US3018100A - Amusement device - Google Patents

Description

I Jan. 23, 1962 J. L. JOSEPH AMUSEMENT DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 14, 1959 INVEN TOR. Jdl/Y 4. .7051?! Jan. 23, 1962 J. L. JOSEPH musmm DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 7 4 76 0;

Filed April 14, 1959 Fla. 7

3,018,100 AMUSEMENT DEVICE John L. Joseph, 259 Columbus Ave., Hasbrouck Heights, NJ.

Filed Apr. 14, 1959, Ser. No. 8%,311 13 Claims. (Cl. 272-1) The present invention relates to an amusement device or toy adapted to be used by a child.

Imaginative or make believe play is common with children and is encouraged as advantageous if not necessary for their proper development. The child, in such play, will tend to act out imaginative situations in many of which the child will play the part of something other than himself, whether it be a musketeer, an Indian, or a cowboy, a knight, and he may even play at being some other type of creature, such as a rabbit or kangaroo. The child at such a time will ordinarily seek some tangible indication of the guise which he wishes to assume, in order to lend an air of realism to his play. To provide a true costume for any one of the various types of being which the child may wish to assume is expensive, yet suits of armor, cowboy or Indian regalia, and even animal costumes are available and widely purchased despite the expense. When it is considered, however, that a childs fancy in this regard is exceedingly ephemeral, and that the characters which he might wish to assume will and should vary widely from day to day and even from moment to moment, it will be realized that it is, as a practical matter, virtually impossible to provide a child with costumes for all of his fancies.

It is the prime object of the present invention to provide inexpensive means permitting a child to assume the visual guise of a wide variety of characters or creatures, thereby to facilitate his play acting and to stimulate his imagination by permitting him to change from one character or creature to another as he desires.

To this end the devices comprise an album-like assembly of display sheets each bearing the pictorial representation of a different character or creature, the sheets being positionable one over the other so that only one pictorial representation at a time is presented to view, the sheets all having registering openings of a size such that the face of a child may be received therethrough, means being provided so that the entire assembly may be held by the child in front of his body, with his face visible through the openings. The openings on the sheets are provided at those spaces where the face of the character or creature represented in the exposed pictorial representation would otherwise appear. The result is that to an onlooker, when the assembly is held by a child in front of his body with his face peering through or received within the openings in the sheets, it appears as though the child has been transformed into the character or creature depicted in the exposed pictorial representation. The sheets are of a size such as to obscure substantially all of the body of the child from view.

The pictorial representations may take a wide variety of forms cowboys, Indians, knights in armor, soldiers, sailors, ballerinas, ladies in waiting, spacemen, aviators, dragons, animals of all types, etc. As here specifically illustrated the pictorial representations are of different types of animals, but it will be understood that this is merely exemplary of the almost unlimited forms which the pictorial representations may take.

The assembly preferably includes at least one relatively rigid sheet which serves to support and rigidify the assembly and which carries the means by which the assembly maybe held and carried by the child. In the preferred form here specifically disclosed a pair of such rigid sheets are provided between which the display sheets are normally received, thereby to define a saleable and shippable States Patent f 3,618,1flil Patented Jan. 23, 1962 package in and of itself. These rigid sheets and the display sheets are, in use, connected to one another along one edge thereof, in loose-leaf fashion, so that the pages may be turned, thereby to expose to view that display sheet which carries the pictorial representation corresponding to the particular fancy of the child at any given moment. Means are provided for releasably securing the display sheets to the rigid sheets so that the assembly will have a degree of permanency and realism once the desired display sheet has been exposed. The means by which the assembly is supported by the child may assist in retaining the display sheets in proper position and in retaining the rigid reinforcing sheets in proper position.

All of the sheets may be formed inexpensively, the sheet holding means and the assembly holding means may be formed integral with the rigid sheets, and as a result a wide variety of costumes may be provided to the child at a very low cost.

To the accomplishment of the above, and to such other objects as may hereinafter appear, the present invention relates to the construction of an amusement device as defined in the appended claims and as described in the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a three-quarter perspective view of the front of the device of the instant invention as packed for shipment;

FIG. 2 is a three-quarter perspective rear view of the packaged device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of some of the sheets of the device of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a three-quarter perspective view of the display and rigid sheets connected together after the package has been disassembled;

FIG. 5 is a three-quarter perspective view of the device of the present invention in use, being held up in front of a child, with the childs face visible through the openings' provided for that purpose;

FIG. 6 is a three-quarter perspective view showing the rear of the device of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 77 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 88 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 9-9 of FIG. 6.

The amusement device of the present invention comprises a plurality of display sheets, here shown as six in number and designated 2 2 2 2 2 and 2 respectively, which may be formed of heavy duty paper, cardboard, plastic, or any other suitable material. Each is provided on its front face with a representation of some creature or character. In the form here specifically chosen for illustration, the pictorial representations are in the form of fanciful animal characters. Sheet 2 may disclose a squirrel, sheet 2 a lion, sheet 2 a bear, sheet 2 a kangaroo, sheet 2 a rabbit and sheet 2 a monkey. The representations all include, near the upper portions of the display sheets 2, an opening 4 where the face of the animal would ordinarily appear, and the pictorial representations may terminate in legs 6 cut off so that the feet or paws are not shown. All of the display sheets 2 are of a size comparable to that of a child, for example, they may be approximately three feet in height and approximately 1 /2 feet in maximum width. The openings 4 are of a size such that a childs face can he received therewithin and may be approximately 6 inches high and 4 /2 inches wide. The upper edges 8 of the display sheet are provided with a plurality of registering small apertures 10 and the lower edges are provided with slits 12 forming a tab 14. Vertically elongated slots 16 are formed along the sides of the display sheets 2.

The display sheets 2, all preferably of approximately the same size and shape, are adapted to be sandwiched between a pair of rigid sheets 18 and Ztl formed of corrugated paperboard or the like, these rigid sheets 18 and 20 preferably being of the same size and shape as the display sheets 2 and having punch-out panels 21 and 22 in positions registering with the openings 4 of the display sheets 2, so that when the panels 21 and 22 are removed openings 21 and 22' will be formed in the rigid sheets 18 and 20 respectively which register with and are of substantially the same size and shape as the dis play openings 4. The rigid sheets 18 and 20 are provided adjacent their bottom edges with slits 24 defining a bendable flap 26. The rigid sheet 18 is provided along its sides with elongated punch-out strips which, when removed will produce slits 16' registering with and of substantially the same shape as the display sheet openings 16. The rigid sheet 20 is provided with cuts 28 which define handle portions 30 bendable out of the plane of the sheet 20 in a direction at right angles thereto, the size and shape of the handle portions 30 being such that they will pass through the openings 16 and 16'.

For shipping purposes, and as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the display sheets 2 are sandwiched between the rigid sheets 18 and 20, the entire assembly being held together by means of staples 32. The corrugations in the rigid sheets 18 and 20 preferably extend in directions perpendicular to one another, so that the resulting package is well able to withstand the handling to which it might be subjected during shipment.

When the device is to be used the staples 32 are removed, the panels 20 and 22 are pushed out from the sheets 18 and 20, and the side openings 16 and 16 are formed through the removal of material from the sheets 2 and 18 as necessary. All of the sheets are then connected together at their upper edges, as by passing snap rings 34 through the registering openings 10, 10a and 10b adjacent the upper edges of the display sheets 2, the rigid sheet 18 and the rigid sheet 20 respectively, thus producing the assembly in FIG. 4. If desired, the apertures 10, 10a and 10b may be reinforced with fibre washers of the type customarily used in looseleaf notebooks. The handle portions 30 are then bent up from the rigid sheet 20 in a direction toward the viewer as shown in FIG. 4. The display sheets 2 have been oriented so that the surfaces thereof which carry the pictorial representations are facing to the left as viewed in FIG. 4.

The device is now ready for use. The rigid sheet 18 is flipped back over the top of the assembly, as permitted by the rings 34, thereby to expose the surface of the display sheet 2 which carries a pictorial illustration. If that particular representation is not desired sheet 2 is flipped over the top of the assembly, thereby to expose the pictorial representation on display sheet 2 It is in this position that the device is illustrated in FIGS. -9, but it will be understood that any appropriate number of display sheets 2 may be flipped over in order to expose the pictorial representation desired at any particular moment. As the sheets 18 and 2 are flipped over the handle portions 30 are passed through their slots 16 and 16, so that the handle portions are accessible from the rear of the assembly, there to be grasped by the hands of the user of the device. The handle portions 30 which are attached to the rigid sheet 20 preferably make frictional engagement with the slots 16 in the rigid sheet 18, thereby retaining those two sheets in position against one another, and frictional engagement between the handle portions 30 and the slots 16 in the display sheets 2 at the rear of the device will assist in holding those display sheets in position. The tabs 14 as the bottom of the display sheets 2 at the rear of the device are tucked inside the" flap 26 at the bottom of the sheet 18, and the tabs 14 at the bottom of the display sheets 2 at the front of the device are tucked inside the flap 26 at the bottom of the rigid sheet 20, thus preventing the dis- 4 play sheets 2 from flapping as the device is used. As will be seen from FIGS. 5 and 6 the device, when held by a child in front of himself, and with his face visible through and preferably received within the registering apertures 4, 21 and 22' in the sheets, will serve to obscure from view all of his person except for his face and his feet. It is because his feet will usually be visible that the legs 6 in the pictorial representations terminate short of the feet or paws which would otherwise be shown. The child may hold the assembly in front of himself and move about. He will be able to see, hear and speak without hindrance. Yet to an observer he will appear to have been transformed into whatever character or creature may be depicted on the selected display sheet 2 exposed at the front of the assembly.

The number and nature of different pictorial representations which may be employed is virtually unlimited. When a child tires of one set of representations, another set may be purchased and used, in the nature of looseleaf refills. The entire assembly is extremely inexpensive yet may be used in a wide variety of play situations. A change from one character or creature to another may be accomplished as quickly as turning a page, and in substantially that very manner. The sheets which provide rigidity and portability to the assembly themselves function as the package covers for the display sheets, thus re ducing the cost of the device by eliminating the necessity for separate packaging.

While but a single embodiment of the present invention has been here disclosed, it will be apparent that many variations may be made therein, all within the scope of the instant invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. An amusement device comprising a group of display sheets each bearing on its front surface a pictorial representation, a pair of rigid sheets, one normally at the front of said group and the other normally at the rear thereof, the periphery of said rigid sheets being at least coextensive with the peripheries of said display sheets normally located therebetween, means connecting said display and rigid sheets together so that selected sheets in front of a predetermined display sheet may be moved to and retained at the rear of the group, thereby exposing the front surface of said predetermined sheet, said display sheets having registering openings of a size such as to receive a face therethrough occurring at what would otherwise be the area of said pictorial representations where a face would appear and said rigid sheets having at least similar size openings registering therewith, said rigid sheets being provided with slots and said display sheets being provided with tabs adapted to be releasably inserted into said slots in order to retain said display sheets close to said rigid sheets, and a pair of handle means formed from and bent rearwardly out of the plane of one of said rigid sheets and located inside the periphery of at least some of said display sheets, said some of said display sheets having openings therethrough through which said handle means can pass when said sheets are located behind the rigid sheet carrying said handle means.

2. An amusement device comprising a group of display sheets each bearing on its front surface a pictorial representation, means connecting said sheets together so that selected sheets in front of a predetermined sheet may be moved to and retained at the rear of the group, thereby exposing the front surface of said predetermined sheet, all of said sheets having registering openings ofa size such as to receive a face therethrough, said openings occurring at what would otherwise be the area of said pictorial representations Where a face would appear, a substantially rigid sheet connected to said display sheets so as to permit movement of the latter as described and provided with graspable means for permitting said devide to be supported, said graspable means extending rearwardly from said rigid sheet and being located on said rigid sheet inside the periphery of at least some of said display sheets, said some of said display sheets having openings therethrough through which said graspable means can pass when said display sheets are located behind said rigid sheet.

3. The amusement device of claim 2, in which said rigid sheet and said display sheets are provided with releasably interengageable elements for retaining said display sheets close to said rigid sheet.

4. An amusement device comprising a group of display sheets each bearing on its front surface a pictorial representation, means connecting said sheets together so that selected sheets in front of a predetermined sheet may be moved to and retained at the rear of the group, thereby exposing the front surface of said predetermined sheet, all of said sheets having registering openings of a size such as to receive a face therethrough, said openings occurring at what would otherwise be the area of said pictorial representations where a face would appear, a pair of rigid sheets, one normally at the front of said group of display sheets and the other normally at the rear thereof, said rigid sheets being connected to said display sheets so as to permit movement of the latter as described and being connected to one another so that said one of said rigid sheets is movable to the rear of said other of said rigid sheets when one of said display sheets is to be displayed, and graspable means extending rearwardly from said other of said rigid sheets for permitting said device to be supported, said graspable means being located on said other of said rigid sheets inside the peripheries of at least some of said display sheets and said one of said rigid sheets, said last named sheet having openings therethrough through which said graspable means can pass when said last named sheets are located behind said other of said rigid sheets.

5. The amusement device of claim 4, in which said rigid sheets and said display sheets are provided with releasable and interengageable elements for retaining said display sheets close to said rigid sheets.

6. An amusement device comprising a group of display sheets each bearing on its front surface a pictorial representation, means connecting said sheets together so that selected sheets in front of a predetermined sheet may be moved to and retained at the rear of thegroup, thereby exposing the front surface of said predetermined sheet, all of said sheets having registering openings of a size such as to receive a face therethrough, said openings occurring at what would otherwise be the area of said pictorial representations where a face would appear, a pair of rigid sheets, one normally at the front of said group of display sheets and the other normally at the rear thereof, the periphery of said rigid sheets being at least coextensive with the peripheries of said display sheets normally located therebetween, said rigid sheets being connected to said display sheets so as to permit movement of the latter as described and being connected to one another so that said one of said rigid sheets is movable to the rear of said other of said rigid sheets when one of said display sheets is to be displayed, and graspable means extending rearwardly from said other of said rigid sheets for permitting said device to be supported, said graspable means being located on said other of said rigid sheets inside the peripheries of at least some of said display sheets and said one of said rigid sheets, said last named sheets having openings therethrough through which said graspable means can pass when said last named sheets are located behind said other of said rigid sheets.

7. The amusement device of claim 6, in which said rigid sheets and said display sheets are provided with releasable and interengageable elements for retaining said display sheets close to said rigid sheets.

8. An amusement device comprising a group of display sheets each bearing on its front surface a pictorial representation, said sheets being connected to one an- 6 other only along one edge thereof, and there being connected by arcuate connecting means extending from the front to the rear of said group of sheets, said sheets being slidable over said arcuate connecting means so that selected sheets in front of a predetermined sheet may be moved to and retained at the rear of the group, thereby exposing the front surface of said predetermined sheet, all of said sheets having registering openings of a size such as to receive a face therethrough, said openings occurring at what would otherwise be the area of said pictorial representations where a face would appear, a substantially rigid sheet connected to said display sheets so as to permit movement of the latter as described and provided with manually graspable means for permitting said device to be hand-supported, said graspable means extending rearwardly from said rigid sheet and being located on said rigid sheet inside the periphery of at least some of said display sheets, said some of said display sheets having openings therethrough through which said graspable means can pass when said display sheets are located behind said rigid sheet.

9. An amusement device comprising a group of display sheets each bearing on its front surface a pictorial representation, said sheets being connected to one another only along one edge thereof, and there being connected by arcuate connecting means extending from the front to the rear of said group of sheets, said sheets being slidable over said arcuate connecting means so that selected sheets in front of a predetermined sheet may be moved to and retained at the rear of the group, thereby exposing the front surface of said predetermined sheet, all of said sheets having registering openings of a size such as to receive a face therethrough, said openings occurring at what would otherwise be the area of said pictorial representations where a face would appear, a substantially rigid sheet connected to said display sheets so as to permit movement of the latter as described and provided with manually graspable means for permitting said device to be hand-supported, said graspable means extending rearwardly from said rigid sheet and being located on said rigid sheet inside the periphery of at least some of said display sheets, said some of said display sheets having openings therethrough through which said graspable means can pass when said display sheets are located behind said rigid sheet, said rigid sheet and said display sheets being provided with releasably interengageable elements for retaining said display sheets close to said rigid sheet.

10. An amusement device comprising a group of dis play sheets each bearing on its front surface a pictorial representation, said sheets being connected to one another only along one edge thereof, and there being connected by arcuate connecting means extending from the front to the rear of said group of sheets, said sheets being slidable over said arcuate connecting means so that selected sheets in front of a predetermined sheet may be moved to and retained at the rear of the group, thereby exposing the front surface of said predetermined sheet, all of said sheets having registered openings of a size such as to receive a face therethrough said openings occurring at what would otherwise be the are of said pictorial representations where a face would appear, a pair of rigid sheets, one normally at the front of said group of display sheets and the other normally at the rear thereof, said rigid sheets being connected to said display sheets so as to permit movement of the latter as described and being connected to one another so that said one of said rigid sheets is movable to the rear of said other of said rigid sheets when one of said display sheets is to be displayed, and manually graspable means extending rearwardly from said other of said rigid sheets for permitting said device to be hand-supported, said graspable means being located on said other of said rigid sheets inside the peripheries of at least some of said display sheets and said one of said rigid sheets, said last named sheets having openings therethrough through. which said graspable means can pass when said last named. sheets are located behind said other of said rigid sheets.

11. An amusement device comprising a group of dis-- play sheets each bearing on its front surface a pictorial. representation, said sheets being connected to one an other only along one edge thereof, and there being con nected by arcuate connecting means extending from the: front to the rear of said group of sheets, said sheets being: slidable over said arcuate connecting means so that se-- lected sheets in front of a predetermined sheet may be: moved to and retained at the rear of the group, thereby exposing the front surface of said predetermined sheet,. all of said sheets having registering openings of a size. such as to receive a face therethrough, said openings: occurring at what would otherwise be the area of said. pictorial representations Where a face would appear, a. pair of rigid sheets, one normally at the front .of said. group of display sheets and the other normally at the rear' thereof, said rigid sheets being connected to said display sheets so as to permit movement of the latter as described and being connected to one another so that said one of rigid sheets is movable to the rear of said other of said. rigid sheets when one of said display sheets is to be displayed, and manually graspable means extending rearwardly from said other of said rigid sheets for permitting: said device to be hand-supported, said graspable meansbeing located on said other of said rigid sheets inside: the peripheries of at least some of said display sheets and. said one of said rigid sheets, said last named sheets having openings therethrough through which said graspablemeans can pass when said last named sheets are located behind said other of said rigid sheets, said rigid sheets and said display sheets being provided with releasably interengageable elements for retaining said display sheets close to said rigid sheets.

12. An amusement device comprising a group of display sheets each bearing on its front surface a pictorial representation, said sheets being connected to one another only along one edge thereof, and there being connected by arcuate connecting means extending from the front to the rear of said group of sheets, said sheets being slidable over said arcuate connecting means so that selected sheets in front of a predetermined sheet may be moved to and retained at the rear of the group, thereby exposing the front surface of said predetermined sheet, all of said sheets having registering openings of a size such as to receive a face therethrough, said openings occurring at what would otherwise be the area of said pictorial representations where a face would appear, a pair of rigid sheets, one normally at the front of said group of display sheets and the other normally at the rear thereof, the periphery of said rigid sheets being at least coextensive with the peripheries of said display sheets normally located therebetween, said rigid sheets being connected to said display sheets so as to permit movement of the latter as described and being connected to one another so that said one of said rigid sheets is movable to the rear of said other of said rigid sheets-when one of said display sheets is to be displayed, and manually graspable means extending rearwardly from said other of said rigid sheets for permitting said device to be handsupported, said graspable means being located on said other of said rigid sheets inside the peripheries of at least some of said display sheets and said one of said rigid sheets, said last named sheets having openings therethrough through which said graspable means can pass when said last named sheets are located behind said other of said rigid sheets.

13. An amusement device comprising a group of display sheets each bearing on its front surface a pictorial representation, said sheets being connected to one another only along one edge thereof, and there being connected by arcuate connecting means extending from the front to the rear of said group of sheets, said sheets being slidable over said arcuate correcting means so that selected sheets in front of a predetermined sheet may be moved to and retained at the rear of the group, thereby exposing the front surface of said predetermined sheet, all of said sheets having registering openings of a size such as to receive a face therethrough, said openings occurring at what would otherwise be the area of said pictorial representations where a face would appear, a pair of rigid sheets, one normally at the front of said group of display sheets and the other normally at the rear thereof, the periphery of said rigid sheets being at least coextensive with the peripheries of said display sheets normally located therebetween, said rigid sheets being connected to said display sheets so as to permit movement of the latter as described and being connected to one another so that said one of said rigid sheets is movable to the rear of said other of said rigid sheets when one of saiddisplay sheets is to be displayed, and manually graspable means extending rearwardly from said other of said rigid sheets for permitting saiddevice to be hand-supported, said graspable means being located on. said other of said rigid sheets inside the peripheries of at least some of said display sheets and said one of said rigid sheets, said last named sheets having openings therethrough through which said graspable means can pass when said last named sheets are located behind said other of said rigid sheets, said rigid sheets and said display sheetsbeing provided with releasably interengageable elenfients for retaining said display sheets close to said rigid s eets.

References Cited in the file of this patent v UNITED STATES PATENTS 149,724 Coolidge Apr. 14, 1874 377,556 Gomber Feb. 7, 1888 1,028,921 Wagner June 11, 1912 1,031,521 Cameron July 2, 1912 1,119,786 Morden et a1 Dec. 1, 1914 2,489,240 Meyer Nov. 22, 1949 2,812,183 Schiff Nov. 5, 1957

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