Did You Know...
...that the video game, Pong, was invented by a guy who graduated at the bottom of his engineering class? Nolan Bushnell spent more time running the games at a local amusement park than he did on his studies at the University of Utah. His dreams of working for Disney's amusement empire were dashed when the company wouldn't hire him. Taking a boring job, Nolan daydreamed about electronic versions of popular games. He invented Pong, the first video game, and went on to found Atari Co.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 4690656 | Wheel and winch assemblies utilizing identical hubs and axles in a toy construction set Included in a toy construction set is a special block having an axle projecting therefrom, the axle having a slot providing a pair of resilient legs with a groove formed near the free end of each leg. A hub has a bore so that the hub can be journaled for ... | 09/01/1987 |
| 4673182 | Pivoted track and slot car amusement device or game A track having spaced, parallel edges, including a plurality of adjacent curves facing in different directions and connections between the curves, around which a frame carrying an object, such as simulating a racing car, a greyhound, a horse, a camel or t... | 06/16/1987 |
| 4668205 | Toy vehicle for simulating vehicle and aircraft A toy that can be used to simulate a vehicle or an aircraft is presented. The toy has a hood rotatably coupled to its front end which may be opened and closed. A rear portion is rotatably coupled to the rear end of the toy and may be rotated to two positi... | 05/26/1987 |
| 4667975 | Hand-powered toy vehicle A hand-powered toy vehicle with a pair of levers coupled to independent rear wheels. The levers can be operated together to accelerate forward movement of the vehicle, as well as to brake it. The levers also can be used to rotate one of rear wheels faster... | 05/26/1987 |
| 4643696 | Vehicle wheel with clutch mechanism and self actuated extending claws A vehicle wheel having claws which automatically extend whenever the wheel strikes an obstacle and automatically retract when the obstacle is overcome is disclosed. The wheel also includes a ratchet type clutch mechanism which permits the wheel to be manu... | 02/17/1987 |
| 4601519 | Wheel with extendable traction spikes and toy including same The present invention wheels have extendable traction spikes (spike pins) which are contained within the wheels and are automatically extended to enhance wheel traction. The automatic extension of the spike pins occurs, in one embodiment, upon achievement... | 07/22/1986 |
| 4593618 | Toy vehicle with stamp A toy vehicle having a body housing and undercarriage secured thereto. The undercarriage supports rotatable front and rear wheels. A roll support member is pivotably coupled to the undercarriage and is latchable thereto. An applicator roll which is adapte... | 06/10/1986 |
| 4586911 | Transformable toy vehicle A transformable toy vehicle capable of being converted into a toy robot is provided. The converted toy robot gives no impression of the original outer appearance of the toy vehicle, because of the folding operation of the front and rear compartments. The ... | 05/06/1986 |
| 4580993 | Reconfigurable toy assembly A reconfigurable toy assembly is disclosed which is adapted to be reversibly transformed to provide two kinds of configurations entirely different from each other between a first position and a second position by only swinging operation. Typically, the re... | 04/08/1986 |
| 4580994 | Toy vehicle A toy vehicle with a two-part, telescoping, chassis is driven by a battery powered motor. The child manipulates a control lever to energize the motor and produce engine revving sounds and then engage the rear wheels to start the vehicle doing a wheelie. O... | 04/08/1986 |
| 4578046 | Reversibly transformable toy block assembly A reversibly transformable toy block assembly is disclosed which is constructed in such a manner to be reversibly transformed between two kinds of toys entirely different from each other. Typically, the toy block assembly may be assembled or constructed i... | 03/25/1986 |
| 4575354 | Running toy A running toy has a detachable non-circular wheel attached to an axle driven by a known prime mover, such as spring-powered prime mover and the like. The wheel is molded from an elastic material, such as rubber, soft plastic and the like, and has large pr... | 03/11/1986 |
| 4573944 | Ball swinging toy vehicle A toy vehicle having an arm with a ball at the end thereof pivotable relative to an axle of the vehicle from a nested position to a position forward of the vehicle, the mechanism being actuated by depression of a push lever, upon which a spring-biased rac... | 03/04/1986 |
| 4568309 | Multi-action toy vehicle A multi-action toy vehicle which includes a chassis having first and second rear wheels rotatably supported thereon. The toy vehicle includes first and second arms pivotally supported on the chassis proximate the rear wheels, which each include a projecti... | 02/04/1986 |
| 4562893 | Toy vehicle A child's battery-operated ride-on toy vehicle includes a frame having at least three equal diameter wheels rotatively mounted to the frame at opposite sides thereof. The wheels at the front and/or rear of the vehicle at opposite sides of the vehicle are ... | 01/07/1986 |
| 4551109 | Malleable material vehicle playset A children's activity playset for building vehicles using a malleable material includes a chassis carrying free wheeling axle and wheel assemblies on the underside. Clear plastic body shells are provided for filling with colored malleable materials and th... | 11/05/1985 |
| 4547173 | Toy vehicle claw wheel A toy vehicle with a chassis carrying an axle for rotation has a hollow wheel mounted for rotation on the axle. Openings extend through the peripheral wall of the wheel that normally contacts a supporting surface. Inside the wheel a spider is secured to t... | 10/15/1985 |
| 4540377 | Toy vehicle conversion accessory A 4×4 conversion accessory for vehicles including a pair of spaced apart axles secured to an elongated transverse central frame member. Relatively large lugged wheels are attached to the ends of each axle for rotation with respect to the frame member. Mo... | 09/10/1985 |
| 4533336 | Locking toy vehicle A toy vehicle has hinged and lockable doors, trunk lid, and hood, each with an internal U-shaped shackle, clevis, or claw projecting inwardly. A single locking plate is slidably positioned inside the vehicle. The plate has an integral sliding bolt at each... | 08/06/1985 |
| 4490124 | Running toy The invention relates to a running toy having a self-contained motor assembly. The running toy is provided with a pivoting member and a mechanism by which it is actuated in response to the motion of part of the motor assembly to make the running toy somer... | 12/25/1984 |
| 4475304 | Toy vehicle apparatus for weight pulling Toy apparatus including an assembly for coupling a self-powered 4-wheel drive toy pulling vehicle to a toy sled which provides a variable resistance or drag to test the pulling power of the vehicle. The toy apparatus simulates in a simplified and economic... | 10/09/1984 |
| 4459438 | Apparatus comprising a track and articles for movement therealong A combination of a track formed from sections which are joined one to another with articles such as toy vehicles for movement therealong is provided in which the power for movement of the articles is transmitted onto a magnet in the article from an electr... | 07/10/1984 |
| 4430827 | Pick-up vehicle A toy push type vehicle with front and rear doors, each door being individually operated either by a handle thereon or by a push down projection on the bus roof whereby objects, such as figures of humans with an annular groove in the base region thereof, ... | 02/14/1984 |
| 4329886 | Positive mesh gearing system for toy cars A system is provided for holding two gears in positive mesh. The gears are used in toy vehicles, wherein the first gear is mounted on a drive shaft and the second gear is mounted on the rear axle of the vehicle. A crown and pinion gear are preferably used... | 05/18/1982 |
| 4248009 | Toy motor vehicle A toy motor vehicle includes a body supported by wheels for rolling movement over a supporting surface. The body is provided with a first compartment having a transparent wall segment and a second compartment in communication therewith having opaque walls... | 02/03/1981 |
| 4193639 | Mountable wheel for toy vehicle A wheel suitable for use on toy vehicles. The wheel has a tire which is mountable and demountable with respect to such toy vehicle. The wheel includes a first member that is rotatably mounted in a permanent or semi-permanent arrangement on an axle. The wh... | 03/18/1980 |
| 4159126 | Model racing car having an improved rear wheel suspension In a rear wheel suspension system for a model racing car, the motor, rear axle and rear wheels are all supported from a supporting platform which is spring mounted to the chassis via the intermediary of a pair of springs, preferably coil springs, disposed... | 06/26/1979 |
| 4156986 | One-piece molded plastic vehicle and transport member A one-piece toy vehicle comprising a body having opposing side walls, a circular transport member integrally molded therewith and separable therefrom, the transport member having an axle extending outwardly therefrom with journals at the distal ends there... | 06/05/1979 |
| 4146992 | Vehicle with stuffed wheel, and method of making A wheeled toy with at least one wheel having a hollow thin-walled pliant toroidal tube formed from a piece of thin flexible material such as fabric and containing a relatively rigid sleeve disposed within the tube interior in surrounding relation to the i... | 04/03/1979 |
| 4040204 | Vehicle bank with closure retained by vehicle mechanism portion A miniature bank having the form of an armored safety-deposit truck whose coin-compartment is closed by a back gate. The latter extends forwardly under the compartment with a tongue which crosses over the rear axle of the truck. The axle therefore bars th... | 08/09/1977 |
| 3983663 | Model railway refrigerator cars In a model railway system it is desirable to include cars which simulate refrigerator cars. Model railway refrigerator cars are not, of course, furnished with ice or other means of actual refrigeration, but they should resemble actual cars which are so fu... | 10/05/1976 |
| 3953027 | Card matching apparatus including dispenser A game apparatus for use by two or more players. The game apparatus includes a set of playing cards having different indicia on at least some of the cards, and a set of chips having indicia on at least some of the chips which is identical to the indicia o... | 04/27/1976 |
| 3952786 | Unitary wheel and tire assembly A unitary wheel and tire assembly comprising an injection-molded, thermoplastic wheel and a tire which is injection-molded on the wheel. The tire is of elastic material, such as synthetic or natural rubber, and having irregular inner surface portions comp... | 04/27/1976 |
