US3786577A - Educational toy - Google Patents

Educational toy Download PDF

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Publication number
US3786577A
US3786577A US00222834A US3786577DA US3786577A US 3786577 A US3786577 A US 3786577A US 00222834 A US00222834 A US 00222834A US 3786577D A US3786577D A US 3786577DA US 3786577 A US3786577 A US 3786577A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
actuator
structures
levers
word
letters
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Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
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US00222834A
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English (en)
Inventor
S Tepper
T Fauls
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Educational Toys Inc
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Educational Toys Inc
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Publication date
Application filed by Educational Toys Inc filed Critical Educational Toys Inc
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09B—EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS
    • G09B17/00—Teaching reading

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A spelling toy wherein movable structures carrying letters of the alphabet are caused to move by gravity down n s ath p des mifl nq it enw a housing.
  • the housing includes a plurality of slots, and an orifice for guiding any one of a plurality of verifying means or actuators into the housing.
  • the housing pivotally supports a plurality of levers, each of said levers being capable of passing through one of the slots when operated by an actuator.
  • Each actuator corresponds to a word to be spelled and includes a plurality of unequaly spaced abutments for engaging some of the plurality of levers.
  • Each of the movable structures includes projections which extend over some of the plurality of the slots when the structures are at the predetermined positions.
  • the actuator causes the levers to knock over the structures of the letters which are out of place.
  • the projections of the falling structures engage a member which in turn drives a link into the path of the lid lever, thereby preventing movement of the lid lever and preventing the lid from opening. As a result, the doll does not pop up.
  • the subject invention relates to educational toys.
  • the invention employs individual letter means resembling letters of the alphabet; a predetermined position on a housing at which said letters can be arranged in succession to spell a word; a verifying means adapted to be placed in a verifying position after the spelling of a word has been completed; and means responsive to the placement of said verifying means in its verifying position for disorienting at least one of said letters in the event the word has been misspelled, said responsive means leaving the orientation of said letters unaffected in the event the word has been correctly pe l d- Additional objects and features of this invention will become apparent by reference to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
  • FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a toy according to the invention
  • FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the toy, the word HAT having been spelled correctly and an actuator having been depressed, thereby causing a doll to project from the housing of the toy;
  • FiG. 3 is a perspective view of the toy, the word HAT having been misspelled and an actuator having been depressed, thereby causing the letters of the word which were out of place to be knocked down;
  • FIG. 4 is a top view of the toy, a section having been removed to partially illustrate how uniquely spaced abutments on an actuator engage levers for verifying the correct placement of the housing of a letter in a word being spelled;
  • FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the toy, taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 4;
  • FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the toy, taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 3, showing a structure associated with a letter in the process of being knocked dow FlG.
  • 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the toy, taken along line 7--7 in FIG. 4;
  • FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the toy, taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of a part of the toy which illustrates a spring applying a normal force to a link.
  • FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view, taken along line 1010 in FIG. 4.
  • the toy includes a plurality of movable letter means l5, l6, and 17 (only three are shown, but as many letters as necessary to spell a number of desired words may be provided); a housing 11 having an inclined platform 12 for supporting three of said letters 15, 16, and 17 at predetermined positions, these positions defining a station; and a plurality of verifying means or actuators 13 (only one shown), each actuator 13 being engageable with means, more fully described below, in the housing 11 to verify whether the three letters 15, 16, and 17 on the platform 12 correctly spell out a word associated with that particular actuator 13.
  • the actuator 13 causes a doll 14 supported by the housing 11 to pop up if selected letters 15, 16 and 17 are located at predetermined positions on the platform 12 so as to spell out the word associated with the actuator 13 correctly.
  • the actuator 13 causes the letters 16 and 17 which are out of place to be knocked down (see FIG. 3).
  • each structure includes a mechanism which permits the structures 20, 21 and 22 to move, under the influence of gravity, along an inclined path.
  • the structures 20, 21, and 22 could, for example, be mounted on wheels, four legs 29 (see FIGS. 5 and 7) pivotally mounted with each structure, such as is shown and described in US. Pat. No. 376,588, are preferred so as to provide letters which give the appearance of walking when the structures 20, 21, and 22 move along an inclined path.
  • the inclined platform 12 includes a pair of parallel grooves 18 which define an inclined path and a wall 19 which projects perpendicularly from the lower edge of platform 12.
  • the structure 20 moves down the inclined path until it abuts against the wall 19.
  • the structure 20, the groove 18, and the wall 19 define a position for the first letter 15.
  • the legs of the second structure 21 are placed on the grooves 18, this structure moves down the inclined path until it abuts against the first structure 20.
  • a third structure 22 is placed on the grooves 18, it moves down the inclined path until it abuts against the second structure 21. Since the letters 15, 16, and 17 are housed in structures of equal width which are biased by gravity into contact, the letters 15, 16, and 17 come to rest, respectively, in first, second, and third predetermined positions where the spelling of a word, as described below, may be verified.
  • each word there is associated with each word an actuator 13 having a plurality of uniquely spaced abutments 23 (see FIGS. 4-8).
  • the housing 11 includes an orifice 24, located parallel to the grooves 18, which serves to guide the actuator 13 into the housing 11; and the inclined platform 12 includes a plurality of evenly spaced slots which are adjacent to the grooves 18.
  • a plurality of fulcrums 27 (FIGS. 4-6) which serve to pivotally support a plurality of levers 28.
  • FIGS. 5 and 6 One of said plurality of levers 28 is shown in detail in FIGS. 5 and 6. As may be seen in FIG.
  • each lever 28 includes a bracket 30 for engaging two of the fulcrums 27, an arm 31 extending from the bracket 30 which has a curved extension, and an arm 32 extending from the bracket 30 to which forces for pivoting the lever 28 are applied by the abutments 23 on the actuators.
  • a member 37 fixed to spacers 79 onthe the housing 11 by screws 80, includes a pair of spaced apart holes 39, the holes 39 having, respectively, counterbores 41 and 42.
  • Hole 39 slidably supports a shaft 43 which is perpendicularly fixed to a rectangular rod 44 and hole slidably supports a shaft 45 which is also perpendicularly fixed to the rectangular rod 44.
  • the shaft 43 supports a compression spring 46 which at one end abuts against the rectangular rod 44 and at the other end abuts against the seat of the counterbore 41.
  • the shaft 45 supports a compression spring 47 which at one end abuts against the rod 44 and at the other end abuts against the seat of the counterbore 42.
  • the springs 46 and 47 urge the rod 44 against the arms 32 of the plurality of levers 28, thereby forcing the arms 32 against the bottom of the housing 11 and the extensions of the arms 31 away from their respective slots 25. This arrangement insures that all the levers 28 return to the broken line position shown in FIG. 5 when actuator 13 is removed from orifree 24.
  • Each of the structures 20, 21, and 22 includes projections 50, 51, and 52, respectively, which extend over some of the slots 25 when the letters 15, 16, and 17 are in position at the platform (see FIG. 4).
  • the actuator 13 associated with a word is pushed into the orifice 24
  • the abutments 23 of the actuator 13 engage the arms 32 of certain of the levers 28,
  • the rectangular rod 44 is moved downwardly towards member 37, and the arms 31 of the actuated levers 28 pass through their respective slots 25.
  • the arms 31 either push some or all of the projections 50, 51, and 52 of the structures 20, 21, and 22 (see FIG. 6) or pass through the slots 25 and the unobstructed spaces between the projections (see FIG. 5).
  • FIG. 5 As shown in FIG.
  • the toy includes a response which is triggered by the actuator 13 if its corresponding word has been spelled correctly.
  • the platform 12 includes a hole 55 below which there is mounted a container 56 and above which there is pivotally mounted on the platform 12 a lid 57 for the container 56.
  • the lid 57 includes a step extension 58 which, when the lid is closed, passes through a hole 59 (see also FIGS. 1-4) in the platform 12,
  • the container 56 pivotally supports at 65 a lever 60 having an extension 61 (see also FIGS. 5 and 6) which extends into the path of the actuator 13 and a latch 62 which is engageable with the step extension 58 to keep the lid 57 closed.
  • the engagement is maintained by a tension spring 63 connected at one end to the bottom of the platform 12 and at its other end to the lever 60.
  • the container 56 and lid 57 house a doll 14 which is connected to the container 56 by a compression spring 64.
  • the wall 19 includes a hole 66; (FIG. 4); the housing 11 includes a support 67 (FIGS. 1-5) having a hole 68, the holes 66 and 68 having a common axis which is parallel to the platform 12; and the platform 12 includes a hole 69 below the axis and adjacent to the support 67.
  • Holes 66 and 68 rotatably support a member 70 having an extension 71 (FIGS. 4, 5 and 6) which passes through the hole 69 and a projection which partially extends over the plurality of slots 25.
  • the size of the hole 69 serves to limit rotation of the member 70.
  • the end of the extension 71 pivotally supports a link 72 which is slidably supported by a pair of holes 73 and 74 in the support member 37 (see FIGS. 7-9)
  • the support member 37 includes a hole 75 through which a spring 76 connected to the rectangular rod 44 extends.
  • the axis of the spring 76 is perpendicularly located with respect to the rectangular rod 44 so that when the rectangular 44 is depressed by the action of the actuator 13 on the levers 28, the normal force applied by the spring 76 to the link 72 will increase the friction between the link 72 and holes 73 and 74 to keep the link 72 stationary until a positive force is applied to change its position.
  • the toy may be prepared for another attempt to spell a word by removing the actuator 13, pushing the doll 14 into the container 56, and closing the lid 57.
  • the step extension pivots the lever 60 until the step extension 58 clears the latch 62.
  • spring 63 pivots the latch 62 of the lever 60 into engagement with the step extension 58.
  • a spelling toy comprising:
  • a verifying means adapted to be placed in a verifying position after spelling of the word has been completed
  • a spelling toy as defined in claim 1 including a plurality of said verifying means, each verifying means being allocated to a different word.
  • each of said letter means carries a projection, and said responsive means cooperates with said projection to disorient said letter means when it is incorrectly located in the word.
  • a spelling toy as defined in claim 1 including'a path leading to said station, and means for moving each of said letter means along said path from a point remote from said station to said station.
  • a spelling toy as defined in claim 5 wherein said means for moving each of said letter means includes means carried by each letter means for movably supporting it on said path.
  • a spelling toy as defined in claim 6 wherein said means for movably supporting each letter means includes a plurality of legs depending from said letter means, each leg being pivoted to said letter means.
  • said verifying means is a member carrying at least one abutment
  • said responsive means includes an element engageable with and movable by said abutment when said member is placed in the verifying position.
  • each of said letter means carries a projection, said projection being in the path of movement of said element when said letter means is at said station. but incorrectly located in the word, whereby when said element is moved by said abutment said element in turn engages said projection and disorients said letter means.
  • a spelling toy as defined in claim 1 including a hidden member, and means responsive to placement of said verifying means in its verifying position for exposing said hidden member only in the event the word has been correctly spelled.
  • a spelling toy as defined in claim 10 including an enclosure within which said member can be hidden, and wherein said means for exposing said member includes means for opening said enclosure.
  • a spelling toy as defined in claim 1 1 including resilient means constantly tending to open said enclosure when the latter is closed, and a latch for holding said enclosure closed against the force of said resilient means, and wherein said means for exposing said member responds to placement of said verifying means in its verifying position for releasing said latch.
  • a spelling toy as defined in claim 10 including means for preventing said exposing means from responding to said verifying means when a word is misspelled.
  • each of said letter means carries a projection
  • said exposing means includes a part movable by said verifying means when the latter is placed in its verifying position
  • said preventing means includes means responsive to movement of the projection of a letter means which is disoriented for preventing movement of said part by said verifying means.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Educational Administration (AREA)
  • Educational Technology (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Toys (AREA)
US00222834A 1972-02-02 1972-02-02 Educational toy Expired - Lifetime US3786577A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US22283472A 1972-02-02 1972-02-02

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3786577A true US3786577A (en) 1974-01-22

Family

ID=22833893

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00222834A Expired - Lifetime US3786577A (en) 1972-02-02 1972-02-02 Educational toy

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US3786577A (it)
JP (1) JPS4883930A (it)
DE (1) DE2262690A1 (it)
FR (1) FR2170688A5 (it)
IT (1) IT978728B (it)

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
IT978728B (it) 1974-09-20
DE2262690A1 (de) 1973-08-09
FR2170688A5 (it) 1973-09-14
JPS4883930A (it) 1973-11-08

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