US3514894A - Educational toy - Google Patents

Description

June 2, 1970 F. NOVAK 3,514,894

EDUCATIONAL TOY Filed Sept. 14, 1967 INVENTOR. FEE/UK L. NUVIK HTTOR/UE) United States Patent 3,514,894 EDUCATIONAL TOY Frank L. Novak, 5308 Madison St., Hollywood, Fla. 33020 Filed Sept. 14, 1967, SenNo. 667,808 Int. Cl. A6311 33/00 U.S. Cl. 46-1 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An educational toy which includes a housing and a slide traversing the interior of the housing. The slide is provided with an intermediate ledge of about zero slope so that a first disk on the ledge is responsive to an impact by a second similarly sized disk gliding down the slide to dislodge the first disk from the ledge. The second disk replaces the first disk and remains on the ledge.

This invention has as an object to provide an educational toy and amusement device which is useful in illustrating principles of physics, including gravity forces, friction forces, momentum transfer, and the principles of the inclined plane.

It is another object of this invention to provide an inexpensive device for illustrating the aforesaid principles which includes a housing with a slide of a negative slope through the housing, with a portion of the slide at all times exterior of the housing at the upper and lower ends thereof; the slide path merges and blends with a ledge intermediate the length of the slide which is of a slope of about zero or slightly positive so that a coin placed on the slide will under the influence of gravity glide to a position of rest on the terminal portion of the shelf, where on impact by a similar coin, it is adapted to be knocked from the ledge to drop to the main plane of the slide for completion of its slide path through the housing, with the impacting coin remaining on the ledge or tongue.

It is another object of this invention to provide a device to create magical illusions, when the housing is not of transparent material, so that, when one coin, such as a shiny coin, is deposited on the slide and allowed to travel to the position of rest on the ledge, a second, less shiny coin may be deposited to travel down the slide to impact and dislodge the trailing edge of the first coin, whereby it appears that a change has taken place in the appearance of the second coin on its passage through the housing.

It is another object of this invention to provide a device of the type described which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and which may be constructed from a planar piece or panel by cutting pieces and folding them along predetermined cut and fold lines for assembly in the manner described hereinafter.

It is another object of this invention to provide a housing having a slide extending diagonally through the housing with a planar slide surface which merges and blends with a generally horizontal ledge intermediate the length thereof, so that an object positioned on the ledge is adapted to be knocked from the ledge by a planar object moving down the slide through a transfer of momentum which ocours with the impact on the ledge to illustrate Ne-Wtons Third Law of Motion that for every action there is an equal and contrary reaction.

In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the instant device and illustrating a disk shaped object sliding downwardly on the slide;

3,514,894 Patented June 2, 1970 FIG. 2 is a view in cross section taken along the plane indicated by the arrowed line 22 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows and illustrating the disk shaped device in a stationary position intermediate the slide length;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2 and illustrating the disk shaped device of FIG. 1 being ejected from the slide and its position as shown in FIG. 2 having been assumed by another disk shaped device, there having been a transfer of energy by reason of an impact as explained hereinafter;

FIG. 4 is a partial view taken along the plane indicated by the arrowed line 4-4 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a view taken along the plane indicated by the line 55 of FIG. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a box of pasteboard material and illustrating the elements of the instant device as shown in the planar form and before being cut and folded into the configuration described hereafter.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views, and referring particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown the frame of a housing 12 which, in the embodiment shown, comprises a top panel 14 and depending side panels 16, 18, 20 and 22 folded out of the plane of the top panel and extending a common direction with the panels being secured along their respective adjacent edges 24, 26, 28 and 30 to define upright frame elements. In a pair of opposing side panels, such as 18 and 22, an opening is provided, an upper opening 32 in one of the panels and a lower opening 34 in the other of the panels. These openings 32 and 34 are configured and sized so as to receive a slide member 36 which includes a slide surface 38 and opposite, longitudinally-extending guide rails 40 and 42. The slide 36 is of a length such that when in the negative slope indicated in FIG. 2, it is adapted to span the interior 44 of the frame with a receiving chute portion 46 extending from the upper opening 32 and an ejection chute portion 48 extending from the lower opening 34. Intermediate the length of the slide and within that intermediate portion 50 which diagonally spans the distance between the openings 32 and 34, a flap or tongue 52 is secured, the said tongue sloping to a slightly horizontally-disposed terminal end portion 54. An underlying angle-shaped support 56 may be provided beneath the terminal end portion 54 to maintain the same in the position shown in FIG. 2. Thin tape means, such as that indicated by the strips 58 and 60, are employed to secure the tongue 52 and the support in the position shown in FIG. 2. Each of the guide rails 40 and 42 are provided with an extending shield portion 62 and 64 arranged about the terminal end portion 54 for a purpose which will become apparent in the following paragraph.

The operation of the device is as follows: First, it is seeded by placing a planar object, such as the coin 66, on the terminal portion 54 of the ledge as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. This is done, for instance, by tipping the slide so as to reduce the incline of the slide path so that the coin comes to rest at the desired aforementioned location. Thereafter, as will be seen on reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, when a second coin 72 is inserted and allowed to slide to the flap portion or tongue or ledge, it will impact upon the first coin 66, transferring its momentum to the seeded, first coin as the leading edge 74 impacts upon the trailing edge 76 of the seeded coin with sufficient force so that the first coin is driven from the perch position shown in FIG. 5 to drop to the main plane of the slide and pass through and out the ejection chute portion 48. The planar object, represented by the coins in the drawings, is preferably of a maximum lateral dimension about the same as that of the slide path and at least greater than onehalf of the lateral dimension. Adjustment means are pro vided to orient the attitude of the terminal end portion '54 to achieve a point of impact between the trailing edge of a seeded coin on the ledge and the leading edge of another impacting coin such that a transfer of momentum will occur and the seeded coin will be driven off of the ledge to be replaced by the impacting coin. It will be seen that the foot end 70 of the support 56 comprises an adjustment means and that by flexing the foot end 70 soas to alter the included angle between the main plane of the support and that of the foot end, the position of the terminal end portion 54 of the ledge may be modified. Additionally, the arcuate portion 68 of the ledge merges and blends with the main plane of the slide and some degree of adjustment of this are may be perfected to slightly modify and adjust the point of impact, depending upon the size of coins which are involved, for instance, a dime and a nickel. The shields 62 and 64 serve the dual function of guiding a coin to be ejected so that the flight due to the impact will be guided to flight above the lower portion of the slide path and with the side surface 78 of the shield acting as a stop for locating the slide as well as the terminal end portion within the interior of the frame. It will be seen that numerous important object lessons in physics and natural sciences may be learned from an observation through the frame of the aforesaid operation, including transfer of momentum, principles of dynamics, friction, gravity phenomena and the like. In addition, if the frame is closed as by cardboard panels 16, 18, and 22, as well as a closed roof 14, the device may be used to create magical illusion; for instance, by dropping a shiny penny into the receiving chute and then later dropping a dull penny into the chute with the illusion being created that passage through the box causes the penny to become shiny, since the shiny penny is the one which is ejected by the impact.

On reference to FIG. 6, it will be seen that the structure of the device may be provided on a cardboard panel 80 of a cardboard box 82, such as a cereal box, with the frame or housing being indicated by the lines 84 which are to be cut and the fold lines 86. The same is true for the cut lines 88 and fold lines 90 of the slide, flap and support. Means comprising the tongue 92 and slot 94 on the panel edges may be provided for interconnecting the adjacent sides of the panels, or, alternatively, adhesive strip means 96 or the like may be provided as indicated along the edge of the frame. Alternatively, as shown by the dotted lines indicated, a flap 98 may be provided on the adjacent edges of the side panels to provide a flap type connection for glue or staples to the adjacent interior face of the panel. Suitable advertising copy may be employed on the top surface or roof 14 of the housing in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 as well as on any of the side panels. The preferred dimensions are such that the frame is of cube form with the span of the sides being in the order of six inches and in which case the support surface of the openings or holes 32 and 34 in which the chute or slide is passed are respectively one and one-fourth inches from the top edge 100 and bottom edge 102. The preferred material for the construction of the slide and the frame is semirigid, such as pasteboard; however, transparent side panels may be employed being suitably fastened together along their adjacent edges by frame members with the top either being removed or of transparent material. In all constructions, it is preferred that the bottom be open as indicated by the numeral 104 to accommodate the positioning of the slide in the openings, a partial floor being preferred and defined by a distalmost flap portion 106 on eachof the side panels which may or may not be closed by a cover plate which is not shown; and the flap 52 extends completely across the width of the slide as seen in plan.

4 What is claimed is: 1. An educational toy including, a frame and a slide, in combination:

said frame comprising an opaque container and including a first support side with a support surface at a first level and a second support side opposite said first support side having a support surface lower than said first level, said slide comprising a planar slide surface, said slide being supported in spanning relation of said support surfaces at a negative slope with respect to horizontal;

guide means along the opposite longitudinal edges of said slide surface, said slide including a ledge means positioned within said opaque container and extending substantially across the slide surface between the slide supports and outwardly at a slope which is about horizontal;

whereby a planar object in a state of rest on the ledge is adapted to be impacted upon a similar planar object which slides down the slide to transfer the momentum and knock the planar object from the ledge with the opaque container concealing the transfer of momentum 2. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first and second support sides each include an opening and the support surface comprises the lower boundary of the opening and said slide includes an exit chute extending outwardly of the lower opening.

3. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein adjustment means are provided on said slide to cooperate with the terminal portion of said ledge to adjust the attitude of the terminal portion of said ledge with respect to the horizontal plane.

4. The device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said adjustment means comprises a member extending upwardly from the slide surface beneath said ledge and connected to a portion overlaying said slide surface, said member and portion being interconnected at a hinge line whereby the member may be flexed to raise and lower the level of the distal end of the member.

5. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said guide means includes a shield extending outwardly on either side of said ledge to guide flight of a planar object knocked from the ledge to a path above the plane of the slide surface as seen in plan.

6. The device as set forth in claim 5 whichincludes means on the slide to abut said frame and to hold the slide in a predetermined position.

7. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said frame includes a plurality of opaque side panels and a roof of opaque material to conceal a transfer of momentum between a planar object in a state of rest on the ledge and an impacting planar object caused to slide down the slide surface.

8. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the side panels define an open mouthed frame bottom whereby the slide is accessible therethrough.

9. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein means are provided to interconnect the panels and roof in said frame-defining relation.

10. The device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said frame, said slide and guide means, and said ledge, are each composed of a piece of planar material severed from a sheet along. the boundary of said pieces.

I References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,577,309 12/1951 Carwile 46-1 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner E. K-RAUSE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 2728

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