Steering mechanism

A steering mechanism for toy building sets, such as toy vehicles, and of the type comprising a rack means and a pinion cooperating with it. In connection with various possible positions of the rack means and likewise with a view to selective positioning of the pinion cooperating with it, the toothed region of the rack means is provided wholly or partly around the longitudinal axis of the rack means, the rack means being integral with a pair of steering rods which are provided with coupling means.

The invention concerns a steering mechanism for toy building sets, such as 
toy vehicles, and of the type comprising a rack means and a pinion adapted 
to cooperate with it. 
The German Patent Specification 3 035 611 discloses a steering device of 
said type which comprises a linear rack means with a plane toothed face 
adapted to cooperate with a gear wheel oriented perpendicularly with 
respect to said face. 
The U.S. Pat. No. 2,651,882 discloses another steering device which is 
directly based on the principle of a non-linear rack means for cooperation 
with a pinion. This structure includes a bridge structure which is 
rotatably suspended and on which an arc-shaped rack means is secured, said 
rack means engaging a steering wheel controlled pinion. The engagement 
face of the rack is here disposed in a vertical plane in which the arc 
shape likewise extends. 
It will be appreciated that the mentioned mutual position of rack and 
pinion is essential to proper tooth engagement, which means that a 
structure like the one mentioned above is not particularly suitable in 
connection with alternative structures of a toy model or as a component 
for incorporation in other model variants. 
Further, the German Offenlegungsschrift 2 909 557 discloses a steering 
structure involving components for a building set that can be 
interconnected in various ways; however, the possibilities of the mutual 
positions of rack and pinion are nevertheless limited since the rack is 
often placed in a horizontal plane and with a horizontally projecting, 
arc-shaped toothing. The flexibility of these components is thus also 
limited. 
The object of the invention is to provide a steering mechanism which has a 
very compact structure, which is at the same time very flexible in that it 
may be used in various, mutual positions of the constituent parts and in 
connection with incorporation in other toy models. 
This object is achieved by providing a steering mechanism as stated in the 
characterizing portion of claim 1. When a rack means is constructed 
integrally with steering rod means, the steering gear may be incorporated 
in various model variants, since the assembled steering rod may be rotated 
about its longitudinal axis so that the coupling means may be mounted in 
an arbitrarily disposed plane, and without it being necessary to consider 
the orientation of the toothing and thus the engagement with the pinion 
adapted to reciprocate the rack means. 
By the steering rods forming an acute angle with the longitudinal axis of 
the rack means, as stated in claim 2, it is achieved that the ends of the 
steering rods perform a movement which is not only rotatory but also 
translatory, when the rack means is rotated about its own axis. 
To improve the flexibility additionally, the bearing bushing may be 
rotatable as mentioned in claim 3 so that the pinion may slide 
transversely to the rack. Then the steering gear may be adapted to various 
requirements and needs for the individual toy model and variants of it. 
This is feasible because the toothing is provided over such a great extent 
that it satisfies the requirement with respect to the various possible 
positions of the steering rod means and their coupling means, while the 
toothing area is sufficient to accomodate various steering wheel 
inclinations. When, as stated in claim 4, a corrugation is provided 
externally on the bushing means, the steering column may assume various 
inclinations, the corrugation being caused to cooperate with a flexible 
engagement means.

FIG. 1 shows a steering gear housing 1 which substantially receives all the 
parts incorporated in the steering mechanism. It appears that the steering 
gear housing is contiguous with a beam 2 which is provided, in a manner 
known per se, with coupling studs and holes for coupling with other 
elements belonging to a toy building set. It will likewise be seen how a 
bushing means 5 is adapted to be received in the steering gear housing via 
edge projections on the end portions of the cylinder-shaped part, said 
portions engaging two holes 3 and 4 aligned on the steering gear housing. 
FIG. 2 shows the location of the bushing means 5 in the steering gear 
housing. It is likewise indicated how a through channel 11 in the bushing 
means 5 is adapted to receive a rack means 6, whose ends are provided with 
steering rod means 13 having coupling means 14 at their extremities. In 
the embodiment shown here, these consist of a pair of pipe sections having 
mutually parallel axes extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of 
the rack means 6. 
In FIG. 2, the rack means 6 is shown in its preferred embodiment, where the 
teeth extend all the way around its own axis, and where each of the 
control rods extending from each end forms an acute angle with the 
longitudinal axis of the rack means. This orientation of the steering rods 
13 results in a very great flexibility for the coupling with other 
elements via the coupling means 14. In this connection, the toothed area 
of the rack means 6 extends, as mentioned, all the way round its own axis, 
thus increasing the flexibility in the attachment of the rack means 6 to 
other components. 
In FIG. 3, the rack means 6 is shown in a position of use, it being 
indicated by arrows how a pinion 10 for cooperation with the rack is 
adapted for substantially loose mounting on the teeth 12. In connection 
with radial fixing of the pinion, the bushing means 5 is to this end 
provided with a pair of bracket means 7 and 8 having mutually aligned 
holes, and a shaft of X-crosssection or a steering column 9 is moved 
through the bracket holes as well as the pinion 10. 
FIG. 4 shows the mode of operation of the steering mechanism, and it will 
be appreciated in this connection that the mechanism of the invention can 
be used in many positions as regards mounting of the steering rods 13, and 
it appears additionally with the shown, preferred toothing area that the 
pinion 10 can obtain the same tooth engagement with the rack means along 
its entire periphery so that, irrespective of the positioning of the rack 
means 6, the steering column 9 can assume various, desired included 
positions. The latter is shown more clearly in FIG. 5. 
It also appears from the figures that the bushing means 5 is wholly or 
partly provided with a corrugation 15 on its cylindrical part. In this 
preferred embodiment, the bushing means is adapted to assume various 
slidably engaged positions via its axial movability, the corrugation 15 
being adapted to cooperate with a flexible tongue means 16 (see FIG. 6) at 
the bottom of the steering gear housing. 
It will likewise be appreciated that additional, other combinations are 
possible within the same or other building sets by changing the shape and 
position of the steering rod means 13 with respect to the rack means 12, 
just as it is possible to vary the construction of the coupling means 14 
provided at the extremities of the steering rod means.