Multiple graphics selection toy

A multiple graphics selection toy having a plurality of graphics-bearing elements that are individually rotatable between a position in which the graphics are concealed and a position in which the graphics are revealed, and having a manually operable selector control by which an individual graphics-bearing element is moved from either of the positions to the other. The graphics may be two or three-dimensional representations of animals and other characters of interest to children.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention is in the field of multiple-graphics toys having individual 
graphics selection means. 
2. Prior Art 
The closest prior art known to applicants consists of the following U.S. 
patents: 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,449,116 Hatchett 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,462,153 Giraud et al. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,538,620 Kohner et al. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,894,353 Oguchi 
These patents show toys having a plurality of figures and manual selection 
means (the closest is Oguchi) but they do not show graphics-bearing 
elements that are rotatable between a position in which the graphics are 
concealed and a position in which the graphics are revealed. Nor do they 
show a selector control that selects an individual graphics-bearing 
element and causes it to rotate between these two positions. In Oguchi, 
for example, the selector control does not reset or return an exposed 
figure to concealed position. This is done in Oguchi by manually pushing 
the exposed figure back into concealed position. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The broad objective of the present invention is an action toy of interest 
to, and adapted for operation by, young children. Only one control is 
provided for the operation of the toy, a central selector control which is 
rotatably movable to select one of a plurality of graphics-bearing 
elements, and which is axially movable to rotate the selected 
graphics-bearing element to reveal or to conceal the graphics. The 
graphics may consist of two- or three-dimensional representations of 
animals or other characters or things that interest children. 
Preferably, the graphics are three-dimensional figures of the animals or 
other characters occupying one side of said graphics-bearing elements, 
while two-dimensional pictures or names of those same animals or other 
characters are applied to the opposite side of said elements. Normally, 
the graphics-bearing elements are positioned with their two-dimensional 
pictures or names exposed and their three-dimensional figures concealed. 
By rotating the selector control and pointing it at an individual 
two-dimensional picture or name of an animal or other character, and then 
operating the selector control by pushing it axially, the selected 
graphics-bearing element is caused to rotate and to expose its 
three-dimensional figure of the selected animal or other character.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
The outer views (FIGS. 1 and 2) of a multiple graphics selection toy 10 
made in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention show that 
the toy has a housing 12, a plurality of graphics-bearing elements 14 
rotatably mounted in said housing, and a central selector control 16 which 
is mounted on and in said housing for both rotational and axial movement 
relative thereto. 
As shown in FIG. 8, housing 12 is a hollow shell containing the operative 
parts of the invention. Centrally located is the selector control which 
comprises a cylindrical element 16a having a cap 18 fixed thereto by means 
of screw 18a. Cylindrical element 16a extends through a centrally located 
cylindrical collar 20 formed in housing 12. Collar 20 supports cylindrical 
element 16a for axial and rotational movement relative to the housing. In 
this preferred embodiment of the invention the central axis of collar 20 
is vertical and, consequently, so is the longitudinal axis of cylindrical 
element 16a. An annular flange 22 at the lower end of said cylindrical 
element is engageable with collar 20 to prevent upward displacement of 
said cylindrical element relative to the housing. 
Annular flange 22 performs another function: it serves as an upper abutment 
for compression coil spring 24 which abuts a platform 26 that rests upon 
the bottom wall 28 of housing 12. A sleeve 30, secured to flange 22, holds 
said spring 24 in coaxial position relative to cylindrical element 16a. 
The function of spring 24 is to bias selector control 16 in upward 
direction, thereby supporting said selector control in, or returning it 
to, inactive position. 
It will be observed in FIGS. 1 and 2 that there are four rotatable elements 
14 in the illustrated embodiment of the invention. These rotatable 
elements are identical except in their respective graphics. Each has a 
two-dimensional representation, on its top wall 14a, of the head of an 
animal, e.g., the representation of a bear head 32 (see FIGS. 4 and 7). 
Each of the rotatable elements 14 has a three-dimensional representation 
on its bottom wall 14b of the same animal whose two-dimensional 
representation is on its top wall. The three-dimensional representation of 
a bear 32a is shown in FIG. 2. 
It will be observed in FIGS. 3 and 7 that there are four openings or 
windows 34 in top wall 36 of housing 12, one for each of the four 
rotatable elements 14. How these rotatable elements are mounted in their 
respective openings or windows is best shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Thus, each 
rotatable element 14 is provided at its opposite ends with journals 38 and 
40 which are rotatably mounted in bearings 42 formed in vertically 
extending internal walls 44, 46 of housing 12. 
It will be understood from FIG. 8 that a two-dimensional representation 32 
may be applied directly to top wall 14a of each rotatable element 14 or 
indirectly thereto by means of label or decal 33. It will also be noted in 
FIG. 8 that three-dimensional representation 32a may comprise a hollow 
shell secured by means of screws 35 to rotatable element 14. 
Referring now to the rotary drive means for causing rotation of the 
individual rotatable elements 14, it will be seen that fixed to each 
journal 38 is a gear 50 which functions as a driven gear. Engaging each 
gear 50 is a gear segment 52 which functions as a drive gear. Each gear 
segment 52 is supported by a drum 53 which is rotatably mounted on a 
structure 54 supported by the bottom wall 28 of the housing. More 
specifically, drum 53 is provided with coaxial journals 56, 58 which are 
rotatably supported by coaxial bearings 60, 62 on structure 54. See FIGS. 
3 and 8. Torsion spring 55 on drum 53 operates between gear segment 52 and 
structure 54 to urge said gear segment in clockwise direction as viewed in 
FIGS. 5 and 6. 
Each gear segment 52 is provided with a flange 64 which extends radially 
outwardly from the axis of rotation of journals 56, 58. Engageable with 
flange 64 an outwardly projecting slide 66 which rides in a guide channel 
68 on sleeve 30. A spring 70 urges the slide downwardly in channel 68 and 
when the selector control is manually rotated to select an individual 
representation 32 and is then manually depressed, slide 66 engages flange 
64 of the gear segment that is related to that representation, thereby 
camming or otherwise pushing flange 64 and causing the gear segment to 
rotate about its axis of rotation. Since gear 50 is in engagement with 
gear segment 52, rotation of the latter causes rotation of the former. 
Specifically, the circumferential dimension of gear 50 relative to the 
angular movement of gear segment 52 is such that a downward stroke of the 
selector control will cause a 180 degree rotation of gear 50. And since 
gear 50 is fixed relative to an individual rotatable element 14, that 
rotatable element will also rotate 180 degrees to expose the 
three-dimensional representation 32a thereon. 
The foregoing description of the action of gears 50 and 52 applies to each 
individual set of those gears and the individual rotatable element 14 to 
which it is connected. All that is required to actuate an individual set 
of gears 50, 52 and the related rotatable element 14, is to rotate 
selector control 16 until it points to the selected rotatable element and 
then to depress said selector control as described. For this purpose, 
selector control 16 should be provided with a conventional pointer, or it 
may be given a directional configuration. As shown in FIG. 4, for example, 
cap 18 of the selector control defines a molded elephant head, the 
elephant's trunk 72 extending radially of the axis of rotation of the 
selector control, and functioning as a pointer. 
To assure operational registration of the elephant's trunk with the 
selected rotatable element, a funnel-shaped guide 74 for each rotatable 
element is provided on sleeve 30, and a vertically extending spline 76 is 
provided at each structure 54. When the elephant's trunk (or any other 
pointer) is pointed toward a selected rotatable element 14, and the 
selector control 16 is then manually depressed, guide 74 will, to the 
extent necessary, rotationally cam itself and the selector control to 
align guide channel 78 with spline 76. When said spline enters said 
channel, the selector control is operationally registered with the 
selected rotatable element. 
Retaining means are provided for retaining the selected three-dimensional 
representation in exposed position until it is desired to expose another 
three-dimensional representation. Such retaining means include a 
horizontal actuating pin 80 extending from a slide 82 riding on a vertical 
rod 84. The slide is keyed to annular rim 86 on annular flange 22 so that 
vertical (axial) movement of the selector control, at any angular position 
of said selector control, will cause corresponding movement of said slide. 
See FIGS. 4 and 8. 
The retaining means also include a hook mechanism 90 shown in FIGS. 9-12. 
Specifically, this mechanism has a hook 92 which is pivotally mounted on 
housing wall 28 by means of stud pins 94 journaled in bearings 95. A 
spring 96, acting between a bracket 98 attached to the hook and a suitable 
support in the housing, urges the hook to pivot in clockwise direction, as 
viewed in FIGS. 9-12, about the common axis of pins 94. 
When the selector control is moved manually downwardly, actuating pin 80 
will engage curved upper cam surface 100 on the hook and cam the hook 
backwardly, that is, in counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 9, 
against the action of spring 96. When said actuating pin clears the 
pointed end of the hook, spring 96 will pull the hook forwardly, that is, 
in clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 10. Actuating pin 80 can now be 
hooked in the crook of the hook, between upper edge 102 and inclined side 
edge 104. At this step in the sequence, the selector control cannot return 
to its original position, and the selected three-dimensional 
representation will be retained in exposed position. 
To operate the selector control in order to expose another 
three-dimensional representation, the selector control is further 
depressed to move actuating pin 80 from its position in FIG. 10 to its 
position in FIG. 11. The hook will now swing forwardly (in clockwise 
direction as viewed in FIG. 11) from its phantom position to its solid 
line position, responsive to the action of spring 96. The free end of the 
actuating pin will now abut a cam-shaped ramp 106 which is inclined from 
the right side to the left side of the hook as viewed in FIG. 11. The 
actuating pin is now free to disengage the hook by riding up the 
cam-shaped ramp to its position in FIG. 12. 
What causes this upward movement of actuating pin 80 is spring action as 
indicated in FIG. 8. As above described, spring 24 is biased to raise the 
selector control to its retracted (inactive) position, or to support it in 
that position. Consequently, when the selector control is released after 
it is depressed to move actuating pin 80 to its FIG. 11 position, spring 
24 takes over to thrust the selector control upwardly to its retracted 
position, thereby moving the actuating pin from its FIG. 11 position, up 
the cam-shaped ramp to its FIG. 12 position, and thence back to its FIG. 9 
position. This action of the actuating pin may require tilting of the hook 
in order to clear it. Such tilting of the hook, on an axis perpendicular 
to the axis of the stud pins, is shown in FIG. 12. Tilting of the hook is 
made possible by the elongated vertical dimension of bearings 95 and the 
elasticity of spring 96. 
The result of this action is to enable the selected rotatable element 14 to 
return from its FIG. 6 position wherein its three-dimensional 
representation 32 is exposed, to its FIG. 5 position wherein said 
representation is concealed. What causes this retraction is the 
disengagement of outwardly projecting slide 66 from flange 64 on the gear 
segment, and the action of torsion spring 55 on said gear segment. 
It will also be noted (in FIG. 8) that centered within the selector control 
cylinder 16a is a sound maker 110 comprising a spring-expanding 
accordian-type bellows with a sound producer. This bellows rests on a 
pedestal 112 ad its upper end abuts an embossment 114 projecting 
downwardly from cap 18. Sound is now produced when the selector control is 
pressed downwardly. If desired, it may be a double-acting sound maker, 
producing sound when it expands. In either case, this spring-expanding 
bellows may be used in place of spring 24 to provide spring action upon 
the selector control. 
Since the foregoing is descriptive of a preferred embodiment of the 
invention, it will be understood that the principles of the invention, as 
herein claimed, are intended to apply to all other embodiments of the 
invention.