US3250910A - Novelty halloween pumpkin - Google Patents

Description

May 10, 1966 R. R. AUTHIER 3,250,910

NOVELTY HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN Filed 001?. '7, 1963 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,250,910 NOVELTY HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN Raymond R. Authier, Box 791, Oak Bluffs, Mass. Filed Oct. 7, 1963, Ser. No. 314,211 1 Claim. (Cl. 24010.63)

This invention relates generally to lanterns. More specifically, it relates to lanterns of the type generally known as jack-d-l-anterns.

One object of the present invention is to provide a novelty Halloween pumpkin having a plurality of face representations located on opposite sides, each of which is differently lighted from the other.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novelty Halloween pumpkin wherein one face representation is of a jack-o-lantern, and the other face representation is of a comical character.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novelty Halloween pumpkin wherein the jack-o-lantern face representation has eyes which light up in one color, while the face representation on the opposite side of the device has eyes which are lighted in a different color.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novelty Halloween pumpkin wherein the eyes of each face representation may be separately and selectively lighted and wherein there is a plurality of electrical power sources.

A still further object of the present invention is to pro-' vide a novelty Halloween pumpkin wherein the face representations eyes may be selectively lighted by a steady or blinking light.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a novelty Halloween pumpkin bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and etficient in operation and use.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the present invention shown in elevation and partly broken away;

FIGURE 2 is -a rear elevational view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view thereof;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a portion of the structure shown in FIGURE 1 shown per se and FIGURE 5 is an end elevational view of the structure shown in FIGURE 4.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the numeral represents a novelty Halloween pumpkin according to the present invention wherein there is a main body member 11 of generally spherical configuration comprising an outer wall 12 enclosing a central chamber 13 which is divided into two separate compartments 15 and 14. It is to be noted that the partition 16 is centrally located and accordingly the compartments are each of equal size. A jack-olantern face 17 is formed on one side 18 of the main body and comprises an opening 19 representing a month, an opening 20 representing a nose, and a pair of eyes 21, each of which has an outwardly extending reflector 22 made preferably of plastic material of green color, the reflector being transparent so that light rays may pass therethrough, the rays adopting a green color to the viewer. On the opposite side of the main body there is a face representation 23 which is of comic character, such as some character shown in Halloween masks. This face includes a mouth 24 from which two teeth 25 protrude upwardly, a forwardly extending nose 26 and a pair of eyes 27, each of which includes a forwardly projecting reflector 28 made of transparent plastic material of a red color, whereby light rays passing therethrough will take on a red hue.

3,250,919 Patented May 10, 1966 A bail or handle 29 of semicircular configuration is provided with a hook 30 at each opposite end, each hook 30 being attached rotatably free on the upper opposite top edges of the main body member. The handle is pivotable from a horizontal position to an upstanding position as indicated by the phantom lines in FIGURE 2 of the drawing. A circular opening 31 may be provided at the top of the main body to permit access into the compartments 14 and 15. A bottom 32 may be provided enclosing the lower side of each compartment. Upon each side 33 and 34 of the partition 16 there is a bracket 35 affixed to the partition by means of rivets 36. A pair of battery clips 37 are formed on each opposite longitudinal side of the bracket to support therebetween a conventional flashlight type battery or dry cell battery 38. The bracket may be made preferably of electrically conductive material. A lamp bulb socket 39 is attached at one end of the bracket and an electric lamp 40 is fitted within the socket. The central contact 41 of the bulb 40 is in contact engagement with the bottom wall 42 of the battery. The rivets 36 also retain a leaf spring electrical contact 43 which can be made to selectively engage the pole 44 of the battery, thereby completing an electrical circuit through the bracket and lamp bulb, thus eliminating the leaf spring contact 43 which is bent to form a depression 45 near its free end, as shown in FIGURE 4. The pole 34 of the battery is receivable within the depression 45 when the circuit is closed between the battery and lamp bulb. The depression is of a nature so that the battery may be lifted from between the clips 37, as shown by phantom lines in FIGURE 4, and the edge of the battery may be supported within the depression, as shown. At such time no power is delivered to the lamp bulb and the light is out. Thus, an inexpensive and novel substitute for a conventional switch is provided.

In operative use, when a child wishes to illuminate one or both of the lantern faces, he needs only to depress the battery from the position indicated by the phantom line to the position indicated by the solid lines, in FIGURE 4. It is to be readily understood that if desired the circuit may be made to include a conventional circuit make-break mechanism for the purpose of permitting the light to blink on and off, if desired.

'Thus, a relatively simple and novel Halloween pumpkin is provided for the enjoyment of children which is safe from a fire hazard and which is selectively adjustable for illuminating either or both of the lantern faces.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In a novelty Halloween pumpkin, the combination of a main body member of generally spherical configuration, said main body comprising a thin outer wall, a circular opening at the upper end of said main body member, a flat bottom wall, said main body member of outer wall enclosing a central chamber, a vertical transverse partition dividing said chamber into two relatively equal compartments, illumination means self-contained within each of said compartments, a pair of face representations on the opposite outer sides of said main body member and electric power means for generating illumination rays within each of said compartments passing outwardly out of each of said face representations, one of said face representations comprising a jacko-lantern character having a saw-toothed mouth, a triangular nose and a pair of semicircular eyes, said eyes having each an outwardly extending reflector of transparent green colored plastic material, said rays passing through said mouth, nose and colored eye reflectors, the other of saidface representations comprising 3 a character in caricature of a mouth an elongated forwardly extending nose and a pair of circular eyes, said eyes having an outwardly extending reflector of transparent red colored plastic material, said rays passing through said mouth, nose and colored eye reflectors, said illumination means comprising a dry-cell battery, a bracket supporting said battery, said bracket being mounted upon said partition, one end of said bracket having a lamp socket carrying an electric lamp bulb in electrical contact with one end of said battery, a leaf spring contact supported upon the opposite end of said bracket for engagement with the opposite end of said battery, said leaf spring contact being aflixed at one end to said bracket and the other end being free normally urging towards said battery, said free end having a depression for selectively receiving said battery pole to make an electrical circuit through said battery bracket and lamp bulb or receiving the edge of said battery to securely hold said battery while maintaining an open electrical circuit. 1

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 396,252 1/1889 Beidler 240-l6 1,435,080 11/ 1922 Potter 2408.22 X 1,877,940 9/ 1932 Morgen'stern et a1. 46228 2,236,071 3/ 1941 Roskam et a1 240 10 X 2,428,133 9/1947 Yogan 240-16 2,748,260 5/1956 Nelson 240,-10.61 X

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

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