Racing Car

Abstract

A radio control racing car having a resilient suspension system which is adjustable is provided. The wheels of the car are permitted to flex substantially independently of each other with a positive control provided for the amount of flexibility of each wheel. A motor mount is provided which permits the motor to be fixedly clamped into its desired operative position.

Description

The present invention relates generally to a radio control racing car and more specifically to a radio control racing car having an adjustable flexible suspension system and a motor mount for positively clamping the motor into its desired operative position.

Radio control racing cars are becoming increasingly popular. The cars are usually manufactured on a one-eighth scale wherein 11/2 inches is equal to one foot. There are numerous problems in the design of such cars which may be operated at speeds well in excess of 35 miles an hour.

Due to the small size of the cars and the high speeds which the cars attain, problems have arisen with respect to the suspension systems thereof and the means for accurately and positively clamping the motor therein.

In general, manufacturers of radio control racing cars have provided maximum rigidity for the chassis of such cars. Accordingly, sustantially rigid high-strength metals have been utilized in most prior art radio control racing cars.

Unfortunately, the rigidity of the chassis renders the racing car extremely vulnerable should the car hit a pebble, enter into a turn at maximum speed, bounce, or the like. Should the car crash or roll over at high speed, serious damage can occur to the structure of the car.

It is also important to insure that the motor is clamped or dogged firmly in the desired operative position so that a constant driving engagement for the wheels of the racing car can be provided.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved suspension system and motor mount means for a radio control racing car.

It is another object of this invention to provide a less complex radio control racing car suspension system which can accommodate bounces, pebbles, and like obstructions without permanent damage occurring to the car.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a radio control racing car which can provide for sustantially independent flexing of each wheel of the car.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a radio control racing car which includes a motor mount having an integral axle housing secured thereto and includes positive means for clamping a motor in the desired operative position.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a radio control racing car which has a motor mount which is adapted to accurately accommodate a standard 0.19 cubic inch displacement motor and which can be modified to accommodate motors of varying sizes.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The above and other objects are accomplished by means of the present invention. A radio control racing car is provided having an adjustable resilient suspension system. The chassis of the racing car is preferably composed of high-strength flexible plastic. Suitable materials include Lexan, glass filled nylon, and the like. The material selected should be flexible, should not warp, should be able to withstand high temperatures and should be capable of being molded into a desired shape.

It is not necessary that the entire chassis be composed of flexible material. However, the portion of the chassis which supports the wheels must have the desired flexibility.

Means are provided for adjusting the flexibility of each wheel of the racing car. Adjustability is important when a car is raced on a track having all right hand or all left hand turns. Additionally, each car's individual characteristics can be accommodated by trial and error by varying the flexibility of each wheel.

A conventional two channel radio is provided for operating the radio control racing car. One channel may be used to effect steering of the car while the other channel may be used for braking and throttle control.

A motor mount which may be an aluminum extrusion having the rear axle support integral therewith is secured to the chassis. The motor, which is generally a Class A 0.19 cubic inch displacement engine is adapted to be inserted into an opening in the motor mount and shimmed into its desired position. Thereafter, the motor will be positively clamped to the motor mount to prevent movement thereof.

The one-piece extrusion motor mount will also serve to absorb vibration. The flexible suspension and the motor mount will cooperate to prevent the conventional radio receiver mounted on the chassis from being sustantially affected by vibrations.

To accomplish the flexibility of the suspension system, slots may be provided in the chassis. The slots, which may be of any desired configuration, will provide increased flexibility for the portion of the chassis supporting each wheel. In effect, each portion of the chassis is hinged to the main body chassis by reason of the slots. The flexibility of the suspension system can be varied by positioning a nut and bolt to vary the length of each slot.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in the drawings forms which are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown;

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a radio control racing car embodying the features of the present invention and having portions broken away for added clarity;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of another embodiment of a radio control racing car embodying the features of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a section view taken along lines 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a enlarged section view taken along lines 4--4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the motor mount of the present invention wherein the engine is adapted to be mounted behind the wheels; and

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of an alternative slot arrangement which could be used for flexibly mounting either the front or the rear wheels of the racing car.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views there is shown in FIG. 1 a racing car generally indicated by the reference numeral 10.

Racing car 10 includes a chassis 12 which is composed of a high-strength flexible plastic. Suitable materials include Lexan, glass filled Lexan and glass filled nylon.

It is possible that metal having a high degree of flexibility could also be utilized. The material selected for the chassis 12 should be flexible, should not warp, and should be able to withstand high temperatures. When a plastic is utilized, it should be capable of being molded into the desired shape.

FIGS. 2-4 are directed to another embodiment of a racing car which is substantially identical to racing car 10. The only difference in the embodiment of FIGS. 2-4 relates to details of the chassis construction. Therefore, for ease of understanding the same reference numerals will be used to indicate identical structure in the embodiments of FIG. 1 and FIGS. 2-4. The differences between the two embodiments which relate to details of chassis construction will be discussed in detail hereinafter.

A motor mount 14 is adapted to be secured to chassis 12. The motor mount may be formed of an aluminum extrusion and preferably has a rear axle housing 16 formed integrally therewith. The motor mount 14 is connected to a rear chassis segment 18 which is formed by slots 20 and 22. Motor mount 14 will be discussed in greater detail hereinafter.

Axle housing 16 provides bearing support for rear axle 24 to which rear wheel 26 and 28 are fixedly secured. Driven gear 30 is also fixedly secured to axle 24 by means of a suitable screw 32 through gear hub 34.

A front chassis segment 36 is formed by slots 38 and 40. The front chassis segment 36 supports stampings 42 and 44 which in turn support front wheels 46 and 48 of racing car 10. As set forth above, the racing car set forth in the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 2-4 is substantially identical to racing car 10. The only difference between the racing car of FIGS. 1 and 2 is the chassis construction. In FIG. 1, a unitary chassis having slots 20, 22 38 and 40 is provided. In FIG. 2, there is a main chassis portion 100 and separate and distinct rear and front chassis segments 102 and 104, respectively, which are secured to the main chassis 100.

The stampings 42 and 44 are secured to the front chassis segment 36 by means of bolts 50 which extend through the bottom of the chassis segment 36, lower stamping 44, spacers 52, upper stamping 42, and receive nuts 54 on the ends thereof. The stampings 42 and 44 have openings adjacent the ends thereof to receive king pins 56 and 58. The king pins are recessed into the front wheels 46 and 48 in order to improve the steering characteristics of the racing car 10. The king pins have stub axles secured thereto only one of which is shown in the drawing. Stub axle 60 may be secured to wheel 48 in any desired conventional manner.

Steering of front wheels 46 and 48 is effected through a control link 62 which is fixedly secured to track arm 64. Track arm 64 is fixedly secured to king pin 58 to cause movement thereof. A tie rod 66 is fixedly secured to the end of track arm 64 remote from control link 62. Tie rod 66 is secured at its other end to track arm 68. Track arm 68 is secured to king pin 56 to insure that wheels 46 and 48 turn as a unit.

Control link 62 is caused to move in response to signals received by the receiver (not shown) which will be mounted on chassis 12. A conventional two channel transmitter may be used to transmit signals to racing car 10. As is conventional, one channel controls the steering while the second channel controls braking of the racing car.

In the one piece chassis body construction of FIG. 1 slots 38 and 40 permit front chassis seqment 36 to be highly flexible. The flexibility of the plastic material of chassis 12 is therefore further enhanced by slots 38 and 40. However, it is often desirable to control the flexibility of each wheel independently. This is especially true if the racing car is to be raced on a track having only right hand or only left hand turns.

Accordingly, bolts 70 and 72 pass through slots 38 and 40 and are secured to suitable threaded nuts which engage the lower surface of the chassis. The bolts 70 and 72 and the nuts associated therewith may be positioned anywhere along the slots 38 and 40 to thereby vary the effective length of such slots. Further, the shape of the slots 38 and 40 may be varied as desired.

In FIG. 6 a modified slot configuration is shown. As shown, angled slots 74 and 76 are provided in chassis segment 36. Control bolts 70 and 72 could also be used in slots 74 and 76 to vary the effective length of such slots.

Referring now to the embodiment of FIGS. 2-4 and more particularly to the difference in chassis design with respect to the embodiment of FIG. 1, the chassis 200 is notched at the front and rear portions thereof. Rear chassis segment 202 extends along the underside of chassis 200 and is secured to chassis 200 by suitable bolts 206. The chassis segment 202 is preferably composed of the same material as chassis 12 of racing car 10.

Chassis 200 may be composed of less flexible metal. Chassis segment 204 is secured to the underside of chassis 200 by suitable bolts 208. Chassis segment 204 is preferably composed of flexible material identical to that of chassis 12 of racing car 10. Since chassis segments 202 and 204 support the wheels of the racing car, the desired flexibility for each of the wheels is maintained. The dimensions of segment 204 are such that upon securing the segment to the underside of chassis 200, slots 2l0 and 212 are formed by the outer edges of the segment 204 and the inner edges of the notch in the chassis 200.

The bolts 70 and 72 may be used to vary the effective length of slots 210 and 212. As can be seen in FIG. 3, bolt 70 extends through a suitable washer 214 and has a nut 216 secured to its lowermost end. Also shown in FIG. 3 is a nut 218 which is secured to bolt 208 for attaching front segment 204 to chassis 200.

Rear chassis segment 202 is also of such a size with respect to the notch in chassis 200 so as to form slots 220 and 222. The effective length of slots 220 and 222 may be varied by using bolts such as 70 and 72 therein. Accordingly, varied flexibility can be provided for the rear wheels 26 and 28 of the racing car.

The same motor mount 14 is used in the embodiment of FIG. 1 and the embodiment of FIGS. 2-4. The motor mount 14 may be secured by suitable fastening means 80 to the rear chassis segment of the racing car. The motor mount is adapted to positively retain the engine 82 and the parts associated therewith in its desired operative position. The engine 82 is a conventional Class A 0.19 cubic inch displacement engine. Any other desired engine may also be used for powering the racing car.

Motor mount 14 has a bottom wall 84 and side walls 86 and 88. The side walls 86 and 88 are provided with C-shaped grooves 90 and 92 the purpose of which will be explained in detail hereinafter.

Motor mount 14 includes horizontal planar surfaces 94 and 96 which have tapped holes 98 and 100 therein. A top horizontal planar wall surface 102 is spaced from planar surface 94. The motor mount 14 includes axle housing 16 formed integrally therewith. Preferably, motor mount 14 and axle housing 16 are a unitary aluminum extrusion.

Axle housing 16 is cut away at 104 to form top horizontal planar wall surface 106 which is spaced from horizontal planar surface 96. Clamping members 108 and 110 are provided for positively locking the engine 82 in its desired operative position. As stated hereinabove, engine 82 is conventional and forms no part of the present invention. Accordingly, the details of the engine will not be discussed herein in detail.

As is conventional, engine 82 includes flanges 112 and 114 integrally formed therewith. The vertical distance between horizontal planar surface 94 and top horizontal planar wall surface 102 is the same as the thickness of flange 112. Likewise, the same relationship exists with respect to horizontal planar surface 96, top horizontal planar wall surface 106 and flange 114.

Clamp 108 engages top horizontal planar wall surface 102 and flange 112. A suitable bolt 116 which cooperates with tapped hole 98 is adapted to pass through clamp 108 to thereby retain flange 112 and engine 82 in its desired disposition. Similarly, a bolt 118 is adapted to cooperate with tapped hole 100 and passes through clamp 110 to retain flange 114 and engine 82 in its desired disposition. However, before the engine 82 is clamped in its desired disposition shims 120 and 122 may be used to provide substantially perfect alignment for engine 82. Engine 82 includes a flywheel 124, a clutch assembly 126 and a power or drive gear 128 operatively associated therewith. Engine 82 is placed in engine mount 14 so that the bottom thereof rests upon bottom wall 84. The flanges 112 and 114 will also rest upon horizontal planar surfaces 94 and 96. The engine will be shimmed by suitable shims 120 and 122 to insure a constant interengagement between drive gear 128 and driven gear 30. Thereafter, the engine will be clamped into its desired operative position by clamps 108 and 110.

As stated hereinbefore, the gear 30 drives axle 24. The wheels 26 and 28 are also secured to axle 24 and rotate therewith.

A suitable throttle adjustment 130 is provided for engine 82. Additionally, cooling fins 132 can be provided for the engine. The receiver (not shown) is adapted to be mounted on the chassis of the racing car in any desired manner. A suitable body, also not shown, is conventionally mounted over the chassis and secured thereto.

FIG. 5 shows the engine mount 14 in a rear engine mount disposition. In this disposition, the wheels 26 and 28 will be in front of engine 82. Accordingly, engine mount 14 is sufficiently versatile to permit the weight of the engine to be in front of or behind wheels 26 and 28 depending upon the desired weight distribution for the racing car.

The C-shaped grooves 90 and 92 are provided to permit larger size engines to be received in motor mount 14. If a larger engine is to be received in motor mount 14, it is merely necessary to file away the remaining portions of side walls 86 and 88 to accomodate such larger engine.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

Claims

I claim:

1. A racing car comprising a chassis having a main body portion, a front segment and a rear segment, said car having front wheels and rear wheels the front segment of the chassis supporting the front wheels of the racing car, the rear segment of the chassis supporting the rear wheels of said racing car, means on said chassis for resiliently mounting the front wheels of said racing car, said means including the least said front chassis segment being composed of highly flexible resilient material and means for varying the flexibility of said resilient means for each of the front wheels of the racing car, said means for varying the flexibility of each of the front wheels of the racing car including slots within said front chassis segment and locking means in said slots to vary the effective length of said slots thereby varying the flexibility of each of said front wheels substantially independently.

2. A racing car as set forth in claim 1 including means for resiliently mounting the rear wheels of said car, said rear chassis segment being composed of highly flexible resilient material, slots in said rear chassis segment to substantially independently flexibly mount the rear wheels of said car, and locking means cooperating with said slots to permit varying the effective length of said slots and thereby independently varying the flexibility for each of said rear wheels.

3. A racing car set forth in claim 1 including a motor mount secured to said rear chassis segment, said motor mount including an axle housing formed integrally therewith, said motor mount having positive clamping means associated therewith for locking an engine to said motor mount.

4. A racing car having front and rear wheels including a chassis having a main body portion, a rear chassis segment, and a front chassis segment, at least said front and said rear chassis segments being composed of highly flexible resilient material, means in said front chassis segment for substantially independently resiliently supporting each of the front wheels of the racing car, means for varying the amount of resiliency for each of the front wheels of the racing car, said means including slots in said front chassis segment, and locking means in each of said slots for varying the effective length of each slot to thereby vary the flexibility of each of the front wheels substantially independently.

5. A racing car as set forth in claim 4 including a motor mount secured to and supported by the rear chassis segment, said motor mount having a rear axle housing formed integral therewith, said motor mount including clamping means for positively locking an engine into its desired operative position, slots in said rear chassis segment for permitting the rear wheels of the racing car to be substantially independently resiliently mounted, said slots being on opposite sides of said motor mount, and locking means in the slots to vary the effective length of each of said slots independently.

6. A racing car as set forth in claim 4 wherein said chassis main body is composed of a relatively rigid high strength metal and said front and rear chassis segments are composed of highly flexible resilient plastic material.

7. A racing car having front and rear wheels and a chassis for supporting said wheels including a motor mount secured to said chassis, said motor mount having a bottom wall and side walls extending upwardly therefrom defining a cavity for receiving an engine, said bottom wall being adapted to support an engine, said motor mount including spaced intermediate horizontal planar surfaces, said motor mount including spaced top horizontal wall surfaces spaced from said horizontal planar surfaces, clamping means adapted to be secured to said top wall surfaces for securing flanges of the engine between said clamping means and said intermediate planar surfaces, said motor mount having a rear axle housing formed integrally therwith, said rear axle housing supporting the rear axle which supports the rear wheels of said racing car.

8. A racing car as set forth in claim 7 wherein one of said top horizontal planar wall surfaces is formed by cutting away a portion of said rear axle housing.

9. A racing car as set forth in claim 7 wherein the side walls of said motor mount have C-shaped grooves formed therein to permit the cavity provided by the motor mount to be readily enlarged so that the motor mount may be adapted to receive engines of increased size.