US2554942A - Picture puzzle toy - Google Patents

Description

y 1951 E. DOBROWSKY 2,554,942

PICTURE PUZZLE T0Y Filed Dec. 13, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N V EN TOR. flMgm/vuajaaeon/sm" Arum/vars May 29, 1951 E. DOBROWSKY PICTURE PUZZLE TOY Filed Dec. 15, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 1951 E; DOBROWSKY PICTURE PUZZLE TOY 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 13, 1946 V1 K Aw m m M MR R V rm mrw M a u M M iv. B

May 29, 1951 E. DOBROWSKY PICTURE PUZZLE TOY 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 13, 1946 I I I K 5 15 v: m. M N R mm m m w Patented May 29, 1951 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE I I a i 11 34 94 PICTURE gpzzLE TOY Emmanuel New-York, N. Y. I Application December 13, 1946, Serial No. 716,120

" 40mins... (01. 273-155) This-invention relates to a toy and more particularlygto a picture puzzle toy having a mechanisni' which enables the user to make up a whole picture from. its separate parts.

In' the construction of certainpicture puzzledevices prior to this invention. wherein. .a .compositepieture is reproduced by matching the variousparts atwill, the mechanism employed in operating the movement of the picture segments necessitated the use of complicated. rollers; knobs and picture ribbonswrapped around. said-rollers. In addition, certain devices as related above employed .telescoped shaftswith .the control knobs arranged-sin :line with an axis common to all.

Thelatter arrangement limited the numberof segments used in the composite picture puzzle due--to'- -=the-fact that each additional segment reuu-iredqa separate control .knobLand another telescoped tube which would make, the control mechanism bulky, unwieldyand whollytoo c'omplicatedfor a child to operate.

It is therefore the main object ofthisinvention -toprovide a picture puzzle toy having a control mechanism which is simple for a child to operate-in the adjustment of the picture seg-= ments'gto make the composite picture.

Another object of this invention is to provide a picture-puzzle toy which will providefor an unlimited; combination of picture segments and composite pictures requiringa minimum of been Figi 5 is a side view, partially in X-ray, showing:-

the relationship between the closed coverfand the internal parts of the device; Fig. 6 is the same view as Fig. 5 with the cover in the open position; Fig. 7 is a front elevational view of another embodiment with the control wheels in a frontal position above the observation window; Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view along the lines 8+8 of Fig. 7 showing the position of the cover in the closed and open positions.

Referring now to the drawings and in particular to the picture puzzle toy shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the toy comprises a frame I in which the moving parts of the toy are mounted. This frame I has an observation window 2 made, for example, of clear plastic, situated in the front wall 3 while the rear wall comprises a lid {which isarigid part of the bottom wall 5 connected by a hinge 6 to the front wall 3. A pairofclips I are attached by a plurality of washers .8 and screws 8A to the rear part of the side walls 9 so that when said lid 4 is in the closed position,

; the clips I clamp the lid 4 and hold it in the closed position. Said clips I are rotatable around said washers 8 and screw 8A. A plurality of openings I I) separated by partitions I I Tare cut in of said lid 4. In each opening I0, awheel I3 made, for example, of rubber, is located and supported by an axle I4 that may be in the form of a single rod extending through the center of each wheel I3 so that all the wheels I3 lie ina parallel position within the plurality of openings I0.

Another axle I5 supports a plurality. of picture Wheels I6 within said frame I. Saidwheels I6 may have spokes I1 and may, for example, be made of plywood, cardboard or other suitable material. Slots I8 are cut on the inside of the A piece of resilient of said picture wheels I6 and said resilient material 2D aid in maintaining the pressure between said wheels I3 and I6 which rotate around their respective axles I4 and I5. Washers 2I separate the end picture wheels I6 from the side walls 9 while thin washers 22 separate said plurality of picture wheels II; from each other.

Segments of pictures 23 are pasted on the outer surfaces of said picture wheels I6.

Figs. 5 and 6 show the picture puzzle toy with said lid 4 in the closed and open positions respectively.

Referring now to Figs. '7 and 8, the toy discloses another embodiment with the observation window 2 located in the lid 4 which pivots on a hinge 6. As shown, particularly in Fig. 7, the plurality of wheels I3 are set in openings I0 located just above said observation window 2 in said lid 4. Rotating clips 24 are held to the front of the frame I by means of washers 8 and screws 8A. Said lid 4 has a cut-out end 25 which fits a mating groove 26 located in the front of said frame I just behind said clips 24, so that said clips 24 may be rotated over said.

3 cut-out end 25 of said lid 4 when it is in the closed position.

The device operates as follows:

When a child wishes to make a composite picture out of the various segments 23, he looks through the observation window 2 and rotates the wheels E3 in either direction until he obtains a combination of segments 23 sufficient to produce a composite picture. When wheel I3 is rotated, itcauses thepicture wheel 16 to rotate due to the friction pressure between the surfaces of wheels is and 18. This friction pressure is maintained by means of the rubber or felt cushion 20 set in the bottom 19 of the slot l8 which supports the axle I of the picture wheel 16. In order to increase the friction surface of Wheels l3, horizontal ridges or other suitable design, for example, may be molded on the external surface of said wheels 43. When the operator of the toy.

wishes to change the pictures on the surface of wheels it, said wheels it may be removed from the frame i by lifting the lid 4 and drawing the entire assembly consisting of picture wheels l6 and axle I5 along the slots l8 until said picture wheels I6 are clear of the frame I. When the wheels it are replaced, they are inserted in the frame so that the axle l5 slides into the slot l8 until it reaches the felt pad 29 located at the bottom IS of said slot it. Then the lid 4 is closed, which brings the wheels l3 in pressure contact with picture wheels it. Clips 1 shown in Fig. 3 are then snapped into place to hold the lid 4 closed against the pressure of said felt pad 2|].

In the other embodiment shown in Figs. '7 and 8, said lid 4 is closed and pressure is maintained by rotating said clips 24 over the surfaces of the cut-out ends 25 of the lid 4. h

As will be seen from the above description, the invention discloses a picture puzzle toy which presents a novel and simple device for producing a composite picture from a certain number. of segments of said picture.

It eliminates telescoping tubing and control knobs by providing simple friction wheels that directly control the movement of the picture segments on the peripheries of a plurality of picture wheels.

In addition, the picture puzzle may have a few segments or many segments depending on the age of the child. The number of picture segments which may be used is unlimited and may be varied in complication sufficient to challenge the ingenuity of children of all ages.

While, in disclosing the principles of my invention and its preferred embodiment, I have described various detailed structure and relationship, it will be understood that such embodiment and details are given by way of example only and not as limiting the scope of my invention. 7

- I claim:

l. A picture puzzle toy comprising a frame having a hinged lid capable of being opened and closed, an observation window located in said lid in the closed position, a plurality of picture wheels situated within said frame, means for rotatably mounting said picture wheels within said frame, picture segments affixed to the peripheries of said picture wheels, a plurality of activating members comprising wheels mounted for individual and separate rotation on said lid so that they bear against the picture wheels when the lid is closed and-located on'saidlid -close to said observation window and means for separating said activating members from each other.

' having a front wall and a notch in said front .wall corresponding to that in the lid so that when the lid is closed the outer surface of the lid andthe front wall will lie flush and a locking means attached tothe front wall and adapted to rotate over the notched end of the. lid when said lid is in the closed position. 7

3. "A picture puzzle toy as set; forth in claim 1, in which a plurality of parallel apertures are arranged in the lid, the activating members adapted to fit within said apertures'with a portion of the activating members projecting out of said apertures and beyond the surface of said lid and said activating members mounted on the lid so that their axis of. rotation is at a distance slightly less than the radii of fathe wheels of the activating members, from the peripheries of the picture wheels when the 1v ,lid. is in the closed, position,

.whereby the wheels of. the activating members will be'compress'ed' against said picture wheels when the lid is in the closed position.

'4. Apicture puzzle toy as set forth in claim 1 inwhichthe mounting means for the picture wheels comprises a slot located along the inside wall of said frame, having one open end and an axle supported in the bottomof said slot whereby the picture-wheelsmay be removed fromthe frame by movingthe axle to the open end of the slot.

- EMMANUEL DOBROWSKY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED-STATES PATENTS Number v Name Date 1,245,019 Perreten Oct. 30, 1917 1,584,513 Davis et al- .May 11.1926 .55 1,742,567 West Jan 7, 930 1,749,365 -Zubaty Mar. 4, 1930 2,445,421 Davis Julyv 20, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS I 50 Number Country Date 491,471 Germany s Feb. 13, 1930 422,704-

Great Britain Jan. 14, 1935

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