US3885865A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automatic kaleidoscope
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1973-11-14
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Granted: 1975-05-27
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Expires: 1993-11-14
Abstract
Abstract Kaleidoscope for automatically projecting images upon a horizontal surface such as a ceiling. A hollow wheel having transparent side walls, and containing particulate material, is mounted on a horizontal axis in a lamp housing. Images projected from the wheel as it rotates travel along a horizontal kaleidoscope mirror trough, and are deflected by reflecting means into a vertical external path toward the ceiling. Heat from the projecting lamp supplies the energy for rotating the kaleidoscope wheels; thus a separate motor is not required for rotating the wheel.
Inventors
- 👤 Philip Stern
- 👤 Sanford Green
- 👤 Isaac Goodbar
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 12:49
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B27/00; G02B27/02; G02B27/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
131 words
Automatic kaleidoscope, comprising a lamp housing, a lamp in the housing, the housing having air inlet means to admit ambient air into the housing and air outlet means to permit the exhausting from the housing of air heated by the lamp, a rotatable hollow disc-like wheel having spaced transparent opposite sides and a peripheral rim mounted in the housing, the wheel having vanes mounted thereon and positioned in the path of heated air being exhausted from the housing to turn the wheel thereby, a quantity of particulate material disposed in the wheel to be tumbled repeatedly as the wheel rotates, and a kaleidoscope mirror trough disposed to receive light from the lamp after it has passed through the wheel from side to side at the location of the tumbling particulate material.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
131 words
Automatic kaleidoscope, comprising a lamp housing, a lamp in the housing, the housing having air inlet means to admit ambient air into the housing and air outlet means to permit the exhausting from the housing of air heated by the lamp, a rotatable hollow disc-like wheel having spaced transparent opposite sides and a peripheral rim mounted in the housing, the wheel having vanes mounted thereon and positioned in the path of heated air being exhausted from the housing to turn the wheel thereby, a quantity of particulate material disposed in the wheel to be tumbled repeatedly as the wheel rotates, and a kaleidoscope mirror trough disposed to receive light from the lamp after it has passed through the wheel from side to side at the location of the tumbling particulate material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
89 words
Kaleidoscope as in claim 1, wherein the housing is disposed generally vertical, the air inlet means is disposed adjacent the bottom of the housing, the air outlet means is disposed adjacent the top of the housing on a first side wall thereof, the wheel is disposed to rotate on a generally horizontal axis, the vanes extend radially outwardly from the rim of the wheel, and the vanes on the wheel at the top thereof are interposed in the path of the heated air passing toward the air outlet means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
59 words
Kaleidoscope as in claim 2, comprising a vertical transparent plate interposed between the lamp and the wheel and substantially dividing the housing into a lamp-containing space and a wheel-containing space, the two such spaces communicating adjacent the top of the housing to permit the flow of heated air from the lamp-containing space to the wheel-containing space in the housing.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
63 words
Kaleidoscope as in claim 3, wherein the housing has a second side wall in the upper portion thereof remote from the Wheel, said second side wall being inclined upwardly and toward the first side wall of the housing and the air outlet means thereon, whereby to direct heated air rising from the lamp-containing space generally horizontally to the wheel-containing space in the housing.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
Kaleidoscope as in claim 1, wherein the wheel is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis, and the kaleidoscope trough extends horizontally laterally from the housing in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the wheel.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
Kaleidoscope as in claim 5, comprising lens means on the kaleidoscope trough for projecting the beam of light containing kaleidoscopic images from the trough upon a surface spaced therefrom.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
67 words
Kaleidoscope as in claim 6, comprising means for turning the beam of light containing kaleidoscopic images through a right angle in advance of the lens means, and wherein the said lens means is disposed at 90* with respect to the longitudinal axis of the kaleidoscope trough so as to receive and project the beam of light containing kaleidoscopic images received from the means for turning such beam.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-05-26 | 1978-11-25 | 1979-05-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-05-26 | 1982-11-25 | 1983-05-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-05-26 | 1986-11-25 | 1987-05-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |