Radio equipped space toy

A space toy including an outer casing which resembles a flying saucer and houses a radio receiver and a blinking light system. Three legs project beneath the bottom of the casing, with one leg being connected to the radio to provide an on/off switch and for volume adjustment. Another leg is connected to the radio for tuning purposes. The casing includes a turret which houses a plurality of lights which are connected into a system for causing them to blink on and off in a haphazard manner. The turret includes a dome and upstanding therefrom is a switch lever which resembles an antenna and which turns the lighting system on and off.

The present invention relates to a radio equipped space toy and is 
concerned primarily with such a toy which resembles a flying saucer and 
has control elements which resemble structural features of a flying 
saucer. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
At the present time the public is particularly aware of unidentified flying 
objects, commonly known as UFO's , and particularly those of the flying 
saucer type. It has been known to provide a space station toy which is not 
in simulation of a flying saucer, but resembles a space ship and includes 
a sound-producing device which is electrically operated by batteries, and 
with the pitch of the sound being changed by an adjustable knob. It is 
also known to provide a disc-shaped flight toy which is similar to a 
flying saucer and which includes illuminating means. 
A space toy that resembles a robot in appearance and which includes audible 
signal means is also known. And, finally, it is noted that a transister 
radio is housed in a casing that closely resembles the head of a clown or 
like caricature and which includes adjustable knobs on opposite sides in 
simulation of ears. 
Before this application was prepared for filing in the Patent and Trademark 
Office, a patentability search was conducted on the subject matter hereof 
and this search brings to light the following patents as those believed to 
come closest to the instant toy flying saucer: 
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Campbell 3,798,833 Kawano D-240,270 
Valentine 3,394,491 Yu-Cheung D-237,308 
Peterson et al. 
3,720,018 Viani D-159,699 
Dressler 4,054,286 Johnson D-083,858 
Arai D-188,703 McQuarrie D-234,158 
Andre D-187,111 Gelfand 3,071,895 
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A brief comment is made on the more pertinent of these patents as follows: 
Yu-Cheung 
This design patent discloses what is apparently a casing for housing a 
radio which is in the shape of the head of a clown or other fictional 
character. Protruding from opposite sides of the head are a pair of 
operating knobs which apparently constitute the controls for the 
transister radio which is included in the housing. 
Gelfand 
This patent is to a space toy which, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, 
offers the appearance of a robot. It includes a leg assembly 36 but no 
functions are attributed to these legs other than that of supporting the 
body of the toy. It also includes a dome 40 having a simulated radio 
attenna 50. 
Peterson et al. 
This patent discloses a flight toy in the shape of a flying saucer and 
includes a dome 18 which houses a lightbulb 24. 
Valentine 
It is believed that this patent discloses a space weapon toy which is the 
closest approach to the subject flying saucer. Note FIGS. 2 and 3 which 
have a pronounced resemblance to a flying saucer. Sound is produced and 
emanated through speaker 30. Button 44 and dial 46 control the sound which 
is battery energized, as indicated by the battery 10. 
No comment is made on the remainder of the above-listed patents other than 
to point out that they are believed to complete the picture of the prior 
art most relevant to the subject space ship. 
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
With the foregoing conditions in mind, the present invention has in view 
the following objectives: 
1. To provide a space toy that simulates a flying saucer and which includes 
a radio receiver and a system of blinking lights; 
2. To provide a flying saucer toy of the type noted which includes a 
generally dome-shaped housing having a bottom wall, a cylindrical turret 
upstanding from the central portion of said housing, and a dome on said 
turret; 
3. To provide a toy flying saucer of the character aforesaid in which three 
members project below the dome-shaped housing to provide supporting 
effects therefor, with two of said members constituting operating knobs 
for tuning and adjusting the volume of the radio mounted therein; 
4. To provide a toy flying saucer of the kind described in which the turret 
houses a plurality of electric lamps which are connected to an electrical 
system for causing them to blink on and off in a haphazard manner, with 
the system being controlled by a switch having an operating lever 
projecting through the dome of the turret in simulation of an antenna; 
5. To provide, in a toy flying saucer of the type noted, a housing 
including a turret having a cylindrical wall formed with a plurality of 
angularly spaced windows which are covered by a transparent material; 
6. To provide, in a toy flying saucer of the character aforesaid, one or 
more batteries which operate the radio receiver and the light system; and 
7. To provide, in a toy flying saucer of the kind described, a dome-shaped 
housing having a bottom wall formed with openings affording access to the 
batteries and which openings are normally closed by swinging panels. 
Various other more detailed objects and advantages of the invention such as 
arise in connection with carrying out the above-noted ideas in a practical 
embodiment will in part become apparent and in part be hereinafter stated 
as the description of the invention proceeds. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The foregoing objects are achieved by providing a space toy that simulates 
a flying saucer and includes a casing having a lower dome-shaped housing, 
together with a substantially flat bottom wall joined to the lower 
peripheral edges of said housing. 
A turret comprising a cylindrical wall and a top dome is mounted centrally 
of the dome-shaped housing with the cylindrical wall being formed with a 
plurality of angularly spaced windows. 
The bottom wall is formed with two access openings through which a pair of 
batteries may be passed and which openings are normally closed by a pair 
of swinging panels. Immediately above these batteries there is a radio 
receiver and above the latter are a plurality of angularly spaced electric 
lights which are blinked on and off by being connected into an electrical 
system which is powered by the batteries. 
These lights assume positions within the turret and the system is under the 
control of an on/off switch immediately under the turret dome and which is 
operated by a lever projecting above the dome in simulation of an antenna. 
Depending from the bottom floor of the dome-shaped housing are three legs 
which are generally semi-spheroidal in shape. One of these legs is 
drivably mounted on a shaft which extends through an opening in the bottom 
wall and is connected to an on/off switch and volume control for the 
radio. Another one of these legs is also drivably mounted on a shaft which 
extends through an opening in the bottom wall and is connected to a tuner 
which operates the condensers that are included as a part of the electric 
system. The electric system for the lights which are blinked in a 
haphazard or random manner is illustrated and described in the catalog 
entitled "Science Fair" which is copyrighted in 1969 by Radio Shack 
Division of Tandy Corporation. 
It is evident that the rounded shape of the legs permit the toy to be moved 
over a smooth supporting surface with comparative ease. When it is desired 
that the radio be turned on, the leg which controls the on/off switch and 
volume is rotated. The other adjustable leg may be adjusted to tune the 
radio to a particular station. When it is desired that the blinking lights 
be operated at random, the lever for the on/off switch of that portion of 
the electric system for the lights is turned on by availing of the 
operating member projecting above the turret dome.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to the drawing, wherein like reference characters denote 
corresponding parts, and first more particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the 
subject toy space ship is shown as including a casing identified in its 
entirety by the reference character 10. While casing 10 could conceivably 
be made of different materials, plastic is indicated as the preferred 
material because of the ease with which it may be molded into the required 
shape. 
Casing 10 includes a dome-shaped housing 11 having a lower peripheral edge 
12 and a bottom wall 13 which is integrally joined to housing 11 closely 
adjacent to the peripheral edge 12 of the latter. Housing 11 includes a 
thickened portion 14 which defines a central circular opening 15 which is 
countersunk at 16 with the countersink receiving the lower edge of a 
cylindrical wall 17 formed as a part of a turret, which also includes a 
dome top 18 that is integrally joined to the upper edge of cylindrical 
wall 17. 
Bottom wall 13 is formed with a pair of openings 19 each of which is 
normally closed by a panel 20 which is hingedly mounted at 21 to the 
bottom wall. Panel 20 is formed with the end remote from pivot 21 with a 
rounded projection 22 which is received in an opening (not illustrated) in 
wall 13 with a snap fit. With panel 21 assuming the broken line positions 
depicted in FIG. 2, a pair of batteries 23 may be passed through the 
openings 19 whereupon the panels 20 are swung into closed position to hold 
the batteries 23 in assembled relation within housing 11. 
Depending below bottom wall 13 are three legs 24, 25 and 26, each of which 
is of plastic and has a semi-spheroidal shape, illustrated in FIG. 2. 
Supported above leg 25 is a radio receiver 27, with the support being 
provided by a ring 28, the peripheral portion of which is secured to 
bosses 29 upstanding from floor 13 and secured thereto by screws 30. 
Extending upwardly from ring 28 to which it is integrally joined is a 
frusto-conical member 31 which is connected at its upper end to a circular 
extension 32 which is received in a recess 33 formed in receiver 27. 
Embedded in leg 24 axially thereof is the lower end of a shaft 34 which 
establishes a driving relation with leg 24. Shaft 34 passes through a boss 
35 integrally with and upstanding from bottom wall 13 and to the upper end 
of which is connected the elements of an on/off switch and volume control 
which are represented diagrammatically in FIG. 2 by block 36. 
Likewise, leg 26 has the lower end of a shaft 37 drivably embedded therein 
with shaft 37 passing through a boss 38 integral with and upstanding from 
bottom wall 13. A tuner for radio 27 is represented diagrammatically by a 
block 39. 
Mounted within opening 15 of thickened portion 14 of housing 11 are the 
electronic components of a random lighting system which are represented by 
block 40. A plurality of electric lamps 41 are supported on and connected 
to this electronic system so as to be turned on and off in a random or 
haphazard manner by the system of block 40. 
An on/of switch 42 for the lamps 41 is depicted as being suspended from the 
central portion of dome top 18. The switch 42 is operated by a lever 43 
which extends through an opening in the dome top 18 and simulates an 
antenna. 
It is believed unnecessary to here describe the manner in which the 
batteries 23 are connected to the radio receiver 27 for the electronic 
system represented by block 40 because such electrical systems are now 
well known, available to the public and are susceptible to modification 
and change. It is believed to be sufficient for the purposes of this 
specification to point out that the wiring diagram of FIG. 4 is 
illustrated and described in the instruction sheet or catalog of "Science 
Fair" which is copyrighted in 1969 by Radio Shack Division of Tandy 
Corporation and particularly on what is the last page of the instruction 
sheet as it would normally be folded and under the heading, SCHEMATIC 
DIAGRAM--RANDOM. 
OPERATION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
While the manner of using and mode of operation of the subject toy space 
ship are believed to be obvious from the illustration of the drawing and 
description of parts set forth above, they may be briefly described as 
follows: With panels 20 closed, the toy space ship may be slid over and 
about any desired surface with a high degree of facility because of the 
shape of legs 24, 25 and 26 and the material of which they are made. With 
batteries 23 freshly charged, in the position of FIG. 2, panels 20 are 
closed. When it is desired to have the radio receiver 27 effective, leg 24 
is rotated to turn on the on/off switch included at block 36 and adjust 
the volume of sound coming from radio receiver 27. 
Likewise, to tune the radio 27, leg 26 is rotated to adjust the condensers 
included in the tuner represented by block 39. 
At times, such as at night when it is desired that the turret be 
illuminated, lever 43 is thrown to move switch 42 into the position in 
which the electronic system for lamps 41 is effective. In accordance with 
this electronic system, lamps 41 are blinked in a haphazard or random 
manner with the light appearing in windows 44 in cylindrical wall 17. 
While a preferred specific embodiment of the invention is hereinbefore set 
forth, it is to be clearly understood that the invention is not to be 
limited to the exact constructions, materials and devices illustrated and 
described because various modifications of these details may be provided 
in putting the invention into practice.