Toy car with auxiliary drive wheels

Claim 2

A battery operated toy vehicle comprising: a body; at least three wheels freely rotatably mounted on the body; a retractable undercarriage secured to said body and selectively movable between an operative and an iNoperative position; at least one driving wheel mounted on the undercarriage for movement therewith, a motor mounted in the body and drivingly coupled to said at least one driving wheel; a switch for connecting said motor to said battery; and means moving said undercarriage to its operative position and concurrently closing said switch and to its inoperative position and concurrently opening said switch.

Claim 3

A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a hinge connection between the undercarriage and said body; biassing means normally urging at least one driving wheel downwardly into engagement with the ground; and means responsive to said switch for retaining said undercarriage against downward movement when said switch is open.

Claim 4

A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a hinge connection between the undercarriage and the vehicle; biassing means normally urging said at least one driving wheel out of engagement with the ground; and means responsive to said switch for retaining said undercarriage against upward movement when the switch is closed.

Claim 5

A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein said last means includes: a cam coupled to said switch and arranged to co-operate with said undercarriage to retain said undercarriage against downward movement when the switch is open.

Claim 6

A toy vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said last means includes: a cam coupled to said switch and arranged to co-operate with said undercarriage to retain said undercarriage against upward movement when said switch is closed.

Claim 7

A toy vehicle according to claim 1, in which said motor is mounted on said undercarriage.

Claim 8

A toy vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said switch comprises: a switch contact on said body of said vehicle, said contacts being so arranged that said switch is closed only in response to movement of said undercarriage into said operative position.

Claim 9

A battery driven model vehicle, comprising: a body; a set of wheels secured to said body, said wheels being free to rotate; power means including an electric motor and a battery supported by said body; at least one driving wheel supported by said body; means coupling said electric motor mechanically in driving relation to said at least one driving wheel; positioning means for selectively positioning said at least one driving wheel into a first position in which said at least one driving wheel can be ground engaging and into a second position in which said at least one driving wheel cannot be ground engaging; a switch connected between said electric motor and said battery; and means responsive to said positioning means only while said positioning means is in said first position for closing said switch and to said positioning means only while said positioning means is in said second position for opening said switch.

Claim 10

A battery driven model vehicle, comprising: a body; a set of wheels secured to said body, said wheels being free to rotate; power means including an electric motor and a battery supported by said body; at least one driving wheel supported by said body; means coupling said electric motor mechanically in driving relation to said at least one driving wheel; positioning means for selectively positioning said at least one driving wheel into a first position in which said at least one driving wheel can be ground engaging and into a second position in which said at least one driving wheel cannot be ground engaging; a switch connected between said electric motor and said battery; and means responsive to said positioning means only while said positioning means is in said first position for closing said switch and to said positioning means only while said positioning means is in said second position for opening said switch.

Claim 11

A vehicle as claimed in claim 8, further comprising: a hinge connecting said positioning means and said body, said positioning means including biassing means normally urging said positioning means into said first position; and means to retain said positioning means in said first position when said positioning means is urged into said first position.

Claim 12

A vehicle as claimed in claim 8, further comprising: a hinge connecting said positioning means and said body, said positioning means including biassing means normally urging said positioning means to said second position, and means to retain said positioning means in said second position.

Claim 13

A vehicle as claimed in claim 9, further including: camming means; manually operable means having at least two positions for controlling said camming means, said manually operable means in one of said positions controlling said camming to oppose said biassing means and in another of said positions controlling said camming means to enable said biassing means to move said positioniNg means into said first position.

Claim 14

A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 10, further including: camming means; manually operable means having at least two positions for controlling said camming means, said manually operable means in one of said positions controlling said camming means to oppose said biassing means and in the other of said positions controlling said camming means to allow said biassing means to move said positioning means into said second position.

Claim 15

A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 11, in which is provided: means responsive to said manually operated means when operated from said other position to said one position for actuating at least one said camming means to move said at least one driving wheel into said second position.

Claim 16

A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 12, in which is provided: means responsive to said manually operated means when operated from said other position to said one position for controlling said camming means to move said at least one driving wheel into said first position.

Claim 17

A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 8, in which said switch comprises: a contact on said positioning means and a mating contact on said body, said contacts being so relatively positioned as to close only when said driving means is in said first position.