US3462873A

US3462873A - Tv toy magnavision

Info

Publication number: US3462873A
Application number: US577251A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph G Moreci
Original assignee: JOSEPH G MORECI
Current assignee: JOSEPH G MORECI
Priority date: 1966-09-06
Filing date: 1966-09-06
Publication date: 1969-08-26
Anticipated expiration: 1986-08-26

Description

Aug. 26, 1969 J. cs. MORECI TV TOY MAGNAVISION Filed Sept. 6, 1966 INVENTOR MOEL-C/ United States Patent 3,462,873 TV TOY MAGNAVISION Joseph G. Moreci, San Francisco, Calif. (9 Muirwood Drive, Daly City, Calif. 94015) Filed Sept. 6, 1966, Ser. No. 577,251 Int. Cl. A63h 33/30, 33/26 US. CI. 46-13 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates generally to toys for the purpose of amusing children. More specifically this invention relates to a toy television set.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a toy television set for use by small children and which has self-contained means to provide the viewing of animated figures.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a TV toy having means for being manually controlled by a child from the rear side thereof for the purpose of providing visual amusement to a child located in front thereof.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a TV toy having means for adapting figures cut from newspaper comic strips and the like to be used as animated actors in the present device.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a TV toy wherein the figures are animated by means of a moveable magnet.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a TV toy having means for altering the background scenery so that the same may be associated with the animated figure as preferred.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a TV toy which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of a television toy incorporating the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of the major components of the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevation view of the television set;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawing'in detail, numeral represents a TV toy magnavision according to the present invention wherein there is a cabinet housing 11 having a front side 12, a rear side 13 opposite end sides 14 and a top wall 15. A bottom wall 16 is provided having a plurality of casters 17 secured to the underside thereof.

The front side 12 is provided having a simulated sound screen 18 formed therein and having an opening 19 defining a television viewing screen.

3,462,873 Patented Aug. 26, 1969 The top wall 15 is provided with a slot 20 therein for selectively placing therewithin a depending background screen 21 upon which there may be drawn various scenery such as shown at 22. The front surface of the screen 21 is preferably waxed solto provide a relatively frictionfree surface.

A plurality of animated figures 23 may be formed by being cut out of the comic sections of newspaper publications or the like, or the figures may be other representations as preferred. Each figure 23 includes a front panel 24 upon which there is illustrated the pictorial detail of the figure, a rear panel 25 which is adhered to the rear side of the front panel 24 and which is provided having a space therebetween for sealing therewithin a flat steel strip 26 which is approximately of the configuration of a safety-razor blade.

The front side 12 is additionally provided with a plurality of simulated television control knobs 27 as shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawing.

The rear side 13 of the cabinet is provided with an access door 28 which is pivotally mounted upon hinges 29 and secured in a locked position by means of a latch 30. An opening 31 is provided in the door 28 for purpose of receiving therein a control stick 32 which is comprised of a permanent magnet 33 mounted on the end of a wooden barrel 34.

In operative use a selected background scene 21 is dropped through the slot 20 in the top wall 15 of the cabinet and the animated figure selected is placed against the front side of the screen 21. It is to be noted that the rear side of the rear panel 25 of the animated figure is likewise waxed so as to provide a relatively friction-free surface, thereby permitting easy movement of the figure across the screen. The control stick is inserted through the opening 31 and the magnet 33 is placed adjacent the rear side of the screen 21 so as to attract therethrough the steel strip 26 contained within the animated figure 23. By rotating the barrel 34 or otherwise moving it laterally or vertically, the figure 23 is thus carried along therewith due to the magnetism. Thus to the observer the figure 23 appears to move without external controls across the screen 21, thus providing an amusing scene. Obviously, if preferred the child controlling the device may likewise speak from the rear side of the cabinet to provide conversation being conducted by the animated figures. If preferred the cabinet may be made so that the child can throw his voice through an opening into the interior of the cabinet so that the same may be moved forwardly out of the speaker opening 18.

As shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawing, it is to be noted that there is a space between a rear side of the front side 12 and the front side of the background screen 21, the space being utilized for the purpose of introducing the figures from within the cabinet interior upon the screen. Thus a figure may be shown to walk-on into the viewing area, this being accomplished merely by inserting the figure from a side into, the space between the front side and background screen and drawing him into the center of the viewing area by means of the control stick. This is of course made possible by the fact that sufficient space is provided on each side of the opening 19 because the areas are free of any mechanisms, the sound screen 18 having no speaker therebehind and the simulated control knobs 27 having nothing at the rear thereof. Such method of introducing as well as removing a character from the viewing area is more preferred than for an operator to reach upon the front side of the background screen and manually place a figure thereupon. Thus the illusion effect is greater.

I claim:

1. In a toy television set, the combination of a cabinet,

said cabinet having a front side, a rear side, opposite end sides, a top wall and bottom wall, said sides and Walls enclosing a central compartment, means for said cabinet to selectively receive a background screen, means for said cabinet to project sound forwardly from a child at a rear of said cabinet, and means for one or more animated figures to be moved across said background screen, said top wall having a slot therein, a plurality of screens having each a picture of a different background, one of said screens being selectively received within said opening, an opening on the said front side of said cabinet, said opening on the said front side defining a viewing opening, said background screen being framed within said opening on said front side, a speaker opening on the said front side, and said animated figures being movable across the front side of said background screen, said background screen being in spaced relation rearward of said front side of said cabinet so to form a space therebetween, said space providing a means for introduction of said figures from within said cabinet upon the front side of said background screen, each of said animated figures comprising a front panel having a picture of a figure on its front side, a rear panel on the rear side of said front panel, a space therebetween, a fiat sheet of steel strip within said space,

said steel strip providing a means for animating said figure, the lower side of said cabinet including a door pivotally secured by hinges to said rear side and secured thereto by means of a latch, a circular opening through said door, a control stick received through said opening in said door, said control stick comprising a permanent magnet at one end of a wooden rod, said magnet being slidable along the rear side of said background screen for purpose of moving laterally or vertically said figu e placed against the front side of said screen, and the rear side of said figure and the front side of said screen being waxed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,123,066 12/1914 Barber 272-11 2,637,138 5/1953 Doran 4613 3,229,411 1/1966 Fosser 46-13 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner C. R. WENTZEL, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.