Abstract: A doll, apparently capable of learning through a combination of human speech and touch interaction, includes a speech generator for generating upon actuation the currently indexed sound in a predetermined sequence of sounds. The sequence of sounds evidences a stepwise learning process defined by a plurality of learning steps, each step being composed in turn of a predetermined subsequence of wrong sounds followed by correct sounds. A speech detector detects human speech when energized and, in response thereto, indexes the subsequence of sounds to the next sound within the current step and actuates the speech generator and, at the end of each step, indexes the sequence of sounds to the first sound of the next step and causes the speech generator to request the selected touch. A touch detector detects a selected touch when energized and, in response thereto, actuates the speech generator.

Abstract: An electronic simulated baby bottle toy generates human-like sounds and includes a cylindrically-shaped hollow housing portion with a nipple-shaped member mounted on one end of the housing portion to simulate a nurser bottle. Four microswitches within the toy can be individually activated by applying pressure to the nipple member or to a flexible cover on the side of the housing portion. The switches selectively activate a VLSI synthesizer chip which generates any of four signals. Each signal controls a sound transducer causing the transducer to generate a selected human-like sound.

Abstract: A hoop-like toy capable of automatically counting the number of rotations of the toy about a portion of a player. The hoop-like toy includes a torodially shaped member having a counter mechanism with an actuator displaceable upon contact with a player for indexing the counter mechanism and thereby counting rotations of the toy about a portion of the player.

Abstract: A doll having a pair of mechanically driven legs for enabling the doll to move over a surface when held in an upright position. The doll includes a body portion for housing and supporting various elements of the doll. A pair of leg members are mounted on the body portion and extend therefrom for movement with respect to the body portion. A drive mechanism is drivingly connected to the leg members for moving the leg members with respect to the body portion and with respect to each other, such that the doll moves over a surface when held in an upright position. The doll includes a pair of feet positioned which are biased such that when the doll moves over a surface only the toe portions of the feet contact the surface. Additionally, the left arm and head member are drivingly connected to the drive mechanism such that when the leg members move, the head member and left arm member pivotally reciprocate with respect to the body portion to provide the doll with a ballerina-like fluidic motion.

Abstract: A toy which, during play, is rotated in a horizontal circular path about a player's ankle and automatically counts the number of successive rotations of the toy. The toy includes a collar, a drum interconnected to the collar, and a counter mechanism. The collar comfortably fits around an ankle region of a player. The drum is connected to the collar at a predetermined distance therefrom and engages a ground surface during play. During play, the drum is connected along a generally straight line to the collar in a manner imparting centrifugal rotation thereto while simultaneously permitting the drum to revolve about the straight line between the collar and drum. The counting mechanism automatically counts and provides a visual indication as to the number of successive rotations of the toy about the ankle of the player as a function of a predetermined number of drum revolutions.

Abstract: A four-wheel drive toy vehicle having a spring-wound motor capable of travelling over hills and other obstacles. The vehicle is provided with front and rear traction wheel sets whose axles extend across the chassis which support the body. Each axle has a pinion thereon which engages the front section of a two-section coupling gear that meshes with the input gear of a flat spiral spring motor whose output gear engages the rear section of the coupling gear. The input gear is coupled to the input of the spring through a one-way clutch whereby when the vehicle is grasped by the player and pulled back along the ground, the input gear is caused to turn by both pinions to thereby wind up the spring; and when the vehicle is released, the output gear which is turned by the unwinding spring then acts to drive both pinions to advance the vehicle in the foward direction. One of the pinions is coupled by a gear train to a governor which acts to regulate the speed of wheel rotation.

Abstract: An apparatus for launching toy vehicles utilizes a hexagonal magazine, rotatably mounted on a frame, having a plurality of pairs of open-ended chambers therein. The magazine is rotated to align a pair of chambers having toy vehicles therein with, respectively, a first and a second ram disposed on the frame, positioned, by an arm, against the urging of springs, back from the openings of the chambers, and locked in place. The rams are selectively, independently releasable, upon forward motion of the arm, which simultaneously engenders a revving sound, to enter corresponding chambers and launch toy vehicles therefrom.

Abstract: A toy vehicle utilizes a depressible stunt wheel to elevate the vehicle to perform various tricks. An adjustable nob on the vehicle's chassis permits a user to preselect the distance the vehicle travels before the stunt wheel is automatically depressed. A shaft positionable in various slots in the vehicle's roof permits a user to preselect and fix the angle of the stunt wheel, during depression, relative to the traveling wheel of the vehicle, and the extent to which the stunt wheel is depressed below the chassis.

Abstract: A toy vehicle having a spring-operated clockworks motor which is charged by a pumping action, the vehicle having a chassis on whose front and rear ends are supported front and rear wheel axles, and a body resting on the chassis. The front of the body is hinged to the front end of the chassis, a stop being provided whereby the back of the body is liftable with respect to the rear end of the chassis within fixed limits. The clockworks motor, which includes a spiral spring, is mounted on the chassis and is operatively coupled to the rear wheel axle, the motor having a spring-biased crank arm which engages the underside of the body and acts to normally raise the back thereof to its upper limit. The crank arm is operatively coupled to the spiral spring whereby by repeatedly depressing the back of the pivoted body while holding the vehicle to prevent rotation of the rear wheels, the crank is reciprocated to produce a rotary motion to wind the spring and thereby charge the motor.

Abstract: A motor and pedal driven tricycle includes a system for coupling the motor to the rear wheels of the tricycle, which system automatically decouples the motor from the rear wheels when the motor is deactivated, thereby permitting free rotation of the rear wheels.

Abstract: A power driven toy car includes a system for coupling power from a power source to the driving wheels of the toy car, which system automatically decouples the power source from the driving wheels when the power source is deactivated to permit free rotation of the driving wheels.

Abstract: A magnetic tape player has a stereo playback head for reproducing information from adjacent channels on a magnetic tape on which there is recorded a series of questions and answers in successive blocks. In a first portion of each block a given question and a plurality of possible answers are recorded in both channels, in a second portion of the block a coded indication of the correct answer to the question is recorded in one channel, and in a third portion of the block a correct indication is recorded in one channel and an incorrect indication is recorded in the other channel. The second portion of the block is marked by a first tone to indicate the start of the decision time during which one of a plurality of answer buttons is to be depressed to select an answer and the third portion of the block is marked by a second tone to indicate the end of the decision time.

Abstract: A pinball game in which several rear re-projectors are actuatable by a single solenoid which is acted upon by a single switch for re-directing the ball toward the back of a playing surface. Each movable element includes a lost motion connection, whereby when a ball contacts a given re-projector, only that re-projector will be actuated by the single solenoid.