US3528193A - Dismountable moving toy - Google Patents

Description

Sept. l5, 1970 KAzuMl YAMAKAWA 3,528,193 DISMOUNTABLE MOVING TOY FiledJune 8, 1967 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNvE'NToR knzum YAM/Kaw 'Dpt 15, 1970 KAzUMi YAMAKAWA 3,523,193

DISMOUNTABLE MOVING TOY Filed June 8, 1968 I 5 Sheets-Sheet n 1N venron Knzum Ynmunun www Sept. l5, 1970 lKAzuMl YAMAKAWA 3,528,193

' y DIsMouNTABLE MOVING Toy Filed June 8, 1968 3 Sheets-511691?I :5

lNvENToR KHZum YHMnkm/n knuf y United States Patent i 3,528,193 DISMOUNTABLE MOVING TOY Kazumi Yamakawa, Tomy Kogyo Co. Ltd., 10, 9, 7-chome, Tateish, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo, Japan Filed June 8, 1967, Ser. No. 644,579 Claims priority, application Japan, Nov. 25, 1966, 41/ 107,804 Int. Cl. A63h 33/06 U.S. Cl. 46-17 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A dismountable moving toy comprising a lbody composed of a pair of molded hollow sections which are secured together by a plurality of bolts and nuts, a power means and a plurality of toothed wheels mounted in the body, and wheel assemblies mounted on the body, and characterized in that the toy can be readily disassembled and reassembled by children.

This invention relates to a toy, and more particularly to a novel moving toy comprising a body composed of two hollow sections formed of transparent plastic material and secured together by a plurality of bolts and nuts made of plastic material, motor means and a plurality of toothed wheels in said body, a plurality of axles and wheels, etc., and characterized in that it can -be readily disassembled and reassembled by children.

It can be said, in general, that children have a considerably high destructive instinct in comparison with adults and that they get soon wearied of their belongings, especially of their toys. Consequently, even if they are pre* sented nice toys, for example, battery operated high-grade toy vehicles, they get soon tired of them and tend to destroy or at least throw them away. However, they also have an intellectual desire and a creative instinct which is contrary to the destructive instinct, and sometimes take a keen interest in learning what the internal mechanism of a toy is like or happen to feel like making up something they have in their mind.

In order to ensure sound growth of children, it is desirable to provide them with such toys which can satisfy their desire or psychology as stated above. In other words from the psychological viewpoint, it is desirable to furnish them with such toys as can simultaneously satisfy both their destructive and creative instincts,

Innumerable kinds of moving toys have heretofore been developed and marketed, but there has been no moving toy which can simultaneously satisfy such instincts.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a dismountable moving toy which meet these desiderata.

Another object of the present invention is to provide entertainment and amusement for children by providing a disrnountable moving toy which is rich in play value.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a moving toy which can be readily disassembled and reassembled by children so that their engineering knowledge may be cultivated through the practice of assembling and disassembling the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dismountable moving toy that is simple in construction and operation, safe to handle and attractive in appearance.

3,52893 Patented Sept. l5, 1970 Yet another object of the invention is to provide a dismountable moving toy of the kind described above which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

These and other objects and features of this invention will be more evident upon consideration of the following, detailed description and drawings, in which;

FIG. l is a perspective View of one form of assembled moving toy, in the form of a locomotive, embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the toy locomotive shown in FIG. 1, from which some parts have been dismounted;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing one section of the body of the locomotive and the internal mechanism parts to be assembled;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a spanner which is an accessory designed for use in connection with assembling and dsassmbling the moving toys according to the invention and with energizing a spring motor mounted therein;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a power pack in which a battery, a battery-operated motor and driving gear are disposed, and which is a substitute yfor the spring motor type power pack employed in the embodiment shown in FIGS. l to 3; FIG. 6 is a side sectional View of the power pack in FIG. 5, illustrating the internal mechanism thereof;

FIG. 7 is a perspective View of another embodiment of the present invention as applied to a toy bulldozer; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention as applied to a toy mixer truck.

Referring in detail to FIGS. l to 3, there is shown a preferred form of a toy locomotive as one embodiment a body 10 formed of any suitable transparent plastic material. The body 10 is composed of two molded hollowA sections 12 and 13 which are symmetrical to each other and are secured together by means of bolts 27, 28, 29 and nuts 50, 51, 52.

Each section is integrally formed with inwardly protruding cylindrical support bearings 14, 15, 16, 17 adapted to support shafts 53', 54', 55', 56 of toothed wheels 53, 54, 55, 56 and is provided with circular apertures 20, 21, 31, 32, 34 and semi-circular tapped holes 35, 36 which form circular tapped holes 36' when the sections 12, 13 are secured together. Section 12 of the body 10 is provided with inwardly protruding lugs 23 which define a section for supporting a power pack or means 22. The apertures 21, 31, 32 are adapted to receive the bolts 29, 27, 28, respectively, for interlocking the sections 12, 13. Into the circular apertures 20, 21 are journaled axles 18, 19 respectively. Into the apertures 34 is inserted a bolt 30 which is adapted to engaged a cut-out portion 24 of an engine hood 24 and cooperates with nut 43 for attaching engine hood to the front portion of the body 10, and into the tapped hole 35 is screwed a funnel 25 with threaded portion 25. The other tapped hole 36 is for fa screw 36', which is brought into threaded engagement therewith by way of a circular aperture 26 of the roof 26 for attaching the latter to the body 10.

The power means 22 comprises a casing 37, a conventional spring motor means therein. A spring-Winder 38 and a driving shaft are projecting outwardly through a side wall of the casing, said shaft having on its outer end a pinion 41. A switch lever 39 for the spring motor is projecting upwardly through the upper wall of the casing 37 and an aperture 39' of the body 10.

Each axle 18, 19 has its end portions threaded and is xedly mounted thereon a pair of wheels 49, 44 by means of stop projections 18', 19' and nuts 47, 48 which are adapted to engage said threaded portions respectively. The axle 18, 19 may have flanges 18", 19" respectively, as shown in FIG. 3, so that the axles will not axially slide. Each of the rear wheels 44, which are driving wheels, is provided on its arm with an outwardly projecting pin 45 having a threaded end portion with which a nut 42 is engaged. A piston rod 46 has at its one end a circular aperture and is rotatably secured by the pin 45 passing through the aperture and by the nut 42. While, the other end of the rod passes through an opening 46' of the engine hood 24. Accordingly, when the rear wheels 44 rotate, the, piston rod has a reciprocating action.

When the locomotive is assembled, the pinion 41 is brought into mesh with a toothed wheel 57 fixedly mounted on the rear axle 19 and with the toothed wheel 56.

The locomotive thus assembled can be readily disassembled into pieces by removing, as will be described hereunder, the aforementioned fastening members including axles 18, 19.

First, the piston rod 46 is detached by removing the nut 42 and next, the engine hood 24 is detached by removing the nut 43 and the bolt 30. Subsequently, the wheels 49, 44 are detached by removing the nuts 47, 48 out of the iaxles 18, 19. As the nuts 50, 51, 52 are removed and the bolts 27, 28, 29 are pulled out, the sections 12, 13 can be easily separated from each other. As the sections are separated, the toothed wheels 53, 54, 55, 56 respectively supported by the bearings 14, 15, 16, 17 are automatically removed and, at the same time, the power means 22 and the front and rear axles 18, 19 are ready to be detached. The funnel 25 and the roof 26 can be readily unscrewed irrespective of the aforementioned dismantling order.

In order to reassemble the parts, thus disassembled into the locomotive, one has only to put them together in the reverse order. To enable children to quickly and easily reassemble the parts, it is desirable that the parts to be coupled each other, such as a bolt and nut, a bolt and an aperture therefor, a shaft and a bearing therefor, etc. be color-coded respectively. Moreover, it is desirable that the toothed wheels 53, 54, 55, 56 bolts 27, 28, 29 etc. be brilliantly colored so that they may catch the eyes of children through the transparent body i.

Although the toothed wheels 53, 54, 55, S6 themselves are idle Wheels, they will show attractive and dynamic action since they are driven by the pinion 41. If brilliantly colored, they will make the whole locomotive more attractive. Also, they may be provided on their respective shafts with suitable cam means capable of operating additional accessories, such as a bell, a figure, etc.

In operation, first, the winder 38 is wound up for energizing the spring motor in the power means 22. In this case the switch lever 39 is set on the off position. As the lever is turned to on, the motor starts to rotate the pinion 41 to transmit its power to the rear axle 19, causing the rear wheels 44 to be rotated for driving the locomotive forwards.

Referring to FIG. 4, the Spanner S is made in the form of a tool post wrench and is provided at the middle portion of its handle with a cylindrical portion 38" having a square socket to fit the spring-Winder 38. Also, the spanner is formed with an opening S1 and socket S2 lto fit the nuts employed in the toys so that it may be used for turning them.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, a power pack 22' comprises a casing 37 having upper and lower housings H, H', a miniature D.C. motor M positioned in said lower housing, a train of gearings, dry cells B in said upper housing, contactors 67, 67 in contact With said cells, and a switch lever 39" having a portion 68, said contractor 67' and said portion 68 being connected to the input ends of the motor respectively. The switch portion 68 is adapted to make electrical contact with said contactor 67, for completing a circuit to the motor. The train of gears comprises a pinion P lixedly mounted on the motor shaft, a crown gear C which is iixedly mounted on a shaft 70 and is in mesh with said' pinion, a pinion 69 xedly mounted on said shaft, a toothed wheel 71 which is tixedly mounted on a shaft 40' and is in mesh with the pinion 69, and a pinion 41' lixedly mounted on one end of the shaft 40' which projects outwardly out of a side wall of the casing 37'. The electrical circuit is closed and opened by manual operation of the switch lever 39". This electric motor type power pack can be substituted for the previously mentioned spring motor type power means 22. When the electric motor type power pack is mounted in the body, the toy vehicle can incorporate and operate additional accessories.

Referring now to FIG. 7, there is depicted a toy bulldozer having a body 10a formed of any suitable transparent plastic material. As in the locomotive, the body 10a is composed of two molded hollow sectionsy 12, 13 which are symmetrical to each other and are secured together by means of bolts 27, 28, 29 and nuts 50, 51, 52, and has therein a power pack and a plurality of toothed wheels, not shown.

As to the parts or portions of the bulldozer which correspond to or are similar to the parts or portions described above in respect of the locomotive, such as bolts 27, 28, 29, 30, nuts 50, 51, 52, 43, a switch lever 39, an aperature 39', an engine hood 24a, a funnel 25a, an axle 19, nuts 48, wheels 44a, 49a, etc., a detailed explanation will not be made hereunder to avoid repetition.

Different from the locomotive, the bulldozer is provided with a caterpillar belt 59 passing over the front and rear wheels 49a, 44a, said caterpillar belt being made of rubber material and having a roughened surface, as shown. A blade 60 has a pair of arms 60" with their rear end portions notched and being pivotably supported at the notched portions by a shaft 29a having at its end threaded portions with which nuts 52a are engaged. The front wheels 49a are provided on their arms with outwardly projecting pins 49'a respectively which are adapted to periodically engage lugs 60" inwardly protruding from the upper edges of the arms 60', so that when the front wheels 49a are rotated, that is, when the bullodzer s made to run, the blade 60 may be given an up and down movement. The processes of assembling and disassembling the bulldozer are the same as that of the locomotive.

Referring now to FIG. 8, the toy mixer truck has almost the same construction as that of the foregoing embodiments, except its mixer assembly.

To avoid repetition, the parts or portions corresponding to or are similar to those of the aforementioned two embodiments, such as a body 10b composed of two sections 12, 13, bolts 27, 28, 29, 30, nuts 50, 51, 52, 43, axles 18, .19, nuts 47, 42, wheels 49a, 44b, a hood 24b will not be described in detail.

As in the foregoing embodiments, the sections 12, 13 are transparent so that the internal structure including toothed wheels, not shown, may be seen from the outside. Also, toothed wheels corresponding to the toothed wheels 53, 54, 55, 56 in FIG. 3, and a power pack are, of course, detachably litted within the body 10b.

Indicated by numeral 61 is a mixer member which is longitudinally pierced by a shaft 65 supported at its ends by brackets 66', the end portions of the shaft being threaded and secured to upstanding ears of the bracket by nuts 62, 63 engaged on the threaded portions of the shaft. The bracket 26b is hingedly mounted on the body 10b, at the rear end of its base, by means of a bolt 27 and nut 50. As shown, within an opening formed in the base portion of the bracket 66' is positioned a crown gear 61". The crown gear is formed with a cylindrical wall with its upper and lower edges toothed. When the mixer member 61 is in normal position, a ring-like toothed portion 61 formed on the periphery of the mixer member is in engagement with the upper teeth of the crown gear 61" which is in turn in mesh with the last follower gear 53 of a train of gearings disposed in the body b. Thus, the motor power can be transmitted to the mixer member 61 via the train of gears, crown gear 61" and the toothed portion of the mixer member. Accordingly, when the mixer truck is made to run, the mixer member 61 is caused to rotate. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, the mixer member 61 is composed of two separable hollow sections formed of transparent plastic material, so that small individual members, for example colored balls 64, may be put therein and the member will have a rolling and bounding motion during rotation which may be observed. In the case of this moving toy, as distinguished from the foregoing two embodiments, the front wheels 49 are driving wheels and the rear wheels 4412 are idle wheels.

It is to be noted that, according to the present invention, almost all the necessary parts for assembling the moving toys are made of suitable plastic material, such as polystyrene, except a few parts which are essentially required to be other than plastic material, such as a spring for spring motor, switch members for electric motor means, and accordingly, the toys not only can be produced at a reasonable cost, but also be handled harmlessly and easily by children.

What is claimed is:

.1. A toy Vehicle, formed of separable parts capable of being disassembled and reassembled and being capable of propelling itself, comprising a hollow body member forming a chamber therein, said body member being composed of a pair of individual hollow sections symmetrically arranged about a plane of separation therebetween and formed of a transparent material so that the chamber of said body is visible from the exterior thereof, means separable from said hollow sections for securing said hollow sections together so that said sections can be disassembled and reassembled into said body member, each of said hollow sections having a number of apertures extending therethrough, and said means for securing said hollowI sections together comprising bolt members extending through certain aligned apertures in said hollow sections and nuts threaded onto said bolts for securing said hollow sections together, a plurality of bearing means integrally formed on the inner surfaces of each of said hollow sections, power means positioned within the chamber in said body member, support means integrally formed on one of said hollow sections for supporting said power means so that said power means can be removed from said chamber, a plurality of shafts removably and rotatably mounted in said bearing means within said hollow sections, a plurality of toothed wheels located within said chamber and each said toothed wheel integrally secured on a different one of said shafts whereby said toothed wheels can be rotated, said power means including drive means operatively engaged with at least one of said toothed wheels for imparting rotation thereto, a pair of wheel assemblies each comprising an axle and at least a pair of wheels being mounted on said body member, said axles of said wheel assemblies extending through other apertures in said hollow sections and the outer ends of said axles being threaded, said wheels being mounted on the outer ends of said axles exterior of said body section, and nuts threaded on the ends of said axles for removably securing said wheels in place, said power means through said drive means being operatively engaged with at least one pair of said wheel assemblies for driving said wheels thereof and propelling the toy along a supporting surface, a pinion mounted on said drive means, said pinion being disposed in meshed engagement with one of said toothed wheels for imparting movement thereto, and each of said toothed wheels being disposed in engagement with at least another one of said toothed wheels whereby the movement imparted by said pinion on said drive means effects a rotational movement of each of said toothed wheels, said means for securing said hollow sections together and said toothed wheels and wheel assemblies each being formed of a colored different plastic material, whereby upon removing said means for securing said hollow sections together and dismantling the wheel assemblies the movable toy can be readily disassembled and reassembled and the transparent character of said hollow sections permitting the observation of the driving action imparted by said power means located within the chamber in said body.

2. A toy vehicle, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said power means comprises an electric motor, a dry cell battery positioned within the chamber in said body member and means for selectively supplying power from said battery to said electric motor, said means including a manually operable switch lever extending exteriorily of said tbody member for selectively controlling the supply of power to said electric motor.

3. A toy vehicle, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said power means comprises a spring motor, a winding shaft extending from said spring motor through one of said hollow sections to the exterior of said body section for winding said spring motor, a switch lever operably engaged to said spring motor and extending through said hollow sections to the exterior of said body member for selectively operating said spring motor, said drive means operatively connected to said spring motor.

4. A toy vehicle, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the toy vehicle is a toy locomotive and comprises an engine hood member detachably secured to said body member and forming the forward end thereof, a funnel member removably attached to said body member on an upper portion thereof, a cab roof member removably mounted on said body member on the upper surface thereof and spaced at the opposite end thereof from said engine hood member, and simulated connecting rods movably supported at the forward end thereof within said engine hood member and eccentrically connected to said driving wheels of said wheel assemblies at the opposite end thereof for effecting a simulated reciprocating action when said driving wheels are driven by said power means.

S. A toy vehicle, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the toy vehicle is a toy mixer truck and comprises a pair of spaced brackets extending upwardly from said body member, a mixer member removably and rotatably supported on said brackets, said mixer member comprising a pair of separable hollow sections formed of a transparent plastics material, a crown gear operatively connected to said power means, said mixer member having gear teeth formed about a circumferentially extending section with said gear teeth thereof in meshed engagement with said crown gear for rotating said mixer member as said mixer truck is propelled by said power means.

6. A toy vehicle, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the toy vehicle is a toy bulldozer which comprises a pair of caterpillar belts each located along one side of said body member and passing over and around a wheel of each of said wheel assemblies, a blade member positioned on one end of said body member, a pair of arms each secured to said blade member and extending along one side of said body member with the ends of said arms remote from said blade member pivotally mounted on said ibody member, and crank pins projecting laterally outwardly from the wheels of said wheel assemblies located between the blade member and the point of attachment of said arms to said body member with said arms being located in the path of said crank pins as said wheels rotate whereby the engagement of said crank pins and arms cause a pivotal action for the blade member about the point of connection of said arms to said body section as the toy bulldozer is propelled along a supporting surface.

7. A toy vehicle, as set forth in claim 1, wherein a Spanner member is provided with the toy for use in removing and replacing said means for securing said hollow sections together, said Spanner being made of a plastics material and having an elongated grip portion, an opening formed by -at one end of said Spanner and a cylindrical portion formed as a socket at the other end thereof, said opening and said socket being arranged to engage and fasten or loosen the various means securing the toy together.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 983,717 2/1911 Huck 46-217 XR 2,131,877 10/1938 King 46-217 XR 2,332,718 10/1943 Hickling 46-17 2,540,317 2/1951 Baggott 46-223 XR 2,617,654 11/1952 Nolan et al. 46-17 XR 3,161,987 12/1964 Decker 46-40 3,224,137 12/1965 Wright et al. 46-17 XR 8 .Lindberg 35-13 Phillips 35-13 Milligan 35--13 Roehrl et al. 35-13 XR Goldenthal 35-51 XR OTHER REFERENCES Kusan Toycrafts 1966 Catalog, Mar. 10, 1966, AD

for Miss Pigtails Hand Mixer.

Kusan Toycrafts 1966 Catalog, Mar. 10, 1966 AD for lo IMiss Pigtails Floor Polisher.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner J. A. OLIFF, Assistant Examiner Us. c1. XR.

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