Abstract:
A ride-on vehicle for a pre-school child in the form of a four-legged animal-like figure on wheels propelled by the feet of a child astride the figure. The figure which is mounted on a platform supported on a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels is composed of a collapsible fabric casing shaped to define the animal-like form and at least one bladder within the casing which when inflated, then erects the figure. The fabric forelegs of the figure extend over the sides of the front wheels and the fabric rear legs of the figure extend over the sides of the rear wheels whereby the wheels are concealed and the child astride the figure appears to be riding the figure, not the platform.
Abstract:
An aroma-generating greeting card in a folder format having a front panel that folds over a rear panel. Printed on the front panel is a greeting appropriate to a given occasion, such as a holiday. Printed on the rear panel is a message related to the greeting. Mounted behind a port formed in the rear panel and blocking this port is a gas-barrier bag housing plastic beads impregnated with a fragrance whose aroma is associated with the occasion. The aroma is dischargeable through a vent in the bag lying within the confines of the port. The port is normally covered by a removable sticker which seals the vent to prevent discharge of the aroma. When a recipient receives the card and unfolds it to read the message and then peels off the sticker, the aroma is then discharged so that it can be sensed by the recipient.
Abstract:
A toy missile which when let fly by a player and then caught by a catcher, produces upon impact sounds appropriate to the nature of the missile. When in the configuration of a humanoid figure, the missile includes a torso defined by a fabric casing stuffed with a soft filler. Embedded in the stuffing of the torso is a sound-producing unit powered by a battery through an impact-sensitive switch whereby when the missile is caught, on impact the switch then turns the unit on to generate sounds which are appropriate to the figure. Hinged to the torso of the figure and extending therefrom are fabric arm and leg appendages. When the player grasps one of these appendages and whirls the missile to let it fly, the torso of the figure then rotates in the course of flight, causing the appendages to stretch out from the torso to stabilize the flight.
Abstract:
A technique for producing an animated film whose cartoon characters and their movements are impersonated by living actors. The scenes of the film are shot by a blue-screen matte cinemaphotography system adapted to exclude blue surfaces from the camera filming the cartoon character. The cartoon character seen by this camera is created by a living actor enveloped head-to-toe in a blue-dyed body suit that renders the actor invisible to the camera. Painted on the front and rear surfaces of the body suit in colors other than blue is a drawing of the cartoon character, animation being imparted thereto in real time by the actor's movements.
Abstract:
A hula-hoop adapted to be whirled around the body of a player by movement of the hips. The hoop includes an inflatable annular core formed of plastic film or other flexible material enclosed within an annular fabric casing to provide a hoop of high strength which when not in use can be collapsed and folded to assume a compact state for storage and shipment.
Abstract:
A mock battle game for children in which each player in the role of a shooter is provided with a toy water gun which projects when triggered, a beam of water in the direction in which the gun is aimed. Each player who acts as a target wears a T-shirt or a similar garment having an outer layer lined by an inner layer. The outer layer is formed of a normally opaque white fabric which when a portion thereof is made wet by the beam is then rendered translucent. The inner layer is formed by a red-colored fabric which when an overlying portion of the outer layer is rendered translucent then exhibits a blood-like effect to indicate a hit.
Abstract:
A playing card game whose winner gains free phone calling time for a period that depends on the value of playing-phone cards he has won. The game uses two decks of playing cards, one being a standard deck of 52 cards divided into four suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs and spades), each suit having king, queen and jack cards and ten numeric cards (Ace to 10). The other deck is a hybrid standard deck in which each of the cards is integrated with a prepaid phone card having a specified money value which depends on the rank of the card and fixes the free phone calling time accorded to its holder, whereby each hybrid card is a playing-phone card. The game is played with the standard deck, some of whose cards are replaced by corresponding playing-phone cards taken from the hybrid deck. After a game is played, the winner keeps the playing-phone cards included in his winning hand and is thereby rewarded for having won.
Abstract:
A self-contained observatory making it possible for a child or other observer to view in an enlarged scale a farm of tiny insects confined within a transparent cartridge. The housing of the observatory includes an inlet to receive the cartridge which is illuminated by a light source mounted within the housing. Also mounted within the housing is a concave mirror and a lens adapted to project a real image of the illuminated farm onto the contoured surface of the mirror. The placement of the concave mirror and its radius of curvature are such as to project onto a free space in advance of the contoured surface an upright and magnified three-dimensional virtual image of the farm of living insects whereby the observer is then better able to see the physical form of each insect and to observe its activities.
Abstract:
A collapsible canteen formed by a collapsible carton having nested therein a collapsible pouch whose open mouth is in alignment with a neck projecting from the carton. The collapsible canteen which has a charge of powder deposited in the pouch is adapted to produce, in situ, a beverage when a hot or cold liquid is poured through the neck of the canteen into the pouch to dissolve the powder the nature of which determines that of the beverage.
Abstract:
A water-pistol and animal figure assembly in which a pistol whose operating mechanism is concealed in the figure causes water to spit out of the mouth of the figure when the pistol is operated. The pistol includes a stock from which depends a hand grip provided with a trigger, a water reservoir in the form of a cylindrical tank mounted above the stock and an internal pump which draws water from the tank and pumps it into the barrel of the pistol from whose nozzle the water is ejected when the trigger is pulled. The animal figure includes a head having an open mouth and a body having an internal cavity which communicates with the head, and is open at its rear end. The pistol is received within the cavity with its barrel socketed in the head of the figure and its nozzle aligned with the open mouth, the water tank being exposed outside of the body. A player who inserts his hand through the open end of the body and grasps the grip of the pistol then appears to be holding the figure, and when he pulls the trigger, water is ejected from the mouth of the figure who then appears to be spitting. When the supply of water is exhausted it may be replenished by feeding water into the exposed water tank which is provided with a removable stopper.