Toy vehicle and toy vehicle game

A toy vehicle game includes an endless track defining at least two parallelly extending vehicle lanes in which two or more toy vehicles are adapted to be operated. The toy vehicles each include a reversible rotary drive motor and a transmission operatively engaged between the motor and two drive wheels for rotating one or the other of the drive wheels in response to the direction of rotation of the drive motor, thereby biasing the car against one or the other of the side walls of the track to guide the vehicle along its path of travel in one or the other of the lanes. The track includes electrical contact strips which supply power to the drive motor of the vehicles through current collectors mounted thereon. A control system permits the operators to separately and independently control current to the contact strips and also to selectively reverse the polarity of the current so that the operators can vary the speed of their associated vehicles and cause the vehicles to move from one lane to the other.

The present invention relates to a toy vehicle game and a control system 
therefor. More particularly the invention relates to a toy vehicle game in 
which the toy vehicles are separately controlled by the players to enable 
them to turn out from one lane to the other and pass other vehicles on the 
track. 
With the ever increasing popularity of toy vehicle games, such as for 
example the well known "slot car" games, there is an increasing demand for 
more realistic action. To this end attempts have been made in the past to 
provide "slot car" type games with speed control systems, as for example 
by varying current flow to the vehicles in the game. To further enhance 
such realism the slot arrangements in such games also provide for crossing 
the vehicles from one side of the track to another, to simulate an actual 
changing of lanes. However, the vehicle is in fact constrained to a fixed 
predetermined and unvariable path. 
Since the play value of such previously proposed vehicle games is limited 
to the regulation of speed of travel, attempts have been made to provide 
toy vehicle games which enable an operator to control movement of the 
vehicle from one lane to the other without the constraint of a guide slot 
in the track. Such systems include for example the type shown in U.S. Pat. 
No. 3,797,404, wherein solenoid actuated bumpers are used to physically 
push the vehicle from one lane to the other by selectively 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 bumper movements for pushing 
the vehicle are not realistic. 
Other attempts to provide for vehicle control for moving the vehicle from 
one lane to the other involve relatively 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. Pat. Nos. 3,774,340 and 
3,837,286. However, in addition to the relative complexity of the steering 
arrangements, the vehicles will of course lose speed when the current 
supply is shut off, so that the vehicle will slow down and the realistic 
effect desired to be produced is affected. 
Still 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 vehicle. Such 
systems are disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,453,970 and 
3,813,812, which avoid the problem of stopping current flow completely to 
the motor 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 U.S. Pat. No. 3,453,970 to Hansen, the electrical wires 
connecting 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. Pat. No. 
3,232,005 wherein the toy vehicle does not operate on a track and the 
steering control is not provided for switching lanes, but rather to 
provide an apparently random travel control for the vehicle. 
Still another toy vehicle game which has been suggested to avoid the 
constraints of slot car type systems is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 
3,239,963 wherein a relatively complex steering control is provided which 
is responsive to the actuation of a solenoid mounted in the toy vehicle 
and is controlled remotely by the players. 
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the limitations of 
previously proposed toy vehicle games wherein toy vehicles are permitted 
to turn out and move from one lane to the other without the restraint of a 
guide slot or the like. 
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a toy vehicle 
which is adapted to move along a guide track and change from one lane to 
the other, under the control of a player. 
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a toy vehicle 
game in which separate vehicles can be separately controlled by the 
players to move from one lane to the other and pass one another. 
A further object of the present invention is to provide a control system 
for toy vehicles which enables the toy vehicles to turn out and pass one 
another along a guide track. 
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved 
toy vehicle game. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a toy vehicle game of 
the character described which is relatively simple in construction and 
durable in operation. 
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a toy vehicle 
game, as well as a control system therefor, which is relatively simple and 
economical to manufacture. 
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a toy vehicle and 
toy vehicle game are provided in which one or more toy vehicles are used 
which include a frame, a body mounted on the frame and a plurality of 
ground engaging wheels, including a pair of drive 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 drive transmission is mounted in the 
frame to connect the output of the electrical motor to the drive wheels. 
This drive transmission includes at least one transmission element which 
is movably mounted in the frame for movement between first and second 
positions in response to the direction of rotation of the drive motor 
thereby to drive one or the other of 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 of 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 addition 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.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and initially to FIG. 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 upstanding side walls 14, 16 and a road bed or tread surface 18 
extending therebetween. The road bed 18 has a width sufficient to define 
at least two vehicle lanes 20, 22 thereon along which a plurality of 
vehicles can be operated. 
In the illustrative embodiment of the present invention the toy vehicle 
game includes operator controlled vehicles 24, 26 which are of substantial 
identical construction except for the arrangement of their current 
collectors as described hereinafter. In addition, a drone car 28, which 
moves along the track at a relatively constant speed may also be provided. 
Vehicles 24, 26 are separately controlled by the players through a control 
system 30 which enables the players to vary current supply to the 
electrical motors in the vehicles, thereby to vary the vehicle speed. The 
controllers also enable the players to change the polarity of current 
supplied to the respective vehicle motors, whereby the vehicles can be 
switched by the players from one lane to the other. The drone car 28 on 
the other hand moves along the vehicle 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 or the outer lane depending on the position of the wheels. This 
vehicle includes an electric motor operated by a battery contained within 
the vehicle, and connected through a direct drive transmission of any 
convenient construction to the rear wheels thereof. Preferably, drone 
vehicle 28 is of the type illustrated and described in detail in 
co-pending U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 747,442 filed Dec. 6, 1976 and 
commonly assigned herewith. The disclosure of said U.S. Patent Application 
Ser. No. 747,442 is incorporated herein by reference. 
Toy vehicle 24 is illustrated in detail in FIGS. 2-4. As seen therein the 
vehicle includes a frame or chassis 32 of any covenient construction, 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 hereinafter, while the rear wheels 40 are rotatably mounted for 
independent rotation on a shaft 42 rotatably mounted in frame 32. (See 
FIG. 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 is freely rotatably mounted on the 
shaft. Alteratively 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 is formed from either a molded plastic material 
or from a cast 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. 
The power for driving the toy vehicle is supplied from a D.C. electric 
motor 48 mounted on frame 32 in any convenient manner. The electric motor 
is of conventional D.C. construction and includes a rotary output member 
of shaft 50 connected to the rotor of the motor in the usual manner. In 
the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 a spur gear or output drive element 
52 is secured to shaft 50 for rotation thereby. This output member is 
drivingly engaged with the transmission system 56 which is responsive to 
the direction of rotation or the output drive element (i.e. the direction 
of rotation of output shaft 50 of motor 48, due to the polarity of current 
supplied to the motor) to selectively drive the drive wheels 40. 
In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4-6, transmission system 56 
includes a crown gear 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 frame 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. A pair 
of spur gears 70, 72 are in turn rotatably mounted on sleeve 68 for 
rotation along axes extending generally perpendicularly to the axis of 
rotation of crown gear 58. These gears 70, 72 are positioned at an angle 
to each other (see FIG. 4) in engagement with crown gear 58. As a result 
of this arrangement when the motor 48 is operated crown gear 58, due to 
its engagement with the spur gear 52, will be rotated in either a 
clockwise or counterclockwise direction, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 6, 
depending upon the polarity of the current supplied to motor 48. At the 
same time gears 70, 72 will 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, 72 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 the direction of rotation of 
the crown gear. As a result, as seen in FIG. 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 that gear 70 engages the 
gear 46 of the lower wheel 40 in the vehicle shown in FIG. 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 illustrated in FIG. 1 when vehicle 24 is in the outside lane 
and power is supplied to its right wheel 40 in this manner, as a result of 
the polarity of current supplied to the motor 48, the toy vehicle will be 
caused to move from the outer lane to the inner lane, as is shown in FIG. 
1 occurring with the vehicle 26. When this occurs the front end of the 
vehicle will engage the inner wall 16 of the track and the continued drive 
of its right wheel will cause the vehicle 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 the 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 supplied to the motor 48 is 
reversed crown gear 58 will rotate in a counterclockwise direction, as 
illustrated by the arrow Y in FIG. 6. When this occurs gears 70, 72 will 
be driven in an opposite direction and sleeve 68 will be caused to rotate 
in the same direction as gear 58. This will engage gear 72 with gear 46 of 
the left drive wheel 40 (i.e. the upper wheel 40 in FIG. 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 FIG. 1 by the vehicle 24 shown in dotted lines, when the 
vehicle is in the inner lane 20 of track 12 and the polarity of the 
current flow 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 hits outer wall 14 it will continue to 
move along that outer wall in outer lane 22 until the polarity of current 
supplied to the motor 48 is again reversed. In this regard it is noted 
that because of the arrangement of gears 52, 58, 70 and 72 the vehicle 
will always be propelled in a forward 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 pluraltiy of electrical contact strips in each of the 
lanes 20, 22. In the illustrative 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, 
and is collected by current collectors mounted on the frame 32 of the toy 
vehicles in predetermined locations. 
In accordance with the present invention 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 of 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 are arranged to associate the respective vehicles with only 
one of the pairs of contact strips. For example, vehicle 24 will obtain 
current from strips B, while vehicle 26 will obtain current only from 
strips A. 
As illustrated in FIG. 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, illustrated in FIG. 3A, has current 
collectors 112, 114 mounted thereon with current collector 112 located in 
the same position as the corresponding collector of vehicle 24 for also 
contacting the ground strip C. These current collectors are mounted on the 
vehicle in any convenient manner known in the art, and are electrically 
connected in a known manner to motor 48 of their respective vehicles. 
Currrent 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 
FIG. 3 this current collector is located centrally of the vehicle frame. 
On the other hand, the current collector 114 of vehicle 26 is located off 
center from the center line of the vehicle body and in spaced relation to 
its associated current collector 112. This current collector is positioned 
to engage contact strips A regardless of the lane in which the vehicle is 
moving. By this arrangement, each of the operators can separately control 
current supply and polarity to contact strips A, B to control a respective 
one of the vehicles 24, 26 regardless of the lane occupied by the vehicle. 
The control system 30 for the toy vehicle game illustrated in FIG. 1, is 
shown schematically in FIG. 7. This control system includes respective 
controllers 124, 126 by which the players can control the vehicles 24, 26 
respectively. Essentially the control system includes a plug 128 by which 
the system can be connected to an electrical AC power source, and it 
includes a transformer 130. Power is supplied from the transformer 130 
through a halfwave 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 variable resistor 134, 
operated as a trigger on the unit, as well 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 vehicles in order to vary the speed of the 
vehicles. 
The polarity of the current supplied to the toy vehicles is separately and 
independently controlled by switches 136 so that the polarity of current 
supplied to motor 48 of the respective vehicles, as controlled by the 
respective controllers, 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 control the speed of his vehicle along the 
track 12 and he can also variably position his vehicle along the track 
simply by changing 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 rear drive wheels 
is powered, and this will determine which lane the vehicle will be driven 
to. 
As illustrated in FIG. 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. Likewise, when it is desired to move the vehicle outwardly the inner 
or left wheel of the vehicle is driven, by properly selecting the polarity 
of current supplied to the motor of the vehicle, so that the vehicle will 
move toward the 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. 
When a drone car 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 enhances the play 
value of the game as all players 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 additional degree of 
skill and vehicle control in order to win the "race". 
As mentioned, the toy vehicles include shock absorbing front ends 38. In 
the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 the front end 38 includes a wheel 
support plate 130 pivotally mounted by a pivot pin 132 or the like on 
frame 32 of the vehicle. The plate includes bosses 134 of any convenient 
form which rotatably mount a shaft 136 on which the front wheels 138 of 
the toy vehicle are secured. Plate 130 is held in its centered position, 
so that the front wheels of the vehicle will normally direct the vehicle 
in a straight line, by a spring arrangement 140 which includes an integral 
tongue 142 formed with the plastic plate 130. This tongue is captured 
between a pair of posts or abutment members 144 formed in frame 32. By 
this arrangement plate 130, and thus wheels 138, are resiliently held in 
their centered position. However, when the vehicle changes lanes and 
impacts against one of the side walls (for example the outer walls 14, 
shown in FIG. 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 
insuring that the vehicle will move into alignment with the contact strips 
of the track, as quickly and rapidly as possible. To assist in the shock 
absorbing feature of the invention plate 130 is provided with enlarged 
bumper elements 146 which extend outwardly beyond the frame of the vehicle 
so that the bumper elements engage the side wall of the track before the 
vehicle or any portion thereof. 
As seen in FIG. 3A tongue 142 is defined between slots 148 formed in plate 
130 on opposite sides of the tongue. These slots have outer edges 150 
which will engage against posts 144 in the event plate 130 is pivoted a 
sufficient 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. 
Accordingly it is seen that a relatively simply constructed toy vehicle 
game is provided in which players have complete independent control over 
the speed of operation of the toy vehicles, including the ability to cause 
the toy vehicles to shift independently from one lane to the other in 
order to pass each other or to pass a drone car moving along the track in 
a constant speed. This is achieved without the complexities of multiple 
element steering systems or solenoid bumper and steering arrangements. 
Moreover, it is accomplished with a simple change in polarity of the 
current flow to the toy vehicle's motor and eliminates the attendant loss 
of speed which occurs with previously proposed structures wherein lane 
changes are provided as a result of shutting off of power to the vehicle 
motor. 
Although illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been 
described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings it is to be 
understood that the invention is not limited to that precise embodiment, 
but that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one 
skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of this 
invention.