US2818767A - Optical toy - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 7, 1958 PAUL $00 H00 2,818,767

OPTICAL TOY Filed Nov. 30, 1956 ATTOEA/'YS United States Patent OPTICAL TOY Paul S00 H00, Boston, Mass.

Application November 30, 1956, Serial No. 625,498

1 Claim. (Cl. 88-16) This invention relates to toys, and more particularly to an optical toy of the type providing the illusion of motion of the designs or other objects on the rear surface of the toy when viewed through the front apertures thereof.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved optical toy which is simple in construction, which is easy to operate, and which may be employed in conjunction with a mirror or which may be provided with its accompanying mirror to provide an interesting and novel illusion of movement of the designs or other indicia provided on the rear surface of the main disc element of the toy when the designs or other indicia on said rear surface are viewed through apertures in said main disc element.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved optical toy of the rotating radially slotted disc type, said toy being inexpensive to manufacture, being durable in construction, and providing a high degree of entertainment and visual stimulation to children or other persons using the toy.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claim, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view showing an improved toy according to the present invention set up for use.

Figure 2 is an enlarged rear elevational view of the main portion of the toy illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical cross sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, the optical toy comprises a main element 11 and a mirror 12 employed in conjunction with the main element 11, as will be presently described. The main element 11 comprises a rod-like support 13 formed with a handle loop 14 and formed at the end thereof opposite the handle loop 14 with an arm 15 extending at right angles to the main portion of the rod 13, as is clearly shown in Figure 3. Designated at 16 is a disc member of suitable, substantially rigid material, such as stiff cardboard, sheet metal, plastic material, or the like, the disc member 16 being rotatably mounted on the arm 15 at its center. The arm 15 is formed with an inner enlargement 17 and an outer enlargement 18. Mounted on the arm 15 inwardly adjacent the respective enlargements 17 and 18 are respective washers 19 and 20, and mounted on arm 15 adjacent the washer 19 is a relatively thick washer 21 which is substantially larger in diameter than the washers 19 and 20, as shown, the disc member 16 being mounted on the arm 15 between the thick washer 21 and the washer 20, whereby the washer 21 acts as a support for the disc member 16, reducing the tendency of the disc member to wobble or oscillate. The relatively large thick washer 21 also serves as a stabilizer to support the disc member 16, so that the device may be at times employed as a fan.

2,818,767 Patented Jan. 7, 1958 ice The small washers 19 and 20 are loosely mounted on the arm 15 and are freely rotatable thereon, the washers 19 and 20 cooperating with the washer 21 to maintain the disc member 16 substantially perpendicular to the arm 15 at all times while presenting no interference with the rotation of said disc member on the arm.

The disc member 16 is of substantial diameter and is formed adjacent its periphery with identical, evenly spaced, radial slots 22 located at identical distances from the center of the disc member. The rear surface of the disc member 16 is provided with a plurality of circularly arranged rows of markings 24, located inwardly of the slots 22 and which may be of any desired nature, said markings being, for example, colored discs, or other geometrical figures, or alternatively being pictures of objects or animals, or merely being arbitrary designs which vary in size, shape, or position circularly around the disc member.

As is illustrated in Figure l, the main member 11 is employed in conjunction with the mirror 12, the reflections of the designs or objects 24 being viewed through the slots 22 from the front of the main member 11, the mirror 12 being arranged parallel to and spaced rearwardly from the disc member 16, so that when the disc member 16 is being rotated, the reflections of the design 24 or other objects illustrated on the rear surface of the disc member provide the illusion of movements of the designs or other objects, thus providing an unusual visual effect which is of great interest and is of high visual stimulation to children or other persons using the toy.

In operating the toy, the support 13 is held in an upright position, employing the loop 14 as a handle, and the disc member 16 is rotated manually, the user viewing reflections of the objects or designs on the back of the disc member 16 through the slots 22 as said reflections appear on the mirror 12.

While a specific embodiment of an improved optical toy has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In combination, a supporting rod, an arm on one end of said rod extending perpendicular thereto, a handle loop on the other end of the rod, a disc member rotatably mounted at its center on said arm, washer means on the arm on opposite sides of the disc member supporting said disc member parallel to said rod, said disc member being formed adjacent its periphery with identical, evenly spaced, radial slots located at identical distances from the center of the disc member, a plurality of concentric rows of markings on the rear surface of the disc member arranged circularly around said center inwardly of the slots and at different radial distances from said center, and a mirror disposed parallel to said disc member and spaced rearwardly therefrom, said mirror being arranged so that the refletcions of said markings may be viewed on said mirror through said slots.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,526,794 King Feb. 17, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS 372,033 Great Britain May 5, 1932 1,117,215 France Feb. 20, 1956

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