Patent GB-1351621-A (GB)
Title: Driving mechanism for self-propelled toys
Inventor: DARDA HELMUT
IPC: A63H29/04
Filed: 1971-04-21
Abstract: 1351621 Toy vehicles H DARDA 21 April 1971 [21 April 1970 7 Aug 1970 8 Feb 1971] 10546/71 Heading A6S [Also in Division F2] A clockwork drive mechanism including a ground-engaging member for self-propelled toys comprises a first spring gear wheel fast on a spring spindle rotatably mounted in a frame, a spiral, helical or rubber torsion spring 27 operatively anchorable between the first wheel and the frame 28, 29 or the first wheel and a second spring gear wheel rotatably mounted on the frame, a gear or gear train directly or indirectly mounted on the frame and interposed between the first wheel or both wheels and. the ground engaging rotatable member, shifting means operable in association with the train and two ratchets (having toothed or friction wheels or cord or belt pulleys) in the drive between the wheel(s) and the rotatable member, each ratchet being operable to freewheel and to transmit torque and operable in mutually operable directions, and the shifting means being operable so that the toy can be driven by unwinding the spring or the spring can be wound up in both directions of rotation of the, rotatable member. One ratchet device has two oppositely-acting ball clutches 2a, 6, Fig. 1b, back-to-back on a spindle 1. A second ratchet device has two ratchet wheels 8, 9 Fig. 2a, pushed by a spring 10 against driving members secured to the spindle 7. A third ratchet device has two spring- fingered spiders 15, 16, Fig. 3a having wedge teeth engaging recesses in members 17, 18 to drive them each in one direction as the spindle 13 is rotated. A fourth ratchet device has spring pawls 23b, Fig. 4b, which may be integral with their associated wheels if they are moulded from plastics, and which are rotated by toothed wheels on the spindle 21. A fifth ratchet device comprises two spring- pressed ratchet-toothed gears 167, 168, Fig. 13, pressed into engagement with a central member 172 fast on the shaft 169. In Fig. 5a, the spring 27 is anchored to the frame by a spacer 30 and is hooked on to a projection on the spring spindle 31. Thus, when the spring is slack the spindle may run free. This may also be achieved by mounting the spindle of one of the unwinding gears in slots. The spindle 31 drives a shaft 36c carrying the toy car's wheels through a gear (32) fast on the spindle 31 and gears mounted on a frame (37), 38 swinging about a pivot 39 and biased by a spring 30 acting against a pin 38a restrained by a slot 29a. The unwinding drive is (32), 33a 33b, 34a 34b, 35a 35b and 36b. The winding drive takes place when the frame 37, 38 has been swung so that the pinion 34a is disengaged from the wheel 33b and the pinion 36a is engaged with spring gearwheel (32) and 36b with wheel pair 33a, 33b which now acts as a reversing pinion. The spindle 36c can now act as a winding spindle through ratchets (41a 41b) thereon. The winding drive is thus 36a (32) or 36b, 33b 33a, (32). In a modification, the mechanism is wound from a rubber wheel 53, Fig. 6b, the swinging frame 56 being held in position by a spiral spring 57. The drive is from the wheel 48 through gears 50a, 54, 59, 60a, 60b, 61, 62 to the wheels 64. When the frame 56 is swung counterclockwise, the wheels 59, 54 disengage, the wheel 53 engages the ground, and reversing pinions 49a, 49b becomes operative. In a further modification, the spring 67, Figs. 7b is anchored between two gears 68, 69 freely mounted on a spindle 72. A pawl 83a is held in engagement with a ratchet wheel 81 fast with the gear 69 to prevent movement during unwinding, the spring being tensioned from both ends during winding up. In the embodiment of Fig. 8a, the reversing pinions are carried on a swivelling frame 97 guided by slots 91a, 99 and pins 97a 98 and co-acting with two large winding gears of different sizes and two ratchet wheels.  In further modification, Fig. 9a, one of the spring gearwheels 104 can be in engagement with both a reversing pinion 106a and a pinion 107b on the driven spindle 107c. Moreover, the reversing gears are mounted directly on the main frame which makes it especially suitable for racing cars. The spindle of the reversing pinions can tilt since one end 106d is mounted in a slot. An abutment 116 on the toy car body can push the spindle end 106d down until it engages a stop 124a. It also relieves the pressure of a return spring 119 from pressing on the spindle during winding; the spring pressure is also relieved in the return position by a stop 124b.  The ratchet wheels may not be on the driven spindle but may drive it through a further gear (110, Fig. 10a not shown) which may be a differential gear. No reversing pinions are provided in the embodiment of Figure 11a, 11b, 11c wherein only two spindles 132, 133 are provided between the frame plates 130, 131. A spring 138 is connected to the spring spindle 132 fixedly carrying the wheels 134, 135 and ratchet wheels 140, 141 having oppositely directed teeth, and each co-operating with a pawl such as 142a. Disposed inside each of two pinions 136, 137 is a rotatable ratchet, which ratchets work in opposite directions. When the car body is pushed down, the body itself or a lever 146 pushes down arms 143 and 142. To release the pawl positively on the return stroke the arm 143 carries a projection 143b which hooks under the pawl arm 142a to raise it. In a further embodiment, a pivoting arm 165, Fig. 12a, engages a swinging frame 163b carrying a broad reversing pinion 161 and having a resilient return portion 163c.