Pad for launching toy vehicles onto a track

The invention relates to a pad for launching toy vehicles whose motors have been previously energized onto a track, comprising a plate provided with an annular runway on which the vehicles are placed, and a turnstile having arms which separate the vehicles and constitute a stop for each of them. A pawl stops the turnstile from rotating. Retraction of this pawl by action on its rod permits, due to the fact that the drive wheels of each vehicle are providing torque, rotation of the turnstile which thus releases the first vehicle. The rotation of the turnstile causes return into blocking position of the pawl whose rod is then extended in a position to be actuated by a vehicle finishing its run on the track. The invention is particularly applicable to games and toys.

The present invention relates to a pad for launching toy vehicles having 
motors which are energized to drive the wheels of one axle of a torque. 
It will firstly be noted that the toy vehicles in question are more 
generally, although not exclusively, miniature cars provided with a 
mechanical motor of any type, i.e. wound up by a key or by repeated 
friction on the floor, or provided with an electric motor supplied by 
batteries or the like. 
It is known that, to render the movement of such a toy vehicle more 
interesting, it is made to move along a track comprising sharp bends and 
spirals. However, the child is obliged to place the vehicle at the start 
of the track and to decide when it will start off. 
With a view to increasing the interest value of the tracks in question, the 
invention proposes a launching pad for successively launching several 
vehicles, the energy necessary for the operation of said pad being the 
potential energy of each vehicle whose motor has been previously energized 
by being wound or switched on to provide torque to the drive wheels. 
The pad according to the invention is charaterized in that it comprises a 
circular plate on which are placed toy vehicles, of which the drive wheels 
are supplying torque, a turnstile centred on said plate the arms of which 
constitute a stop for the vehicles, means being provided for blocking 
rotation of the turnstile on the one hand and for releasing it on the 
other hand so that it can rotate under the thrust of the vehicles to 
enable one of them to escape the retaining action of the corresponding arm 
and to be launched onto the track associated with said plate. The vehicle 
following the one which has just moved onto the track is then ready to 
leave as soon as the previous one has finished its lap and has actuated 
the above-mentioned release means.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a track 1 composed of track 
elements joined end to end and on which toy vehicles such as miniature 
cars 2 can circulate. The track 1 starts from a launching pad 3 
constructed according to the invention and it terminates in a buffer stop 
4 against which the vehicle 2 which goes arond the track 1 abuts at the 
end of the run. 
The pad 3 essentially comprises a circular plate 5 with respect to the 
centre of which is mounted, to rotate freely, a turnstile 6 comprising six 
arms in the example shown. The pad 3 further comprises a pawl 7 adapted to 
act on a toothed rim 8 (FIG. 2) fixed to the underside of the turnstile 6. 
The circular plate 5 comprises an annular runway 9 bordered by a vertical 
wall 10, the part of the runway 9 located in the immediate vicinity of the 
wall 10 comprising a rough surface 9a as will be more readily explained 
hereinafter. The centre of the plate 5 is provided with an upwardly 
oriented journal 11, FIG. 3, on which is engaged the opening 12a of a boss 
12 arranged at the centre of the turnstile 6. 
It will be observed in FIG. 1 that the annular runway 9 is interrupted so 
that one of the elements of the track 1 can be tangentially attached with 
respect to the runway 9. To this end, the latter comprises in the zone in 
question as shown in FIG. 3 to rails 9b, 9c around which is engaged a 
groove 1a or 1b respectively, formed on the lower face of each element of 
the track 1. One of the flanges 1c of this track element extends the 
peripheral wall 10 of the plate 5 as shown in FIG. 1. The lower face of 
the part of the runway 9 provided with rails 9b and 9c carries a 
downwardly facing pivot 13. 
Outside its wall 10, the plate 5 comprises two projections 14-15 each 
provided with rails 14a, 14b or 15a, 15b respectively, FIGS. 1 and 3, 
oriented parallel to the rails 9b and 9c. Because of the shape in cross 
section of the track 1, the end thereof cooperates with one or the other 
of these projections. In the example illustrated, the end of track 1 is 
connected to projection 14. 
The pawl 7, which is made in stepped manner, firstly comprises a central 
arm 16 of triangular form in plan, FIGS. 3 and 5, of which the apex 
comprises a boss 16a in the central bore 16b of which penetrates the pivot 
13 of the plate 5. The end of this arm opposite the apex is shaped so as 
to constitute a ramp 17 of which one of the ends is made in the form of a 
head 17a. Opposite the ramp 17, the arm 16 is extended by a leg 18 to a 
rod 19 oriented obliquely with respect to this leg. 
The turnstile 5 comprises a flat disc 6a on the top of which its arms 20 
are placed, whilst the toothed rim 8, fixed to the lower face of said 
disc, is made in the form of a corrugated rim having six teeth 8a with 
oblique lateral faces. The diameter of the toothed rim 8 is such that, 
when the pawl 7 is in free position, FIG. 2, its head 17a constitutes a 
stop for one of the teeth 8a of said rim. In this position of the pawl, 
its rod 19 extends above the projection 14 of the plate 5, so that it is 
located just above the track 1 when the latter is associated with said 
projection. It will be noted that the portion located between the arm 16 
and the ramp 17 of the pawl 7 passes through an opening 5a in the plate 5 
and that, at this level, this portion is provided with a horizontal tab 21 
which rests on an area 5b of said plate so as to maintain the pawl engaged 
about the pivot 13. FIG. 3 clearly shows that the rod 19 of the pawl 
extends above the corresponding flange 1c of the track 1, said rod 
including a vertical part which passes through another opening 5c in the 
plate 5. 
Of course, the diameter of the plate 5 and the number of arms of the 
turnstile 6 are determined so that one miniature toy vehicle can be placed 
on the annular runway 9 between each pairs of arms of the turnstile. 
Operation follows from the foregoing explanations. 
When the pawl is in the position illustrated in FIG. 2, i.e. when its rod 
19 lies above the track, at least one and preferably five toy vehicles 2 
are placed between the arms 20 of the turnstile, only the space located at 
the level of rails 9b, 9c of the annular runway 9 having no vehicle placed 
thereon. Of course, the drive wheels of all the vehicles are supplying 
thrust because their motors have previously been energized by being wound 
up or switched on if they are electric ones. Since the front of each 
vehicle abuts against one of the arms of the turnstile, these vehicles 
cannot advance and nor can they cause rotation of the turnstile because 
one of the teeth of the rim 8 is in abutment against the head 17a of the 
ramp of the pawl. As has been seen before, the rod 19 of the pawl lies 
across the track 1. Assuming, as in FIG. 1, that a toy vehicle 2 is 
approaching on the track in the direction of the buffer stop 4, when it 
makes contact with the rod 19, FIG. 4, it causes the pawl to pivot about 
13 to the position shown in FIG. 5, with the result that the tooth which 
was in abutment thereon is released (FIG. 5). Due to the driving action of 
the wheels of the vehicles, the turnstile begins to rotate so that the 
first vehicle of the series placed on the annular runway 9 is no longer 
held back by the corresponding arm 20 and can be launched onto the track, 
whilst the vehicles which follow it continue to cause the turnstile to 
rotate. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the tooth 8a which has just been 
released from the hold exerted by the pawl comes into cooperation with the 
terminal part of the ramp 17 so as at 17a to tip the pawl about the pivot 
13, so that the following tooth comes into abutment against the head 17a 
of the pawl (position illustrated in FIG. 2). Of course, the rod 19 of the 
pawl returns into position across the track. 
When the vehicle which has just been launched onto the track actuates the 
rod 19 of the pawl on passing even with the launching pad, the following 
vehicle is launched in turn onto the track and so on, until the last 
vehicle has been released by the turnstile. 
Of course, duplicate openings 5a and 5c are also made at the projection 15 
on the other side of the plate 5, FIG. 1, so that the pawl 7 can be 
mounted at that spot, a second pivot 13 also being made on the lower face 
of the circular plate 5. 
It will be readily understood that that part 9a of the runway 9 which has a 
crackle finish may be made by means of another type of surface with high 
coefficient of friction or may be constituted by separate, individual 
skids placed beneath the drive wheels of the vehicles, it being important 
to prevent the drive wheel of each vehicle placed on this surface from 
spinning. 
It must be understood that the foregoing description has been given only by 
way of example and that it in no way limits the domain of the invention, 
replacement of the details of execution described by any other equivalents 
not departing from the scope thereof.