GB2559659A

GB2559659A - Improvements to toy apparatus and method of assembly of the same

Info

Publication number: GB2559659A
Application number: GB1720538.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Cole Stewart; Marlow Ruth; Dye Nigel
Original assignee: John Adams Leisure Ltd
Current assignee: John Adams Leisure Ltd
Priority date: 2016-12-08
Filing date: 2017-12-08
Publication date: 2018-08-15
Anticipated expiration: 2037-12-08
Also published as: GB201620901D0; GB201720538D0; GB2559659B; GB2559659A8

Abstract

A toy similar to a Spirograph including a first plate member 10 with an aperture, including a plurality of teeth 20 formed around the circumference of the aperture and/or around the circumference the plate. Further including at least one wheel member 4 in the form of a cog or gear with a plurality of teeth 6 formed around the circumference of said wheel member and at least one locating aperture 24 for a writing or drawing implement. The teeth of the plate member and the teeth of said wheel member can interlock to allow the user to draw a curve pattern. Also said plate member and/or wheel member includes at least one lip portion 16, said lip portion located above and/or below the teeth of the plate or wheel members such that in use the wheel member remains a spaced distance from the drawing surface.

Description

(54) Title of the Invention: Improvements to toy apparatus and method of assembly of the same Abstract Title: Drawing toy used to produce curved patterns (57) A toy similar to a Spirograph® including a first plate member 10 with an aperture, including a plurality of teeth 20 formed around the circumference of the aperture and/or around the circumference the plate. Further including at least one wheel member 4 in the form of a cog or gear with a plurality of teeth 6 formed around the circumference of said wheel member and at least one locating aperture 24 for a writing or drawing implement. The teeth of the plate member and the teeth of said wheel member can interlock to allow the user to draw a curve pattern. Also said plate member and/or wheel member includes at least one lip portion 16, said lip portion located above and/or below the teeth of the plate or wheel members such that in use the wheel member remains a spaced distance from the drawing surface.

This print incorporates corrections made under Section 117(1) of the Patents Act 1977.

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Improvements to Toy Apparatus and Method of Assembly of the same

The invention to which this application relates is improvements to the Spirograph® toy apparatus and a method for manufacturing and/or assembling the same.

The Spirograph® toy is known. The original Spirograph® consisted of a plastic ring, with gear teeth on both the inside and outside of the ring. Several gearwheels were also provided which had holes for a pen to extend therethrough on to paper underneath. The gearwheels also had teeth and could be spun around on the ring to draw geometric shapes on the paper. Other similar toys and different shaped gearwheels were launched with the similar principle of drawing

The number of arrangements possible by combining different gears wheels and different holes in the same is very large. The pen is used both to draw and to provide force to move the gear and considerable practice is required before the toy can be fully operated without accidently disengaging the gear from the ring, particularly when using holes situated near the edge of the larger gears. This force can also cause the ring to slide, upsetting the pattern and smudging the ink.

Often the most intricate and visually appealing patterns may only be made through the use of both hands, one to draw and one to guide the pieces.

It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a toy apparatus that addresses the abovementioned problems.

It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a method of assembling a toy apparatus

In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a toy apparatus, said apparatus including;

a first plate member with an aperture formed in the same, said plate member including a plurality of teeth formed around the circumference of said aperture and/or formed around the circumference of said plate;

at least one wheel member with a plurality of teeth formed around the circumference of said wheel member, said wheel member including at least one locating aperture for the location of at least one writing/drawing implement in use;

whereby the teeth of the plate member and the teeth of said wheel member can interlock such that curved patterns can be drawn on a drawing surface located underneath said apparatus in use by moving said wheel member and/or said writing/drawing implement within the aperture formed in the plate member or around circumference of said plate member; and wherein said plate member and/or wheel member includes at least one lip portion, said lip portion located above and/or below the teeth of the plate or wheel members such that the wheel portion remains a spaced distance from the drawing surface in use.

Typically the at least one lip portion is formed around the circumference of the aperture formed in the plate member. Further typically the at least one lip portion is formed substantially under or below the teeth formed on the plate portion.

Typically the at least one lip portion projects or extends beyond the teeth of the plate and/or wheel members.

In one embodiment the apparatus includes a second plate member. Typically said second plate member includes an aperture formed in the same. Further typically the second plate member is removable from and/or detachably attached to the first plate member.

Typically the second plate member includes at least one lip portion. Further typically the lip portions of the first and second plate members substantially form a channel or groove within which the teeth of the first plate member are located.

In one embodiment the first and/or second plate members are substantially circular in shape. Typically the first and/or second plate members are substantially rings or annular in shape. Further typically the first and/or second ring members are substantially circular rings.

The person skilled in the art will appreciate that the plate members and/or the wheel members can be non-circular in shape, such a s oval and/or the like. Typically the non-circular wheel members and/or plate members include rounded corners and/or curved sides.

In one embodiment the second plate member is located or positioned substantially on top of the first plate member in use.

In one embodiment the first plate member includes one or more feet or projections to space the plate member from the drawing surface.

In one embodiment the wheel portion is substantially circular. Typically the locating apertures formed in the wheel portion are positioned non-centrally.

In one embodiment the first and second plate members are substantially annular discs that can be fitted together to provide a lip and/or channel in which the wheel member can run or engage.

In one embodiment the first and/or second plate members include location means. Typically the location means include one or more protrusions and/or recesses form in said plate members to enable the positioning, location and/or attachment of the same together.

In one embodiment the first and/or second plate members include one or more recessed portions. Typically the recessed portions are located around the edge of the plate member and/or depend inwardly therefrom. Further typically the recessed portions allow the plate members to be separated.

In one embodiment the drawing surface is paper, card and/or the like.

In one embodiment the drawing surface is formed integrally with the apparatus. Typically the integral drawing surface extends from under a lip portion formed on said first plate member. In one embodiment the user draws directly on the drawing surface. Alternatively, the drawing surface provides a surface on which paper, card and/or the like can be located in use.

In a second aspect of the invention there is provided a toy apparatus, said apparatus including;

whereby the teeth of the plate member and the teeth of said wheel member can interlock such that curved patterns can be drawn on a drawing surface located underneath said apparatus in use by moving said wheel member and/or said writing/drawing implement within the aperture formed in the plate member or around circumference of said plate member; and wherein said plate member includes at least one foot or spacing appendage to maintain a spaced distance between the plate member and the drawing surface and/or surface on which the apparatus is located in use.

In a third aspect of the invention there is provided method of assembling a toy apparatus, said apparatus including; a first plate member with an aperture formed in the same, said plate member including a plurality of teeth formed around the circumference of said aperture and/or formed around the circumference of said plate;

whereby the teeth of the plate member and the teeth of said wheel member can interlock such that curved patterns can be drawn on a drawing surface located underneath said apparatus in use by moving said wheel member and/or said writing/drawing implement within the aperture formed in the plate member or around circumference of said plate member; and wherein said plate member and/or wheel member includes at least one lip portion, said lip portion located above and/or below the teeth of the plate or wheel members such that the wheel portion remains a spaced distance from the drawing surface in use; and said method includes the step of engaging the teeth of the wheel member with the teeth of the plate member.

In a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a method of using a toy apparatus, said apparatus including; a first plate member with an aperture formed in the same, said plate member including a plurality of teeth formed around the circumference of said aperture and/or formed around the circumference of said plate;

whereby the teeth of the plate member and the teeth of said wheel member can interlock such that curved patterns can be drawn on a drawing surface located underneath said apparatus in use by moving said wheel member and/or said writing/drawing implement within the aperture formed in the plate member or around circumference of said plate member; and wherein said plate member and/or wheel member includes at least one lip portion, said lip portion located above and/or below the teeth of the plate or wheel members such that the wheel portion remains a spaced distance from the drawing surface in use and said method includes the step of engaging the teeth of the wheel member with the teeth of the plate member.

In a yet further embodiment of the invention there is provided a toy apparatus, said apparatus including;

whereby the teeth of the plate member and the teeth of said wheel member can interlock such that curved patterns can be drawn on a drawing surface located underneath said apparatus in use by moving said wheel member and/or said writing/drawing implement within the aperture formed in the plate member or around circumference of said plate member; and wherein said plate member includes at least one foot or spacing appendage and/or a lip portion.

A specific embodiment of the invention is now described with reference to the following figures wherein:

Figures la and lb show perspective and cross sectional views respectively of one embodiment of the invention;

Figures 2a and 2b show perspective and cross sectional views respectively of one embodiment of the invention;

Figures 3a and 3b show perspective and cross sectional views respectively of one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 shows a plan view of one embodiment of the invention.

The current invention is an improvement to the Spirograph® toy. In the present invention supports the wheel or cog that the child puts the pen through and draws with, is held by friction on a rim formed in the stencil ring and this holds the wheel in place and reduces the chances of the child slipping which is often the case with Spirograph®. The stencil ring includes feet to hold the ring off the surface to stop smudging as the wheel turns around and passes over the drawn area and also prevents the ring slipping.

Turning now to figure la and lb where there is shown a toy apparatus 2 which includes a wheel or cog 4 with a number of teeth 6 around the periphery of the same. These wheel teeth 6 are complimentary to a further set of teeth 8 formed around the circumference of the aperture formed in the stencil ring or plate

10.

The stencil plate 10 includes feet members 12 which keep the same a spaced distance from the drawing surface 14, as well as a lip portion 16 on which the wheel 4 runs or rests in order to keep the same off the drawing surface 14. This prevents smudging and aids children, particularly young children using the toy.

The toy apparatus 2 also includes a capping ring 18 which is located on top of the stencil ring 10. The capping ring is engaged with a raised formation 20 projecting upwardly from the stencil ring 10. When the rings 10,18 are joined together a channel 22 is formed in which the ring teeth 8 are located.

Figures 2a and 2b show the location on the teeth 8 in the channel 22 when the two rings 10,18 are attached together. The rings can be detached for storage and the like.

Although in this embodiment the teeth 8 and the channel 22 are located on the interior of the ring 10, the skilled person will appreciate that the channel and teeth could be located around the outside of the ring instead of, or in addition to the interior location.

The wheel or cog 4 includes a number of apertures 24 through which writing implements such as pens and pencils can be located and usually provide the force by which to move the cog 24 around the ring 10. The non-central location of the apertures 24 ensure a roulette or hypotrochoid trace is produced on the drawing surface 14 or paper.

Figures 3a and 3b show how the wheel moves in a circular direction within the groove 22 formed when the plates 10,18 are attached together. The groove 22 and the feet 12 ensure that the wheel 4 is at all times a spaced distance (x) from the drawing surface 14 in use which helps eliminate smudging and inproves stability particularly for younger users.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the toy 2, in which the non-central arrangement of the apertures 24 can be seen. In addition the cut away sections 26 around the periphery on the lower disc 10 can be seen. This feature allows the easy separation of the discs for storage and the like.

Claims

1. A toy apparatus, said apparatus including;

2. A toy apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the at least one lip portion is formed around the circumference of the aperture formed in the plate member.

3. A toy apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the at least one lip portion is formed substantially under or below the teeth formed on the plate portion.

4. A toy apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the at least one lip portion projects or extends beyond the teeth of the plate and/or wheel members.

5. A toy apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus includes a second plate member.

6. A toy apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said second plate member includes an aperture formed in the same.

7. A toy apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the second plate member is removable from and/or detachably attached to the first plate member.

8. A toy apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the second plate member includes at least one lip portion.

9. A toy apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the lip portions of the first and second plate members substantially form a channel or groove within which the teeth of the first plate member are located.

10. A toy apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the first and/or second plate members are substantially circular in shape.

11. A toy apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the first and/or second plate members are substantially rings or annular in shape.

12. A toy apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the first and/or second ring members are substantially circular rings.

13. A toy apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the second plate member is located or positioned substantially on top of the first plate member in use.

14. A toy apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first plate member includes one or more feet or projections to space the plate member from the drawing surface.

15. A toy apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the wheel portion is substantially circular.

16. A toy apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the locating apertures formed in the wheel portion are positioned noncentrally.

17. A toy apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the first and second plate members are substantially annular discs that can be fitted together to provide a lip and/or channel in which the wheel member can run or engage.

18. A toy apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the first and/or second plate members include location means including one or more protrusions and/or recesses formed in said plate members to enable the positioning, location and/or attachment of the same together.

19. A toy apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the first and/or second plate members include one or more recessed portions.

20. A toy apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the recessed portions are located around the edge of the plate member and/or depend inwardly therefrom.

21. A toy apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the drawing surface is paper, card and/or the like.

22. A toy apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the drawing surface is formed integrally with the apparatus.

GB1720538.6

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