US3774340A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
System for operating miniature vehicles
Assignee: Glass Marvin and Associates
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Filing: 1972-06-19
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Granted: 1973-11-27
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Expires: 1992-06-19
Abstract
Abstract A system for operating electrically propelled miniature vehicles along a roadbed having side-by-side current conductive lanes with substantially flush tread surfaces and for remotely controlling the vehicles in a manner to turn out and pass one another at the will of the operator as the vehicles are transferred freely from one lane to another. A propulsion motor is mounted on the vehicle body by means providing limited fore and aft movement thereof relative to the vehicle body to effectively operate front steering wheels of the vehicle automatically in response to forward movement of the motor in response to the momentum of the vehicle when the current to the motor is suddenly cut. The motor is forced forwardly through a gear train connecting the motor to driving wheels of the vehicle due to the momentum of the vehicle when the current thereto is cut.
Inventors
- 👤 G Barlow
- 👤 N Kramer
- 👤 D Brand
- 👤 A Imatt
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 10:47
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63H; A63H18/00; A63H18/12; A63H18/16
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
237 words
A toy combination for operating electrically propelled miniature vehicles along a predetermined path and for remotely controlling the vehicles in a manner to turn out and pass one another at the will of the operator, said vehicles each including a body provided with at least one suRface engaging steering wheel turnable about a generally vertical axis for guiding the direction of movement of the vehicle, biasing means to urge said steering wheel toward a predetermined position to move the vehicle in a predetermined direction, at least one surface engaging driving wheel on said body, an electrical current responsive propulsion motor on said body for operating said driving wheel, a roadbed travelled by said vehicles and having side-by-side current conductive lanes with substantially flush tread surfaces permitting said vehicles to transfer freely from one lane to another, current collectors on said vehicles operatively connected to the respective propulsion motors and in conductive contact with at least a portion of either of said lanes, the improvement comprising steering actuating means operatively associated with said biasing means and including a mass mounted for fore and aft movement on and relative to the vehicle to operate said biasing means on forward movement of the mass relative to the vehicle body when the vehicle is slowed whereby said steering wheel may be turned solely by reducing the current to said propulsion motor through said current conductive lanes and said vehicle current collectors.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
237 words
A toy combination for operating electrically propelled miniature vehicles along a predetermined path and for remotely controlling the vehicles in a manner to turn out and pass one another at the will of the operator, said vehicles each including a body provided with at least one suRface engaging steering wheel turnable about a generally vertical axis for guiding the direction of movement of the vehicle, biasing means to urge said steering wheel toward a predetermined position to move the vehicle in a predetermined direction, at least one surface engaging driving wheel on said body, an electrical current responsive propulsion motor on said body for operating said driving wheel, a roadbed travelled by said vehicles and having side-by-side current conductive lanes with substantially flush tread surfaces permitting said vehicles to transfer freely from one lane to another, current collectors on said vehicles operatively connected to the respective propulsion motors and in conductive contact with at least a portion of either of said lanes, the improvement comprising steering actuating means operatively associated with said biasing means and including a mass mounted for fore and aft movement on and relative to the vehicle to operate said biasing means on forward movement of the mass relative to the vehicle body when the vehicle is slowed whereby said steering wheel may be turned solely by reducing the current to said propulsion motor through said current conductive lanes and said vehicle current collectors.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said mass includes said propulsion motor slidably mounted on and for limited fore and aft movement relative to the vehicle body.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
47 words
The invention of claim 2 wherein said propulsion motor is operatively connected to said driving wheel by a gear train whereby said propulsion motor is forced forwardly, through said gear train, due to the momentum of the vehicle when the current to the propulsion motor is broken.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
The invention of claim 3 wherein said gear train includes a pinion gear mounted for rotation with the driving wheel about a transverse axis, and a worm gear in mesh with said pinion gear and connected to the motor for rotation thereby about a fore and aft axis.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
67 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said steering actuating means includes said propulsion motor and engaging surface means connected to and movable with the motor, and said biasing means includes complementary engaging surface means whereby said steering wheel is turned in response to forward movement of the motor relative to the vehicle body through engagement of the surface means on the motor and on the biasing means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
91 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said steering actuating means includes forwardly facing engaging surface means on said mass and extending oblique to the forward direction of movement of the vehicle, and said steering wheel biasing means includes complementary rearwardly facing engaging surface means extending oblique to the forward direction of movement of the vehicle and engageable by the surface means on said mass on forward movement of the mass relative to the vehicle to urge the biasing means at least partially transversely to the vehicle to turn the steering wheel.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
87 words
The invention of claim 6 wherein the surface means on said mass is a forwardly facing dihedral surface having rearwardly diverging surface portions and the surface means on said biasing means is a rearwardly facing dihedral surface having forwardly diverging surface portions, and including means to shift the surface means on one of said mass and said biasing means to permit engagement of either diverging surface portion of each dihedral surface with that of the other and thereby provide for steering the vehicle in either transverse direction.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
86 words
The invention of claim 7 wherein said biasing means is operatively connected to a pair of steering wheels one on each side of the vehicle and said shifting means comprises lane bordering side wall means along the outer edges of the outermost lanes and engageable with the steering wheel on the respective adjacent side of the vehicle to urge the steering wheel inwardly sufficiently to insure that the dihedral surfaces will initially engage in such a manner as to steer the vehicle toward the opposite lane.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
The invention of claim 8 wherein said track is inclined downwardly toward each of said side wall means to facilitate holding the vehicle against the wall means when travelling therealong.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
The invention of claim 8 wherein said track has a relatively shallow groove within which one of said driving wheels travels to facilitate holding the vehicle against the wall means when travelling therealong.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
53 words
The invention of claim 8 wherein the portion of the track along said wall means which is travelled by the outermost driving wheel provides for less traction than the portion of the track which is travelled by the innermost driving wheel to facilitate holding the vehicle against the wall means when travelling therealong.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
The invention of claim 8 wherein a portion of the vehicle body comprises abutment means to limit the inward movement of a steering wheel relative to the body under the urging of said side wall means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
The invention of claim 1 including means for permitting turning of said steering wheel only toward the opposite current conductive lane.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
73 words
The invention of claim 1 including circuit means connected to a source of current and to said current conductive lanes and having circuit components operatively associated with said current conductive lanes and said vehicle current collectors so as to permit operators of a pair of vehicles to control the amount of current to the propulsion motor of a respective vehicle independently of the control of current to the motor of the other vehicle.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
203 words
A toy combination for operating miniature vehicles along a predetermined path and for remotely controlling the vehicles in a manner to turn and pass one another at the will of the operator, said vehicles each including a body provided with at least one surface engaging steering wheel, at least one surface engaging driving wheel, and a propulsion motor for operating said driving wheel, remote control means operatively associated with each of said vehicles to remotely control the speed of the propulsion motor, steering actuating means movably mounted on the vehicle body and operatively associated with the steering wheel and including a mass movable fore and aft of the vehicle, biasing means operatively associated with the steering wheel to urge the steering wheel toward a predetermined position to move the vehicle in a predetermined direction, and complementary engaging surface means on said mass and on said biasing means to move said biasing means and thus said steering wheel in response to forward movement of the mass relative to the vehicle body when the vehicle is slowed whereby the steering wheel may be turned solely by slowing the vehicle and permitting the mass to move forwardly under its own momentum relative to the vehicle body.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
203 words
A toy combination for operating miniature vehicles along a predetermined path and for remotely controlling the vehicles in a manner to turn and pass one another at the will of the operator, said vehicles each including a body provided with at least one surface engaging steering wheel, at least one surface engaging driving wheel, and a propulsion motor for operating said driving wheel, remote control means operatively associated with each of said vehicles to remotely control the speed of the propulsion motor, steering actuating means movably mounted on the vehicle body and operatively associated with the steering wheel and including a mass movable fore and aft of the vehicle, biasing means operatively associated with the steering wheel to urge the steering wheel toward a predetermined position to move the vehicle in a predetermined direction, and complementary engaging surface means on said mass and on said biasing means to move said biasing means and thus said steering wheel in response to forward movement of the mass relative to the vehicle body when the vehicle is slowed whereby the steering wheel may be turned solely by slowing the vehicle and permitting the mass to move forwardly under its own momentum relative to the vehicle body.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
27 words
The invention of claim 12 wherein said mass includes said propulsion motor slidably mounted on and for limited fore and aft movement relative to the vehicle body.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
48 words
The invention of claim 14 wherein said gear train includes a pinion gear mounted for rotation with the driving wheel about a transverse axis, and a worm gear in mesh with said pinion gear and connected to the motor for rotation thereby about a fore and aft axis.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
47 words
The invention of claim 13 wherein said propulsion motor is operatively connected to said driving wheel by a gear train whereby said propulsion motor is forced forwardly, through said gear train, due to the momentum of the vehicle when the current to the propulsion motor is broken.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
43 words
The invention of claim 18 wherein said propulsion motor is operatively connected to said driving wheel by a gear train whereby said propulsion motor is forced forwardly, through said gear train, due to the momentum of the vehicle when the vehicle is slowed.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
85 words
A miniature vehicle, or the like, which has a body provided with at least one surface engaging driving wheel and a propulsion motor for operating said driving wheel, control means on said vehicle for controlling an operating characteristic Of the vehicle, means mounting said motor on and for limited fore and aft movement relative to the vehicle body, and means operatively associated with the motor and said control means whereby the control means is actuated automatically in response to forward movement of the propulsion motor.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
85 words
A miniature vehicle, or the like, which has a body provided with at least one surface engaging driving wheel and a propulsion motor for operating said driving wheel, control means on said vehicle for controlling an operating characteristic Of the vehicle, means mounting said motor on and for limited fore and aft movement relative to the vehicle body, and means operatively associated with the motor and said control means whereby the control means is actuated automatically in response to forward movement of the propulsion motor.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
162 words
In a toy combination for operating electrically propelled miniature vehicles along a predetermined path and for remotely controlling the vehicles in a manner to turn out and pass one another at the will of the operator, said vehicles each including a body provided with at least one surface engaging steering wheel, at least one surface engaging drive wheel, and a propulsion motor for operating said driving wheel, a roadbed traveled by said vehicles having side-by-side lanes with substantially flush tread surfaces permitting said vehicles to transfer from one lane to another, and steering means for guiding the direction of movement of each vehicle from one lane to another, the improvement comprising control means for operating a vehicle so as to normally travel along said roadbed in either of said side-by-side lanes, including steering control means associated with said steering means providing for steering of the vehicle only in the direction of the opposite lane while traveling in either one of said lanes.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
162 words
In a toy combination for operating electrically propelled miniature vehicles along a predetermined path and for remotely controlling the vehicles in a manner to turn out and pass one another at the will of the operator, said vehicles each including a body provided with at least one surface engaging steering wheel, at least one surface engaging drive wheel, and a propulsion motor for operating said driving wheel, a roadbed traveled by said vehicles having side-by-side lanes with substantially flush tread surfaces permitting said vehicles to transfer from one lane to another, and steering means for guiding the direction of movement of each vehicle from one lane to another, the improvement comprising control means for operating a vehicle so as to normally travel along said roadbed in either of said side-by-side lanes, including steering control means associated with said steering means providing for steering of the vehicle only in the direction of the opposite lane while traveling in either one of said lanes.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
67 words
The invention of claim 21 wherein said roadbed has upstanding curbing extending therealong on opposite sides thereof, and whereby said steering control means is operatively associated with said curbing to sense on which side of the vehicle the adjacent curbing is disposed, which, in turn, senses the particular lane in which the vehicle is traveling, for steering the vehicle only in the direction of the opposite lane.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
46 words
The invention of claim 22 wherein said steering control means is conditioned by the adjacent curbing on either side of the vehicle so as to steer the vehicle from either lane only in the direction of the opposite lane when the steering control means is actuated.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3239963A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-11-26 | 1977-05-28 | 1977-11-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-11-26 | 1981-05-28 | 1981-11-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-11-26 | 1985-05-28 | 1985-11-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |