Toy vehicle and launcher

Claim 2

A toy vehicle and launcher therefor, comprising, in combination, a hollow vehicle body having ground engageable wheels rotatably mounted in the body; a flywheel motor mounted in said body in driving engagement with at least one of said ground engageable wheels; and a rotary drive member mounted in said body and operatively connected to said flywheel to rotate the flywheel when the drive member is rotated; and a launching platform for said vehicle including a base, means on said base for supporting said vehicle with at least one ground engageable wheel in an elevated position out of engagement with the base at a higher level than the other of said ground engageable wheels and for limiting the direction of movement of the vehicle off the launching platform to the driving direction of said one ground engageable wheel, and separate drive means for simultaneously rotating said drive member and for urging said vehicle in a direction opposite to its driving direction and into engagement with said supporting means on the base with said one ground engageable wheel in its elevated position during such rotation, said drive means being adapted to automatically release said vehicle from engagement with said supporting means when the drive to said drive member is stopped, whereby said flywheel is rotated and energized by said drive means and said vehicle is automatically released by said drive means when said flywheel is energized.

Claim 3

A toy vehicle and launcher therefor, comprising, in combination, a hollow vehicle body having ground engageable wheels rotatably mounted in the body; a flywheel motor mounted in said body in driving engagement with at least one of said ground engageable wheels; and a rotary drive member mounted in said body and operatively connected to said flywheel to rotate the flywheel when the drive member is rotated; and a launching platform for said vehicle including a base, means on said base for supporting said vehicle with at least one ground engageable wheel in an elevated position out of engagement with the base at a higher level than the other of said ground engageable wheels and for limiting the direction of movement of the vehicle off the launching platform to the driving direction of said one ground engageable wheel, and separate drive means for simultaneously rotating said drive member and for urging said vehicle in a direction opposite to its driving direction and into engagement with said supporting means on the base with said one ground engageable wheel in its elevated position during such rotation, said drive means being adapted to automatically release said vehicle from engagement with said supporting means when the drive to said drive member is stopped, whereby said flywheel is rotated and energized by said drive means and said vehicle is automatically released by said drive means when said flywheel is energized.

Claim 4

A toy vehicle and launcher therefor, comprising, in combination, a hollow vehicle body having ground engageable wheels rotatably mounted in the body; a flywheel motor mounted in said body in driving engagement with at least one of said ground engageable wheels; and a rotary drive member mounted in said body and operatively connected to said flywheel to rotate the flywheel when the drive member is rotated; and a launching platform for said vehicle including a base, means on said base for supporting said vehicle with at least one ground engageable wheel in an elevated position out of engagement with the base at a higher level than the other of said ground engageable wheels and for limiting the direction of movement of the vehicle off the launching platform to the driving direction of said one ground engageable wheel, and separate drive means for simultaneously rotating said drive member and for urging said vehicle in a direction opposite to its driving direction and into engagement with said supporting means on the base with said one ground engageable wheel in its elevated position during such rotation, said drive means being adapted to automatically release said vehicle from engagement with said supporting means when the drive to said drive member is stopped, whereby said flywheel is rotated and energized by said drive means and said vehicle is automatically released by said drive means when said flywheel is energized.

Claim 5

A toy vehicle and launcher therefor comprising, in combination, a hollow vehicle body having a plurality of ground engageable wheels including at least one drive wheel; a flywheel motor mounted in said body in driving engagement with said drive wheel, and an energizer gear rotatably mounted in said body and operatively connected to said flywheel to rotate the flywheel upon rotation of the energizer gear; and a launching platform for said vehicle including a bAse, means on said base for supporting said vehicle body with said drive wheel in an elevated position above the base and at a higher elevation than at least one of the other wheels of the vehicle; and a rotatable drive gear mounted in said base for driving engagement with said energizer gear and located to engage said energizer gear at a position wherein continuous rotation of the drive gear in a predetermined direction, selected to cause said energizer gear to rotate in the driving direction of the drive wheel, will simultaneously rotate said energizer gear and hold said vehicle on the base in its elevated position; the meshing engagement of the drive gear and energizer gear during rotation of the drive gear in said predetermined direction urging said vehicle''a body in a direction opposite to the driving direction of said drive wheel, thereby to hold the vehicle in engagement with said supporting means on the base as long as said energizer gear is rotated.

Claim 6

A toy vehicle and launcher therefor comprising, in combination, a hollow vehicle body having a plurality of ground engageable wheels including at least one drive wheel; a flywheel motor mounted in said body in driving engagement with said drive wheel, and an energizer gear rotatably mounted in said body and operatively connected to said flywheel to rotate the flywheel upon rotation of the energizer gear; and a launching platform for said vehicle including a bAse, means on said base for supporting said vehicle body with said drive wheel in an elevated position above the base and at a higher elevation than at least one of the other wheels of the vehicle; and a rotatable drive gear mounted in said base for driving engagement with said energizer gear and located to engage said energizer gear at a position wherein continuous rotation of the drive gear in a predetermined direction, selected to cause said energizer gear to rotate in the driving direction of the drive wheel, will simultaneously rotate said energizer gear and hold said vehicle on the base in its elevated position; the meshing engagement of the drive gear and energizer gear during rotation of the drive gear in said predetermined direction urging said vehicle''a body in a direction opposite to the driving direction of said drive wheel, thereby to hold the vehicle in engagement with said supporting means on the base as long as said energizer gear is rotated.

Claim 7

The toy as defined in claim 2 wherein said energizer gear is mounted in said vehicle body for rotation in a vertical plane about a horizontal axis of rotation and said drive gear is located to engage said energizer gear at a peripheral position below the axis of rotation of the energizer gear.

Claim 8

The toy as defined in claim 3 wherein said vehicle body includes at least one vehicle support member and said means for supporting said vehicle body comprises a supporting surface for supporting said support member and vehicle in said elevated position and an abutment surface for engaging said support member and limiting movement of the vehicle to the driving direction of said drive wheel; said predetermined direction of rotation of said drive gear being selected to cause said energizer gear to rotate in the driving direction of the drive wheel whereby the meshing engagement of said drive gear and energizer gear during rotation of the drive gear urges said vehicle''s body in a direction opposite to the driving direction of its drive wheel, thereby to engage said support member with said abutment surface and hold said vehicle on said base.

Claim 9

A toy vehicle and launcher therefore comprising, in combination, a hollow vehicle body having a plurality of gorund engagable wheel including at least one front wheel and at least one rear drive wheel; a flywheel motor mounted in said body in driving engagement with said drive wheel for driving said vehicle in a forward direction, and an energizer gear rotatably mounted on said body adjacent to an opening therein and operatively connected to said flywheel to rotate the flywheel upon rotation of the energizer gear, said energizer gear being mounted in said body for rotation in a vertical plane on a horizontal axis when the vehicle is in use; and a launching platform for said vehicle including a base having an inclined ramp extending from a first level to a second lower lever, support means on said base at said first level for engaging said vehicle body adjacent said rear drive wheel and supporting the rear of said body in an elevated position with said drive wheel out of engagement with the ramp and at an elevation above that of said front wheel, said support means including abutment means for preventing rearward movement of said vehicle on the base when supported in said elevated position while permitting forward movement of said vehicle off of said support means; a rotatable drive gear rotatably mounted in said base for driving engagement with said energizer gear when said vehicle is supported in said elevated position by the support means; and means for rotating said drive gear; said drive gear being located in said base to engage said energizer gear through the opening in said body at a peripheral position below the horizontal axis of rotation of the energizer gear whereby said drive gear, when rotated in a direction to cause rotation of said flywheel and drive wheel in the driving direction of the vehicle will hold said vehicle against said abutment means and on said suppoRt means while permitting said vehicle to move off of said support means down said ramp when rotation of the drive gear is stopped.

Claim 10

A toy vehicle and launcher therefore comprising, in combination, a hollow vehicle body having a plurality of gorund engagable wheel including at least one front wheel and at least one rear drive wheel; a flywheel motor mounted in said body in driving engagement with said drive wheel for driving said vehicle in a forward direction, and an energizer gear rotatably mounted on said body adjacent to an opening therein and operatively connected to said flywheel to rotate the flywheel upon rotation of the energizer gear, said energizer gear being mounted in said body for rotation in a vertical plane on a horizontal axis when the vehicle is in use; and a launching platform for said vehicle including a base having an inclined ramp extending from a first level to a second lower lever, support means on said base at said first level for engaging said vehicle body adjacent said rear drive wheel and supporting the rear of said body in an elevated position with said drive wheel out of engagement with the ramp and at an elevation above that of said front wheel, said support means including abutment means for preventing rearward movement of said vehicle on the base when supported in said elevated position while permitting forward movement of said vehicle off of said support means; a rotatable drive gear rotatably mounted in said base for driving engagement with said energizer gear when said vehicle is supported in said elevated position by the support means; and means for rotating said drive gear; said drive gear being located in said base to engage said energizer gear through the opening in said body at a peripheral position below the horizontal axis of rotation of the energizer gear whereby said drive gear, when rotated in a direction to cause rotation of said flywheel and drive wheel in the driving direction of the vehicle will hold said vehicle against said abutment means and on said suppoRt means while permitting said vehicle to move off of said support means down said ramp when rotation of the drive gear is stopped.

Claim 11

The toy as defined in claim 5 wherein said vehicle has a pair of outwardly and oppositely extending support bars adjacent said rear drive wheel and said support means comprises a pair of spaced wall extending vertically above said ramp and adapted to receive the rear of said vehicle therebetween, said walls having notches formed therein opening towards the direction of travel of the vehicle and adapted to receive said support bars therein, said notches providing support surfaces engaging said bars to support said vehicle in said elevated position and defining said abutment means.

Claim 12

The toy as defined in claim 5 wherein said vehicle comprises a two wheeled vehicle having said front and rear wheels and said flywheel is positioned in said body vertically between said two wheels to provide a gyroscopic action.

Claim 13

The toy as defined in claim 7 including a movable doll seated on said vehicle between said front and rear wheels and adapted to be moved between at least two positions on the vehicle thereby to vary the location of the center of gravity of the vehicle and vary the operational characteristics thereof.

Claim 14

The toy as defined in claim 5 wherein said energizer gear is coaxially mounted with said rear drive wheel and is operatively connected to the drive wheel for rotation therewith.

Claim 15

The toy as defined in claim 5 wherein said drive gear is mounted in said base for rotation in a vertical plane on a horizontal axis below said ramp, said ramp having an opening therein therough which said drive gear extends for engagement with said energizer gear.

Claim 16

A toy vehicle and launcher therefor comprising, in combination, a hollow vehicle body having a plurality of ground engageable wheels including at least one drive wheel; a flywheel motor mounted in said body in driving engagement with said drive wheel, and an energizer gear rotatably mounted in said body and operatively connected to said flywheel to rotate the flywheel upon rotation of the energizer gear; and a launching platform for said vehicle including a base, means on said base for supporting said vehicle body with said drive wheel in an elevated position above the base and at a higher elevation than at least one of the other wheels of the vehicle; and a rotatable drive gear mounted in said base for driving engagement with said energizer gear and located to engage said energizer gear at a position wherein continuous rotation of the drive gear in a predetermined direction will simultaneously rotate said energizer gear and hold said vehicle on the base in its elevated position; and energizer gear being mounted in said vehicle body for rotation in a vertical plane about a horizontal axis of rotation and said drive gear being located to engage said energizer gear at a peripheral position below the axis of rotation of the energizer gear; and said vehicle body including at least one vehicle support member and said means for supporting said vehicle''s body comprising a supporting surface for supporting said support member and vehicle in said elevated position and an abutment surface for engaging said support member and limiting movement of the vehicle to the driving direction of said drive wheel; said predetermined direction of rotation of said drive gear being selected to cause said energizer gear to rotate in the driving direction of the drive wheel whereby the meshing engagement of said drive gear and energizer gear during rotation of the drive gear urges said vehicle''s body in a direction opposite to the driving direction of its drive wheel, thereby to engage said support member with said abutment surface and hold said vehicle on said base.

Claim 17

A toy vehicle and launcher therefor comprising, in combination, a hollow vehicle body having a plurality of ground engageable wheels including at least one drive wheel; a flywheel motor mounted in said body in driving engagement with said drive wheel, and an energizer gear rotatably mounted in said body and operatively connected to said flywheel to rotate the flywheel upon rotation of the energizer gear; and a launching platform for said vehicle including a base, means on said base for supporting said vehicle body with said drive wheel in an elevated position above the base and at a higher elevation than at least one of the other wheels of the vehicle; and a rotatable drive gear mounted in said base for driving engagement with said energizer gear and located to engage said energizer gear at a position wherein continuous rotation of the drive gear in a predetermined direction will simultaneously rotate said energizer gear and hold said vehicle on the base in its elevated position; and energizer gear being mounted in said vehicle body for rotation in a vertical plane about a horizontal axis of rotation and said drive gear being located to engage said energizer gear at a peripheral position below the axis of rotation of the energizer gear; and said vehicle body including at least one vehicle support member and said means for supporting said vehicle''s body comprising a supporting surface for supporting said support member and vehicle in said elevated position and an abutment surface for engaging said support member and limiting movement of the vehicle to the driving direction of said drive wheel; said predetermined direction of rotation of said drive gear being selected to cause said energizer gear to rotate in the driving direction of the drive wheel whereby the meshing engagement of said drive gear and energizer gear during rotation of the drive gear urges said vehicle''s body in a direction opposite to the driving direction of its drive wheel, thereby to engage said support member with said abutment surface and hold said vehicle on said base.