Toy vehicle

Claim 1

An animated operator propelled toy wheeled vehicle, comprising: a unitary leaf spring member having a generally sinusoidal configuration including a raised medial portion, a pair of spaced apart depressed lower portions on opposite sides of the medial portion, and a pair of upturned terminal end portions; wheel support axels connected to the lower depressed portions of the leaf spring by bracket means, said axles having wheel means for rollably supporting the toy vehicle for movement over a supporting surface; a ratchet gear connected about each of said axles for concentric rotation with the respectively associated wheel means; a pawl member for each ratchet gear, secured to the depressed lower portions of said leaf spring adjacent the respective axles for engagement with the respective ratchet gears; an outer animated covering for said leaf spring, ratchet gears, pawls and axles, including a generally tubular expandable and contractable accordion-like sleeve portion enclosing said spring between said lower depressed portions, and a head portion and a tail portion connected to the ends of said sleeve portion and secured to and covering the upturned terminal end portions of the leaf spring; and an operator seat secured to the raised medial portion of said leaf spring and having a seat portion exposed on the exterior of the accordion-like sleeve portion of said covering; whereby deformation of the raised portion of said leaf spring in response to generally vertical forces exerted thereon by a child sitting on said operator seat will cause thrust to be alternately imparted to each of the axles connected to the lower depressed portions of the leaf spring for propelling the vehicle along the supporting surface, with all portions of the leaf spring camouflaged by said covering.