US3613303A - Balloon power turbine toy engine - Google Patents

Abstract

A TOY VEHICLE OPERATED BY PNEUMATIC POWER FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROPELLING THE TOY FORWARDLY, AND COMPRISING A WHEELED VEHICLE UPON WHICH THERE IS SECURED AN INFLATED BALOON FROM WHICH COMPRESSED AIR IS FORCED AGAINST A TURBINE CONNECTED THROUGH A GEAR TRAIN TO THE DRIVING WHEELS OF THE VEHICLE.

Description

Oct. 19, 1971 H. ALLEN I 3,613,303

BALLOON POWER TURBINE TOY ENGINE Filed Nov; 18, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 19, 1971 H. ALLEN BALLOON POWER TURBINE TOY ENGINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 18, 1968 United States Patent Oflice Patented Oct. 19, 1971 3,613,303 BALLOON POWER TURBINE TOY ENGINE Herman Allen, 2020 Daron Place, Flint, Mich. 48505 Filed Nov. 18, 1968, Ser. No. 776,522 Int. Cl. A63h 17/00 US. Cl. 46-206 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toy vehicle operated by pneumatic power for the purpose of propelling the toy forwardly, and comprising a wheeled vehicle upon which there is secured an inflated balloon from which compressed air is forced against a turbine connected through a gear train to the driving wheels of the vehicle.

This invention relates generally to Wheel toys.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a toy vehicle which is pneumatically powered so to propel the vehicle for travel.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatically powered toy vehicle which includes an inflated balloon secured to the vehicle, the balloon delivering compressed air to a turbine that drives an engine to which the drive wheels of the vehicle are attached.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a balloon powered turbine toy engine wherein the balloon may be reinflated after each successive use of the toy.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a balloon powered turbine toy engine which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efiicient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the present invention showing a toy automobile with the balloon power device incorporated therewith;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation view of the engine as viewed from the rear;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the engine;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view thereof;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view thereof;

FIG. is a side elevation view of the air lock valve and mouthpiece;

FIG. 7 is another view thereof; and

FIG. 8 is an end elevation view thereof.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the reference numeral 10 represents a balloon power turbine toy engine according to the present invention wherein there is a toy vehicle 11 which may represent an automobile or any other wheeled vehicle and which includes a body 12 mounted upon front wheels 13 and rear drive wheels 14.

The rear drive wheels 14 are mounted upon an axle or shaft 15, the shaft being engaged with the engine 16.

The engine 16 is connected to a power source which in the present invention comprises a balloon 17, shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing.

The balloon 17 comprises an inflatable bag of rubber including a stretchable body 18 having a neck 19 that is fitted over a mouthpiece 20. The bag may be enclosed within a fabric shroud 21 which limits the amount of infiation of the bag so to prevent breakage thereof. The shroud 21 may be connected by means of cords extending from the neck thereof to a peripheral edge of the shroud, the shroud comprising a generally semi-spherical element around the opposite end of the bag.

The mouthpiece comprises a tubular member having a relatively narrower end 22 and a relatively wider end 23. The end 23 includes a radially outwardly extending flange 24 over which the neck 19 of the balloon is fitted so to extend around the body of the end 23 thus securing the balloon thereto. An air lock valve 25 is formed intermediate the opposite ends of the mouthpiece 20, the air lock valve comprising a rotatable cylinder within a housing, the cylinder having a transverse extending opening therethrough which may be aligned with a longitudinal opening extending through the longitudinal direction of the mouthpiece. The cylinder is connected to one end of a lever 26 which can be manually pivoted to operate the air lock valve between an open and a closed position. The end 22 of the mouthpiece is connected to one end of a tube 27, the opposite end of the tube being adjacent a side of a turbine wheel 28 having radially extending teeth 29 of battle configuration on one side against which the end of the tube 27 is directed, and which accordingly receives a blast of compressed air from the balloon to make the turbine Wheel rotate. The turbine wheel is mounted upon a shaft 30 supported in the side plates 31 of the engine. The shaft has a gear 32 mounted thereon which engages a first gear 33 upon shaft 34, which shaft carries a gear 35 engaging a gear 36 on shaft 37 which carries a gear 38 engaging gear 39 on the drive shaft 15 to which the drive wheels 14 are secured.

In operative use, the mouthpiece is disconnected from the tube 27 and a person or child blows into the mouthpiece to inflate the balloon. The air lock valve is then closed and the mouthpiece is again connected to the tube 27. The lever 26 is then pivoted to open the air passage through the air lock valve allowing compressed air to be delivered from the balloon against the teeth 29 upon the side of the turbine wheel which driving through the gear train causes the drive wheels 14 to turn. Thus the vehicle is propelled forwardly. By introduction of a clutch system, the wheel could be also made to travel rearwardly.

Thus there has been shown a balloon power turbine toy engine which could be used upon any type of toy vehicle whether it be used for travel upon land or upon water such as a toy boat.

While various changes may be made in the detailed construction, it is understood that such changes will be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as is defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A turbine powered toy, comprising:

a vehicle body having a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted thereon;

a compressed air powered turbine engine carried by said vehicle body;

a gear train operatively coupling said turbine engine to at least one of said wheels of said toy for rotating said one wheel when said turbine engine is supplied with compressed air;

a balloon adapted to store compressed air;

a tubular member mounted on said vehicle body and having one end disposed adjacent said turbine engine providing pneumatic communication between said turbine engine and said balloon to power said turbine engine whereby said engine rotates said one wheel; and

a tubular mouthpiece removably mounted on said vehicle body with one end of the tubular mouthpiece being removably secured to the end of said tubular member spaced from said turbine engine and the other end of the tubular mouthpiece receiving said balloon thereon.

2. A turbine powered toy as defined in claim 1, and including an air lock valve disposed in said tubular mouthpiece and movable between opened and closed positions for allowing compressed air from said balloon to pass through said tubular mouthpiece to said turbine engine.

3. A turbine powered toy as defined in claim 2, wherein said turbine engine includes a turbine wheel having a plurality of radially extending teeth, and one end of said tubular member is disposed adjacent said teeth of said turbine wheel for delivering compressed air thereto.

4. A turbine powered toy as defined in claim 2, wherein said air lock valve includes a cylindrical member within a housing, said cylindrical member having a transverse opening therethrough which may be selectively aligned with a longitudinal opening extending through said tubular mouthpiece, a lever having one end secured to said cylindrical member for manually rotating said member between its opened and closed positions, and the end of said tubular mouthpiece for receiving said balloon having an outwardly extending flange formed therearound.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner A. HEINZ, Assistant Examiner US. 01. X.R. 4644; 4-33

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