US1731325A - Toy chest - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 15, 1929. P. R. STEVENS 1,731,325

TOY CHEST Filed July 25, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 1% In uentoz: N & IBM/L 1?. STEVE/Y6.

.Wl/arney.

Patented Oct. 15, 1929 PAUL a. s'rnvnns, or PORTLAND, name TOY CHEST Application filed July 25,

In the conception of this invention I have had in mind the fact that in nearly every home the very young members are generally provided with a considerable number of toys of various kinds, but unless they are children of afiiuent parents seldom have a play room or even facilities where the toys may be I collectedand stored after the play time is .over. 1 As a consequence, the toys are scattered throughout the different roo'ms of thehouse and this causes, oftentimes, more or less annoyance to the older members of the family group.

My present invention, which relates generally to toys, has as its primary object the providing of a convenient receptacle in which a arger portion of the young folks toys or play-thin s maybe kept or deposited after bein used? In an incredibly short time the c ildren will acquire the habit of systematically returning the toys to their proper place, and once this habit is formed will tend to influence them in becoming more orderly and decorous in their relations otherwise.

A further object is to so constructand fabricate the different elements comprisingthe chest, that by re-arranging the parts, varied applications of the same may be made so as to present a change of appearance in the whole structure, thereby making of the de'- vice itself avsort of super-toy, in association with which other and smaller toys may be employed to provide wholesome amusement for the child or children.

With this object in view, I have equipped the chest with shelves and partitions by means of which the child may evolve a com- 1 40 bination'representing a miniature house, ar-

ranging the furnish1ngs,.as toy furnlture and bric-a-brac, accordlng to hlS own fancy. With these ovable' parts, are also provided trays ich are useful for holding small articles or for various other purposes which the childs imagination may suggest.

Characteristic structural features of the chest are'ithe'twoepieceto or cover, which ma be utilized asa wlde s elf, orby folding ma e to serve as a narrow, elevated one, and

'tray and shelf, respectively.

1928. Serial No. 295,251.

the turn-down front member which supplies a convenient table upon which to deposit the toys preliminary to arranging them on the shelves.

While the novelty of the invention resides primarily in the structural combination of the parts to provide a receptacle for toys and a convenient means by which, they may be displayed in various ways, it is further possessed of certain advantages which should no not be lost sight of. For instance, in manipulating the parts to roduce the different combinations, the chi ds mind is brought into action in planning and executin each procedure and this gives an opportunlty foris mental development and the broadening \of his powers of observation and concentration,in which respect the invention is of considerable psychological value.

I have illustrated my invention by the use 7 of the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters are employed to identify like parts throughout all the different views thereof. I

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the toy chest, closed;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, transverse sectional elevation, showing the front side lowered:

' Big. 4 is a perspective view of the toy chest, opened;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly in section, showing a diflerentdisposition of the cover;

Fig. 6 isa detail connected with the fastening of the transverse partition;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of the chest, showing the cover disposed in a still different position;

. Fig. 8 is a view, transversely of the chest,

especially showing the detachable portion of.

the main partition, and, Figs. 9 and 10 are perspective views of a Referring to the drawings, 1v represents the end members of the chest, 2'the back side and 3 the legs therefor; and on the'ends of mo I the chest are the handles4 with which a) lift the chest when moved from place to place; i

The front side 5 of the chest is secured, at its lower edge, to thebottom member 6 by the hinges 7, and to secure the front in closed and locked position I provide any convenient means,--as the slidin bolt 8, which, tolock the side, engages the ole 9 on the insideof the end member 1. a a

To properly support the front 5, when lowered, I provide swinging legs 10 which are housed beneath the chest when not in service,.and pivoted thereto by the ins 11. When these swinging legs are exten ed, the supporting pins 12 bear directly the weight of the front 5 when in lowe'red position,and hold it in a horizontal position, as seen in Fig. 3.; Y

A partition 13 divides the chest into two compartments, although it is obvious that three or more might be employed which would supply any number. of compartments desired. This partition, as well as the end members 1, 1, have horizontal and vertical grooves, 14 and 15, respectively. When operating in the grooves 14, the members 16 serve as shelves, but when re-arranged to fit in the grooves 15 they act as longitudinal partitions.

The trays 17 may be located on the shelves either lengthwise or crosswise of the chest; they may also be disposed bottom side. up to provide a floor intermediate the shelves. they are princi ally used to hold the childs small trinkets ut'by a little ingenuity on the part of the child they may be transformed into a cot or bed for a toy doll.

It is sometimes desirable to store articles longer than can be contained in either one of the compartments. For this purpose I make a portion 13' of the partition 13, detachable, so that when this part is removed a space the inside length of the chest and a width and height similar to the dimensions of the part 13' is provided. A latch button 18 on each side of the partition 13 holdsgthc part 13' in place when it is incorporated as a part of the partition, but in this case the outer or front shelves 16 must be removed.

In the operation of removing the shelves 16, or when there were no shelves in position, the partition might be displaced from the back-board 2. To prevent this I provide construction shown in detail in Fig. 6.

A depression 19 is made in the top of the back board 2 and a thin metal bar or plate 20 bridges it. On the back side of the partion 13 is secured an ofi-set piece 21 which engages the plate 20 and holds the upper end' of the partition secure,-the groove 22 in the floor or bottom 6 of the chest providing means to hold the partition plumb.

The cover has been designed with a view 01f1 making it one of the novel features in the c est.

It comprises two hinged sections, the outer one considerably wider than the inner one,

the two parts, 23 and 23 respectivel bee ing just wide enough in aggregate wi th to coverthe open to of the chest. One edge of t e section 23" on the hinges 24, and preferably made to open to a horizontalpos1tion only, although the hinges may be so attached .that it can.

swing downward andlie flat-against the side of the back member 2. The two "sections are held in ali ent when it is desired tomakeone wide s elf, by the swinging cleat 25 (see Fig. 4), but on releasing the chat the section 23 may be folded under and its outer edge is hinged tothe top of the'back side member 2, swmginglocated in the bracket 26,.the hinges 27 er.

'mitting the two-sections to be arrange as seen in Fig. 7.

Where space 1n the room is limite'd, this latter arrangement permits of. the chest bethe full width cover when'arranged as seen in Fig. 4.

On this bracketis pivotally secured a vertic'ally swinging arm 29- which, when moved mto upr1ght position, supports the wide section 23 whenlthe cover parts are allocated H as shown 1n Fig. 5. A brace 30 engages the angle plate 31 and holds the section 23 sinvertical position. With this disposition of the parts an elevated and considerably widershelf than that shown in Fig. 7 is provided.

For conveniently holding pens or pencils and preventing them rolling off the shelf I provide in the section 23 the wells 32. A. clasp 33 locks the cover on to the front side 5.

The chests are manufactured of a commo dious size, approximately three feet long, glving ample space for storage and plenty of room for arranging or displaying the toys While the children are engaged in their amusements.

It is strongly built, of reasonably low cost and will, it is believed, he found a Very useful and desirable acquisition in any home, more particularly as it may, in case of neces-' sity, be utilized by the housewife to serve,

after the interior parts are removed, as an ordinary chest in which to store clothingor like articles. A

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and-desire to secure by Letters Pat'- ent is: v

1. A toy chest comprising a bottom member, two end members and one side member fixedly secured to said bottom member, a side member hinged at its lower edge tofsaid bot- 5 tom member, and adapted to close," the open side of said chest, means, normally housed beneath said bottom'member, adapted, when extended, to support said hinged side member in a horizontal position, co-acting means on said hinged side member and one of said end members whereb the former may be locked in a position c osing the open side of said chest, a partition in said chest disposed transversely and vertically thereof, means to detachably secure said partition in said chest,

a plurality of shelves, means in said chest whereby said shelves may be disposed in two generally different positions in said chest,horizontally and vertically, and a detachable section on said artition adapted to 5 provide, when remove an unobstructed space of a length coextensive with the interior length of said chest and of a width and height similar to the corresponding dimensions of said detachable section.

2. A toy chest comprising a bottommember, two end members and one side member fixedly secured to said bottom member, a hinged side member adapted to close the open side of said chest, a two-piece cover, includ- 2 ing a wide and a narrow portion hingedly connected, said narrow portion also being hinged to the said fixed. side member at its top, a swinging bracket located on said fixed side member and adapted, when in extended position, to support ,both portions of said cover, an arm pivotally secured to saidbracket and adapted, when moved to a vertical position, to support the wider portion only of said cover, and a brace pivotally secured to one'of the end members of said chest engageable with means on the narrower portion of said cover to hold the latterin a fixed vertical position.

3. A toy chest comprising a bottom mem- 40 ber, two end members and one side member fixedly secured to said bottom member, a side member hingedly connected at its lower edge to said bottom member and adapted, when vertically disposed, to closethe open side of said chest, brackets pivotally secured to the under side of said bottom member adapted to be extended to provide support for said hinged side member when horizontally disposed, a cover for said chest having two parts 53 of unequal width hinged together, hinges securing the-narrower portion of the said two part cover ,to the top of the said fixed side member, a bracket on the outer, lower side of the said fixed side member adapted to re- 55 ceive the outer edge of the wider portion of the said two part cover and transform the narrower portion thereof into a horizontal shelf, flush with the top of said chest, and a swinging bracket havmg an upwardly ex- 7 tending arm adapted to engage said wider portion and convert it into a horizontal shelf disposed at .a spaced distance, vertically, above the top of said chest.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

PAUL R1" STEVENS;

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