Abstract: A toy includes a toy vehicle and a closed loop trackset for guiding the toy vehicle about the track loop. The trackset further includes a booster having one or more rotating disks positioned to grip the toy vehicle and accelerate the vehicle. The toy vehicle supports a momentum sensitive switch and a microprocessor counter and liquid crystal display for responding to each disturbance of the momentum switch to increment the display lap count upon the liquid crystal display. The momentum switch is positioned and configured to respond to the momentum changes imparted to the toy vehicle as the booster accelerates the toy vehicle.

Abstract: A doll includes a body having an integrally formed upwardly extending attachment post. The attachment post defines a spherical surface joined to a ball end to define a narrow portion at the junction thereof. A doll head is formed of a flexible resilient material having an interior cavity and bottom surface. A recess and surrounding wall is formed in the bottom surface of the doll head and includes a tapered aperture and an inwardly extending edge. The doll head is assembled to the attachment post by forcing the ball end through the recess and tapered aperture such that the inwardly extending edge is received within the narrow portion of the attachment post.

Abstract: Joy device of a casing in a form of pedestal, upon a mast for hauling up a flag by means of a strand pulled by a mechanic device is fixed, all in time to a sonorous emission generated by a sound electronic chip included into the casing. According to the invention, the mast is detachable and is provided a housing for bearing a portion of the mast at the detached state. Furthermore advantages arise when the sound chip is mounted upon the outside of the housing of the feed bateries of the sound chip and when the switch for the electric feed is provided in a form of resiently deformable membrane operatively faced to the bottom end of an operation pushbutton provided on the casing.

Abstract: An educational game for teaching children how to read music by teaching them the locations of musical notes on a musical staff. The game which may be played by two or more players includes a game mat having a flat playing surface with musical clef and staff indicia depicted thereon, and a means for selecting musical notes such as playing cards or a spinner type indicator having the musical notes printed thereon. The game is played by one player selecting a musical note by choosing a card from the deck of playing cards or spinning the spinner. Once a musical note has been selected, the player selecting the musical note communicates the musical note to the other players who are standing along one side of the game mat. The players standing along side the game mat quickly locate and stand on all of the musical note positions within the lines and spaces of the musical staff depicted on the game mat. The player who correctly locates and stands on the most musical note positions generally wins the game.

Abstract: A spring biased projectable latch mechanism having a triggerable release mechanism at the end of said latch which is projected furthest into a latch receptacle during fastener engagement. A latch housing part of an object being fastened, said housing comprising said latch, said spring bias means, at least one receptacle, and a trigger chamber area. The housing and latch mechanism are constructed such that the spring biased release of the latch of one object actuates the trigger release mechanism of each adjacent object, resulting in a cascading release of a complex structure of interconnected objects in response to a single latch release trigger event.

Abstract: A method and system for demonstrating the context of features of a product or service, receiving selections of those features from a user, and modifying the demonstration to show the consequences of the received selections.

Abstract: Light emitting rigid fracturable projectile-type marking ammunition and reusable resilient projectile-type ammunition are provided, along with kits of the ammunition with an exciter and optionally a paintball gun. The ammunition is a phosphorescent ball in the form of a spherical pellet or capsule that includes non-phosphorescent impact diffusing materials intimately admixed with phosphorescent materials. Non-phosphorescent pigments, fillers, and surfactants may also be included. The light emitting phosphorescent ball provides a luminous trail when discharged from the paintball gun and thus, may be used effectively in the dark.

Abstract: An illuminating and sound generating string rotatable toy comprising a sponge disk affixed near one end of a shaft penetrating a sphere. This disk may be rotated by pulling a string that extends perpendicularly from the shaft through a hole in the diameter of the sphere. The free end of that string is furnished with a ring through which a finger of the user of the toy may be inserted. The toy also include a variable illuminating and sound generating device inside the sphere. Upon rotation this illuminates and releases sound. Colorful designs upon the disk create a profusion of color or optical illusion during rotation.

Abstract: A toy includes a first platform with a proximate edge, a distal edge, and first and second lateral edges interconnecting the proximate and distal edges. A moving body has a front wheel, first and second rear wheels, and a turning wheel between the front and rear wheels. The moving body is provided with a driving unit coupled to the turning wheel and the first rear wheel. The turning wheel is rotatable about an axis perpendicular to that of the front and rear wheels, and is disposed higher than bottom portions of the front and rear wheels to prevent the moving body from falling off the first platform when the driving unit drives movement of the moving body on the first platform. A connecting rail has a first end portion mounted on the proximate edge, and is connected to a second platform.

Abstract: An apparatus for creating freestanding columns of compressible substances such as snow and sand. These freestanding columns can then be sculpted into any desired shape. The apparatus is placed on level ground, filled with the compressible substance after which the substance is compressed using hands or other implements. The operator then rotates the apparatus by pushing horizontally on the handles, thereby causing the apparatus to rise vertically due to the spiral grooves on the inside surface of the apparatus. As the apparatus rises vertically, the column of compressed substance remains stationary while creating space at the top of the apparatus for the addition of more of the compressible substance. The process is repeated until desired height is reached.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating a data structure containing at least one field corresponding to a setting of a product includes a memory storing a plurality of queries corresponding to various configuration settings of the product. The memory includes a plurality of queries that are presented to a user of the product and/or a user of a training device associated with the product. The apparatus also includes a display for displaying the queries to a user and an input device for providing responses to the queries by the user. The apparatus may also include a training device having a plurality of lessons for training the user on the product. The training device may also include an exam having a plurality of questions that may be presented to the user to test the user's understanding of the product. A method of the present invention configures the lessons presented by the training device to the user and the questions asked by the training device according to the configuration settings stored in the data structure.

Abstract: A toy speedboat apparatus is given that glides on a water surface. Three planing surfaces are arranged to give stable, repeatable coasting runs. The drag is independent of velocity and the planing surface angle relative to the water surface is optimized to give minimum drag. A propelling means converts stored energy to give a high speed initial velocity producing long gliding runs in excess of 100 feet.

Abstract: An educational instrument for numbers for providing students with an educational tool that would be fun and challenging. The educational instrument for numbers includes a base member having a top side, a recessed portion in the top side, a first longitudinal slot, a second longitudinal slot, a first longitudinal groove extending from the recessed portion and terminating near a first end of the base member, a second longitudinal groove extending from the recessed portion and terminating near a second end of the base member, a matrix of numbers disposed in the recessed portion, a first cover means slidably disposed in the first longitudinal slot and movable over the recessed portion, and a second cover means slidably disposed in the second longitudinal slot and movable over the recessed portion and over the first cover member.

Abstract: A footprint generating toy that is worn on a person's foot, and enables the wearer to leave liquid or dry simulated footprints. The footprint generating toy is made from an absorbent, moisture retaining material that, after being soaked in water, will leave liquid simulated footprints as the wearer walks. The footprint generating toy may also be used dry, to leave simulated footprint impressions in soft surfaces such as sand, snow or loose dirt.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a candy holding device for holding a piece of candy and displaying a random message in response to a movement of the candy. The candy holding device includes a housing having a message display portion, a source of battery power disposed within the housing, a holder disposed within the housing and adapted to hold the stick, a switch disposed within the housing and adjacent to the stick such that a movement of the stick causes an actuation of the switch, and an electronic circuit coupled to the battery and the switch. The circuit is adapted to randomly select in the message display portion one from a plurality of messages in response to the actuation of the switch.

Abstract: A bubble producing device comprising a rotor defining an axis that extends longitudinally, the rotor defining a plurality of through openings spaced about an axis to dip into a bubble solution bath, and to rise above the bath as the rotor rotates; a motor driven fan directed to displace air toward openings above the bath; and a circular series of turbine vanes carried by the rotor and angled to receive air displaced by the fan, for creating torque acting to rotate the rotor.

Abstract: A firefighting training apparatus is provided for simulating the pumping of water through various long lengths of hose to train firefighters to deliver a proper amount of water through the fire hose. The apparatus includes a disk having one or more apertures therethrough. The one or more apertures permit the passage of water through the disk while providing resistance to the water to simulate the resistance encounted by water flowing through a long length of fire hose. The firefighting training apparatus is used by placing the disk within the flow of water through the fire hose. A firefighter can practice delivering a proper amount of water through a fire hose to a nozzle without the need of using a long length of fire hose.

Abstract: An education method for aiding to teach and learn proper English reading, sounding and spelling. The method is designed in being able to teach and to learn reading with the proper sounding of the English alphabet rapidly with minimal instruction and supervision. It employs colors and symbols to represent 18 vowel sounds, 30 consonant, phonogram sounds and silent sounds. Each colored alphabet letter with or without symbol maps a designated sound which helps to depict a correct sounding from various spelled combinations of the English language. This color and symbol mapping method facilitates teaching reading of the English words as well as to spell correctly. It reduces long intensive phonic drills as well as guessing mistakes from a various possible sounding.

Abstract: An educational board game which is used with a conventional deck of playing cards. The game includes a board which has a matrix of spaces in vertical and horizontal rows. Some of the rows are guide rows containing suit and numerical value indicia relating to the playing cards. The remaining spaces contain numerical values having a mathematical relationship to corresponding spaces in the guide rows. Each of the remaining spaces is covered by a removable tile that bears the numerical value of the space and one of the suits of the playing cards.

Abstract: An interactive education process permits students at remote locations to provide feedback to an instructor in an ordered manner. Each student is provided with a network connection to an interactivity engine which includes a natural language interface. Responses to the feedback are provided through the interactivity engine to the student. In addition, the responses are ranked in accordance with the number of users logged on, and the number and nature of the questions or other feedback. If there is a significant number of questions or feedback on the same subject, the responses are grouped and are provided to a stage manager or the instructor for broadcast response. The inquiries and responses are published at an internet site and are accessible by all of the students. By using this technique, student feedback during remote instruction is facilitated, without overburdening the instruction process. In addition, the students are given an ability to participate in the instruction in an active manner.