US3711964A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ask and answer toy
Assignee: Mattel Inc
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Filing: 1971-04-08
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Granted: 1973-01-23
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Expires: 1991-04-08
Abstract
Abstract A phonograph toy with a pointer wheel that can be turned so that a pointer thereon points to a picture that represents a question, and which automatically selects a record groove that asks the question when the phonograph is played. The pointer can be slid on the wheel to uncover a picture that represents the answer to the question, and the pointer then also selects another record groove that answers the question. The record is a disc with leadin groove portions spaced thereabout, and the particular groove that will be played is determined by the rotational position at which the disc stops during winding of a spring prior to playing. As the disc record rotates in reverse during spring winding, it rotates an index member with a helical ramp. The rotating helical ramp raises and then drives a moveable stop so the stop can contact another stop on the pointer and prevent any further reverse record rotation. During forward record rotation, when a groove is played, the ramp lowers the moveable stop so it is clear of the pointer stop.
Inventors
- 👤 I Poter
- 👤 W Hosokawa
- 👤 W Pester
- 👤 H Folson
- 👤 J Hegel
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 10:24
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09B; G09B3/00; G09B3/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
158 words
A phonograph toy comprising: a housing; a visual display mounted on said housing and containing spaced pairs of markings; pointer means for indicating particular markings, said pointer means movable relative to said display in a first manner to select a pair of said markings and in a second manner to alternately indicate each marking of the selected pair; a record within said housing having pairs of record tracks corresponding to said pairs of markings, each pair of said tracks including a first track matching a first marking of the corresponding pair of markings and a second track matching a second marking of the corresponding pair of markings; and means responsive to the position of said pointer means relative to said display, for playing the record track which matches the marking indicated by said pointer means, whereby a child can easily select a marking pair and alternately play recordings corresponding to each marking of the pair with simple manipulations.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
158 words
A phonograph toy comprising: a housing; a visual display mounted on said housing and containing spaced pairs of markings; pointer means for indicating particular markings, said pointer means movable relative to said display in a first manner to select a pair of said markings and in a second manner to alternately indicate each marking of the selected pair; a record within said housing having pairs of record tracks corresponding to said pairs of markings, each pair of said tracks including a first track matching a first marking of the corresponding pair of markings and a second track matching a second marking of the corresponding pair of markings; and means responsive to the position of said pointer means relative to said display, for playing the record track which matches the marking indicated by said pointer means, whereby a child can easily select a marking pair and alternately play recordings corresponding to each marking of the pair with simple manipulations.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
60 words
The phonograph toy described in claim 1 wherein: said first marking of each pair visually indicates the subject matter of a question and said second marking of the pair visually indicates the subject matter of the answer to the question; and said first and said second tracks of each pair contain recordings that respectively ask the question and answer it.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
180 words
The phonograph toy described in claim 1 wherein: said record has a face with interleaved spiral grooves, said grooves having circumferentially spaced leadin portions; and said means responsive to the relative position of said pointer means includes a pivotally mounted tone arm having a stylus for playing said grooves, a rotatably mounted turntable supporting said record to rotate it, means for raising said tone arm stylus off said record and lowering it back thereon to fall into a leadin groove portion that lies under the stylus, a drag stop coupled to said turntable, first and second pointer stops mounted on said pointer means, said pointer means mounted to rotate about said record and slide substantially radially relative to it, said pointer stops positioned on said pointer means to alternately move into position to engage said drag stop as said pointer means slides; and means for successively rotating said turntable in a predetermined reverse direction until said drag stop fully engages one of said pointer stops, lowering said stylus onto said record, and rotating said turntable in a predetermined forward direction.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
209 words
A phonograph toy comprising: a housing having a ring-shaped area containing pairs of circumferentially spaced markings, the markings of each pair substantially radially spaced from each other; a pointer assembly including a pointer wheel rotatably mounted on said housing and a pointer member slideably mounted on said pointer wheel to slide between first and second positions thereon, so that said pointer member moves adjacent to different pairs of markings as said wheel rotates and alternatively indicates different markings of the pair to which it is adJacent as it is slid between said first and second positions on said wheel; a record having a plurality of record tracks thereon, each track matching a different one of said markings; tone arm means movable between positions to engage and disengage said record tracks; stop means coupled to said pointer member to be moved both when said pointer member rotates with said pointer wheel and when it slides on said pointer wheel; means responsive to the position of said stop means for directing said tone arm means into engagement with the track which matches the marking indicated by said pointer member; and means for moving said record relative to said tone arm means to play the track engaged by the tone arm means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
209 words
A phonograph toy comprising: a housing having a ring-shaped area containing pairs of circumferentially spaced markings, the markings of each pair substantially radially spaced from each other; a pointer assembly including a pointer wheel rotatably mounted on said housing and a pointer member slideably mounted on said pointer wheel to slide between first and second positions thereon, so that said pointer member moves adjacent to different pairs of markings as said wheel rotates and alternatively indicates different markings of the pair to which it is adJacent as it is slid between said first and second positions on said wheel; a record having a plurality of record tracks thereon, each track matching a different one of said markings; tone arm means movable between positions to engage and disengage said record tracks; stop means coupled to said pointer member to be moved both when said pointer member rotates with said pointer wheel and when it slides on said pointer wheel; means responsive to the position of said stop means for directing said tone arm means into engagement with the track which matches the marking indicated by said pointer member; and means for moving said record relative to said tone arm means to play the track engaged by the tone arm means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
142 words
The phonograph toy described in claim 4 including: a drag stop; and means for coupling said drag stop to said record to move with it and engage said stop means; and wherein said record has a substantially flat face and is mounted to rotate about a predetermined axis, and said record tracks form interleaved spiral grooves in said face with leadin portions circumferentially spaced about said axis; said means for moving said record includes means for urging said record to rotate in a first direction so that it rotates until said drag stop engages said stop means, and for rotating said record in a second direction opposite to said first direction; and said means for directing said tone arm means includes means moving said tone arm means against said record substantially between rotation of said record in said first and second directions.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
The phonograph toy described in claim 5 wherein: said stop means includes a pair of stops positioned on said pointer member for alternate movement into the path of said drag stop.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
108 words
The phonograph toy described in claim 5 wherein: said means for coupling said drag stop to said record includes an index member fixed to said record to rotate with it, said index member having a helical ramp portion; and a drag member mounted to rotate on said housing and wobble, at least in part, about its axis of rotation, said drag member engaged with said ramp portion of said index member to wobble in response to rotation relative to said index member, said drag stop being mounted on said drag member to move into and out of the path of said stop means as said drag member wobbles.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
252 words
A phonograph toy comprising: a housing; a turntable assembly rotatably mounted on said housing, said turntable assembly including a record that has a plurality of interleaved spiral grooves with leadin portions circumferentially spaced thereon, and said turntable assembly also including an index member with a helical ramp portion; a drag member mounted to rotate on said housing while resisting such rotation, and to permit wobbling of at least a portion of the drag member about its axis of rotation, said drag member having a stop and said drag member engaged with said ramp portion of said index member to wobble at least said portion thereof as said index member rotates relative to it; said index member having a pair of driving surfaces for rotating said drag member in either of two opposite directions of rotation, said driving surfaces circumferentially spaced so that said drag member can move up said ramp portion prior to engagement with the first driving surface and can move down the ramp portion prior to engagement with the other driving surface; a manually movable selector member mounted on said housing and having stop means positionable at different locations along the path of said stop on said drag member when said drag member is at the top of said ramp; means for alternately urging said turntable to rotate in said two opposite directions; and tone arm means for entering the leadin portion of a record groove which lies at a position determined by said stop means on said selector member.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
252 words
A phonograph toy comprising: a housing; a turntable assembly rotatably mounted on said housing, said turntable assembly including a record that has a plurality of interleaved spiral grooves with leadin portions circumferentially spaced thereon, and said turntable assembly also including an index member with a helical ramp portion; a drag member mounted to rotate on said housing while resisting such rotation, and to permit wobbling of at least a portion of the drag member about its axis of rotation, said drag member having a stop and said drag member engaged with said ramp portion of said index member to wobble at least said portion thereof as said index member rotates relative to it; said index member having a pair of driving surfaces for rotating said drag member in either of two opposite directions of rotation, said driving surfaces circumferentially spaced so that said drag member can move up said ramp portion prior to engagement with the first driving surface and can move down the ramp portion prior to engagement with the other driving surface; a manually movable selector member mounted on said housing and having stop means positionable at different locations along the path of said stop on said drag member when said drag member is at the top of said ramp; means for alternately urging said turntable to rotate in said two opposite directions; and tone arm means for entering the leadin portion of a record groove which lies at a position determined by said stop means on said selector member.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
58 words
The phonograph toy described in claim 8 wherein: sAid selector member is mounted to rotate about the same axis as said turntable and to slide substantially in a radial direction, and said stop means includes a pair of stop members mounted on said selector member to alternately move into the path of said stop on said drag member.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
61 words
The phonograph toy described in claim 8 wherein: said selector member is mounted to rotate on said housing; and including indexing means coupled to said selector member and defining a plurality of circumferentially spaced positions for allowing rotation of said selector member in a first direction and preventing rotation past the nearest of said circumferentially spaced positions in said second direction.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
152 words
A phonograph toy comprising: a visual display containing spaced sets of markings; pointer means for indicating particular markings, said pointer means being movable relative to said display in a first manner to select a particular set of said markings and in a second manner to alternately indicate each marking of the selected set; a recorded message carrier means having sets of recorded messages corresponding to said sets of markings, each set of said messages including a first message matching a first marking of the corresponding set of markings and a second message matching a second marking of the corresponding set of markings; and means responsive to the position of said pointer means relative to said display, for playing the message which matches the marking indicated by said pointer means, whereby a child can easily select a marking set and alternately play recordings corresponding to each marking of the set with simple manipulations.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
152 words
A phonograph toy comprising: a visual display containing spaced sets of markings; pointer means for indicating particular markings, said pointer means being movable relative to said display in a first manner to select a particular set of said markings and in a second manner to alternately indicate each marking of the selected set; a recorded message carrier means having sets of recorded messages corresponding to said sets of markings, each set of said messages including a first message matching a first marking of the corresponding set of markings and a second message matching a second marking of the corresponding set of markings; and means responsive to the position of said pointer means relative to said display, for playing the message which matches the marking indicated by said pointer means, whereby a child can easily select a marking set and alternately play recordings corresponding to each marking of the set with simple manipulations.
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) | 1976-01-23 | 1976-07-24 | 1977-01-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-01-23 | 1980-07-24 | 1981-01-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-01-23 | 1984-07-24 | 1985-01-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |