US513688A - Wabhinqton - Google Patents

Description

Um'rnn TATS arsnsr t mcat ELEANOR MOOULLOOH SMITH, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO MGLOUGHLIN BROTHERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TOY OR DOLL-HOUSE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 513,688, dated January 30, 1894.

Application filed October 25, 1893- Serial No. 489,093. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELEANOR MoOULLooH SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toys or Doll-Houses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the class of folding toys, which are usually constructed from thin, stiff material, as paper board, for example, and the object is to provide a toy which will simulate a house interior with partitions between the rooms, carpeted floors, Sac.

The invention will be fully described here- [5 inafter and its novel features carefully defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of the invention-Figure 1 is a perspective view of the doll or toy house, showing it set up, and Fig. 2 is a view showing the house folded up in the form of a book. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the house partly folded. This view is merely illustrative of the folding. Fig. 4 is a plan 2 5 view of a house constructed according to the invention but having five partitions and floor pieces of circular contour.

The house or toy may be constructed of various kinds of materials and in various ways,

0 but the leading feature is the series of partitions, a, between the rooms-preferably four,radiatin g from a common hinging point so that they may be folded together like the leaves of a book when not in use and be un- 3 5 folded to stand out radially from the hinging point, as seen in Fig. 1. Another feature is the hinging to the lower edge of each partition a, of a floor piece, I), simulating the carpeted floor of the room. The space embraced within the angle formed by adjacent partitions or room walls, constitutes the room.

As herein shown, each of the partitions a, is secured at its edge to a flexible hinging strip, 0, which may be of cloth, leather, or

5 the like, and each partition may be hinged to this strip if desired, by a strip of thin leather, or cloth, or tough paper. To the lower end of each partition (1, is hinged the floor piece I), the hinge being formed, preferably, by a strip of cloth. The floor piece I shown in Figs. 1 and 3 is square and of the same dimensions as the partition, but this is not essential. Each floor piece may, in folding up the house, be first folded up to and against the partition to which it is hinged and the partitions be then folded together in the form of a book, as seen in Fig. 2.

The paper board, or other sheet material from which the partitions and floor pieces are made, will be covered with thin material, as paper, on which may be printed any suitable figures in colors. For example the partitions may have on them such ornamentation as will represent doors, windows, pictures on a wall, 850., and the floor pieces may be ornamented to simulate carpets or rugs. Indeed, portiere openings and door openings may be formed in the partitions if desired.

The number of the partitions is not essential to the invention. Fig. 4 shows five partitions a, and it also shows the floor pieces b, with circular outer contours. Other minor changes will suggest themselves to any one skilled in the art.

It will be noted that the partitions a, are hinged together along their upright or vertical edges, and that the floor pieces b, are hinged to the lower or horizontal edges of the partitions, the words Vertical and Horizontal referring to the position when the house is set up as in Fig. 1.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A toy or doll house capable of folding uplike a book and comprising partitions a, of stiff sheet material hinged together along one edge of each, whereby when set up they radiate from a common point and simulate partitions in a house, substantially as set forth.

2. A toy or doll house capable of folding up like a book and comprising a series of partitions (1, of stiff sheet material, hinged together along one edge of each, whereby when unfolded and set up they radiate from a common point, and floor pieces I), hinged one to each partition at the lower edge of the latter, whereby thesaid floor pieces may be folded up face to face with the respective partitions to which they are attached, substantially as set forth.

3. Atoy comprising a series of partitions a, In witness whereof I have hereunto signed each attached at one vertical edge to a strip 0, my name in the presence of two subscribing 10 of flexible material, and eseries of floor pieces Witnesses.

b, hinged to the lower horizontal edges of the 5 respective partitions, said floor pieces having ELEANOR MCCULLOCH SMITH the proper dimensions to fit into the angular YVitnesses: spaces between adjacent partitions, as set WILLIAM H. EMORY,

forth. JASPER M. BERRY, Jr.

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