Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~. f~ t7
This application is a division of Canadian appli-
cation Serial Number 291,626 filed Novernber 24, 1977.
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 sepaxat-
ely controlled by the players to enable them to turn out
from one lane to the other and pass ot.her vehicles on the
track.
With the ever increasing popularity of toy vehicle
games, such as for ex~mple the well known l'slot car" games,
there is an increasing demand for more realistic action.
To this end attempts have been made in the past to provide
i~slot car" type games with speed control systems, as for
example by varying current 10w to the vehicles in the game.
To further enhance such realism the slot arrangemen~s in
such games also provide for crossing the vehicles from one
~ide of the track to anothex, to simulate an actual changing
of lanes. However, the ~ehicle is in fact constrained to a
fixed predetermined and unvariable path.
Since the play va~ue of such previously proposed
~ehicle games is limited to the regulation of speed of travel,
a*tempts have bsen made to provide toy vehicle games which
:
enable an operator ~o control movement of the vehicle from
one lane to the other without the constraint of a guide slo~
in the track. Such systems include for example the type
shown in U.S. Patent No. 3/797~404~ wherein solenoid actuated
bumpers ~re used to physically push the vehicle from one lane
to the other by selectLvely 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 ~umper
movements for pushing the vehicle
. ~
357
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.
3t774,340 and 3,837,286. However, in addition to the
reLative complexity of the steering arrangements, the vehicles
lQ will of course LosP spe~d when the current supply i5 shut off,
so tha~ the vehicle will slow down and th~ realistic effec~
desixed to be produced is affected.
StiIl 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 vehi~le. Such systems
are disclosed for example in U.S. Patent ~os. 3,453,970 and
3,813,812, which avoid the problem of~stopping current flow
comp}etely to the tor 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 No. 3,232,005 wherein the toy
vehicle does not opexate on a track and the steering control
is not provided for switching Ianes, but rather to provide
an apparently random ~ravel control for the vehicle.
~` 30
-2-
Still another toy vehicle game which has been suggest-
ed to avoid the constraints of slot car type systems~ i~
disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,239,9S3 wherein a relatively
complex steering control is provided which is responsive to
the actuation of a solenoid mounted in the ~oy vehicle and
is controlled remotely by the players.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome
the limitations o previously proposed toy vehicle games
wherein toy vehicleg are permitted to turn out and move
from one lane to the othex without the restrai.nt o a guide
slo~ or the like.
~ccording to the present lnvantion there is provided
a toy vehicle game including a plurality of toy vehicles and
a guide track having a pair of upstanding laterally spaced
side walls spaced from each other a distance sufficient to
define at least two vehicle lanes enabllng two vehicles to
move along the track in side by side relation; said plurality
of toy vehicles including at least one non-steerable drone
vehicle, means for driving the drone vehicle along the track
at a predetermined relatively constant speed, the other of
said toy vehicles each including a pair o laterally spaced
selectively driven combination steering and drive wheels
rotatably mounted on said frame for rotation in fixed verti-
cal planes, a reversible rotary drive motor in said frame
including a ro.tary power output member, means operatively
~; engaged with said output member of the drlve motor for
selectlvely driving one or the other of said combination
steering and drive wheels in the forward direction of trav-
el in response to the direction of rotation of said drive
motor whereby said other vehicles will move from one lane
::"
to the other in the forward direction and be guided along
: -3-
5~iJ
on~ or the other of said side walls depending on which
drive wheel thereof is being driven; and means for
selectively varying the speed of movement of said other
vehicles thereby to permit said other vehicles to pull
out and pass said one vehicle.
~;
In the following description, a toy vehicle is provided
for 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 dri~e 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
dri~e transmission is mounted in the frame to connect the
output of the electrical motor to the drive wheels. This
drive transmission includes a~ least one transmission element
which is mo~ably mounted in the frame for movement between
-4-
: ~
rirst and second positions in response to the direction of
rotation of the drive motor thereby to drive one or the
other o~ 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 o~ 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:
:
Figure 1 is a plan view of a toy vehicle game;
Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the toy
vehicle adapted for use with the game of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a bottom view of one of the toy vehicles
~,
` ~ illustrated in ~igure l;
., :
:: _5_
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 t:aken along line 5 5 of
Figure 2;
Figure 6 is a top plan v~ewl similar to Figure 4, but
showing another position of the drive transmissions of ~he
vehicle;
Figure 7 is a schematic electrical circuit diagram of
the electrical control system used for the toy vehicle game
of Fig~ure l;
Flgure 8 is an enlarged view illustrat$ng the impact
of a vehicle agalnst one of the side walls of the track
during a lane change;
Flgure 9 ls a partial plan view, similar to Figure 4,
- illustratlng another embodimenk o ~he presen~ invention
: ~ wherein the front wheels of the vehicle are driven and steered;
: Figure 10 is a sectlon view taken along line 10-10 of
Figure 9;
:~ Figure 12 is another plan view of the embodiment of
the invention of Figure 9 showing the vahicle steered in the
opposite direction and banking against a side wall of the
tank;
Figures 12 and 14 are plan views of another embodimen~
of the invention including front wheel drive and steering
and respectively showlng the two drive positions; and
Figure 13 is a sectional view taken along line 13-13
of Figure 12.
~ 30 ~ 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 b~ed or tread sur~ace 18
extending therebetween. The road bed 18 has a width suffic--
ient to define at least two vehicle lanes 20, 22 thereon
along whlch a plurality of vehicles can be operated.
In t~e illustrative emhodiment o~ the present invention
the t9y vehicle game includes operator controlled vehicles
24, 26 which are of subs~antial identical con~truc~ion except
for the arrangement of their current collectors as described
hereina~ter. In addition, a drone car 28, which moves along
the track at a rela~iveLy constant speed is also provided.
Vehicles 24, 26 are separately controlled by the
players throuyh a control system 30 which enables the play-
exs to vary current supply to the electrical motors in the
vehicles, thereby to vary the vehicle speed. The controll-
ers also enabLe the players tv change the polarity of ~urrent
~o supplied ~o the respective vehicle motors, whereby ~he
; vehicles can be switched by the players from one lane`to the
other. The drone car ~8 on the other hand moves along ~he
v hicle 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 sr the outer lane
depending on the position of the wheels. This ~ehicle
~- includes an electric mo~or opera~ed by a battery
contained ~ithin the Yehicle, and connected through a direct
drive transmission of any con~enient constxuction tQ the
rear ~heels thereof. Preferably, drone Yehicle 28 is of the
type illustr.ated and descrihed 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 vehicle includes a frame or chassis
32 of any convenient constructiont 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 hereina~ter 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 i5
freely rotatably mounted on the shaft. Alternatively
. 20 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~
:';
:
~:'.
-8-
r~7
The power for driving the toy vehicle is ~upplied
from a D. C. electric motor 48 m~un~ on frame 32 in any
convenient manner. The elec~ric motor is of conventional
D. C. construction and includes a rotclry output member or
shaft 50 connected to the rotor of the motor in the usual
man~er. 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
dri~ingly engaged with the transmission system 56 which is
responsive tc the direction of rotation or the outpu~ drive
element ~i~e. the direction of ro~ation of output shaft 50
of motor 48, duQ to the polarity of current ~upplied ~o the
motor) to selec~ively drive ~he drive wheels 40.
In the embodiment o~ the in~ention illustrated in
Figures 2 and 4-6, transmission system 56 includes a crown
geax 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 fr~me 32 so that crown
gear 58 is freely rotatably mounted thereon. A movable
transmission element including a sleeve or gear support
member 68 is rotatably mounted on collar 62. ~ 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. ~hese 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 48 is operated crown gear 58, due to its
engagement with the spur gea~ 52, will be rotated in either
a clockwise or counterclockwi~e direction, as seen in
Figures 4 and 6, depending upon the polarlty of the curxent
supplied to motor 48. At the same time geax~; 70, 72 will
_g_
23 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, 7~ 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 he direction of rotation of the crown gPar.
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
L0 that year 70 engages the gear 46 of the Lower whe~l 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 rotate.
In the game illu~trated in Figure 1 when vehicle 24
is in ~he outside lane and power is supplied to its right
wheel 40 in this manner, as a result o~ the polarity of
~ : current supplied to the motor 48, ~he 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
QCcUrS the front end of ~he vehicle will engage the inner
~ wall 16 of the ~rack and the continued drive of its right
: ~ wheel will cause the vehic}e 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 th~ 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 rotate
in a coun~erclockwise direction, as illustral:ed by the arrow
-10-
~ 7
Y in Figure 6. When this occurs gears 70, 72 will be
driven in an opposi~e direction a~d 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 (l.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 ls
ln ~he inner lane 20 of track 12 and the polarity of the
currant 10w to the motor 48 is changed so that its left
wheel 40 is driven, the vehicle will be biased towards its
right into outer lane 22. When the front end of the vehicle
hlts outer wall 14 it will continue to move along that outer
wall in ou~er lane 22 until the polarity o current supplied
to the motor 48 is again reversed. In this regard it is
noted that becau~e o the arrangement of gears 52, 58, 70
and 72 the vehicle will always be propelled in a forward
;~ 20 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,
`.,:! ~i9
and is collected by cuxrent 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 ground
and the A and B strips are provided to separately supply
current and control polarity o 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
current collector and the vehicles axe arranged to associate
the resp~ctive vehlcles with only one of the pairs of contact
strip~. ~or example, vehicle 24 will obtain curren~ from
strips B, while vehicle 26 wiIl obtain current only from
strips A.
As illustrated in Figure 3 vehicle 24 is provided with
two current collectors 111, 112 with the current collector
112 thereof positioned to contact ground strip C. Similarly
vehicle 26, illus~rated in Figure 3A, has current cdllectors
112, 114 mounted thereon with current collPctor 112`located
in the s~me position as the corresponding collector of
vehicle 24 for also contacting the ground strip C. These
current collectors are mounted on ~he 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. C~lrrent collector 111 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 ce~trally of the vehicle frame. On
the other hand, the current collector 114 oE vehicle 26 is
-12-
located off center from the center line of the vehicle hody
and in spaced relation ~o its associated current collector
112, This current collec~or is positioned to engage contact
strips A regardless of the lane in which the vehicle is
moving. By this arxangement, each o the operators can
separately con~rul current supply and polarity to con~act
strips A, B to control a respective one of the vehicles 24,
26 regardless of ~he 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 include~ respective controllers 124, 126
by which the players can control the vehicles 24, ~6 respec-
tively. Essentially the control system includes a plug 128
by which th~ system can be connected to an electrical AC
power source, and it includes a txansformer 130. Power is
supplied from the transformer 130 through a half-wave
rectifier 132 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
~0 variable resistor L34, operated as a trigger on the unit,
as w~ll 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 veh1cles,in order to vary the speed of~the vehicles.
The polarity of the current supplied to the toy ~ehicles
is separately and independently controlled by switches 136
so that the polarity of current supplied to mol:or 48 of the
-13-
:
:
'7
respective vehicles, as controlled by the respectivecontrollers, 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 contxol the
speed of his vehicla 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 xear drive wheels is powered, and ~his wlll deter-
mine which lane the vehicle will be driven to.
As illustrated in Figure 1, when it is desired to
switch a vehicle from 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~ Likewlse, when it is desired to mo~e the vehicle
outwardly the i~n~r or left wheel of the vehicle is driven,
by properly selecting the polarity of current supplied to
: 20 the motor of the vehicle, so that the vehicle will move
toward ~he 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 28 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 enha~ces the play value of 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 requiring an addition-
-14-
`:
al degree of skill and vehicle control in order to win the
"raca".
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 ~f any convenient form which rotatably mount a
shaft 136 on which the front wheeIs 138 of the toy vehicle
are secured. Plate 130 ~s held in its centerecl po~ition, so
that the front wheels of ~he vehicle will normally dlrect the
~ehicle in a straight line, by a spring arrangement 140 which
include~ an in~egral tongue 142 formed with the plastic pla~a
130, This tongue is captured between a pair o posts or
abut~ent members 144 formed in frame 32. By this arrangemen~
~:` plate 130, and ~hus wheels 138, are resiliently held in their
~: centered position. ~owever, when the vehicle changes lanes
and impacts against one ~f 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 lnsuring that the vehicle will move into alignment
with the contact strips of the trackr as quickly and rapidly
as possible. To assis~ in the shock absorbing feature of
the invention plate 130 is provided with enlarged bumper
elements l46 which extend outwardly ~eyond the frame of the
vehicle so that the bumper elements engage the side wall of
~ 3C the track before the vehicLe or any portion thereof.
;~ As seen in Figure 3A kongue 142 is de~fined between -15-
~1 ~ 8~5 ~
slots 148 formed in plate 130 on opposite sldes of the
tongue. These slots have ou~er edges 150 which will engage
against posts 144 in the event plate 130 is pivoted a sufi-
cient distance. The engagement of the side edges 150 of the
slots against the posts 144 will limit the pivotal movement
of the plate beyond a predetermined maximum position.
In yet another embodiment of the invention illustrated
in Figur~ 9-11, a toy vehicle ~00 is provided in which steer-
ing control for the vehicle is pro~ided by usi.ng the drive
direction of the electric mo~or 48 to control positioning of
the front wheels 36 o~ ~he vehicle. In this embodiment of
the in~entlon a ~oy vehicle includes a rame o:r chassis 32,
similar to the prevlously described frame of the earlier
embodiments, on which the D~C. 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
~ree rotatlon about a central post 204. The plate 202 carr-
ies a ront 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
~06 for joint rotation thexewith, but it is contemplated
that the front wheels may be independently rotatably mounted
on the axle 206 if desired.
The:fron~ wheels 36 include in~egrally formed or
rigidly connected drive gears 46, which are positioned to
engage a movable transmission element or gear 208.
Gear 208 is rotatably mounted on a central collar 210,
. ~
:: 30 corresponding essentially to the collar 68 described above
.:
: with respect to the embodlment of Figure ~, which collar is
-16-
:.
~ 5 7
in turn rotatably mounted on the centxal 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 gear 212 is also drivingly engaged with the out-
put gear 52 o~ the motor 48 so that when the motor is driven
ro~ation of the output gear 52 drives the crown ~ear 212
and thus the movable gear element 208.
In this embodiment of ~he invention, when the gear 52
is driven Ln the direction which will cause the crown gear
212 to rotate in the direction of the arrow X illustrated in
: Figure 9, ~hat xotation of the crown year will urge the gear
208 to move in a counterclockwise direction as illustrated in
: Figure 1, as lt is driven by the crown gear. This will cause
the geax 203 to become meshingly engaged with the gear 46 of
tha left front drive wheel 36 ~o drive that drive wheel in
the forward direction. At ~he same time however the continu-
ed rotation of the crown gear 212 urges the gear 208 contin-
uously in the countercloakwise direction and applies a rear-
:wardly directed forc~ to the left wheel 36. This causes the
: plate 202 to pivot in a counterclockwis dLrection as seen
in Figure 9, thereby can~ing the front wheels 36 towards
the left. This would cause the vehicle 200 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, ~he vehicle would move from the outer lane 22 to
the inner lane 20 and be driven against the inner wall 16,
i
: ~ ~ as in the previously described embodiments of the invention.
~hen the polarity of current supplied to the motor 48
30: through the currant collectors on the vehicle (which corres-
pond ~o the current collectors of the vehicles previously
17-
~ `37
described hereinJ is changed, the output gear 52 of the motorwill be driven in an opposite direction, thereby to drive the
crown gear 212 in the direction of the arrow Y illustrated
in Figure 11~ Whan the polarity of current supplied to the
motor 48 is reversed, the movable transmission gear 208 will
be caused ~o rotate with its colla.r 210 in a clockwise
direction as illustrated by the arrow ~, disengaging the
gear from the gear 46 of the left wheel 36 and moving the
gear 208 into engagement with the gear 46 af the right wheel
36. When the gear 208 engages the gear 46 of the right
wheel, that wheel will be driven in a forward d:irection.
In addi~ion because of the continuing rearwardly driving
~orce 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 ~o
the right. Thus if the toy vehicle were in the inner lane
of the track Lllustrated 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 anoth2r feature of this embodiement
:. of the invention, the plate 202 includes side portions 220
whi:ch 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 dLrected:~ for example the outer
;~: 30 side wall 14 illustrated in FLgure }1, the first part of
18-
~'
~ 7
the vehicle to hit the side wall will be the bumper portions
220 of the plate. The eng~gement o the plate with the side
wall will tend to move the plate in a direction opposite to
the direction in which the plate is driven as a result of
the engagement of the gear 208 wit:h the right front wheel
gear 46. This movement of plate 202 will tend to straighten
the wheels out along the path of 1:he outer track. However
the gear 208 remains in engagement with the gear 46, because
of the continuing drive of the rrown gear 212, so that for~
ward movement of the vehicle 15 maintained. In this manner
~he ~ehicle rapidly attains its running posi~ion along the
side w~ll o~ the track to insure tha~ the current collectors
on the vehicle make proper contact with the cuxrent strips
in the track.
I~ is noted that the p~votal movement of plate 202 is
limited, to limit the extreme steering portions of the front
wheels, by the engagement of the rear edge 211 of the pla~e
...
with the upstanding stop surfaces 2~1 of fxame 32, so that
rotation of cxown gear 212 cannot drive the plate beyond the
first and second steering llmit positions shown in Figures
9 and lL.
Ano~her 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 fram~ 32 having a D. C. electric
~: motor 48 mounted thereln. The fron~ end portion 232 of the
of the frame 32 includes a support post 234 on which a crown
gear 236 is rotatably mounted. The crown gear is positioned
for meshing engagement with the output gear 52 of the drive
motor 48, and has a width suf~icient to cause the teeth 238
-19-
35~7
of the crown gear to meshingly engage the drive geaxs 46 on
the insides of the front wheels 36.
Drive gears 46 in this embodirnent of the invention
are rotatably mounted on a transverse shaft 240 which is
rotatably mounted on a support block or carriage 242 in
any con~enient 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. ~he amount of rotation per-
mitted wheel support block 24~ is limited to movement
be~ween the two steering positions shown in Figuras 12 and
}6 by tops or stop surfaces ~43 on frame 32 which are
positioned to engage and block further pivotal movement of
support blocks ~42 in the first and second steering limit
posltions shown.
The front drive~ste~ring 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 forwaxd direction regard- :
: less of the direction of rotation of the crown gear 236.
20-
~ 3 ~7
For example, in the position illustrated ln Figure
12, when the output gear 52 of motor 48 is rotated to drive
the crown gear 236 in a counterclockwi~e direction as
indicatPd by the arrow X, the right drive wheel 36 will be
dxiven 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 tha wheel 36. Thus
the left wheel 36 will essentially free wheel, even though
its assoclated gear 46 is rotated in a rearward direction
by the crown gear 236. However, because of the direction
of rota~ion of the crown gear 23~, and the resultant force
applied to the gears 46 associated therewith, the support
block 24~ on which the gears 46 are rotatably mounted will
be caused to rota~e in a counterclockwise direction to cant
the front wheels towards the left so that if the vehicle 230
were moving in ~he outer lane of ~he track illustrated in
:~ Figure l, ~he vehicle would move rom that outer lane towards
: the inner lane and into the inner track 20. On the other
hand, when the polarLty of current supplied to the motor
48 is reversed, in order to drive the crown ~ear 236 in a
clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow Y in Figure
14, the left front drLve wheel 36 will be driven through
the clutch contained within its hub 248, whils the right
front drive wheel 36 will free wheel, since the one way
, ~ clutch positioned in its hub 248 will not permit transfer
of ro~ation from its associated ge~r 46 to the wheel.
Again, bacause of the directLon of rotation of the crown
gear 23~, which applies
-21-
:
:: :
-. :
357
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 2~6 in the direction illustrated in Figure 14, the vehicle
will move from the inner lane to the outer lane.
In addition,it is no~ed that although the e~bodiment o~
1~ ~he invention illustrated in Figure 14 of the drawing is no~
illustra~ed as using the movable mounting plate for the front
wheels corresponding to the plate 202 o ~he prior embodimen~,
it is contemplated that the carriage 242 could be mounted on
such a pivotally mounted plate 202, so that the pla~e would
provide a straightening function for the drive wheels after
~he vehicle has engaged one of the side walls of the ~rack
upon a change of lanes.
It will be seen tha~ ~here has been described a toy
vehicle which is adapted to move along a guide track and
: 20 and change~from one lane to the other, under the control of
a player as well as a toy vehicle game in which separa~e
vehicles 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 electrlcal motor in the vehicle, to drive the vehicle in
one or the other of the lanes of the track. The toy vehicle
has a relatively simple drive~transmission system whLch
enables one or the other of its two rear drlve 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 toy vehicle and toy vehicle
game of 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
manufac~ure.
}O
~: :
,
23
