US3431409A

US3431409A - Christmas ornament

Info

Publication number: US3431409A
Application number: US577357A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles W Richter; Richard H Erlewine
Original assignee: General Plastics Corp
Current assignee: General Plastics Corp
Priority date: 1966-09-06
Filing date: 1966-09-06
Publication date: 1969-03-04
Anticipated expiration: 1986-03-04

Description

March 4, 1969 C. W. RICHTER Ill, ETAL CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT INVENTORY. Cmmss 14 fi/curslafll and Fla/M0 h. [Rim/NE Y kw-MM a/uzaz /h Alf/om: .s

United States Patent Office 3,431,409 CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT Charles W. Richter III and Richard H. Erlewine, Marion,

Ind., assignors to General Plastics Corporation, Marion,

Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Sept. 6, 1966, Ser. No. 577,357

US. Cl. 240-- 10 Claims Int. Cl. A47g 33/16 The present invention relates to Christmas ornaments and more particularly relates to giant ornaments adapted for outside use.

For years, communities throughout the United States and various other countries have decorated their thoroughfares to reflect the holiday spirit of the Christmas season. Merchants, in keeping with the holiday season, decorate the exteriors of their stores. Various shopping centers decorate their malls as well as the store fronts.

Throughout the years, various kinds of decorations have been used. Early outdoor decorations were not electrical and only provided color during the day. However, in more recent years, electrical outdoor decorations have been utilized. The electrical decorations provide color both during the day and at night.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel Christmas ornament adapted for outdoor use.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a giant double face Christmas ornament adapted for outdoor use and particularly adapted to be suspended from light posts, on bracket arms.

Related objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

One embodiment of' the present invention would comprise a hollow circular plastic body having a front surface, a rear surface, a first side surface, a second side surface, a bottom and a top, said body tapering inwardly at the top to form a cylindrical top portion adapted to receive a means for hanging the ornament from a lamp post or the like. A rod is securely positioned and centrally located within said hollow body by means disposed adjacent the upper end of said body for retaining the rod therein. The upper part of the rod extends above the body and carries a mounting yoke. The lower end of the rod has secured thereto a light bulb socket adapted to receive four light bulbs. Each bulb is 90 degrees from each adjacent bulb. The front and rear surfaces have a centrally located aperture. A reflector is positioned in the aperture and secured to the body. Thus, two light bulbs illuminate the interiors of the side surfaces and two transparent colored light bulbs provide external illumination which is intensified by the reflectors.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the Christmas ornament of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the Christmas ornament of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a section view taken through section 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of FIG. 2 partially broken away to show interior detail.

One embodiment of an ornament in accord with the present invention is shown generally at 10. The ornament comprises a hollow, substantially circular plastic body 11 having a front surface 12, a rear surface 13, side surfaces 14, a top portion 15 and a bottom surface 16. The body is tapered toward the top thereof to form cylindrical top portion 15 which has a top wall 15'. The top wall 15 has an aperture therein for receiving a rod 17 therethrough.

Rod 17 is threaded. The upper end of the rod extends 3,431,409 Patented Mar. 4, 1969 above the wall 15. A mounting yoke 20 is threadably received on the upper portion of the rod. Yoke 20 terminates in a U-shaped portion 20. A mounting pin 21 is received in apertures of the mounting yoke 20 and retained therein by a cotter key 22. v

A first concave washer 23 is disposed between the yoke 20 and the top wall 15'. A second concave washer 24 is disposed between the inner surface of wall 15' and a nut 25. The lower end of rod 17 carries a threaded coupling member 30. A bracket 31 having a threaded nipple is connected to the coupling member 30. A socket 32 is suspended from bracket 31. The socket is adapted to receive four light bulbs 33. Each of the light bulbs is approximately degrees from each adjacent bulb. Thus, a first bulb faces the front surface 12, a second bulb faces a first side surface 14, a third bulb faces the rear surface 13 and the fourth bulb faces the second side surface.

The front surface is apertured to receive an interiorly fluted, generally concave reflector 40. The front surface has a recessed rim 41 which is overlapped by an outer lip 42 of the reflector 40. The reflector is secured to the rim by bolts 43-. The rear surface of the body 11 is similarly apertured to receive an identical interiorly fluted, generally concave reflector 40.

The reflector 40 has a centrally located aperture which is aligned with a socket so that the base of a light bulb may be positioned through the aperture and secured within the socket. A water tight seal seal is provided by interposing an outer rigid washer 45 and an inner flexible washer 46 between the light bulb and the outer surface of the reflector aperture. When the bulb has been tightly secured, the pressure of the rigid outer washer 45 squeezes the flexible Washer 46 into the aperture. The outer washer may be a fiber washer and the inner washer a rubber washer.

A wire coupling 50 is provided to electrically couple wire 51 of the socket with the additionally provided wire 52. An aperture 53 is provided in the body 11 for egress of wire 52 which terminates in a suitable plug means 54.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustratiive and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims are also desired to be protected.

The invention claimed is:

1. A Christmas ornament adapted for outdoor use comprising: a hollow body having a front surface, a rear surface, spaced side surfaces, a top and a bottom, said front, rear and side surfaces tapering inwardly adjacent the top of said body to form a foreshortened cylindrical top portion having a circular upper wall, said upper wall having an aperture centrally located therein for receiving a rod therethrough, means disposed adjacent said upper wall for retaining said rod in a fixed position, an upper portion of said rod extending upwardly from said upper wall, means for mounting said ornament coupled to said upper portion of said rod, said rod extending downwardly into said hollow body, socket means affixed to the lower end of said rod, said socket means adapted to receive a light bulb, means coupled to said socket means for electrically connecting said socket means to an electrical outlet; said front surface of said hollow body having an aperture therein for receiving a light reflecting means, said reflecting means having a centrally located aperture for receiving a base of a transparent colored light bulb, and sealing means disposed adjacent said base of said light bulb for providing a water tight seal thereabout.

2. A Christmas ornament in accord with claim 1 wherein said rear surface has an aperture therein for receiving a light reflecting means, said reflecting means having a centrally located aperture for receiving a base of a transparent colored light bulb, and sealing means disposed adjacent said base of said light bulb for providing a water tight seal thereabout.

3. A Christmas ornament in accord with claim 2 wherein said socket means is a socket adapted to receive four light bulbs, each of said light bulbs being disposed at right angles from each adjacent light bulb, said light bulbs being disposed so that they are parallel to said top and bottom surfaces of said hollow body, a first bulb illuminating the interior surface of one of said side surfaces, a second bulb received in said front reflecting means and illuminating said reflecting means, a third bulb illuminating the interior surface of the other of said side surfaces, and a fourth bulb received in said rear reflecting means and illuminating said reflecting means.

4. A Christmas ornament in accord with claim 3 wherein said front reflecting means is an interiorly fluted, generally concave reflector, said reflector having an outwardly turned lip integrally formed about its outer edge, said front wall having a recessed rim adjacent said aperture therein, said lip of said reflector being received on said recessed rim of said front wall and means for securing said lip to said rim; and wherein said rear reflecting means is an interiorly fluted, generally concave reflector, said reflector having an outwardly turned lip integrally formed about its outer edge, said rear wall having a recessed rim adjacent said aperture therein, said lip of said refiector being received on said recessed rim of said rear wall and means for securing said lip to said rim.

5. A Christmas ornament in accord with claim 4 wherein said rod is threaded and wherein said rod retaining means comprises a first concave washer, said first concave washer disposed between the outer surface of said upper wall and said mounting means, a second concave washer disposed adjacent the inner surface of said outer wall, and threaded means disposed about said rod to maintain said second washer in position, said second washer being held between said inner surface of said upper wall and said threaded means.

6. A Christmas ornament in accord with claim 5 additionally comprising a threaded coupling means threadably received on said lower end of said rod, said coupling means carrying a bracket means for receiving said socket.

7. A Christmas ornament in accord with claim 6 wherein said mounting means comprises a mounting yoke threadably received on the upper end of said rod, said mounting yoke having spaced side portions forming a U-shaped member, each of said side portions having an aperture therein, a mounting pin received in said apertures of said mounting yoke and held thereby by a cotter key.

8. A Christmas ornament in accord with claim 7 additionally comprising outlet means in said hollow body for egress of a wire.

9. A Christmas ornament in accord with claim 8 wherein said means for providing a water-tight seal about said second light bulb and said fourth light bulb comprises an outer rigid washer and an inner flexible washer, said rigid washer forcing said flexible washer into said reflector aperture when said bulb is tightened in said socket.

10. A Christmas ornament in accord with claim 6 wherein said hollow body is a molded translucent color plastic body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,988,028 1/ 1935 Wiedenhoeft. 2,688,689 9/ 1954 Christopher. 3,259,7 7/ 1966 Burnbaum. 3,350,555 10/1967 Rico.

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

L. H. MCCORMICK, IR., Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R.

Claims

1. A CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT ADAPTED FOR OUTDOOR USE COMPRISING: A HOLLOW BODY HAVING A FRONT SURFACE, A REAR SURFACE, SPACED SIDE SURFACES, A TOP AND A BOTTOM, SAID FRONT, REAR AND SIDE PORTIONS TAPERING INWARDLY ADJACENT THE TOP OF SAID BODY TO FORM A FORESHORTENED CYLINDRICAL TOP PORTION HAVING A CIRCULAR UPPER WALL, SAID UPPER WALL HAVING AN APERTURE CENTRALLY LOCATED THEREIN FOR RECEIVING A ROD THERETHROUGH, MEANS DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID UPPER WALL FOR RETAINING SAID ROD IN A FIXED POSITION, AN UPPER PORTION OF SAID ROD EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID UPPER WALL, MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID ORNAMENT COUPLED TO SAID UPPER PORTION OF SAID ROD, SAID ROD EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY INTO SAID HOLLOW BODY, SOCKET MEANS AFFIXED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID ROD, SAID SOCKET MEANS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A LIGHT BULB, MEANS COUPLED TO SAID SOCKET MEANS FOR ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING SAID SOCKET MEANS TO AN ELECTRICAL OUTLET; SAID FRONT SURFACE OF SAID HOLLOW BODY HAVING AN APERTURE THEREIN FOR RECEIVING A LIGHT REFLECTING MEANS, SAID REFLECTING MEANS HAVING A CENTRALLY LOCATED APERTUE FOR RECEIVING A BASE OF A TRANSPARENT COLORED LIGHT BULB, AND SEALING MEANS DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID BASE OF SAID LIGHT BULB FOR PROVIDING A WATER TIGHT SEAL THEREABOUT.