Abstract: A robotic joint for use in toys or other robotic assemblies to provide locomotion to animated figures, sub-assemblies, and toy construction building sets. The robotic joint is particularly adaptable because one side of the joint carries the motor that is powering the joint. It also provides for four-way action in a joint in a very compact space by attaching a motorized joint directly to the shaft of another motor. It can also provide omni-directional action in a joint, since each motor turns the shaft or turns the motor housing based on the amount of resistance applied to the shaft. This can be demonstrated in a joint that is used to support a leg in which the joint has two motors attached by their shafts, perpendicular to each other in the same joint. A joint structure is provided in which two parallelograms are placed substantially perpendicular to one another to distribute the weight.

Abstract: A robotic joint for use in toys to provide locomotion to animated figures, sub-assemblies, and toy construction building sets. The robotic joint is particularly adaptable because one side of the joint carries the motor that is powering the joint. It also provides for four-way action in a joint in a very compact space by attaching a motorized joint directly to the shaft of another motor. It can also provide up to eight-way action in a joint, since each motor turns the shaft or turns the motor housing based on the amount of resistance applied to the shaft. This can be demonstrated in a joint that is used to support a foot in which the foot has a motor for locomotion, and the limb has a motor for locomotion connected by a four-way joint.

Abstract: A locator for a utility box mountable to a stud with a box rim of preselected perimeter size and shape about a box opening facing a sheet of wallboard. The locator includes a support snuggly mounted to the utility box from which a locator pin projects, and a template of perimeter size and shape approximating that of the box rim and formed with an aperture sized to receive the locator pin. A method of locating a utility box overlaid with wallboard includes the steps of providing a projection on the utility box, overlaying the utility box with wallboard, puncturing the wallboard with the projection, placing a template over the wallboard with the projection extending through a template opening, and marking the wallboard about the template.