US3812933A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Energy storing drive means
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1971-04-20
•
Granted: 1974-05-28
•
Expires: 1991-04-20
Abstract
Abstract A first component in a drive is rotatable in one and in an opposite direction. A second component, such as a shaft, is rotatable also, and is connected with energy storing means which stores energy when the second component rotates. A transmission is provided which connects the first and second components to rotate the second when the first rotates. The transmission has a first branch provided with a first device which transmits motion from the first component to the second component only when the first component rotates in one direction but will not transmit such motion when this first component rotates in the opposite direction, and there is further provided in the transmission a second branch having a second device which transmits motion to the second component only when the first component rotates in the opposite direction but will not transmit motion when the first component rotates in the first direction.
Inventors
- 👤 Helmut Darda
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 08:34
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63H; A63H29/00; A63H29/02; A63H29/04; F; F03; F03G; F03G1/00; F03G1/02; F03G1/022
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 39
Claim 1
Independent Claim
139 words
A drive, particulary for mobile toys, comprising a first component rotatable in one and in an opposite direction; a second component rotatable in a predetermined direction; energy storing means connected with said second component and adapted to store energy in response to rotation thereof in said predetermined direction; and transmission means associated with said components for effecting rotation of said second component in said predetermined direction, said transmission means comprising a first branch including first means adapted to link said components for transmission of motion from said first to said second component only in response to rotation of the former in said one direction, and a second branch including second means adapted to link said components for transmission of motion from said first to said second component only in response to rotation of the former in said opposite direction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
139 words
A drive, particulary for mobile toys, comprising a first component rotatable in one and in an opposite direction; a second component rotatable in a predetermined direction; energy storing means connected with said second component and adapted to store energy in response to rotation thereof in said predetermined direction; and transmission means associated with said components for effecting rotation of said second component in said predetermined direction, said transmission means comprising a first branch including first means adapted to link said components for transmission of motion from said first to said second component only in response to rotation of the former in said one direction, and a second branch including second means adapted to link said components for transmission of motion from said first to said second component only in response to rotation of the former in said opposite direction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
A drive as defined in claim 1, wherein said first and second components are rotary shafts.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
A drive as defined in claim 1, wherein said energy storing means comprises a resiliently deformable element.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
A drive as defined in claim 1, wherein said energy storing means comprises a coil spring.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
A drive as defined in claim 1, wherein said branches comprise a plurality of components at least one of which is common to both said first and said second branch.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
135 words
A drive as defined in claim 5, said first component being a rotary shaft; further comprising a first and a second pinion rotatably mounted on said shaft and cooperating with said first and second means, respectively, so as to be non-rotatably connected thereby with said shaft when the latter rotates in said one and said opposite direction, respectively; said one pinion meshing with one of said gear wheels when non-rotatably connected with said shaft; further comprising a direction-reversing pinion meshing with said second pinion and with the other of said gear wheels when said second pinion is non-rotatably connected with said shaft; and further comprising an output shaft driven by said output transmission and adapted to be rotated when the latter is coupled with one of said gear wheels and said spring releases stored energy.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
46 words
A drive as defined in claim 1, said energy storing means comprising a spring having spaced ends; and wherein said second component comprises two gear wheels each of which is connected with one of said ends; said branches each cooperating with one of said gear wheels.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
40 words
A drive as defined in claim 7; and further comprising blocking means cooperating with said gear wheels and operative for preventing turning of one of said gear wheels during turning of the other of said gear wheels, and vice versa.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
A drive as defined in claim 8, said blocking means comprising toothed wheels and cooperating pawls each cooperating with one of said toothed wheels.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
A drive as defined in claim 9, said pawls being elastic pawls normally out of blocking engagement with the respectively cooperating toothed wheel.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
48 words
A drive as defined in claim 10, each of said elastic pawls further comprising a flexible arm arranged to be displaced and tensioned for engagement of the respective pawl with the cooperating toothed wheel, and for assisting subsequent disengagement of the respective pawl from such cooperating toothed wheel.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
50 words
A drive as defined in claim 7; further comprising rotary-motion converting means cooperating with said transmission means and said gear wheels and operative for turning said gear wheels in mutually opposite directions of rotation in response to turning of said first component in said one and said opposite direction, respectively.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
45 words
A drive as defined in claim 12, said transmission means comprising a transmission gear arranged for meshing with one of said gear wheels; and wherein said converting means comprises a reversing pinion meshing with said transmission gear and with the other of said gear wheels.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
A drive as defined in claim 13, said reversing pinion comprising a shaft member and a pair of gear members fixed on said shaft member for rotation therewith.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
a drive as defined in claim 14, wherein said gear members are of identical size and configuration.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
34 words
A drive as defined in claim 14, said gear members comprising a larger and a smaller gear member; and wherein said larger gear member is laterally offset with reference to the cooperating transmission gear.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
38 words
A drive as defined in claim 13; and further comprising mounting means mounting said reversing pinion for displacement into and out of mesh positions with reference to at least one of said transmission gear and other gear wheel.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
84 words
A drive as defined in claim 17, said reversing pinion comprising a pinion shaft extending beyond opposite axial ends of said reversing pinion; and wherein said mounting means comprises a mounting frame having at least two transversely spaced apertures each accommodating an end portion of said pinion shaft and at least one of which is elongated in the direction in which said reversing pinion is to be displaced; and further comprising an operating member for displacing said reversing pinion in said one elongated aperture.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
77 words
A drive as defined in claim 17, said reversing pinion comprising a pinion shaft having spaced end portions; said mounting means comprising a bifurcated mounting element engaging said end portions and carrying said reversing pinion; further comprising a support pivotably supporting said mounting element for movement between a first and a second position in which said reversing pinion is respectively in and out of mesh; and biasing means permanently urging said mounting element to said second position.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
98 words
A drive as defined in claim 19, said gear wheels being mounted on a common axle, and said transmission gear comprising a pair of pinions which have a joint axis of rotation, an imaginary line passing through said pinion shaft and said common axle including a predetermined angle with an imaginary line passing through said pinion shaft and said joint axis of rotation; and wherein said bifurcated mounting element is pivotable about a pivot axis which is located at a side of said pinion shaft remote from said gear wheels and on a line bisecting said predetermined angle.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
77 words
A drive as defined in claim 20, said mounting element comprising a pair of journals for said pivot shaft and at least one of which is a slot-shaped aperture; said mounting element comprising an arm provided with a projection which is slidably received in a slotted aperture of said support and so oriented with reference to said gear wheels that when said mounting element is in said second position, said reversing pinion is in said mesh position.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
21 words
A drive as defined in claim 21, said biasing means comprising a biasing spring bearing upon said support and said projection.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
34 words
A drive as defined in claim 21; further comprising an abutment provided in said slotted aperture and adapted to engage and support said projection when said mounting element is in said first position thereof.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
25 words
A drive as defined in claim 17; and further comprising biasing means permanently tending to displace said reversing pinion to said out of mesh position.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
48 words
A drive as defined in claim 7; further comprising an output transmission normally uncoupled from said gear wheels; coupling means for coupling said output transmission with one of said gear wheels when desired; and decoupling means permanently tending to de-couple said output transmission from said one gear wheel.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
41 words
A drive as defined in claim 25; further comprising detent means cooperating with one of said gear wheels for preventing turning of the same when energy stored in said spring is to be reLeased via the other of said gear wheels.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
138 words
A drive as defined in claim 26, said first component being a rotary shaft having end portions carrying respective vehicle wheels; further comprising a first and a second pinion rotatably mounted on said shaft and cooperating with said first and second means, respectively, so as to be non-rotatably connected thereby with said shaft when the latter rotates in said one and said opposite direction, respectively; one of said pinions being in motion-transmitting connection with one of said gear wheels; and further comprising engaging means operative for effecting motion-transmitting engagement of said pinions each with one of said gear wheels, and of one of said pinions with a reversing pinion meshing with one of said gear wheels so as to tension said spring from both of said ends thereof irrespective of the direction of rotation of said first component.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
111 words
A drive as defined in claim 27; further comprising a first frame carrying at least said spring, said second component and said reversing pinion; a second frame carrying said rotary shaft and at least some elements of said transmission means and being pivotable relative to said first frame to a position in which said pinions engage said gear wheels and said reversing pinion and said output transmission is de-coupled from said one gear wheel; and further comprising biasing means permanently urging said second frame to a second position in which said pinions are out of engagement with said gear wheels and said output transmission is coupled with said one gear wheel.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
72 words
A drive as defined in claim 7; further comprising an output transmission for release of energy stored by said spring and having an output shaft, a pair of pinions one of which has a number of gear teeth greater than the other and which pinions are connected for joint rotation in at least one direction; and wherein said gear wheels are of different sizes and each mesh with one of said pinions.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
103 words
A drive as defined in claim 25, said first component being a rotary shaft; further comprising a first and a second pinion rotatably mounted on said shaft and cooperating with said first and second means, respectively, so as to be non-rotatably connected with said shaft when the latter rotates in said one and in said opposite direction, respectively; said one pinion meshing with one of said gear wheels when non-rotatably connected with said shaft; and further comprising a direction-reversing pinion meshing with said second pinion and with the other of said gear wheels when said second pinion is non-rotatably connected with said shaft.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
41 words
A drive as defined in claim 30, said coupling means being operative for coupling one of said first and second pinions with the associated gear wheel and with said output transmission when stored energy is to be released from said spring.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
55 words
A drive as defined in claim 1, said energy storing device comprising a spring having an end, and said second component comprising a gear wheel connected with said end; and wherein one of said branches comprises an even number of meshing gears and the other of said branches comprises an uneven number of meshing gears.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
74 words
A drive as defined in claim 1, said energy storing means comprising a coil spring having an outer end and an inner end; a hook provided on said inner end; said second component including a spring shaft carrying said spring; and an engaging portion on said spring shaft engaging said hook and maintaining the same connected with said spring shaft when said spring is tensioned, but releasing said hook when said spring is relaxed.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
52 words
A drive as defined in claim 1, said energy storing means comprising a casing having an inner wall, and a coil spring accommodated in said casing and having an inner end portion and an outer end portion, said outer end portion having an abutment portion adapted to frictionally engage said inner wall.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
56 words
A drive as defined in claim 34, said outer end portion haVing freedom of sliding movement over said inner wall in frictional engagement therewith; and further comprising detents on said inner wall extending transversely of the direction of sliding movement of said outer end portion and adapted to engage and cooperate with said abutment portion thereon.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
62 words
A drive as defined in claim 34, said spring having a first thickness and said outer end portion being bent back upon itself and forming a hook, said spring further comprising a spring section of second greater thickness retained in said book and extending from the same circumferentially of said coil spring, said spring section having a radially outwardly bent free end.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
86 words
A drive as defined in claim 1, said first and second means comprising a shaft, and each comprising an annulus of sawteeth mounted freely rotatably on said shaft with the sawteeth of one annulus being inclined in opposite circumferential direction to the sawteeth of the other annulus, and each further comprising respective springy detent elements firmly fixed to said shaft and engageable with the respective annulus upon rotation of said shaft in requisite direction for effecting concomitant rotation of the thus engaged annulus in said direction.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
36 words
A drive as defined in claim 37, said first and second means further comprising a hollow pinion mounted on said shaft, and said annuli and detent elements being provided in the interior of said hollow pinion.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-05-27 | 1977-11-26 | 1978-05-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-05-27 | 1981-11-26 | 1982-05-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-05-27 | 1985-11-26 | 1986-05-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |