US 4,359,837 AGranted

Labyrinth crib toy

OwnerSherman W. Hoolinventor

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Abstract

A crib toy is disclosed having a labyrinth for the passage of a ball from an elevator unloading station of high gravitational potential to an elevator loading station of low gravitational potential. At the loading station, the ball is blocked by a weighted lever awaiting the presence of the elevator car. The car when present overcomes bias of the lever and allows the ball to pass into the car. The lever biases the car to be loaded with respect to an elevator shaft for ball loading. When the elevator is raised to the unloading station of high gravitational potential, an overcenter pulley cants the car and expels the ball. The labyrinth, typically provided with one transparent wall and a series of serpentine gravitationally biased paths, then causes the balls to pass along a circuitous and amusing path. Operation of the disclosed weighted lever prevents jamming of the elevator shaft path with the presence of the ball to provide an amusing and foolproof toy which can be operated by infants.

Claims3

Dependent claims

In a gravitational labyrinth toy having a circuitous group of passageways defining a path for a ball extending between a ball unloading station at the top portion of said labyrinth and a ball loading station at the bottom portion of said labyrinth, with an elevator for transporting said ball upwardly between said stations, the improvement in said loading station comprising:

a balanced pivot lever disposed proximate said ball loading station, said balanced pivot lever having a medial pivot, a first end with a weight thereon, a second end for moving into the path of said ball, said first end having sufficient mass to maintain said second end of said balanced pivot lever in an obstructing position to said loading station to prevent movement of said ball to said loading station, said second end of said balanced pivot lever defining an obstructing upslope path for halting the downward passage of said ball in said gravitational labyrinth;
said elevator and ball having sufficient mass to overcome the bias of said first end and cause said balanced pivot lever to pivot so that said second end defines a loading downslope path for permitting said ball to move into said elevator when said elevator is present at said loading station.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.