US3837111A

US3837111A - Animated toy container

Info

Publication number: US3837111A
Application number: US00330223A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Godfrey; J Godfrey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-02-07
Filing date: 1973-02-07
Publication date: 1974-09-24
Anticipated expiration: 1991-09-24

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to a small container formed in the likeness of a clown, Easter bunny or other animated toy. The head is formed from a polystyrene ball secured to felt pieces forming a collar cemented to the lid or cover of a small jar forming the container. The remainder of the jar is covered by a felt strip in the form of arms and hands holding an appropriate object at the front of the jar. The bottom of the jar is secured to the material conforming to the general outline of the jar and protruding in front to form feet of the character or animal portrayed. The animated toy container is first assembled in kit form before assembly in combination.

Description

United States Patent [191 Godfrey et a].

1 ANIMATED TOY CONTAINER [76] lnventors: R. lra Godfrey; Janelle R. Godfrey,

both of 4501 Elmdale Rd., Golden Valley, Minn. 55422 22 Filed: Feb. 7, 1973 21 Appl.No.:330,223

[52] US. Cl 46/11, 46/151, 46/22 [51] Int. Cl A63h 3/00 [58] Field of Search 46/11, 22, 151, 156

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,484,776 10/1949 Zent et a1. 46/11 X 2,532,729 12/1950 Millstein 46/11 2,760,305 8/1956 Hetrick 46/11 X 3,660,926 5/1972 Lerner et al. 46/1 1 X Sept. 24, 1974 Primary Examiner-Louis G. Munccnc Assistant Examiner-Robert F. Cutting Attorney, Agent, or FirmSchroeder Siegfried Ryan & Vidas 5 7] ABSTRACT The disclosure is directed to a small container formed in the likeness of a clown, Easter bunny or other animated toy. The head is formed from a polystyrene ball secured to felt pieces forming a collar cemented to the lid or cover of a small jar forming the container. The remainder of the jar is covered by a felt strip in the form of arms and hands holding an appropriate object at the front of the jar. The bottom of the jar is secured to the material conforming to the general outline of the jar and protruding in front to form feet of the character or animal portrayed. The animated toy container is first assembled in kit form before assembly in combination.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures ANIMATED TOY CONTAINER This invention relates to the field of toys and small containers and particularly to an animated toy container in the form of a clown or storybook character.

The present invention is of the type generally found in the craft field in that it may be offered in the form of a kit having all of the pieces for assembly much the same as a puzzle, a set of Tinker Toys, a set of Lincoln Logs, etc. In other words, the kit may be formed into a useful object and in this case an animated toy container which may be filled with candy, nuts, beads, or other appropriate small objects. The container may also be completely covered with the various pieces forming the invention to provide a novel covering for the container which may then be sold with the various objects contained therein. The invention is directed to a novel means of covering the small jars to dress the containers and provide enjoyment and amusement for those who decide to assemble the toy container from kit form. The invention may be found in various forms but all of the forms are directed to a means of using a small jar which may be transparent oropaque in combination with the various covering elements to form the toy container.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved animated toy container.

It is still another object of this invention to provide means for dressing a small jar forming the basic element of a toy container.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a plurality of elements to be constructed and arranged in combination to form an animated toy container.

It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a plurality of elements first assembled in kit form before assembly in combination forming an animated toy container.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description, made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of of a modification of the structure shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the various pieces and elements forming the structure which may be assembled in kit form before final assembly.

As shown in the Figures, a small glass or plastic jar is used to contain certain items and forms the body ofthe animated toy container. A ribbon 11 is cemented to the edge ofa lid or cover 12 ofjar 10. Any suitable glue or cement may be used. A plurality of sequins 13 are secured to the points on a collar 14 which is generally formed of two pieces of felt

material

15 and 16. The two

collar members

15 and 16 are cemented to the top of the lid or cover 12. The two collar members are formed of star-like configuration and the two collar members are glued together, alternating the points.

A fabric strip 17 in the shape of a pair of arms and a pair of

hands

20 and 21 formed at the ends thereof circumscribesjar l0 and is cemented to the jar with the hands disposed at substantially the front central portion of the jar. The

hands

20 and 21 overlap the edge of a central felt piece 23. The

hands

20 and 21 and the front piece 23 serve to effectively obscure the front portion of the container.

A fabric piece 24 is formed in a tongue or orbicular shape so that the one portion conforms generally to the outline ofjar 10 with a protrusion to the front ofjar l0 simulating a pair of feet, which are further enhanced through the use of a pair of

small pompons

25 and 26. A stiffening member 27 is cemented to piece 24 and the two in combination being cemented to jar 10 form a relatively stiff base for the animated toy container.

The upper portion or head portion of the toy container is completed through the use of a styrofoam ball 30 which has the lower portion somewhat flattened to produce a spheroidal member simulating a head which is also cemented to collar member 15. Head 30 is completed by adding a pair of

sequins

31 and 32 forming the eyes and a pair of right angle felt

pieces

33 and 34 simulate the ears, with a diamond-shaped piece of felt 35 forming the nose and a crescent-shaped piece 36 forming the mouth.

The small clown shaped toy depicted in FIG. 1 is further completed by having a pointed hat 36 secured to spheroidal member 30 by cement. Hat 36 is further decorated through the use of a plurality of small decorative members 37 such as miniature shaped hearts which are cemented to the front of hat 36 and the top ofthe pointed hat which is made in the shape of a cone is topped off with a pompon 38 by cementing the same to hat 36. In the particular embodiment shown, after the hat is formed from the wedge-shaped piece of material, the open end portion is rolled back to form a brim.

A modification of the embodiment found in FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 3 where the animated toy container depicts a bunny rabbit such as an Easter bunny having a pair of

ears

40 and 41 that are fixedly secured to head 30. In place of member 23, a piece 42 in the outline of an Easter egg 42 is used and different facial designs and expression are created through the use of different pieces forming the eyes, ears, and nose.

The invention may be created by first assembling the plurality of the elements in kit form such as shown in FIG. 4 before assembly in combination forming the animated toy container as just described. FIG. 4 represents those members which may first be available in kit form.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in which the preferred containers are of barrel-like construction and by such expression it is intended to cover all suitable containers regardless of their shape such as boxes, jars, glasses, goblets, etc. While felt material has been found to be preferred in forming a number of the elements, it may be desirable to use other pliable materials such as other woven fabrics and certain plastic materials which may be formed from sheets of the same It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of the invention which consists of the matter shown and described herein and set forth in the appended claims.

tending upwardly therefrom;

e. a pliable strip simulating arms and hands circumscribing said barrel-like container and fixedly secured thereto with the hands disposed at substantially the front portion thereof;

f. a pliable piece simulating feet fixedly secured to the bottom of said barrel-like container;

g. and a stiff base member secured to the bottom of said pliable piece simulating feet and generally conforming to the outline thereof.

v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Pate tit ,l f I naiea p em 74 III 1a; G'bd f r'ey; Janelle R. Godfrey Inventor(s) 1 It is certifid'tl'i-at error appears in the aboveide tified pate ritiand that said Letter- -Pat r 1-t are hereby corrected as shown below:

I In dollimnl- 4 h afte .1"-'1 e'.' s e t- 'f-fiX wdlT- si'gfie d fidf eai a this-{19t ga November (S AL)- Attest: MQCOYIT. G ssfo'm=JR'.l;- 'f? y c. MARSHALL DANN ,r Attesting Officer-f2] jl Commissioner of Patents RM Po-1o so (10-59) 1,

. USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 A w. U.S, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: I969 0-366-334.

Claims

1. A plurality of elements constructed and arranged in combination to form an animated toy container comprising: a. a barrel-like container having a cover releasably secured thereto; b. a pliable collar fixedly secured to the tOp of said cover and extending in ruffled array c. a spheroidal member simulating a head formed of a low density material fixedly secured to said collar at a central upper portion thereof; d. at least one appendage fixedly secured to the upper portion of said spheroidal member and extending upwardly therefrom; e. a pliable strip simulating arms and hands circumscribing said barrel-like container and fixedly secured thereto with the hands disposed at substantially the front portion thereof; f. a pliable piece simulating feet fixedly secured to the bottom of said barrel-like container; g. and a stiff base member secured to the bottom of said pliable piece simulating feet and generally conforming to the outline thereof.