Eli5: how do see-and-say toys work?

Question

How is it that when you turn the arrow to pull the string, how does the toy know which picture the arrow points to?

In: 0

Answer 1

I happen to know this because I opened one up years ago. It’s essentially a really cheap plastic record player. When you move the pointer to a particular position, the needle on the plastic record moves a set distance due to the tension of a spring. Little notches keep the needle in place until you pull the handle again.