1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to albums. More particularly, this invention relates to albums which contain a plurality of removable pages and an enclosure for storing articles within the album.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Presently there exist many types of albums designed to retain a plurality of pages for viewing by the consumer. In other types of albums, the pages are removable to allow distribution of the pages among several viewers to facilitate viewing by each such viewer. In many cases, the individual pages of these albums typically include artistic renderings or representations which are designed to attract the interest of the consumer viewing the same.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,570,071 issued to Wardell and 3,752,503 issued to Holes et al., illustrate an album in which the individual pages are removably secured to the binder of the album. More specifically, each of these patents teaches the concept of providing one or more clips which are inserted about the inward edge of the page and a fastening means for releasibly fastening the clipped page to the binder of the album. In the patent to Wardell, the fastening means comprises a spike which is inserted into a resilient pad affixed to the binder. In the Holes et al. patent, the clip includes hinge engaging elements which releasibly engage into a plurality of hinge retaining elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,715,816 issued to White teaches an amusement book for children including pages containing animal representations and pockets for releasibly receiving natural food representations for insertion therein. Unfortunately, the pages containing the animal representations are not removable from the binder of the album, thereby permitting only one child at a time to play with the various pages of the album. Furthermore, although there is illustrated in the patent a pocket for receiving the animal food representation, it is clear no means are provided to store the animal representations during play or during non-use, except for the particular pocket designed to receive a specific animal food representation. Obviously, this requires a child to finish playing the game by inserting the respective animal food representations into their respective pockets.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus which overcomes the aforementioned inadequacies of the prior art devices and provides an improvement which is a significant contribution to the advancement of the album art.
Another object of this invention is to provide an album containing pages which are releasibly secured to the binding of the album to permit the addition or subtraction of pages to the album and to permit each page to be passed around among a number of viewers to permit each page, after removal, to be viewed by a single viewer.
Another object of this invention is to provide an album including a plurality of pages for receiving discernible objects such as jigsaw puzzle pieces, photographic slides, photographic negatives, and photographs.
Another object of this invention is to provide an album including an enclosure for receiving the discernible objects and for storing such objects.
Another object of this invention is to provide an album including a plurality of pages composed of a jigsaw puzzle, with removable individual puzzle pieces, for arrangement and affixation to the puzzle.
Another object of this invention is to provide an album including jigsaw puzzle pages and an enclosure for storing the individual pieces of the puzzle during play and during non-use.
Another object of this invention is to provide an album having a plurality of pages and an enclosure with means for preventing the pages from entering into the interior area of the enclosure.
Another object of this invention is to provide an album having a plurality of pages and an enclosure, with a strap for encircling the outer, peripheral edge of the pages and the enclosure to retain the album in a closed position and to protect the outer, peripheral edges of the pages and the enclosure from damage during non-use.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.