Patents by Inventor William F. Stephens

William F. Stephens 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).

  • Collapsible toy automobile race course
    Patent number: 4585166
    Abstract: A collapsible toy automobile race course having a spiral track with an arrangement for biasing the track to act as a spring having a relaxed essentially collapsed position and an extended taut position, and a post for holding the track in an extended position so that one end of the track is higher than the other end, and an arrangement for reversing the direction of an automobile traveling thereon at one end of the track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1986
    Assignee: Mattel, Inc.
    Inventor: William F. Stephens
  • Toy vehicle playset
    Patent number: 4536168
    Abstract: A toy vehicle playset (100) includes a stunt apparatus (102) and plurality of vehicles (104), (106) and (108). Each vehicle includes front wheel (14) having outwardly extending protuberances (20) adapted to engage a ramp (130) on stunt apparatus (102) and wheelie-inducing members (158) and (160), which are mounted inside stunt apparatus 102 for causing vehicles (104), (106) and (108) to perform wheelie-type maneuvers which are caused, in part, by increasing the speed of the vehicles automatically be engaging a shift lever (68) with a protuberance (122) provided on stunt apparatus (102).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1984
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1985
    Assignee: Mattel, Inc.
    Inventor: William F. Stephens