US3699671A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Educational game apparatus
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1970-09-09
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Granted: 1972-10-24
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Expires: 1990-09-09
Abstract
Abstract Educational apparatus of the question and answer type including a teacher station and a plurality of student stations with the switch means of the student and teacher stations being correspondingly identified by numbers, letters or other symbols. A teacher-student circuit connects like-identified switch means of the teacher station with the switch means of each student station. Each circuit provides means for indicating the correct answer of a multiple choice question, the answer to a mathematical problem or the like: The teacher closes a switch of a circuit representing the right answer to a question and a student, knowing the answer to the question, closes a switch of the same circuit, completing the circuit and emitting a signal indicating a correct answer is given. The apparatus also includes tally means for monitoring the performance of the individual students.
Inventors
- 👤 Donald James Desmond
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 17:49
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09B; G09B7/00; G09B7/06; G09B7/07; G09B7/073
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
295 words
Educational game apparatus comprising a plurality of student stations, a teacher station, a series of teacher-student circuit means, each of said circuit means including an on-off teacher switch arranged at the teacher station and a plurality of student switch means arranged each switch means at a respective station of said plurality of student stations, conductor means connecting each student switch means to said teacher switch means in series resistance relation and each student switch means to each other student switch means in parallel resistance relation, each student switch means of each teacher-student circuit including a positive and a negative potential contact and finger pin means for opening and closing said contacts including a discrete finger pin element and guide hole means guidingly constraining said finger pin element in bidirectional axial movement between inward contact closed and outward contact open positions, and including student alert means including a plurality of signal components, each component being connected in series resistance relation with said teacher switch and student switch means of a respective student stations and in parallel resistance relation to each other signal component of that circuit; a signal component for each student station being located in a place permitting an emitted signal to be received by the student of that station, said finger Pin means of said student switch means of each student station includes a plurality of removable finger pin elements of indefinite number by at least in number more than the number of teacher-student circuits; a student selects a finger pin element and inserts said pin element in a guide hole means of a student switch means in closing the circuit of that switch means and score-keeping socket means for receiving said removable finger pin elements for monitoring the performance at a student station.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
295 words
Educational game apparatus comprising a plurality of student stations, a teacher station, a series of teacher-student circuit means, each of said circuit means including an on-off teacher switch arranged at the teacher station and a plurality of student switch means arranged each switch means at a respective station of said plurality of student stations, conductor means connecting each student switch means to said teacher switch means in series resistance relation and each student switch means to each other student switch means in parallel resistance relation, each student switch means of each teacher-student circuit including a positive and a negative potential contact and finger pin means for opening and closing said contacts including a discrete finger pin element and guide hole means guidingly constraining said finger pin element in bidirectional axial movement between inward contact closed and outward contact open positions, and including student alert means including a plurality of signal components, each component being connected in series resistance relation with said teacher switch and student switch means of a respective student stations and in parallel resistance relation to each other signal component of that circuit; a signal component for each student station being located in a place permitting an emitted signal to be received by the student of that station, said finger Pin means of said student switch means of each student station includes a plurality of removable finger pin elements of indefinite number by at least in number more than the number of teacher-student circuits; a student selects a finger pin element and inserts said pin element in a guide hole means of a student switch means in closing the circuit of that switch means and score-keeping socket means for receiving said removable finger pin elements for monitoring the performance at a student station.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
50 words
Educational game apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the student alert means is of visual observation type and wherein each signal component is of light generating form located at a student station and operative in emitting a light signal to be received by the student of that station.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
Educational game apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein each student switch means of each student section includes spring means urging a respective finger pin element of each student switch means to an outward open circuit disposition.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
141 words
Educational game apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said positive potential contact of each student switch means is stationarily supported in axially spaced arrangement relative to said guide hole means thereof and wherein said spring means includes a spring leaf cantilever supported between said guide hole means and said positive potential contact, defining said negative potential contact on the distal end of said spring leaf, sprung normally in an open circuit disposition and with the distal portion of said spring leaf being normally arranged in coaxial arrangement with said hole means, permitting a finger pin element inserted in said guide hole means to engage the spring leaf with the distal end of the finger pin for closing the contacts of said switch means by axial inward movement of said finger pin and upon releasing the pin the contacts open.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
105 words
Educational game apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said positive and negative potential contacts of each student switch means are spaced apart a slight distance and arranged generally symmetrically of said guide hole means of said student switch means, and wherein at least the distal end of each respective finger pin element is formed of electric current conductive material, whereupon insertion of a finger pin in the guide hole means of a student switch brings the distal end of the finger pin between the contacts and closes the circuit of that switch means and retraction of the finger pin element opens that circuit.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
62 words
Educational game apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the teacher switch and each student switch means of a teacher-student circuit is provided with like indicia correspondingly identifying the teacher and student switch means of the circuit and wherein the switch means of each circuit is of different identifying indicia than the identifying indicia of each other circuit of the apparatus.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
Educational game apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein the score-keeping socket means includes a primary and a secondary set of sockets with one socket of the secondary socket set representating a value equal to all the sockets of the primary socket set.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
59 words
Educational game apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein the finger pin means of each student station consists of several groups of pins, each group being colored different from each other group, and with the finger pin means of one student station consisting of color groupings of pins corresponding with the color groupings of each other student station.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-10-24 | 1976-04-24 | 1976-10-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-10-24 | 1980-04-24 | 1980-10-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-10-24 | 1984-04-24 | 1984-10-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |