GB486396A - Improvements in toy aircraft - Google Patents

Abstract

486,396. Captive toy aeroplanes. LIONEL CORPORATION. Nov. 2, 1937, No. 29974. Convention date, Jan. 4. [Class 4] [Also in Group XV] In a toy comprising an aircraft tethered to a fixed support and having an airscrew driven by a stationary electric motor to cause the aircraft to rotate about the support, the speed of the motor is controlled by varying the load on the motor by means of a friction brake. The arrangement is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1a. An electric motor mounted on the base of a pylon 10, Fig. 4, comprises an armature 23 of which the shaft 29 carries a gear 30 meshed with a gear 31 carried by a vertical shaft 32. Shaft 32, Fig. 3, is connected by a flexible shaft 39 and coiled spring 128 to a flexible shaft 126 driving airscrew 40. Concentric with the rigid shafts, flexible shafts and spring are sleeve 52 carrying a friction disc 50, a spring coupling 116, tubular drive shaft 117, spring coupling 118 and sleeve 11 which last is connected to the aircraft body in such manner that the assembly provides a rotatable constraint allowing the aircraft to fly round the pylon. Means are provided for accelerating or retarding the rotation of tubular shaft 50 to cause the aircraft to perform evolutions such as loops. These means comprise an axially movable transverse shaft 46 driven off shaft 32 and carrying friction wheels 48, 49 either of which can be engaged with disc 50 by operation of hand lever 61. The motor control comprises a friction brake 77 carried by a pivoted arm 75 and urged by a spring 79 to engage a drum 78 fast on shaft 32, and a switch 71. These are controlled from a hand lever 60 by a wire 62 connected to a Z-shaped sliding member 64, Fig. 4, normally held in the position shown, i.e. switch off, brake on, by a spring 65. Up-turned end 69 of member 64 engages an oscillatory switch operating element 70 for actuating a movable contact 70<1>, Fig. 4b. Horizontal portion 72 of member 64 is surrounded by a coiled spring 73 which engages forked end 74 of brake arm 75 when member 64 is moved to actuate the switch. Further movement of member 64 causes spring 72 to oppose spring 79 and reduce the braking torque permitting the electric motor to run at increased revolutions. Full motor speed is attained when member 64 is moved sufficiently to bring ears 80 formed thereon into contact with fork 74. The friction wheel shifting mechanism comprises a member 90 connected to lever 61 and spring urged to the right-hand side of Fig. 4. Collars 93, 94, Fig. 7, are located on member 90 by ears 95 and are spring urged to grip a projection 96 formed on rocking lever 97 the upper end of which carries a yoke 99, Fig. 1a, engaging axle 46. The pylon is provided at its upper end with a turn-table carrying adjustable spring means serving to sustain most of the weight of the aeroplane.