US3597876A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Toy roadway set
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1968-11-20
•
Granted: 1971-08-10
•
Expires: 1988-11-20
Abstract
Abstract A motor-driven toy vehicle and a track adapted to guide it therealong in a zigzag manner in combination with guide means provided in the vehicle. The track is composed of a plurality of track sections, each of the track sections having a level surface portion, a pair of inclined surface portions and joint means, the inclined portions being formed along the side edges of the track and adapted to serve for steering the vehicle.
Inventors
- 👤 Sadao Haji
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 17:01
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63H; A63H18/00; A63H18/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
361 words
A toy comprising, in combination, a motor-driven wheeled toy vehicle and a track for said toy vehicle, said track comprising a plurality of track sections with each said track sections having joint means for interconnecting it to adjacent said track sections, each of said track sections comprising a longitudinally extending level traveling surface and an inclined surface extending along and sloping downwardly and outwardly from each longitudinal edge of said level traveling surface, said toy vehicle having a front portion and a rear portion and comprising a frame, and means for driving said toy vehicle, said means for driving said toy vehicle comprising a box member located on the rear portion of said toy vehicle and being fixedly secured to said frame, a rear axle arranged to be driven by said means, a pair of rear wheels mounted on said rear axle, a supporting frame fixedly secured to the front end of said box member, an upwardly extending shaft being secured at its upper and lower ends into said supporting frame, said shaft being inclined from the vertical between its points of attachment to said supporting frame, a front wheel supporting frame being rotatably mounted on said shaft for rotation in a plane perpendicular to said shaft, a front axle rotatably supported on said front wheel supporting frame, a pair of front wheels secured to said front axle, said toy vehicle being weighted at its rear portion so that when traveling on said track and one of said front wheels runs off the level traveling surface onto an inclined surface said toy vehicle will not overturn, and when one of said front wheels runs off the level traveling surface onto an inclined surface the other said front wheel due to the weighted condition of said toy vehicle is disposed in increased frictional contact with the level traveling surface relative to the frictional contact of the one of said front wheels which is in decreased frictional contact with the inclined surface whereby the frictional differential causes said front wheels mounted on said front wheel supporting frame to pivot about said upright shaft for returning said front wheels onto the level traveling surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
361 words
A toy comprising, in combination, a motor-driven wheeled toy vehicle and a track for said toy vehicle, said track comprising a plurality of track sections with each said track sections having joint means for interconnecting it to adjacent said track sections, each of said track sections comprising a longitudinally extending level traveling surface and an inclined surface extending along and sloping downwardly and outwardly from each longitudinal edge of said level traveling surface, said toy vehicle having a front portion and a rear portion and comprising a frame, and means for driving said toy vehicle, said means for driving said toy vehicle comprising a box member located on the rear portion of said toy vehicle and being fixedly secured to said frame, a rear axle arranged to be driven by said means, a pair of rear wheels mounted on said rear axle, a supporting frame fixedly secured to the front end of said box member, an upwardly extending shaft being secured at its upper and lower ends into said supporting frame, said shaft being inclined from the vertical between its points of attachment to said supporting frame, a front wheel supporting frame being rotatably mounted on said shaft for rotation in a plane perpendicular to said shaft, a front axle rotatably supported on said front wheel supporting frame, a pair of front wheels secured to said front axle, said toy vehicle being weighted at its rear portion so that when traveling on said track and one of said front wheels runs off the level traveling surface onto an inclined surface said toy vehicle will not overturn, and when one of said front wheels runs off the level traveling surface onto an inclined surface the other said front wheel due to the weighted condition of said toy vehicle is disposed in increased frictional contact with the level traveling surface relative to the frictional contact of the one of said front wheels which is in decreased frictional contact with the inclined surface whereby the frictional differential causes said front wheels mounted on said front wheel supporting frame to pivot about said upright shaft for returning said front wheels onto the level traveling surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
73 words
A toy, as set forth in claim 1, Wherein a weight being mounted on the rear portion of said toy vehicle for weighting said toy vehicle so that its center of gravity is located within a triangular range defined by the rear axle on one side and on the other two sides by intersecting lines extending forwardly from the ends of said rear axle to the diagonally disposed ends of said front axle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
73 words
A toy, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said front wheel supporting frame comprises a rectangularly shaped horizontally arranged lower plate, a tonguelike horizontally arranged upper plate spaced above said lower plate, and a substantially triangularly shaped front plate extending vertically between said lower plate and said upper plate, and said lower plate and upper plate each having an opening therethrough for rotatably mounting said front wheel supporting frame on said shaft.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
A toy, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said front axle being longer than said rear axle so that said front wheels are positioned laterally outwardly from said vehicle relative to said rear wheels for preventing said rear wheels from running off the level traveling surface of said track.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
59 words
A toy, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for driving said toy vehicle comprises a spring motor mounted on said frame intermediate said front axle and rear axle, and a gear train in operative engagement with said spring motor and said rear axle for transmitting the driving power of said spring motor to said rear axle.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
61 words
A toy, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for driving said toy vehicle comprises an electric motor mounted on said frame, a dry cell positioned on said frame and in circuit with said electric motor, a gear train in operative engagement with said electric motor and said rear axle for transmitting the driving force to said rear axle.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
A toy, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said track sections are curved and interconnected for forming a closed oval track.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
51 words
A toy, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said track sections comprises a plurality of curved said track sections and a plurality of straight said track sections, said curved track sections and said straight track sections being arranged to form continuous serially arranged level traveling surfaces and inclined traveling surfaces.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
A toy, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said track comprises a rectangular joint unit and said joint unit having joint means on each of its sides for interconnecting it to adjacent said track sections and forming a four-sided intersection in said track.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2387859A
Cited
US2784527A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-08-09 | 1975-02-08 | 1975-08-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-08-09 | 1979-02-08 | 1979-08-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-08-09 | 1983-02-08 | 1983-08-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |