Patents by Inventor Victor Manuel Pracas

Victor Manuel Pracas has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6412181
    Abstract: A cutting tool comprises an elongate housing for slidably receiving a cutting blade. The cutting tool is in the form of an attachment for an electric jigsaw, and the housing incorporates a pair of clamping brackets for mounting on a footplate of the jigsaw. Each bracket is provided with a mounting flange for clamping onto the footplate when a compressive force is applied to move the clamping brackets towards each other. The cutting blade is driven by the jigsaw in a reciprocating manner. A workpiece support extends from a free end of the housing, and has a support member arranged to engage a workpiece in a stabilizing manner adjacent the free end of the housing when cutting. The support member is fixed to a guide member which extends parallel to and adjacent the cutting blade where it protrudes from the free end of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Tool Concepts PTY LTD
    Inventor: Victor Manuel Pracas
  • Patent number: 6238262
    Abstract: An electronic interactive puppet 10 has a body 12 with a head 14 that is capable of moving from left to right. The puppet's head 14 also has a moveable mouth 16, moveable eyes 18 and moveable eyebrows 20 to give added expression to the puppet's facial features. An actuating means 22 is provided for moving the puppet's head 14, mouth 16, eyes 18 and eyebrows 20 responsive to an actuating signal. The puppet 10 also includes a sound reproducing means 24 housed within the body 12 for reproducing pre-recorded sounds such as dialogue for the puppet. An electronic control means 26 is operatively connected to the actuating means 22 and sound reproducing means 24 of the puppet. The sound reproducing means 24 and actuating means 22 can be activated in synchronism with a sound track of a video program so that the puppet 10 appears to interact audibly and animatedly with the video program. The puppet 10 can be used with any conventional video program, and does not require a special video recording.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignee: Technovation Australia Pty LTD
    Inventor: Victor Manuel Pracas
  • Patent number: 6120295
    Abstract: A visual puzzle toy, for example, a coloring book 14 is provided with a substantially planar surface having a morphologically distorted representation 10 of an image printed thereon. The image 10 is distorted by circular transformation and must be viewed in a reflective surface provided on the outer circumference of a substantially cylindrical object in order to clearly distinguish the original image. The reflective surface may be provided on a cylindrical tumbler 22 for holding pencils, pens and paintbrushes for coloring in the morphologically distorted representation 10. The morphological distortion of the image introduces an element of mystery and intrigue which enhances the play value of the coloring book. The morphologically distorted representation can also be printed on a placemat or a jigsaw puzzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: Technovation Australia Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Victor Manuel Pracas
  • Patent number: 6089402
    Abstract: A puzzle candy dispenser 10 which includes a spherical inner body 12 having a plurality of grooves 14 provided on its outer surface and sized to allow a ball-shaped confection 16 to roll therein. The grooves 14 form a maze between an entry aperture 18 and exit aperture 20 in the outer surface of the inner body 12. A spherical outer shell 22 of slightly larger diameter is adapted to substantially enclose the inner body 12 and has an indentation 24 sufficiently large to allow one of the ball-shaped confections 16 to roll therein when the indentation 24 is located over one of the grooves 14. The ball-shaped confection can be steered by the indentation 24 from the entry aperture 18 through the maze of grooves 14 to the exit aperture 20 by manipulating the outer shell 22 relative to the inner body 12 in order to dispense a confection. A release mechanism 40 is provided for releasing a single candy from a hollow interior of the inner body 12 through the entry aperture 18.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Technovation Australia Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Victor Manuel Pracas
  • Patent number: 6042450
    Abstract: A doll with simulated physiological functions, in particular a toy doll in the form of a teddy bear, is described. The teddy bear has a head with eyes that can move and a mouth that opens and closes. A lower jaw pivots about a first axis to provide the opening and closing action of the mouth. A mechanical linkage means is provided to transmit a movement of the lower jaw to another part of the doll, for example to the eyes, whereby opening and/or closing of the mouth, for example when feeding the teddy bear, can produce a simulated physiological response from the doll, for example a responsive eye movement. The mechanical linkage means also actuates a sound generating means. The arrangement of the mechanical linkage means is such that there is a degree of unpredictability in the simulated physiological functions which enhances the long term play value of the doll and increases the enjoyment of a child. Incorporating other simulated physiological functions further enhances the play value of the teddy bear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Toy Concepts Pty. Ltd.
    Inventors: John Malcolm Leversedge, Victor Manuel Pracas
  • Patent number: 5941750
    Abstract: A baby doll (10) capable of simulating physiological functions of a human body in response to an applied magnetic field. The doll (10) has an internal reservoir (12) that can be filled with liquid through a mouth (14) of the doll. The internal reservoir (12) has an outlet (16) which is closable by a closure member (18). The closure member (18) is movable from a closed position in which the outlet (16) is closed, to an open position in which the outlet (16) is opened, in response to an applied magnetic field. A permanent magnet (40) is fixed to the closure member (18). A receptacle in the form of a cot (22) designed to receive the doll (10) in a recumbent position, is provided with a permanent magnet (20) therein, so that when the doll (10) is placed in the cot, a magnetic field can be applied to the magnet (40) on closure member (18) by the permanent magnet (20), so that outlet (16) is opened and liquid can flow from the reservoir (12) so the doll appears to have wet itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Assignee: Technovation Australia Pty. Ltd.
    Inventor: Victor Manuel Pracas
  • Patent number: 5820441
    Abstract: An animated doll having a head, torso, and limbs is provided with an animation mechanism for moving the limbs. The animation mechanism is housed in the torso and includes an electric motor, a cam wheel rotated by the motor, and a plurality of lever arms engaged with the cam wheel and pivotal as the wheel rotates. A plurality of pivotal members are provided, each extending into a respective limb. Each lever arm is engaged with a respective pivotal member to produce movement of the limbs in response to operation of the motor. The plane of rotation of the cam wheel and the plane of pivoting movement of the lever arms is parallel to the plane which passes through the torso and limbs. A switch may be provided to provide electric power to the motor. The switch may be a magnetically actuated switch located at the mouth of the doll; and a magnet to actuate the switch may be provided on a simulated feeding bottle or on clothing of a user. The doll may produce sounds such as crying, sucking, or a heart beat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: Inntoy Pty. Ltd.
    Inventor: Victor Manuel Pracas
  • Patent number: 5738561
    Abstract: A doll having a microphone and sound recording device along with a sound playback device and a speaker. The doll is provided with contacts or buttons to activate the sound recording device and the sound playback device. A child may speak to the doll and record messages, which may be played back at a later time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Assignee: Concepts Development Australia Pty. Ltd.
    Inventor: Victor Manuel Pracas