Importance

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Abstract

The toy uses metal molding material having a relatively low melting point which produces realistic toy metal objects. The metal is heated in a crucible and poured into a preferably closed, flexible mold made of rubber. The crucible and the mold are mounted to a molding platform held in a fixed position relative to each other with an outlet of the crucible communicating with an inlet of the mold. The molding platform is pivotally mounted in the toy, and both the crucible and the mold are pivoted or tilted to allow liquefied metal in the crucible to flow into the mold. A crank mechanism pivots the molding platform. The toy has a removable inner cover which mounts to the molding platform to cover the crucible and the mold, and a pivotally mounted outer cover which when closed blocks access to the molding platform and the inner cover. The toy has a number of interlocks, namely an interlock which locks the outer cover closed in response to temperature within the toy, an interlock which prevents pivoting of the molding platform if the outer cover is not closed, an interlock which prevents opening of the outer cover if the power switch is on, and an interlock which prevents rotation of the crank if the outer cover is not closed and prevents opening the outer cover once the crank has been rotated out of a home position corresponding to a horizontal position of the molding platform.

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First Claim