US2672708A - Simulated explosive amusement device - Google Patents

Description

March 23, 1954 I 2,672,708

SIMULATED EXPLOSIVE AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Aug. 15, 1951 INVENTOR. EDOUARD M. SIRE ATTORNEY for various an explosive in a device children. Undoubtedly, passed to :discourage the :saleof such devices.

just as is a conventional .In furthering the illusion, provides an explosive report :nected to either tube Ill oritswrapper ll "through theaction of the noise r'makingi Patented Mar. 23, 1954 1 SIMULATED EEXPLOSIVE hMossMENT FDEVIOE Edouard M. Sire, NewYork, N. Y. Application 11112115515; 1951, SfiEEYNOJ-24L969 4 Claims. (01. 46-475) dispenses its contents upon the apparent explosion.

As far as I am aware explosive devices have been known wherein the operation dispensed ejdible objects or novelties such as is described in the instant application. 1' am further aware that containers have been known whichweffect a violent dispensation of thecontentsas by a spring action. However, such types of devices v as a have been-mentioned have not met with wide approval reasons. Probablya most compelling reasonhas beenthe dangerinvolved in employing which is attractive to many laws have been On the other hand, a device which does notincorporate some type of explosive efiect has far less appeal.

Bearing the foregoingin mind Lhavedev-ised anarticle which may take the appearanceoi a fire cracker aor a :1arge=candle and which is lit firecracker or candle. the device actually which, however, is completely harmless, the device containing no explosive material of-any sort. The device isso constructed that it falls apart simultaneously with the report and means are further. provided,

if desired, to eject a quantity of objects or noveltiessuch as candy drops or party favors.

The invention will further be understood-from the following description and drawings in'which:

Figure 1 isa longitudinal cross-sectional view of an article made a'ccordingto the instant-invention and'illustrating the lighting thereof;

Figure 21s a view similar toFigure-l but showing the eifect of theexplosive report and the consequent disassembly of the-article;

Figure 3 is a longitudinalcross-sectional-view taken alongithe lines 33of Figure 1;

Figure l is a topplan view of the device before use;

Figurefi is a bottom plan View partly broken away; and

Figure 6 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along the lines E--6 ofFigurel.

The article comprises a tubular container in having a thin decorative paper wrapper II. A cup 52 is disposed within the wrapper H and is seated atop tube It;

Wrapper it extends above cup 42 and below tube 10 so as to form upper and lower shoul- .ders. Against the upper shoulderformed by the top rim of cup 12 is disposed cap it which is'ipro vided-with an outer paper covering M. :A'gaihst the lowershoulder formed bythe lower edlge of tube H3 is provided base i having an .outeripaper wrapper l6. Cap [3 and base [5 areuncohcept V which will be hereinafter described. The tube 2 l-flxcup. 12 -a.nd rcap |3 maybe of cardboard material but the based5 'shouldbe-of a more solid material such as wood in order to provide a loud report as will be hereinafter made clear.

Within the cup, and extending therethrough, is a funnel-shaped' member H which rests mouth downward on the floor of cup I2. Such floor is provided-with an opening 1 8 whichiscovered by the mouth of the funnel H. The constricted end '19 of the ffunneli-s formed with a pair of diametricallyopposite shoulders 20 in order to support a part of the noise maker as will "behereinafter described. Surrounding the-funnel isa quantity of candy 2| such as fruit drops 01' other edible material.

The explosion or report producing member comprisesaspring member in the form of rubber band 22, oneendof whichembraces the base t5 byextending through :a bottom slot formed therein. Two iametri'cally opposite slots [5a are formed in the'base 15 in ordervto permit the band to embrace the base without protruding therefrom. 20f course, other types of spring members may be :used.

The rubber .band 22 has its other end connested to a striker 2'3which, for the. present purposes, takes the 'f0rm"of:a:meta1 piece having hook ends. 'I'helower hookend connects to the upper-end of band 22 while'the upper hook end hasa cord 24 tied thereto. Gord 24 is tied with a knot around pin 25 and continues so as to form a wick 26. Pin 25 is held in the top shoulders 20 ofvthe-funnel t! so asto-maintain the entirearticledn assembledrelationship. Pin 25 may be of thermoplasticrnaterial uch as cellulose acetatealthough itmay be-of wood as will hereinafter be described.

lt willbe noted-from the foreg'oingtha-t allthe elements of-the device are maintained assembled becausetheepin 25 is held at the to'pof-the funnel. This "has the'effect of pulling up'the base I5 through the action of the band 22 while further maintaining the cup t2 in place. The cap or 'cover tS has a central opening which maintains 'a --frict-iona1 :fit with the restricted end of ifunnelllsothat it-tooismaintained in position bythe actionof the taut rubberband. It will be understood that the rubberbandd! is stretched 'toza considcrable degree when in the position shown 'in :Figures 21 and 3.

A suggested way of 1 assembling the device is to tie 'the cord'24-to theupper'end of the striker, (hook the other :end of the striker around the rubber gband and ,z pull the =strike'r upwardly by the cord=:until itsupperhoolcrestswoverthe outer edgeof the restricted-portion of'the funnel. At this time, the cord can be tied with facility around the pin-25. Thestriker may then be released and permi-tted'to descenduntil the pin 25 fits in the shoulders -20. It is suggested to coat the wick 16 with ordinary tallowpr candle wax so that :it.wi1l suppoiticdequate coinbustionwaswill hereinafter be described. However, the wick may be impermeated with so-called sparkler material as used in pyrotechnic devices such as sparklers or fire crackers.

The device will then be assembled as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3. It thus has the appearance of a conventional fire cracker. In using the device, one applies a match to the wick 26 so as to cause it to burn down to the pin 25. As soon as it burns down to the pin, the pin softens and bends through the effect of the heat and is thus released from the shoulders 20. This releases the cord 24 from its anchored position and the striker 23 descends with great force through the contraction of theresilient band 22 and strikes the base [5 a resounding blow. Of course, the user or any spectators may have no knowledge that the report is percussive rather than explosive. The report is particularly violent if the device is disposed on a hard surface.

The action of the noise maker is further such as to effect disassembly of substantially the entire device. Thus, the funnel 11 together with cap l3, having been held only in the cup l2 by the action of the noise maker, tends to fly outwardly together with the contents 2| of the cup. At the same time, the base 15 falls away. It will be understood that the funnel shape of member I! is instrumental in ejecting the candy objects 2| as the funnel is caused to fly outwardly. The funnel I! does not fly outwardly to a great distance, but, probably due to the resilient inherency of cardboard cup 12, it is cocked by the rubber band 22 and tends to fly outwardly when the band is released through the action described.

It will be understood from the foregoing that a device is provided which looks and is operated just as is a fire cracker or a candle which may find use in parties or gatherings. Its operation is accompanied by an explosive report. Such report effectively disassembles the device thus amplifying the effect of the explosion. However, notwithstanding the realism and amusement value of the device, it involves no danger in its operation.

Pin 25 may also be of wood or the like since it has been found that a wooden pin burns satisfactorily and consumesthe knot so as to release the cord from the pin and achieve the desired report.

It will be further understood that the body, cap and base may be of plastic material instead of cardboard, paper or wood as described save that such substitution may increase the expense of the device.

What is claimed is:

1. An article of the character described comprising a tubular, hollow body, a base enclosing one end of said body, a spring member anchored to said base, a striker connected to said spring member, a cord connected to said striker, anchorage means on said cord for maintaining it in an upward position so that the striker is also maintained upwardly and the spring member is maintained in an extended position, said cord extending past said anchorage means so as to serve as a wick, burning of said wick destroying said anchorage means to release the cord and contract the spring member so that the striker descends forcefully to strike said base.

2. An article according to claim 1 and wherein said anchorage means comprises a knot tied in said cord, a thermoplastic pin around which the knot is tied, said pin being normally straight and supported adjacent the upper end of the body, heating of said pin softening it and causing it to collapse from its support so as to release said cord, said spring member being an endless rubber band and said striker being a metal object having two hooked ends, one of said ends embracing the rubber band and the other hooked end having said cord tied thereto, said cap and base being held to said body by the action of the extended or taut rubber band whereby the contraction thereof releases the cap and base from the body.

3. An article of the character described comprising a hollow body, a resiliently expansive and contractable member anchored at one portion thereof adjacent one end of said body, a striker connected to an opposite portion of said memher, and holding means connected to said striker for maintaining said member in expanded condition, said holding means including a heat responsive member which is anchored at the other end of said body, said heat responsive member being responsive to heat applied thereto for releasing said holding means from its anchored position at said other end of the body so as to release said striker and cause it to be forcefully propelled by said member toward said one end of said body, and a sounding member maintained Within said body at said one end thereof so as to be in the path of movement of said striker when it is propelled upon the release of said holding means.

4. An article of the character described comprising a tubular hollow body, a resiliently expansive and contractible member normally maintained taut in said body, a striker connected to said member for maintaining it taut, a cord connected to said striker and pulling it upwardly in maintaining said member taut, said cord being anchored adjacent the upper end of said body, said cord extending further than the anchorage thereof, said cord being combustible whereby lighting of said further extending end burns said anchorage so as to release said striker and effect a violent downward propulsion thereof by said member, a base for said body which is embraced by said member and which is struck by said striker when it is downwardly propelled, said member comprising an elastic rubber band, said base being formed with a groove into which said band is received, said striker being of metal, a pin about which said cord is tied to form its anchorage, a cup in the upper part of said body said cup being formed with a shoulder for holding said pin and maintaining it in an upper position against the action of said rubber band, said cup being formed with a central opening in its floor through which said cord extends, an inverted funnel member disposed with its mouth over said opening, said cup being filled with contents to be dispensed and disposed around said funnel member.

EDOUARD M. SIRE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,522,060 'Ridland Sept. 12, 1950

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