Patent Publication Number: US-3878640-A

Title: Noise producing amusement device

Description:
United States Patent 11 1 Kaufiman 1 Apr. 22, 1975 1 1 NOISE PRODUCING AMUSEMENT DEVICE [76] Inventor: Charles E. Kauffman. 406 Locust St.. Hanover. Pa. 17331 [22] Filed: Sept. 9. 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 504,251  
 Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant liruminer-Robert F. Cutting Attorney, Agent, or FirmC. Hercus Just [57] ABSTRACT An amusement device adapted to produce a succession of noises and utilizing a crushable cup placed in inverted manner upon a base having a recess therein over which the inverted cup is placed. said recess communicating with a conduit extending transversely away from said recess and extending upwardly from a base member to provide a perpendicular open end adapted to receive a piston-like projectile having a pointed upper end and positioned immediately below an inflated ballon held in captive means, whereby when the cup is suddenly collapsed such as by stepping upon it or hitting it with a board. mallet or otherwise. the collapsing of the cup produces a first noise and immediately transmits the air which is pushed out of the cup incident to collapsing it through the conduit and against the piston-like projectile to instantly project the pointed end thereof against the ballon and puncture the same to produce a second noise in close sequence to the first noise. The cup and ballon then are easily replaced and the device is ready for further operation.  
 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures NOISE PRODUCING AMUSEMENT DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION ploded respectively in quick sequence to produce a series of two popping noises. thereby providing an amusement device of particular appeal to children as well as some adults.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a relatively simple device comprising a base adapted to be disposed horizontally upon a supporting surface and adjacent one end thereof having a recess over which a collapsable cup. such as a paper cup. may be disposed in inverted manner. the recess communicating with one end ofa conduit which extends laterally away from the recess and the opposite end of the conduit extends vertically upward to receive a piston-like projectile having a sharp piercing point extending upwardly therefrom immediately beneath an inflated ballon which is held in captive manner by suitable cage means. whereby when the cup is collapsed by means of a sharp blow disposed vertically upon the closed upper end of the cup. administered by the foot of an individual. mallot or otherwise. the cup will produce an explosion type noise incident to being collapsed and thereby force the air through the conduit to project the pistonlike projectile in the opposite end of the conduit upwardly against the ballon to puncture the same and thereby produce a second explosion noise in quick sequence with the first one.  
  It is a further object of the invention to provide suitable positioning means upon a base member to indicate the desired position of the cup to be disposed in inverted manner thereover. and the cage means which encloses the ballon is provided with substantial open area whereby a new ballon may be quickly replaced within the cage to be subsituted for the exploded one and. after being inflated and the nozzle of the ballon being tied. the device is ready for a further operation. it being understood that following the explosion of the first ballon, the piston-like projectile is replaced in the open end of the vertically disposed end portion of the conduit.  
  A further object of the invention is to provide means to impose limited vertical movement of the piston-like projectile above the open end of the vertically disposed end of the conduit and thereby prevent escape of the projectile from said open end of the conduit and also provide for immediate restoration of the projectile to its idle position following the puncturing of a ballon thereby.  
  Details of the foregoing objects and of the invention. as well as other objects thereof, are set forth in the following specificiation and illustrated in the accompanying drawing comprising a part thereof.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a side elevation of an exemplary arrangement of the amusement device comprising the present invention. certain portions thereof being broken away to illustrate details of the construction.  
  FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragementary side elevation of the device shown in FIG. 1 and broken intermediately of the ends thereof to foreshorten the view transversely. said figure also showing the noise-producing cup in nearly complete collapsed condition. the projectile in the left hand side of the figure also being shown in idle position in full lines and. in phantom. being illustrated in projected position which is the position in which the ballon is exploded.  
  FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation in a still larger scale than in FIG. 2 and illustrating restraining means for the projectile to prevent complete separation thereof from its supporting end of the conduit of the device.  
  FIG. 4 is a plan view of the device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, on a smaller scale than in said figures.  
 DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to FIG. 1. a suitable base I0 is rovided which may be a suitable piece of wooden board. sheet of plastic. metal member. or otherwise. If desired. the base may be provided with legs 12 of desired length. respectively in opposite corners thereof and depending downwardly for engagement with a supporting surface such as a floor 14. The base 10. adjacent one end thereof is provided with a shallow recess 16 which extends downwardly a limited distance from the upper surface thereof and if desired. a positioning rim 18 may be provided around the recess for purposes of accurately positioning a collapsable cup 20 which is disposed in inverted manner over the recess 16. The cup may be of a conventional paper type. or thin plastic. or otherwise.  
  Transversely spaced from the recess 16 and adjacent the opposite end of the base 10 is a suitable frame 22 which extends upward from the upper surface of base 10 and is surmounted by a cage-like enclosure 24 which may be formed of wire. narrow strips of metal or plastic, or otherwise and secured to an upper rim 26 on the frame 22. Preferably, the cage-like enclosure is so constructed that there is ample space between the ribs or other members comprising the same. Further. the space defined by the cage preferably is complementary to the volume of an inflated toy ballon 28, the nozzle 30 of which is tied to prevent deflation. If desired. the ballon may be inserted into the cage 24 in deflated manner and inflated after being positioned therein.  
  Extending between the frame 22 and the shell or re cess 16 is a transversely extending conduit 32 which may be formed from any suitable material including rubber, plastic. metal, or otherwise. If desired. the conduit 32 may be imbedded within the lower surface of the base 10. Otherwise however. one end 34 of the conduit 32 communicates with the bottom of shallow recess l6 and the opposite end 36 extends upwardly through the base 10 and terminates in a vertical cylinder-like extremity 38. The height of the extremity 38 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is merely exemplary and may be shorter or higher. as desired. commensurate with the positon of the upper end of said extremity relative to the lowermost surface portion of the toy ballon 28.  
  Disposed within the extremity 38 of the end 36 of conduit 32 is a piston-like projectile 40 which may be formed from any suitable type of material such as plastic. wood. metal. or otherwise but. preferably. the upwardly extending piercing point 42 preferably should be of metal in order to be very sharp. From FIG. 3 is particular. it will be seen that the projectile 40 has a lower piston-like extremity 44 of suitable diameter to fit within and be vertically movable relative to the cylinder-like extremity 38 when projected therefrom by means to be described. Affixed to the upper end of the pistonlike extremity 44 is a positioning disc 46 which rests by gravity upon the upper end of the extremity 38 and said disc preferably engages said upper end surface closely in order to enhance the projecting function of the piston-like extremity 44 when operated as described hereinafter. Also as shown in FIG. 3, it will be seen that a plurality of movement restricting elements 48 are secured to the opposite sides. for example. of the extremity 38, the upper ends of said elements 48 being bent inwardly toward each other so as to be engagable by the upper surface of positioning disc 46 when the projectile 40 is projected upwardly from the extremity 38 by means to be described. The exemplary pair of elements 48 is not to be considered restrictive since any suitable number may be employed.  
 OPERATION OF THE DEVICE As illustrated in exemplary manner in FIGS. 1 and 2, the collapsable cup 20 is collapsed by means of a sharp blow such as administered by a sharp downward movement of the heel of a shoe 50 for example. the start of the movement being illustrated in FIG. I and. in FIG. 2. the cup 20 is shown nearly completely collapsed. Usually. during such an operation. the cup 20 bursts and produces a loud popping noise but incident to this occuring. air will be discharged quickly and at reasonable pressure from the cup into the recess 16, through the conduit 32 and upwardly against the piston-like extremity 44 of projectile 40. thereby producing a very quick piercing of the ballon 28 by the piercing point 42 of the projectile. thereby exploding the ballon and causing a second loud popping noise in quick secession following the first popping produced by the collapsing of the cup 20.  
  Rather than collapsing the cup 20 by stepping upon it. it may be collapsed by any suitable means such as a palm of a hand. a small board. hammer. mallet. or otherwise.  
  Immediately upon the bursting of the ballon. the pressure in the conduit 32 will have been exhausted and thereupon the projectile 40 returns to its idle position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 and also in full lines in FIG. 2. The exemplary projected position of the projectile 40 is illustrated in phantom in FIG. 2. Therefore. it should be noted that when the ballonn 28 is being installed within the enclosure 24, it should be inflated to a sufficient diameter that the tip of the piercing point 42 will be assured of piercing the ballon in order to explode it when the cup 20 is collapsed in the manner described above.  
  From the foregoing. it will be seen that the entire apparatus is relatively simple and may be constructed inexpensively. Further. the device is safe to operate. particularly if the projectile 40 is arranged as shown in FIG. 3 so as to prevent unintentional removal of the same from the upper end of the extremity 38 of the end 36 of conduit 32 in which it is mounted.  
  While the invention has been described and illustrated in its several preferred embodiments. it should be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the precise details herein illustrated and described since the same may be carried out in other ways falling within the scope of the invention as illustrated and described.  
 What is claimed is:  
  I. A device utilizing a ballon and crushable cup to make a series of noises for amusement and comprising in combination. a base member having a recess extending downward from the upper surface thereof in use. a conduit having an openend positioned substantially vertically in use in laterally spaced relationship to said recess in said base member and the other end of said conduit communicating with said recess. means adjacent said open end of said conduit to support an inflated toy ballon with one surface area thereof adjacent said open end of said conduit. a projectile mounted piston-like in the said open end of said conduit and having a piercing point extending upwardly therefrom. and a crushable cup positionable in inverted manner over said recess and cover the same. whereby when a sharp blow is struck against-the uppermost end of said inverted cup at first amusing noise will be created and the crushing of said cup discharges air from the cup through said conduit and against said projectile to project the point of said projectile quickly against said ballon and burst it. thus creating a second amusing noise.  
  2. The device according to claim 1 in which said means to support an inflated toy ballon comprises a cage-like structure formed from a plurality of curved members extending inward and upward from a rim member. said curved member being spaced circumferentially around said rim and the upper curved portions thereof defining an enclosure complementary in shape to an inflated substantially spherical toy ballon. said curved members also being sufficiently spaced transversely to permit the ready insertion of a deflated ballon therein in order to permit inflation of the same while disposed within said cage-like member.  
  3. The device according to claim 1 in which said projectile has a piston-like extremity depending from the lower surface of a disc when in use. said disc having a diameter no less than the outer diameter of the open end of said conduit and comprising positioning means for the projectile relative to said open end of the conduit. and the piercing point of said projectile extending upward from the upper surface of said disc.  
  4. The device according to claim 3 which said open end of the conduit is provided with movementrestricting elements extending upwardly from said open end a predetermined distance and having inturned ends positioned to be engaged by said disc of said projectile when said projectile is projected upwardly from said open end of said conduit into engagement with said inturned ends of said movement-restricting elements and thereby prevent unintended removal of the projectile from said open end of the conduit.  
  5. The device according to claim 1 in which said recess in said base member is provided with a positioning rim surrounding said recess and operable to accurately position a cup in inverted manner relative to said re-