The switch should not be dismantled! Mercury was used in the switch because of its unique property of being a liquid metal at room temperature. Mercury is a heavy metal that is now known to affect the central nervous system. It is the cylindrical object with the green center mounted at an angle (top center of the photo). The mercury switch is visible in Figure 13. The ability to start and stop talking when tilted is possible because Chatterbox contains a mercury switch.
CHATTERBOX TOY SERIES
Her series of spoken phrases could be restarted by pushing the button in her chest which lifted the record off of the stylus and allowed a spring to swing the stylus arm back to its home position. When returned to the upright position, she would resume talking where she left off. This was to simulate a toddler going to sleep when laid down. If she was laid down while switched "ON" she would stop talking. Chatterbox only talked when she was switched "ON" and held upright. Here is another interesting tidbit and a caution based on researching the patents. Hopefully the deterioration of the sounding board will not affect Chatterbox's "angelic" voice once her speech is restored. The sounding board has become brittle with age and is falling apart from the stress of being "out of position". In any event this has caused a significant problem. The sounding board was either assembled wrong during manufacturing (as it is seated above the flange designed to hold it in place at the bottom of the battery area) or it was intentionally assembled that way as a design fix to force the stylus to make better contact with the sounding board. In Figure 12, the stylus has worn an arc shaped groove into the black sounding board. The strap keeps the button depressed, releasing the stylus from contact with the record - thereby preventing damage to the record through the potentially rough handling during shipping. A band is strapped around Chatterbox's chest and passes over the groove in the button during shipping. Further into the patent, a second function of the button is described and illustrated. The patent states that the button is used to disengage the record from the stylus allowing the stylus to reset it to its starting position so that the spoken phrases can be repeated. The references claim that the doll talks when the button in her chest is pushed (see Figure 1). It is interesting to note that there is a discrepancy between the information contained in the patents and what is listed in references. If I can encourage her to speak, I will record the phrases and post them. I believe, that with a little restoration work, Chatterbox will be able to say a few of her phrases (assuming that the scratches in the record are not too severe). Records and batteries are replaceable and can be purchased at your dealer."Ī sheet came with the operating instructions that says "she talks like an angel talks" and lists her phrases: By following the instruction sheets, it is waranteed to last one year, if properly cared for.
CHATTERBOX TOY FREE
"The mechanism of Chatterbox has been carefully inspected and found to be free of all defects. The following excerpt indicates that Chatterbox was intended to have interchangeable records, which is in agreement with the information in the patent. My sister purchased a copy of Chatterbox's operating instructions on e-Bay. What makes Chatterbox interesting is that she has a battery powered phonograph in her body cavity. We believe the socks and shoes to be original (see Figures 1 & 2). My sister acquired Chatterbox in January 2012 at an antique store. She originally sold for about $18 and was available from Sears.
![chatterbox toy chatterbox toy](https://live.staticflickr.com/5102/5648145371_d98a8e90e2.jpg)
Parents, siblings and teachers can easily teach kids language skills by talking about the photographs on the chips and encouraging the child to imitate the names of the items photographed.Chatterbox is a Madame Alexander doll that was only manufactured in 1961. The “word chips” are interchangeable in a variety of back-to-basics toys. Chatterbox Toy Company makes fun toys that combine photographs of “first words” and place them on big, colorful chips. My kids are older now and I knew it was time to pursue my dream to make quality toys that could help toddlers learn to talk.
![chatterbox toy chatterbox toy](https://di2ponv0v5otw.cloudfront.net/posts/2022/08/21/630284ffbd66cda6e2b4eefa/m_63028504bd66cda6e2b4ef33.jpg)
THEY LOVED IT! The parents told me that their kids played with the toys for hours and they loved looking at the pictures. I took the primary concepts that the kids enjoyed and I incorporated pictures of “first words”. Years ago, I started making homemade toys for my clients. Toddlers love back-to-basics play because they are successful! They love the simplicity of putting things into a container, dumping things out of a container, putting lids on a container and taking lids off of a container.
![chatterbox toy chatterbox toy](https://www.aveleyman.com/Gallery/2017/Misc/9627d17b-2e7b-44a4-ab54-6973bd528fba.jpg)
Toys have been a huge part of my success and I have become very good at choosing toys that kids love.
CHATTERBOX TOY HOW TO
For over 22 years, I have been working with toddlers and teaching them how to talk through play. My name is Jen Metz and I am a mom of four and a speech-language pathologist.