US1382423A - Amusement device - Google Patents

Description

W. C. HADLEY.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.20. 1920.

N-SHEET 2.

Patemed une 2l,

z sHEErs Zf' ATTORNEYS UNITED STATESQ PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER C. HADLEY, OE NEW YORK, N. Y., AssiGNon To CENTRAL TALKING MACHINE snor, INC., OE NEW YOEK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OE NEW YORK.

AMUsEiviENT DEVICE.

To all iii/0m z'zf may concern: n

I Be it known that I, WALTER C. HADLEY, a citizen of the' United States of America, and a resident of New York' city, borough of Manhattan, county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Amusement Devices, of which the following is a specification.'

rl'he present invention relates to an amusement device yintended for use in connection with the white keys of aii automatic or selfplaying piano. 'lhe obj ect of the invention is to provide a device arranged to be supi' ported upon the white keys'of aii automatic piano and having upon one of its surfaces the representation of ahead of an animal or person from the upper t o the top, the upper jaw being located coincident with the lower marginal edge of the device, and preferably of a width'corresponding to that of a white key of the piano so that when displayed on the white keys the rise and fall of the end of Vthe key will simulate the/opening and closing of the mouth of the gure. To the above ends, the above invention consists of the devices and the combinations of devices which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

The present invention is illustrated in thev accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows one form of the device in which is represented oiie face of a box or container for a music roll.

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a portion of the box, showing the grotesque figures extending over two surfaces.

Fig. 3 shows a portion of the cover of the box.

Fig. 4 shows the box complete in perspective.

Fig. 5 shows a vertical cross-section through the box in operative position on the piano keys.

Fig. 6 shows a vertical cross-section of a modified form of the device.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the device shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 8 is another modified form.

In the drawing the amusement device consists of a panel 1. which in the form shown in Figs. 1, 2, e and 8 constitutes one surface of a box Or container for a music roll. ets shown in the drawings, this panel 1 constitutes the bottom of the box'but it may consist of any surface of the box either the bottom or the sides 2, upon which panel l will be shown the picture of a head of an animal or person 3 extending from the upper jaw 4 to the top of the head and the upper `jaw 4 will extend to and be coincident with the lower marginal edge 5 of the panel. The head will be -of a width corresponding to that of the white keys 6 of a piano, and pref-r erably as illustrated the panel 1 will carry a plurality of such heads arranged in a line in close juxtaposition of each other so that there will'be a head positioned over each white key along the entire length of the panel. Preferably thebox will ybe of a width equaling the distance at the white key 6 'projecting beyond the black key 7 (see Figs. 5 and 6) so that when positioned on the white keys the black keys form a backstop and the ends of the white keys will be located directly beneath the `panel 1. When thus positioned as shown in Fig. 1 with the heads `positioned sothat they will be directly over the white keys as the white keys are operated, they will give the impression that the figures are opening and closing their mouths as shown in Fig. 1. Whereas some of the iigures are represented with the mouths open, the white keys being depressed, others are represented with the mouths closed. the white keys being elevated.

In Fig. 2 the representation of the heads 3 extend not only over the bottom of the box but also over a portion Of one of the sides 2. as indicated at 8, and in this form a legend or other matter may be printed on the side 2 above the tops of the iigures as shown at 9. This legend may be fanciful names for the figures or any other suitable printed matter, as for instance, the words of a song. The cover of the box 9 is in the usual form of such boxes. Instead of forming the device in the shape of the box containing the music roll. it may be formed in another shape, as for instance, triangularly as shown in Fig. 6, in which event there will be three panels 1. each of which may bear a picture of a head or a group or line of heads as indicated in Fig. 7 of the drawing. In this form the upper jaw 4: of the head or series of heads will be coincident with the base line 5 and any of the panels may be brought into view as desired. This form also may comprise narrow strips 10 pivotally supported at 11 upon the ends 12 of the device, which strips 10 may be fitted between two adj aceiit piano i Specification of Letters lateiit. Patented June 21, 1921. A Application led August 20, 1920. `Serial No. 404,966. i

keys to hold the device in position during the operation of the White keys. The form shown in Fig.- 8 is adapted for relativelyU deep music Vroll boxes. Ordinarily a music roll box is of such a depth that when laid upon its side as shown at Fig 8, it will 'extend from the ends of the black keys to theY ends of the White keys. In the form shovvn vent displacement of the box when in opera-v tion on the keys of a piano. `Preferably the panel vl when applied to boxes may Y be simply a lithographed strip of paper which may be pasted thereon. In the form shown in Figs. 6 and?, however, the device is made of any suitable thickness of paper upon which the figures maybe directly printed or lithographed. K

The present invention is not limited to the exact Vdetails shown but is present in any form of device adapted to Vbe supported over Ythe White keys of a piano, showing at least one picture of a head from the upper jaw to the top and of substantially the Width of a White key, sothat when positioned above a White key the movement of the White key simulates the lower jaw of the figure. Having described my invention, I claim: 1,'An amusement device, comprising a panel adapted to rest upon the White keys of Aa piano, the representation of a head on said panel extending` from the upper jaw to they top, the upper jaw being located at the base line of the panel and being of substantially the same Width as the White key of apiano. if Y Y 2. An Yamusement device, comprising a panela rovv of figures thereon representing theupper parts of heads extending from the upper jaw to the top, said heads being of substantially the Width of the VWhite keys ofy a piano and having their upper jaws located substantially along the base line of the panel. Y y v l, 3. A box. or container for a music roll,

having upon one of its surfaces a representation of.-a head yfrom the lower jaw to theV top, said head being substantially` the same Width as the white key of a piano and being located alongthebase line of the surface of which itis displayed. l, p

g .A boxor container fora music roll, a rowV ofheads extending along one surface With the upper jaw substantially coincident with the base line of* that surface, with the upper portions of the heads extending along the adjacent surface. v Y

L5. A box'or container for a music roll, having upon one of its surfaces a line of heads extending from the upper jaw to the top, with the upper jaws substantially in line with each other and coincident 'with the base line-of the surface upon which they arefdisplayed, said heads being substantially the same Width of the White keys of a piano', and means to hold the box in position so that .each head Will be over aV White key.

WALTER C. HADLE'Y.

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