Abstract: A water toy for children comprises a plurality of puzzle pieces formed of lightweight, floatable material and each puzzle piece includes one or more contoured edge portions which are shaped to removably interlock with a contoured edge portion of an adjacent puzzle piece like a jigsaw puzzle. The assembled puzzle pieces form the outer profile of an animal or other creature such as a whale, or the like, when they are assembled together with their contoured edge portions interlocked in a proper selected assembled relation. Each puzzle piece is of sufficient thickness so that while the pieces may slide relative to one another due to the water action, they will not become disassembled. Each of the individual puzzle pieces also includes on at least one side, an individual animated face and is shaped to present a particular real or imaginary animal such as a turtle, shark, seal, serpent or other creature.

Abstract: An extrusion implement includes a pair of generally cylindrical housing portions connected to one another by sets of complementary threads to permit a telescoping of one portion into the other. An open end of the smaller cylindrical portion is partially closed or restricted by one of a plurality of end caps providing various shaped apertures. A viscous material, such as modeling clay, is inserted within the cylindrical portions and a biasing device is provided to constantly urge the viscous material outwardly through the aperture. Relative rotation of the housing portions causes a telescoping effect to regulate the amount of pressure applied by the biasing device. An end cap is pivotally mounted to close the opening when the implement is not in use.

Abstract: A toy bank includes a generally cylindrical, transparent upper housing portion having a slot therein for receiving tokens such as money or the like. A lower storage cavity or housing portion is defined by a shell and a transverse, generally upwardly directed concave surface having at least one aperture therein in communication with the upper housing portion. A manually operable propulsion device mounted on the transverse surface engages the token for directing the tokens through the aperture into the lower housing portion. The propulsion means includes a hand crank connected by a gear train to a propeller having its blades extending upwardly through the transverse surface to engage and deposit the tokens in the lower housing portion.

Abstract: A chance device for randomly selecting one of a plurality of radial directions on a game board. The device includes a housing defining an internal cavity and a plurality of light transmitting apertures defined generally around the periphery of the housing. An illuminator is rotatably mounted within the housing by an indexing mechanism causing the illuminator to stop adjacent one of the apertures. The chance device further includes a switch for alternately energizing the illuminating device at the termination of rotation to direct a flashing beam through the selected aperture. The game board includes a position for mounting the chance device and radial indicia extending away from the chance device in directions aligned with the apertures defined in the housing.

Abstract: A self-propelled wheeled toy includes a housing defining an external body portion and an internal chamber. A spring-type drive motor is mounted in the internal chamber and drivingly connected to the wheels. The motor is cocked by a manually actuatable lever pivotally mounted within the chamber and extends through a slot. A projectile capturing member is pivotally mounted on the housing to provide a target for a projectile directed toward the toy. Once an object is captured, the projectile capturing member pivots due to the weight of the object and engages a switch actuating the motor and causing the toy to move across a suitable supporting surface. As the motor operates, the lever is rotated and engages the capturing member causing the member to pivot and discharge the object.

Abstract: Apparatus for projecting moving images of a travel path environment onto a remote surface simulating the operation of an automobile, airplane or other conveyance comprises a projector housing having a control end and an opposite end with an opening therein for passing a light beam generally longitudinally of the housing toward the remote surface. A beam forming light source is mounted for manually controlled lateral movement adjacent the control end of the housing and forms a light beam projecting outwardly through and shaped by said opening onto the remote surface. An endless belt having a run moving longitudinally of the light beam toward the light source is provided in the housing with one or more image forming devices mounted on the belt to form moving images with the light beam.

Abstract: A programmable phonograph record changer which provides automatic sound track selection for each of a plurality of records played sequentially by the record changer. The record changer includes an electro-optic scanner mounted on the pickup arm for sensing the land areas located between the various sound tracks of a disc-type record. An auxiliary tone arm lift and sweep mechanism is controlled by a digital logic system connected to the electro-optic scanner to drive the tone arm across various bands which the user does not want to be reproduced. The logic system includes a programmable memory which stores the preselected sound tracks of a sequence of records which the user intends to be reproduced.

Abstract: A figure toy adapted to change its posture upon impact includes a central body or mid-torso portion having an upper torso or body portion and a lower torso or hip portion pivotally coupled thereto. The figure toy further includes a bistable, force-applying element that pivots the upper and lower torso portions relative to the central body portion upon impact to the figure toy. The figure toy further includes a pair of arms, pivoted to the upper torso portion and a pair of legs, pivoted to the hip portion, which are actuated by the force applying element. A launching device is provided including a biased figure toy mounting platform which is held in a prelaunching position by a latch. The latch is depressed by a selectively actuable element to release the platform and launch the figure toy. A second launching device is disclosed which includes a figure toy mounting platform pivotally coupled to a base.

Abstract: A can decorating and deforming craft device includes a base for supporting a can laid on its side and at least one can deforming element mounted for selective deforming engagement with an upwardly facing surface of a can placed in position on the base. A lever extends longitudinally of the can and is manually pivotable toward and away from the can to bring one or more of the detachably mounted can deforming elements into surface deforming engagement with the can. Additionally, one or more side deforming elements may be detachably interlocked with the base to provide for selective deformation of the can sides in addition to the deformation of an upwardly facing surface of the can. The can may be deformed into a wide variety of different shapes and decorative paints, decals and the like may be applied to the deformed can to provide a design resembling the face of a clown or the like as an example.

Abstract: A phonograph cartridge is provided for use on a programmable phonograph turntable or changer. The cartridge includes a housing for mounting an electro-mechanical transducer on the end of a phonograph tone arm and a stylus connected to the electro-mechanical transducer for the reproduction of audio information contained in the groove of a record carrier. A sensor including a light source and a photodetector is mounted on the housing in a position in close proximity to the stylus to provide a unitary cartridge and sensor assembly. The stylus and sensor elements are mounted on a subframe portion which is removable from the housing to facilitate replacement of the stylus or sensor without requiring replacement of the entire phonograph cartridge.

Abstract: An action toy for children of tender years useful on land and water comprises a body having an outer surface shaped to resemble a human form in a generally horizontal position as in riding the surf. The body includes a pair of forwardly extending spaced apart arms and a pair of rearwardly extending spaced apart legs. A pair of relatively large wheels formed of flotation material such as resilient foam are mounted for rotation on a pair of spaced apart transverse axes extending between opposite outer end portions of the arms and legs respectively, and a power source such as a rubber band is provided for rotatively driving at least one of the wheels to propel the toy across a supporting surface or across the water.

Abstract: Station apparatus is provided which includes a common signalling unit and two or more handsets for operation on one telephone line or in a multiline arrangement. The handsets are connected to a single telephone line in a one line arrangement and are independently switched to any one of the telephone lines in a multiline arrangement so that the subscribers may each talk on separate lines or simultaneously on any one of the lines. Similarly, in the multiline arrangement the signalling unit is selectively connectable to each of the lines to allow dialing or signalling on any of the lines regardless of the busy or in-use condition of the other lines.The selective switching arrangements provided for the handsets and the common signalling unit in the multiline arrangement are assembled in a common housing or base with the selective switching and common signalling circuitry located in a central raised portion of the base. In a two handset apparatus, the handsets are positioned on either side of the common apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus for creating designs on a substrate such as a sheet of paper includes a frame with a platen mounted on the top thereof. The platen is loosely mounted for vibratory movement relative to the frame. A drive cam, through a link system, is connected to the platen to slowly move the platen in one direction and then rapidly move the platen in a directly opposite direction. A writing implement, such as a pen or pencil, is mounted in a generally vertical position on the substrate on top of the platen, to move with the platen as it is driven slowly in a first direction and then to move relative to the platen as it rapidly returns. The link means is selectively manually rotatable to permit changing the orientation of the vibratory movement of the platen and substrate.

Abstract: A competitive action game includes a generally horizontal playing surface mounted below a parallel cover sheet of resilient, transparent material. A plurality of deformable support columns flexibly maintain the cover at a preselected distance above the playing surface. The support columns may be deformed upon manual compression by a player to flex the surrounding portion of the cover toward the playing surface thus reducing the distance therebetween. The game apparatus includes a rolling supported playing object for positioning between the playing surface and the cover member such that, upon compression of a support column, the reduction of the space between the playing surface and the cover forces the playing object generally away from the point of pressure and in a predetermined direction.

Abstract: A programmable phonograph record changer which provides automatic sound track selection for each of a plurality of records played sequentially by the record changer. The record changer includes an electro-optic scanner mounted on the pickup arm for sensing the land areas located between the various sound tracks of a disc-type record. An auxiliary tone arm lift and sweep mechanism is controlled by a digital logic system connected to the electro-optic scanner to drive the tone arm across various bands which the user does not want to be reproduced. The logic system includes a programmable memory which stores the preselected sound tracks of a sequence of records which the user intends to be reproduced. A land sensing circuit includes a means for developing a threshold signal which varies with the record surface reflectivity characteristics.

Abstract: A tone arm lift mechanism for a programmable phonograph device includes a selectively actuatable solenoid mounted on the free end of the tone arm. The coil of the solenoid includes a movable armature and is mounted on the tone arm in a position so that the armature moves in a generally vertical direction, perpendicular to the surface of a record on the phonograph device. A resilient pad is provided on the lower end of the solenoid armature for engagement with the top surface of the record. A selectively actuatable control energizes the solenoid coil and moves the armature downwardly with respect to the coil, so that, as the resilient pad engages the record surface, the tone arm is moved upwardly so that the stylus moves out of engagement with the record grooves for transverse movement of the tone arm and stylus with respect to the record.