US3377738A - Toy - Google Patents

Description

April 1968 A. GOODRUM, JR 3,377,738

TOY

Filed Dec. 15, 1965 INVENTOR Leo Allen Goodrum,dr.

ATTORNEY United States Patent Oflice 3,377,738 Patented Apr. 16, 1968 Filed Dec. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 514,091 2 Claims. (Cl. 461) This invention relates to a simple toy or game device for small children who enjoy games of make believe.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and harmless toy or game device for the amusement of small children, as when traveling by automobile.

The game device of the invention includes a rectangular piece of transparent plastic flexible sheet material having an affinity for glass and which will adhere to the inside of an automobile window, for example, and having a representation of a gun sight, bomb sight, or the like, and of an instrument panel, thereon.

A smaller piece of like plastic flexible sheet material, shaped as hereinafter described, is secured to one side of the first piece by heat sealing around its peripheral edges to form a fully enclosed, fluid tight pocket, and a body of colored liquid is received in the pocket.

An elongated intermediate portion of the pocket, which is generally tubular, may simulate the upstanding front sight on a gun barrel, for example. A bulbous end portion of the pocket, which may be positioned lowermost, may be compressed whereby the colored liquid is caused to rise in the tubular intermediate portion and to appear in the opposite end portion of the pocket, which is enlarged and is shaped to simulate an explosion pattern. The enlarged upper end portion of the pocket, which unlike the remainder of the pocket is transparent, is posi tioned centrally of the simulated gun sight.

In use the game device of the invention may be applied to the inside of an automobile window, for example, with the pocket containing the body of colored liquid facing inwardly, and the small operator will proceed to endow the device with all manner of capabilities, as limited only by such images as he may be able to conjure up, which of course approaches the infinite.

Plike (meaning play like) this is the most powerful gun in the whole world, he may suggest to an equally enthusiastic companion; or Plike this is a homing missile with a nuclear war head; or Plike this is a ray gun that projects a laser beam.

Having declared the name of the game, the operator will carefully draw an imaginary bead on a selected target, and then at the optimum moment, when the device is on target and the chances for a kill are judged to be best, he Will press the button comprising the bulbous end portion of the pocket and unleash the whole fury of the device. The body of colored liquid will be displaced from the bulbous end portion of the pocket and will appear in the enlarged opposite end portion thereof, in a simulated explosion pattern positioned centrally of the simulated gun sight or bomb sight, as the case may be, and in alignment with the target, with improvised sound effects as desired.

Upon releasing the pressure applied to the bulbous lower end portion of the pocket, the colored liquid will drain from the transparent, enlarged upper end portion of the pocket, which is shaped to simulate an explosion pattern, as described, and the device may be fired again immediately, as rapidly and as often as desired.

The toy or game device of the invention is adapted to be rolled up, and may be stored in a small space when not in use.

The invention will be readily understood by referring to the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. I is an elevational view showing a game device embodying the invention as applied to the inside of an automobile window, shown fragmentarily;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, showing the body of colored liquid received in the bulbous lower end portion of the pocket; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing in their detached positions the two pieces of plastic flexible sheet material which form between them the fully enclosed, fluid tight pocket having the body of colored liquid received therein.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates generally an automobile window, shown fragmentarily in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the numeral 2 indicates generally a toy or game device embodying the invention, one side of which is shown in FIG. 1, which as shown is applied to the inside of the automobile window 1.

The toy or game device 2 includes a rectangular piece of transparent plastic flexible sheet material 3 having an aflinity for glass and which will adhere to the inside of the automobile window 1, and having a representation of a gun sight, bomb sight, or the like, indicated by the numeral 4, and a representation of an instrument panel 5, thereon.

The transparent plastic flexible sheet material 3 advantageously may comprise a selected material characterized by its toughness and its tensile strength and which is resistant to puncture as well as tearing, although it may be readily cut, as in forming the device.

A smaller piece of like plastic flexible sheet material 6, shaped as hereinafter described, is secured to one side of the first piece 3 by heat sealing around its peripheral edges, as at 7, to form a fully enclosed, fluid tight pocket 8, and a body of colored liquid 9 is received in the pocket 8.

An elongated intermediate portion 10 of the pocket 8, which is generally tubular, may simulate the upstanding front sight on a gun barrel, for example. A bulbous end portion 11 of the pocket 8, which may be positioned lowermost, normally has a major portion of the body of colored liquid 9 received therein. The pocket 8 has an end portion 12 opposite the end portion 11 which is enlarged and is shaped to simulate an explosion pattern. The enlarged upper end portion 12 of the pocket 8 is positioned centrally of the simulated gun sight or bomb sight 4.

The portion of the smaller piece of plastic flexible sheet material 6 which corresponds to the enlarged upper end portion 12 of the pocket 8, unlike the remainder of said piece, is transparent, and the arrangement is such that upon compressing the bulbous end portion 11 of the pocket 8 the colored liquid 9 is caused to rise in the tubular intermediate portion 10 and to appear in the enlarged upper end portion 12, which is shaped to simulate an explosion pattern, as described, and is positioned centrally of the simulated gun sight, bomb sight, or the like 4, where it is visible.

Obviously the device of the invention has no moving parts except the flexible, bulbous end portion 10 of the pocket 8 and the body of colored liquid 9, and aiming and sighting of the device preparatory to firing it is accomplished only by movement of the automobile relative to a selected target.

While the invention is simple it is nevertheless new and useful, and is believed to have real sales appeal from the standpoint of the small operator for whom it is intended. But whatever claim of greatness the invention may have, it is great only because said operator, who is indeed great notwithstanding his small size, has so endowed it. Because of him the game of make believe is big business.

The invention may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

I claim:

1. In an amusement device for children for attachment to the inside of an automobile window, the combination of a first piece of transparent plastic flexible sheet material having a representation of a gun sight, and of an instrument panel, thereon, a second piece of plastic flexible sheet material, relatively smaller than said first piece, secured to one side of the first piece by heat sealing around its peripheral edges to form a fully enclosed, fluid tight pocket, and a body of colored liquid received in the pocket, the pocket having an elongated, generally tubular intermediate portion simulating the upstanding front sight on a gun barrel, and having a bulbous lower end portion normally having a major portion of the body of colored liquid received therein, and having an enlarged upper end portion, shaped to simulate an explosion pattern, positioned centrally of the simulated gun sight.

2. The structure of claim 1, the portion of the second piece of plastic flexible sheet material corresponding to the enlarged upper end portion of the pocket, unlike the remainder of said piece, being transparent, and the arrangement being such that upon compressing the bulbous lower end portion of the pocket the colored liquid is caused to rise in the tubular intermediate portion thereof and to appear in the enlarged upper end portion, where it is visible.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,341,985 6/1920 Kemp 46135 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

C. R. WENTZEL, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN AN AMUSEMENT DEVICE FOR CHILDREN FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE INSIDE OF AN AUTOMOBILE WINDOW, THE COMBINATION OF A FIRST PIECE OF TRANSPARENT PLASTIC FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL HAVING A REPRESENTATION OF A GUN SIGHT, AND OF AN INSTRUMENT PANEL, THEREON, A SECOND PIECE OF PLASTIC FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL, RELATIVELY SMALLER THAN SAID FIRST PIECE, SECURED TO ONE SIDE OF THE FIRST PIECE BY HEAT SEALING AROUND ITS PERIPHERAL EDGES TO FORM A FULLY ENCLOSED, FLUID TIGHT POCKET, AND A BODY OF COLORED LIQUID RECEIVED IN THE POCKET, THE POCKET HAVING AN ELONGATED, GENERALLY TUBULAR INTERMEDIATE PORTION SIMULATING THE UPSTANDING FRONT SIGHT ON A GUN BARREL, AND HAVING A BULBOUS LOWER END PORTION NORMALLY HAVING A MAJOR PORTION OF THE BODY OF COLORED LIQUID RECEIVED THEREIN, AND HAVING AN ENLARGED UPPER END PORTION, SHAPED TO SIMULATE AN EXPLOSION PATTERN, POSITIONED CENTRALLY OF THE SIMULATED GUN SIGHT.

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