Abstract:
A rosary card fabricated from a sheet of planar sheet material having protrusions on its outer edges designating the various parts of the rosary and also having cutouts in the card designating other portions of the rosary and also having pictures of beads thereon resembling a rosary and also having various parts designated by numerals as an aid in learning the rosary and also having script thereon for instructions in reciting the rosary.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a rosary card which may be used in both teaching the recital of the rosary and for actual prayer. 
     By way of background, rosary devices utilized in the past were either relatively expensive, complicated, or cumbersome. Furthermore, insofar as known, prior rosary devices which could actually be used for prayer also did not have instructional information thereon which would enable one to learn the rosary. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved rosary prayer card which can be used for instructing people in the saying of the rosary. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a rosary card which is fabricated from a sheet of planar material and which is of a configuration which can be used in reciting the rosary. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a rosary card which can be produced simply and economically and therefore can be capable of low cost widespread distribution. Other objects and attendant advantages of the present invention will readily be perceived hereafter. 
     The present invention relates to a rosary card comprising a planar sheet-like body having an outer periphery, and a plurality of protrusions on said outer periphery lying in the same plane as said planar sheet-like body, said protrusions representing various portions of the rosary. 
    
    
     The various aspects of the present invention will be more fully understood when the following portions of the specification are read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of the rosary card of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 2--2 of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially along line 3--3 of FIG. 1. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The rosary card 100 includes a planar sheet-like body 121 having an upper surface 122 and an undersurface 123 and a periphery 124. The planar sheet-like body 121 is fabricated from sheet semi-rigid plastic of the type used for plastic credit cards approximately 0.018 mils thick, but it can be of any desired practical thickness. 
     By way of introduction, the numerals drawn with a lettering guide may be printed on the card itself as an instructional aid, and those numerals which are drawn freehand with lead lines are for purposes of explaining the various constructional details of rosary card 100. 
     The following numerals of 1 through 19, inclusive, which represent the steps in reciting the rosary, may be printed on the card itself as shown when it is to be used as an instructional tool, but may be omitted on cards which are to be used for actual prayer. In this regard, a cutout cross C proximate printed numeral 1, which designates the first step in reciting the rosary, is located centrally in body 121 for being felt while making of the sign of the Cross and saying the Apostles&#39; Creed. Next in sequence is a cutout large circle 2&#39; proximate printed numeral 3, which represents the second step in saying the rosary. The large circle 2&#39; is to be felt during the saying of the &#34;Our Father.&#34; Thereafter, three smaller circular cutouts 3&#39; are bracketed by the printed numeral 3, which represents the third step in saying the rosary. Cutouts 3&#39; are located in the body of the card and are to be felt during the saying of three &#34;Hail Marys.&#34; A card body portion 4&#39; proximate printed numeral 4 is located after the third circular cutout 3&#39; and it is to be felt during the saying of &#34;Glory be to the Father.&#34; A large circular cutout 5&#39; proximate printed numeral 5 is positioned after card portion 4&#39; and is to be felt during the announcing of the first mystery and the saying of the &#34;Our Father.&#34; Pictures of beads 102, 103 and 104 are located alongside the holes 2&#39;, 3&#39; and 5&#39;, respectively. The pictures of beads are connected by pictures of a chain (not numbered). 
     Ten equally spaced protrusions 6&#39; are bracketed by numeral 6, which represents the sixth step in saying the rosary. The ten protrusions 6&#39; are located on periphery 124 and are to be felt during the saying of ten &#34;Hail Marys.&#34; These are followed by a straight edge portion 7&#39; next to printed numeral 7 which is to be felt during the saying of &#34;Glory be to the Father.&#34; A peripheral protrusion 8&#39; is proximate printed numeral 8, and it is to be felt during the announcing of the second mystery and the saying of the &#34;Our Father.&#34; 
     Ten equally spaced protrusions 9&#39; are bracketed by printed numeral 9, which represents the ninth step in the saying of the rosary. Protrusions 9&#39; are felt during the saying of ten &#34;Hail Marys.&#34; An elongated peripheral portion 10&#39; is proximate printed numeral 10 and is felt during the saying of &#34;Glory be to the Father.&#34; Thereafter, a single protrusion 11&#39; proximate printed numeral 11 is to be felt during the saying of the third mystery and then the saying of &#34;Our Father.&#34; Bead pictures 106, 108, 109 and 111, which are connected by a chain picture (not numbered), are adjacent protrusions 6&#39;, 8&#39;, 9&#39; and 11&#39;, respectively. 
     The ten protrusions 12&#39; proximate printed numeral 12 and the associated bracket at the lower end of body 121 are felt during the saying of ten &#34;Hail Marys.&#34; The protrusion 13&#39; proximate printed numeral 13 is felt during the announcing of the fourth mystery and then saying the &#34;Our Father.&#34; The peripheral card portion 14&#39; proximate printed numeral 14 and following the protrusion 13&#39; is felt during the saying of &#34;Glory be to the Father.&#34; The ten following protrusions 15&#39; bracketed by printed numeral 15 are felt during the saying of ten &#34;Hail Marys.&#34; The peripheral protrusion 16&#39; proximate printed numeral 16 is felt during the announcing of the fifth mystery and then the saying of &#34;Our Father.&#34; The straight peripheral portion 17&#39; proximate printed numeral 17 is felt during the saying of &#34;Glory be to the Father.&#34; The ten protrusions 18&#39; bracketed by printed numeral 18 are are felt during the saying of ten &#34;Hail Marys,&#34; and the straight peripheral portion 19&#39; proximate printed numeral 19 is felt during the saying of &#34;Glory be to the Father.&#34; Bead pictures 111, 112, 113, 115, 116 and 118 lie alongside peripheral protrusions designated by printed numerals 11, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 18, respectively, and are connected by a picture of a chain (not numbered). 
     In addition, a picture of religious figures, namely, the Virgin Mary and Child, can be placed within the portion denoted by the circular border 120, and another picture, namely, Jesus on the Cross, may be placed within the stylized picture of the cross 126. The horizontal lines located between the bottom of cross 126 and the pictures of beads at printed numeral 12 may be filled with necessary script. Suitable script can also appear on the rear face 123 of body 121. This script can be the various prayers and may include instructional material in reciting the rosary. 
     As noted above, the printed numerals 1-19, inclusive, are for instructional purposes, namely, to represent the steps in reciting the rosary, and these may be omitted on cards used for actual prayer. 
     It will be appreciated that the protrusions on the edges of the card may be of shapes and sizes other than as shown, and that the card itself may be of any desired size, and that the cut-out area of the cross may be different from that shown. 
     It can thus be seen that the rosary card of the present invention is manifestly capable of attaining the above objects and while a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed, it will be appreciated that it is not limited thereto but may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.