US1918874A - Aquatic toy - Google Patents

Description

July 18, 1933. E. SHANNAHAN AQUATIC TOY Filed March 4, 1931 Patented July 18, 1933 STATES ,ATl

AQUATIC TOY Application filed March 4, 1931.

lhe object of my invention is to provide a toy especially for aquatic or water use that will make an appeal both to little children and older persons. It is embodied in hollow light forms which may be the forms of familiar animals such as ducks, fish, turtles, etc, both in natural and fantastic or grotesque forms, as well as in creatures of fanciful or imaginary form. The hollowness of he objects or figures is to make them light so that they ill readily float on water and also that water may be introduced in them under pressure at one point and emitted through a desired number of holes through the wall, in the form of fine streams or spray and in unexpected places, in order to produce an attractive fountain-like effect, and also to enable the playing of pranks by one person upon another by the squirting or issuing of the fine stream or spray upon the face or other parts of the person. Rubber, celluloid or other material appropriate to the purpose may be used in the manufacture of the objects or articles, and when made of rubber or elastic or flexible material, water may be caused to enter the hollow objects to fill the same by pressure of the hand upon the walls thereof and then its release, and then by presexpelled in fine streams through holes he selected points in the wall. When an object floats in the water and streams sed to issue from its interior so as to result in unbalanced pressure upon the object, may be caused to go through 1novements or motions, approximating the natural movements of the swimming creature in the water, th t are of a character to be ludicrous an d am It will be observed that a fun- I l or basic feature of my invention is simulation, in such as hollow body as I have described, of the external appearance of "tural creatures, or of fantastic or fanciful atures having organs or parts such as natural creatures have, and to provide for the'eutrance of water into them and its exsion through small holes variously placed it. the creatures body.

Myinvention consists in whatever is described by or is included within the terms or scope of the appended claims.

Serial No. 520,129.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of my invention adapted for bathtub use by a little child;

Fig. 2- is a vertical longitudinal section through the body shown in Fig. 1, which is that of a duck;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of my invention and one in which the form is that of a fish. 'f'

In each of the embodiments of my inven tion shown in the drawing, the object'is the simulation of a natural creature. In Figs.

1 and 2, it is a duck and in Fig. Sit is'a fish. In each instance, the creature has a head 55 with an open mouth for the introduction into the hollow body of water in the desired volume and under the desired pressure.

In Fig. 1 as has been stated, the object is the simulation of a duck, the body being 20 hollow and having a thin wall, 10, with small holes, 11, at various points set at such angles that streams issuing from the interior will issue in various directions. lhe head of the I duck has an open mouth, 12, which communicates with the interior of the object and to which is secured, preferably detachably, one end of a rubber tube or hose, 13, whose other end may be attached in any usual detachable way with the faucet, 14, of a bathtub so that so the supply of water in this case is obtained from the faucet. The rubber tube or hose is of such length that considerable freedom of movement of the creature floating on the water in the tub is possible, either by the manipulation by a child taking its bath in the tub'or by the reaction of a stream or streams of water from the bottom of the duck into the water upon which the duck floats. By reason of the detachable connection between the hose and the creature, and especially if the material of the walls is rubber or elastic, water may be supplied to the interior. by placing the creature in the Water, and with the mouth submerged therein and then by alternate pressure and release of pressure, the hollow body may be filled With water and later, by pressure thereon,'it will be expelled through the small perforations or holes in the wall. Preferably for this sep arate or detached use, the mouth or waterentering opening will be provided with a check valve to allow the ready entrance of water into the object for filling, but which will prevent issue of water from the mouth and compel it to pass through the small holes by collapsing or squeezing pressure upon the walls of the object. However, especially when the mouth has a more or less flattened form that provides lips, as exempli .ed in the case of the ducks bill, no check valve need be employed but by pressing such lips together, the outflow of water will be prevented.

As shown in Fig. 2, the pipe or hose, 13, is permanently attached to the mouth of the creature, which will be the preferred construction when the walls are not made of rubber or elastic material, but are more or less rigid, or at least not compressible, as for example, when celluloid is the material from which the objects are made.

As shown in 3, the object is a fish, l5, and it is provided with no water conveying tube, but it is an embodiment of invention fitted for use as in a bathtub or in a swinnningpool and in this case,-as pressure ot the hand is depended upon to expel the water through the small holes, the material is rubber, or is elastic, and the mouth is provided check valve, 16, for the reason above stated.

When. in the separate or hoseless form, which adapts objects embodying my invention to swimming pool use, numbers of them may be placed or floated upon the surface of the water of swimming pool to be grabbed or grasped by the swimmers and used in amusing pranks in the pool. Bright or attractive or grotesque surface coloring nuiy be used for objects embodying my invention and the size will depend upon the place ot use.

It will be observed that an important feature of my invention is having the water inlet to the hollow body of large capacity and the water outlets of very restricted capacity. This results in large volume of water entering the body and the production of pressure that causes the fine streams to issue with considerable force.

The objects may be of a size enabling each to be grasped by and held in one hand, or of a size requiring the use of both hands in those embodiments of my invention where pressure for sucking or drawing in water and expelling it is intended.

The bodies may be provided with loose flaps or pieces on the outside, such as pieces or flaps 17, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, corresponding to the wings of a duck or the fins, 18, of a fish which being attached only at one edge will flutter or vibrate in the water simply from the inevitable action in floating through the water and such motions may be accentuated by having beneath the flaps oriiices 11, that will direct fine streams of water against them.

What I claim is:

1. A water or aquatic plaything comprising a hollow body with its external walls of elastic material, the walls being compressible by pressure of the hand holding the hollow body simulating the external appearance of a natural creature and openings for the entrance and discharge, respectively, of water at separated points of the body, the elastic body walls having direct contact with water contained in the hollow body and exerting pressure directly upon such water to expel it in streams, said body being of a size for ready handling by the hands of a person.

2. A water or aquatic plaything comprising a hollow body with its external walls of elastic material, the walls bein compressible by pressure of the hand holding the hollow body simulating the external appearance of a natural creature and openings for the entrance and discharge, respectively, of water at separated points Off the body, the entrance opening being of the larger capacity, the elas tic body walls having direct contact with water contained. in the hollow body and er;- ertin pressure directly upon such water to expel it in streams, said body being of a size for ready handling by the hands of a person.

3. A water or aquatic plaything comprising a hollow body with its external walls of elastic material, the walls being compressible by pressure of the hand holding the hollow body simulatin the external appearance of natural creature and openings for the entrance and discharge, respectively, of water at separated points of the body, and a fiQX- ible water supply tube connected with the entrance opening, the elastic body walls having direct contact with water contained in the hollow body and exerting pressure directly upon such water to expel it in streams, said body being ot'asize tor ready handling by the hands of a person.

4:. A water or aquatic plaything compris- .ng hol ow body lighter than water simuthe external appearance ot a natural creature and adapted for partial submergence in the water, and openings for the en trance and discharge, respectively, of water at separated points of the body, certain of the openings being situated in that portion of the body adjacent the body sustaining water whereby water issuing therefrom will react against the body sustaining water said body being of a size for ready handling by the hands of aperson.

ELEANOR SHANNi-XHAN.

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