US2199818A - Trick device - Google Patents

Description

May 7, i940,

TRI CK DEVICE Filed Feb. 3, 1940 isa'iilii" Kcnnefh (SF/80k? I INVENTOR His ATTORNEY K. s. FRANKE I :2 199 ,8l8

object because of the ceal it in his hand or of Wood or the like Patented May 7, 1940 UNITED STATES TRICK DEVICE Kenneth S. Franke, New York,'N. Y. Application Feoruary' 3, 1940, Serial No. 317,045

6 Claims.

This invention relates to tricl: devices such as which a'coin-like'object can be made to vanish mysteriously.

- The primary object of the invention is to procan be used for the a demonstration and by means of which the coin-like-object can apparently be made to disappear while the device is being manipulated in close proximity to the viewer the performance is easily concealed.

In accordance with the invention, an object which may resemble a coin and preferably having the appearance of being formed of a nonmagnetic material such as copper or brass, is

placed on a table or able receptacle and outward appearance other support or in a suita block member having the of a solid homogeneous mass is placed over and in close proximity to the object. When the block is removed the coin-like object has mysteriously disappeared. The secret resides in the concealment of a small magnet in the block near one surface material which may be concealed in or under the coin-like object. The magnet attracts the magnetic material therein and causes it to adhere to the surface of the block. After removing the block the performer can easily slip the object therefrom and conpocket, unobserved by those viewing the performance.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the block showing the magnet concealed therein;

Figure 3 is an elevation of one edge of the block;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section taken on line 44 of Figure 2; while Figure 5 is a front perspective view showing the block after it has been removed from the receptacle with the coin-like object adhering to the lower side of the block.

Referring to the drawing, a receptacle l0 having an opening or indentation l2 in one sidethereof is adapted to hold an object H which perspective view illustrating one may be a plain disc or token or which may resemble a coin in outward appearance. The receptacle member Ill is formed of any non-magnetic material such a suitable plastic. I sired, be lined with felt or any other such material for the purpose of improving the appearance. An upper or block member I6 is also formed of non-magnetic material similar to that as wood, pressed paper or of the member HIv and may, as shown, beof the same general shape as the lower or receptacle member. The block I6 is provided with upper and lower' substantially parallel surfacw I 8 and respectively, and a hole 22 is formed in the block extending from one edge to a point beyond the center of the block. As will be observed with reference to Figures 3 and 4, the

hole 22 is formed nearer to the surface 20 than to the surface l8 for purposes which will be described hereinafter. A magnet 24 is disposed in the hole 22 at substantially the center of the block, and the remainder of the hole 22 is preferably filled with a plug 26 of non-magnetic material similar to the material from which the block I6 is formed. The outer end of the hole 22 and plug 26 may be covered with a suitable label 28 in order to conceal the fact that a hole. has been drilled in the block and that the block coniprises anything but a If desired, the object I may be formed entirely of magnetic material such as iron and, in fact, this object may comprise merely a small iron disc such as a washer. However, it is preferred that the object l4 present the outward appearance of being formed of a non-magnetic material such' as copper or brass in which case the lower side of the object may have a small amount of iron embodied therein or secured thereto as v in the form of a second disc. In this case, it is merely desirable that a person on viewing the object l4, either within the opening I2 of the receptacle ID or when placed on a table or other support, receive the impression that the object is formed of a material which could not be attracted by a magnet.

In operation, the object I4 is placed in the opening l2 of the receptacle l0 and the block member I6 is then placed upon the receptacle I0 with the surface 20 of the block resting against the receptacle. The object II will be attracted by the magnet 24 and will adhere to the surface 20 of the block l6 so lifted and removed, as is shown in Figure 5, the object l2 will also be removed therewith from the receptacle.

The opening l2 may.'i1' de-- solid homogeneous mass.

that when the block is After the performer removes l6 the block I! he can easily slip thecoin-like obiect ll from the under surface of the block and can conceal it in his hand or pocket after which the block, as well as the receptacle. may be passed around for examination by the viewers. The effect, therefore, is that in some mysterious manner the coin-like object ll has disappeared while being covered by the block il.

When the block it is placed on the receptacle ill with the surface It downward or adjacent the receptacle, the magnet 24 will not be sufllciently powerful to attract the object N so as to cause it that thesurface 20 is disappear, he again produces block is now adjacent to adhere to the surface l8, since the magnet is so disposed in the block that there is a greater thickness of the non-magnetic material f the block between the magnet and the surface I. than between the magnet and the surface 2|. By means of this feature additional effects can be produced. For instance, after the performer has caused the coin-like obiect ll seemingly to it or a similar obiect and places it once more in the opening l2 of the receptacle or on a suitable support. The performer then holding the block ll in his hand. turns it over while unobserved by the audience and then places the block ll so that the side it will be over and adjacent the object ll. He then either hands the entire device to one of the onlookers or, in the case where the object II is placed upon a table without the use of the receptacle, he merely requests the onlooker to make the object disappear. Since the surface it of the the object, the object will not adhere to the block and the onlooker will be unable to make the object disappear. The performer will then again take the block l6 and while unobserved by the onlookers reverses it so again downward. He then places the block over the object whereupon the latter will adhere to the block and seemingly disappear to theparticular amazement of the onlooker who has Just previo' ly endeavored to do the same trick without result.

As has been indicated in the foregoing. de scription, although it is preferred that the receptacle member In be used, it is understood that this member is not necessary, since the object ll can be laid upon and caused to disappear from any suitable surface such as the top of a table. Again, the block it may be formed in various other shapes and, as stated hereinbefore, may be made of any suitable non-magnetic material such as wood, cardboard, a plastic or the like.

Obviously many other modifications and variations of the invention as hereinbefore set forth may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A trick device comprising a block member having the outward appearance of a substantially unitary mass and having upper and lower surfaces, a coin-like object formed at least partially of magnetic material and means for causing said object to adhere to the under surface of said member comprising a magnet concealed in said block member in closer proximity to the under surface than to the upper surface.

2. A trick device comprising the object close proximity to a block-like cover arcane member, a coin-like object being formed on its normally upper side of a non-magnetic material and on its lower side of magnetic material, and a magnet concealed within said member, whereby, when said member'is placed over and in close proximity to the non-magnetic side of said-object, will adhere to the lower side of said member so that the object will be removed from its original position when the cover member is removed, thus providing the illusion that the object has disappeared.

3. A device for presenting-the illusion of causing a coin-like object to 'disappear comprising a member having the outward I appearance of a solid homogeneous mass, and a magnet concealed in said member closer to one side of said member than to the other side, said object being formed at least partially of magnetic material and said magnet being adapted to .attract and cause said object to adhere to said member when the side of said member nearer the 'magnet is placed in close proximity to said object; so that when said member is subsequently removed, the object will be removed therewith, while when the side of said member away from said magnet is placed in said object there will be insuiiicient magnetic attraction to cause the. object to adhere to the member. I v

, 4. A trick device comprising a block-like member having the outward appearance of a unitary mass, and provided with substantially parallel upper and lower sides, a magnet embedded and concealed in said member but closer to one of said sides than to the other, and a coin-like obiect formed at least partially of magnetic material and adapted to be covered by saidmember whereby when said member is'placed with one of said sides over and in close proximity to said object the object will closer to said object. a

5. A trick device comprising a member having the outward appearance of a unitary, homogeneous mass, a magnet concealed within said member, and an object adapted to be attracted to and to adhere to one surface of said member comprising a 1 relatively thin, wafer-like element formed atvleast partly of magnetic material, the arrangement being such that when said member is placed in close proximity to and over said object, the object will adhere to the lower side of the member whereupon, when 'the member is lifted and removed the illusion will be presented that the object has disappeared from its original resting place while covered by said member.

6. A device for presenting an illusion comprising a lower member having an indentation in one side adapted to hold a coin-like object or token at least a portion of which is formed of magnetic material, an upper member having the appearance of a solid block, and a magnet concealed within said uppermember, said upper member being adapted to restupon said lower member over said indentation containing said token and the magnet being adapted, when the upper member is lifted, to lift and remove said token from the lower member to give the effect that the tokendisappeared while the lower member was covered by the upper member:

S. FRANKE.

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