MICHAEL A SOMMER
Dentist in Philadelphia, PA

6568679, May 27, 2003

Jul 15, 2000

09/616322

Michael Saunders Sommer - Philadelphia PA 19130

A63F 704

273153R, 273118 R

A cubical maze module, counterintuitive in operation, consisting of a hollow cubical box having six transparent walls with eight circular openings of the same diameter; the walls defining four tortuous conduits, each extending from and between a circular opening, eccentrically located, in the center of one quadrant of a wall, and a circular opening, eccentrically located, in the center of one quadrant of an adjacent wall; the tortuous conduits forming passageways for a ball. No matter which side is up, on a horizontal surface, the ball is always able to traverse a plurality of tortuous conduits, under gravity, while not able to traverse one or two other tortuous conduits, as the module is manipulated about the three-dimensional axes. A cubical maze module can be used singly, or as a plurality of identical cubical maze modules which are interchangeable; with each additional module the tortuous conduits can be linked to allow passage of the ball through progressively longer and exponentially more complex combinations of paths; it is possible for up to four paths to cross within one cubical maze module.

6866616, Mar 15, 2005

Jul 29, 2002

10/207567

Michael Saunders Sommer - Philadelphia PA, US

A63B067/00

482110, 273112, 40427

A dual path helical ramp consisting of a wire rail formed as a helix, a straight rail, a closed transparent cylindrical wall rail, and a ball. The helical rail extends between a first elevation where the ball enters or exits the ramp to a second, lower elevation where a ball exits or enters the ramp. The straight rail extends through the center of the helical rail for the length thereof. The cylindrical wall rail extends outside of the helical rail for the length thereof. The helical rail is joined at either end of the straight rail and the straight rail is joined at either end of the cylindrical wall rail, thereby forming two elevations. The helical rail is dimensioned such that the distance between it and straight rail and it and wall rail is less than the diameter of the ball. As a result, the ball will contact both helical rail and straight rail, or helical rail and wall rail, simultaneously, as it rolls downward by the force of gravity and upward by taking advantage of the centrifugal force of the ball, using suitable circular movements. Each elevation has sufficient space for the ball to cross from one path to the other, allowing the ball to roll up and down a continuous helical path, along linked concentric interior and exterior paths of the dual path helical ramp, as the device is manipulated about its three-dimensional axes.