Patent GB-1380876-A (GB)
Title: Toy vehicle set
IPC: A63H17/38
Filed: 1973-08-17
Abstract: 1380876 Toy vehicles COSMO TOYS MANUFACTORY Ltd 17 Aug 1973 38927/73 Heading A6S A set of toy vehicles includes a leading vehicle having at least one steerable wheel biassed to turn to a first steering position, and a trailer vehicle releasably coupled to the leading vehicle, the trailer vehicle coupling acting when the two vehicles are coupled to operate a steering control and shift the steerable wheel to a second steering position. The second steering position may be non-variable, or may be cyclicly variable. As shown, a toy locomotive 1 powered by an electric motor 5 has steerable wheels 13 journalled on stub shafts turned about swivel pins 15 by rotation of a gear 18 meshing a rack 19. An arm 20 carries the rack 19 and is slidable lengthwise of the toy locomative, a spring 21 biassing the arm forwardly so that the wheels 13 are turned to steer leftwards. The electric motor 5 drives to the locomotive rear wheels 12 through a train of reduction gearing including an axially slidable intermediate shaft 22 carrying a steering control cam 23 at its end. By depressing a plate 37, Fig. 3, at the rear of the locomotive, to turn a lever 31, Fig. 2, journalled about the locomotive rear axle 11 against the biass of a spring 33, a cam 36 is engaged with the end of the intermediate shaft 22 to slide it axially against the biass of a spring 24. The cam 23 at its end is then positioned to engage a cam follower 27 on an arm 28 also journalled about the rear axle 11. The cam follower 27 carries a pin 29 which engages an upstanding arm 30 fast with the slidable steering arm 20, accordingly reciprocated back-and-forth by the cam 23, causing the locomotive to follow a course which changes direction. If instead a plate 38, Fig. 3, extending from the rear of the toy locomotive and fast with the arm 28, is depressed to a first, intermediate position, the pin 29 acts through the arm 30 to hold the slidable steering arm 20 in its mid position, and then locomotive steers straight ahead. If, however, the plate 28 is fully depressed, the arm 20 is slidden rearwards as far as it will go, and the locomotive steers to the right. As shown, the toy locomotive 1 pulls three carriages 2, 3, 4. The carriage 2 has a coupling pin 39 of medium length, which as shown is inserted into a socket 41 on the locomotive. The pin 39 coacts with the steering plate 38 at the rear of the locomotive to set the steering wheels 13 in the straight-ahead position. If, instead, the longer coupling pin 39 of the carriage 3 is inserted into the locomotive socket 41, the steering plate 38 is fully depressed and the locomotive is steered to the right. If, however, the shorter coupling pin 39 of the carriage 4 is inserted into the locomotive socket 41, it is not long enough to engage the steering plate 38. Instead a lug 42 adjacent the coupling pin 39 of the carriage 4 engages the plate 37, to turn the lever 31 and the cam 36 so that the motor driven cam 23 is slidden to its operative position, for engagement with the steering cam follower 27, &c. The locomotive 1 is accordingly steered cyclicly from side to side. The electric motor 5 powering the locomotive is connected to a battery 1 through an on-off switch 8 actuated by a handle 9. A second cam 26 on the intermediate gear shaft 22 is engaged by one end 43 of a lever whose other end engages the bottom of a slidable funnel 45, which is thus raised and lowered as the locomotive proceeds.