Claims
- 1. A combination comprising an electrically propelled miniature vehicle having a propulsion motor mounted with its shaft in a fore and aft direction, a track for the vehicle having current conductive means, the vehicle having current collectors cooperable with the current conductive means and connected to the vehicle propulsion motor to supply variable current of a single polarity to the motor, remote control means for the vehicle, the vehicle having steering means including at least one steerable wheel turnable about an axis for controlling the direction of movement of the vehicle, the improvement comprising remotely actuated steering means for the vehicle including means for movably mounting the propulsion motor on the chassis such that the reaction of the motor driving torque in response to an increase in current supply to the motor without a change in current polarity acts to tend to physically move the motor in its mounting so that the motor responds to a change in torque; and means including a cam surface mounted for movement with said motor providing a connection between the motor and said steering means whereby steering of the vehicle is effected in response to said change in torque as a result of an increase in current supply to the motor.
- 2. A combination as in claim 1 wherein said motor is mounted for bodily movement about an axis parallel to and spaced from the axis of the motor.
- 3. A combination as in claim 1 wherein the propulsion motor is mounted to provide for rotational movement of the motor about its own axis.
- 4. A combination as in claim 1 including driving means for wheels of the vehicle including a worm gear driven by the propulsion motor and a pinion gear driven by the worm gear.
- 5. A combination as in claim 1 wherein said steering means includes an axle member turnable about a vertical axis, said connection means including an actuating member carried by the propulsion motor.
- 6. A combination as in claim 5 wherein said steering means includes a steering post engagable by said cam surface on the propulsion motor.
- 7. A combination comprising an electrically propelled miniature vehicle, track for the vehicle having current conductive means, the vehicle having current collectors cooperable with the current conductive means and connected to the vehicle propulsion motor, remote control means for the vehicle including means for varying the amount of current supplied to current conductive means without changing the polarity thereof, the vehicle having steering means including at least one steerable wheel turnable about an axis for controlling the direction of movement of the vehicle, the improvement comprising remotely actuated steering means for the vehicle responsive to an increase in current supply to the motor including means for mounting the propulsion motor on the chassis in a manner such that the reaction of the motor driving torque acts to tend to physically move the motor in its mounting in the same direction the motor driving torque tended to move the motor before the increase in current supply so that the motor responds to a change in torque, and means providing a connection between the motor and said steering means whereby steering of the vehicle is effected in response to said change in torque, said steering means including an axle member turnable about a vertical axis, said connection means including an actuating member carried by the propulsion motor, said steering means including a steering post engaged by the actuating member carried by the propulsion motor when the motor moves as a result of increased torque, said steering post being mounted to have fore and aft movement, said actuating member being positionable to engage said steering post for moving it forwardly from its rearward position or rearwardly from its forward position in response to a change in torque.
- 8. A combination comprising an electrically propelled miniature vehicle, a track for the vehicle having current conductive means, the vehicle having current collectors cooperable with the current conductive means and connected to the vehicle propulsion motor, remote control means for the vehicle, the vehicle having steering means including at least one steerable wheel turnable about an axis for controlling the direction of movement of the vehicle, the improvement comprising remotely actuated steering means for the vehicle, said last means including the propulsion motor being physically mounted on the chassis in a manner such that the reaction of the motor driving torque acts to tend to physically move the motor in its mounting so that the motor responds to a change in torque, and means providing a connection between the motor and the said steering means whereby steering of the vehicle is effected in response to said change in torque, said stearing means including an axle member turnable about a vertical axis, said connection means including an actuating member carried by the propulsion motor, said steering means including a steering post engageable by the member carried by the propulsion motor, said steering post being mounted to have fore and aft movement, said actuating member being positionable whereby to engage said steering post for moving it either forwardly or rearwardly and means for prepositioning said steering post relative to said actuating member, which includes the axle member and a second member, means providing a lost motion connection between said axle member and second member, the steering post being carried by one of said members, the pre-positioning means having a part engagable with a side wall for turning one of said members whereby to position the steering post so that when engaged by the actuating member it is moved in a direction to turn the axle member in a direction away from the side wall.
- 9. A combination as in claim 8 wherein the steering post is carried by the said second member.
- 10. A combination as in claim 9 wherein the part engagable with a side wall is integral with the axle member.
- 11. A combination as in claim 9 wherein the steering post is carried by the axle member.
- 12. A combination as in claim 9 wherein the second member carries the steering post and has lost motion connections to axle member.
- 13. In a miniature vehicle of the type having a chassis, at least one driving wheel, at least one steering wheel and a driving motor for driving the driving wheel, said motor being mounted with its shaft parallel to the length of the vehicle, wherein the improvement comprises means for mounting the motor to permit angular movement of the motor about an axis in response to the torque developed by a current pulse of single unvariable polarity and of increased current supplied to the motor, and control means operatively associating the motor and said steering wheel for turning the steering wheel from one steering direction to an opposite steering direction in response to angular movement of the motor about the axis in response to said increased current pulse of unchanged polarity.
- 14. A vehicle as in claim 13 wherein the motor is mounted for angular movement about an axis which is parallel to the axis of the motor.
- 15. A vehicle as in claim 13, wherein the motor is mounted for angular movement about its own axis.
- 16. A combination for electrically operating miniature vehicles along a predetermined path and having means for remotely controlling each vehicle to steer the vehicle, each vehicle having a driving motor, a driving wheel, and steering means, a track for the vehicles having plural lanes and lateral spaced walls defining said lanes, said steering means having two extreme steering positions, one for a left turn and one for a right turn, control means responsive to electrical pulses of the same polarity for positioning said steering means in one of the two extreme steering positions, whereby the vehicles run along adjacent to one or the other of the side walls, said driving motor being mounted for physical angular movement about an axis in response to electrical pulses of the same polarity, said control means being operatively connected between the motor and the steering means to move the steering means from one extreme steering position to the other in response to an electrical pulse of the same polarity as the current previously supplied to the motor.
- 17. A combination for electrically operating miniature vehicles along a predetermined path, and having means for remotely controlling each vehicle whereby to turn the vehicle, each vehicle having a driving motor, a driving wheel, and a steering means, a track for the vehicles having plural lanes and lateral walls, the steering means having two extreme steering positions, one for a left turn and one for a right turn, control means responsive to electrical pulses for positioning said steering means in one of the two positions, the vehicles being so constructed as to run along adjacent to one or the other of the side walls when the said steering means is in either one of the two positions, the driving motor being mounted for physical movement in response to electrical pulses and the means providing connections between the motor in response to an electrical pulse moves the steering means to one position from the other position, said steering means including a steering post movable between two positions, a rotor cam having engagement with the steering post whereby angular movement of the rotor cam moves the steering post between the two positions, and said connections being constructed whereby physical movement of the driving motor moves the motor cam in angular steps.
- 18. In a combination for electrically operating miniature vehicles along a predetermined path and having means for remotely controlling individual vehicles whereby to turn the vehicle, each vehicle having a driving motor, a driving wheel and steering means, a track for the vehicles having plural lanes with lateral walls, control means responsive to electrical pulses for positioning the steering means in one of two positions for a left turn or a right turn, the control means including mechanism whereby an electrical pulse can position the steering means for either left or right turn, said mechanism including a guiding member carried by the vehicle in a position to engage a lateral side wall, the guiding member having a relationship with the steering means to be actuated for either a left turn or a right turn in response to an electrical pulse; said steering means including a steering post positioned to be engaged for making a right or left hand turn, and connections between said guiding member and said steering post whereby the guiding member positions the steering post for being actuated for either a right or left turn, said steering post being carried by a part of said guiding member.
- 19. A combination as in claim 18 including connections between the steering post means and the steering means.
- 20. A combination including a plurality of electrically powered controllable vehicles having propulsion motors, and at least one uncontrolled toy vehicle, a slotless track for the vehicles having current conductive means, said uncontrolled vehicle including means therein for driving it about the track at a relatively constant speed, said controllable vehicles having current collectors cooperable with the current conductive means and connected to the vehicle propulsion motors of said controllable vehicles, remote control means for said controllable vehicles only, said controllable vehicles having steering means for controlling the direction of motion of the controllable vehicles, said steering means including means responsive to electrical pulses of unchanging polarity transmitted through said remote means for causing the controllable vehicles to overtake and pass said uncontrolled vehicle operating on the track.
- 21. In a system embodying miniature electrically operated miniature vehicles which are remotely controlled, the system including a track for the vehicles having plural lanes and lateral walls and the vehicles being steerable to turn from a position adjacent one side wall to a position adjacent an opposite wall, a method of creating a race including the step of operating one additional obstacle vehicle on the track at an uncontrolled lower relatively constant speed than the other vehicles, and remotely controlling the other vehicles to steer around and pass said one vehicle whereby the controlled vehicles are restricted to passing the obstacle vehicle one at a time at a random time and location around the track circuit.
- 22. A toy vehicle game including a track, a plurality of controllable powered toy vehicles for use on said track, and at least one obstacle toy vehicle which is uncontrolled while on the track including means for driving the obstacle vehicle about the track at a relatively constant speed and separate means for driving the controllable powered toy vehicles along said track at variable controlled speeds and for changing the lateral position of said controllable powered toy vehicles on the track to enable said controllable vehicles to pass said at least one obstacle vehicle.
- 23. A toy vehicle game including a guide track and a plurality of controllable toy vehicles and at least one obstacle toy vehicle which is uncontrolled while on the said guide track having a width of sufficient dimension to define two vehicle lanes enabling two vehicles to move along the track in side by side relation; said obstacle toy vehicle including means for driving the obstacle vehicle along the track at a relatively constant speed; and said controllable toy vehicles including means for driving the controllable toy vehicles along said track at variable controlled speeds and for causing said controllable vehicles to switch lanes to enable said controllable vehicles to pass said obstacle vehicle.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 781,546 filed Mar. 28, 1977, now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 632,471 filed Nov. 17, 1975, now abandoned. The disclosures of said applications are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth herein.
US Referenced Citations (13)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
582698 |
Sep 1959 |
CAX |
1039899 |
Sep 1958 |
DEX |
Continuation in Parts (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
781546 |
Mar 1977 |
|
Parent |
632471 |
Nov 1975 |
|