Abstract: A hand held craft gun including a housing assembly and a receptacle defined therein. A housing handle and shaft are disposed on the housing adjacent either side of the receptacle with the shaft extending away from the housing handle. A plunger handle supporting a plunger rod is disposed on the shaft and a simple yet unique coupling is employed for pivoting the plunger rod between a position unaligned with the receptacle for fun and quick filling and refilling of a modeling compound and a position aligned with the receptacle for easy extruding of the modeling compound. Additionally, at least one storage cavity at the housing handle and/or plunger handle partially contains the plunger rod in a folded position for quick and easy transport of the craft gun.

Abstract: A modeling compound forming kit is disclosed including a front plate having rearwardly opening compartments, a center plate conjoining extrusion tubes for communicating modeling compound into the compartments of the front plate, and a back plate that may be received rearward of the center plate. The compartments may be provided independently such that compartments are achieved with barriers or partitions attached or as one or more separate elements that may be received in the assembly of the modeling compound display toy. The described methods of forming the modeling compounds in a toy provide the compartments for the display of the modeling compounds, and conjoining the extrusion tubes positionable for injection of the modeling compounds into one or more of the compartments. An injector tool is described for coupling with the extrusion tubes for injecting the modeling compound at the compartments.

Abstract: A modeling compound stamping tool is disclosed including a stamping element having multiple images, and a gear assembly with a handle mechanically coupled for selection of an image of the stamping element to assist in the creation of art forms, artistic designs or impressions. The described methods of stamping the modeling compounds in a toy provide the stamping element with the multiple images, and selecting an image for applying to a quantity of modeling compound. A dial or a handle is disclosed for rotating between images of the stamping element to position various different images in downwardly facing positions for pressing the stamping element against the quantity of modeling compound to produce the desired image.

Abstract: A spatula device operable for handling heated foodstuffs and manipulate a baking pan or container providing a unique and convenient integrally operable cooling chamber for receiving, cooling, and removing the baking pan or container from a complementary toy oven. The spatula device automatically retains the baking pan or container in the cooling chamber when the baking pan or container is removed from the toy oven used in combination and is operable to manually release the baking pan or container from the cooling chamber when the device is manipulated by a user. The spatula device includes a handle and a cooling chamber coupled to a first end with the chamber having an access opening defined in a wall, and the chamber manufactured from a thermochromic material capable of changing color corresponding to the temperature of the chamber.

Abstract: A newspaper delivery receptacle having a generally elongated tubular shape with a bottom wall, top wall and vertical side walls an open front end for receipt of newspapers, printer material and the like. The newspaper delivery receptacle is securable to a mounting post and has a plurality of space apart snaps which extend from an exterior surface of the receptacle and a mounting bracket having a plurality of openings which engage the snaps to fixedly secure the receptacle to the bracket.

Abstract: The presence of particular faults in a machine is determined using constraint suspension and Qualitative Physics by propagating values indicative of received machine signals through a subset of model variables that are either unrestricted or partially restricted. The implicants of each value assigned to a variable of the subset of variables can be determined and other variables can be restricted according to the union of the implicants. Values for fully restricted and partially restricted variables can be propagated in order to further restrict any other variables. The values of variables can be either qualitative, quantitative, or both. A Qualitative Physics model of a machine can be constructed by providing a user with a graphical user interface allowing selection and interconnection of machine components for the model such that the user can define a landmark domain and apply the landmark domain to provide definitions of qualitative value spaces of variables of the model.

Abstract: The presence of particular faults in a machine is determined using constraint suspension and Qualitative Physics by prompting a user to perform a machine test procedure and provide results where the test procedure causes a machine configuration change. The machine configuration change can be due to prompting the user to modify machine control inputs or by prompting the user to perform an invasive test. In response to the configuration change, the processor can save predictions for variables and results of performing test procedures and can restore predictions and results of performing test procedures that correspond to a configuration entered as a result of the configuration change. An initial set of assumed machine symptoms can be used to determine the presence of particular faults in the machine and to generate diagnostic logic trees.

Abstract: The presence of particular faults in a machine is determined using constraint suspension and Qualitative Physics by estimating a time for performance for each of a plurality of machine test procedures and providing a summation, for each test procedure, of estimated times for performing portions of each of the test procedures. Portions of the machine test procedures which are unnecessary due to a present test configuration of the machine are not included in the summation. A particular test procedure is chosen from the group of machine test procedures by selecting the one of the machine test procedures having a highest test score where the test score varies inversely to the summation. The test procedure can be a component health assessment and/or an observation of a machine parameter.

Abstract: A toy vehicle includes a sound generating mechanism for generating realistic vehicle engine sound and a smoke generating mechanism for generating simulated smoke vapors. The sound generating mechanism and the smoke generating mechanism are simultaneously actuatable by moving an accessory, such as a spoiler, on a cab portion of the vehicle.

Abstract: Variables associated with hypotheses of a qualitative physics model are grouped into type I variables and type II variables, wherein any possible value measured for a type I variable is guaranteed to render at least one hypothesis inconsistent and some, but not all, possible values measured for a type II variable will render at least one hypothesis inconsistent. A test score, indicating the desirability of observing a variable, is calculated for each variable and the type I variable with the highest test score is chosen for observation unless no type I variables have a test score above a predetermined threshold, in which case the type II variable with the highest test score is chosen.

Abstract: The value of an unknown variable associated with a particular hypothesis is determined by iteratively setting the variable to each of its possible values and, for each iteration, propagating the known variables and the value of the unknown variable through confluences of the model. If only one value for the unknown variable results in a consistent set of predictions for the hypothesis, the unknown variable is set to that value. If no variables result in a consistent set of predictions, then the hypothesis is deemed to be invalid.

Abstract: A set of confluences is deemed to be inconsistent by determining that there exists no set of values that can be assigned to all unknown variables of the confluences which result in a consistent set of predictions. Values are iteratively assigned to variables until either all unknown variables have been assigned a value or until a determination is made that no value of a particular variable will result in a consistent set of predictions. Values are assigned first to variables which appear in confluences having only two unknowns and then said values are propagated through the confluences of the hypothesis.

Abstract: A Qualitative Reasoning System (QRS) performs machine failure isolation by generating a plurality of pending hypotheses which assume the failure of one or more machine components and by testing each of the hypotheses by propagating actual values for machine parameters through confluence equations for the hypothosis being tested. Hypotheses which produce an inconsistent set of predictions are discarded while hypotheses which produce a consistent set of predictions are saved. The hypotheses are generated using a model instance data element which contains a qualitative physics model description of the machine. The machine failure is isolated when all but one hypothesis, which assumes the failure of one or more elementary machine components, remains.

Abstract: A parallel processing qualitative reasoning system uses a control processor and a plurality of server processors to evaluate a plurality of hypotheses simultaneously. The control processor provides hypotheses and user observations to the server processors and the server processors return evaluated hypotheses to the control processor. The server processors can be interrupted after a predetermined amount of time to return a partially evaluated hypothesis.