Patent GB-599559-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to toys or amusement devices
IPC: A63H5/00
Filed: 1945-06-12
Abstract: 599,559. Toys. DIXON. H. S. June 12, 1945, Nos. 14850 and 22232. [Class 132 (iii)] A toy or amusement device comprises two jaws with means for moving one jaw towards the other. One jaw is made up of two adjacent sides of a hollow four-sided pyramid, the other two adjacent sides of the pyramid forming a carrier for this jaw. A support for the carrier also supports the second jaw and it is arranged that, when the two jaws are moved towards each other, the sides of the first jaw and of the carrier are urged apart. In Fig. 1, the toy is constructed from relatively stiff cardboard or similar material to represent the head and beak of a bird. Jaw 21a is made up of two adjacent sides of a pyramid, the other two adjacent sides of the pyramid forming the carrier. 1. The other jaw 21b is also made up of two adjacent sides of a pyramid and is attached to a support in the form of a rod or stick 22. A cord 25, attached to the upper jaw 21a, is provided for pulling this jaw downwards. The toy may be provided with a sound-producing means comprising a vibrator, a roughened edge or surface for movement over the vibrator and a resonator or sound board element. Preferably the element which is movable over the vibrator is constituted by a helically wound wire, a threaded rod or a strip of material having teeth formed along its edge, the element being preferably flexible. In the Figure, the soundproducing means consists of a helical wire spring 29 mounted upon cord 25, the cord passing through the spring and being knotted adjacent each end of the spring. Spring 29 passes through a hole in vibrator 30 which may be a piece of metal foil, and the head formation of the toy acts as a sound box. Vibrator 30 may alternatively take the form of a short length of wire. Spring 29 may be of variable pitch in order to produce different notes or alternatively more than one spring 29 may be provided so that either several distinct sounds are simultaneously emitted or a greater volume of sound is produced. According to the second Provisional Specification the sound-producing means may be associated with toys other than those provided with the two jaws. In the Figure, a ball 38 which is carried at the end of a cord 39 attached to the upper jaw is provided, so that the toy may be used for a game of the cup and ball type. Alternatively, small articles such as peas may be picked up by the jaws and allowed to drop into a tubular hollow in support 22. The head formation of the toy may be fitted with flexible ears.. If desired, the toy may take the form of a book, the jaw format'on being attached to a leaf of the book so that when a cord, projecting from the edge of a book, is pulled, a jaw which normally lies flat against the book is opened and the sound-producing device is simultaneously operated. Alternatively, an amusement device embodying the jaw formation and the sound-producing means may be mounted upon a body which is itself carried on a wheeled platform. The cord for operating the jaws and the sound-producing means may then pass through the body and be fixed to a crank connected with the wheels so that when the toy is drawn along the floor the jaws open and close and the noise is produced at the same time.