Abstract: Apparatus for simulating the sag, bounce and side-to-side sway of a tightrope consists of a beam formed by placing one fiberglass tube within another and a pair of spaced support members for supporting the beam at a desired distance above and generally parallel to a horizontal support surface. When a user steps on the beam, the outer tube deflects at a first rate, determined by its mechanical characteristics, until it encounters the smaller diameter inner tube whereupon its resistance to deflection is added to that of the larger tube. The position of the supports may be adjusted along the length of beam to allow the apparatus to be used by persons of different weights.

Abstract: Structure for attaching arms and legs to the seamless torso skin of a soft doll includes a circular plug, having an annular groove extending around its circumference, which is placed inside the skin at a hip or shoulder location and there held in place by a locking disk having a circular flange which is pushed over the exterior surface of the skin and engages the annular groove of the interior plug and traps the body skin between the plug and the disk. The locking disk has an annular groove formed therein for receiving a complementarily shaped and dimensioned circular flange formed at the proximal end of a hollow limb member, whereby the limb member is rotatable with respect to the torso on mating bearing surfaces both formed of relatively durable materials.

Abstract: A foldable tray table for supporting a variety of articles, including beverages in cans or tumblers, has a rigid, generally rectangular table top having one or more openings therethrough shaped and dimensioned to accept a beverage can or a book. The openings are not bottomed and are incapable of supporting an article placed therein until two pairs of legs pivotally joined to the table top near respective ends thereof are moved to their in-use position to support the table top horizontally at which a horizontal cross bar which integrally joins the legs of each pair is brought into position below a respective opening. The article is supported from the bottom by the cross bar, which is spaced some distance from the under surface of the table top, and is perimetrically supported by an edge or edges of an opening.

Abstract: Disclosed is a hand-held catching and throwing device for maintaining an aerial projectile, such as a ball, in continuous flight or motion. The device includes an elongated, rigid, transparent double-ended tube providing a passage for receiving and projecting a projectile at or from either end, and a scoop-shaped throwing and catching member attached to each end of the tubular member and having a curved surface over which the projectile may be directed at or from an open end of the tubular member by baton-like manipulation.

Abstract: A toy vehicle jump includes a launching ramp and a landing ramp for an independently propelled toy vehicle, and an adjusting device for changing the orientation of one of the ramps from an operative position, in which a vehicle can negotiate the jump, to an inoperative position, in which the landing ramp does not accept a vehicle launched from the launching ramp. In a preferred embodiment of the vehicle jump, a jump structure, each comprising a launching ramp and a landing ramp, is provided for each of two vehicles travelling in adjacent lanes, and the adjusting device for each jump structure includes an actuator for increasing the angle of inclination of the respective landing ramp one step each time it is passed by a vehicle in the adjacent lane, until it reaches the inoperative position.

Abstract: The toy vehicle game includes a track, a toy vehicle for operation thereon, and a launcher for launching the vehicle to propel it along the track. The track includes a start position at which the launcher is located and an end position, located above the start position, whereby a vehicle launched onto the track at the start position traverses the track to the end position, above the start position. The track includes a pivoted section at the end position having a center of gravity located such that it normally is in a horizontal position but will pivot when the toy vehicle moves onto it, thereby to deposit the vehicle down onto the start position of the track and return it to the launcher for relaunching onto the track.

Abstract: A toy vehicle game includes a relatively flat slotless track having spaced sidewalls defining a pair of lanes therebetween. A pair of toy vehicles each having a body, a reversible electric motor and means for steering and/or biasing said vehicle into one or the other of the lanes depending upon the polarity of current supplied to the vehicle are provided for use on the track. Current is selectively and independently provided to the toy vehicles through current supply strips on the track and control means allows independent reversal of current supplied to the vehicles. Current pick-ups are provided on the vehicles in predetermined relation to one another and to the current supply strips on the track so that each vehicle is respectively associated with only one of the current supply strips, regardless of the direction of travel of the vehicle on the track.

Abstract: A cube puzzle is disclosed having a plurality of small cubies operatively interconnected to permit manipulation of the cubies and movement thereof from face to face of the cube and into different positions on the cube without disassembly of the cubies. Each cubie has at least one exposed face forming a portion of the surface of the cube, and legible indicia on at least some of the cubie faces are provided. The indicia are arranged in a predetermined relation on the cubies, whereby manipulation of the cube by the user will result in the display of any one of a plurality of predetermined messages on at least one face of the cube. A calender formed from such a cube puzzle has indicia so disposed on selected cubie faces that the date, month abbreviation and name of any day in a year may be displayed on a face of the cube puzzle by proper manipulation thereof.

Abstract: A microprocessor-based electronic logic game gives players clues to an event, such as a murder, identifies a group of suspects, and permits each player to ask private questions of the suspects to logically narrow down the possibilities to a single culprit. A keyboard and a visual display provide input and output respectively.

Abstract: A slotless toy vehicle game in which controllable toy vehicles can change lanes in substantially any location along the track includes a track section defining a portion of the pair of the lanes and having an obstruction wall between the lanes preventing the controllable vehicles from switching lanes in that track section. Current is supplied to power the controllable toy vehicles through current supply strips in the lanes, but current flow in the strips of the track section can be selectively interrupted so that the vehicles must be steered into the powered lane in order to pass through the track section. Indicating lights or the like are provided to warn the player as to which lane has power supplied to it interrupted.

Abstract: A decorative light flashing apparatus employs a mass-damped dynamic microphone which preferentially responds to impulse-type sounds to trigger a timing circuit. The timing circuit produces pulses in response to the impulse-type sounds which drive a commutating circuit for sequentially illuminating a plurality of light sources in time to the impulse-type sounds.

Abstract: A slotless toy vehicle game having a track including spaced sidewalls along which a controllable toy vehicle is guided, depending upon the polarity of current supplied to its motor, includes an interrupted wall track section having elongated openings therein through which the toy vehicle may pass. This track section may be in the form of a bridge and requires the player to control his toy vehicles to switch lanes and avoid falling from the track through the opening in the interrupted wall section.

Abstract: A radio control system for a multi-controller, multi-vehicle, independently controlled toy vehicle system provides proportional steering and speed control without mutual interference. Each of a plurality of control sets repetitively transmits low-duty-cycle command bursts containing an identity code and steering and speed commands. The control sets transmit their command bursts asynchronously and, due to the low duty cycle of all transmissions, a high probability exists for non-inteference even when four or more control sets are simultaneously operated to control four or more toy vehicles. Each toy vehicle attempts to match any incoming command burst with a standard including an identity code unique to that vehicle. When a command burst is received which is correct in every respect, including the identity code, the steering and speed commands contained therein are stored and are executed until a new decodeable command burst is received.

Abstract: A toy vehicle and toy vehicle game are disclosed in which a plurality of controllable toy vehicles collect current from conductor strips in a slotless track and switch lanes when current polarity is reversed. A toy drone car is used in the game which collects current from the strips associated with the other cars and it includes an electrical circuit which insures that current of only a predetermined desired polarity is supplied to the motor in the vehicle to propel the vehicle in a forward direction around the track. As a result, the vehicle is driven about the track in a forward direction regardless of the polarity of current applied to the collector strips. In addition, the drone car includes an automatic steering system which causes the drone car to continuously switch lanes in an apparently random alternating manner as it moves along the track.

Abstract: A toy game comprises a simulated alligator body having a pair of jaws mounted thereon for movement between relatively closed and opened positions. At least one of the alligator's legs is pivotally mounted on the body for movement between an extended position wherein the leg engages the support surface for the toy and a second, retracted position. A latch arrangement is provided in the body operatively engaged with the leg for releasably latching the upper jaw in its opened position upon movement of the leg from its retracted to its extended position. A plurality of game objects are placed in the lower jaw to cause it to move away from the upper jaw toward its open position. The lower jaw is operatively engaged with the latch to release it upon movement of the lower jaw past a predetermined position so that the jaws return together to their closed position and the leg moves to its retracted position whereby the toy simulates a snapping action in the animal.

Abstract: A slotless toy vehicle game in which controllable toy vehicles can change lanes in substantially any location along the track includes a drone vehicle operated on the track in a direction of travel opposite that of the controllable vehicles and a detour track section in which a portion of one of the lanes has guide walls on either side thereof for directing a controllable vehicle in that lane away from and then back towards the other lane so that a controllable vehicle steered into the detour lane will avoid collision with a drone vehicle approaching the detour track section in the other lane of the track.

Abstract: A toy vehicle race game is disclosed which includes a relatively flat slotless track having at least two track portions, each of which defines separate paths of travel having inner and outer lanes. The track portions include unobstructed cross-over areas which are located adjacent to each other and define a cross-over being at least four lanes wide through which toy vehicles may pass from one track portion to another. The toy vehicles used in the game include a pair of controllable toy vehicles which can be selectively and independently controlled to cause them to switch lanes within a track portion and to cross from one track portion to another at the cross-over. A drone vehicle is also provided which is restrained for movement in one of the lanes of one track portion, thereby to provide an obstacle to vehicles crossing from one track portion into another.

Abstract: An engine-sound accessory for an electric toy vehicle produces a sound output which varies its characteristics in proportion to an electric input to the toy vehicle. The apparatus measures the total electric current fed to the toy vehicle to produce a sound control signal proportional thereto. When two or more vehicles are fed from a common power source, the apparatus is responsive to the sum of the electric current fed to the two or more vehicles whereby variation in the electric current fed to one or both of the vehicles produces a corresponding variation in the sound characteristic.