Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
SS
The present invention relates to a toy vehicle and
toy vehicle game. More particularly the invention relates
to a toy vehicle game in which the toy vehicles are separat-
ely controlled by the players to enable them to turn out
from one lane to the other and pass other vehicles on the
track.
With the ever increasing popularity of toy vehicle
games, such as for example the well known "slot car" games,
there is an increasing demand for more realistic action.
To this end attempts have been made in the past to provide
"slot car~ type games with speed control systems, as for
example by varying current flow to the vehicles in the game.
To further enhance such realism the slot arrangements in
such games also provide for crossing the vehicles from one
side of the track to another, to simulate an actual changing
of lanes. However, the vehicle is in fact constrained to a
fixed predetermined and unvariable path.
Since the play value of such previously proposed
vehicle games is limited to the regulation of speed of travel,
attempts have been made to provide toy vehicle games which
enable an operator to control movement of the vehicle from
one lane to the other without the constraint of a guide slot
in the track. Such systems include for example the type
shown in U.S. Patent No, 3,797,404, wherein solenoid actuated
bumpers are used to physically push the vehicle from one lane
to the other by selectively engaging the bumpers along the
side walls of the track. It is believed that this type of
system will not insure movement of the vehicle from one lane
to the other, particularly at slow speeds, and the bumper
movements for pushing the vehicle
1--
~47~5
are not realistic.
Other attempts to provide for vehicle control for
moving the vehicle from one lane to the other involve rela-
tively complicated steering control mechanisms which respond
to the switching on and off of current to the toy vehicle
as supplied through contact strips in the track surface.
Such systems are disclosed for example in U.S. Patent Nos.
3,774,340 and 3,~37,286. However, in addition to the
relative complexity of the steering arrangements, the vehicles
will of course lose speed when the current supply is shut off,
so that the vehicle will slow down and the realistic effect
desired to be produced is affected.
Still other steering systems have been provided in
toy vehicles wherein the vehicle's steering is controlled in
response to a reversal of the polarity of the current flow
to the electrical drive motor in the vehicle. Such systems
are disclosed for example in U~S. Patent Nos. 3,~53,970 and
3,813,812, which avoid the problem of stopping current flow
completely to the motor so that there is little or no loss
of speed, but their steering systems contain numerous moving
parts which will wear and require constant attention. In
Patent No. 3,453,970 to Hansen, the electrical wires connect-
ing the motor to the current collectors of the vehicle are
used to aid in the steering operation and thus may well work
loose during use of the vehicle. Another reversing polarity
system is shown in U.S~ Patent NoO 3,232,005 wherein the toy
vehicle does not operate on a track and the steering control
is not provided for switching lanes~ but rather to provide
an apparently random travel control for the vehicle.
--2
Still another toy vehicle game which has been suggest-
ed to avoid the constraints of slot car type systems, is
disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,239,953 wherein a relatively
complex steering control is provided which is responsive to
the actuation of a solenoid mounted in the toy vehicle and
is controlled remotely by the players.
It is an object o~ the present invention to overcome
the limitations of previously proposed toy vehicle games
wherein toy vehicles are permitted to turn out and move
from one lane to the other without the restraint of a guide
slot or the like.
According to the present invention there is provided
a toy vehicle comprising a vehicle frame, a pair of laterally
spaced selectively driven drive wheels for the vehicle, means
for mounting said drive wheels in laterally spaced relation
to each other for rotation in vertical planes, a reversible
rotary drive motor in said frame, a power output gear opera~
tively connected to said motor for rotation thereby; and
gear train means in said frame drivingly engaged with said
output gear for selectively driving one o~ said drive wheels
in response to the direction of rotation af said output gear;
said gear train means including gearmeans movably mounted in
said frame for movement between first and second positions
in response to the direction of rotation of said output gear
for selectively driving one of said drive wheels in said
first position thereof and the other of said drive wheels in
the second position thereof, first and second drive gears
respectively drivingly engaged with said drive wheels, said
drive gears being located in said frame for selective engage
ment with said movably mounted gear means in the first and
second positions thereof respectively; a first transmission
--3~
'7~iS
gear drivingly engaged with said output gear and rotatably
mounted in said frame, a gear support member rotatably mount-
ed in said frame for rotation about the axis of rotation of
said first transmission gear; said movably mounted gear means
comprising second and third transmission gears rotatably
mounted on said gear support member ~or rotation on axes
extending generally perpendicularly to the axis of rotation
of said support member; said second and third transmission
gears being located in driven engagement with said ~irst
transmission gear and having their axes of rotation located
in angular relation to each other whereby said second and
third transmission gears are continuously rotated by said
first transmission gear and said support member is rotated
in response to rotation of said first transmission gear in
the direction of rotation of that gear; said second and third
transmission gears being respectively associated with said
first and second drive gears for selective driving engagement
therewith upon rotation of said support member in response to
the rotational direction of said first transmission gear
thereby to selectively drive said drive wheels.
In the following description, a toy vehicle is provided
far use in a toy vehicle game, which vehicle includes a frame,
a body mounted on the frame, and a plurality of ground engag-
ing wheels, including a pair of drive wheels. The drive
wheels are mounted in the frame for independent rotation in
laterally spaced vertical planes and a reversible electric
motor is also provided for selectively driving the wheels. A
drive transmission is mounted in the frame to connect the
output o~ the electrical motor to the drive wheels. This
drive transmission includes at least one transmission element
which is movably mounted in the frame for movement between
--4--
755
first and second positions in response to the direction o~
rotation of the drive motor thereby to drive one or the
other of the drive wheels. The toy vehicles are preferably
used on an endless track having laterally spaced side walls
defining two vehicle lanes therebetween. When the vehicles
are operated with only one or the other of their drive wheels
driven from their respective motors, the vehicles will move
into engagement with and be guided along one of these side
walls.
The power supply to the electrical motors of the vehicles
is provided through electrical contact strips located in the
lanes of the vehicle track. This power supply system is
constructed to enable the operators to separately control the
speed of the vehicles and also to separately reverse the
polarity of current flow to the electrical motors of the
vehicles, whereby the vehicles will change lanes. In addi-
tion the vehicles are provided with a relatively simple shock
absorbing front end system which absorbs the impact of the
vehicle against the side walls during a lane change and
directs the front wheels of the vehicle in the desired path
of travel.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be des-
cribed, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which:
F1gure 1 is a plan view of a toy vehicle game;
Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view o the toy
vehicle adapted or use with the game of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a hottom view o one of the toy vehicles
illustrated in Figure l;
--5
755
Figure 3A is a bottom view of the front end portion
of a second vehicle used in the game of Figure l;
Figure 4 is a top plan view of the toy vehicle shown
in Figure 2, but with the body removed;
Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of
Figure 2;
Figure 6 is a top plan view, similar to Figure 4, but
showing another position of the drive transmis~ions of the
vehicle;
Figure 7 is a schematic electrical circuit diagram of
the electrical control system used for the toy vehicle game
of Figure l;
Figure 8 is an enlarged view illustrating the impact
of a vehicle against one of the side walls of the track
during a lane change;
.. Figure 9 is a partial plan view, similar to Figure 4,
illustrating another embodiment of the present invention
wherein the front wheels of the vehicle are driven and steered;
Figure 10 is a section view taken along line 10-10 of
Figure 9;
Figure 12 is another plan view of the embodiment of
th~ inv~ntion of Figure 9 showing the vehicle steered in the
opposite direction and banking against a side wall of the
tank;
Figures 12 and 14 are plan views of another embodiment
of the invention including front wheel drive and steering
and respectively showing the two drive positions; and
Figure 13 is a sectional view taken along line 13-13
of Figure 12.
-6-
Referring now to the drawings in detail, and initially
to Figure 1 thereof, the toy vehicle game 10, constructed in
accordance with the present invention, includes an endless
plastic track 12 having a pair of laterally spaced upstand-
ing side walls 14, 16 and a road bed or tread surface 18
extending therebetween. The road bed 18 has a width suffic-
ient to define at least two vehicle lanes 20, 22 thereon
along which a plurality of vehicles can be operated,
In the illustrative embodiment of the present invention
the toy vehicle game includes operator controlled vehicles
24, 26 which are of substantial identical construction except
for the arrangement of their current collectors as described
hereinafter. In addition, a drone car 28, which moves along
the track at a relatively constant speed i5 also provided.
Vehicles 24, 26 are separately controlled by the
players through a control system 30 which enables the play-
ers to vary current supply to the electrical motors in the
vehicles, thereby to vary the vehicle speed. The controll-
ers also enable the players to change the polarity of ~urrent
supplied to the respective vehicle motors, wherPby the
vehicles can be switched by the players from one lane to the
otherO The drone car 28 on the other hand moves along the
vehicle track at a constant speed providing an obstacle
along the track which the player controlled cars 24, 26 must
pass. The front wheels of the drone car are preferably
canted in one direction or the other so that the drone will
normally be driven in either the inner or the outer lane
depending on the position of the wheels. This vehicle
includes an electric motor operated by a battery
--7--
4~55
contained uithin the Yehicle,.and connected through a direct
driYe tran~mission o~ any con~enient cons~uction to the
rear wheels thereo. Pre~erabl~, drone Yehicle 28 is o~ the
type illustr.ated and described in detail in our Canadian
Patent No. 1,099,924.
Toy vehicle 24 is illustrated in detail in Figures
2-4. As seen therein the Yehicle includes a frame or chassis
32 of any convenient construction, and a removable plastic
body or shell 34 which may be snap fit on frame 32 in any
convenient manner. A pair of front wheels 36 are rotatably
- mounted on the frame, through a shock absorbing front end
system 38, described more fully hereinafter while the rear
wheels 40 are rotatably mounted for independent rotation
on a shaft 42 rotatably mounted in frame 32. ~See Figure
5). One of the drive wheels 40 is fixed on shaft 42 by a
spline 44 or the like, while the other of the wheels is
: freely rotatably mount~d on the shaft. Alternatively
both wheels can be freely rotatably..mounted on the shaft
or axle 48. With either arrangement the wheels can be
: separately and independently driven.
Each of the drive wheels 40 in the illustrative
embodiment of the present invention is formed from either
a molded plastic material or from a case metal material, and
has on its inner side an integral spur gear 46 formed thereon
by which rotary power is supplied to the respective wheels.
S~
The power for driving the toy vehicle is supplled
from a D. C. electric motor 48 moun~ on frame 32 in any
convenient manner. The electric motor is of conventional
D. C. construction and includes a rotary output member or
shaft 50 connected to the rotor of the motor in the usual
manner. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in
Figure 2 a spur gear or output drive element 52 is secured
to shaft 50 for rotation thereby. This output member is
drivingly engaged with the transmission system 56 which i5
responsive to the direction of rotation or the output drive
element (i.e. the direction of rotation of output shaft 50
of motor 48, due to the polarity of current supplied to the
motor) to selectively drive the drive wheels 40.
In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in
Figures 2 and 4-6, transmission system 56 includes a crown
gear 58 having downwardly extending teeth 60 and a central
collar 62. A mounting pin 64 extends through collar 62 and
is secured at its lower end 66 in frame 32 so that crown
gear 58 is ~reely rotatably mounted thereon. A movable
transmission element including a sleeve or gear support
member 68 is rotatably mounted on collar 62~ A pair of spur
gears 70, 72 are in turn rotatably mounted on sleeve 68 for
ro~ation along axes extending generally perpendicularly to
the axis of rotation of crown gear 58. These gears 70, 72
are positioned at an angle to each other (see Figure 4) in
engagement with crown gear 58. As a result of this arrange-
ment when the motor 4~ is operated crown gear 58, due to its
engagement with the spur gear 52, will be rotated in either
a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, as seen in
Figures 4 and 6, depending upon the polarity of the current
supplied to motor 48. At the same time gears 70, 72 will
_g_
7~
be continuously rotated by the crown gear. However, because
gears 70, 72 are mounted on the rotatable sleeve 68, the
engagement between the gears 58, 70, 72 will cause sleeve
68, and thus gears 70, 72 to rotate axially about pin 64
and collar 62, in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction
according to the direction of rotation of the crown gear~
As a result, as seen in Figure 4, when crown gear 58 is
rotated in a clockwise direction indicated by the arrow X
gears 70, 72 will also be moved in a clockwise direction so
that gear 70 engages the gear 46 of the lower wheel 40 in
the vehicle shown in Figure 4. Thus the right drive wheel
of the vehicle will be driven, while the left drive wheel
will be free to rotateO
In the game illustrated in Figure 1 when vehicle 24
is in the outside lane and power is supplied to its right
wheel 40 in this manner, as a result of the polarity of
current supplied to the motor 48, the toy vehicle will be
caused to move from the outer lane to the inner lane, as is
shown in Figure 1 occurring with the vehicle 26. When this
occurs the front end o~ the vehicle will engage the inner
wall 16 of the track and the continued drive of its right
wheel will cause the vehicle to move along wall 16 in the
inner lane 20 of the track. Of course, if the vehicle is
moving at a relatively high rate of speed as it goes about
a curve in the track it may be propelled by centrifugal force
into the outer lane. However, if the drive to the right
hand wheel is maintained it will move inwardly again to the
inner lane as previously described.
On the other hand, when the polarity of current suppli-
ed to the motor 48 is reversed crown gear 58 will rotatein a counterclockwise direction, as illustrated by the arrow
10--
4755
Y in Figure 6. When this occurs gears 70, 72 will be
driven in an opposite direction and sleeve 68 will be caused
to rotate in the same direction as gear 58. This will en-
gage gear 72 with gear 46 of the left drive wheel 40 (i.e.
the upper wheel 40 in Figure 6) so that this wheel is driven
while the right wheel is free to rotate.
When the left wheel of the vehicle is driven in this
manner, a bias is applied to the vehicle which will cause
it to move to the right. Thus, as illustrated in Figure 1
by the vehicle 24 shown in dotted lines, when the vehicle is
in the inner lane 20 of track 12 and the polarity of the
current flow to the motor 48 is changed so that its left
wheel 40 is driven, the vehicle will be biased towards i-ts
right into outer lane 22. ~hen the front end of the vehicle
hits outer wall 14 it will continue to move along that outer
wall in outer lane 22 until the polarity of current supplied
to the motor 48 is again reversed. In this regard it i5
noted khat because of the arrangement of gears 52, 58, 70
and 72 the vehicle will always be propelled in a forward
direction regardless of the direction of rotation of the
output element 52 of the motor.
In order to supply current to the toy vehicles the
track surface 18 is provided with a plurality of electrical
contact strips in each of the lanes 20, 22. In the illustra-
tive embodiment of the invention each lane is provided with
three contact strips A, B and C respectively. The strips
are formed of an electrically conductive metallic material
and are embedded in the track so that they are substantially
flush with the surface of the track and present no obstacle
to movement of the vehicles from one lane to the other.
Current is supplied to these strips, as described hereinafter,
~4755
and is collected by current collectors mounted on the frame
32 of the toy vehicles in predetermined locations.
The contact strips in each lane are paired with each
other, i.e., the A strip in one lane is electrically
connected to the A strip in the other lane, the B strips are
connected to each other and the C strips are connected to
each other. The C strips are connected to electrical gxound
and the ~ and B strips are provided to separately supply
current and control polarity of the current to the respective
vehicles, so that two vehicles can operate in the same lane
and still be separately controlled. For this reason the
cur~ent collector and the vehicles are arranged to associate
the respective vehicles with only one of the pairs of contact
stripsO For example, vehicle 24 will o~tain current from
strips B, while vehicle 26 will obtain cu~rent only Erom
strips A.
- As illustrated in Figure 3 vehicle ~4 is provided with
two current collectors 111, 112 with the current collector
112 ther~of positioned to contact ground strip C. Similarly
vehicle 26, illustrated in Figure 3~, has current collectors
112, 114 mounted thereon with current collector 112 located
in the same position as the corresponding collector of
vehicle 24 for also contacting the ground strip C. These
current collectors are mounted on the vehicle in any con-
venient manner known in the art, and are electrically
connected in a known manner to motor 48 of their respective
vehicles. Current collector lll of vehicle 24 is mounted on
the vehicle to engage contact strips B regardless of which
lane the vehicle is in. As seen in Figure 3 this current
collector is located centrally of the vehicle frame. On
the other hand, the current collector 114 of vehicle 26 is
~12~
~44~55
located o~f center from the center line of the vehicle body
and in spaced relation to its associated current collector
112. This current collector is positioned to engage contact
strips A regardless of the lane in which the vehicle is
moving. By this arrangement, each o~ the operators can
separately control current supply and polarity to contact
strips A, B to control a respective one of the vehicles 24,
26 regardless of the lane occupied by the vehicle.
The control system 30 for the toy vehicle game
illustrated in Figure 1, is shown schematically in Figure 7.
This control system includes respective controllers 124, 126
by which the players can control the vehicles 24, 26 respec-
tively. Essentially the control syste~ includes a plug 128
b~ which the system can be connected to an electrical AC
power source, and it includes a trans~ormer 130. Power is
supplied from the transformer 130 throu~h a half-wave
rectifier 13Z including two diodes connected as shown to
separately supply current to the controllers 124, 126. Each
controller is provided as a hand held unit and includes a
variable resistor 134, operated as a trigger on the unit,
as well as a single pole double throw switch 136. Current
from controller 124 is supplied through its variable resistor
134 to the contact strips B and current from the controller
126 is supplied through its variable resistor to the contact
strips A. The variable resistors may be of any convenient
construction to permit the operators to vary the current
supplied to their respective contact strips, and thus their
respective vehicles,in order to vary the speed of the vehicles.
The polarity of the current supplied to the toy vehicles
is separately and independently controlled by switches 136
so that the polarity of current supplied to motor 48 of the
-13
7~S
respective vehicles, as controlled by the respective
controllers, will vary in accordance with the position in
which the switches 136 are placed. By this arrangement
each player,using his controller 126 or 124, can control the
speed of his vehicle along the track 12 and he can also
variably position his vehicle along the track simply by chang-
ing the polarity of current supplied to the vehicle. As
described above the polarity of the current supplied to the
motor of the respective toy vehicles will determine which of
the two rear drive wheels is powered, and this will deter-
mine which lane the vehicle will be driven to.
As illustrated in Figure 1, when it is desired to
switch a vehicle rom the outer lane to the inner lane, as
shown with vehicle 26, the polarity of current supplied to
the vehicle is selected to drive the outer or right wheel of
the vehicle thereby moving the vehicle leftwardly into the
inner lane. Likewise, when it is desired to move the vehicle
.,,
outwardly the inner or left wheel of the vehicle is driven,
by properly selecting the polarity of current supplied to
the motor of the vehicle, so that the vehicle will move
toward the right and into the outer lane. Thus the operators
have complete control over both the speed of the vehicle and
the lane in which the vehicle will move.
In the illustrative embodiment of the invention, when
a drone car 2B having a constant speed of movement is utilized,
an obstacle is provided in the outer lane of the track which
the players must pass in order to continue moving along the
track. This enhances the play value or the game as all play-
ers will have to pass the drone car during the game at some
stage of operation of the game, and this introduces a
further variable factor into the game requiriny an addition-
-14-
'7SS
al degree of skill and vehicle control in order to win -the
"race".
As mentioned, the toy vehicles of the present invention
include shock absorbing front ends 38. In the embodiment of
the invention illustrated in Figure 3 the front end 38 includ-
es a wheel support plate 130 pivotally mounted by a pivot pin
132 or the like on frame 32 of the vehicle. The plate includ-
es bosses 134 of any convenient form which rotatably mount a
shaft 136 on which the front wheels 138 o~ the toy vehicle
are secured. Plate 130 is held in its centered position, so
that the front wheels of the vehicle will normally direct the
vehicle in a straight line, by a spring arrangement 140 which
includes an integral tongue 142 formed with the plastic plate
130. This tongue is captured between a pair of posts or
abutment members 144 formed in frame 32~ By this arrangement
plate 130, and thus wheels 138, are resiliently held in their
centered position. However, when the vehicle changes lanes
and impacts against one of the side walls (for example the
outer walls 14, shown in Figure 8) the plate 130 will pivot
in response to that impact and the shock of that impact will
be absorbed by the spring element or tongue 142. At the same
time the pivotal movement of the plate will:turn wheels 138
therewith and direct them along the desired path of travel,
thereby insuring that the vehicle will move into alignment
with the contact strips of the track, as quickly and rapidly
as possible. To assist in the shock absorbing feature of
the invention plate 130 is provided with enlarged bumper
elements 146 which extend outwardly beyond the frame of the
vehicle so that the bumper elements engage the side wall of
the track before the vehicle or any portion thereof~
As seen in Figure 3A tongue 142 is defined between
-15-
75S
slots 148 formed in plate 130 on opposite sides of the
tongue. These slots have outer edges 150 which will engage
against posts 144 in the event plate 130 is pivoted a suffi-
cient distance. The engagement of the side edges 150 of the
slots against the posts 144 will limit the pivotal movement
o~ the plate beyond a predetermined maximum position.
In yet another embodiment of the invention illustrated
in Figures9-11, a toy vehicle 2Q0 is provided in which steer-
ing control for the vehicle is provided by using the drive
direction of the electric motor 48 to control positioning o~
the front wheels 36 of the vehicle. In this embodiment of
the invention a toy vehicle includes a frame or chassis 32,
similar to the previously described frame of the earlier
embodiments, on which the D~Co electric motor 48 is mounted
in a relatively fixed position in any convenient manner. In
addition the chassis includes a guide or steering plate 202
which is pivotally mounted on the toy vehicle for relatively
free rotation about a central post 204. The plate 202 carr-
ies a front axLe 206 rotatably mounted thereon, in bosses 208
or the like in any convenient manner, to which the front
wheels 36 are secured. In the illustrative embodiment of the
invention the front wheels are pinned or splined to the axle
206 for joint rotation therewith, but it is contemplated
that the front wheels may be independently rotatably mounted
on the axle 206 if desired.
The front wheels 36 include integrally rormed or
rigidly connected drive gears 46, which are positioned to
engage a movable transmission element or gear 208
Gear 20g is rotatably mounted on a central collar 210,
corresponding essentially to the collar 6~ described above
with respect to the embodiment of Figure 2, which collar is
-16-
755
in turn rotatably mounted on the central support post 204.
A crown gear 212 is rotatably mounted on the post 204 above
collar 210 with its teeth 214 meshingly engaged with the
gear 208.
Crown ~ear 212 is also drivingly engaged with the out-
put gear 52 of the motor 48 so that when the motor is driven
rotation of the output gear 52 drives the crown gear 212
and thus the movable gear element 208.
In this embodiment of the invention, when the gear 52
is driven in the direction which will cause the crown gear
212 to rotate in the direction of the arrow X illustrated in
Figure 9, that rotation of the crown gear will urge the gear
208 to move in a counterclockwise direction as illustrated in
Figure 1, as it is driven by the crown gear. This will cause
the gear 208 to become meshingly engaged with the gear 46 of
the left front drive wheel 36 to drive that drive wheel in
the forward direction. At the same time however the continu-
ed rotation of the crown gear 212 urges the gear 208 contin-
uously in the counterclockwise direction and applies a rear-
wardly directed force to the left wheel 36. This causes theplate 202 to pivot in a counterclockwise direction as seen
in Figure 9, thereby canting the front wheels 36 towards
the left. This would cause the vehicle 20~ to move towards
the left. Thus if the vehicle were in the outer lane of the
track 12, as illustrated for example by the vehicle 24 in
Figure 1, the vehicle would move from the outer lane 22 to
the inner lane 20 and be driven against the inner wall 16,
as in the previously described embodiments of the invention.
When the polarity of current supplied to the motor 48
through the current collectors on the vehicle (which corres-
pond to the current collectors o the vehicles previously
-17-
7SS
described herein) is changed, the output gear 52 of the motorwill be dri~en in an opposite direction, thereby to drive the
crown gear 212 in the direction of the arrow Y illustrated
in Figure 11. When the polarity of current supplied to the
motor 48 is reversed, the movable transmission gear 208 will
be caused to rotate with its collar 210 in a clockwise
direction as illustrated by the arrow Y, disengaging the
gear from the gear 46 of the left wheel 36 and moving the
gear 208 into engagement with the gear ~6 of the right wheel
36. When the gear 208 engages the gear 46 of the right
wheel, that wheel will be driven in a forward direction.
In addition because of the continuing rearwardly driving
force applied to the gear 208 by the crown gear 212, and
the resultant rearward force applied to the gear 206, the
plate 202 will be caused to pivot in a counterclockwise
direction canting the drive wheels towards the right of
the vehicle. This will cause the toy vehicle to turn to
the right. Thus if the toy vehicle were in the inner lane
of the track illustrated in Figure 1 and the polarity of
the current supplied to motor 48 were changed to cause front
wheels 26 to cant to the right as illustrated in Figure 11,
the vehicle would move from the inner lane to the outer lane
of the track.
In accordance with another feature of this embodiement
of the invention, the plate 202 includes side portions 220
which extend beyond the periphery 222 of the front end of
the frame and act as bumper elements. With this arrange-
ment when the toy vehicle shifts lanes and hits the side
wall towards which it is directed, for example the outer
side wall L4 illustrated in Figure 11, the first part of
-18-
s
- the vehicle to hit the side wall will be the bumper portions
220 of the plate. The engagement of the plate with the side
wall will tend to move the plate in a direction opposi~e to
the direction in which the plate is driven as a result of
the engagement of the gear 208 with the right front wheel
gear 46. This movement of plate 202 will tend to straighten
the wheels out along the path of the outer track. However
the ~ear 208 remains in engagement with the gear 46, because
of the continuing drive of the crown gear 212, so that for-
ward movement of the vehicle is maintained. In this manner
the vehicle rapidly attains its running position along the
side wall of the track to insure that the current collectors
on the vehicle make proper contact with the current strips
in the track.
It is noted that the pivotal movement of plate 202 is
limited, to limit the extreme steering portions o~ the ~ront
wheels, by the engagement of the rear edge 211 of the plate
with the upstanding stop surfaces 221 of frame 32, so that
rotation of crown gear 212 cannot drive the plate beyond the
first and second steering limit positions shown in Figures
9 and 11.
Another embodiment of the invention using a front
wheel drive and steering arrangement is illustrated in
Figures 12-14. In this embodiment a toy vehicle 230 is
provided which includes a frame 32 having a D. CO electric
motor 48 mounted therein. The front end portion 232 of the
of the frame 32 includes a support post 234 on which a crown
gear 236 is rotatably mounted. The cr~wn gear is positioned
for meshing engagement with the output gear 52 of the drive
motor 48, and has a width sufficient to cause the teeth 238
--19--
~47S5
of the crown gear to meshingly engage the drive gears 46 on
the insides of the front wheels 36.
Drive gears 46 in this embodiment of the invention
are rotatably mounted on a transverse shaft 240 which is
rotatably mounted on a support block or carriage 242 in
any convenient manner. The support block 242 is in turn
pivotally mounted on the front end 232 of the toy vehicle
for rotation about the vertical axis defined by the support
post 234. By this arrangement the gears 46 are both sim-
ultaneously driven, in opposite directions, by the crown
gear 236, regardless of the direction in which the output
52 of the motor 48 rotates. The amount of rotation per-
mitted wheel support block 242 is limited to movement
between the two steering positions shown in Figures 12 and
16 by stops or stop surfaces 243 on frame 32 which are
positioned to engage and block further pivotal movement of
support bloc~s 242 in the first and second steering limit
positior.s shown.
The Eront drive/steering wheels 36 of the toy vehicle
of this embodiment of the invention include conventional
one way clutches located within their hubs 248, in any
convenient manner for selective driving engagement with
their associated drive gear 46. These clutches may be
conventional ball type over running clutches which are
oppositely positioned in the hubs, so that one of the
wheels 36 will be driven in the forward direction regard-
less of the direction of rotation of the crown gear 236.
20-
755
For example, in the position illustrated in Figure
12, when the output gear 52 of motor 48 is rotated to drive
the crown gear 236 in a counterclockwise direction as
indicated by the arrow X, the right drive wheel 36 will be
driven in a forward direction, while the left drive wheel
36 will not be driven because the one way clutch contained
within its hub 248 will not permit power to be transferred
from the gear 46 associated therewith to the wheel 36. Thus
the left wheel 36 will essentially free wheel, even though
its associated gear 46 is xotated in a rearward direction
by the crown gear 236. However, because of the direction
of rotation of the crown gear 236, and the resultant orce
applied to the gears 46 associated therewith, the support
: block 242 on which the gears 46 are rotatably mounted will
be caused to rotate in a counterclockwise direction to cant
the front wheels towards the left so that if the vehicle 230
were moving in the outer lane of the track illustrated in
Figure 1, the vehicle would move from that outer lane towards
the inner lane and into the inner track 20. On the other
hand, when the polarity of current supplied to the motor
48 is reversed, in order to drive the crown gear 236 in a
clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow Y in Figure
14l the left front drive wheel 36 will be driven through
the clutch contained within its hub 248, while the right
front drive wheel 36 will free wheel, since the one way
clutch positioned in its hub 248 will not permit transfer
of rotation from its associated gear 46 to the wheel.
Again, because of the direction of rotation of the crown
gear 236, which appli.es
-21-
S5
a coupLe force to the carrier 242, that carrier will rotate
about the axis defined by the post 234 in a clockwise direc-
tion to cant the wheels towards the right so that the vehicle
230 will move towards the right during play of the game. Thus
if the vehicle is in the inner lane, and the polarity of curr-
ent supplied to the vehicle is changed to rotate the crown
gear 236 in the direction illustrated in Figure 14, the vehicle
will move from the inner lane to the outer lane.
In addition,it is noted that although the embodiment of
the invention illustrated in Figure 14 of the drawing is not
illustrated as using the movable mounting plate for the front
wheels corresponding to the plate 202 of the prior embodiment,
it is contemplated that the carriage 242 could be mounted on
such a pivotally mounted plate 202, so that the plate would
provide a straightening function for the drive wheels after
the vehicle has engaged one of the side waLls of the track
upon a change of lanes.
It will be seen that there has been described a toy
vehicle which is adapted to move along a guide track and
and change from one lane to the other, under the control of
a player as well as a toy vehicle game in which separate
vahicles can be separately controlled by the players to move
from one lane to the other and pass one another.
The described toy vehicle has a relatively simple drive
transmission responsive to the polarity of current flow to
an electrical motor in the vehicle, to drive the vehicle in
one or the other of the lanes o~ the track. The toy vehicle
has a relatively simple drive transmission system which
enables one or the other of its two rPar drive wheels to be
driven in response to the polarity of current supplied to the
electrical motor in the vehicle.
-22-
There is also described a ~oy vehicle and toy vehicle
game o~ the character described, and a control system there-
for, which is relatively simple in construction and durable
in operation, which is realtively simple and economical to
manufacture.
~3_
