Marble toy
OwnerNicholas E. Schaeferinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A toy (10) comprising an elongated block (12) which is carved out to form one or more patterns (30) for a path along which marbles (15) are propelled by a person's finger through a slot (17) communicating with a channel (14) in any one of such patterns (30) which are interlinked to provide continuity in rolling motion for the marbles (15). Pivoting gates (50) across the path or at intersections of the channels (14) forming patterns (30) provide means to determine the direction of motion for marbles (15), including "dead ending" the marble in its own channel. Various features in the path patterns provide impetus or an inertial bar to the marbles' motion.
Claims25
A toy for rolling one or more members therein the toy in combination with a plurality of generally spherical rollable members captured in the toy yet being accessible for manipulation,
- the toy comprising
- a block of material having a surface in which a series of slots is formed,
- channel means having spaced walls and a floor formed within said block below the slots with which the channel means communicates,
- the slots having a dimension less than that between said spaced walls thereby capturing said one or more rollable members in the channel means,
- the channel means forming a path featuring a plurality of geometrical patterns,
- one or more of said patterns intersecting at least another of said patterns, and
- means for determining the direction for said one or more rollable members mounted in said channel means at the intersecting of said one or more of said patterns with at least another of said patterns.
A toy for rolling one or more rotatable members that would be captured therein yet accessible for manipulation,
- the toy comprising
- a block of material having a surface in which a series of slots is formed,
- channel means having spaced walls and a floor formed within said block below the slots with which the channel means communicates,
- said slots being open for accessing said channel means,
- said slots having a dimension less than that between said spaced walls thereby capturing while nevertheless providing accessing for manipulation of one or more rollable members that would be in the channel means below the slots,
- the channel means forming a path featuring a plurality of geometrical patterns,
- one or more of said patterns intersecting at least another of the patterns, and
- means for determining the direction for the one or more rollable members mounted in said channel means at the intersecting of the one or more of said patterns with at least another of the patterns.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.