US1756175A - Illusory travel-scope - Google Patents

Description

April 29, 1930. g Y 1,756,175

ILLUSORY TRAVEL SCOPE Filed June 1, 192'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY April 29,1930. J g. BOYD 1,756,175

' ILLUSORY TRAVEL SCOPE Filed June 1, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

I A TTORNEY Patented Apr. 29, 1930 'NiTED TAT JOHN G. BOYD, or OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA ILLUSORY TRAV L-scorn Applicationfiled Junebl, i92 7Qseria1 no. 195,607.

Other and ancillary objects of'myinvention will be suggested in the following description and in the use of the device of my invention. Certain of the objects or certain portions or combinations of the objects of my invention may be attained wlth the use of less than all its advantageous features, or with modifications within its purview. It is petitioned thcrefore,that my invention be limited only by the claims constituting 1ts final determination.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of the device of my invention with the major portion of its top cover broken away. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device with its front sidecompletely removech Fig. 3 is a mid-sectional i. and enlarged plan of the device, the plane of section being indicated by a line 33 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged detailed vertical transverse section of the device showing the paddle-whee1 therein uncovered, the plane of section being indicated by lines 44 in Figs. 1,2, and 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged right-end elevation of the device of Fig. 1 with its right-end wall cut away, the incidence of the illustration being indicated by i a line 55 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a similar left- :eBnd elevation as indicated by a line66 in The device of my invention is termed a travel-illusion-scope because of its ability to convey the illusion of travel. The travelscope is housed in a substantially rectangular box 1 of wood, metal, or other suitable material, formed by a bottom wall 2, topwall 3,

'28, 29, into the left-hand endofthe tank 23. The pump draws its watersupply right-end wall 4, left-end wall 5, back wall 6,; and blackened bordering panel 7 forming "an open-front wall.

' A miniature representation of a vehicle,

in this case a boat, is painted on a boatshaped board 8 suspended vertically in the foreground or front part of the box 1. The 1 background is painted on a long endless screen 9 carried over a plurality of vertical rollers 10,11, 12,13, 14, 15, and 16, at'oppo- 1 site ends of the box 1, and which are journaled in the bottom and top walls of the'box. Means are provided for drivingthe screen 9 backwards to give the illusion of forward motion to the boat. One of the rollers 13 has a long shaft extending up through the top wall of the box and terminating in a belt pulley 17 driven by a belt 18 from a speedreducing gear 20 connected to an electric motor 21 supported on top of the box 1. The foreground is formed by a body of water 22 in an open-topped water tank'23 extending longitudinally of the box 1 beneath the boat 8 so that the bottom of the boat is immersed in water to give a realistic representation. I I e V A paddle wheel 24, is supported in appropriate position on the boat 8 by a paddlewheel shaft 25 (see Fig. 4). may be rotated onthe shaft by an endless $0 The wheel'24 conveyor-type belt or rollers in the tank '23,

or by gearing from in back of the boat 8. Special means of particularaptness are however, provided for rotating the paddle wheel, and this scribed. p Y

A motor-driven centrifugalpump unit 26-26 is mounted on a block27 onthe base of the box 1 at the right-hand end thereof, and has its outlet connected'through pipes water from the right-hand end of the water tank through'a pipe 30. Thus a current of water is set up from left to right in the water tank, 95 and this current is effective to; rotate the paddle-wheel. A small by-pass '31 inthe pressure pipe 28, extends out through the boat Sand terminates above the paddle wheel 24 and under the paddlewheel cover 32.

came, '1 e preferred means willnow be de- V fine stream of Water is discharged against the paddle wheel to speed its motion and to produce a realistic spray therefrom.

The current of Water set up by the pump produces two other valuable effects. The agitation simulates the Waves in an ocean or ripples in a lake or river, and may be determined at will by the character'of opening at the outlet of the pipe 30. The current of Water moving from front to rear oftlie boat,

' completes the illusion. of boat motion soperfectly that the eye is attracted and held by the illusory effect. 4

lVhile designed primarily as an advertising device for vividly portraying all the effects of travel by ,watenthe device of my invention is more broadly applicable; one specific suggestion of another application being I thatit be employed in enlarged form as a setting for motion picture scenes. plicability to producing the effect of travel by air is obvious; it being then necessary to use ablower to circulate the air instead of a pump to circulate Water.

Having described only one embodiment, I v I claimv asmy mvention:

' 1., In an illusory=travel scope, a tank, a body of liquidin said tank, a representation ofaboatfixedly disposed to extend from said liquid, it IOtittttblflPflddlB-Whfil for the boat,

and means for moving the body of liquid 7 along said boat and against said paddle- Wheel'for. effecting a rotation of the Wheel to thereby produce the illusion of boat motion.

2.111 an illusory-travel-scope, a tank, a body of liquid in said tank, a representation of a boat fixed in said liquid, a rotatable paddle-Wheel for the boat, and means for circulating said liquid against said paddle- Wheel to eifect the rotation thereof.

3. Ina device of the class described, a body of; liquid, a, representation of a Water borne object of travel fixed in said liquid, a rotatable propellingmeans for the object, and means for circulating saidliquid along the boat, and against the propelling means for operating the latter to thereby produce the illusion: ofv boat motion produced by said means.

4. In a device of the class described, a miniature representation of a fluid borne object of travel fixedly disposed in the appropriate fluid therefor and arranged to be viewed from an: external point at a side there of, a movable panoramic. background there: for, means for movingsaid' background, a fluid operable propeller on said representation, and means for imparting motion tosaid fluid to operate saidvpropelier for cooperation withsaid panorama to indicate self-prm pulslon of said representation, c In testimony whereof, .I aflixmy signature.

JOHN G BOYDP

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