Two-piece megaphone with ornamental member

A two-piece megaphone assembly having a conically-shaped member and an ornamental headpiece which attaches by means of interlocking attachment lugs to the large diameter end of the conically-shaped member. The headpiece is comprised of two symmetrical halves which fold clamshell-like around the conically-shaped member and snap into place. The headpiece may resemble, for example, an animal or human face having an open mouth.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a megaphone for sound directing and 
apparent sound amplification. In particular, the present invention is a 
two-piece megaphone having a conical member and an ornamental headpiece 
attached to the large diameter of the conical member. 
Conical frustum-shaped, hollow pipes have been in use for thousands of 
years as a method of directing sound. Sound waves emanating 
omni-directionally from a point source (or a small area such as the human 
mouth) diminish rapidly in intensity as the wave front spreads. If the 
sound is introduced into a hollow, conically-shaped pipe, it is guided 
into a straighter, more unidirectional path by internal refractions within 
the pipe. An increase in apparent intensity is experienced by an observer 
some distance away in the directed path of the sound. A hollow, conical 
pipe along, by virtue of it being a passive device, adds no energy to the 
emitted sound waves. Thus, sound emanating from a conically-shaped pipe is 
apparently amplified in a preferred direction at the cost of sound 
attenuation in other, non-preferred directions. 
A megaphone is a hollow, conically-shaped pipe sized for directing and 
apparently amplifying the human voice. Commonly used by cheerleaders and 
spectators at sporting events and other crowd gatherings, megaphones have 
been in use since before the beginning of the twentieth century. Folded or 
rolled paper megaphones with advertising or promotional messages have been 
sold or given away at sporting events in the United States since the turn 
of the century. U.S. Pat. No. 936,910 to Kingsley discloses such a 
megaphone. The prior art also includes attempts to add distinguishing 
features, such as the flattenable, square pyramidal frustum-shaped 
megaphone disclosed in U.S Pat. No. 1,613,001 to Wilhelm, which also 
includes provisions for an integral pencil holder. 
A review of the prior art also discloses attempts at adding 
three-dimensional decorative shapes to the generally conical underlying 
shape of the megaphone, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. Des 303,530 to 
Baer. 
Since megaphones are often distributed as free or low cost promotional 
material, the cost of manufacture is an overriding concern. In a like 
vein, costs associated with storage and shipping must be minimized. 
The decorative face disclosed in the Baer reference, in which the large 
diameter end of the megaphone is shaped into a representation of an open 
mouth, is a three-dimensionally enhanced megaphone configuration. However, 
the megaphone design disclosed in the Baer reference suffers cost 
disadvantages because it is composed of five individually manufactured 
pieces. The megaphone disclosed in the Baer reference, as in much of the 
other prior art, including U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,012 to Mueller, III and 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,517,665 to Hochstein, all suffer from the limited 
durability inherent in the rolled or folded paper construction employed. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is a two-piece megaphone comprised of a standardized, 
conical frustum-shaped member and ornamental headpiece attached to the 
large diameter (distal) end of the conical member. 
The conical member of the present invention can be economically shipped by 
nesting many conical members within one another. The conical member has, 
in one preferred embodiment, integral attachment lugs protruding from its 
distal end for attachment of the headpiece. Preferably, the conical member 
also has holes in its small diameter (proximal) end, through which a 
carrying string or strap may be threaded. 
The ornamental headpiece is comprised of a pliable plastic molded into any 
one of numerous unique shapes, such as an animal face representing a team 
mascot. In one preferred embodiment, the animal face has an open mouth 
through which sound can exit the megaphone. The headpiece is manufactured 
out of a pliable material and is preformed into two symmetrical halves, 
joined by a hinged seam, which fold clamshell fashion together during 
assembly. When the two clamshell-like halves are open, they can be space 
efficiently stacked for storage in transport. The opposing side edges of 
the two symmetrical halves have integral mating lugs. 
During assembly of the headpiece to the conical member, which can be 
accomplished at the point of sale or by the end user, the headpiece is 
folded around the distal end of the conical member and the mating lugs 
snapped together. The inside surface of the headpiece also incorporates 
cavities which interlockingly engage with the attachment lugs protruding 
from the distal end of the conical member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
A perspective view of a conically-shaped member 10 made in accordance with 
the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. Conically-shaped member 10 has 
proximal end 12 and distal end 14. Proximal end 12 has holes 16, through 
which the ends of carrying strap 18 may be threaded. Distal end 14 has an 
integral ring-shaped lip 20 projecting radially outward from the central 
longitudinal axis (not shown) of conically-shaped member 10. Distal end 14 
also has an essentially rectangular planar locating tab 22 projecting in a 
direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis (not shown). 
Ring-shaped lip 20 and locating tab 22 together comprise outwardly 
projecting integral attachment lugs 24. Conically-shaped member 10 may be 
comprised of, for example, injection molded polypropylene plastic, and 
formed with no dangerously sharp edges. Conically-shaped member 10 can be 
produced in large, economically advantageous quantities and space 
efficiently stacked (sans carrying strap) by partially nesting of multiple 
members within one another for economical storage and transport. 
Distal end 14 is shown in FIG. 2, which is a detailed perspective view of 
the conically-shaped member 10 of FIG. 1. Locating tab 22 projects from 
the periphery of distal end 14 in a direction generally parallel to the 
longitudinal axis (not shown) of conically-shaped member 10. Ring-shaped 
lip 20 projects radially from the circumferential periphery of distal end 
14. 
An ornamental headpiece 30 in an open, as-manufactured state, prior to 
assembly, is shown in FIG. 3. Ornamental headpiece 30 may be comprised of, 
for example, pliable polypropylene plastic which has been molded into two 
symmetrical halves joined by a pliable hinge seam and forming a closable 
clamshell-like assembly. During final assembly, ornamental headpiece 30 is 
closed around distal end 14 of conically-shaped member 10 and fastened 
into position. 
FIG. 3 is a top view showing the surface of ornamental headpiece 30 which 
will become the inside surface of headpiece 30 when it is closed around 
distal end 14 of conically-shaped member 10 (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). 
Headpiece 30 is comprised of left half 32 and right half 34 which are 
symmetrical to each other about integral hinge seam 36 where they are 
joined by at least one integral hinge strap 38. Left half 32, right half 
34, and hinge seam 36 together comprise a foldable, clamshell-like 
assembly. 
Headpiece 30 is also comprised of integral projections including 
ring-shaped proximal circular lip 40 and distal circular lip 41, which are 
shown in detail in FIG. 5. When headpiece 30 is closed and assembled with 
conically-shaped member 10, slot 42, which is the space between proximal 
lip 40 and distal lip 41, snugly receives ring-shaped lip 20 of member 10. 
An open area 43 is present in distal lip 41 to receive locating tab 22 
(shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) when left half 32 and right half 34 are closed 
around conically-shaped member 10 (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). 
Engagement tabs 44, having a bulging cylindrical shape, are positioned 
along the periphery of left half 32 and project outward from headpiece 30. 
Orifices 46 are located along the periphery of right half 34 in 
symmetrically corresponding positions to engagement tabs 44. When 
headpiece 30 is closed into its final form, engagement tabs 44 are forced 
into corresponding orifices 46 (shown in detail in FIGS. 6 and 7) to 
fasten the side edges of left half 32 to the side edges of right half 34, 
thus forming the seam. 
Hinge strap 38 is shown in detail in FIG. 4 which is a cross-sectional view 
taken along the line A--A of FIG. 3. Left half 32 and right half 34 of 
headpiece 30 may, for example, have a wall thickness of 0.006 inches. In 
contrast, hinge strap 38 may, for example, have a wall thickness of 0.0015 
inches. When left half 32 and right half 34 are folded together during 
assembly, the pliable plastic material of hinge strap 38 conforms to 
provide means for the clamshell-like folding movement. 
An integral engagement tab 44 is shown just prior to insertion in orifice 
46 in FIG. 6 which is a detailed perspective view of a portion of the 
headpiece of FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the engagement 
tab 44 and orifice 46 of FIG. 6 after assembly. The bulge in engagement 
tabs 44 necessitate application of some force to press engagement tabs 44 
into orifices 46. When left half 32 and right half 34 are folded together 
around distal end 14 of member 10, the force required to press tabs 44 
into orifices 46 results in left half 32 and right half 34 "snapping" and 
firmly attaching together. 
Conically-shaped member 10 is shown resting in ornamental headpiece 30 just 
prior to final assembly in FIG. 8, which is a top view. Ring-shaped lip 20 
of member 10 is shown nesting in slot 42 between proximal ring-shaped lip 
40 and distal ring-shaped lip 41 of right half 34 of headpiece 30. When 
left half 32 and right half 34 are folded, engagement tabs 44 snap into 
orifices 46. When left half 32 and right half 34 are folded and snapped 
together, locating tab 22 is received in slot 43 of left half 32. When 
left half 32 and right half 34 are folded and snapped together, a portion 
of lip 20 is pushed between lip 40 and lip 41 of left half 32. Lip 20 and 
tab 22 of member 10, together with proximal lip 40 and distal lip 41 of 
headpiece 30, comprise interlocking attachment lugs 48 which prevent 
significant relative motion between member 10 and headpiece 30, when 
headpiece 30 is assembled onto distal end 14 of member 10. 
A complete megaphone assembly 50 is shown in side and perspective views in 
FIGS. 9 and 10. Ornamental headpiece 30 is shown assembled on the distal 
end of member 10. A portion of headpiece 30 covers interlocking attachment 
lugs 48 (hidden and shown by dashed lines in FIG. 9). Although in the 
preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 9, headpiece 30 resembles the face of a 
canine, headpiece 30 can be manufactured to resemble any of a variety of 
animal or human faces or other decorative shapes. In order to enhance the 
appearance of headpiece 30, one or more colors of paint may be applied. 
Additionally, one or more colors of paint may be applied to member 10 to 
further enhance the appearance of megaphone assembly 50, as illustrated by 
painted areas 60 in FIG. 10. Furthermore, the pattern of paint color 
applied to member 10 may match the pattern of paint color applied to 
headpiece 30. Locating tab 22, in conjunction with open area 43 in lip 41 
(not shown), acts to prevent relative rotational motion between member 10 
and headpiece 30 about the megaphone's central longitudinal axis (not 
shown). The alignment function of locating tab 22 enables mass production 
of members 10 and headpieces 30 having complimentary color patterns which 
will be in register with one another after final assembly. 
Although the present invention has been described with reference to 
preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that 
changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit 
and scope of the invention.