GB907572A - A mechanical toy - Google Patents

Abstract

907,572. Toys. STIRNEMANN, G. Jan. 12, 1961, No. 1296/61. Class 132 (3). A mechanical toy comprises a car movable on a platform 1 and propelled by one or more magnets 5 or a carriage 6 below the platform and driven electrically, the direction of movement being adjusted by means of a stationary steering member, one or more magnets 4 on the car being in juxtaposition to the magnet or magnets on the carriage, the magnetic fields of the magnets coupling the car and carriage by their wheels 7, 8 and 9, 10 contacting the upper and lower surface respectively of the platform, for a rolling movement in unison, the steering member being in operative connection through a flexible shaft 23 leading to the carriage and to at least one pivotally mounted wheel of at least the car or carriage such that this wheel may be pivoted by means of the steering member. Driving mechanism on electric motor 43 on the carriage 6 drives the wheels 10 through gearing 44 to 47. Current from a control box 48, within a shrouded structure 3 supporting the platform 1, passes to a brush 55, slip ring 56, shaft 30, the flexible shaft 23, a shaft 22, a bush, to the motor 43, then through the carriage chassis, the wheels 10, the platform 1, the structure 3 to the box 48. A pedal 49 extending from the box and connected to a variable resistance varies the speed of the car. A lever 51 connected to a reversing switch 50 reverses the direction of drive of the motor. Steering mechanism. The steering wheel 36 rotates, through shafts 35, 33 and pairs of bevel wheels 34, 38 and 32, a shaft 30 connected to the flexible shaft 23 which connects with the shaft 22 connected to a magnet 24 on the carriage and a pinion 21. The pinion 21 drives through gears 18 to 20 a gear on the shaft of a bell-crank lever, one arm of which is the stub axle of the wheel 9 the other arm connects with the bell crank lever of the other wheel 9. Opposite the magnet 24 and on the car is a magnet 25 connected similarly by a pinion 26 and gears 27-29 to steering mechanism for the wheels 7. Alternatively the flexible shaft 23 may connect with the pinion 26 to steer the wheels 7 the means for driving the wheels 9 being omitted. To prevent applying a large torque to the flexible shaft, the shaft 35 drives through a slip clutch comprising the bevel gear 38, free on the shaft, and clamped between discs 39 and 40, the disc 40 being forced against the gear by a spring 41 abutting a collar 42. The shaft may also have stops limiting rotation.