US2987852A - Magnet toy - Google Patents

Description

June 13, 1961 KOCH 2,987,852

MAGNET TOY Filed May 26, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I/VVE/VTOR Fritz Kocfi ATTYS.

June 13, 1961 F. KocH 2,987,852

MAGNET TOY Filed May 26, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fr/Z Kocfz United States Patent 2,987,852 MAGNET TOY Fritz Koch, 26 Brettnacherstrasse, Berlin-Zehlendorf, Germany Filed May 26, 1958, Ser. No. 737,643 Claims. (Cl. 46-241) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in magnetic games or toys of the type in which a number of toy pieces or figures equipped with or comprised by permanent magnets are movably arranged on a nonferromagnetic playing surface and adapted as they approach each other to perform relative movements under the action of their magnetic forces. More particularly, the invention relates to magnetic games or toys of the kind referred to and in which the magnets are arranged with their magnetic axes perpendicular to the playing surface.

The main object of the invention is to provide a toy in wll'ch one of two permanent magnets approaching one another on a playing surface, is caused to turn about the horizontal and jump onto the top of the other magnet.

To attain this object, the permanent magnets are initially so placed on the playing surface that their poles are opposite. At least one of the magnets has an enlarged supporting base, for example in the form of a flat disk. In a preferred form of construction this supporting base is made of ferromagnetic material. The arrangement is such that when one or both magnets are moved so that the one magnet comes into contact with the enlarged supporting base of the other magnet, the magnetic attraction between the opposite upper poles of the two magnets will cause the first magnet initially to tilt about the edge of the enlarged supporting base of the other magnet because this enlarged base prevents the two magnets from approaching any further, and as the magnetic attraction continues to act it will successively cause the first magnet to turn through an angle of 180 about the horizontal and jump onto the top of the other magnet.

Another objector the invention is to provide a magnet toy which enables amusing and surprising motive effects to be produced.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a magnet toy of the kind referred to, which can be readily adapted for use in a contest requiring a certain skill.

A further object of the invention is to provide a magnet toy of the kind described, which can be used as a society or round game.

Still further objects of the invention are to provide magnetic games or toys which are simple and economical to produce, which usein-some forms of construction dummy animals or the like capable of performing natural looking motions, and which can be used in a variety of ways.

Further advantages and details of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example some preferred embodiments of the invention. In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of two cooperating magnets and a propelling magnet;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of two magnets in a modified form of construction;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a toy figure simulating a person with a magnet embedded therein;

FIG. 4 is a fractional side view showing a toy figure in the form of a crocodile with a magnet disposed in the mouth thereof;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a magnet arranged in a goal and of another magnet in front thereof;

Patented June- 13, 1961 "ice FIG. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of a magnetic society or round game, and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view along the line VIIV]1 of FIG. 6.

Like reference characters are used to designate similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, two toy pieces in the form of permanent magnets 2 and 3 are placed on a playing surface 1 with their magnetic axes perpendicular to said surface and poled in opposite sense. The magnet 3 is fixed on an enlarged supporting base in the form of a flat disk 4 which may be afiixed to the surface 1 by an adhesive or other suitable means and is preferably made of ferromagnetic material. The object of the game is to make the toy magnet 2 jump onto the toy magnet 3. To accomplish this without touching the magnet 2 with the hand, a propelling magnet 5 is provided which is poled in the same sense as the magnet 2. The magnet 5 may be manually or automatically moved toward the magnet 2 to repel the latter in the direction of the arrow I. As soon as the magnet 2 strikes against the edge of the disk 4, it is caused to jump onto the top of the magnet 3 in a manner indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 shows a modification in which a magnet 6 rests on the playing surface 1 and the magnet 3 with its disk 4 is arranged to be moved toward the magnet 6 in the manner described with reference to the magnet 2 in FIG. 1. Accordingly, when the disk 4 contacts the magnet 6 the magnet'3 with its disk 4 will jump onto the top of the magnet 6 as indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 2.

The magnets 2, 3, 5 and 6 may be permanently attached to or embedded in toy figures which are preferably macle of plastic material. 7

FIG. 3 shows the magnet 2 embedded in a toy figure 7 simulating a person. The toy figure 7 is adapted to cooperate with a toy figure 8 in the form of a crocodile shown in FIG. 4. The magnet 3 with its disk 4 is embedded in the mouth of the crocodile, preferably in its lower jaw which may be formed integral with the body of the crocodile, while its upper jaw 9 is pivotally mounted as at 10. It will be evident that, as the two figures 7 and 8 approach one another, the figure 7 is attracted and drawn into the mouth of the crocodile. Due to the unlike poling of the magnets 2 and 3, the magnet 2 and thus the figure 7 is turned through an angle of about the horizontal as it jumps onto the magnet 3, thereby urging the upper jaw 9 into Wide open position. The resultant impression is that of a person being snatched at and eaten up by a crocodile. The magnets 2 and 3 are preferably wholly covered by the plastic material of the toy figures .so as to be invisible tothe. viewer.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment in which the magnet 3 with its disk 4 is arranged in a goal 11 on the playing surface 1. The magnet 2, which in this embodiment simulates a ball in front of and to be brought into the goal 11 in jumping onto the magnet 3, may be propelled by means similar to those described with reference to FIG. 1. Of course, the playing surface 1 and the goal 11 may be modified to simulate any other kind of game and the goal may in any such case be formed by real structure or simply painted on the playing surface 1 at either end thereof.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate part of a magnetic society game in which the playing surface 1 is provided with a plurality of spaced upstanding guide walls 12 only three of which are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. These guide walls 12 are arranged about a fiat central area at which one or several magnets 3 are fixed. Each two neighboring guide walls 12 define a track adapted to receive magnets 2' and 2" and have mutually displaced interruptions through which the magnets 2 and 2" propelled by magnets 5 in the manner described with reference to FIG... 1, may pass from one track intov the other. For the sake of simplicity only. the two innermost tracks, designated by 13 and 14, are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. It. will be 'clearly'apparent that, when in the course of the game the magnets 2' and 2." meet at a point adjacent one of the interruptions, the magnet 2 will be urged by the repulsive force of the magnet 2" in the direction of an-ow II through said interruption and may after having passed through the innermost interruption jump onto the magnet 3 in the manner described with reference to FIG. 1. The game may be performed according to a variety of rules, for example in connection with dice.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore tobe considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended. to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. A magnet toy comprising at least two toy pieces accommodating permanent toy magnets and arranged for relative movement on a non-ferromagnetic playing surface, said permanent toy magnets having their magnetic axes perpendicular to their plane of movement and being poled in opposite sense; at least one of the said permanent toy magnets having an enlarged supporting base said supporting base having a height and a width, respectively, so that when contacting with its outer edge the other magnet at the base thereof, a relative inclination of the magnetic axes of the magnets is eifected by means of the attractive magnetic forces acting be, tween the upper poles of the two magnets whereby one magnet is caused to jump onto the other by: turning about a horizontal axis.

2. A magnet toy as set forthv in claim 1, wherein the enlarged supporting base consists of a flat disk, portion, protruding from the outer surface of the magnet supported by said disk so as to allow a relative inclination of the magnetic axes of said magnets, said inclinationv initiating the jumping process of one magnet onto the other.

3. A magnet toy as set forth in claim 1, wherein the enlarged supporting base is made of ferromagnetic material.

4. A magnet toy as set forth in claim 1, further comprising at least one propelling magnet poled in the same sense as one of the toy magnets and adapted to move said toy magnet by repulsive force into proximity with the other toy magnet poled in opposite sense.

5. A. magnet toy as set forth in claim 1, wherein a toy figure representing an animal is provided and one of the magnets is fixedly arranged. in the mouth thereof.

6. A magnet toy as set forth in claim 5, wherein the other magnet of opposite polarity is fixedly arranged in another toy figure so as to cause said toy figure to be drawn by magnetic attraction into the mouth of said animal toy figure when one of the two toy figures is brought into proximity with. the other toy figure.

7'; A magnet toy as set forth in claim 5, wherein the mouth of the animal comprises upper and lower jaws at least one of'which is pivotally mounted.

8. A magnet toy asset forth in claim 1, wherein one of the magnets is fixed to the playing surface.

9. A magnet toy as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of the said magnets is fixed on the playing surface and at least partially surrounded by at least one guide wall, said guide wall being arranged so that the movement of said movable magnet on said playing surface is limited.

10. A magnet toy as set forth in claim 9, wherein the magnet having the enlarged supporting base is fixed to the playing surface.

11. A magnet toy as set forth in claim 9, wherein the playing surface is arranged to simulate the field for a game comprising at least one goal, and one of the magnets is fixedly arranged in said goal.

12. A magnet toy as set forth in claim 1, wherein the playing surface is provided with a plurality of upstanding guide walls arranged to define a number of tracks for a number of toy magnets to move on, at least one magnet being fixedly mounted adjacent said tracks on the playing surface.

13. A magnet toy as set forth in claim 1, wherein the playing surface is provided with a plurality of upstanding guide walls arranged to define a number of tracks for a number of toy magnets to move on, at least one magnet having an enlarged supporting base being fixedly mounted in the central area of saidplaying surface.

14. A magnet toy as set forth in claim 12, wherein the guide walls extend parallel to each other and neighbori'ng walls have mutually displaced interruptions.

15. A magnet toy as set forth in claim 9, wherein the magnet provided with the enlarged supporting base is fixed on the playing surface and is at least partially surrounded by said guide wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,431,827 Rado Dec. 2, 1947 2,458,969 Wilson Ian. 11, 1949 2,492,423 Gray Dec. 27, 1949 2,528,938 Wolf Nov. 7, 1950 2,623,326 Kinney Dec. 30, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 936,377 Germany Dec. 7, 1955-

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