Abstract:
A pictorial image viewing device for use on a desk top, shelf or the like in home or office, wherein a plurality of triangular image holders are pivotally mounted on a support, wherein the holders are unobstructed at their tops for easy entry onto and removal of various images from the holders, and wherein transmission structure is provided for synchronously pivoting the holders to selectively present different images to a viewing front or plane.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field 
     This invention concerns a display device for selectively presenting multiple series of images such as photographs, pictures, writings, or other, hereinafter all termed “image(s)”, for viewing, particularly as a scene, along a planar or curved viewing front. The principal use of the invention is in displaying such images, particularly those having a personal or family connection, in a home, office or the like. 
     2. Prior Art 
     Prior devices have been proposed for presenting the viewing faces of prismatic sign supports or the like for visual viewing, however, such devices are large, complicated in construction and are not suited for desk top, or the like, use where easy and quick changing of the scene images is desirable. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos.: 3,921,321; 5,692,330; 5,528,258; 5,297;353; 4,638,580; and 3,983,648 show such prior devices, the disclosures of which, particularly with respect to the image holder pivoting mechanisms thereof, are hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
     Principal objects therefore of the invention are: to provide an easy to use and simply constructed device of, for example, a length of about 6 to 12 inches, for displaying a scene or panorama of any number of pictorial or other images, particularly of a personal or family nature, wherein the display comprises separate images constituting the scene, and wherein a simple hand manipulation can change the scene to an entirely different one in a fraction of a second, and wherein the device is desk top handy; and to provide such device with structure which allows easy and quick change of images which make up the scene. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The above the other objects hereinafter appearing have been attained thru the discovery of an image scene display device which features a plurality of synchronously pivotal, in-line, unobstructed top, tandem pivotal image holders or armatures which provide easy access for changing images. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be further understood from the drawings and description of preferred embodiments of the invention, wherein the figures are not to scale and certain dimensions are exaggerated for purposes of clarity. In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of the present device with portions of viewing faces and support portions broken away to the mounting shafts thereof for clarity; 
     FIG. 2 is a bottom view taken in the direction of line  2 — 2  in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a continuous transparent sheet construction for an armature or image holder body portion with three individual images in place therein; 
     FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a frame-like variation of the armature; 
     FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a unitary, multi-picture variation of the image; 
     FIG. 6 is a view as in FIG. 1 of a variation in positioning of the armature rotation transmission means in a removable cap means; 
     FIG. 7 is a partial view of a variation of the transmission means of FIG. 6 employing a timing belt variation of the drive train; 
     FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line  8 — 8  of FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is a side view of portions of the device as in FIG. 6 with portions broken away for clarity and employing a wrap-around string version of the transmission means and modified armature shaft; 
     FIG. 10 is a top view taken along line  10 — 10  of FIG. 9; 
     FIG. 11 is a partial view as in FIG. 1 but showing a variation of the device wherein a cap or top is not employed; and 
     FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a holder taken along line  12 — 12  of FIG. 2, and shows a variation of the armature structure for allowing mounting of the images on the exteriors of body portions  20 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to the drawings and with particular reference to the claims hereof, the present device  10  comprises an elongated support means  12 , preferably of a length of from about six to about twelve inches for easily resting on a desk top, but which can be of any size depending on the image size. Means  12  has a plurality of first pivot means of bearings  14  arranged along a mounting axis  16  of said support means. A like plurality of any number of armature means  18  are provided, each having an elongated body portion  20 , base means  22 , a longitudinal axis  24 , and a second pivot means or shaft  26  pivotally associated with a said first pivot means  14  such that all said longitudinal axes  24  are oriented substantially parallel to each other and all of said armature means are pivotal about substantially parallel axes. Each armature means  18  has a plurality of viewing face means, e.g., window means  28  which are comprised of transparent material and are adapted to lie adjacent to or carry a pictorial item or image  30 . A power transmission means  32  is provided on some portion of the support means and is associated with each armature means to impart synchronous pivoting of all the armature means about their pivot axes whereby each series of images  30  can be displayed selectively along a viewing front such as  34 . 
     In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the support means  12  is configured to provide an elongated member  36  provided with a plurality of bearing bores  38  on mounting axis  16 . Stanchions  40 ,  42  are provided on the ends of member  36  and support at their tops a stabilizer cap  44  thru which apertures  46  are provided to slidably rotationally receive the upper free ends  48  of shafts  50 . These shafts are fixed to the base means  22  of the armatures and are rotatably received in bores  38 . In this embodiment, the lower ends  52  of the shafts are fixed to toothed driven gears  54 ,  56 ,  58 , and  62  which mesh with idler or intermediate gears  64 ,  66 ,  68  and  70  respectively. Sufficient clearance is provided between  36  and each base means  22  and the drive gears to allow easy pivoting of the armatures. Likewise, the idler gears are rotatable on their mounting pins  74  which are, e.g., pressed fitted into cavities  76  in member  36 . All of these driven and idler gears make up a gear train. 
     The armatures  18  can be made of glass or any transparent plastic material such as polyolefin, e.g., polyethylene or polypropylene, polystyrene, polyester, or cellulose acetate butyrate. The body portion  20  is of self-supporting thickness, such as, for example, from about {fraction (1/10)} in., to about ⅛ in., and the base portion  22  preferably is from about ⅛ in., to about ¼ in., thick. The base and body portions may be molded directly onto the shaft  50  as a monolithic unit. Press-fitting of the base onto the shaft is, of course, an alternative. 
     The armature body portions  20  are preferably of continuous sheet material having a triangular or prismatic cross-section as shown in FIG. 3 but can also be made in transparent picture frame configuration as shown in FIG. 4 wherein a section  78  of an image is shown in viewing position therein. As shown in FIG. 5, a multi-image unit  80  is shown wherein, e.g., sections  82 ,  84  and  86  of three different scenes are fixed together such that by simply bringing the free edges  79  and  81  toward each other around the joint lines  83  and  85 , the unit can be slid down into the armature thru opening  88  in its top  89 , and readily withdrawn therefrom to change the scene, i.e., the series of images. 
     Further regarding the structure of FIGS. 1 and 2, an actuator for the transmission means can comprise any convenient structure, and preferably as shown, cap  44  is provided with an aperture  90  thru which a rotator spindle  92  extends. This shaft is provided with a prime gear  94  which, upon rotation of the spindle by finger knob  95  rotates idler gear  70  and consequently the rest of the gear trains. A collar  96  on the spindle maintains gear  94  in vertical alignment with idler gear  70 . The cap  44 , in this embodiment can be lifted off of the free ends  48  of shafts  50  to allow the items to be easily slid in or out of the armature thru the top openings  88  thereof. Downturned lips  98  and  100  on the cap ends are dimensioned to slide fit into slots  102  and  104  respectively in the stanchion top to assist in quick alignment of apertures  46  in the cap with the free ends  48  of armature shafts  50 . Chamfered edges  106  of apertures  46  further assist in quick alignment by providing a lead-in for the shaft ends. 
     As seen from FIG. 11, it is not essential to have a cap to aid in stabilizing the armatures as long as shafts  50 , shortened in this embodiment, are mounted in bores  38  with sufficiently close tolerances to prevent wobbling of the armatures and consequent misalignment of the adjacent image edges. 
     Referring to the variation of FIG. 6 wherein structures which are the functional equivalents of those of FIGS. 1 and 2 are numbered the same, the transmission means  32  or gear train of FIG. 1 has been altered to reside in a removable top  108  which may consist of an upper section  110  and a lower section  112 . A recess  114  in section  110  and all of the driven and idler gears of the drive train and the prime gear  94  are dimensioned to slidably nestle in said recess with only enough lateral and longitudinal play to allow the gears to properly rotate upon rotation of spindle  92 . In this way the construction of the transmission means is greatly simplified. In assembling this embodiment, after the gears have been laid into recess  114 , the two section are secured together by any means such as adhesive joint  116 . Also in this embodiment the free ends  48  of shafts  50  are splined or cross-sectionally squared or the like such as to lock into cooperating splined or squared apertures  118  in the driven gears and thus be rotated by the gears. As top  108  is lifted off of shaft ends  48 , bases  22  of the armatures and collars  120 , both fixed to the shafts preventing lifting of the armatures from the support means when changing images. 
     Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8 another removable top type structure supporting a transmission means is shown, wherein its drive drain is mounted similarly to that of FIGS.  6 . This transmission means comprises only the driven gears and prime gear  94 , all of which are operably interconnected by a toothed timing belt  122  which is slidably confined within a recess  123  in upper section  110 . In this embodiment, guide segments  124  affixed to the top  108  or integrally molded therewith maintain longitudinal positioning of the driven gears. 
     Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the upper ends of shafts  50  are each modified to comprise, from top down, a mast  126  having spacing collars  128  and  130  affixed thereto to provide a string wrap segment  125  of mast  126 . The masts are rotatably mounted in bearing apertures  131  in cap  108  and each has a socket  132  affixed at its lower end. These sockets are formed with a splined or square or the like recess  134  therein for slidably receiving cooperating shaped mating ends of the shaft  50 . Again, such construction allows the cap to be removed as necessary to change the images and then easily repositioned with the masts  126  and shafts  150  reconnected for synchronous pivoting of the armatures. Wrap segments  125  may be coated with an elastomeric material  127  such as plasticized PVC or the like to cause the coils of power string  133 , cotton or synthetic material, to engage the segment with sufficient friction to prevent their slipping on the mast. A peg  136  or equivalent structure may be employed as a guide to separate the coils  138  of the taut power string from its return strand  140 . 
     Referring to FIG. 12, the armature body portion  20  is provided with a thin ledge  142 , continuous or in segments, such that a preferred triangular sleeve  144  of images can be readily slid down over the armature to rest on the ledge, and then easily slid upwardly off of the armature for scene changing. The sleeve may be provided by simply connecting edges  79  and  81  of unit  80  of FIG.  5 . 
     This invention have been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications will be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention.