Abstract:
A kit that can be assembled to make a moving toy comprises a container having at least one wall portion movable between a closed position closing an opening in the container and an open position allowing access to the inside of the container through the opening. A shaft supported for rotation relative to the container has a first portion disposed within the container. A plurality of mechanical parts are selectively locatable on the first portion of the shaft to be supported for rotation with the shaft relative to the container. A plurality of design parts are provided for location outside the container. The kit includes structure for connecting at least one of the mechanical parts on the shaft to at least one of the design parts thereby to transfer rotational force from the shaft to the design parts to move the design parts relative to the container.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an automaton designing kit, that is, a kit from which one can design and assemble a plurality of different mechanical moving toys. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a kit that can be assembled to make a moving toy. The kit comprises a container having at least one wall portion movable between a closed position closing an opening in the container and an open position allowing access to the inside of the container through the opening. A shaft is supported for rotation relative to the container and has a first portion disposed within the container. A plurality of mechanical parts are selectively locatable on the first portion of the shaft to be supported for rotation with the shaft relative to the container. A plurality of design parts are provided for location outside the container. The kit includes structure for connecting at least one of the mechanical parts on the shaft to at least one of the design parts thereby to transfer rotational force from the shaft to the design parts to move the design parts relative to the container. The plurality of design parts includes a plurality of different design parts that can be assembled separately into a plurality of different toy structures each of which is adapted to be movable upon rotation of the shaft. The first portion of the shaft comprises an outer shaft part and an inner shaft part received within the outer shaft part, the outer shaft part supporting the plurality of mechanical parts, the outer shaft part rotating with the inner shaft part upon rotation of the inner shaft part. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing and other features of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art to which the present invention relates upon consideration of the following description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automaton designing kit in accordance with the invention, including box and a moving toy assembled on top of the box; 
     FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the kit of FIG. 1 in an assembled condition with a different moving toy assembled on top of the box (shown in phantom) and having the front panel removed to show interior parts of the kit; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged view taken generally along line  3 — 3  of FIG. 2 showing a portion of a cam and a shaft of the kit; 
     FIG. 4 is a pictorial view of a plurality of elements that form part of the kit of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a plan view of the kit of FIG. 1 shown in a different condition of assembly. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an automaton designing kit, that is, a kit from which one can design and assemble a plurality of different mechanical moving toys. As representative of the invention, FIG. 1 illustrates a kit  10 . 
     The kit  10  includes a container  12 . The container  12  contains some or, preferably, all of the other parts of the kit  10  when the kit is unassembled. The container  12  also serves to support the other parts of the kit  10  that are in use when portions of the kit are assembled into a moving toy. The container  12 , in the illustrated embodiment, is a box, although it could have other configurations. 
     The box  12  is a rectangular structure having a bottom wall  20 , a top wall  22 , first and second side walls  24  and  26 , a front wall  28 , and a back wall  30 . The first and second side walls  24  and  26  of the box  12  have first and second shaft openings  34  and  36 , respectively. The first and second shaft openings  34  and  36  define an axis  38 . The first and second shaft openings  34  and  36  are located the same predetermined distance from the back wall  30  of the box  12 . 
     The top wall  22  of the box has three tappet openings  40 ,  42  and  44  spaced apart along a line  46 . The line  46  of the tappet openings  40 - 44  is located directly above the axis  38  when the box  12  is oriented vertically, and extends parallel to the axis. 
     At least one of the walls of the box  12  is removable from the box. In the illustrated embodiment, the front wall  28  of the box  12  is removable by sliding out of tracks  48 . The front wall  28  may alternatively be hinged, or may be releasable by magnetic catch. When the front wall  28  is removed, an opening  50  in the box is formed. A chamber  52  in the box  12  is accessible through the opening  50 . 
     The kit  10  includes a shaft  60 . The shaft  60  includes an inner shaft  62  and an outer shaft  80 . 
     The inner shaft  62  has an elongate configuration including a central portion  64  and first and second opposite end portions  66  and  68 . 
     The first end portion  66  of the inner shaft  62  extends through the first shaft opening  34  in the first side wall  24  of the box  12  and projects from the first side wall of the box. The second end portion  68  of the inner shaft  62  extends through the second shaft opening  36  in the second side wall  26  of the box  12  and projects from the first side wall of the box. The central portion  64  of the inner shaft  62  is disposed within the chamber  52  in the box  12 . 
     The first end portion  66  of the inner shaft  62  is formed as a handle  70  and includes three sections  72 ,  74  and  76  set at right angles to each other with the one section  76  being offset from and parallel to the central portion  64  of the inner shaft  62 . Thus, the handle  70  is manually engageable to transmit rotational force to the central portion  64  of the inner shaft  62 . 
     The inner shaft  62  has a square cross-sectional configuration for its entire length. The inner shaft  62  is narrow enough, or thin enough, to fit through the shaft openings  34  and  36  in the box side walls  24  and  26 . 
     The outer shaft  80  has an elongate, tubular configuration. The length of the outer shaft  80  is slightly less than the interior width of the box  12 , that is, the distance between an inner side surface  82  of the first side wall  24  and an inner side surface  84  of the second side wall  26 . As a result, the outer shaft  80  is movable through the opening  50  in the box  12  that is formed when the front wall  28  of the box is removed from the box frame. 
     The outer shaft  80  has a square cross-sectional configuration with an outer surface. The outer shaft  80  is too wide, or thick, to fit through the shaft openings  34  and  36  in the side walls  24  and  26  of the box  12 . 
     A square central opening or passage  86  extends the length of the outer shaft  80 . The outer shaft  80  fits over the inner shaft. Specifically, the central opening  86  in the outer shaft  80  receives the central portion  64  of the inner shaft  62 . The interfitting square configurations of the inner and outer shafts  62  and  80  enables rotational force to be transmitted from the central portion  64  of the inner shaft  62 , to the outer shaft  80 . 
     The kit  10  includes a plurality of mechanical parts in the form of cams. The cams are individual pieces that may be selectively located on the outer shaft. The cams include, in the illustrated embodiment, a triangular cam  90 , an oval cam  92 , a round cam  94 , and a snail cam  96 . Others may be provided of different designs, and/or more than one of a particular design. 
     Each one of the cams  90 - 96  has a square central opening  97  by which the cam may be fitted over the square outer shaft  80 . When one of the cams  90 - 96  is fitted on the outer shaft  80 , the cam is supported on the outer shaft for rotation with the outer shaft. 
     The kit  10  includes a plurality of mechanical parts in the form of tappets. The illustrated kit includes three tappets  100 ,  102  and  104 . The tappets  100 - 104  are pieces that transfer the rotary motion of the shaft  60  and cams  90 - 96  into reciprocating movement of the tappets in a direction generally perpendicular to the top wall  22  of the box  12 . 
     The tappets  100 - 104 , in the illustrated embodiment, are solid cylindrical rods. The tappets  100 - 104  have inner end portions  106  that are engageable with (ride on) the cams  90 - 96 . The tappets  100 - 104  have outer end portions  108  that project through the tappet openings  40 - 44  in the top wall  22  of the box  12 . 
     The kit  10  includes a group  110  of design figure pieces. The design figure pieces are individual pieces that may be selectively assembled on the top of the box  12 , and connected with the outer end portions  108  of the tappets  100 - 104 , to form a movable toy. 
     The design figure pieces can be of many different shapes and sizes. In the illustrated embodiment, a large number of design figure pieces are provided. These include: Two large blocks  112 ; four small blocks  114 ; and one trapezoidal block  116 . Also, two discs  118 ; four large balls  120 ; and four small balls  122 . Also, one U-frame  124 ; two square connector blocks  126 ; three round connector pins  128 ; eleven small connector pins  130 ; and one cylinder block  131 . 
     At least some of the design figure pieces  112 - 130  include portions adapted, in a known manner, for connection with the outer end portions of the tappets. For example, each one of the large blocks  112  has a through hole  132  enabling the outer end portion  108  of one of the tappets  100 - 104  to pass completely through the block  112 . 
     Enough design figure pieces are provided in the group  110  so that a large plurality of different moving toys can be assembled. Many toys can be assembled that have parts that can be moved by at least two of the tappets  100 - 104 , thus providing a substantial degree of movement within the toy. 
     The kit  10  also includes a number of miscellaneous connection pieces. The connection pieces include washers  134  and rings  136 , for example, for securing the other parts of the kit  10  in a working relationship when they are assembled. 
     The kit  10  is assembled by removing the front wall  28  of the box  12  and clearing the chamber  52  of the box of the other parts. The box  12  is placed so that the bottom wall  20  is resting horizontally on a surface, such as a table top. 
     One or more of the cams  90 - 96  are selected and placed on the outer shaft  80 . The sub-assembly of the outer shaft  80  and cams  90 - 96  is moved through the opening  52  into the chamber  50  in the box  12 . The outer shaft  80  is aligned along the axis  38 . 
     The second end portion  68  of the inner shaft  62  is then inserted into the chamber  52  through the first shaft opening  34 . The second end portion  68  of the inner shaft  62  is inserted into the passage  86  in the outer shaft  80  until it extends from the outer shaft, and through the second shaft opening  36  in the second side wall  26  of the box  12 . The second end portion  68  of the inner shaft  62  projects out of the box  12  through the second shaft opening  36 . One of the connection pieces, such as a ring  136 , may be placed on the projecting second end portion  68  of the inner shaft  62  to prevent the inner shaft from disengaging from the box  12 . 
     At this point, the shaft  60  is supported on the box  12  for rotation relative to the box. Specifically, the first end portion  66  of the inner shaft  62  is supported on the first side wall  24  of the box  12 , and the second end portion  68  of the inner shaft  62  is supported on the second side wall  26  of the box. The outer shaft  80 , which is fitted over the central portion  64  of the inner shaft  62 , is rotatable with the inner shaft about the axis  38 . The central portion  64  of the inner shaft  62  is disposed within the chamber  52  in the box  12 , together with the outer shaft  80 . 
     The selected cams  90 - 96  are positioned axially along the outer shaft  80  so that they are underneath the tappet openings  40 - 44 . one or more of the tappets  100 - 104  are then inserted through the tappet openings  40 - 44  in the top wall  22  of the box  12 . The inner end portions  106  of the tappets  100 - 104  engage (ride on) the cams  90 - 96 . As a result, the tappets  100 - 104  reciprocate (are movable vertically up and down) upon rotation of the shaft  60  about the axis  38 . 
     Design figure pieces from the group  110  are then selected to build one of the plurality of moving toys that may be made from the group of design figure pieces that are provided with the kit  10 . FIG. 2 illustrates a moving toy  140  made from selected ones of the group of design figure pieces. The toy  140  uses two tappets  100  and  102  to move the toy. Numerous other moving toys can be made from the group  110  of design figure pieces, other than the one toy  140  illustrated in FIG.  2 . For example, FIG. 1 illustrates a moving toy  142  that uses only one tappet  104  to move the toy. 
     The handle  70  of the inner shaft  62  is manually engaged by the operator, and rotated about the axis  38 . The entire shaft  60  rotates about the axis  38 . The rotation of the shaft  60  is transmitted through the cams  90 - 96  into the tappets  100 - 104 . The tappets  100 - 104  reciprocate. The reciprocating motion of the tappets  100 - 104  is transmitted into the design figure pieces  112 - 130 . The design figure pieces  112 - 130  move, thus animating the moving toy. 
     Options for the kit include providing the side walls  24  and  26  with a second set of shaft openings  34   a  and  36   a,  and providing the front wall  28  with tappet openings  144 . When the box  12  is laid on its back (FIG.  5 ), two shafts can be inserted through the two sets of shaft openings in the side walls  24  and  26 . Tappets can be assembled to project upward through the tappet openings  144  in the front wall  28 . Thus, two separate drive shafts can be used simultaneously. 
     Additionally, other shaft configurations can be provided, such as the crank shaft  146  shown in FIG.  5 . Because of the presence of the U-shaped central section  148 , the crank shaft has a detachable handle  150  that is plugged into the central section. A pulley  152  is mounted on the crank shaft  146  and another pulley  154  on the shaft  60 . A belt  158  is trained around the pulleys  152  and  154 , so that the shafts  146  and  60  rotate together. 
     From the above description of the invention, those skilled in the art will perceive improvements, changes and modifications in the invention.