Abstract: A preschool toy amusement arcade which includes a base frame having a plurality of amusement arcade games thereon. Each of the amusement games are designed so that they are self-contained and include no loose parts. In each of the games, a moving part is tied to some part of the arcade by a flexible connector, or otherwise a moving part is contained within a completely enclosed housing. Thus, the amusement arcade may contain all game features where the moving part is located in an enclosed housing. Otherwise, the arcade may contain one or more game features where the moving part is connected to the arcade by a flexible connector. Game features which utilize a moving part connected to the game by a flexible connector may adopt the form of a simulated gun range where a simulated gun issues a projectile toward a target member located to be contacted by the projectile.

Abstract: A play device for suspending a floatable object such as a foam plastic ball or a ping pong ball in an air stream and selectively manipulating the direction and position of the air stream so as to move the ball into areas defined by movable structures. The structures are themselves movable when contacted by the air stream to thereby move the ball-receiving areas and increase the difficulty and excitement of the play of the device. The areas may comprise passageways completely through the movable structures or may be the entrances to receptacles in which the ball may be received or may be defined areas adjacent to portions of the structures. The air stream may be provided by a hand-held blower unit which preferrably includes a cradle for the ball. The cradle includes apertures or openings therein which permits the ball to be lifted by the air stream from a starting position in the cradle and suspended in the air stream a substantial distance above the cradle.

Abstract: A competitive action game apparatus including a game board having a playing surface thereon. The playing surface has a high section intermediate each of a pair of opposed player ends and extends downwardly toward each of such player ends. A goal area is located at each of the opposed player ends. A rebound frame surrounds the playing surface except at the goal areas to retain a playing piece in the form of a ball on the surface. The playing surface is generally solid and continuous and uninterrupted between each of the goal areas. Manually shiftable support members are located in front of each of the goal areas and are capable of being shifted transversely in a direction substantially perpendicular to a line extending between the opposed playing ends. A pair of actuable striker elements, which may adopt the form of flippers, are disposed on each of the support members, and are manually actuated by means on the support members.

Abstract: An action skill game including a game board with a pair of simulated aircraft shiftably mounted on the game board at each of the opposite ends thereof and each of which are operated by opponent players. The simulated aircraft are carried by a shiftable carrier mechanism which is also provided with a projectile shooting mechanism and which carrier mechanism also enables "transverse movement" of the aircraft relative to the game board and "pivotal movement" relative to the game board and the shooting mechanism. Each of the shooting mechanisms are provided with control sticks so that the opponent players can manuever the simulated aircraft as well as shoot projectiles at the other simulated aircraft. Each of the particular simulated aircraft employ a pair of moveable target elements which will shift rearwardly with respect to the fuselage of the aircraft when hit by a projectile from the opposite simulated aircraft.

Abstract: A toy game apparatus including a game playing board with a retaining wall extending around the playing board for retaining a playing surface of complex curvature with a pair of spaced apart recessed goals located at low areas in the playing board and with the game board having inclined walls leading from the center of the board and the periphery of the board to the pair of recessed goals. In this way, the portions of the game board surrounding the goal areas converge downwardly and inwardly toward the recessed goals so that a playing piece on the game board can enter the goals through arcuate paths and at any point around the entire periphery of the goals and from any direction. A goal cup is rotatably mounted in each of the goal recesses and a striker member is operatively connected to the goal cup for rotation therewith.

Abstract: A toy spray painting system which includes a hand-held manually powered spray gun along with an easel for holding a substrate such as paper to receive a paint spray from the spray gun. The hand-held spray gun includes a frame having a pistol-grip handle with a trigger for one hand operation. Squeezing of the trigger will operate a member to issue air under pressure; the member could adopt the form of, for example, an expandable and contractable bellows which is operable by squeezing the trigger. Upon squeezing of the trigger, air under pressure is ejected through an orifice in a spray head of the spray gun to create an issued air stream. The issued air stream passes over a paint outlet defined by an opening in the upper end of an upright tube which extends down into a container of liquid paint. The paint container is also held by the frame. The spray gun operates in the manner of a liquid ejector so that a portion of the liquid paint is atomized and entrained in and carried by the stream to the substrate.

Abstract: A projectile toy which may be thrown by a first player and caught by a second receiving player. The toy is designed to follow a generally horizontal stable flight path and to glide in a generally horizontal orientation, particularly through the latter portion of its flight to facilitate being caught by the receiving player. The toy includes an elongated shaft, a set of front fins mounted at the forward end of the shaft, and a set of rear fins mounted at the rear end of the shaft. Both sets of fins are circumferentially spaced around the shaft and extend outwardly therefrom. The fins are made of a readily deformable plastic material which tends to retain its deformed shape upon removal of deforming forces. The toy is of lightweight construction, particularly with reference to its weight versus fin area ratio.

Abstract: A fast action air table handball game having a perforated, upwardly directed inclined playing surface. Disposed beneath the playing surface is enclosing structure which creates an air chamber beneath the playing surface. A pump or blower is provided for pumping air into the chamber under pressure so that air is emitted through apertures in the playing surface to thereby form an air flow cushion to aid in the movement over the surface of a disc-shaped play piece. The playing surface has a rear player's end and an opposite forward rebound end. The player's end is divided by an upstanding dividing structure into side-by-side player goal areas. The playing surface is surrounded except at the goal areas with upstanding peripheral play piece rebound surfaces piece on the playing surface, and off piece rebounds during play. The dividing structure provides added rebound surfaces.

Abstract: A competitive board game wherein two players propel a ball back and forth between them, each attempting to get the ball past his opponent. Each player has a mechanical energy-storing catch-and-propel mechanism which is coupled to the board for limited movement. When the ball is propelled toward a player, he attempts to catch it with his mechanism. The mechanism automatically returns the ball toward the player's opponent. Each catch and propel mechanism is manually cocked by a player after each discharge. The player directs the return to attempt to make it more difficult for the opponent to catch the ball. The play proceeds until someone misses. The players may be opposite one another with the board extending between them, or they may both face an upright wall against which the ball is rebounded. The ball is discharged automatically and essentially instantaneously each time it is caught by a mechanism. One illustrated form of the mechanism discharges the ball each time at a generally predetermined speed.

Abstract: A propeller-driven toy flying vehicle set which includes a hand-held launcher and a propeller-driven toy flying vehicle detachably mounted on the handle. The toy flying vehicle, which may be in the form of an airplane, has a body with wings and a propeller which is substantially oversized with respect to the body and wings of a conventional propeller-driven airplane. A gear-driven mechanism is included within the hand-held launcher which is actuated by pulling a member, such as a string, to impart rotation to the vehicle propeller while the toy vehicle is retentively held on the hand-held launcher. The gear train includes multiplier means, in the form of step-up gears, to increase the speed of rotation imparted to the propeller through the pulling of the string.

Abstract: A doll of the type having a flexible, compliant outer casing or sack of material such as cloth, and which is substantially filled with a solid particulate filler such as beans or plastic beads. The doll of the present disclosure is characterized by having a self-standing main or central upright stack portion which is divided into two separate compartments one disposed vertically above the other. The doll may also have appendages such as arms and a head. By virtue of this arrangement, the particulate material is prevented from shifting to the bottom of the central portion. Such movement of the particulate material out of the top portion of the doll tends to create a distortion of the appearance of the doll and to provide inadequate support for the head. In a particular form of the doll the lower compartment may be filled with heavier material than is the upper compartment, which lowers the center of gravity and makes the doll more stable in its upright position.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for carving a design in a transparent substrate of the type capable of having substrate material removed by a rotary routing action. A design pattern is applied to one surface of the substrate, as by means of a removable transparent label or the like, which carries lines representing the design pattern. The substrate is located on a table which is, in turn, mounted on and normally biased upwardly from a base housing. When the substrate is disposed upon the table and the table is pushed downwardly toward the base housing, a cutting member will project upwardly a selected distance through an aperture in the table for engaging the substrate in cutting action. The cutting member is rotated by a motor in the base housing. Switch means is provided to automatically energize the motor when the table is lowered but before the cutting member engages the substrate so that the user can use both hands to guide the substrate over the table top.

Abstract: A motor skill game which comprises a game board having a plurality of apertures therein. A plurality of pegs are provided and sized for insertion into the apertures with the number of pegs equal to the number of apertures. Each peg is provided with some form of sequenced indicia, as for example, numerical indicia, on its underside. The pegs are mixed up and randomly inserted in the various apertures. The indicia are presented downwardly and unobservable to the player until the peg is removed from its aperture. A timer is included on the game board and is started by a "start" switch. The player of the game removes one peg at a time from the apertures and returns it face down until he finds the peg with the first indicia in the sequence (e.g. number "one" or letter A); this peg he places in the first position in a peg retaining tray.

Abstract: A children's bowling game comprising a frame having a bowling alley included therewith, and which is slightly inclined downwardly from a ball propelling end toward an end remote therefrom. The remote end carries a plurality of upstanding elements which have the silhouette of bowling pins, and which are located in the arrangement of normal bowling pins. These elements, however, are relatively flat members. A recess is located immediately behind each of the bowling pins which are hingedly mounted with respect to the bowling alley, so that the bowling pins will be shifted from a first upstanding position to a second flat position where they are located in the recesses when contacted by the bowling ball. In this way, the upper surface of the bowling pins are flush with the surface of the bowling alley when in a second position. An actuating means is also associated with the frame in order to shift the pins to the upright or first position by means of a manually operable lever.

Abstract: A competitive athletic toy game, such as a basketball game, comprising a vertical construction having at least two articulatable player-figures located between two partially transparent walls which also restrain the movement of a playing piece in the form of a disc between the two walls. In the case of a basketball game, this disc would serve as a basketball. Each player of the toy game can control one or more of its own player-figures by means of external levers on opposite sides of the vertical construction. These levers manipulate the player-figures to shoot or to block the disc from entering the opponent's goal area.

Abstract: A magnetically operable play doll set which includes a doll and a housing which has a floorboard that is elevated above a supporting surface and is divided by walls into a plurality of rooms with doorways permitting passage of the doll through the doorways and into the various rooms. The floorboard is very thin and is supported by means which secure it to the bottom edges of the walls. The walls are supported by a frame underlying the floorboard. The doll is provided on its bottom surface with a magnet which cooperates with a magnet mounted on a retaining plate. The plate, in turn, is pivotally mounted on a wand. Thus, the child desiring to move the doll may insert the wand having the cooperating magnet under the floorboard. The cooperating magnet on the wand will magnetically couple with the magnet on the doll. Inasmuch as the cooperating magnet on the wand is pivotal, the doll will always be moved in a direction with the doll facing forwardly with respect to the direction of movement imparted by the wand.

Abstract: An animal characterization for preschool children which may adopt a toy figure of unique design having articulated body components, as for example, the head, arms and legs. This character can be dressed or decorated to depict various occupations or professions or activities. In essence, the character figure includes first and second mating torso sections which are secured together to form a torso. Apertures in the torso accommodate articulatable arms and the torso section is also designed to accommodate articulatable legs. Feet may be provided with respect to each of the legs and movable with respect to the legs. Hands may also be provided for articulatable movement with respect to the arms. Finally, a head section is pivotally mounted on the torso and may be provided with any of a number of hats in order to depict a certain profession or activity or occupation.

Abstract: A toy game involving chance as well as strategy and skill which includes a playing structure having a pair of opposed spaced apart, generally parallel inclined ramps. The game is preferably played by two individuals, and each of which locate a playing piece, including a movable member, at the upper end of each of the ramps. Upon release of the movable members, they will roll down the inclined ramps toward each other. Each of the movable members removably carry a characterization figure, such that the movable member may adopt the design of a horse and the characterization figure may adopt the design of a man. Projecting elements, as for example, a lance, extend from each of the movable members. Moreover, camming means operate between the ramps and the projected elements to cause the projected elements to swing toward and away from the opposite ramp, so as to possibly engage the rider or other form of characterization figure on one of the movable members.