GB1451281A - Toy vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

1451281 Toy vehicles METTOY CO Ltd 10 Jan 1975 [28 Jan 1974] 03926/74 Heading A6S [Also in Divisions G4 and G6] A toy vehicle has a body, spring-mounted free running supporting wheels and a wheel that is rotated when the vehicle is moved along a surface with the body depressed relative to the supporting wheels, causing rotation of a first part of a sounding mechanism relative to a second part in order to make a noise, the second part being formed integrally with a body portion of the vehicle. The body of Fig. 1 is hollow die-cast and closed at the bottom by a synthetic plastics chassis plate 2. A moulding 6 forms the interior fittings and axle springs 5 for axles 3 carrying the supporting wheels 4. Fig. 1. In a first embodiment the first part of the sounding mechanism is combined with the associated wheel to form a flanged ratchet wheel 9 that is freely-rotatable in the body 1. The second part of the mechanism is a resilient tongue or needle 11 integral with a synthetic plastics chassis plate 2. The ratchet wheel 9 is normally clear of the supporting surface but depression of the body 1 on the axle springs 5 produces contact, the tongue or needle 11 remaining in engagement throughout. Fig. 5. In a second embodiment the first part of the sounding mechanism is a ratchet wheel 9 fixed to an axle 3 carrying wheels 4 that engage the supporting surface. The ratchet 9 and the tongue 11 are separated until the body 1 is depressed on the axle springs 5. Figs. 6 and 7. Additionally or alternatively to the previous embodiments may be provided a resonator arm 16 and stylus 15 operated by a disc 12 having a continuous double spiral recorded track 13, bevel gearing connecting the disc to the associated wheel, which also has the ratchet 18 if present. The ratchet wheel 18 may be mounted as in either of the previous embodiments so as to be either rotated only when the body is depressed or else only to engage the stylus 15 and tongue when the body is depressed. The resonator arm 16 may be moulded as an integral part of the chassis plate 2 or of the interior fittings moulding 6. A crown wheel or friction drive system may be used or alternatively a drum recording operated by a spur gear.