Educational toy

Claim 1

A toy comprising: (a) a housing; (b) a first member mounted on said housing and selectively movable between a plurality of discrete positions on said housing, such positions constituting a first set; (c) a second member mounted on said housing and selectively movable between a plurality of discrete positions on said housing, such positions constituing a second set, each position of said second set being associated with a position of said first set according to a predetermined pattern; (d) means for displaying a plurality of symbols of a first type and a plurality of symbols of a second type, each such symbol of said second type being logically related to one of said symbols of said first type, so that each one of said symbols of said first type is displayed on said housing in alignment with one of the positions of said first set and each one of said symbols of said second type is displayed on said housing in alignment with the position of said second set which is associated, according to said predetermined pattern, with the position of said first set in alignment with which is displayed the logically related one of said symbols of said first type; (e) a switch which is selectively manually actuable independent of the positioning of said members; and (f) detection and signalling means operatively associated with said switch for detecting in an alignment-testing mode, the position of said first member and the position of said second member, and, responsive to actuation of said switch, emitting a first operator-perceivable signal if, at the time of such actuation, said first and second members are in associated positions, and emitting a second operator-perceivable signal different from said first operator-perceivable signal if, at the time of such actuation said first and second members are in non-associated positions, wherein said detection and signalling means includes output means for emitting a third operator-perceivable signal in the event that said switch is actuated while said first and second members are in non-associated positions, said third signal being indicative of the position of said first set at which said first member is located at the time of such actuation, and wherein said output means includes a plurality of visual indicators, one of said visual indicators being positioned in alignment with each one of the positions of said second set, and said third signal includes actuation of the visual indicator which is aligned with the appropriate position of said second set, and wherein said detection and signalling means includes means operable in a randomizing mode for pseudorandomly selecting one of said visual indicators and, in response to actuation of said switch, actuating the visual indicator so selected, said toy further comprising manually operable control means for causing said detection and signalling means to operate either in said alignment-testing mode or in said randomizing mode, as selected by the operator.