Patent GB-1380660-A (GB)
Title: Toy vehicle
IPC: A63H29/18
Filed: 1973-02-08
Abstract: 1380660 Toy vehicles MATTEL INC 8 Feb 1973 [24 Nov 1972] 6209/73 Heading A6S A toy vehicle has ground-engagable wheels at least one of which is coupled through a drive shaft to a wind-up motor, the drive shaft being axially movable from a latched to an unlatched position when a release member has been actuated, a winding knob being turned to wind the motor but moved axially to actuate the latch by axial movement of the drive shaft on completion of winding. As shown, a toy motor vehicle has a release latch 28, Fig. 2, extending beneath it and operated to allow its driving motor to power the vehicle. A driving rubber band 20, Fig. 5, engages over a hook 24 on an axially slidable shaft 36 keyed upon which is a ratchet clutch disk 38. A release member 74 is slidable up-and-down in a housing 12R and has a hole 78 which, when the release member is in its lower position, obstructs axial movement of the shaft 36 in the direction it is pulled by the rubber band 20, an enlargement 76, Fig. 8, on the shaft then engaging the edge of the hole. As shown in Fig. 5, in this position ratchet teeth 42 on the ratchet clutch disk 38 are held spaced from ratchet clutch teeth 46F on an output crown gear 46 journalled upon the shaft 36. At the same time, the axial position of the shaft 36 holds a radial lug 70 on the motor hook 24 against a stop 72 on the housing 12R, so that the band: 20 cannot rotate the shaft. The release member 74 is biassed downwards to the position shown by an integral spring (80), Fig. 7 (not shown), formed in the housing 12R. The release member 74 has an extension 82, Fig. 2, so that by tilting the vehicle backwards, as shown or, passing it along a track and over a release lever (29), Fig. 1 (not shown), it is pushed upwards against its spring biass. The shaft 36 is then able to move forwards, its enlargement 76 passing through the hole 78 in the release latch 74, so that simultaneously the radial lug 70 on the hook 24 is disengaged from the stop 72, permitting the shaft 36 to rotate, and the ratchet teeth 42 on the clutch disk 38 engage the teeth 46F on the crown gear 46. Teeth 48 on the crown gear 46 mesh a gear 50 to transmit drive through gears 52, 54 to the vehicle rear axle 56 and road wheels 18, 19 fast upon it. A winding knob 26 is journalled upon the rear of the shaft 36 and is retained by a button 60 at the shaft end. The pull of the rubber band 20 on the shaft 36 biasses the knob 26 to engage ratchet teeth 44 on its inner face with ratchet teeth 40 on the contiguous face of the clutch disk 38. The winding knob 26 has a high-friction tire 29. By holding the rear wheels 18, 19 of the vehicle between finger and thumb, Fig. 4 (not shown), and angling the vehicle nose upwardly, the winding knob 26 can be rolled back-and-forth along the ground, to drive in one direction only through the teeth 40, 44 and wind-up the rubber band 20. When winding has been completed, the winding knob 26 is pulled rearwardly separating the teeth 40, 44 and allowing the release member 74 to return to its holding position, the radial lug 70 simultaneously re-engaging the stop 72. The output crown gear 46 is then free to rotate, so that the vehicle can be pushed by hand.