GB2151563A - A child's play cycle - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A plaything comprising a wheeled cart having a) a chassis; b) a plurality of support wheels mounted on and supporting the chassis on the ground, all except one of which are capable of castoring; c) steering means connectable to the said one of the wheels 26 to adjust the direction thereof, d) a drive wheel 48 adapted to engage the ground, e) drive means 58,60 to drive the drive wheel, and f) a lifting device 70,72,74, adapted to be operated to move the drive wheel from a driving position in which it engages the ground and a free position in which it is clear of the ground. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Plaything This invention relates to childrens play things.

According to the present invention there is provided a play thing comprising a wheeled cart having a chassis, a plurality of support wheels mounted on and supporting the chassis on the ground, steering means connectable to one of the wheels (hereinafter called "the steerable wheel") to adjust the direction thereof, the remaining support wheels being capable of castoring (by which is meant herein swinging freely about a mounting axis), a drive wheel adapted to engage the ground, means to drive the drive wheel and a lifting device adapted to be operated to move the drive wheel from a driving position in which it engages the ground and a free position in which it is clear of the ground.

The drive means preferably comprise a set of pedals which a child using the play thing can rotate and the pedals and are connected to the drive wheel via through a sprocket and chain drive.

One of the support wheels which castors is preferably located rearwardly of the remaining support wheels and the nearest rear wheels are so arranged relative to the centre of gravity of the plaything when it is carrying a child therein, that the child may cause the forward end of the plaything to be lifted and supported merely upon the aforesaid rear and most rearward wheels. The child will then be able to carry out the manoeuvre called "wheelies" which will give it the feeling as similar to that encountered when for example a motorcycle is moving on its rear wheel only.

The most rearward support wheel is preferably located with its axis above the plane containing the axes of the other wheels and, except when the plaything has its forward end lifted as mentioned above, does not engage the ground.

The drive wheel is preferably mounted on a sub-frame which is pivoted to the chassis at or near the front end thereof and preferably, where the drive means is a set of pedals, at the axis of the pedals. The lifting device preferably comprises a toggle linkage whereof one link is operatively connected to the subframe and the other link is movable by a lever.

The steerable means preferably comprises a set of handle bars, although a driving wheel or tiller may also be used, connected to a rotatable steering shaft. The steering shaft is preferably connectable to the steerable wheel through a slidble swivel connection permitting rotation of the steerable wheel through a substantial angle. The steering shaft is preferably connected to the steerable rearmost wheel through cable means.

The chassis also preferably carries a seat on which the child can sit. Preferably this seat is capable of adjustment on the chassis.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of a push cart of the invention, and Figure 2 is an underplan of the push cart.

Referring now to the drawings there is shown a child's puch cart 10 of the invention.

The push cart 10 comprises a tubular chassis 1 2 having a front arm 14, a rear substantially hexagonal frame 1 6 carrying a seat 1 8 as will be described and a connector 20 connecting the arm 14 to the frame 18. The front arm 14 is upwardly inclined and carries a bush 22 at its upper end. The shank of a front steering fork 24 carrying a steerable front wheel 26 at its lower end is rotatably carried in the bush 22. Steering handles 28 are provided at the upper end of the steering fork 24.

The frame 1 6 has a pair of parallel sides 30 joined by two pairs of connecting sides 32 and 34. A pair of swivel wheels or castors 36 are swivellably carried by the sides 30. A third supporting wheel 37 (referred to herein for the reason that will become apparant as the "wheelies wheel") which is of smaller diameter than the wheels 36 is rotatably carried between a pair of lugs end 38 at the junction of the rear sides 34 to be rotatable about an axis which is located above the level of the frame 1 6.

At the junction of the forward sides 32, a sub-frame 40 is rotatably mounted to pivot about an horizontal transverse axis.

The sub-frame 40 comprises a pair of support arms 42, the free ends of which are joined by a cross-shaft 46 rotatably carrying a drive wheel 48. The drive wheel 48 is of considerably greater diameter than the other wheels and is rotatable about a transverse horizontal axis which lies in the same plane as the axes of the castors 36. The drive wheel 48 also carries a fixed sprocket wheel 50.

At the junction between the connector 20 and arm 18 there is a large bearing 52 rotatably carries a drive crank shaft 54 having pedals 56 at its free ends and a drive sprocket 58. This sprocket 58 is connected via a chain 60 to the sprocket wheel 50 attached to the drive wheel 48.

A pair of inverted "U"-shaped tubular supports 62 extend between the sides 32 and 34. A slotted seat bracket 64 is provided at the base 66 of each support 62. The seat 18 is carried on a pair of pins at each end which engage in the slots in the bracket 64.

Pivotally carried by one of the supports 62a is an "L"-shaped lever 68 (not shown in Fig.

2). The shorter arm 70 is connected through a toggle link 72 to an upper end of a lifting link 74, the free end of which is connected to a low lug 76 on the sub-frame 40. The upper end of the link 74 runs along the underside of the base 66 of the support 62a. The crank arm 70 and attached links 72 and 74 form a toggle linkage and the base 66 provides a stop (not shown) is provided to limit movement of the lifting link 74.

The upper end of the lever 68 carries a hand grip 76 at a position convenient to a child sitting on the seat 1 8. By moving the lever 68 from a forwardly inclined position (as shown in Fig. 1) to a rearwardly inclined position, the lifting link 74 will be moved so that its front end advances and the subframe 40 will be lifted from a first (or ground engaging) position in which the drive wheel 48 is in engagement with the ground to a lifted second position in which the wheel is either off the ground or only lightly touching the ground. The configuration of the linkage and the friction at the various pivot points is such +kat the lever 68 will remain in its forwardly and rearwardly inclined positions when moved into such positions and the drive wheel will accordingly remain in its corresponding first or lifted position.

The push cart 10 is provided with suitable brakes (not shown) for the drive wheel 78.

In use, a child will sit on the seat 18, having adjusted its position as desired. The child will now move the handle 68 so that the drive wheel 48 is in its first position and engages the ground. The push cart 10 is now supported on the support wheels (i.e. the steerable wheel 26 and the wheels 36) as well as having the drive wheel 48 also on the ground as described.

The child will then pedal the cart 10 and steering it with the handle bars and using the brakes as desired.

When an adequate speed has been reached, the child may move the handle 68 to its rearwardly inclined position and the drive wheel 48 will be lifted off the ground. The cart 10 is now supported by the wheels 26 and 36 only. By suitable manipulation of the steering handle bars 28, and because the wheels 36 are capable of freely castoring, the cart 10 can now move about as desired and indeed rotating about its central axis. When the cart has stopped or slowed down, the child can again move the handle 68 so that the drive wheel 48 engages the ground and once more a driving force can be applied to the cart 10.

The location of the chair 1 8 and the wheels 36 are such that if a child moves so that his centre of gravity is well back, the push cart will tip backwardly and the wheelie wheel 37 will engage the ground so that the push cart 10 will now be supported on the wheels 36 and 37. The child will then be able to carry out the manoeuvre called "wheelies" which will give it the feeling as similar to that encountered when for example a motorcycle ismoving on its rear wheel only. If will be noted further that the child may move its weight about in chair so as to exercise a certain amount of control over the direction of movement of the push cart when executing the 'wheelies" manoeuvre.

Because the drive sprocket wheel is fixed on the drive wheel, the child can move the push cart forwardly and rearwardly as it wishes.

The invention is not limited the precise constructional details hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings. For example the chassis may be a peripheral chassis surrounding the entire area encompassed by the push cart. The wheelies wheel may be of sufficiently smaller diameter than the other wheels. Steering means may be provided whereby the wheelies wheel may be steerable.

Other steering arrangements may be provided to permit the steerable wheel to swing appropriately. Other lifting configurations may be provided to lift the drive wheel. An encompassing body may be provided to enclose and protect a child using the push cart.

Claims (11)

1. A plaything comprising a wheeled cart having a) a chassis; b) a plurality of support wheels mounted on and supporting the chassis on the ground, apart from one of which the wheels, the others are capable of castoring; c) steering means connectable to the said one of the wheels to adjust the direction thereof, d) a drive wheel adapted to engage the ground, e) drive means to drive the drive wheel, and f) a lifting device adapted to be operated to move the drive wheel from a driving position in which it engages the ground and a free position in which it is clear of the ground.

2. A plaything as claimed in claim 1 wherein the drive means comprise a set of pedals which a child using the play thing can rotate and the pedals and are connected to the drive wheel through a sprocket and chain drive.

3. A plaything as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein one of the said other support wheels is located rearwardly of the remaining support wheels and the nearest rear wheels are so arranged relative to the centre of gravity of the plaything when it is carrying a child therein, that the child may cause the forward end of the plaything to be lifted and supported merely upon the aforesaid rear and most rearward wheels.

4. A plaything as claimed in claim 3 wherein the most rearward support wheel is located so that except when the plaything has its forward end lifted, does not engage the ground.

5. A plaything as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the drive wheel is mounted on a sub-frame which is pivotted to the chassis.

6. A plaything as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the lifting device comprises a toggle linkage whereof one link is operatively connected to the sub-frame and the other link is movable by a lever.

7. A plaything as claimed in claim 6 wherein two toggle linkages are provided respectively connected to the sub-frame on opposite sides of the drive wheel.

8. A plaything as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the steerable means comprises a set of handle bars connected to a rotatable steering shaft which in turn is connected to the steerable wheel through a slidable swivel connection permitting rotation of the said wheel through a substantial angle.

9. A plaything as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the chassis also carries a seat on which the child can sit.

1 0. A plaything as claimed in claim 1 2 wherein the position of the seat on the chassis is adjustable.

11. A plaything substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.