US3410023A - Roll spring tape novelty toy - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 12, 1968 J. ANELLO 3,410,023

ROLL SPRING TAPE NOVELTY TOY Filed Aug. 20, 1965 INVENTOR JOSEPH ANELLO ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,410,023 ROLL SPRING TAPE NOVELTY TOY Joseph Anello, Cahokia, Ill., assignor, by court order, to Jerome A. Gross, St. Louis, Mo. Filed Aug. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 481,198 1 Claim. (Cl. 46-123) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Simple toy construction, useful for simulated animal figures and the like, utilizes a flexible spring strip like that of steel measuring tapes. The springing changes of position of such an animal figure, from a prestresed coiled position to flattened position, provides it with interesting and amusing action.

The present invention deals with a novelty or toy item, of roll spring tape material such as heretofore been used for steel measuring tapes, with added ornamental material characteristic of toys.

Toys which are not static but have unique movement or action, are desirable for the amusement they provide. It has not heretofore been recognized that such action may be obtained by using such tape material. This material may be defined as roll spring tape which is preformed to have a tendency to coil lengthwise on itself and a counter-tendency along its cross-sections to form itself with one tape side concave and the other side convex, together with toy head-simulating material covering the concave side at one end thereof. When suitably ornamented with toy-simulating material, the action afforded becomes interesting and amusing.

The purpose of this present invention is to provide such an action toy as a new article of commerce.

These purposes are accomplished, in the invention hereinafter described, generally by providing a length of such tape with ornamental preferably soft material afiixed to one end to simulate an animal head, and related toysimulating material aflixed at the other end to simulate an animal tail or other remote body portion, and if desired, other material covering the tape between its two ends whereby to simulate an animal body. While such toy may be straightened and will hold itself straight (with the spring tape concave), the desired action results when the tail portion and body portion are permitted to coil on themselves, with the end to which the head-simulating material is afiixed either rearing itself more or less erect or coiling around the body portion.

Further objects of the invention and further details as to the manner in which the objects are attained, will be apparent from detailed specification hereof, describing a preferred embodiment of the invention, and the drawings thereof in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a roll spring tape toy embodying the present invention, shown uncoiled.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the toy shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side edge view thereof shown partly rolled.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 shown completely rolled.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a sectional View taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 3.

The novelty or toy item illustrated consists of a length of roll spring tape, preferably made of spring steel, generally designated 10. Such tape is of the type conventionally used for measuring. It is preformed to have two spring-like tendencies which act counter to each other. The first is a tendency to coil lengthwise on itself, in the manner shown in FIG. 4. The other tendency, inconsistent with the first, is the tendency to hold itself with one side, here designated forward tape side 12, concave as illustrated in FIG. 1, and the other, or aft tape side 14, convex as illustrated in FIG. 2. When its cross-section, that of a ring segment out along radially propagated lines, shown in FIG. 5, is considered it will be obvious that when unrolled and straightened as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, its concave cross-section will hold the tape 10 statically straight, resisting the tendency to roll upon itself. When unsprung from this position and rolled as in FIG. 4, however, it will assume a relatively flat crosssection as shown; see FIG. 6.

To one end of the tape 10, herein called the head end 16, and on the forward side 12 thereof I afiix soft ornamental material of a type characteristic of toys. Such material is here shown as the head-simulating fiber fluff material 18; the impression of a head is augmented by adding eyes 20. I cover the concave side 12 of the other end (referred to as the tail end 22) with tail-simulating material 24 which may be similar fiber fluff material. As shown in dashed lines in FIG. 1 I may optionally cover the entire body portion of the tape, designated 26, on its concave side with fluffy body-simulating material 28; the result is then to give the impression of a long furry toy figure such as a caterpillar. For clarity the bodysimulating material 28 is not shown in the side views 3 and 4; the toy is in fact interesting and novel without it. It may be preferred to omit the body fluffy material 28, for example, if the item was to be used as a novelty steel measuring tape; in which case the uncovered convex side 14 may be graduated as a ruler.

The attractive action of the invention may be described, starting with the position shown in FIG. 1. If held near the head end 16, concave side 12 outward, the body portion 16 may be struck lightly, near the tail end 22, about the wrist or any other convenient object. The exertion of force on the convex side 14 will cause the tail end 22 to bend and start the tape 10 coiling on itself. If permitted to coil itself to the position shown in FIG. 3, the head end 16 will give the impression of an animal head rearing itself from a coiled body. If the user desires, he may complete the coiling as shown in FIG. 4, in which case the article, if coiled around the users wrist, will appear to be a novel bracelet. It may then be progressively unwound and will thereby be changed from the coiled strip of relatively fiat cross-section, shown in FIG. 6, to the concave cross-section shown in FIG. 5, restoring it to the form illustrated in FIG. 1.

If a shorter length of the steel tape is used, it may be caused to change from its straightened shape to coiled shape, merely by placing it on any level surface with the convex side 14 up, as shown in FIG. 2, and pressing downward at any central point on the body portion 14 intermediate the head end 16 and tail end 18.

Therefore, while I have referred to the preforming of the tape with a tendency to coil lengthwise on itself, this term is not to be construed as requiring any particular length of tape; for instance, the tape may be selected at a length which, when the coiling is permitted, may not overlap but instead take the form of a 360 are, or shorter if desired. Where such a 360 arc length is used, when the toy is in coiled position the head-simulating material 18 and tail-simulating material 24 will be brought adjacent to each other, creating a novel effect. Thus, references in the claims to the word coil and the tendency of the tape to coil lengthwise on itself does not require the overlapping of tape portions when coiling; but only the tendency to coil itself into the shape of an arc, whether of 360, greater than 360, or less than 360.

Obviously many modifications may be made without departing-from the scope of the present invention. For instance, other forms than those of toy animals may be utilized; materials other than fluifed materials may be used for covering the tape 10; the tape 10 may be covered on both of its sides, as by encasing in an ornamental plastic soft flexible body; and varying ornamental designs may be applied or incorporated depending on the artistic ideas of the manufacturer. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

Iclaim:

1. A toy comprising a flexible spring strip, said strip normally having a prestressed coiled position and a rectangular cross sectional area; said strip having a second position on at least a portion thereof, said second position having a relatively straight uncoiled length, arcuately curved concentric top and bottom faces and a cross sectional area of a ring segment cut along radially propagatedlines, said second position being stressed so that said strip is adapted to readily return to said prestressed normal position, decorative means secured at least to one end of said strip, said means extending from one of said faces over edge portions of said strip and extending in a direction perpendicular to said faces and adapted to simulate a figure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 62,648 3/1867 Lewine 2170 1,559,165 10/1925 Hammond 633 2,824,409 2/1958 Brodrib. 2,851,270 9/1958 Ball 46-44 XR 3,3 60,261 12/ 1967 SmolenSky.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

S. NATTER, Assistant Examiner.

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