US1453968A - Musical toy - Google Patents

Description

May 1, 1923. 1,453,968-

W. BARTHOLOMAE MUSICAL TOY Filed May 4-, 1922 INVENTOR firafiawfiozoiizae A TTOR/VEYS Patented May 1, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BABTHOLOMAE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO BAR ZIM TOY MANU- FACTURIN'G CO. INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MUSICAL TOY.

Application filed May 4,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAI BARTHOLO- MAE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Musical Toy, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to musical toys and particularly to a toy which will not only produce a sound but which may producemusical sounds capable of being controlled within certain limits.

The object of the invention is to provide a sounding device which may be easily operated and which will give sounds substantially according to the operation thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy which will not only produce a loud sound but will produce soft or loud musical sounds in the desired sequence ac, cording to the operators actuation of certain parts gf the device.

A further object, more specifically, 18 to provide a musical device which may be manipulated by the thumb or finger of the operator to change the tone of the sound.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure l'is a perspective view of a musical device disclosing an embodiment of the invention, the same being shown in use.

Figure 2 is a sectional view through Figure 3 approximately on line 2-2.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the device shown in Figure 1 with part of the handle broken off and also broken away.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view through Figure 3 on line 4-4.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing amodified construction of'the invention.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view through Figure 5 on line 66.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view throu h Figure 6 on line 7-7.

Re errin to the accompanying drawing by numera s, 1 indicates a handle and 2 a supporting bar, said handle being adapted to be grasped by the-hand of the operator as shown in Figure 1 and shaken. Asshown in Figure 1, .the handle and associated parts are moved in a vertical plane during the shaking operation but it 1s, of course, cvident that the handle and other parts may be turned to a horizontal position or to any 1922. Serial No. 558,459.

other position and shaken in any desired plane while the thumb of the operator flexes the sounding plate 3 secured to the support 2.

When the construction shown in Figures 1 to 3 is used, the handle 1 and support 2 are made from wood while the construction shown in Figure 5 is made of metal with the exception of the striking balls 4 which are preferably made from wood though they may be made from any desired material. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the sounding plate 3 tapers from one end to the other and at the large end is provided with a curved section 5 which is usually a little more than a half circle. Suitable screws or other fastening means 6 extend through the extreme end of the plate 3 into the support 2 whereby the plate engages the support only at the end. This curved or substantially tubular section 3 permits of a proper vibration of the metal to produce a musical sound when the balls 4 strike the plate 3.

lVhen the parts are in the position shown in Figure 2 and the handle 1 is shaken for causing the balls 4 to strike the plate 3, a sound will be produced which will be more or less musical. As the small end of the plate 3 is flexed as shown in Figure 1, namely, to bring the curved section 5 near its support. the sound produced by the striking of the balls 4 will gradually ascend the scale so that when the curved section 4 is almost contacting with the support 2 the sound will be very high. The balls 4 are connected in any suitable manner to the spring supporting members 7, said spring supporting members if desired being either separate or one piece as shown in the drawing. When the are made of onepieee, the end is preferab y fittedinto the notch 8 and then the parts are connected together and against the plate 3 by a suitable tying mem-. ber or staple 9. This will allow the spring supporting members 7 to freely flex and thereby cause the balls 4 to strike plate 3 when the plate, handle 1 and associated parts are shaken or moved back and forth quickly in a plane parallel to the plane passing through both of the balls.

The construction shown in Figures 5 to 7 is the same as far as the plate 3 is concerned, the balls 4 and the member 7. The difference resides in the way the plate 3 in Cit secured to a support. In this form of the invention the support really consists of the section 10 of the handle 1 which handle is preferably made from metal and bent at the lower end for forming a grip 11. The han-' same into the notches 18 and 14. The han-' dle, or rather the support 10, extends through a suitable aperture in the rounded section 5, said support being threaded for receiving a clamping nut 16. When the clamping nut 16 is tightened, it will draw the ears 12 into the notches 13 and 14 as far as possible as indicated in Figure 5 so that there will be no loose motion. Though the nuts 16 secure the parts together in this manner, a flexing or vibration of the section 5 will be permitted to a certain extent when the plate 3 is flexed by the thumb or finger of the operator and also when the balls 4 strike the plate.

lVhat I claim is 1. A vibratory sounding device, comprising a hand support, a sounding and tone changing member carried at one end by the support and presenting one free end capable of being flexed by the operator, and means associated with the device for striking the sounding member by vibratory movements of the device before and during the flexing action.

2. In a musical toy of the character described, a support provided with a handle adapted to be grasped by the operator, a flexible sounding member secured to said support and extending to a position to be engaged and flexed by the hand engaging the handle, and a pair of members operatively associated with the sounding member adapted to strike said flexible sounding member as the handle, support and sounding member are moved back and forth.

In a musical device of the character described, a support, a pair of striking members, and a sounding member secured to said support in such a position as to be struck by said striking members when operated, said sounding member being adapted to be manually flexed while the striking members are striking the same, said flexing member being of a material giving forth a musical sound when struck and which will change the tone by flexing.

4. In a musical device ofthe character described, a support, a sounding member having a substantially semi-tubular section merging into a substantially flat section, said support being connected with said semitubular section, said support being formed with a handle adapted to be grasped by an operator and said flat section being arranged in relation to the handle so that the operator grasping the handle may flex the flat section with his thumb or finger, and vibrating striking members carried by said flat section adapted to strike the flat section as it is quickly moved back and forth when in its flat condition or during the time that it is flexed by the operator.

In a musical device of the character described, 21 flexible sounding member having -a curve at one end forming a substantially semi-tubular structure, a handle member connected with said tubular structure and extending substantially parallel to the sounding member whereby an operator grasping the handle may flex the sounding member. a pair of flexible members connected with said sounding member near one end and extending toward the opposite end, and a striking member carried by each of said flexible members.

6. In a musical member of the character described, a flat flexible sounding plate having one end coiled, a supporting structure connected with said coil, and vibrating members carried by the opposite end of said plate to the coil, said vibrating members havin striking members adapted to strike the p ate when the plate is moved quickly back and forth.

7. In a musical device of the character described, a substantially fiat plate having a coiled end, a support acting as a, handle extending through said coiled end, means for clamping the support to the coiled end, a pair of flexible members connected with the opposite end of said plate to the coiled end, and a striking member secured to each of said flexible members adapted to strike said plate.

8. In a musical device of the character described, a sounding flexible plate havin a coiled end, said coiled end having aligne apertures-arranged therein, one of said apertures having notches extending therefrom, a. supporting handle provided with ears, said handle extending through said apertures and said ears being positioned in said notches, means for clamping said handle to said coiled end, vibrating flexible members secured to the end of said plate opposite the coiled end and extending toward the coiled end, and a striking member secured to each of said vibrating members.

9. A device including a support, a sounding member fixed at one end to the sup ort adapted to be flexed at the opposite end by the hand of the operator for changin the tone, and means associated with the evice for striking said sounding member during the flexing action.

10. A sounding instrument, comprising a. support, a sounding member carried at one end by the support and capable of being flexed b the operator by pressure on one end, an strikingmeans associated with the instrument for strikin the sounding member before and during t e flexin action, said flexing causing the tone of t e sounding member to change whereby a series of tones may be produced by said striking means.

11. In a sounding device of the character described, a substantially flat plate having a coiled end, a support acting as a handle extending from said coiled end, means for clamping the support to the coiled end, a pair of flexible members positioned adjacent said flat plate, and striking members carried by the flexible members, said striking members being positioned to strike said plate as the device is moved back and forth.

12. A sounding device, comprising a support, a fiat sounding plate formed substan'- tially wedge-shaped, said plate being connected to the support and capable of being flexed, and means associated with the device for striking the plate before and during the flexing action whereby different tones may be secured from the plate.

13. In a sounding device of the character described, a support, a sounding member having an ofl'set end secured to said support, said support being formed with a handle adapted to be grasped by an operator, said sounding member being arranged in relation to the handle so that the operator grasping the handle may engage the free end of the sounding-member for flexing the same with the thumb or finger, and vibrating striking members arranged near the sounding member and adapted to strike said sounding member as the sounding member moves back and forth.

14. In a soundin device of the character described, a sounding member flexible for the purpose of varying its tone formed substantially wedge-shaped with a finger or thumb engaging end, and with an oifset portion at the opposite end for receiving a Support.

15. In a sounding device of the character described, a support, a sounding member provided witha section adapted to be secured to the support, a thumb engaging section, and a sounding section, said sounding section being adapted to be flexed by a move-- ment of the thumb engaging section, and means carried by the thumb engaging sec-- tion for striking the sounding section before and during the flexing action.

WILLIAM BARTHOLOMAE.

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