Patent Room

Cap pistol. For the young soldier. 1944. Invented by A. H. Laidig.

A pop-up bunny in a barrel toy. He looks surprised -- and a little unhappy -- to be free. 1952. Invented by John M. Auzin.

This little toy pig figurine built himself a house of bricks. 1952. Invented by Arnold Henry Bergier.

These nice illustrations are from consecutive patents for boy Bunny Tot dolls. Edward McCandlish's illustrations would have been familiar to Washington Post readers in the 1920s and 30s. McCandlish drew his Bunny Tots stories for the newspaper's children's pages and later published a series of Bunny Tots books. 1924. Invented by Edward G. McCandlish.

An "inflatable toy roly-poly or the like" assigned to Plastic Innovations, Inc., of New York. 1950. Invented by Alexander Burkes.

This child's boat scrub brush is a functional toy. 1953. Invented by Joseph W. Mayer.

The wooden sailor rows, and the dog naps, as the boat is pushed along the floor. Assigned to the Fisher-Price Toys. 1952. Invented by Ralph W. Crawford and Herman G. Fisher.

A balloon spinner, because nobody wants a stationary bag of helium. 1930. Invented by Benjamin C. Merritt.

"My present invention relates to mechanical toys and in its most specific application is intended to provide a ludicrous simulation of Noah's ark, although the novel principles of the toy may be applied for simulating other effects." 1931. Invented by Samuel I Berger.

It doesn't feel like we're getting anywhere. A "coin-controlled amusement game apparatus" for Dale Engineering, a manufacturer of penny arcade games. 1953. Invented by Eldon L. Dale.