GB598787A - Improvements in automobile toys - Google Patents

Abstract

598,787. Steering devices for toy automobiles. HUARD, G. G., and ROGER, R. J. E. Sept. 10, 1945, No. 23277. Convention date, April 21, 1943. [Class 132 (iii)] An automatic steering device for a toy automobile or like toy is characterised by the mounting of a cam on a shaft driven by the motor of the vehicle or by an auxiliary motor, the said cam controlling a linkage acting on the steering. The front wheels 8, 9, Figs. 1, 4, are mounted on stub axles fixed on vertical pivots 12, 13 which rotate at their upper ends in the ends of a cross bar 14 and at their lower ends in a cranked cross bar 17. The cross-bars 14, 17 are secured to an inverted U-shaped piece of sheet metal 2 fixed on the chassis itself. Steering arms 19, 20 are formed solid with the pivots 12, 13 and are articulated to a coupling rod 23. One end of a bell-crank lever 25 is mounted in a slot in the rod 23, the other end being articulated to one arm of a second bellcrank lever 29 by means of a rod 28. The other arm is engaged with a cam 32 driven by the clockwork motor 5 by means of a reduction gear 33. The axle 34 of the rear wheels is also driven by the motor 5. The pivot of the lever 29 is mounted on a rocking lever 37 fixed on a pivot to the chassis, so that the engagement of 29 with the cam 32 can be broken. The other end of 37 is articulated at 40 by a buttonhole 39 to one end of a second rocking lever 41, which again is pivoted to the chassis, and the other end of which bears a finger 43 engaging in a semicircular slide 44 cut in the chassis. Manual movement of 43 to the other end of the slide puts the automatic control out of action. Bell-crank lever 29 bears a cam-shaped edge 45 which is engaged alternately with blade springs 46 and 47 secured at one end 48 to the chassis. These springs exert a pressure on the cam 45 to ensure that in the coupled position (Fig. 1) or in the uncoupled position there is no possibility of the wheels straightening up or locking over of their own accord. The control cam 32 is shown in Fig. 6. It consists of a disc with flange portions 53, 54 forming ramps which cooperate with a lug 55 on an arm 31 of the bell-crank lever 29. The cam is mounted on a horizontal spindle 56. An alternative form of control, such as a disc with a cam-groove in which the lug moves, may be used, in this case it must be mounted on a vertical spindle. The control cam may be detachably mounted so that if a series of different cams is supplied they can be interchanged to give a number of different runs. When the device is uncoupled, any means may be used to lock the front wheels manually, such as a rack 62 on the coupling rod 23 and a pinion 63 on the steering column. An alternative means, utilising a spring, is also described. Starting up and stopping may be controlled by a hand lever 68 placed close to the steering wheel (Figs. 1 and 9). A rod 71 is articulated to a point on the lever, and passes alongside the housing of the motor, round its rear and its flattened end 74 enters through a hole in the housing, which hole acts as a guide. Movement of the lever in the direction f causes the flattened end to engage in the toothing of a pinion of the motor, thus blocking its movement: on the other hand, movement of the lever in the reverse direction disengages the pinion so that the motor can turn freely under the expansion of its spring. The cam-controlled device may be fitted to any type of mechanical moving toy whether it is driven by clockwork, an electric motor, an elastic motor or the like.