUZZLE TOY Silas M. Ford, St. Paul,

Application April 12, 1951, Serial No. 220,599

z'claims. (cian-.157) i i This invention relates to an improvement in combination puzzle toys and deals particularly with a puzzle which serves not only as a toy, but also as a means of educating small children.

Small children are usually highly interested in tele phones and the manner of operating the same. The child sees adults using the telephone continuously and yet is usually prevented from playing with the telephone. The present invention has for its object the production of a toy which combines certain of the mechanical features of the telephone with the amusement afforded by a puzzle.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a puzzle including a frame and a plurality of separable pieces. These pieces combine to form in outline the shape and appearance of a telephone. When the parts are assembled in place a complete telephone is pictured. The telephone is shown as havinga base, a supporting body, and a combined ear phone and mouth piece of conventional shape. When this piece is removed from the remainder of the puzzle it simulates the telephone in common use. To assist in the illusion, the removable hand piece is connected to the telephone body by acord simulating the wire usually found connecting the corresponding parts of an actual telephone.

A feature of the present invention lies in the pro- Vision of a puzzle simulating in appearance a telephone and having represented thereupon a dial similar to that found on a telephone. This dial is actually rotatable between fixed limits and the child is enabled to simulate an actual dialing operation. Thus the puzzle is instructive as well as amusing.

These and other objects and novel features of my invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of my specification:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a puzzle toy showing the general construction thereof.

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the base portion of the puzzle toy with the removable puzzle pieces removed therefrom.

Figure 3 is a sectional view through a portion of the puzzle, the position of the section being indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the dial and a portion of the puzzle piece to which it is connected.

Figure 5 is a sectional view showing in plan the underside of the dial, the position of the section being indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an elevation view of the spacing washer which is used in conjunction with the dial.

Figure 7 is an elevation view of the spring used conjunction with the dial.

The puzzle is indicated in general by the letter A and includes a base portion 10 which usually comprises an upper lamination 11 and a lower lamination 12. The

panels

11 and 12 are preferably co-extensive in size and shape and are adhered in surface contact. Before the two

panels

11 and 12 are connected together, the portion of the upper panel 10 which forms the puzzle pieces Thus the panel 11 forms a frame encircling a recess 13 which is filled with the various puzzle pieces in the assembled form of the puzzle.

In the particular form of construction illustrated the telephone is shown as resting upon a table. The table top is composed of two

puzzle pieces

14 and 15 which are separably removable. The legs 16 of the table are jlninted upon the 4frame panel `11 adjacent tozthe aperture The telephone representation is divided into two separable pieces including a body portion .17 and a hand-set portion `19. These parts are separably removable from the aperture 13, but these parts are normally connected by a cord 20 stapled or otherwise affixed at 21 .to the hand-set piece 19 and .stapled vor otherwise connected at 22 to the telephone body puzzle piece I7. y The cord 20 has two separate advantages. .In the .'irst place the cord simulates the' wire normally connecting the two corresponding parts ofan actual telephone, .Secondly this cord forms a .simple and convenient. method of lifting the hand piece from the aperture 13. Thus when the telephone is assembled in the frame 11, the hand piece 19 may be removed by pulling upwardly on the adjacent portion of the cord 20.

The dial construction is best illustrated in Figure 3 through 7 of the drawings. The dial itself includes a disc 23 having a downwardly directed marginal flange 24 thereupon. The disc 23 includes a relatively short upwardly extending concentric ring shaped ange 25 and a downwardly projecting ring-shaped flange 26 on its undersurface. The llange 26 preferably extends below the level of the ilange 24. A sleeve-like hub 27 is connected to the disc and extends upwardly and downwardly from the surface thereof. The hub 27 preferably extends the full depth of the flange 26 or slightly below the level of the ange 26.

A bearing sleeve 29 having a head 30 at its upper extremity extends through the hub 27 with sufficient play to permit the hub to rotate freely about the bearing. A screw 31 or other fastening means extends through the bearing 29 and into the puzzle piece 17 to anchor these parts together. The bearing 29 is slightly longer than the hub 27 so that the hub is not clamped between the head of the bearing and the-puzzle piece. As a result the dial may rotate freely about the bearing 29.

As best indicated in Figure 5 of the drawings, the ilange 26 is provided with a notch 32 therein. In substantially diametrically opposed relation is provided a lug or stop shoulder 33 connected to the flange 26 and projecting outwardly therefrom. This lug 31 is designed to engage a stop pin 34 projecting upwardly from the puzzle piece 17. A spring 35 encircles the hub 27 between this hub and the ange 26 to urge the dial in the proper rotative direction to engage the lug 33 against the stop pin 34. The spring 35 is provided with an outwardly directed end 39 which extends through the notch 32 in the llange 26 to connect these parts for rotation in unison. The other end of the spring 35 is directed in an axial direction as shown at 40 so as to extend into the puzzle piece 17 to anchor this end of the spring.

The dial disc 23 is provided with a series of angularly spaced apertures 36 extending therethrough arranged similarly to the apertures of a telephone dial. Beneath these apertures on the puzzle piece 17 is provided indicia 37 similar to the indicia appearing beneath the apertures of a telephone dial. Thus in appearance the puzzle simulates to a considerable extent the operation of an actual telephone.

The child may insert a finger in any of the dial apertures 36 and rotate the dial much in the usual manner. When the finger releases the dial, it will rotate in a reverse direction until the projection 33 strikes the stop pin 34. Thus the child may learn to dial an actual telephone from operation of the present toy.

The hand piece and telephone body may be removed from the aperture 13 and separately operated, or if de sired, the hand piece alone may be removed and the telephone dial operated. The formation of the telephone as a puzzle provides added amusement for the child and develops additional skill in properly locating the various parts.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my combination puzzle toy, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A telephone puzzle consisting of a flat panel cut to form a frame member having an inner periphery silhouetting at least in part a telephone handset, and a plurality of at puzzle pieces which it into the frame in one specic relation, the puzzle pieces being removable from and replaceable into said frame, one of said puzzle pieces comprising a representation of a telephone body and another of the puzzle pieces comprising a representation of a telephone hand piece, said hand piece being located in relation to said telephone body in the assembled puzzle so as to represent the hand piece resting upon the telephone body, said hand piece puzzle piece being separately removable from and replaceable into said frame, and a slack cord simulating a telephone cord connecting said puzzle piece representing a telephone body to the hand piece puzzle piece, said cord serving as a handle means for removing said last named puzzle pieces singly or in unison from the assembly.

2. The structure described in claim l and including a rotatable telephone dial simulating member pivotally supported by the puzzle piece representing a telephone body and projecting from the plane of the same.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,996,642 Conklin Apr. 2, 1935 2,037,966 Dailey Apr. 21, 1936 ,468 Madden June 15, 1948 2,533,327 Richards Dec. 12, 1950