The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 31, 1977
Filed:
Sep. 18, 1975
Lawrence L Reiner, Woodbury, NY (US);
John P McNett, Short Hills, NJ (US);
Other;
Abstract
An optical illusion-producing rotating toy includes a rectangular support housing and a generally cylindrical rotatable housing mounted on the support housing for free rotation about a vertical axis. The rotatable housing has at least two three-dimensional display areas, chambers of compartments angularly disposed about the axis. An axis extension of the rotatable housing projects beyond the support housing for gripping to impart rotation of the rotatable housing. The rotatable housing is provided with a resilient pair of engageable fingers proximate the support housing, and a pair of selection latching members are provided on the support housing each of which has a portion which may be selectively moved for engaging one of the fingers to almost instantaneously stop the rotation of the rotatable housing in a predetermined position. This brings into view one of the display areas at a fixed point of observation. Observation of any one display area is made difficult until the rotatable housing is stopped and, depending on which latching member is actuated, an object in one display area may be made to disappear and reappear by successively bringing that display area and an empty display area into view. A case may be used to house the toy, with foldable panels which unfold to form a play area or environment of which the rotating toy forms a part. The housing rotation may be done by electrical motor means, and the stopping by electromagnetic means.