Abstract: An action game including a receptacle styled as a bathtub having a motor driven impeller in the bottom of the bathtub. Disposed above and adjacent one end of the bathtub is a tank with a hinged lid in which a plurality of different colored balls are stored. A spigot extends from the tank over one upper edge of the bathtub providing an outlet duct for the balls to pass from the tank into the bathtub. Simultaneous release of the balls from the tank and turning on of the battery motor is controlled by a handle that pivots a gate inside the tank and completes an electrical circuit between the battery and the motor. Each player is provided with a suction cup plunger having a hollow shaft handle which the player uses to pick balls of a preselected color out of the bathtub as the balls are rotated around by the impeller.

Abstract: A toy bowling game for young children includes a soft bowling ball and a ramp providing an angled bowling surface. Adjacent the raised end of the ramp are a number of wells with a pin elastically tethered to the bottom of each well. Each pin has a rounded bottom that fits into a depression adjacent the front upper edge of its respective well for setting up the pin. The underside of a flange on the pin, which is above and around the rounded bottom, engages the bowling surface.

Abstract: A toy robot having a handle, one or more small vehicle-receiving recesses provided in its head and/or on its torso and limbs and blade-like supporting posts for vehicle track members. Certain of the robot's vehicle-receiving recesses may have associated therewith vehicle-propelling means and/or track member mounting posts whereby to permit the provision of exit ramps therefrom. The robot serves not only as an independent toy and as a small vehicle carrier, but also permits cooperative play action between the robot and the small vehicles.

Abstract: Projectile propelling attachments are provided for toy figures that have an arm connected at the shoulder end for pivotal movement relative to the torso through approximately ninety degrees. The attachments include an apparatus releasably mountable on the figure in engagement with the arm. A front end bore receives a projectile from which a tether extends out the back end of the apparatus through a smaller diameter bore. In the larger diameter bore there is a coil compression spring. At the free end of the tether a retainer prevents the tether passing back through the apparatus. In one form, the back end of the tether is attached to a reel carried on the back of the figure. Pulling on the tether pivots the arm to the firing position and then compresses the spring. When the tether is released, the spring propels the projectile.

Abstract: A toy mechanical monster has a rounded base that engages a playing surface and houses a motor driving an eccentric weight within the housing. Legs pivotally attached to the housing move to and away from the outside of the housing as it is driven by the eccentric weight increasing the effect of erratic movement of the monster about the playing surface. A head is supported atop the base for rotation by the motor. Pivotally connected to the head are pincer arms with claws that can be used to grasp toy action figures.

Abstract: An attachment for a toy figure includes a simulated automatic firing weapon and a flexible belt with spaced apart simulated ammunition. The belt is movable through a backpack attachable to the figure by manual rotation of an exposed portion of a gear wheel carried by the backpack with the gear wheel teeth engaging the simulated ammunition. Sounds simulating firing of the weapon are produced by a ratchet, coaxial with the gear wheel, engaging a reed.

Abstract: Pneumatic action toy creatures each have a body with a hollow resilient compressible portion. An opening in the compressible portion receives an elongated piston with a cross section substantially conforming to the opening to provide for pneumatic reciprocation of the piston. At least one set of opposed members is mounted for pivotal movement with respect to each other in a direction, and about an axis, generally transverse to the elongated dimension of the piston. Either by an enlargement on one end of the piston, or through interaction with the opposed members, the throw of the piston is limited to retain the one end within the compressible portion. Reciprocation of the piston upon compression and release of the resilient body portion actuates pivotal movement of the opposed members through mechanical engagement.

Abstract: A toy horse figure with a generally hollow body of plastic is provided with a soft flexible mane and tail. The flexible strands of the mane are secured to a foldable membrane, adjacent to, but inward of, a relief decorated edge along each foldable side. When compressed and inserted into an elongated slot formed by recesses in mating shells of the body the decorated relief obscures both the opening and the attachment of the flexible strand. Posts used to secure mating shell halves of the body pass through apertures in the foldable membrane to secure it against removal. For the tail, flexible strands are inserted into an opening in a compressible grommet which in turn is inserted into an opening formed in the body with a decorated relief on the outer flange obscuring the opening and the attachment of the tail strands.

Abstract: A drawing toy including a housing supporting a roll of paper for rotational extraction and a battery powered light source. The paper passes over a light transmitting platen disposed above the light source and a selectively insertable transparency bearing a graphic design. An opening in the housing provides access to the portion of the paper passing over the transparency, platen and light source to permit repetitive tracing of the graphic design. Storage for additional transparencies and drawing materials is also provided in the housing.

Abstract: A battery motor driven toy has articulated front and rear sections that are extended and contracted about a horizontal pivot in a scissor-like action. Each of the sections carries a surface engaging wheel mounted for rotation only in the forward direction. A biasing force pulls the sections together while the motor drives the sections apart against the biasing force through a gear train that includes gear segments on each section. When the front section is driven, the rear section remains stationary but is pulled forward by the biasing force at the end of the drive cycle while the front remains stationary. Placement of the motor and other weight over the rear wheels results in the vehicle doing a "wheelie" when forward movement of the rear wheels is obstructed so that the front section rises up above the play surface while continuing to extend and retract in a snapping-like action. A counterweighted sound device is mounted under the rear section so that it is activated when the vehicle does a "wheelie".

Abstract: A composite toy robot that may be assembled from five individual lion-like vehicles. Each of the vehicles has a hollow body with an openable portion for receiving a toy figure within the body and a pivotal head. Four legs are attached to the body for pivotal movement from an extended position in which the body is supportable on a surface to a retracted position. In addition, each body has an elongated tail mounted for pivotal movement relative to the body. One of the lion-like vehicles forms the torso of the composite toy robot and the limbs of this vehicle are substantially within a respective hip or shoulder joint in the retracted position. The tail of each of the arm and leg forming vehicles has a notch adjacent the end that is received in the hip or shoulder joint of the torso vehicle so that pivotal movement of the respective leg of the torso vehicle into the retracted position retains the tail.

Abstract: Toy monster rocks have a base with a substantially flat bottom. One or more pieces are mounted for pivotal movement with respect to the base. Movement of the piece or pieces from a quiescent position to an aggressive position exposes an open mouth. An actuator effects such movement. In some embodiments the spring urges the pivotal movement against the restraint of a latch disengagable by a trigger part of the actuator. Gears are used to move pieces in other embodiments.

Abstract: An impact responsive toy vehicle in which two separable halves each carrying surface engaging wheels are connected together to provide a vehicle supported on the surface engaging wheels. A torsion spring biases the joinable ends of the two halves to separate and each flip over. The parts are retained together by a connecting latch that is disengageable by a slidable lever that moves in reponse to a force on an extending front bumper. One half carries a rotatable lock including a lug that cooperates with an abutment on the lever to lock the trigger lever against sliding movement in response to impact on the bumper. Fail-safe combination of the two parts rendering the impact responsive feature totally inoperative is accomplished by assembling the parts together with the arm of the torsion spring received in a recess on the underside of the chassis of the other half.

Abstract: A toy slot car racing set is provided with linked, lead and follower car teams. The link is resilient and has a width substantially greater than the thickness, to provide some resistance to lateral flexing. Tight fits between a pin and aperture connection of each end of a link to a respective vehicle generally maintains the connected end of the link in a fixed angular relationship to the vehicle.

Abstract: A drawing toy including a housing providing a raised support for a generally flat platen. Within the housing is a battery powered motor with the motor shaft extending up through the platen. The motor rotates a magnet beneath the platen. Magnetically coupled templets, fitting over or abutting the shaft, are driven around the shaft. Various drawing implements may be inserted into the templet openings for producing geometric art patterns on nonmagnetic media positioned between the platen and the templet.

Abstract: A sprinkler toy, advantageously in the shape of a fire hydrant, includes a connector for placing the toy in fluid communication with a garden hose. A first spraying nozzle is capable of communicating with the connector through a pivotally operated valve. The first nozzle includes a plurality of apertures for producing an upwardly directed, diffused liquid spray. A second nozzle, also capable of fluid communication with the connector through a pivotally operated valve, is connected to the remainder of the toy by a flexible hose.

Abstract: A 4.times.4 conversion accessory for vehicles including a pair of spaced apart axles secured to an elongated transverse central frame member. Relatively large lugged wheels are attached to the ends of each axle for rotation with respect to the frame member. Mounting wells for releasably receiving the wheels of the vehicle are carried by the axles adjacent each lugged wheel to support the vehicle on the conversion accessory. Each well has a substantially solid outer circular wall and a spaced apart inner circular wall with a generally vertical slot extending down below the center of the inner wall. A telescoping frame member and mounting wells carried for sliding movement along the transverse axles accommodate vehicles having different wheel bases. In another version, the elongated frame member includes a compressible spring and releasable actuator for propelling a combined vehicle and 4.times.4 converter accessory.

Abstract: A self-propelled military type land vehicle with a power take-off friction coupling in the form of a rotating cannon fits into and is retained in a helicopter shell with the power coupling driving the helicopter rotor. A releasable latch carried by the helicopter retains the vehicle within the helicopter shell and in driving engagement during simulated flight. The helicopter has a hand grippable depending tail support with a trigger disposed near the support for effecting release of the land vehicle and disengagement of the power take-off coupling from the rotor without braking the rotor.