Dec. 17, 1968 J. N.

MERCORELL 3,416,231
DRAWING DEVICE
Filed June 7, 1967

5 242s 2 at
Assiste

INVENTOR
JOHN MERCORELL
BY A.

P-44-, 5a, Boé

ATTORNEYs
United States Patent Office
3,416,231
DRAWING DEVICE
John N. Mercorelli, 37 Halleck St.,
Newark, N.J. 07104
Filed June 7, 1967, Ser. No. 644,355
9 Claims. (Cl. 33-18)
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A drawing device in which a movable weight is skillfully
moved in a housing in a chosen direction and distance by
tilting, or by tilting and percussing the housing; the move
ment of the weight moves a contact finger mounted on
the weight, to scrape off a coating from the underside of
a transparent portion of the housing, thereby making an
externally visible design.
There are known drafting devices that enable one to
draw by manipulating a stylus to scrape a coating from
a transparent portion of a housing. The stylus is me
chanically coupled to one or two control levers, or knobs,
which positively control its direction.
It has been found that drawing can be performed in
a less positively controlled manner, with much more skill
exercised, if the control members are eliminated and the
weight is free to move in any direction, being moved solely
by tilting, causing it to slide gravitationally, or by per
cussing the housing, and tilting, causing the Weight to
move by percussion or by gravity, or by both external in
fluences combined. A higher degree of skill is required to
control the random excursions of the weight, if a desired
design is to be made.
A device of this kind is shown in the drawings in which:
FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the drawing device
illustrative of the invention;
FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof taken
on the line 2-2 in FIGURE 1; the optional magnet is
shown;
FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the weight;
FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of another species of
weight;
FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view of another species
of housing; and
FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of still another species
of weight.
Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIGURE 2
illustrates a housing 11, having a generally flat, smooth
top surface or floor 12. The floor 12 has an integral mar
ginal flange 13, disposed in general perpendicularity to
the floor 12. A spacing annulus 14 is fitted inside the
flange 13; the annulus 14 is lower than the flange, and
defines a seat on its top edge 15, for a transparent disc 16.
The housing 11 has a base flange 17, which defines a
seat for an external retainer 18. The retainer 18 is an
nular, and has a bent over, generally horizontal top por
tion 19, extending inwardly, and an end portion 20 ex
tending downwardly, to contact the top 16, and hold it in
place. The retainer 18 may be frictionally engaged with
or adhesively secured to the flange 13. Disposed in the
housing is a coating material 21. A plurality of pellets 22
are disposed among the coating material. The coating ma
terial is preferably composed of minute aluminum powder,
platelets, or flakes, which are light in which, and on con
tact with the disc 16, they will lightly adhere thereto. Other
materials such as talc, and other metal powders which
will adhere to the discs 16 may be used. The disc 16 may be
made of tough plastic material which is resistant to
scarring; or it may be made of glass. The pellets 22 may
be glass beads or plastic, and serve to prevent the coating
material from clumping or lumping. When the housing 11
3,416,231
Patented Dec. 17, 1968
2
is violently shaken, the coating material 21 is applied to
the bottom of the disc 16 and coats it evenly.
A weight 23 of lead or other heavy material, preferably
in the form of a disc is in the housing. This disc has a
peripheral channel 24. A resilient annulus 25 clinches the
channel 24, and has an upwardly extending portion 26.
The upper end 27 thereof is bent downwardly, and a por
tion 28 touches the bottom of the coated disc 16.
FIGURE 4 shows another species of weight or disc 23,
0 which has a generally hemispherical, resilient lattice 29
of arcuate arms, mounted on a disc-weight 30, with a
weight 31 embedded in the disc-weight 30. A pointed
scriber 32 normally engages the underside of the coated
disc 16.
FIGURE 6 shows still another species of weight or disc
23 upon which a conical helix 33 of resilient spring wire
is attached. The upper end portion 34 of the helix 33 con
tacts the coated bottom of the disc 16.
FIGURE 5 shows a different assembly; there is th
20 same housing 11, having the same flange 13. No separate
annulus 14 is used, but the disc 16 and annulus are formed
integrally. The same retainer 18 with top 19, and end 20
keeps the disc 16 and integral annulus 14 in place.
An additional, although optional, feature of the inven
tion may be provided if the weight 23 is made of ferrous
material. A separate external magnet 35 may be used to
help guide, move, and control the weight 23, either with
or without tilting or percussion.
The general appearance of the drawing device in use
30 is as shown in FIGURE 1. The device has been vigorously
shaken and the coating material 21 has adhered to the
underside of the top 16.
The housing 11 is tilted or tilted and percussed. This
causes the weight 23 to move about on the floor 12 with
the portion 28, top 32 or end portion 34 in contact with
the coating material 21 adhering to the underside of the
top 16. The material is scraped off, along the contacted
area, leaving a visible mark. By skillfully tilting or tilting
and percussing the housing 11, the direction and distance
40 of-travel of the disc 23 is controlled and a picture 35 is
drawn. The picture 35 is destroyed by shaking the housing
11, to recoat the underside of the disc 16.
The foregoing description is merely intended to illus
trate an embodiment of the invention. The component
45 parts have been shown and described. They each may have
substitutes which may perform a substantially similar func
tion; such substitutes may be known as proper substitutes
for the said components and may have actually known or
invented before the present invention; these substitutes are
50 contemplated as being within the scope of the appended
claims, although they are not specifically catalogued herein.
What is claimed:
1. A drawing device comprising
(a) a housing,
55 (b) a transparent top in the housing,
(c) a generally flat floor in the housing,
(d) coating material in the housing adherent to, and
sufficient to coat the underside of the top,
(e) a weight movable on the flat bottom of the housing,
60 (f) a finger attached to the weight, extending tupwardly
therefrom, and in resilient contact with the underside
of the transparent top.
2. A drawing device comprising
(a) the device according to claim 1, and
65 (b) the weight being movable when the housing is
percussed.
3. A drawing device comprising
(a) the device according to claim 1, and
(b) the weight slidable in response to gravity when the
70 floor is tilted.
4. A drawing device comprising
(a) the device according to claim 1, and
 3.
3,416,231 4
(b) the weight movable when the housing is percussed, (c) a generally vertical downturned flange on the top
and when the floor is tilted. engaged with the flange on the housing.
5. A drawing device comprising 9. A drawing device comprising
(a) the device according to claim 1, and (a) the device according to claim 1,
(b) the finger attached to the weight by a resilient lat- 5 (b) a generally vertical flange on the housing, and
tice of generally arcuate hemispheric arms. (c) an annular retainer embracing the flange on the
6. A drawing device comprising housing and engaged with the transparent top.
(a) the device according to claim 1, and
(b) the finger attached to the weight by an integral References Cited
helical, resilient portion.
7. A drawing device comprising O UNITED STATES PATENTS
(a) the device according to claim 1, 3,055,113 9/1962 Grandjean.
(b) a generally vertical flange on the housing, and 3,114,547 12/1963 Joslyn.
(nulus inside the flange defining a seat for 5 HARRY N. HAROIAN, Primary Examiner.
8. A drawing device comprising
(a) the device according to claim 1, U.S. C. X.R.
(b) a generally vertical flange on the housing, and 46-239; 273-1; 35-66