Re: ViewMaster patents

[P3D Andrew Woods <andrew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mike Zohn wrote:
> The reason I thought this was that I looked on a model
> c viewer and saw the usual patent (2,189,285) and then looked on a
> different viewer ( the one with a V-shaped part on the top)and saw another
> US patent ( 2,511,334), and assumed that they all had different numbers.

Searching the IBM patent server for these patent numbers reveals:

2,189,285: Not listed, but two listed patents do reference this one
  
*  4726653 "Stereoscopic Viewer" Thaler, Lewis & Gresham, View-Master Ideal
           Group, Issued Feb 23, 1988.
           http://patent.womplex.ibm.com/details?patent_number=4726653

            Definitely a viewmaster viewer but I don't know enough about
            viewmasters to identify it.

*  D305667 "Stereoscopic Viewer" Thaler & Gresham, View-Master Ideal Group,
           issued Jan 23, 1990.
           http://patent.womplex.ibm.com/details?patent_number=D305667

            Looks like the view-master viewer listed above.


2,511,334: Not listed, but nine listed patents reference this one:

   5517355 "Card adapted for use in stereoscope" Sullivan & McCart, 
           XM Corporation.  issued May 14, 1996
           http://patent.womplex.ibm.com/details?patent_number=5517355

            A back-to-back stereoscopic card (i.e. left image of stereopair
            on one side of card and right image of stereopair on other
            side of card) plus an appropriate viewing device.

   5311356 "Apparatus for simulating effects of optical lenses and methods 
           for production and use" Freilich, no assignee, issued May 10, 1994
           http://patent.womplex.ibm.com/details?patent_number=5311356

            An illuminated viewmaster-like viewer to be used for simulating
            the visual effects of optical lenses.

   4726653 as above
   D305667 as above

   3871757 "INDEX MEANS FOR AUDIO-VISUAL DEVICE" Glass & Licitis, Marvin
           Glass & Associates, Issued March 18, 1975 
           http://patent.womplex.ibm.com/details?patent_number=3871757

            "a disc having stereoscopic pairs of transparencies is
             placed in the device for viewing of the several transparencies 
             to the accompaniment of a related sound message reproduced by 
             a phonograph mechanism within the device."
            Is this the talking viewmaster?

   3773410 "MOVIE VIEWER" Carrara, no assignee, Issued November 20, 1973 
           http://patent.womplex.ibm.com/details?patent_number=3773410

           A movie strip viewer - not stereoscopic.

   3693281 "PEEK IN MODEL KIT" Wolf, no assignee, Issued September 26, 1972 
           http://patent.womplex.ibm.com/details?patent_number=3693281

            No idea what this is all about... :-/

   3590498 "PROGRAMMED INSTRUCTION DEVICE" Landzerg, no assignee, 
           Issued July 6, 1971 
           http://patent.womplex.ibm.com/details?patent_number=3590498

            "a viewing device in which is rotated a disc having a circular 
            array of frames in each of which there is ... a picture or 
            question with which are associated two or more ... answers or 
            identification only one of which is correct. Two or more 
            operational levers are provided ... only one of which is 
            capable of rotating the aforesaid disc ... depending on whether 
            or not the properly related ... item is selected."

   3583808 "OPTICAL MEANS FOR AUDIO-VISUAL DEVICE" Glass & Licitis,
           Marvin Glass & Associates, Issued June 6, 1971
           http://patent.womplex.ibm.com/details?patent_number=3583808
  
            An optical part of the viewer listed in Patent 3871757 above

So, only 2 patents directly related to view-master viewers.
Anyone know which particular viewer it is?

Andrew Woods.   http://info.curtin.edu.au/~iwoodsa


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