US3221443A - Musical instrument - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 7, 1965 D. R. GODDARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Jan. 28, 1963 INVENTOR flaw/a 4? 4000/9150.

United States Patent 3,221,443 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Daniel Ray Goddard, 715 Dewey, East Liverpool, Ohio Filed Jan. 28, 1953, Ser. No. 254,832 1 Claim. (Cl. 46-174) This invention relates to musical instruments generally. More particularly, it relates to musical instrument toys.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a musical instrument toy which will produce water sounds, the sound of a string instrument and rhythmic drum sounds.

Other objects of this invention are the provision of a toy instrument which may be inexpensive to manufacture, easy to operate and safe to use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a musical instrument toy having an elastic container enclosing a hollow chamber and having a narrow constricted nozzle with an opening in the nozzle communicating with the hollow chamber of the elastic container.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an elastic Water filled toy having a cup closure.

An additional object of this invention is the provision of corrugations or bulges in the outer configuration of said toy to simulate the corrugations in a wash board.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing the invention in detail, references will be had to the accompanying drawing where like character numerals denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in Which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view showing the embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a section through the thimble.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view on line 44 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawing in detail and more particularly to FIGURE 1, the reference numeral repre sents a musical instrument toy according to the present invention wherein there is a narrow arcuate neck portion 11, a generally straight, longitudinal wider fiatmiddle section 12 adjacent thereto and a substantially round, flat lower section 13 adjacent middle section 12. Neck section 11 has a reduced portion 14 at one end to form a nozzle 15 having opening 16 therein which normally is closed by thimble 17. The neck has a portion 18 at its opposite end which is provided with several transverse, parallel ridges 19, the latter being so formed as to protrude slightly above the surface 20 of the neck portion. A ring-shaped extension 21 protrudes outwardly in a lateral direction adjacent portion 18, ring-shaped extension 21 serving as a handle when the toy is held in the hand.

Adjacent the portion 18 the middle section 12 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending ridges 22 which extend over a major portion of the section 12 and which are positioned equally spaced apart and parallel 3,221,443 Patented Dec. 7, 1955 to each other. Directly adjacent one end of ridges 22 the device is provided with a number of transversely extending ridges 24. Ridges 24 are at the longitudinal end of section 12 which is adjacent section 15. Section 13 has a plurality of islands 27 extending beyond the flat surface 26 for frictionally aiding in the grasp of the section between the fingers of the user. As shown at 25, the portion of the section 13 which is adjacent section 12 is generally narrowed.

FIGURE 2 shows the thimble 17 formed to have a hollow cup-shaped depression 17a, a pointed end 17b and a small opening leading from the outside surface of the thimble into the cup-shaped depression 17a. It is understood that the toy may be formed of elastic material, such as rubber or plastic and may be shaped to resemble a string instrument, drum or the like. The toy maybe produced in any solid color, or in any color combination pleasing to the eye, and it may be formed in various convenient sizes. Minor changes in shape, size, materials and rearrangement of parts may be resorted to in actual practice so long as no departure is made from the invention as claimed.

I claim:

In a musical instrument toy the combination of an elastic container, said container including an upper arcuate-shaped neck portion, a longitudinal, generally straight middle section adjacent one end of said neck portion and a lower flat section adjacent the opposite end of said middle section, said arcuate portion and said middle section enclosing a hollow chamber, the upper terminal end of said arcuate neck portion having an opening communicating with said chamber, a thimble frictionally secured to said terminal end of said neck portion and closing said opening, said thimble comprising a cylindrical sleeve having a hemispherical portion at one end, a relatively small opening through said hemispherical portion and said neck portion having a plurality of transversely extending raised ridges on its outer side, said middle section having a plurality of longitudinally extending, parallel, equally spaced apart ridges extending outwardly on its outer side, said fiat lower section being of generally circular configuration and having a plurality of islands extending beyond the flat surface of said flat lower section to provide grasping means between the fingers of the operator, the upper portion of said lower section being of generally narrowed configuration, a pair of transversely extending, raised ridges adjacent the lower ends of said longitudinally extending ridges of said middle section and a ring-shaped extension extending in a lateral direction between said neck portion and said middle section.

References Cited by the Examiner DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner. RICHARD C. PINKI-IAM, Examiner.

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