Toy car launcher with cable driven shuttle and pulleys

A toy car launcher includes a base which carries a combination of pulleys which cause a slide in an elongated track to be rapidly propelled down a track when a pair of handles are pulled. A car placed on the track is propelled by the slide down the track, gaining velocity until it exits the track and continues its travel. The track is hinged to ease transport and storage.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to a toy car launcher which propels cars along a 
track. More particularly, the launcher includes an elongated track in 
which a slide mechanism which can engage a car is located. The slide is 
propelled rapidly down the track when a user pulls outwardly on two 
handles. Each handle is connected by cord to a drive pulley. That pulley 
is connected to the slide by a drive cord which causes the slide to move 
in response to a pull on the handles. A rewind spring resets the launcher 
for another launching. The pulley provides a mechanical advantage which 
allows the slide to rapidly accelerate a car down the track. 
2. Description of the Related Art 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,658, entitled "Toy Car Launcher with Expandable 
Scissors Members" issued Sept. 1, 1987 to Crosson et al, is directed to a 
vehicle launcher which employs expandable scissors members which lengthen 
when a handle is squeezed. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,641,704, entitled "Accelerator for a Vehicle Toy" issued 
Feb. 15, 1972 to Sims et al, is directed to a device that propels a car by 
gripping members which engage both sides of a vehicle. As a vehicle is 
squeezed through the device, it is accelerated. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,164, entitled "Toy Vehicle Launching Station" which 
issued Mar. 19, 1974 to Glass et al, is directed to a device that has 
spring-loaded plungers in slots which may be released to propel a car. 
Either rubber bands or springs are used to drive the plungers. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,442, which issued Apr. 27, 1976 to Livesey et al, is 
directed to a car launcher which is foot operated. Foot pressure squeezes 
and squirts a car forward out of the device. It requires a sloping ended 
car with a special construction. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,472,906, entitled "Manually Activated Toy Vehicle Launcher" 
which issued Sept. 25, 1984 to Cook et al, is directed to a launcher in 
which an upper casing is moved forward which causes a motion multiplier to 
increase the rate of movement of a lower ram. The ram contacts and drives 
the car. A gear train and track comprise the motion multiplier. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,967, entitled "Toy Vehicle Game with Launcher and 
Return Means" which issued Apr. 30, 1985 to Halford et al, is directed to 
a toy collision set that uses a launcher having a piston assembly with a 
5-to-1 compression ratio. There is an elastic return means at the end of 
the track which returns the car toward the user if the cars have not 
already crashed. Downward actuation of the piston quickly extends a 
smaller horizontally extending piston which drives against a vehicle. A 
spring returns the piston to the ready-to-use position. 
The art described in this section is not intended to constitute an 
admission that any patent, publication or other information referred to 
herein is "prior art" with respect to this invention, unless specifically 
designated as such. In addition, this section should not be construed to 
mean that a search has been made or that no other pertinent information as 
defined in 37 C.F.R. .sctn. 1.56(a) exists. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The launcher of the invention includes an elongated track in which a slide 
mechanism is located. The slide is propelled rapidly down the track when a 
user pulls outwardly on two handles. Each handle is connected by cord to a 
drive pulley. That pulley is connected to the slide by a drive cord which 
causes the slide to move in response to a pull on the handles. The pulley 
provides a mechanical advantage which allows the slide to rapidly 
accelerate a car down the track. 
In the preferred embodiment, a car or other vehicle to be propelled is 
placed on the track with a downwardly depending hook positioned against 
the slide. When the handles are pulled quickly to the outside, the slide 
mechanism is rapidly propelled down the track, pushing the car to the end 
of the track. At the track end, the car continues its forward travel at a 
rapid rate of speed. 
The invention provides a vehicle launcher which accelerates a toy vehicle 
along an elongated track. The vehicle simply needs to engage with the 
slide mechanism so as to be pushed along the track. No inertia storing 
flywheel or other energy storing mechanism is required in the vehicle. 
Instead, a simple pull with both arms will shoot the vehicle forward, 
accelerating it faster and faster until it passes the end of the track.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
With reference to the Figures it will be seen that toy car launcher 10 
includes a main housing 12 and an elongated launcher track 14. A car 16 is 
shown placed in a slot 18 within track 14. Car 16 includes a downwardly 
projecting hook 20 (see FIG. 4) which may engage a slide mechanism or 
shuttle 22. A pair of handles 24, 26 are connected to a mechanism within 
main housing 12 which cause shuttle 22 to rapidly move down track 14 
causing car 16 to rapidly accelerate until it releases from the track end. 
With reference to FIG. 7 it will be seen that main housing 12 includes a 
base 30 which includes a central spool axle 32 to hold a windlass spool 34 
which includes a drive pulley or windlass power sheave 36, a launch reel 
or sheave 38 and a takeup reel or return sheave 40. Windlass spool 34 
includes a lower whipping spool 28 having a spring slot 42 in which an end 
of a whipping spring 44 is fitted. The other end of whipping spring 44 is 
held in engagement to a mother spool 46 having a spring slot 48 which 
secures the other end of the spring. The mother spool 46 is placed over 
mother axle 50 as shown in FIG. 8. The whipping spring 44 thus described 
is often referred to as a winding roller spring, rewinding clock spring or 
self-retracting whip spring. It is a form of a torsion spring that allows 
the windlass spool 34 to rewind. 
A pull or windlass line 52 is placed over windlass power sheave 36 as shown 
and feeds to handles 24, 26 to which each end is attached. As will be seen 
in FIG. 7, the line 52 includes a right hand wind and a left hand wind 
such that an outward pull on both handles causes the windlass spool 34 to 
rapidly rotate. The lines pass over guide slots 54, 56 in shroud 58 of the 
base 30. The entire mechanism is encased in a cover 60 designed to include 
a carrying handle 62. 
An elongated track 14 is secured to base 30 and may be strengthened by a 
pair of gussets 64, 66. As shown in FIGS. 3,7,9 and 12, track 14 includes 
a longitudinal slot 18 in which a guide rib 68 is positioned. Track 14 
includes an elongated opening 70 through which the return end of a drive 
line 72 may extend as shown. Guide rib 68 defines an elongated slot 74 
through which the launch end of drive line 72 is guided. Opening 70 is 
closed by a cover strip 76 as shown in FIG. 7. Drive line 72 is attached 
to and wound about launch sheave 38 and passes through elongated slot 74 
turns about a primary tension sheave 78 rotatably mounted about a spindle 
80. The line continues back towards main housing 12 through elongated 
opening 70. It then passes around return sheave 40. 
It will be readily seen that rotation of windlass spool 34 by pulling said 
handles 24 and 26 causes said drive line 72 to unwind from return sheave 
40 and wind on launch sheave 38. Shuttle 22 as shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 9 
is attached to drive line 72 and is captively held within slot 18. Shuttle 
22 includes a binding 82 which is guided within opening 74 and includes a 
receiver 84 which has a knife edge 86 which catches and engages against 
hook 20 of car 16. As drive line 72 is moved along the track, the shuttle 
moves. This causes the car in the track to accelerate with the movement of 
the line. 
Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, drive line 72 is kept taut at all times to 
avoid fouling the line. A return idler sheave 90 fits over axle 92 and 
deflects the return leg of drive line 72. A launch idler sheave 94 about 
axle 96 deflects the launch leg of the drive line. A secondary tension 
mechanism is employed within main housing 12 to keep tension on the drive 
line. Line passing from the launch idler sheave 94 passes about secondary 
tension sheave 100. Sheave 100 is carried at an end of a secondary tension 
arm 102 which is pivotally mounted to a secondary tension arm pivot 104 
through hole 106. A spring 108 is connected between a post 110 on arm 102 
and a post 112 on base 30. It will readily be seen that spring 108 
functions to increase the travel distance of drive line 72 which 
effectively keeps the line taut at all times. 
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 7, the remote end of track 14 includes a 
primary tension mechanism. That mechanism includes a primary tensioner 
block 120 held within the track for movement longitudinally. It includes a 
spindle 80 to which sheave 78 may rotate. Block 120 is connected to a 
primary tension spring 124 by pin 126. The other end of spring 124 is 
attached by pin 128 to a rigidly attached bulkhead 130. In this manner, 
the spring causes the line 72 to be tensioned. 
This tension is particularly important if the track 14 includes one or more 
hinges 140 to make the device 10 shorter in length for storage and 
transportation. Hinge 140 as shown in FIGS. 10-12 allows the track to fold 
back upon its self, thereby decreasing the length of the toy when it is to 
be carried by the handle 62. As shown, the track is simply broken into two 
portions and hinged together by hinge 140. Since the bending back of the 
track increases the distance that drive line 72 must travel, spring 124 is 
pulled and relieves the tension that would be applied to the line 72. When 
folded back, the track sections may be temporarily held together by a hook 
142 and loop 144 combination such as with Velcro.RTM. brand fastener pads 
as shown in FIG. 11. 
Preferably, car 16 includes a downwardly projecting hook 20 which passes 
into slot 18 of track 14 to abut against knife edge 86 of shuttle 22. In 
this manner, the device 10 can be used only to launch the toy car or some 
other object especially built to include a hook. Otherwise, the launcher 
10 could include an upward projection from shuttle 22 such that anything 
positioned on top of track 14 against the upward projection could be 
launched. The hook 20 is a safety feature. The invention is not limited to 
devices which require a hook as the shuttle but could include a protection 
as described which could engage an object outside of slot 18. If desired, 
the device can be easily modified to allow its use as an airplane 
launcher. 
With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, car 16 preferably includes a hook 20 
hinged to the car body such that the hook can swing up into the car body 
as it hits the primary tensioner block 120. This eases the transition of 
the vehicle's travel from the track to a floor. In this case, car 16 may 
include a hook 20 mounted to the body by trunion pins 150 which allow the 
hook to swing up into slot 152 in the base 154 of the car 16. The hook tip 
156 is thus completely hidden within the car as it encounters resistance. 
It has been found that a car should have high friction rear wheels and 
lower friction front wheels to make the car run straighter. Although the 
application refers to cars, it is intended to cover the launching of any 
object desired and is not limited to four wheeled vehicles. 
The swinging hook 20 also provides a safety feature in that the hook cannot 
engage with shuttle 22 if the track 14 is not reasonably level. If the 
track is lifted to point the end of the track into the air, the hook will 
slide into slot 152 so the vehicle 16 cannot be shot into the air. 
In the Figures it will be seen that the diameter of drive pulley 36 is 
substantially less than the diameters of launch and return sheaves 38, 40. 
This increases the speed of the car on the launcher. A smaller diameter 
for the drive pulley 36 than the launch and return sheaves 38, 40 causes 
the drive line 72 to travel faster than the line pulled by handles 24 and 
26. 
OPERATION 
In operation, a user would unfold the track 14 and lay the launcher 10 on 
the floor. The user can then kneel on the cover 60 adjacent the handle 62 
and pulls rapidly outward on one or both handles 24, 26. The handle throw 
distance is typically on the order of about six inches and the extended 
track may be about two to three feet in length. The dimensions are not 
critical. The dimensions only affect how fast a car may be propelled. A 
smaller car will be projected faster and has the illusion of greater 
speed. 
As the handles are pulled, line 52 is pulled out causing the windlass spool 
34 to rotate. As it rotates, the drive line on the return sheave is 
rapidly unwound while the launch sheave rapidly winds up the drive line. 
The shuttle attached to the line 72 is pulled down the length of the slot 
18. A car placed ahead of the shuttle 22 with its hook tip 156 against the 
knife edge 86 will be rapidly pushed down the track, gaining speed along 
the entire track. When the car reaches the block 120, the hook disengages 
to swing up away from bulkhead 130 and the car shoots past the launcher 
down the floor. It has been found that a car may be propelled in excess of 
40 feet by the launcher. 
All the while the drive line is unwinding and winding on the sheaves 40, 
38, the various tensioning aids are maintaining equal tension on the line 
such that it is not twisted or fouled. When the handles 24, 26 are 
released, the rewind mechanism including the whipping spring 44 causes the 
windlass spool 34 to rotate counterclockwise, rewinding the windlass line 
52 and drawing the shuttle 22 back to a ready position. When done, the 
user simply lifts the device up, and folds the track 14 back so the 
sections are held by the hook and loop combination. The device may be 
carried by handle 62. 
It is readily apparent that the simple application of muscle power to 
handles 24, 26 causes the car on the track to be launched from the track 
14 with great speed. Lower speeds are easily attained by simply pulling 
outwardly on the handles more slowly. Although a design with two handles 
is optimal, it should be apparent that only one handle is necessary, such 
that a user with only a single arm can operate the toy. 
While this invention may be embodied in many different forms, there are 
shown in the drawings and described in detail herein specific preferred 
embodiments of the invention. The present disclosure is an exemplification 
of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the 
invention to the particular embodiments illustrated. 
This completes the description of the preferred and alternate embodiments 
of the invention. Those skilled in the art may recognize other equivalents 
to the specific embodiment described herein which equivalents are intended 
to be encompassed by the claims attached hereto