US334622A

US334622A - Toy theater

Info

Publication number: US334622A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1886-01-19
Anticipated expiration: 1903-01-19

Description

(No ModeL) J. W. SHERMAN;

. TOY THEATER.

No. 334,622. Patented Jan. 19, 1886..

I Unite drarns JOHN W. SHERMAN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

' TOY THEATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 334,622, dated January 19, 1886.

Application filed April 24, 1885. Serial No. 163,251. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN W. SHERMAN, a citizen of the United States and a resident of San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toys, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved toy theatre; and it belongs more particularly to that class by means of which optical illusions may be produced.

It consists of a small portable case or cabinet, of a size and shape to be easily handled in a private room and easily transported. The interior of this cabinet is fitted up to represent a theatrical stage in miniature, having adjustable wings, flies, 850., and the forward side of the cabinet is cut away and decorated to represent the proscenium of a theater. The interior of the case is divided transversely by a plate of glass, as hereinafter described,

for the purpose of producing the optical illusions.

My invention further consists in so con structing the case that its hinged sides may be partly opened out while in use, or closed and secured in proper shape for transportation or storage.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front view of my improved toy theater; and Fig. 2 is a horizontal plan thereof, the vertical walls and appliances thereof being shown in section.

A is a case or cabinet of a size to be conveniently handled and set upon a table or like support, and of a shape to represent the stage of a theater, and the front, 13, of this case is cutaway and decorated, as shown, to represent the proscenium-arch of a theater. To complete the likeness, a drop-curtain, D, is provided, and flies E E and other desirable drapery and ornaments are placed within the interior of the case. One of the sides of the case is made double, and the parts F F thereof are hinged, respectively,to the front and bottom of the case A, so that they may be opened out, as shown in Fig. 1, to form a lateral extension or wing to the stage. Across the central part of the stage is placed a plate of clear glass, G, secured and supported in a vertical position, preferably by means of vertical posts 9 g, and this glass plate is set at such an angle across the stage horizontally as that an object placed in the wing or extension of the stage will be reflected thereby to an audience in front of the case. The plate G is preferably made to extend only a portion of the distance across the stage, and is flanked at either side by set scenes or flies H H. A partition, K, is made to extend from the glass plate G to a point part-way across the extended portion of the stage formed by the hinged side F, and this partitiouis hinged on avertical line at 7c, so that it may be folded out of the way when the case is closed for transportation.

All the interior surfaces of the case A, its wings F, and both sides of the partitions K, are covered with a black lusterless material which will not reflect light.

In the operation of my device two lights are required, and they may be either oillamps or gas-burners supplied through rubber tubes from a'convenientgas-fixture; and these lights are located in the side extension of the stage, one on either side of the partition K, preferably at the points L Mthe one, L, adapted to illulninatefigures placed in the wing, and the other, M, to illuminate figures and scenery placed upon the stage and in the rear of the glass plate G.

Care should be taken in placing the lamps that none of the rays of light therefrom should fall on either surface of the glass plate, and for this reason the fly H adjacent to the light L should be made to completely protect the said plate from the light.

Should gas be used for the illumination, it will be found convenient to connect the stopcocks of the two burners, so that as one is turned-off the other will be turned on, and vice versa; but this is not a necessary feature to my invention. I

The operation of my device is as follows: The case or cabinet is placed upon a supporting bench or table in a convenient position so that the spectators may be arranged in front thereof, and the lamps or burners at L M are lighted. If, new, a scene be placed upon the rear portion of the stage behind the glass plate G, and the light M be turned up, the same will appear to the audience, when the drop curtain is raised, although the glass plate G will remain invisible. If, now,

another scene he set in the wing, say at N,

and the light L be turned up, and at the same time the light M be turned down, the audience will see a transformation, and the scene set in the wing at N will appear to them to be upon the stage, the glass G still being invisible.

By a proper manipulation of the light and changing of scenes many startling illusions may be produced.

1 am aware that heretofore a vertical plate of glass has been used in connection with a theatrical stage to produce illusion-ary effects; also, that theatrical stages have been reproduced in miniature to be used as toys, and I do not broadly claim either.

\Vhat 1 do claim is 1. The combination, with a portable cabinet or case fitted up to represent a theatrical stage, with proscenium arch, flies, curtains, and ornaments, and having a lateral extension or wing, the walls of which may be folded together for transportation, of a plate of transparent glass arranged and secured across the interior of the case, so as to reflect the image of objects placed in the lateral extension or wing to an audience in front of the case, the whole to be used in connection with puppets and miniature scenery, substantially as described.

2. The above-described toy, consisting of a portable case, A, fitted and ornamented to represent a theatrical stage, a lateral wing or extension formed by a hinged double side of the case, reflecting-plate of clear glass G, and a partition, K, to divide the extension or wing, the whole to be used and operated in connection with light, as described, and with puppets and miniature scenery, as set forth.

Signed at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, this 25th day of February, A. D. 1885. f

JOHN \V. SHERMAN.

\Vitnesses:

DELLA SAGER, JAMEs L. ELY.