Educational children's toy

• US 4,846,692 A
• Filed: 05/23/1988
• Issued: 07/11/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomas L. Delcambre
• Original Assignee: Thomas L. Delcambre
• Inventors: Delcambre, Thomas L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US07/198,651
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 434/159, 434/171, 434/184, 434/193, 434/200, 434/259, 434/172
• US Class Current: 434/159
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/0668 the shapes falling or being pushed through the holes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0093 Punchboards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0098 Word or number games A63F3/0415, A63F3/0421, A63F3/0423 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 1/06 and being attachable to, or mounted on, the support

Abstract

A toy adapted to instruct young children by association. The toy teaches proper numeric, alphabetic, or color sequences and the standard left to right reading convention, by utilizing blocks that are inserted into shafts in a stand. Blocks inserted out of proper sequence will fall through the stand but passage of blocks inserted in the proper sequence will be obstructed and those blocks will not fall through but will remain supported within the stand.

Claims

1. A toy comprised of a three dimensional object and a plurality of blocks;

(a) said three dimensional object including an upper surface provided with open shafts passing through said object;

(b) one of said shafts provided with obstructing means;

(c) said blocks proportioned so that when inserted in said unobstructed open shafts they will drop through said object;

(d) said three dimensional object provided with sequentially obstructing action means for selectively obstructing said open shafts, so that when blocks are inserted in one predetermined sequence they cannot drop through said object.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the blocks are formed as three dimensional letters of the alphabet and open shafts are provided wherein each of the shafts is configured in cross section so as to conform to one of the blocks in plan view so that each alphabet block can be fitted into a corresponding shaft.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the blocks are formed as three dimensional Arabic numerals from 1 to 10 and open shafts are provided which each of the shafts is configured in cross sections so as to conform to one of the blocks in plan view so that each numeral block can be fitted into a corresponding shaft.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein letters which spell words are juxtaposed the open shafts so that the insertion of blocks into the open shafts in the predetermined sequence will teach the spelling of the words.

5. The invention of claim 1 wherein letters spelling a child'"'"'s name are juxtaposed open shafts so that insertion of blocks in the predetermined sequence into each open shaft associated with a letter of the child'"'"'s name will teach the spelling of the child'"'"'s name.

7. Invention of claim 2 wherein:

(a) said stand is provided with thin slotted rectangular openings, each of said openings intermediate to an connecting adjacent shafts;

(b) said releasing obstructing action means is comprised of eccentrically mounted free-swinging circular cams one cam disposed within each of said thin rectangular slotted openings intermediate to the two adjacent shafts so that;

(i) each cam protrudes into both adjacent shafts when no block is in position in the sinistrally adjacent shaft;

(ii) when blocks are inserted in the sequence as described in claim 2, each cam swings into the dextrally adjacent shaft thereby obstructing the passage of any block inserted into that shaft; and

(iii) when a block is inserted into a shaft dextral to any vacant shaft, the cam on the sinistral side of said dextral shaft swings sinistrally into the adjacent vacant shaft and the cam on the dextral side of said dextral shaft swings dextrally into the dextrally adjacent shaft and the block drops unobstructively through the stand;

(c) said blocks are provided with slotted sockets disposed to engage the cam on the sinistral side of any given shaft when blocks have been inserted in proper sequence into all shafts sinistral to said shaft;

(d) said stand is provided with a longitudinal member disposed directly below said shafts and the upper surface of said member provides a slight incline to the horizontal so that any block inserted into any shaft out of sequence and dropping through the stand will strike the inclined upper surface of the longitudinal member, and slide forward of the stand and toward the user.

6. A toy comprised of a three dimensional object and a plurality of blocks, wherein said three dimensional object includes an upper surface provided with open shafts passing said object, wherein one of said shafts is provided with obstructing means, wherein said blocks are proportioned so that when inserted into said unobstructed open shafts they will drop through said object, and wherein said three dimensional object is provided with means for selectively obstructing said open shafts, so that when blocks are inserted in one predetermined sequence they cannot drop through said object, and wherein:

(a) said upper surface is horizontal and said shafts are vertical shafts arranged in a row from the sinistral side of said stand to the dextral side of said stand;

(b) said stand is provided with fixed obstructing means which prohibits any block inserted into the most sinistral shaft from passing through said stand;

(c) said stand is provided with releasing obstructing action means that prohibits blocks inserted into shafts into one predetermined sequence from passing through said stand, said sequence beginning with the most sinistral shaft and proceeding one shaft at a time to each next adjacent shaft toward the most dextral shaft;

(d) said releasing obstructing means mounted to said stand selectively obstructing the passage of any block through any given shaft when blocks are inserted in proper sequence beginning with the most sinistral shaft and proceeding in a dextral direction to, and including inserting a block in, the shaft immediately sinistrally adjacent to said given shaft;

(e) said releasing obstructing action means releasing for all shafts dextral to any given shaft when the block in said given shaft is removed, so that any block inserted into a shaft dextral to said given shaft drops through said stand;

(f) said releasing obstructing action means not obstructing any shaft dextral to any open shaft so that blocks inserted dextral to any open shaft will drop through said stand.

8. The invention of claim 6 provided with ten consecutively numbered shafts, wherein the most sinistral shaft is labeled with the Arabic numeral 1 and the most dextral shaft is labeled with the Arabic numeral 10.

9. The invention of claim 6 provided with twenty-six alphabetically labeled shafts wherein the most sinistral shaft is labeled with the letter A and the most dextral shaft is labeled with the letter Z.

10. The invention of claim 6 wherein the stand is colored with shadings of the spectrum from the sinistral side of the stand to the dextral side and each block is colored with a different color of the spectrum corresponding to the particular shade of color located on the stand at one of the open shafts.

11. A toy comprising a plurality of three dimensional objects in a support structure with openings embodying a sequential system for assembly of an array of the three dimensional objects within openings in the support structure within:

(a) said structure is provided with fixed obstructing means which prohibits any object inserted into the most sinistral opening from passing through said structure;

(b) said structure is provided with releasing obstructing action means that prohibits objects inserted into openings in one predetermined sequence from passing through said structure, and supports said objects within said support structure, said sequence beginning with the most sinistral opening and proceeding one opening at a time to each next adjacent opening toward the most dextral opening;

(c) said releasing obstructing means mounted to said structure selectively obstructing the passage of any object through any given opening when objects are inserted in proper sequence beginning with the most sinistral opening and proceeding in a dextral direction to, and including inserting an object in, the opening immediately sinistrally adjacent to said given opening;

(d) said releasing obstructing action means not obstructing any opening dextral to any opening without an object, so that objects inserted dextral to any opening which does not contain an object, will drop through said stand.

12. A toy comprising a plurality of three dimensional objects and a support structure with openings embodying a sequential system for assembly of an array of the three dimensional objects within openings in the support structure wherein:

(a) the support structure is provided with a single row of openings through its upper surface;

(b) said structure is provided with fixed obstructing means which prohibits any object inserted into the most sinistral opening from passing through said structure;

(c) said structure is provided with releasing obstructing action means that prohibits objects inserted into openings in one predetermined sequence from passing through said structure, and supports said objects within said support structure, said sequence beginning with the most sinistral opening and proceeding one opening at a time to each next adjacent opening toward the most dextral opening;

(d) said releasing obstructing means mounted to said structure selectively obstructing the passage of any object through any given opening when objects are inserted in proper sequence beginning with the most sinistral opening and proceeding in a dextral direction to, and including inserting an object in, the opening immediately sinistrally adjacent to said given opening;

(e) said releasing obstructing action mens not obstructing any opening dextral to any opening without an object, so that objects inserted dextral to any opening which does not contain an object, will crop through said stand.

13. The invention of claim 12 wherein:

(a) said support structure is provided with an upper surface with left and right sides;

(b) said upper surface is provided with openings;

(c) said support structure is provided with slots below the upper surface, each slot intermediate to and open to adjacent openings in a row through the support structure;

(d) said sequential system for assembly comprises

(i) rounded "L" shaped pendulums eccentrically suspended from a pivot disposed within each of said slots intermediate to the openings through said support structure so that

(A) when no objects are present within any of the openings each "L" pendulum hangs from the pivot pin through the top of the "L" with the heel portion of the "L" protruding into the opening to the left of the pendulum and with the toe portion of the "L" positioned within the slot to the immediate left of the opening to the right of the pendulum;

(B) when an object is placed within an opening to the left of a pendulum the pendulum is displaced to the right and the toe of said pendulum protrudes into the opening to the right of said pendulum obstructing said rightward opening and preventing the passage of any of the objects through said rightward opening through said support structure so long as said pendulum is so displaced;

(ii) a protrusion into the first opening from the left which obstructs said opening and supports within said opening any of said objects placed within said opening, said objects in turn displacing the heel of the pendulum protruding into said left opening and thereby obstructing the next opening to the right.

14. The invention of claim 12 with additional rows of openings through the support structure so that the openings form an even R×

C array, with R_max being the number of rows numbered from top to bottom, and C_max being the number of openings in each row numbered from left to right, wherein, means is provided for transferring the requirement for sequential assembly of objects into an array within the support structure from each openings (R_n, C_max) to opening (R_n+1, C₁), that is from the extreme right of an upper row to the extreme left of the next row lower.

15. The invention of claim 14 wherein:

(a) said support structure is provided with an upper surface with left and right sides;

(b) said upper surface is provided with openings;

(c) said support structure is provided with slots below the upper surface, each slot intermediate to and open to adjacent openings in a row through the support structure;

(d) said system requiring sequential assembly comprises

(i) a protrusion into the first opening from the left which obstructs said opening and supports within said opening any of said objects placed within said opening, said objects in turn displacing the heel of the pendulum protruding into said left opening and thereby obstructing the next opening to the right.

(ii) rounded "L" shaped pendulums suspended from a pivot disposed within each of said slots intermediate to the openings through said support structure so that

(A) when no objects are present within any of the openings each "L" pendulum hangs from the pivot pin through the top of the "L" with the heel portion of the "L" protruding into the opening to the left of the pendulum and with the toe portion of the "L" positioned within the slot to the immediate left of the opening to the right of the pendulum;

(B) when an object is placed within an opening to the left of a pendulum the pendulum is displaced to the right and the toe of said pendulum protrudes into the opening to the right of said pendulum obstructing said rightward opening and preventing the passage of any of the objects through said rightward opening through said support structure so long as said pendulum is so displaced.

(iii) means for transferring the sequential assembly requirement from an upper row to the next row lower comprising;

(A) longitudinal support members located below the upper surface, and affixed at one end to the left side and at the opposite end to the right side of said support structure;

(B) a groove disposed lengthwise;

facing downward along the underside of each of said support members;

(C) a rod comprising a medial segment disposed within said lengthwise groove, a first distal segment bent 90°

relative to said medial segment to protrude into an opening (R_n, C_max) so that when an object is inserted into the opening the object strikes the end of the rod and depresses it, causing the medial segment to rotate about its longitudinal axis, a second distal segment at the opposite end of said rod, said second distal segment bent 90°

relative to said medial segment to protrude into an opening (R_n+1, C_min) only when said first digital segment is depressed by an object inserted into its opening (R_n, C_min).

16. The invention of claim 15 provided with ten consecutively numbered openings in a 5×

2 array, two rows by five columns.

17. The invention of claim 15 provided with twenty-five alphabetically consecutively labeled openings, in a 5×

5 array.

18. The invention of claim 15 wherein the blocks have cross sections shaped like the Arabic numerals from 1 to 10 and corresponding shafts are provided for each block.

19. The invention of claim 15 wherein the openings are labeled with the letters spelling simple words.

20. The invention of claim 15 wherein the openings are labeled with the letters spelling a child'"'"'s name.