Laurence J Shaw

US Patent:

6629873, Oct 7, 2003

Filed:

Apr 1, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/113611

Inventors:

Laurence J. Shaw - San Francisco CA 94118

International Classification:

A63H 3300

US Classification:

446490, 446247, 446242

Abstract:

A swinging bob toy having a middle bob with a non-cylindrically symmetric internal structure. The center of mass is located near the middle of the bore axis, and the percentage azimuthal variation V in the moment of inertia I about an axis in the equatorial plane, given by is minimized, for instance by positioning the internal components to produce a weight distribution with n-fold symmetry, where n 3. In one preferred embodiment, the bobs are equipped with lights powered by on-board batteries. Flat cylindrical batteries are mounted on an equatorial circuit board with their axes of symmetry perpendicular to the bore axis. To allow battery replacement, the top and bottom halves of each bob are removably attached by screw-secured posts parallel to, but offset from, the bore axis. An on/off switch is accessible via a small aperture through a transparent outer shell. In one preferred embodiment, the lights flash at a frequency which is not visible when the bobs are stationary, but visible when the bobs are in motion.

US Patent:

6896578, May 24, 2005

Filed:

Aug 19, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/922022

Inventors:

Laurence J. Shaw - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

A63H033/00

US Classification:

446490, 446247, 446267, 473576

Abstract:

A swinging bob toy having an outer bob and middle bob on a string, with the middle bob having a bore through which the string passes to allow the middle bob to slide along the string. The middle bob has a substantially toroidal, liquid-containing bladder. The mass of the liquid contributes substantially to the overall mass of the middle bob, but the viscosity of the liquid and the dimensions of the bore of the toroid are such that the dynamic moment of inertia (i. e. , a moment of inertia dependent on linear and/or rotational velocity and/or acceleration, of a history thereof) is small as the middle bob begins its rotation as the outer bob passes the top of its orbit. The viscosity of the liquid is small enough that as the outer bob traverses the top of its orbit the dynamic moment of inertia is small and the string does not tangle about the middle bob, yet large enough that as the outer bob traverses the bottom of its orbit the rotation of the middle bob is slowed and the string tension does not exhibit a rapid peak.

US Patent:

20030232117, Dec 18, 2003

Filed:

Jun 11, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/459225

Inventors:

Laurence Shaw - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

A23L002/40

US Classification:

426/591000, 426/660000

Abstract:

An edible confection which repeatedly rises and sinks, i.e., “swims,” in a transparent carbonated beverage due to changing buoyancy resulting from the formation of carbonation bubbles on the surface of the confection, and the escape of the bubbles to the atmosphere when the confection reaches the top of the beverage. An edible surfactant is included as a soluble coating on the confection to influence the confection-atmosphere surface tension, confection-beverage surface tension, and/or beverage-atmosphere surface tension such that the surface tension at the top of the beverage does not inhibit or prevent descension of the confection. Preferably, the surfactant is a powdered gelatin. The coating may also include ingredients which promote the solution of the gelatin. Alternatively, for confections having a liquid coating, the viscosity and thickness of the coating are engineered, and/or the underlying surface is roughened to minimize the sliding of carbonation bubbles when the surface is inclined. The confections are die-cut from a thin multi-color sheet, and discharged onto a packaging card by heating the die to melt the edges of the confections, and applying air pressure. The melted edges act to bond the confections to the packaging card. The confections are powdered with the surfactant while the edges are molten, and therefore only the edges substantially retain the coating powder.

US Patent:

20040198174, Oct 7, 2004

Filed:

Dec 10, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/732611

Inventors:

Laurence Shaw - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

A63H001/22

US Classification:

446/490000

Abstract:

A swinging bob toy having an outer bob and middle bob on a string, with the middle bob having a bore through which the string passes to allow the middle bob to slide along the string. The middle bob has a substantially toroidal, liquid-containing bladder. The mass of the liquid contributes substantially to the overall mass of the middle bob, but the viscosity of the liquid and the dimensions of the bore of the toroid are such that the dynamic moment of inertia (i.e., a moment of inertia dependent on linear and/or rotational velocity and/or acceleration, of a history thereof) is small as the middle bob begins its rotation as the outer bob passes the top of its orbit. The viscosity of the liquid is small enough that as the outer bob traverses the top of its orbit the dynamic moment of inertia is small and the string does not tangle about the middle bob, yet large enough that as the outer bob traverses the bottom of its orbit the rotation of the middle bob is slowed and the string tension does not exhibit a rapid peak.

US Patent:

20050160066, Jul 21, 2005

Filed:

Oct 13, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/963690

Inventors:

Laurence Shaw - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

G06F007/00

US Classification:

707001000

Abstract:

A database for maneuvers performed by a player with an object using a cataloging system providing a many-to-one mapping of maneuvers to library codes. A library code is a sequence of code groups reflecting a sequence of changes in contact of the object with itself, the player, and environmental surfaces. Each code group is constructed of code characters for (i) parts of the object, (ii) parts of the player's body, (iii) modes of motion of the object, and (iv) types of changes in contact. There are no code characters for other aspects of the player's movements. A point of contact on an extended portion or component of the object is indicated by appending code characters corresponding to boundary points to the code character representing the extended portion or component. Specifier characters may be appended to code characters to provide information such as direction or orientation.

US Patent:

20110229606, Sep 22, 2011

Filed:

Jun 24, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/803319

Inventors:

Laurence Jay Shaw - San Francisco CA, US
Jeffrey Raymond Miller - Mountain View CA, US

International Classification:

A23G 3/54

US Classification:

426 87, 426383

Abstract:

A candy for use as a game having multiple portions, e.g., layers or sections, bearing images of icons (messages, symbols, indicia, numbers, letters, etc.) which are revealed upon the consumption of the layers, or breaking away or consumption of sections. The images in the sequence of images on each candy are unpredictably (from the viewpoint of players) selected from a set of icons, and games such as Rock, Paper, Scissors may be played with two or more candies. In an alternate embodiment the icons are a heart, a bow and an arrow. If the candy is sectioned into break-away sections, then images are hidden from the opposing player(s) or all players by being located in recesses which become exposed when the sections are broken apart from each other or the main body of the candy. The break-away candy may have a vector or matrix geometry. If the candy is layered, the candy may be spherical with layers being concentric spherical shells with the images being printed on outside surfaces of the shells. Alternatively, the layered candy may be box shaped with layers being rectangular slabs and the images being deposited on the surfaces of the slabs or cast into the slabs.

US Patent:

20130244540, Sep 19, 2013

Filed:

Dec 14, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/714419

Inventors:

Laurence J. Shaw - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

A63H 33/00

US Classification:

446489

Abstract:

A swinging bob toy having three bobs constrained on a string, the middle bob being slideably constrained between the two end bobs, and at least one of the bobs being reversibly separable into two partial bobs. A wide variety of new tricks and maneuvers are made possible by the separability of the bobs. The two partial bobs have roughly the same weight thereby providing balanced orbits. Each of the two partial bobs slides less easily along the string than a non-separated bob. The two partial bobs have roughly the same diameter along at least one axis thereby allowing visual illusions to be performed.

US Patent:

RE342084, Mar 30, 1993

Filed:

Apr 30, 1990

Appl. No.:

7/516785

Inventors:

Laurence J. Shaw - Novato CA

International Classification:

A63H 3300

US Classification:

446 75

Abstract:

A swinging bob toy having bobs which are fastened to, or free to slide along a string. The design of the toy provides that: the string will have a lessened tendency to become tangled during operation, the toy will have a smoothness of motion, and be capable of new tricks and maneuvers, the toy will not become tangled during transportation thereof and will be safer to use. The bobs can be made of an edible material or chewing gum. A tubular storage case can be used to store the bob toy.