US2833174A - Toy musical instrument - Google Patents

Description

May 6, 1958 W. D. NONNAMAKER ETAL TOY MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed July 11, 1955 FIG.

. INVEN TOR.

Wuum D. NONNAMAKER WILLIAM M. NONNAHAKER & BY LLOYD O. LoHAus ATTORNEY United States Patent TOY MUSICA L INSTRUMENT William D. Nonnamaker, Akron, William M. Nonnarggirer, -Cuyahoga Falls, and Lloyd 0. Lohaus, Akron,

Application July 11, 1955, Serial No. 521,242

*7.Claims. -(Cl. 84-.93)

This invention relates to a toy foramusement, and in particular relates to a wind-operated toy musical instrument.

An object of the invention is to provide a wind-operated toy of the character described including improvedmeans by which tunes may be played bya small child in simulation of full-sized wind instruments, without necessarily requiring musical .skill.

Another object of. the,invention.isutoprovide .a: toy of the character described.wherein,:.ditferent tuneskmay be played by changing. a. removable ,disc.

Other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following brief description and the accompanying drawings.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a toy musical instrument embodying the features of the invention, the same being partly broken away and in section.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section, taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-section, taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Referring to the toy shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the numeral 37 designates a hollow body of plastic or metal, the same being generally disc-shaped to simulate a socalled flying saucer. A bottom wall or member 38 of the body is generally fiat, rotatably to support a perforated tune sheet or disc 39, between wall 38 and the upper portion or member of the body 37. The disc 39, which is of relatively stiff but flexible material such as metal, plastic, cardboard, or the like, may be inserted within the body through a slot 40 around the rearward side edge thereof, opposite to a relatively small mouthpiece 41 formed at the forward edge of the body, and the disc may be rotatably retained in position by a spring-pressed pin 42 pro vided with a reduced end 43 which extends through a central hole 44 in the disc. By lifting the pin 42 to release the reduced end thereof from the disc,: the latter may be removed from the body through slot 40 as for replacement by another disc for a different tune.

Connecting the mouthpiece 41, at the undersideof the body 37 may be a conduit or air-manifold 45 which opens upwardly to overlie radially spaced air inlets 46, 46 of a harmonica 47 built into the upper portion of the body, passage of air, however, being blocked by the disc except through corresponding apertures 48, 48 therein.

Disc 39 is provided with peripherally and radially spaced tune-producing apertures 48, 48 therethrough, adapted upon progressively rotating the disc, to present various said apertures 48, 48 in predetermined alignment with corresponding air inlets 46 in the harmonica, to play given notes on the harmonica upon air being blown through the conduit 45 from the mouthpiece end of the horn body.

Suitable means may be provided for indexing the disc to present the apertures 48 thereof to the harmonica inlets 46. For example, the disc may have peripherally spaced teeth 49, 49 formed in the edge thereof, in the 2,833,174 Patented May 6, 1958 manner of a ratchet wheel, for yielding engagement by the free end of a pawl 5.0, in the nature of a leaf spring 'whichextends through an opening 37a in the wall of body 37, the other end ofthe spring being attached to the body. The spring may be suitably shaped to provide a straight portion 50a adjacent thepoint of attachment to the body and a reversely bent portion forming a fingereng aging protuberance 50b, said straight portion normally .being at a predetermined angle to the adjacent wall of 'thebody to limit'inward movement of the spring forv pre- 'ment of the disc may be accomplished against. theyielding pressure of a flat leafspringQSl, mounted onthe body to have av free end thereof engaging theteethof wheel 50, which also serves to prevent reverse rotation of the disc.

In operation or use of the toy, 'the child, whilesjholding the same in horizontalpo'sitionand with the .mouthpiecc14l in the'mouth, repeatedly depressestfthe spring pawl; 50, progressively to turn the disc ,3g9jtooth-by-jtooth, 25

in-rhythmically timed sequence, to present dilferent apertures 48 of the disc in alignment with corresponding air inlets 46 of harmonica 47, while simultaneously blowing either continuous or successive blasts of air through the air conduit 45. The result will be to produce sounds on the harmonica corresponding to a given melody, according to predetermined arrangement of the disc apertures 48.

Thus, by means of the invention shown a small child, who otherwise could not play a musical instrument, may produce melodic sounds which are both amusing and pleasing. The device is adapted to teach the child the value of musical sounds, as well as a sense of rhythm or timing necessary to produce a given melody.

Modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A musical instrument of the type having a toneproducing means and a movable tune sheet, comprising a pair of members having opposed faces and an apertured tune sheet between said faces, a wind blown tone-producing instrument on one of said members having tone holes therefrom extending to cooperative association with said apertured tune sheet at one side thereof, an air manifold on the other of said members in cooperative relation with said instrument, and a tune sheet indexing means on at least one of said members and having cooperative engagement with an edge portion of said tune sheet, whereby said tune sheet may be sequentially advanced predetermined distances to present sequential apertures of said tune sheet to said tone holes.

2. A musical instrument of the type having a toneproducing means and a movable tune sheet, comprising a body provided with a pair of members having an apertured tune sheet rotatably mounted between them,.,sa id' tune sheet having spaced edge portions, a wind blown tone-producing instrument on one of said members having tone holes therefrom extending to cooperative association with said apertured tune sheet at one side thereof, an air manifold on the other said member in cooperative relation with said instrument, atune sheet indexing means on said body and having cooperative engagement with successive said edge portions of said tune sheet, whereby said tune sheet may be sequentially advanced predetermined distances to present sequential apertures of said tune sheet to said tone holes.

3. A musical instrument of the type having a toneproducing means and a movable tune sheet, comprising a body provided with a pair of members having an apextured tune sheet rotatably mounted between them, said tune sheet having peripherally spaced edge portions thereon, a wind blown tone-producing instrument on one of said members having tone holes therefrom extendin gito cooperative association with said apertured tune sheet at one side thereof, an air manifold on the other said member in cooperative relation with said instrument, and a tune sheet indexing means on said body and having an element for cooperative engagement with. peripherally successive said edge portions of said tune sheet, whereby said tune sheet may be sequentially advanced predetermined equal distances to present sequential apertures of said tune sheet to said tone holes. I

4. A musical instrument of the type having a toneproducing means and a movable tune sheet, comprising a body provided with a pair of members having an apertured circular tune sheet rotatably mounted between them, 1

said tune sheet having peripherally spaced teeth in the outer edge thereof, a wind blown tone-producing instrument on one of said members having tone holes therefrom extending to cooperative association with said apertured tune sheet atone side thereof, an air manifold on said body at the other side of said tune sheet in cooperative relation with said instrument, and a tune sheet indexing means on said body, including a spring-pressed element having a free end engageable between adjacent said teeth of the tune sheet, whereby with successive depression -ofsaid element, said tune sheet may be sequentially ad 7 vanced predetermined equal distances to present sequential apertures of said tune sheet to said tone holes.

5. A musical instrument, as set forth in claim 4, said spring-pressed element being a leaf spring secured at one end to said body and reversely bent to present an opposite free end thereof toward cooperative relation to toothed edge of the tune sheet, and means being provided for limiting the amount of yielding depression of said element in proportion to said distances of advancement of the tune sheet.

- 6. A musical instrument, as set forth in claim 2, including spring-pressed releasable means for removably and rotatably mounting said tune sheet between said pair of members.

7. A musical instrument, as set forthin claim 2, means being provided to prevent reverse rotation of said tune sheet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 329,420 Wier Oct. 27, 1885 2,506,039 Sivitz T May 2, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 50,531 Germany Jan. 24, 1890 73,930 Germany Mar. 14, 1894 100,651 Germany Dec. 31, 1898 278,340 Germany Sept. 26, 1914

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