US2988848A - Noisemaking toys - Google Patents

Description

June 20, 1961 J. H. LEMELSON NOISEMAKING TOYS Original Filed Jan. 14, 1954 INVENTOR.

Jerome H.Lemelson United States This invention relates to a novel sound producing bellows structure which is especially adapted for use in providing noise making toys. This is a division of my application Serial Number 706,227, which was filed on December 12, 1957, for Noisemaking Toys, now abandoned, which was a division of application Serial Number 406,557 filed on January 14, 1954, for Crying Doll, now Patent 2,818,678.

The conventional air operated squawker or bellows noisemaking device used in toys, dolls and the like consists of an enclosure of cylindrical shape which is an assembly of a plurality of components. They comprise a sheet-like flexible side wall of rubberized cloth which is adhesively bonded to rigid disc-like end walls. A helical compression spring is required to maintain the bellows housing in an expanded state and to cause it to self expand after being compressed in an action which results in. the generation of the desired noise. Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved collapsible bellows noisemaking device the structure of which is such that its fabrication is substantially simplified over the conventional spring operated bellows noisemaker.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved bellows type of noisemaking device or toy which may be easily collapsed and expanded by a child and will create a noise as the result of the movement of air therethrough.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved noisemaking toy of the bellows type the major portion of which is made in a unitary construction by molding a flexible material such as rubber or plastic having a characteristic such that a bellows portion of the toy will normally maintain itself in a state of expansion yet is capable of being easily contracted or collapsed in the direction of the axis of the bellows from which state it will self resume its normal state thereafter.

Another object is to provide an improved unitary construction in a bellows which may be used as a portion or component of a toy for creating a noise, said bellows being fabricated in a manner requiring little manual assembly.

Still another object is to provide a bellows noisemaking device which is a singular molding and having a noisemaking device which is retained within the bellows portion of the device and is not easily removed therefrom.

Another object is to provide a bellows noisemaking device which may be easily secured to an actuating mechanism, or to a rigid portion of a toy employing said device to create a noise.

A further object of this invention is to provide a toy and a noisemaking device therefore which may be economically manufactured in mass quantities yet which is durable and safe even for infants to play with.

Briefly stated, the novel bellows noisemaking device of my invention comprises the combination of a unitary housing capable of expansion and contraction along a longitudinal axis thereof in a manner such that it will return to an expanded state after it has been contracted by application of force thereto, said housing being provided with an opening therein through which air will flow when said housing expands and contracts, and an air operative noisemaking device secured to a wall of said housing in a position whereby it will provide a sound when air passes through the opening in said housing in at least one direction. The device is useful per se as a noisemaking device or in conjunction with a toy such as a doll or squeeze toy, to provide such toy with a noise producing feature.

It may be seen, from a comparison of my novel air operated noisemaking device with the conventional air operated bellows noisemaking device, described above, my bellows noisemaking device possesses several important advantages thereover. Thus, my device eliminates the need for a spring mechanism required in the usual bellows noisemakers. Furthermore, the entire bellows, side wall, top and bottom in my device is of unitary construction thereby considerably simplifying the fabrication of the unit, and providing an enclosure the walls of which are unitary and void of seams and sealing or glued assemblies which may leak or be easily torn open in use.

The invention will be more fully understood by referring to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a bellows noisemaking device in a normal or extended condition and constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of a longitudinal crosssection of a modified form of the noisemaking device of FIGS. 1 and 2 shown in assembly with a further toy element and FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a fragment of another form of the invention.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the noisemaker 10 consists of a unitary housing 11 in the shape of a bellows having end walls 12 and 13 integrally formed with and extending from a central bellows portion 15 which may be collapsed and expanded longitudinally for causing a flow of air through an opening 14H in the end wall 13. Said end wall 13 is provided with a tubular extension 14 which projects into the interior volume 11 of the bellows or housing 11. The entire formation described including the central bellows portion, the end walls and the tubular formation is preferably made in a single molding operation of a suitable rubber or rubber-like plastic material such as polyvinyl chloride, which is capable of maintaining the housing in an expanded state such as illustrated in FIG. 1. Various known molding techniques may be employed to fabricate said bellows housing 11 without the need for post assembly of its portions.

The central or bellows portion 15 of the housing 11 consists of a plurality of circumferentially extending convolutions 16 each of which has respective side wall poi tions such as 1611 and 16b which join to and extend from similarly shaped wall formations adjacent both ends thereof.

A tubular vibrating reed noisemaking device 17 is shown engaged within the tubular portion 14 of the housing and may be frictionally secured or otherwise held therein. It is preferably secured so that it does not project beyond the outer surface of the end wall 13 of the bellows housing as illustrated.

In FIG. 3 a modified form of the bellows device of FIGS. 1 and 2 is provided and is designed for securing one end thereof to an actuator or toy element. The toy assembly comprises a molding 20 of flexible rubber-like material having a bellows portion 21 consisting of a plurality of circumferentially extending convolutions 22 and opposite end wall portions only one of which, 23, is illustrated which are formed integral with and extend from the end convolutions. The central portion ofthe end wall 23 is provided with an outwardly extending tubular formation 24 the exterior surface of which is frictionally secured to a rigid member 27 which may be part of a toy or toy mechanismQ The exterior surface of tubular projection 24 is threaded which threads engage and are retained by thread formations 25 in the wall 28'of member 27. A vibrating reed type of noisemaking device 17 is frictionally retained within the tubular member 24 and is effective in creating a noise when the bellows either expands or collapses. The central bore 29 through hollow toy member 27 communicates with the atmosphere through a bore or hole 29' in wall 23 permitting air to be admitted to and received from the bellows and the sound generated by air passing through unit 17 to be heard from the exterior of the assembly. The member 27 may thus be utilized in actuating the bellows and/or retaining it in assembly with a toy of which 27 may be a part.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a noisemaking assembly or toy 30 is illustrated comprising a bellows shaped body 31 having a central body portion 32 shaped with a plurality of circumferentially extending convolutions extending from end wall portions one of which 33 is illustrated. The interior volume 31 is totally enclosed save for an opening 33H in the end wall 33. A flat vibratable reed 36 is retained over the hole 33H in a manner to permit the passage of air therethrough when the bellows is expanded and collapsed and to produce a noise with the movement of air in at least one direction through 33H. The end wall 33 is illustrated as having a portion 34 which overhangs the general perifery of said wall and extends beyond the diameter defined by the convolutions 35. The reed 36 may be secured near its outer end to the overhang 34 by various means. If electronic or heated sealing dies are employed to effect an interfacial seal or weld S between said reed 36 and the wall of 31, the

overhang portion 34 will permit a pair of said dies to clampingly engage and effect the sealing of 36 to said bellows housing adjacent the opening 33H.

The assembly 30 of FIG. 4 requires but two fabricated components, the molding comprising the bellows housing 31 and the fiat reed member 36 whereas in FIGS. 1 to 3, the noisemaking device 17 consists itself of an assembly of at least two components. It is noted that the reed may also be secured between adjacent convolutions of the bellows housing.

I claim:

1. In the construction of an air operated noisemaker of new and improved design, the combination of:

(a) a housing having an internally molded bellows portion with thin flexible walls which is capable of cxpan- (b) said housing being made of a flexible rubber like material in a unitary construction which consists of end wall portions integrally molded with and extending from a plurality of side wall portions defining the walls of said bellows portion,

said side wall portions comprising a longitudinal array of convoluting sheet-like formations forming an irregular unitary circumscribing wall,

(d) each of said annular sheetlike formations extending from and integrally formed with respective pairs of adjacent convolutions save for the formations at each end of said array which extend to said end-wall portions,

(e) the material wall thickness and shape of said housing being such that, said convoluting side wall formations will normally maintain said housing in an expanded state capable of being axially contracted to reduce the interior volume of said bellows portion and will return said housing to said expanded state after it has been contracted when the forces applied thereto are removed, and

(1) an air operative noisemaking device secured to a wall of said housing in a position whereby it will provide a sound when air passes through the opening in said housing in at least one direction.

2. An air operated noisemaking device in accordance with claim 1, said opening in said housing being provided in one of the wall formations of said bellows portion, said noisemaking device secured to said housing to partly obstruct said opening while permitting air to pass therethrough for creating a noise when flowing at a predetermined velocity in at least one direction.

3. An air operated toy in accordance with claim 2, including a tubular portion of said housing with an opening therethrough communicating between the interior volume of said housing and the volume exterior thereof, said tubular portion being integrally molded with one of said end-wall portions, the passageway through said tubular portion comprising the opening in said housing; said noisemaking device being positioned within and held by the wall of said tubular portion of said housing.

4. An air operated toy in accordance with claim 3, said tubular portion of said housing being substantially cylindrical in shape and of smaller outside diameter than the diameter of the end-wall of said housing from which it extends.

5. An air operated toy in accordance with claim 5, said tubular portion of said housing projecting from the end wall portion from which it extends into said housing.

6. An air operated toy in accordance with claim 4, said tubular portion of said housing projecting outward from the end-wall portion from which it extends.

7. An air operated toy in accordance with claim 6, in eluding an actuator means for supporting one end of said housing and adapted for urging it to collapse and expand when said actuator means is moved in a direction toward; and away from said housing, said actuator means being secured to said tubular portion of said housing.

8. An air operated toy in accordance with claim 7, said actuator being in circumferential engagement with the wall of said tubular portion and having a passageway therethrough to the exterior of said actuator whereby air may pass therethrough and through the tubular portion from the atmosphere, when the housing is expanded and may flow in the reverse direction to the atmosphere when said housing is collapsed.

9. An action noisemaking toy comprising a hollow, flexible body of thermoplastic material molded in an integral unit having a first bellows body portion shaped with a plurality of circumferentially extending integrally molded convoluting wall portions, end wall portions of said body of different shape than said eonvolutions of said bellows body portion and integrally molded therewith, said end wall portions defining closure wall portions thereof, an air control means for said body for enabling the longitudinal collapsing of same with the removal of air from said body, said air control means including an opening in one of said end-wall portions; a noisemaking device secured across said opening for producing a noise when air flows thru said opening in at least one direction, the shape and characteristics of the material of said body being such that it will self-resume its normal shape subsequent to collapsing.

10. An air operated device in accordance with claim 2, including a tubular portion of said housing with an opening therethrough communicating between the interior volume of said housing and the volume exterior thereof,

said tubular portion being integrally molded with one of said end wall portions and protruding outward therefrom, the passageway through said tubular portion comprising the opening in said housing, the exterior surface of said tubular portion being secured in frictional assembly with a hollow toy element with the passageway through said tubular member communicating with the interior of said hollow toy element, and a further opening in the Wall of said hollow toy element through which air which is pressurized as the result of the collapsing of said housing may References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Adams July 23, 1918 Beach et a1. May 3, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS France Dec. 8, 1954 France Mar. 24, 1958 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATEv OF CORRECTION Patent Noa 2,988,,848 June 20 1961 Jerome H. Lemelson It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column l line 155 strike out now abandonedfl's Signed and sealed this 28rd day of October 1962,

l,( SEAL) Attest:

EERNEST W. SWIDER DAVID L. LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

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