Abstract:
A water music device is provided. In one embodiment, the device permits a child to play a song wherein the different tones of the song are generated by tubes filled to different levels using any liquid, such as water. In another embodiment, the water music device may be one or more water drum devices.
Abstract:
A marble track is constructed from cubes, base blocks, tower dowels, track dowels and rubber bands. Each cube has four vertically oriented tower bores, through-bores of approximately the width of the tower dowels, adjacent and parallel to the four vertical edges of the cube. Each base block has four vertically oriented tower bores with the same spacing as the tower bores in the cube. Cubes may be positioned on tower dowels extending vertically from a base block, and the position of a cube may be stabilized by a rubber band around the tower dowels just below the cube. A channel in each cube (except the "end cubes") permits a marble to pass through the cube. A channel may be bifurcated, and may have entrances/exits to any combination of the six faces of a cube. Track dowels may be inserted in track bores below each side channel entrance/exit to permit the marble to roll out of the channel and onto the track dowels. To facilitate the capture of a marble falling into a top entrance hole of a channel, the top hole may have a counterbore. Optimal dimensions of the components are related to the diameters of the marble and the dowels, and the side length of the cubes.
Abstract:
A water music device is provided. In one embodiment, the device permits a child to play a song wherein the different tones of the song are generated by tubes filled to different levels using any liquid, such as water. In another embodiment, the water music device may be one or more water drum devices.
Abstract:
A marble track construction toy for assembly on a vertically-oriented planar surface. The construction toy includes chutes down which the marble can roll, pivot elements and bumpers for altering the direction of the motion of the marble, and a catch basket for retaining the marble at the terminus of the track. Each chute includes a mounting means so the chute can be mounted on the vertically-oriented planar surface with both ends of the chute oriented parallel to the planar surface. Similarly, each bumper includes a mounting means so the bumper can be mounted on the vertically-oriented planar surface with an impact surface oriented perpendicular to the mounting surface. And each pivot element has a bucket and a pivoting bucket arm, and includes a mounting means so the pivot element can be mounted on the vertically-oriented planar surface such that the bucket pivots in the plane of the mounting surface. An operable marble track is constructed by adjustments of the positions of the chutes, pivot elements and bumpers, and adjustments of the orientations of the chutes, to insure that the catch buckets, chutes and catch basket are positioned to receive the marble at the terminus of its sequence of mid-air trajectories. In one preferred embodiment magnets are used as the surface-mounting means, so the track can be constructed on paramagnetic or ferromagnetic surfaces such as refrigerator doors.
Abstract:
A water music device is provided. In one embodiment, the device permits a child to play a song wherein the different tones of the song are generated by tubes filled to different levels using any liquid, such as water. In another embodiment, the water music device may be one or more water drum devices.
Abstract:
A room-environment string-pull construction toy consisting of a string, multiple wall-mountable pulleys, and a variety of colorful, eye-catching and/or whimsical cardboard or paper cutouts which can be mounted on the pulley wheels. Each wall-mountable pulley has a base with a non-permanent adhesive affixed to a back surface thereof, and an axle extending from a front surface thereof on which a pulley wheel is rotatably mounted. The configuration of the toy is constructed by attaching the pulleys to the walls and possibly the ceiling of a room, running the string over the pulleys, and attaching cutouts to the pulleys and string. Planar cutouts attached to the pulley wheels may be shaped as propellers, arrows, cams, disks and the like. Preferably, the cutouts are bright colors and/or are decorated with designs which have a striking appearance when in motion. Mechanical mechanisms assembled from cutouts may be affixed to the pulley wheels to provide visually interesting displays or perform useful mechanical functions such as the manipulation of room objects. The mechanical mechanisms may convert the circular motion of the pulley wheels to linear reciprocating motion, circular motion or chaotic motion. In one possible alternate embodiment the cutouts have fanciful shapes resembling the features of a human face, and are animated by mechanisms to perform fanciful and/or comical motions.
Abstract:
A constructable spinning top maze kit having a base upon which rail pieces may be removably mounted to form a maze through which the spinning top may travel when launched from a launcher. Multiple bases may be joined together in a single plane to create an indefinitely-extendable maze, or multiple bases may be assembled in multiple planes to create an indefinitely-extendable multi-level maze. Because rail pieces are removably mounted on the base pieces, a maze may be disassembled and reconstructed to form another maze have a completely different geometry, or one or more rail pieces may be repositioned to less drastically alter the geometry of the maze. As with the rail pieces, the launcher may be removably mounted on the base pieces. Therefore, the launcher may be positioned at a variety of locations in a maze, easily repositioned, and used within a variety of maze geometries. One or more pins may be placed on the base to provide a game with the objective of launching the top in a manner such that it will knock over the pins. The rail pieces may have downward-directed dowels with spacings which are integer multiples of a unit distance, and the base may have holes separated by the unit distance into which the dowels of the rail pieces may be inserted, thereby maximizing the number of rail configurations on the base.