GB2168260A - Toy vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

A wheeled and powered toy vehicle incorporating a bump and go mechanism comprising an auxiliary ground-engaging wheel 4 mounted to the vehicle body and operative to automatically change the direction of movement of the vehicle during its operation, including means for selectably adjusting the operational position of the vehicle body relative to the ground between a lower position (Fig. 1) in which the said auxiliary wheel engages the ground for normal operation and an upper position (Fig. 2) in which the said auxiliary wheel is out of contact with the ground and is thereby ineffective. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Wheeled and powered toy vehicles This invention relates to wheeled and powered toy vehicles of the king incorporating a so-called "bump and go" mechanism which is a device whereby the vehicle, which is driven buy a prime mover such as a miniature electric motor, automatically changes its direction of movement during its operation. The conventional bump and go mechanism incorporates an auxiliary wheel, usually mounted centrally and somewhat forwardly under the vehicle, which continuously engages the ground and is operative to cause the said changes of direction.A disadvantage of the provision of such a bump and go mechanism is that the presence of the auxiliary wheel, which has to engage the ground relatively firmly in order to operate properly, interferes to some extent with the free running of the vehicle and, most significantly, reduces the vehicle's maximum speed from what would be attainabie were the auxiliary wheel to be absent.

According to the present invention there is provided a wheeled and powered toy vehicle incorporating a bump and go mechanism comprising an auxiliary ground-engaging wheel mounted to the vehicle body and operative to automatically change the direction of movement of the vehicle during its operation, including means for selectabry adjusting the operatiohal position of the vehicle body relative to the ground between a lower position in which the said auxiliary wheel engages the ground for normal operation and an upper position in which the said auxiliary wheel is out of contact with the ground and is thereby ineffective.

Such an arangement enables the said auxiliary wheel to be disengaged from the ground and thus made ineffective when desired, thereby enabling the vehicle to operate without its movement being hindered, and in particular its speed reduced, by the auxiliary wheel.

Preferably the said adjusting means is operative to raise and lower the vehicle body relative to the axle of a pair of free-running ground-engaging wheels thereof.

Preferably the said axle is spring-biassed upwardly relative to the vehicle body, to a position in which the said auxiliary wheel engages the ground, and the said adjusting means is operable to hold the axle down against the spring force.

Preferably the said adjusting means comprises a cam engaging the said axle.

Three embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1 and 2 are sketch views of a toy vehicle according to the invention, showing the vehicle in positions in which a bump and go mechanism thereof is operational and non-operational, respectively; Figure 3 is an exploded view of the adjusting means for rendering the bump and go mechanism operational and non-operational, in a first embodiment of the invention; Figures 4 and 5 are vertical cross-sectional views of the structure shown in Figure 3, in the conditions in which the bump and go mechanism is operational and non-operational respectively; Figure 6 is an exploded view of a second embodiment;; Figure 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the structure of Figure 6, in the condition in which the bump and go mechanism is operational; Figure 8 is an exploded view of a third embodiment; and Figures 9 and 10 are vertical cross-sectional views of the structure of Figure 8, in the conditions in which the bump and go mechanism is operational and non-operational respectively.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown a toy vehicle 1 provided with a prime mover in the form of a miniature electric motor which drives its rear wheels 2, the front wheels 3 being free-running.

A bump and go mechanism is mounted to the vehicle body, centrally and somewhat forwardly of the midpoint of the length of the vehicle, and includes an auxiliary ground-engaging wheel 4.

Figure 1 shows the vehicle in the condition in which the auxiliary wheel 4 is in contact with the ground whereby the bump and go mechanism is operational, whilst Figure 2 shows the condition in which the vehicle body is raised relative to the front wheels 3 to disengage the auxiliary wheel 4 from the ground and thus render the bump and go mechanism non-operational.

Figures 1 and 2 are relevant to all three illustrated embodiments of the invention. Referring now particularly to Figures 3 to 5, in a first embodiment of the invention the front wheels 3 are rotatably mounted on a non-rotary axle shaft 5. A leaf spring 6 seats in a central recess 7 of the vehicle body structure 8 and is formed with siotted upstanding end flanges 9 for receiving the axle shaft 5. An adjusting member 10 formed with a cam surface 11 is mounted for horizontal sliding movement parallel to the length of the vehicle, engaging slidablyvia keys 12 at its rear end in key-ways defined in upstanding lugs 13 of the body structure, and, forwardly, in a vertical slot 14 in a transverse wall of said structure.The axle shaft 5 is vertically movable in slots 15 in side walls of the body structure and is held down in such slots by pegs 16 depending downwardly from the underside a detachable seat structure 17.

The adjusting member 10 is formed with a manually grippable knob 18 at its front end, where it is accessible at the front of the vehicle.

In the operational condition of the bump and go mechanism, i.e. with the vehicle body in its lower position and the auxiliary wheel 4 touching the ground, the adjusting member 10 is in its forward position shown in Figure 4, and the axle is urged by the spring S to an upper position in which it engages in a recess 19 formed in the underside of the adjusting member 10 at the rear end of the cam surface 11 and also engages the bottom ends of the pins 16. To put the bump and go mechanism out of action, with the auxiliary wheel raised out of contact with ground, the user presses on the knob 18 of the adjusting member 10 to slide it rearwardly, thereby causing the cam surface 11 to depress the axle shaft 5 against the spring 6 to the position shown in Figure 5. The front end of the vehicles body is thus raised to the Figure 2 position with the auxiliary wheel 4 off the ground.

In the second embodiment shown in Figures 6 and 7 a front axle member 20 is slidably mounted forvertical up and down movement on pillars 21 upstanding from the vehicle body structure 8 and biased upwardly by coil compression springs 22. An adjusting member 23 is rotatably mounted in an opening 24 in the floor of the body structure 8 and engages rotatably in a sleeve 25 at the centre of the axle member 20.The sleeve 25 is formed with a cam surface 26 and the adjusting member 23 has a lug 27 engaging the cam surface and movable therealong, by rotation of the adjusting member, between a position engaging a bottom stop 28, in which the axle member is in its upper position relative to the body structure and the bump and go mechanism is thus operational, and a position engaging a top stop 29 in which the axle member is urged downwardly to lift the auxiliary wheel 4 off the ground. Rotation of the adjusting member 23 is via a handle disc 30 thereof which is accessible underthe body 8.

Referring lastly to the third embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 8 to 10, this is similar in many respects to the embodiment of Figures 6 and 7 and like parts are given the same reference numerals and will not be described again. The principal difference is in the form of the adjusting means for raising and lowering the body 8, whose two-part adjusting member 23 in this embodiment is formed with a pair of arcuate cam surfaces 31 engaging on lugs 32 on the front axle member 20 so as to urge the axle member downwardly when the adjusting member 23 is rotated anticlockwise as viewed from above in Figure 8. Otherwise the member of operation of this embodiment is substantially the same as in that of Figures 6 and 7.

Claims (5)

1. A wheeled and powered toy vehicle incorporating a bump and go mechanism comprising an auxiliary ground-engaging wheel mounted to the vehicle body and operative to automatically change the direction of movement of the vehicle during its operation, including means for selectably adjusting the operational position of the vehicle body relative to the ground between a lower position in which the said auxiliary wheel engages the ground for normal operation and an upper position in which the said auxiliary wheel is out of contact with the ground and is thereby ineffective.

2. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said adjusting means is operative to raise and lower the vehicle body relative to the axle of a pair of freesunning ground-engaging wheels thereof.

3. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said axle is spring-biassed upwardly relative to the vehicle body, to a position in which the said auxiliary wheel engages the ground, and the said adjusting means is operable to hold the axle down against the spring force.

4. A vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the said adjusting means comprises a cam engaging the said axle.

5. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 3 to 5 or Figures 6 and 7 or Figures 8 to 10 of the accompanying drawings.