US3032926A - Magnetic picture toy - Google Patents

Description

y 1962 s. LANG 3,032,926

MAGNETIC. PICTURE TOY Filed March 25, 1960 FIG. .:L.

INVENTOR. SIDNEY LANG,

,4 TTOENE Y United States Patent 3,032,926 MAGNETIC PICTURE TOY Sidney Lang, Jericho, N.Y., assignor to Multiple Products Corporation, New York, N.Y. Filed Mar. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 17,663 6 Claims. (Cl. 46-239) This invention relates to picture drawing toys and more particularly to the type of toy wherein magnetic particles may be moved by means of a magnet so as to supplement printed pictures by adding simulated hair pieces or other pictorial effects.

I am aware that there are prior art devices wherein particles of powdered iron are trapped within transparent plastic blisters, having a picture visible at the bottom of the blister. Thus, by use of a small magnet, a child can guide or move batches of iron particles on to the picture to effect supplemental ornamentation, such as hair, beards, etc.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a magnetic picture toy of the kind described wherein a plurality of pictures are permanently a part of the toy and wherein selection of any picture to be utilized may be readily accomplished.

It is another object of the invention to provide a rugged, compact device having a slidable blister element for effecting a picture selection.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a device that has storage means for carrying a magnetic element used in play wherein said element cannot be lost during transit nor between periods of play if stored within the storage means provided.

Yet another object of the device is to provide a construction readily apprehended by a child both as to operation and picture selection.

Briefly, my invention comprises the combination of a panel on which a plurality of different pictures are printed, and a transparent plastic blister arranged to slide on the panel so as to overlie any selected picture. Within the blister a quantity of magnetic iron particles are permanently sealed so as to be transported by sliding of the blister with respect to the panel. The construction and arrangement is such that the panel is laminated of cardboard having folded over flaps at the ends which form abutment edges to prevent, for all practical purposes, removal of the blister from the panel. The blister is secured to the panel by folded flanges of the plastic material which slidably grip parallel edges of the panel. Further advantage is taken of one of the folded flaps of the cardboard panel by locating a small plastic housing in place therein in which housing a magnetic element is stored. Such element is readily removable by sliding the housing away from the panel, such housing being replaceable on the panel with the magnetic arrangement in place therein for storage.

A detailed description of my invention will now be given in conjunction with the appended drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the toy.

FIGURE 2 is a section through 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a section through 33 of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawing, the invention comprises a panel which is laminated of at least two pieces of cardboard or fiberboard. Thus, a front section 14 is laminated to a rear section 18, which rear section is folded over at the top to effect a flap 22, and folded at the bottom to form a flap 25. The flap may be glued in position on the respective margin on the panel. For convenience of assembly, eyelets 28 may be utilized to hold flap 22 rigidly in place.

The front section 14 has a series of pictures printed thereon, said pictures extending transversely of the panel and arranged in pairs from top to bottom, as is apparent from FIGURE 1.

A blister 30 is formed of two sheets of clear plastic sheet material. Thus, an outer piece 33 may be vacuum molded to effect a flat, rectangular cavity bounded by an upper and lower flange 36 and 39, respectively, and side flanges 42 and 45. As noted in FIGURE 3, the side flanges are elongated and formed into channels which slidably grip the side edges 48 and 51, respectively, of the laminated panel. Such channel forming may be effected by heating and bending in the usual manner in which sheet plastics are formed.

The blister 30 is closed at its bottom by an inner, rectangular sheet of transparent plastic 54 cemented around its border to the several flanges 42, 45, 48 and 51. A small, centrally located dimple 58 is formed from the front sheet of the blister to lend support for the rather large area, the dimple abutting the inner sheet. Intermediate the two plastic sheets is a quantity or" iron powder particles 62.

From the description thus far given, it will be apparent that blister 30 may be slid in either direction longitudinally on panel 1t to register with any printed picture pair. Thus, as seen in FIGURE 1, the blister covers a picture area whereon is printed two pictures of the same subject. However, the lefthand picture shows a face ornamented with eyebrows, cigar butt, etc., while the righthand picture shows the same face lacking ornament. Thus, the lefthand picture serves as a guide to a child, suggesting portions for placing magnetic particles for simulating picture elements on the righthand picture. The other picture panels are prepared in a like manner, as will be noted.

The lower flap 25 folded upwardly against section 14 forms an edge 65 engageable by edge 68 of the composite blister to thus prevent the blister from sliding off panel 10 at the lower edge. In a similar manner, the foldedover top flap 22 effects an edge 72 abuttable with blister edge 75. Thus, the blister is locked on the panel, being impossible, or at least exceedingly diflicult, to remove therefrom.

In conjunction with the toy there is furnished a magnetic element 79 comprising a short, plastic tube 80 which carries at one end a small magnet rod 83, it being understood that such magnetic element or tool is used for controlling movement of the magnetic particles by being slid over the exterior surface of blister 30. In order to provide storage for the magnetic element, a formed plastic housing 86 is provided having flanges 88 and 91. The cardboard lamination 14 is provided with a slot cutout 93 which extends to its righthand edge, which slot is overlapped at its long sides by edges 89 of a cutout slot 94 in the flap 22. The cutout 94, however, does not go completely to the edge of the flap, but is blocked by a tab 96 joined by perforate lines such as 98 to flap 22. Thus, it will be apparent that the housing 86 may be locked in position within the cutout 94 by virtue of the flanges 88, 91 going underneath the overlapping edges 89 of flap 22. However, tab 96 is readily removable by virtue of its perforate juncture lines, and thus housing'86, along with the magnetic element, slidably removed.

The tab 96, of course, remains in place for shipment of the toy in bulk. Once removed, however, the housing 86 may be readily slid back and forth in order to release the magnetic element for use or replace it for storage, as desired.

Having thus described my invention, I am aware that changes may be made without departing from the spirit thereof and, accordingly, I do not seek to be limited to the precise illustration given, except as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A toy comprising a transparent closed container having magnetic particles therein, a base having a plurality of pictures thereon, said base having a pair of parallel side edges, said container having side channels slidably engaging said edges for effecting secnrement of said container and selective sliding thereof from one picture to another, and a magnet means for positioning said particles relative to a selected picture.

2. A toy as set forth in claim 1, said container comprising a generally rectangular, transparent blister bounded by flanges, two of said flanges being curled to effect said channels.

3. A toy as set forth in claim 2, the bottom of said container contiguous with said base being a transparent panel closing said blister and having edges cemented to said flanges.

4. A toy comprising a transparent enclosure disposed on a base with magnetic particles in said enclosure, a magnetic tool for attracting said particles for positioning thereof in selected areas of said base, and means for storing said tool comprising a slot in said base extending to and opening at an edge thereof, a shell-like container having closed ends disposed, in said slot and frictionally slidably held therein, and movable out of said slot at said edge, said magnetic tool being housed in said container.

5. A toy as set forth in claim 4, said base comprising a pair of laminations, said slot being cut through one of said laminations; said container having flanges disposed intermediate said laminations to effect said frictional holding and slidable with respect thereto.

6. A toy as set forth in claim 5, a portion of said slot adjacent said edge being temporarily closed by a removable tab extending thereacross and having perforate connection to the edges thereof, said container being blocked from removal from said slot while said tab is in position across said slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,259,297 Russell Mar. 12, 1918 2,530,013 Hanback Nov. 14, 1950 2,672,706 Hayley Mar. 23, 1954 2,853,830 Herzog Sept. 30, 1958

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