Toy alphabet school bus

Abstract

A user-propelled toy school bus which as it travels along a playing surface exhibits through its side and rear windows the successive letters of the alphabet. These letters are printed along an endless scroll that is guided in a path running behind the windows, each letter being defined by a series of equi-spaced parallel segments. The scroll is so driven by one set of the bus wheels through a unidirectional drive system that as the bus travels in either direction, the scroll always advances continuously in the same direction. Formed on each window is a parallel array of equi-spaced viewing elements. As the scroll advances behind each window, the segments of each letter alternatively move into registration with the viewing elements to expose the letter, and then the interstices between the segments move into registration with the viewing elements to blank out the letter. This shuttering action caues the letters to appear to be advancing in incremental steps and to appear unblurred despite their continuous movement. The interstices between the segments of the letter may have printed thereon the parallel segments of a figure, so that when the latter segments are in registration with the viewing elements on the window, then the figure is exposed.