US1403948A - Juvenile blocks - Google Patents

Description

W. C. HADLEY.

JUVENILE BLOCKS. APPLICATION FILED nume, 1920.

- Patented Jall- UNITED STATES PATEPVI' OFFICE.

WALTER C. lHADLEY', OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 CENTRAL TALKING MACHNE SHOP, INC., 0F NEV YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

JUVENILE BLOCKS.

Application lfiled August 20, 1920.

To @ZZ lwlw-m, it 'may concer-71,.'

Be it known that I, WALTER C. HADLEY, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Nos. 20-21 Morningside Avenue, in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Juvenile Blocks, of which the following is the specification.

The present invention relates to juvenile blocks, and more particularly to such blocks which can not only be used in the manner in which such blocks are commonly used, but also may be used in combination with a selfplaying or automatic Piano.

The object of the invention is to produce such a b-lock or set of blocks having upon one or more surfaces a picture of the upper part of a head, either that of a person or an animal, extending from the lower jaw to the top, the upper jaw being coincident with one of the base lines of the surface on which the picture appears, so that when placed upon or supported by the white keys of a piano, one of the keys will simulate the lower jaw of the head, and as it rises and falls give the impression that the head is opening; and closing its mouth.

To the above ends the present invention consists of a juvenile block, cubical in form, bearing upon one of its surfaces the representation of a` head with the upper j aw coincident with the base line of such surface, so that when supported upon or over a white piano key, the end of the key will simulate the lower jaw of the head.

The invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shows a plurality of such blocks in position over the white keys of the piano.

Figure 2 shows a vertical cross-sectional view taken through one of the blocks and a support in position upon the white keys of a piano.

Figure 3 shows a portion of the support removed.

Figure 4 shows the blocks applied directly to the white keys without the support.

Figure 5 shows one of the blocks in perspective.

Figure 6 shows a vertical cross-sectional Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

Serial No. 404,967.

view of the block and also shows a modified form of support.

Figure 7 shows a perspective view of a portion of the modified forni of support.

ln its simplest form the invention comprises a block 1 made of any suitable light material, suoli as cardboard, having' upon its exposed faces, which are substantially square, the picture of a head or the upper part of a head 2, with the upper jaw 3 substantially coincident with the base line et.

Preferably there will be a head upon each exposed surface, and there will be provided a plurality of such blocks comprising a set of blocks. In Figure 1 siX such blocks are shown, and when used in connection with a. selfplaying or automatic piano, they will be arranged in a line with each other and supported upon the forwardly projecting ends of the white keys 5, immediately in front of the black keys 6, in close relation to each other as shown in Figures 1 and a, and with he upper jaw immediately over a white rey 5.

As indicated, the blocks will he relatively wider than the white keys, preferably the width of two white keys, although the upper jaw will preferably be the width. of one white key. Vhen thus positioned the movement of the keys up and down will simulate the openingand closing of the mouth of the figures.

The blocks may be used as shown in F igure 4 by placing them directly upon the upper surface of the white keys, or a support 7 may be employed which consists of a piece of thinv flexible material, such as cardboard, of a length to support a plurality of blocks and which is laid directly upon the surface of the white keys with the blocks resting thereon as indicated in Figures 1 and 2.

The .support` 7 projects horizontally towards the front as shown in Figure 2.

The support 7 at suitable intervals will be provided with an opening 8, so positioned that when a block is mounted thereon the opening comes directly beneath the mouth of the figure, and through which the movementl of the white key may be observed by one looking downward at the key-board of the piano.

In Figure 6 the support 'T is bent downwardly as shown at 9, so that the opening 8 is directly in front of the end of they key 5, the lower edge l() oi the support fitting back of the board ll of the piano.

As indicated in Figure 5 the blocks may be'used in the manner that such blocks are commonly used by children and at the same time used in connection With the piano keys.

In Figures l and i some of the White keys are shown depressed, simulating the open mouths of the figures.

Y Having described my invention, I claim l. A set of juvenile blocks, each being` substantially cubical in form, and each being provided upon one or" its 'faces with a representation of the upper part of av head, with the u JperV jaw coincident with the base line of suc i surface, such blocks being adapted to be supported upon the White keys of a piano, so that a White key will simulate the lower jaw of the figure.

2. A set of juvenile blocks each substantially cubical in form, and having upon one of its surfaces a picture oi' the upper part of a head with the upper jaw coincident with the base line of the surface upon which it is shown, and a support for the blocks arranged to support a plurality or" blocks in close relation to each other, the support beingv provided with openings arranged to reg'- ister With the representation of the upper jaw of the head.

' WALTER HADLEY.

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