US3561153A - Pictorial toy wrist watch - Google Patents

Abstract

A SIMULATED WRIST WATCH HAVING A MAGNIFYING PORTION IN THE CRYSTAL WHICH IS MANUALLY ROTATABLE OVER A FIXED DIAL TO SUCCESSIVELY UNCOVER CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED, DISPLAY AREAS SUCH AS SINGLE PICTURES OF A CHILD''S ACTIVITIES THE PICTURES AND THEIR SUBJECT MATTER BEING CORRELATED PHYSICALLY AND TIMEWISE WITH THE TWELVE VISIBLE DIAL MARKINGS.

Description

D. R. HARPER 3,561,153

PICTORIAL TOY WRIST WATCH Filed Jan. 25, 1969 FIG. 2 I6 26 28 58 IN V EN TOR.

BY David R. Harper his AGE/VT United States Patent 3,561,153 PICTORIAL TOY WRIST WATCH David R. Harper, Nashville, Tenn., assignor to Kusan, Inc., Nashville, Tenn., a corporation of Kentucky Filed Jan. 23, 1969, Ser. No. 793,331 Int. Cl. A63h 33/30 US. Cl. 461 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A simulated wrist watch having a magnifying portion in the crystal which is manually rotatable over a fixed dial to successively uncover circumferentially spaced, display areas such as single pictures of a childs activities, the pictures and their subject matter being correlated physically and timewise with the twelve visible dial markings.

This invention relates generally to childrens toys and more particularly to a simulated wrist watch and strap.

Toys of this general type are old in the art and usually involve a more or less conventional case and one or two hands which are fixed or movable over a conventional dial and, once familiar therewith, children quickly lose interest therein.

Accordingly, the main object of the present invention is to provide a novel toy wrist watch for children which is not only attractive but which will indefinitely hold their interest and attention.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved toy wrist watch for children which has a novel strap and simple case attaching and wrist securing means therefor.

. A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved toy wrist watch having conventional, dial hour-marking indicia exposed by a crystal including thereon a representation of an hour hand which is rotatable thereover, the crystal also including an etched portion interrupted by a magnifying portion which portions respectively conceal and individually disclose pictures associated with the dial markings as the crystal is rotated. 2 A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel, attractive and intriguing toy wrist watch of the type described which will be susceptible of ready and economic manufacture and which will be rugged and of long life in use.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawings I have shown one embodiment of the above invention. In this showing:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the simulated wrist watch and strap comprising the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a central vertical sectional view thereof to an enlarged scale taken on the line of 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the bottom of the watch case;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the dial showing the conventional dial hour-marking indicia and radially outwardly positioned, similarly circumferentially spaced, picture areas; and

FIG. 5 is a top plan view to an enlarged scale of the novel wrist-encircling strap of thevinvention.

Referring to the drawings, numeral designates as a whole the novel wrist watch and strap of the present invention which comprises a lower case 12, an upper case 14, a dial 16, a crystal 18; a'crystal rotating stem 20; and a strap 22. While the watch parts may be formed of any suitable material, they are preferably molded of high impact styrene plastic with the crystal being formed of crystal styrene as will be further described.

Patented Feb. 9, 1971 The lower watch case 12 is provided with an upstanding centrally disposed tube 24 which receives the depending positioning and alignment stub shaft 26 formed centrally of the rotatable crystal 18 and its upper end 28 acts as a bearing for the crystal. The bearing tube 24 is slotted on diametrically opposite sides to form bearing recesses 30 for the stem 20, a third bearing recess therefor being formed in the lower case as at 32. A dial supporting, upstanding circular flange 34 is formed concentrically with the bearing tube 24 on the lower case 12 and is also provided with stem bearing recesses 36.

The dial 16 is a flat circular disc having a central aperture 38 of a slightly greater diameter than the bearing tube 24 about which it is placed. The aperture 38 is circular but provided with diametrically opposite, inward ly extending tabs 40 which project into the bearing tubes recess 30 to prevent rotation of the dial. The face area of the dial within the circle 42 is provided with the conventional hour-marking indicia 44 designating the hours from 1 to l2 which area is clearly visible through the crystal 18 as will'be further described.

An important feature of theinvention resides in the provision of a display area 46 positioned adjacent and radially outwardly of each of the indicia 44 and which areas are not readily visible through the crystal because of obscuring means in the form of etching. The display areas may bear representations of anything of interest to a child such as pictures, numbers, letters, etc. and all or a part thereof may be similar or dissimilar. From the standpoint of interest to a child, it is desirable that each representation be correlated with its adjacent hour indicating indicia 44. As an example, different pictures on each display area can depict a childs activity at each hour of the day starting at 7 oclock.

The pictures depict the child at: 7 as getting out of bed; 8 as taking the school bus; 9 as watching the teacher at the blackboard; 10 as playing at recess; 11 as in a reading class; 12 as at lunch; 1 as at recess; 2 as in writ ing class; 3 as taking the school bus home; 4 as playing after school; 5 as watching television; and 6 as eating supper.

The crystal 18 is shaped generally like an inverted cup supported by its stub shaft 26 in the bearing tube 24 and its depending, peripheral flange, bottom edge is serrated as at 47 and meshes with a pinion 48 fixed to the inner end of the stem 20 which is rotatably supported in the bearing recesses 30, 32 and 36 as stated. The outer end of the stem is provided with a manipulative knob 50. The disc 16 is kept seated on its supporting circular flange 34 by a plurality of vertically disposed, circumferentially spaced ribs 52 formed on the inner side of the peripheral flange of the crystal 18. The upper portion of the flange (FIG. 2) is provided with a circular shoulder 54 which is engaged by the inturned flange 56 of the upper case 14 to maintain the various watch parts in properly assembled relationship when the upper and lower cases are cemented together.

As seen in FIG. 1, the crystal 18 is fully transparent in the central circular area overlying the indicia 44 but the area lying radially outwardly thereof has been etched so as to obscure the display areas 46 except for a small area about the size of a display area. Here, the crystal is displaced arcuately upwardly to form a magnifying viewing window 58 whose upper and lower surfaces are carefully polished and afford a magnification of 3 or 4 to 1 of the pictures on the display areas. An hour hand 59 indicating the window 58 is also etched centrally on the crystal.

Another important feature of the invention resides in the wrist-encircling strap 22 which is molded in one piece of polyethylene including the buckle 60, the loop 61, and the tongue 62 which is fixed to rather than pivoted to the buckle. The tongue is upstanding (FIG. 5) and then projects a short distance as at 63 toward the loop. The strap is provided with tongue receiving apertures 64 and an elongated central aperture 65 of slightly greater diameter than the bearing tube 24 about which it is placed with the strap end portions extending outwardly of the lower case 12 through slots 67 formed in the bottom thereof The described structure enables non-dexterious children to place the toy watch on their wrists, insert the end of the strap through the buckle 60 and the loop 61 at which time the fixed tongue almost automatically enters one of the apertures 64 at the proper adjustment for the childs wrist.

The toy wrist watch and stra is readily assembled by inserting the strap 22 through the slots 67 and placing the elongated slot 65 about the bearing tube 24. The stem 20 is now placed, knob 50 outermost in its bearing recesses 36, 30, and 32 and the dial 16 positioned on the supporting circular flange 34 and retained thereon by positioning the crystal 18 by placing its stub shaft 26 in the bearing tube 24 with the serrations 47 resting on and meshing with the pinion 48. The upper case 14 is now positioned overall and cemented to the rabbeted periphery of the lower case 12. The parts are thus retained in operating relationship and rotation of the knob 50 rotates the crystal 18, the hour hand 59, and the magnifying window 58 to successively uncover and disclose the pictures, etc. on the display areas 46, the hour-marking indicia 44 always being visible through the transparent central portion of the crystal 18.

What is claimed is:

1. A toy wrist watch comprising, in combination, a lower case having an upstanding" bearing tube formed centrally thereon; a crystal having a depending shaft formed centrally thereof rotatably mounted thereby in said tube; said crystal having a simulated hour hand and gear teeth serrations formed thereon; spaced members defining bearings formed on the bottom of said case; a conventional dial supported about said tube on said bearings; and a stem including a pinion mounted in said bearings and meshing with said serrations and being rotatable to effect rotation of said crystal.

2. The combination recited in claim 1, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced, vertically disposed ribs formed integrally with said crystal and projecting over the edges of said dial to confine it to its support on said bearings.

3. The combination recited in claim 1, and an upper case secured to said lower case and confining said crystal in its rotatable mounting in said bearing tube.

4. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said dial includes display areas and said crystal includes means of obscuring all but one of said display areas.

5. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said dial includes display areas and said crystal includes means for magnifying successive display areas as it is rotated over said dial.

6. The combination recited in claim 5 wherein said magnifying means is formed integrally with said crystal.

7. The combination recited in claim 5 wherein said crystal is formed to obscure all of said display areas except that which is magnified.

8. The combination recited in claim 1, and a wristencircling strap connected to said case and including buckle, a tongue, and tongue-receiving apertures, said tongue being fixed to said buckle to facilitate the fastening of said strap by a child.

9. The combination recited in claim 8 wherein said strap, buckle and tongue are integrally molded in one piece.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 744,564 11/1903 Kisling et al 63l5.5 1,950,647 3/1934 Bailer D421.3X 2,082,612 6/1937 Bourquin D427X 2,690,801 10/1954 Perl D42l.3X

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,118,836 3/1956 France 46-1 628,930 9/1949 Great Britain 46-1 665,726 1/1952 Great Britain 46l LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner J. N. ESKOVITZ, Assistant Examiner

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