U.S. patent number 3,815,265 [Application Number 05/344,547] was granted by the patent office on 1974-06-11 for color blending set and paint mixing tray.
Invention is credited to Robert C. DePauw.
United States Patent |
3,815,265 |
DePauw |
June 11, 1974 |
COLOR BLENDING SET AND PAINT MIXING TRAY
Abstract
A color mixing tray which is a planar member with a plurality of
wells arranged in an annular pattern. There are a plurality of
wells in each of a plurality of sectors of the annular pattern,
with wells in each sector radially spaced and each well in each
sector having a counterpart in the other sectors. The counterpart
wells of the sectors are in an annular ring within the annular
pattern. Each well is separated from each other well by a wall and
the walls between the wells within each sector are lower in height
than the walls between the wells in adjacent sectors to facilitate
transfer of paint between wells within a sector while maintaining
isolation from sector to sector. A color mixing set combines the
mixing tray with a supply of paints of mixing hues in balanced
primary colors and in black and white, each paint supply being in a
container having provision for dispensing measured quantities of
paint therefrom. The set further includes a student guide having a
spectrum chart representing the wells of the mixing tray together
with indicia indicating the location of and providing instructions
for mixing of the red, yellow and blue colors to create secondary
and intermediate colors and for the mixing of the colors with each
other and with the black and white paints to create shades, tints
and tones.
Inventors: |
DePauw; Robert C. (East Peoria,
IL) |
Family
ID: |
23350985 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/344,547 |
Filed: |
March 26, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
434/103;
206/1.7 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G09B
11/10 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G09B
11/10 (20060101); G09B 11/00 (20060101); G09b
011/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;35/28.3,28.5
;206/1.7,1.8 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Skogquist; Harland S.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Hofgren, Wegner, Allen, Stellman
& McCord
Claims
I claim:
1. A color mixing set for use by a student in applied color mixing
experimentation, to demonstrate in a coordinated manner the
principles of primary, secondary and intermediate colors, shade,
tint and tone color variations and the hue, value and intensity
color dimensions, said set comprising:
a planar mixing tray member having a plurality of wells therein
arranged in an annular pattern, there being a plurality of wells in
each of a plurality of sectors of said annular pattern, the wells
in each sector being radially spaced, each well in each sector
having a counterpart in the other sectors, the counterpart wells
being in an annular ring within the annular pattern, each well
being separated from each other well by a wall;
a supply of mixing paints in each of the primary colors, red,
yellow and blue, and in white and black, each paint supply being in
a container with provision for dispensing measured quantities
therefrom; and
a student guide having displayed thereon a spectrum charge with a
representation of the wells of the mixing tray, indicia indicating
the relative locations of the primary, secondary and intermediate
colors, indicia for the mixing of the red, yellow and blue colors
to create the secondary and intermediate colors, further indicia
for the mixing of the colors with each other and with the white and
black paints to modify the hue, value and intensity of the colors
and to create shades, tints and tones thereof.
2. The color mixing set of claim 1 in which said student guide is a
wall chart.
3. The color mixing set of claim 1 in which said student guide is
an instruction sheet used individually by the student.
4. The color mixing set of claim 1 in which said mixing tray
includes a further series of wells, separated by walls, for mixing
the white and black paints in differing proportions in each of the
series of wells to create a set of gray values.
Description
This invention relates to a color mixing tray and to a color mixing
guide for use therewith.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The mixing of colors to obtain different colors and variations and
dimensions thereof is an ancient art. However, there is not
presently available a mixing apparatus and guide for demonstrating
or teaching color mixing in a coordinated manner. It is a principal
object of this invention to provide a mixing tray, paints and guide
to satisfy this need.
A principal feature of the invention is the provision of a color
mixing set to demonstrate in a coordinated manner the primary,
secondary and intermediate colors, shade, tint and tone color
variations and hue, value and intensity color dimensions. The set
includes a mixing tray having wells arranged in an annular pattern
with a plurality of wells in each of a plurality of sectors of the
pattern. A supply of paints accompanies the mixing tray with mixing
hues in each of the primary colors, red, yellow and blue, and in
black and white. Each paint supply is in a container having
provision for dispensing a measured quantity of paint. A guide for
the user includes a spectrum chart with a representation of the
wells of the mixing tray having indicia identifying the relative
location of the primary, secondary and intermediate colors, further
indicia for the mixing of the red, yellow and blue colors to create
the secondary and intermediate colors and still further indicia for
mixing the colors with each other and with black and white paints
to modify the intensity and value of the hues to create shades,
tints and tones thereof. The guide may, for example, be a wall
chart or an instruction sheet used individually by the
students.
The primary colors are balanced to give good intensity in all
mixtures of secondary and intermediate hues. They make a color
wheel of twelve hues having good intensity and excellent visual
sequence. Unlike turquoise and magenta, the red and the blue are
visually true.
Another feature of the invention is that the mixing tray includes a
further series of wells for mixing white and black paints in
different proportions to create a set of gray values.
A further feature is that the mixing tray has walls between the
wells within each sector which are lower in height than the walls
between the wells in adjacent sectors. This facilitates transfer of
paint within a sector while minimizing the accidental transfer of
paint to the wells in adjacent sectors.
A more particular feature of the paint mixing tray is that the
wells at the innermost annular ring have a triangular configuration
and the wells in the other annular rings are generally
trapezoidal.
Still another feature of the invention is that paint mixing tray
has a cover member extending across the top of the wells and, more
particularly, the cover member is frictionally held to the planar
member.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a nested stack
of disposable paint mixing trays is provided, each being formed of
a thin planar sheet of insufficient lateral strength to be
self-supporting, with the nested stack carried on a self-supporting
base member.
Further features and advantages of the invention will readily be
apparent from the following specification and drawings, in
which:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a paint mixing tray illustrating the
invention;
FIG. 2 is an illustration of a typical paint supply container;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section taken along lines 3--3 of FIG.
1;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 1 and
showing a removable cover for the mixing tray;
FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 illustrating a modified form of
the invention with the mixing trays nested in a stack; and
FIG. 6 is an illustration of a portion of the student guide.
The paint mixing tray illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 is a
generally planar sheet member 10 having a rectangular configuration
with rounded corners. The tray has a plurality of wells or recesses
therein arranged in an annular, or as illustrated a circular,
pattern. The plural wells are divided into 12 generally triangular
sectors and within each sector there are a plurality of wells. Each
well within a sector has counterparts in size and location within
each other sector. The counterpart wells of each sector form an
annular ring within the annular pattern of the wells. The wells of
the inner circle are designated 11, those of the center circle 12
and those in the outer circle 13 and 14. To permit identification
of specific wells, each of the sectors is identified by a number 1
through 12 located as on the dial of a clock. The sector number is
used as a suffix in identifying the wells and the complete
reference numeral for each of the wells 12 of the center circle is
indicated on the drawing. Selected other wells are identified as
desirable in completing the description of the invention.
In each of the sectors the innermost well has a triangular
configuration and the other wells are generally trapezoidal. In the
outer circle, two side-by-side wells 13, 14 are provided in each
sector.
Two wells, 16, 17, are provided at the lower corners of sheet 10
and between them along the lower edge of the sheet are nine small
wells 18-1 through 18-9.
A quantity of paint in each of the primary colors, red, yellow and
blue, is provided with the mixing tray. Preferably each paint is in
a squeeze bottle 20, FIG. 2, having a dropper top 20a closed by a
cap 21. An opening (not shown) in the spout is provided for
dispensing paint from the bottle and the opening is of a size so
related to the viscosity of the paint that the paint may readily be
dispensed in measured proportions, as drop by drop, to facilitate
accurate measurement. Other bulk containers with provision for
accurately dispensing measured quantities of paint may, of course,
be used. In addition to the three primary colors, quantities of
paint are also provided in black and white.
The paints are preferably of creamy consistency for ease of color
mixing. In addition, the paints are preferably compounded to dry
semi-moist in mixing tray wells. An appropriate solvent may be
added later for continued use without waste.
The primary colors are mixed in appropriate wells to provide
secondary and intermediate colors and with black and white to
achieve shade, tint and tone variations and hue, value and
intensity color dimensions. The circular configuration of the
mixing wells provides a convenient physical arrangement with which
the various mixtures illustrating color variations and dimensions
may be coordinated. A similar configuration is illustrated in Crane
U.S. Pat. No. 2,463,749. In accordance with the invention, the hues
(a pure color with no white or black) are located in the wells 12
while the other mixtures which may be desired are prepared in wells
11, 13 and 14.
Provided with and a part of the color mixing set is a guide, FIG.
6, which has displayed thereon areas that correspond with the wells
of the mixing tray. These areas have a generally similar
configuration (with the exception of the outer circle) and in FIG.
6 are identified by the numbers which identify the mixing wells,
with a prime mark added. The legends associated with the
representations of the wells on the guide locate the primary
colors, red, yellow and blue, in sectors 4, 8 and 12, respectively.
As pointed out above, the pure hue of the primary color is
preferably placed in the center circle of wells 12 of the
appropriate sector. The secondary and intermediate colors are
obtained by mixing the primaries in the proper proportions. The
following chart is representative of the proportions used with one
suitable set of balanced primaries. The proportions may, of course,
vary depending upon the intensity and pigments used with the
primaries. ##SPC1##
The letter designations signify the following:
R -- Red
RO -- Red Orange
O -- Orange
YO -- Yellow Orange
Y -- Yellow
YG -- Yellow Green
G -- Green
BG -- Blue Green
B -- Blue
BV -- Blue Violet
V -- Violet
RV -- Red Violet
Nine gradations of gray can be prepared in wells 18 with varying
mixtures of white and black paint from wells 16 and 17.
Shades, tints and tones are each based on a single hue. A shade is
obtained by adding either black or the complementary color to the
hue. Complementary colors are indicated diametrically opposite each
other on the guide.
A tint is prepared by adding white to the hue.
Tones of a hue may be mixed in one of two ways:
1 -- add a gray (or white and black individually to the hue; or
2 -- add white and the complementary color to the hue. The order of
mixture is unimportant. Where tints and shades are available, tones
may be prepared in other ways as by adding black to a tint of the
hue, adding the complementary color to a tint of the hue or adding
white to a shade of the hue.
The term intensity identifies the purity, brilliance or strength of
a color. The primary red, blue and yellow which are used should
have the same degree of intensity. The secondary and intermediate
colors which are mixed from them will have the highest intensity
they can attain. The intensity is lowered as the hues are modified
forming a tint, a shade or a grayed tone.
The value of a color is its approximation of a light, dark or
middle gray value. The hues have differing values. Yellow is light
while violet is dark. The value of a hue will change as it is mixed
into a tint or shade. The value may in some cases remain the same
when a tone is formed.
The foregoing relationships are indicated graphically in the color
scale below the color guide in FIG. 6. Here the gray value scale is
indicated across the top and the relative intensities and values
for a red-orange family of colors are charted. Tints of the hue
show a graduated lower intensity and lighter value. Shades of the
hue show a graduated lower intensity and a darker value. The tones
show a graduated lesser intensity than the hue and a range of light
to dark values.
As suggested by the layout of the color guide and the key for the
color scale, wells 12 are preferably used for the hues. The
triangular wells 11 may be used for making shades. The wells 13 and
14 for each hue may be used for mixing tints and tones. The
relationship of the myriad variations of mixtures may be
demonstrated, understood and repeated by a student in a coordinated
and logical manner.
The mixing tray 10 may suitably be formed of a plastic sheet which
is heated and then vacuum molded to form the wells. A cross section
of the wells 13 and 14 in one sector of the annular pattern is
illustrated in FIG. 3. The wells within the sector are separated by
walls 24, 25 and 26 while the adjacent sectors are separated by
walls 27 and 28. The walls between the wells within the sector are
lower in height than the walls between the wells in adjacent
sectors. This facilitates the transfer of material from well to
well within the sector while minimizing the accidental transfer to
adjacent sectors. The bottoms of the wells are rounded and the
walls are inclined, eliminating sharp corners which are difficult
to clean.
A similar construction is used with the gray scale wells 16, 17 and
18, as illustrated in FIG. 4. The wall 30 between well 17 and well
18-9 is higher than the walls 31 between adjacent gray scale wells
18.
The mixing tray has a depending peripheral wall 32 with an
outwardly extending flange 33 which contributes to the stiffness of
the tray. Indentations 34 are provided in the wall around the
perimeter of the tray and frictionally receive corresponding
indentations in a removable cover member 35. The cover member may
be applied after paints have been mixed to retard drying. The cover
engages the walls 27 and 28 separating adjacent sectors and the
wall between the black paint well 17 and the adjacent gray well
18-9, but is spaced from the lower walls within each sector and
between the wells 18.
A modification of the mixing tray is illustrated in FIG. 5. Here
the tray member 10' has the well configuration illustrated in FIG.
1. The tray, however, is made of a lighter weight plastic material
and has insufficient strength to be self-supporting. A plurality of
such trays are nested and are frictionally held together
temporarily with indentations 34 provided around perimeter of each
tray as illustrated in FIG. 1. The bottom tray is mounted on a
supporting member 40. Each tray is inexpensive and intended to be
singularly removed and discarded after use, exposing a new clean
tray, avoiding the need for cleaning. Art programs with restricted
budgets can economically provide each student with a single light
weight tray made more durable by taping to a piece of
cardboard.
Market research has shown that a packaged assembly of five colors,
mixing tray and student mixing guide has great buyer acceptance,
with large classroom wall chart available separately. The packaged
assembly can be a 93/4" .times. 113/8" tray laid on top of student
guide, FIG. 6, printed on 101/4" .times. 12" cardboard, and one
ounce each of certain red, yellow and blue in triangular squeeze
bottles, FIG. 2, laid in wells 12-12, 12-4 and 12-8, and one ounce
each of black and white in cylindrical squeeze bottles laid in
wells 16 and 17. A blister pack cover overall holds the color
containers in their wells and is bonded to outer edges of 101/4"
.times. 12" student guide cardboard. The student guide is
perforated all around for 81/2" .times. 11" removal from bonded
outer edge and may be three-hole punched for a ring binder.
* * * * *