Abstract:
A motor powered riding vehicle with an airplane appearance consisting of a chassis, body and shell. The chassis is in contact with the ground via the wheels. The body includes a seat for the operator and an area to accommodate the controls and battery, if electric power is used. The shell surrounds the body, and gives form to the type of plane being imitated. The body/shell combination are connected to the chassis at two longitudinal pivot points which allow the body to simulate a banking motion as the rear wheel is turned. In addition, the body can contain a bracket to which a toy gun or some electronic “shooting” device is attached to allow two or more planes to engage in simulated combat.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    There are numerous motor powered riding toys on the market today. In general they are scaled down versions of actual vehicles such as cars, trucks, tractors, motorcycles, etc. In addition there are miniature versions of such items as dirt bikes and 4-wheelers for older children and adults. The items designed for younger children, especially, are usually powered by batteries and electric motors while items for older children may be powered by electric motors or fuel powered engines. 
         [0002]    Riding toys of this type that have no other function tend to lose their appeal over a period of time and so there has been an emergence of such toys that can haul, dig or race. This is probably one of the reasons that few airplane designs have made it to market since there was little that could be done with them except ride. In addition, most of the airplanes had the rider sitting on the outside of the shell, which is very unrealistic. 
         [0003]    There has been an explosion of toys that are designed for the operators to shoot at targets and one another in simulated combat, with paintball, laser guns, foam dart guns being some examples. Paintball players have devised some vehicles to be used in simulated combat such as miniature tanks and personnel carriers but commercially available riding toys with mountings for simulated combat equipment are non-existent. 
         [0004]    Others have promulgated different aspects of our invention but it is the novel, unique and unforeseen combination and arrangement of parts that form the basis for this invention and which will provide a heretofore unknown experience for the operator. 
         [0005]    For instance, Block claims a riding toy airplane that can be oscillated between front and rear pivot points with a control stick to control the oscillation. It is part of a rocking horse arrangement which is non-mobile and the operator sits on the outside of the shell. Edinburgh is typical of flight simulator devices which produce oscillation or tilt of the operator in response to input from said operator. Once again, these simulators operate at a particular fixed location. Bourne shows a three wheeled vehicle which employs a front and rear pivot combined with a mechanical linkage to cause the body along with the front two steered wheels to tilt when turning. Kirchner is a three wheeled riding toy employing a single steerable rear wheel. It&#39;s body is a single unit and derives its tilt by manipulating the axle positioning to the two front wheels. Coil and Klopfenstein claim a three wheel vehicle in which a series of mechanical configurations at the front wheels cause the frame of the tricycle to tilt when those two front wheels are turned. Huntsberger is an example of electric powered riding toys and in this case the vehicle is three wheeled but it does not tilt when turning and the steering is done with the single front wheel. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a much better flying simulation by developing a riding toy which allows the operator to climb inside the “plane” and which gives the operator a more realistic sensation of flying by combining rear wheel steering with a banking motion of the body. 
         [0007]    A further object is to engage the interest of the operator for a much longer time by adding the capability of interacting with other planes or targets. This necessarily requires the honing of “flying” skills to be able to accurately engage a target. This is accomplished adding a shooting device, of which there are several options, which is rigidly mounted to the body of the plane and requires that the operator use his “flying” skills to engage other pilots, planes or targets. 
         [0008]    It is yet another object to give the operator some historical feel for the difficulty that real life pilots have in engaging in combat with other pilots. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a top view of the airplane riding vehicle. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a side view of said airplane. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3   a  is part of an exploded view showing the shell of the airplane in perspective 
           [0012]      FIG. 3   b  is part of an exploded view showing the body of the airplane in perspective 
           [0013]      FIG. 3   c  is part of an exploded view showing the chassis of the airplane in perspective 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]      FIGS. 1 and 2  are side and top views of the airplane. These views contain a few details not shown on  FIG. 3 . Among these are a rudder  58  attached to shaft  54  for visual enhancement. It also shows one of the options for a gun platform  59  by supports  60  which are attached to the body of the airplane.  61  is a simulated “tommy gun” designed to shoot foam darts. A paintball gun could also be mounted in a similar manner. 
         [0015]      FIGS. 3   a ,  3   b , and  3   c  are perspective views of the three major parts of the invention and illustrate their interconnection.  FIG. 3   a  shows a shell  1  with a preferred embodiment of sheet or molded plastic. A set of short wings  2  and  3  are attached or molded to the side of the shell. In this view a pair of struts  62  and  63  support a top wing  4  to form a biplane appearance. Different wing sizes, shapes and colors can be used to reproduce the appearance of different types of aircraft. 
         [0016]    A cowling  5  of molded plastic covers the front of the shell  1  opening and surrounds the front edge of the shell  1  material in such a manner that the shape of the front of the shell  1  is maintained in a circular form. The cowling  5  is attached to the shell  1  in such a manner as to allow easy removal. The removal of the cowling  5  allows easy access to the foot switch  9  and for charging or replacing the battery  8  if electric power is used. A free-spinning propeller  6  is bolted to the cowling with bolt  7  to enhance the appearance. The bottom edges of the shell  1  are attached to the body deck  10  and seat back  11  with staples, screws or rivets. 
         [0017]      FIG. 3   b  shows the body of the plane which consists of a body deck  10  that extends the full length and width of the body space. A solid piece  11  is attached to the base sheet  10  at an angle slightly less than perpendicular which serves as the seat back for the operator. Its&#39; curved top maintains the shape of the of the shell  1  material at the rear of the plane. In addition, on the center of the forward half of the body deck  10  is a set of short vertical walls which form an open topped rectangular box  12 . This box  12  encloses the direction/speed controller  13  along with the associated wiring. It also forms an enclosure for the battery  8 , if electric power is used. 
         [0018]    A foot switch  9  controls the operation of the drive motors  23  &amp;  24  in response to the operators foot pressure. The foot switch  9  has a vertical pin on its&#39; bottom surface which can be inserted into one of a series of holes  14  in the body deck  10  extending linearly rearward from its front edge. This allows the foot switch  9  to be adjusted to fit the leg length of the operator. 
         [0019]      FIG. 3   b  shows two vertical members  15  &amp;  18  solidly connected to and extending vertically upward from the body deck  10 . Each vertical member  15  &amp;  18  has a shaft  16  &amp;  19 , respectively, at it&#39;s top end perpendicularly extending toward the rear of the plane. These shafts  16  &amp;  19  are the two pivot points that connect the body to the chassis. 
         [0020]    The preferred embodiment for the body section would be for the body deck  10 , the seat back  11  and the center box section  12  to be a single molded piece of plastic, but a combination of wood, metal and plastic would also be viable. 
         [0021]      FIG. 3   c  is a perspective view of the chassis of the plane with the preferred embodiment being welded metallic angles and/or tubing. The main frame  21  has a triangular shape with the base of the triangle toward the front end of the plane and with the sides joining together at the rear of the plane at a vertical sleeve  22  serving as the pivot for the rear wheel assembly. 
         [0022]    A fixed axle  30  is mounted to and parallel at the front end of the frame  21  and extends out beyond the sides of the frame  21  for a sufficient distance to accommodate the mounting of the motor/gearbox(s)  23  &amp;  24  and wheels  25  &amp;  26 . These are secured on axle  30  with cotter pins  27  &amp;  28 . The interfaces between the gearboxes  23  &amp;  24  and wheels  25  &amp;  26  which are many and various are not shown but assumed. The motor/gearboxes  23  &amp;  24  are secured to the frame with straps  31  &amp;  32 . 
         [0023]    There is a front vertical member  33  securely mounted to the center of the base of the chassis frame  21  and near its top end contains a hole  34  perpendicular to the member  33  in a longitudinal direction in relation to the chassis frame  21 . There is also a rear vertical member  35  securely mounted to the chassis frame  21  at a point slightly ahead of the rear sleeve  22  which contains a hole  36  near the top and perpendicular to the member  35  in a longitudinal direction in relation to the chassis frame  21 . 
         [0024]    There is a crossmember  39  mounted between the side members of the frame  21  midway between the front and back end of the frame  21  and parallel to its front edge. The joystick  40  is connected to a short vertical member  29  centered on crossmember  39  in a movable fashion with bolt  41 . The joystick protrudes through hole  42  in the body deck  10  when the body is assembled to the chassis. 
         [0025]    This joystick  40  is the means by which the operator controls the steering of the rear wheel via the interconnection of linkage members  43 ,  44 , and  45  between the bottom of the joystick  40  with bolt  47  and the rear wheel yoke tab  46  with bolt  48 . 
         [0026]    Linkage member  50 , which controls the tilt of the body during turning, is on one end also connected to the bottom of the joystick  40  with bolt  47  and connects at its opposite end to a tab  49  on the bottom of the body deck  10  with bolt  51 . 
         [0027]    There is a steerable rear wheel assembly consisting of wheel  52  connected to yoke  53  with axle  56  which is secured with cotter pin  57 . Shaft  54  is vertically connected to the top of yoke  53  and protrudes through sleeve  22  and is secured with cotter pin  55 . 
         [0028]    An alternate method of propulsion would be to attach a power source (electric or fuel) to the rear wheel  52  via a motor/gearbox or chain and sprocket in lieu of the motor/gearboxes  23  &amp;  24  driving the front wheels  25  &amp;  26 . 
         [0029]    The body is connected to the chassis by lowering the body over chassis vertical members  33  &amp;  35  and joystick  40 . Shaft  16  is inserted into hole  36  and shaft  19  is inserted into hole  34  which are then secured by inserting cotter pins  17  &amp;  20 . Linkage member  50  is connected to tab  49  of the base sheet  10  with bolt  51 . 
         [0030]    Operation of the vehicle requires the operator to seat himself on body deck  10  with legs extended straight forward on the body deck  10  and inside of the shell  1  and his back resting against the back rest  11 . The operator would select the desired operating speed and direction by manipulating selector  13 . He would then press on switch  9  with his foot to make the airplane move in the desired direction. He could then choose his direction of travel by moving the joystick  40  to the left or right. Moving the joystick  40  to the left, for instance, would cause the rear wheel assembly to rotate on shaft  54  in such a manner as to cause the front of the plane to move in a leftward direction and simultaneously cause the body of the plane to tilt or “bank” such that the left wing  2  would be lower to the ground than wing  3 . The reverse would be true for a right turn. This is also helpful for a person teaching a small child how to “fly” the plane in that the teacher can control the direction of the plane by raising or lowering the edge of wing  4 . 
         [0031]    Although these drawing show a combination battery/electric motor/gearbox propulsion system this is in no way to preclude using other means such as a fuel powered engine. 
         [0032]    There are numerous type toy guns on the market today which shoot various type of non lethal projectiles such as foam darts, paintballs, etc. The gun mounting bracket  59  and supports  60  are not intended to show a specific mounting platform for a specific type gun but a generic platform with the intent to show a gun solidly mounted to the body of the plane in such a manner that the direction of the projectiles it shoots is controlled solely by direction of the plane. 
         [0033]    An alternative method for combat would be an electronic system in which a laser, infrared or similar type beam would be emitted from the front of the plane. A second plane would have a series of sensors on the front, back, and sides of its shell such that if activated by the beam from plane one would produce some sort of reaction such as beep, whistle or flashing light and could include disablement of the second plane&#39;s propulsion system for a time. Each plane would have both a sending and receiving capability. A stationary target with receiving capabilities would be another option such that a single pilot could practice alone and that the target would have exploding noises, flashing lights or other indication if struck by the beam.