Doll Carriage

Abstract

A toy baby carriage which is alternatively free wheeling or of the spring loading roll back type includes a body member frame supported on front and rear pairs of wheels. The rear wheels are secured to a shaft projecting through a transverse tubular member affixed to the body frame and housing a helical windup spring which encircles the shaft and has one end secured to the shaft and the other provided with a stop arm. A foot actuated lever is positioned in the tubular member and is provided with an abutment which is selectively moved through an opening in the tubular member into the path of the spring stop arm to restrict the rotation of the corresponding spring end and permit the loading of the spring. In the alternative the tubular member is rotatably supported by the carriage frame, the opposite end of the windup spring being attached to the tubular member and foot actuated means are provided for releasably locking the tubular member against rotation.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to improvements in toy vehicles and it relates particularly to an improved toy vehicle such as a toy baby carriage and the like, provided with a roll back mechanism.

Toy vehicles are of generally two types those which are free wheeling and those which are provided with motor driven wheels. Among the latter type of toy vehicles are those of the roll back type wherein a drive spring is wound or loaded with the advance of the vehicle and upon the release of the vehicle the loaded spring unwinds and returns the vehicle to its initial position. The roll back type of vehicle possesses numerous drawbacks and limitations by reason of its limited application and use. The vehicle can only be advanced a limited distance whereupon the fully loaded spring prevents any further advance of the vehicle and in order to effect any further advance the spring must be unloaded. In such cases however, the vehicle may be again advanced only to the extent permitted by the winding of the spring and the above procedure must be again repeated. There are many forms of vehicles, for example toy baby carriages in which this practice is undesirable and impractical.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved toy vehicle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved toy vehicle of the roll back type.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved toy vehicle which is selectively of free wheeling or roll back operation.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved toy vehicle of the above nature characterized by its ruggedness, reliability, simplicity, ease of operation, high versatility and low cost.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments thereof.

In a sense the present invention contemplates the provision of a toy vehicle comprising a body member, wheels mounted on and depending from the body member and including at least one traction wheel, a windup spring, means connecting one end of the spring to the traction wheel, and means for selectively alternating releasing and locking the other end of the spring against rotation whereby to respectively permit the free rotation of the traction wheel and the winding of the spring with the rotation of the traction wheel.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention the vehicle is in the form of a toy baby carriage which includes a transverse stationary tubular member and a shaft extending through and projecting beyond the ends of the tubular member, a pair of traction wheels being affixed to opposite ends of the shaft. A helical windup spring encircles the shaft and is housed in the tubular member, one end of the spring being secured to the shaft and the other end terminating in a stop defining longitudinally extending leg. A lever is pivotly supported intermediate its ends atop the tubular member and is provided with a depending finger movable through an opening in the tubular member into and out of the circular path of the spring stop leg.

In a modified form of the improved toy vehicle an axle having traction wheels affixed thereto is rotatably supported and a tubular member extends along the length of the axle. A windup helical spring housed in the tubular member encircles the axle and has its opposite ends affixed to the axle and tubular member respectively. A lever rockable about a fixed pivot is provided with a finger movable into and out of engagement with an opening formed in the wall of the tubular member.

The improved toy vehicle is simple, rugged, reliable, simple to operate and of high versatility.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention shown by full line in a roll back position and by broken line in an advanced position;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary partially sectional view of the drive mechanism thereof;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3 -- 3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 4 -- 4 in FIG.3 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 2 of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6 -- 6 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7 -- 7 in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8 -- 8 in FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings, particularly FIGS. 1 to 4 thereof which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention as applied to a toy baby carriage of the collapsible type, it being understood that it may be applied to other forms of baby carriages and vehicles, the reference numeral 10 generally designates the improved vehicle. The vehicle 10 comprises a body member which includes a support frame structure 11 and a carrier section 12 suitably mounted thereon. The frame structure 11 and carrier section 12 are of conventional construction, the latter comprising a longitudinally extending open topped basket 13 including a rectangular, rigid top reinforcing frame and being formed of a flexible material so as to be collapsible, and a front collapsible canopy 14.

The frame structure 11 comprises a forwardly downwardly inclined inverted U-shape member 16 which includes a top handle defining transverse cross bar 17, located above and rearwardly of basket 13 and parallel side arms 18 which extend to points below the forward edge of basket 13. Frame structure 11 also includes a pair of transversely spaced parallel rearwardly downwardly inclined side arms 19 which extend from the upper forward edge of basket 13 to points below the rear edge of basket 13 at the level of the bottoms of side arms 18 and are pin connected to the reinforcing frame of basket 13 and to side arms 18. Extending between and projecting beyond the lower ends of side arms 18 and suitably affixed thereto is a transverse axle 20 which has journalled to its opposite ends a pair of front wheels 21.

A horizontal transverse tubular member 22 extends between the confronting faces of the lower ends of side arms 19 and is suitably affixed thereto, such as by welding. Extending coaxially through tubular member 22 and journalled in openings in and projecting beyond side arms 19 is a rotatable shaft 23 having threaded end sections 24. The hubs 26 of a pair of opposite traction wheels 27 engage shaft threaded sections 24 and are each locked thereto by a pair of opposing inside and outside nuts 28 engaging shaft thread sections 24 and tightened to clamp and embrace the hubs 26, a washer 29 being disposed between each inside nut 28 and the confronting face of a corresponding side arm 19. Traction wheels 27 are of conventional construction including channel rims 30 connected to hub 26 by radial spokes and engaging a solid rubber tire 32. Thus, wheels 27 rotate with shaft 23.

A helical windup spring 33 is housed in and coaxial with tubular member 22 and encircles shaft 23, and is of a diameter between that of tubular member 22 and shaft 23. One end of windup spring 33 terminates in an eye 34 which is affixed to shaft 23 by a rivet 36 engaging a transverse bore in shaft 23. The opposite end of windup spring 33 is provided with an integrally formed, longitudinally extending stop defining arm 37 which terminates in a transverse leg 38. Formed in the top face of tubular member 22 in vertical registry with the path of stop arm 37 is an opening 39.

A pair of longitudinally spaced vertical parallel bracket arms 40 are mounted atop tubular member 22 and are transversely spaced from opening 39. A transversely extneding foot lever 41 is rockably supported intermediate its ends by a pivot pin 42 extending between bracket arms 40, the foot lever 41 being tightly embraced by bracket arms 40 to retain it in its set position while permitting the rocking thereof by foot pressure. Mounted atop opposite ends of lever 41 are enlarged suitably marked foot pieces 43 and 44. Integrally formed with one end of lever 41 in registry with tube opening 39 is a depending abutment defining finger 46 which is movable with the rocking of lever 41 between an advanced position in the path of spring stop arm 37 and a retracted position above said path and above opening 39.

Considering now the operation of the toy baby carriage 10, if it is desired to employ it in the conventional free wheeling manner the operator merely steps on foot piece 44 to depress it and swing lever 41 clockwise, as viewed in FIG. 3, and raise abutment finger 46 from the path of spring stop arm 46. Accordingly, as the carriage 10 is pushed or pulled, the traction wheels 22 rotate shaft 23 which in turn rotates spring 33, the latter being free to rotate without any retarding thereof by the loading of spring 33.

If the toy carriage 10 is to be employed in a roll back manner, the operator steps on foot piece 43 to rock lever 41 counterclockwise and depress abutment finger 46 through opening 39 into the path of and in engagement with stop arm 37. When carriage 10 is then pushed or propelled forwardly to rotate traction wheels 27, shaft 23 is rotated and spring 33 is wound by reason of the one end thereof being locked against rotation by the engagement between abutment finger 46 and spring stop arm 37. Upon release of the carriage 10 the wound spring 33 is permitted to unwind and rotates shaft 23 and wheels 32 in a reverse direction to drive the carriage 10 rearwardly. It should be noted that by reversing the windup direction of spring 33 from that shown the spring may be wound by pulling the carriage and propelled forwardly upon release.

In FIGS. 5 to 8 of the drawings there is illustrated another embodiment of the present invention which differs from that first described primarily in the construction of the wheel drive mechanism. Specifically, the improved vehicle comprises a body member frame including a pair of frame rear side arms 139 corresponding to side arms 19 of the vehicle 10. A transverse shaft 140 is journalled in and extends between and projects beyond the lower ends of side arms 139 and terminates in threaded end sections 141. The hub 142 of a traction wheel, like wheel 27, engages each threaded end section 141 and is locked thereto by a pair of opposing nuts 143 engaging threaded section 141 and embracingly clamping hub 142. Innermost nuts 143 are separated from the outer faces of side arms 139 by washers 144 carried by shaft 140.

A tubular member 146, coaxial with and enclosing shaft 140, extends between the confronting faces of side arms 139 and is rotatably supported advantageously by a pair of annuli (not shown) secured to the opposite ends of tubular member 146 and having central apertures rotatably engaging shaft 140. Moreover, tubular member 146 need not extend for the full distance between side arms 39 but may extend from one of the side arms 139 to a point short of the other and stop means may be provided on shaft 140 to prevent any axial movement of tubular member 146.

A helical windup spring 47 of a diameter between that of shaft 140 and the inside face of tubular member 146 encircles shaft 140 and is housed in tubular member 146. The ends of spring 47 terminate in eyes or loops 48 and 49 respectively. The loop 48 is fixed to shaft 140 by a rivet 45 engaging eye 48 and a transverse bore in shaft 140, rivet 45 having enlarged heads at opposite ends. The opposite end of spring 47 is affixed to tubular member 146 by a cotter pin 50 which engages eye 49 and a pair of transversely aligned openings 52 in tubular member 146 transversely off-set from shaft 140, the ends 53 of the cotter pin legs being upset against the outer face of tubular member 146.

In order to releasably lock tubular member 146 against rotation there is provided a foot actuated locking lever 54 which is rockably supported above tubular member 146 by a pivot 56 mounted on and projecting transversely horizontally inwardly from side arm 139. The lever 54 is separated from side arm 39 by a spacer sleeve 57 engaging pivot pin 56 and terminates at its upper rear in a transversely extending foot piece 58. Integrally formed with the end of lever 54 remote from foot piece 58 is a downwardly directed locking finger 59 which is outwardly inclined to the longitudinal axis of lever 54. An opening 60 is formed in tubular member 146 in the plane of finger 59, and finger 59 is selectively movable to an advanced position in engagement with opening 60, by rocking lever 54 clockwise as viewed in FIG. 7 to thereby lock tubular member 146 against rotation, and to retracted position by rocking lever 54 counter clockwise whereby to retract finger 59 from opening 60 and release tubular member 146 for free rotation.

The vehicle last described is employed in the manner of vehicle 10 as earlier described. To activate the come back mechanism, lever 54 is advanced to bring finger 59 into engagement with opening 60 and thereby lock tubular member 146 and one end of windup spring 47 against rotation. Thus when the vehicle is advanced the traction wheels rotate shaft 140 and wind spring 47 which motivates the return of the vehicle when the vehicle is released. To use the vehicle in its normal free wheeling manner finger 59 is retracted from opening 60 to effect the release of tubular member 146 to free rotation so that the rotation of the traction wheels are not retarded by the winding of spring 47 since an end of the spring is free to rotate.

While there have been described and illustrated preferred embodiments of the present invention it is apparent that numerous alterations, omissions and additions may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A toy vehicle comprising a body member, a shaft rotatably mounted on said body member, a pair of traction wheels mounted on opposite ends of said shaft and rotatable therewith, a tubular member having an aperture formed in the peripheral wall thereof and extending along and encircling at least part of said shaft, a helical windup spring encircling said shaft and housed in said tubular member and having opposite ends affixed to said shaft and said tubular member respectively, and a lever mounted for rocking about a relatively fixed pivot and terminating in a finger movable with the rocking of said lever in and but of engagement with said aperture, respectively permitting the free rotation of said shaft and traction wheels and the winding of said spring with the rotation of said wheels and shaft.