7021 Robot Conveyor - Dah Yang
Originally released by Japanese company Toplay (TPS - Tokyo Play Things) as Robot Conveyor, the toy was later issued around the world under license by Dah Yang Toy Industrial Co., Ltd. as Robot Machine for their Kinsman toy line.
A battery powered motor drives two cogs with horizontal rods that pickup three mini-robots and deposit them at the top of a descending oval track. These smaller robots roll down the track to a point where they're picked up again and the cycle repeats. The main robot's arms move in and out, the facial features light up and the sign atop its head spins. When running it's oddly captivating, however the sound from the motor and gearbox is far from soothing. Some also make a seemingly intended clicking sound while others don't. Possible due to hit and miss manufacturing.
The original Japanese TPS version has clear facial features and the mini-robots are coated in red, blue and silver chrome. Dah Yang versions saw the facial features changed to orange and the mini-robots all chromed silver. The TPS version also has a blue base and red track support strut in a different sculpt; example image below. Interestingly, the Dah Yang boxes shows what could be prototype mini-robots in grey plastic with more round bodies vs. those shipped with all releases. These were not seen on any of the TPS box photos or likely ever production manufactured for this toy.
The large cogs are cast in either blue or yellow and as they're not interchangeable, this creates two distinct versions. Yet another version of the toy is seen on the box photo for the TPS release with again different colour cogs to any version sighted so far. This may be a photograph of a prototype and this theory is further supported as the toy has the red power switch on bottom right side and not on the upper back of the robot as on all production releases.
There's a further variation in the rotating card on top of the main robot. There are two different shaped cards. The printing on both is the same size, one card is simply die cut to be a smaller and a different shape. Traditionally a smaller anything on a toy equates to a manufacturing cost reduction on a later release. In this instance the smaller card appears on all Kinsman box art and so is likely to be the first version. The box photo card also doesn't show the Kinsman robot head logo and instead has what appears to be an image of a red light further hinting that the photo was from a product still in development.
Finally on the significant variant front, a red disc was added to some Kinsman releases between the large cogs. It's purely cosmetic and appears to have been added with hopes to improve the product much like the larger rotating card. Versions that did not ship with this red wheel do not have the mount it would go on had it been included. As it was not part of the original TPS sculpt, it appears to be something added later; see boxed examples below.
The TPS version also includes a second packing card insert and notches in the top insert to support the track sections when in the box. The Dah Yang releases removed the lower insert and instead placed the track behind the robot.
See Kinsman main index for further details.
Region Codes Used: US United States / UK United Kingdom / AU Australia / JP Japan / GE Germany / IT Italy - Location codes only shown where items were known to be released.
This list is accurate yet likely to be incomplete. If you are able to confirm release in other regions please get in contact.
Kinsman 7021 US Dah Yang 1985
Kinsman 7021 UK Kingsonic* 1985
Kinsman 7021 AU Sheco Imports* 1985
Kinsman 7021 IT AL-Es* 1985
Kinsman GE Dickies Spielzeuge (Toys)* 1985
No Toy Line Name JP Toplay 1984
* boxes showing regional importers / distributors still featured the Dah Yang logo.
CREDIT: German Robot Machine packaging kindly shared by theoldrobots.com
Made in Taiwan
