Winding mechanism having platform for supporting spring motor driven vehicle

Claim 2

A wind-up mechanism for a spring-driven toy vehicle comprising, a housing having a vehicle supporting platform, drive clutch means rotatably mounted in said housing for releasably engaging and winding the spring-driven toy vehicle when said vehicle is located on said platform and means for rotating said clutch in a predetermined direction to wind up said spring-driven toy vehicle, said rotating means including a first gear rotatably mounted in said housing coaxially of said clutch and operatively connected thereto for transmitting rotational movement to the clutch, a gear segment rotatably mounted in said housing and operatively connected to said first gear, a winding handle pivotally connected to said gear segment, and tension spring means operatively connected between said gear segment and said handle for holding said handle in a relatively fixed position with respect to said gear segment during wind-up of said vehicle and for permitting said handle to pivot with respect to said gear segment when rotation of said clutch in said predetermined direction is resisted with a predetermined force by said springdriven toy vehicle whereby arcuate movement of said handle normally rotates said gear segment to wind said toy vehicles and rotation of said gear segment by said handle is stopped to prevent overwinding of the spring-driven toy vehicle when said vehicle is fully wound.

Claim 3

The wind-up mechanism as defined in claim 1 including an intermediate swing gear operatively connecting said first gear and said gear segment, said housing having a slot and said swing gear being rotatably mounted in said slot for movement into and out of engagement with said first gear in response to the direction of rotation of said gear segment whereby said clutch is rotated only in said predetermined direction upon actuation of said handle.

Claim 4

The wind-up mechanism as defined in claim 2 wherein said housing has a second elongated slot through which said handle extends for movement in a limited arc.

Claim 5

The wind-up mechanism as defined in claim 3 wherein said handle and said housing have cooperating abutment members positioned in predetermined locations for limiting the pivotal movement of said handle with respect to said gear segment when rotation of said clutch in said predetermined direction is resisted with said predetermined force by said spring-driven toy vehicle.

Claim 6

The wind-up mechanism as defined in claim 3 wherein said clutch comprises a generally cylindrical hub member having a plurality of concentrically arranged teeth formed thereon about the axis of rotation of the hub for releasably engaging the spring driven toy vehicle during wind-up thereof.

Claim 7

The wind-up mechanism as defined in claim 5 wherein said toy vehicle includes a driven hub having teeth enaging said teeth of said clutch hub, said teeth on said hubs having a complementary configuration and being releasably vertically interlocking to retain the toy vehicle vertiCally on said platform in response to winding torque.

Claim 8

The wind-up mechanism as defined in claim 3 including cushioned stop means mounted in said housing adjacent one end of said elongated slot to limit the arcuate movement of said handle.

Claim 9

The wind-up mechanism as defined in claim 2 wherein said slot is substantially concentric with said gear segment whereby said swing gear always remains in meshed engagement with said gear segment.

Claim 10

The wind-up mechanism as defined in claim 2 including means on said platform for locating a toy vehicle placed thereon in a predetermined position with respect to said clutch.

Claim 11

The wind-up mechanism as defined in claim 2 wherein said tension spring means is connected to said gear segment on the opposite side of its axis of rotation from its pivotal connection to said handle.

Claim 12

A toy and wind-up mechanism therefore comprising, in combination, a toy having a spring drive including a spring, a driven hub mounted in the toy for rotation about an axis and operatively connected to said spring to wind the spring upon rotation of the driven hub in a first direction, said driven hub having a pluraity of concentrically arranged teeth extending therefrom about the axis of rotation of the driven hub; and a wind-up mechanism including a housing and a driving hub rotatably mounted in the housing, said driving hub having a plurality of concentrically arranged teeth extending therefrom about the axis of rotation of the driving hub, the teeth of each of said hubs being complementary to each other and located on the axial end of their respective hubs for axial engagement with the teeth of the other hub upon placing the toy on the housing with the driving and driven hubs axially aligned, and means for rotating said driving hub in a predetermined direction to wind said spring, including a first gear rotatably mounted in said housing coaxially of said driving hub and operatively connected thereto for transmitting rotational movement to said driving hub, a rotatable swing gear mounted in said housing for selective movement into and out of engagement with said first gear, a gear segment rotatably mounted on said housing and operatively engaged with said swing gear, a winding handle pivotally connected to said gear segment, and tension spring means operatively connected between said gear segment and said handle for holding said handle in a relatively fixed position with respect to the gear segment, whereby arcuate movement of said handle rotates said gear segment during winding of said toy, and for permitting said handle to pivot with respect to said gear segment when rotation of said driving hub in said predetermined direction is resisted with a predetermined force by said toy to prevent overwinding of said spring, said gear segment moving said swing gear into engagement with said first gear when said handle is moved from its first to its second position and moving said swing gear out of engagement with said first gear when said handle is returned from its second to its first position, whereby said driving hub is driven only in said predetermined direction during actuation of said handle.

Claim 13

A toy and wind-up mechanism therefore comprising, in combination, a toy having a spring drive including a spring, a driven hub mounted in the toy for rotation about an axis and operatively connected to said spring to wind the spring upon rotation of the driven hub in a first direction, said driven hub having a pluraity of concentrically arranged teeth extending therefrom about the axis of rotation of the driven hub; and a wind-up mechanism including a housing and a driving hub rotatably mounted in the housing, said driving hub having a plurality of concentrically arranged teeth extending therefrom about the axis of rotation of the driving hub, the teeth of each of said hubs being complementary to each other and located on the axial end of their respective hubs for axial engagement with the teeth of the other hub upon placing the toy on the housing with the driving and driven hubs axially aligned, and means for rotating said driving hub in a predetermined direction to wind said spring, including a first gear rotatably mounted in said housing coaxially of said driving hub and operatively connected thereto for transmitting rotational movement to said driving hub, a rotatable swing gear mounted in said housing for selective movement into and out of engagement with said first gear, a gear segment rotatably mounted on said housing and operatively engaged with said swing gear, a winding handle pivotally connected to said gear segment, and tension spring means operatively connected between said gear segment and said handle for holding said handle in a relatively fixed position with respect to the gear segment, whereby arcuate movement of said handle rotates said gear segment during winding of said toy, and for permitting said handle to pivot with respect to said gear segment when rotation of said driving hub in said predetermined direction is resisted with a predetermined force by said toy to prevent overwinding of said spring, said gear segment moving said swing gear into engagement with said first gear when said handle is moved from its first to its second position and moving said swing gear out of engagement with said first gear when said handle is returned from its second to its first position, whereby said driving hub is driven only in said predetermined direction during actuation of said handle.

Claim 14

The combination as defined in claim 11 wherein said housing has a slot formed therein, said swing gear being rotatably mounted in said slot for selective movement and said slot being substantially concentric with said gear segment whereby said swing gear always remains in meshed engagement with said gear segment.

Claim 15

The combination as defined in claim 12 wherein said housing has a second elongated slot through which said handle extends for movement in a limited arc.

Claim 16

The combination as defined in claim 13 wherein said handle and said housing have cooperating abutment members positioned in predetermined locations for limiting the pivotal movement of said handle with respect to said gear segment when rotation of said driving hub in said predetermined direction is resisted with said predetermined force by said spring-driven toy vehicle.

Claim 17

The combination as defined in claim 14 including cushioned stop means mounted in said housing adjacent one end of said elongated slot to limit the arcuate movement of said handle.

Claim 18

The combination as defined in claim 15 including means on said housing for locating said toy in a predetermined position wherein said driven and driving hubs are in meshed engagement.

Claim 19

The combination as defined in claim 16 wherein the teeth on each of said hubs slant in mutually complementary circumferential directions to form re-entrant capturing recesses for receiving the teeth of the other hub thereby to provide simultaneously both positive angular engagement between hubs and axial retention of the toy to the winding mechanism.

Claim 20

The combination as defined in claim 17 wherein said tension spring means is connected to said gear segment on the opposite side of its axis of rotation from its pivotal connection to said handle.