Paint Design Set

Abstract

A spray painting toy of the type wherein a mistlike spray of paint particles may be emitted over a surface to provide a decorative abstraction characterized by the provision of a rotatable paint throwing brush positioned partially within a paint holding reservoir with a wiper bar intersecting the paint throwing brush so that as the brush rotates through the reservoir and collects paint, the paint will be thrown from the brush as it passes the wiper bar onto an area where paint receiving paper may be placed.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to toy devices, and, more particularly, to a paint spraying toy.

2. Brief Description of the Prior Art

In the art there are toys of the type which take a quantity of paint and spatter the same on a piece of paper to provide interesting patterns. Some of these toys operate on a centrifugal force principle while others may utilize a rotating disc and masking mechanism in association therewith. There is always a need and desire in the toy art to simplify the structure and operation of toys utilizing moving components for their operation, both from the standpoint of manufacturing problems as well as the use and enjoyment by the ultimate recipient of the toy. It is to the satisfaction of this need and desire that the present invention is directed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed, in brief, to the provision of an improved toy of the paint spraying type.

The best mode currently contemplated by me for carrying out the invention includes the provision of a generally boxlike housing having a viewing opening in the top thereof. The bottom of the housing is open and intended to rest over a panel onto which a piece of paper or similar material may be placed. In this area, another object, the outline of which is desired to be copied, may be placed on the paper.

At one edge of the housing, a reservoir is provided which opens to the exterior. A bristled paint collecting and throwing roller is rotatably journaled in the housing about an axis adjacent the reservoir so that a portion of the periphery thereof travels through the reservoir. The interior edge of the reservoir is defined by a paint throwing bar which intersects the bristles of the rotatable brush.

In operation, as the brush axis is rotated, it picks up paint from the reservoir, the paint is flipped off the brush by the bar and spattered in a spray pattern into the area wherein the paint receiving paper is placed. As the process is viewed through the viewing window, the user of the toy may continue to spatter such paint and, if desired, stop and change the position of the paper, until the desired paint spattering has been accomplished. Then the user may remove the housing and gain access to the paper having a spray design thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the paint spraying toy of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section view through the toy shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section view through the roller and paint spattering mechanism of the paint spraying toy of this invention.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail a specific embodiment therefor, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The paint spraying toy 10 of this invention includes a housing generally indicated 12 which may rest upon a base or board 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing includes a top 16 which is generally truncated triangular or trapezoidal in elevation. The top includes opposed upright sides 16a and 16b and opposed inclined sides 16c and 16d. A peripheral flange 18 extends around the lower edge of three sides of the top 16. The top includes an opening 20 in side 16d which permits viewing through the top into the interior of the housing 12.

The top 16 rests upon, or is connected to, a base 24 which is a substantially rectangular structure having upright walls 26 which terminate in flanges 28 about three sides thereof in facial engagement with the flanges 18 of the top. The bottom 30 of the base 24 is provided with a large opening 32 which occupies most of the space between the several upright walls 26.

One side wall of the base is provided with an upwardly and outwardly extending ledge 34 and a lip portion 36 which extends above the intersection of the ledge 34 and side walls 26, but terminates below the flanges 28 of the other side walls 26. The ledge and lip cooperate to form a pocket therebetween which serves as a reservoir 38 for the reception of paint 40 or a similar liquid coloring medium.

Correspondingly, one edge of the top 16 which is not provided with the flange 18 has a downwardly opening channel 42 which generally straddles lip 36 and receives a roller or paint pickup and transferring means 44. Roller 44 includes a shaft 46 rotatably journaled through the side walls 16a and 16b of the top, with a gear 48 at one free end of the shaft 46. The shaft 46 is provided with a cylindrical bundle of bristles or fibers 50 providing a paint pickup and transferring medium of a relatively resilient nature. The axle of the shaft 46 is located, relative to the extent of the fibers 50, such that the fibers extend into the reservoir 38 and also intersect the lip 36. This is best illustrated in FIG. 2.

A gear 52 in meshing engagement with gear 48 is journaled on a shaft 54 which is rotatably mounted in the cover 16, and to which is secured crank handle 56. Thus, as crank handle 56 is turned, through the interengagement of gears 52 and 48, shaft 46 will be rotated. This rotation will cause the fibers 50 of the roller assembly 44 to pass through the reservoir and be scraped or flipped by the lip 36 to thereby emit paint particles in a spray-like mist indicated in dotted outline at 64 in FIG. 2.

The forward edge 57 of channel 42 is spaced inwardly from lip 34 providing an elongate filling opening 58. Through this opening, paint or the like from a source, such as a bottle 60, may be fed into the reservoir 38. If desired, a multiplicity of colors may be added.

In use, it is intended that a piece of paper 62 or a similar paint receiving medium would be placed on board 14 with the housing 12 placed thereover so that the paper 62 is in the housing but, of course, in registration with the enlarged opening 32. Any object of any shape may then be placed on the paper if an outline pattern is desired. Assuming the reservoir 38 is filled with paint, the paint spraying process may begin by the operator cranking handle 56 and viewing the progress through the opening 20.

As the crank is rotated, the roller assembly 44 is rotated to cause the fibers 50 to pick up paint from the reservoir 38, following which the paint is flipped off the fibers by the lip 36 into the spray pattern indicated by the dotted lines 64. As this continues, paint will collect in a flecked or spotted pattern on the paper 62, and in an area outside of any article placed thereon. The operation may be stopped and the paper shifted if the paint appears to be collecting in a more concentrated fashion in one area than the other. When enough paint has been sprayed to the satisfaction of the user, the housing, 12 may be lifted off of the board 14 and the object removed from paper 62 so that a decorative abstraction, such as an irregular outline indicated at 66 in FIG. 1 may be produced.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as some modifications may be obvious to those skilled in the art.

Claims

We claim:

1. A spray painting toy comprising: means defining a housing having upright walls; means for gaining access to the interior of the housing whereby an article to receive paint may be situated therein; a paint receiving reservoir defined by a ledge extending upwardly and outwardly from one wall of the housing; a paint collection and transferring element in the form of a generally cylindrical brush having outwardly projecting bristles, said paint collection and transferring element being mounted on said housing for rotation about its center axis and in position for movement through said reservoir; and a paint wiping member comprising a bar-like element at the upper end of said one wall in position adjacent the reservoir and intersecting the path of rotary movement of said cylindrical brush for cooperating therewith to launch paint from said brush into the housing interior responsive to rotary movement of said brush past the wiping member, and means for effecting rotation of said brush through said reservoir.

2. The toy of claim 1 wherein said reservoir opens to the exterior of the housing.