US 4,306,375 AGranted

Self-powered four wheel drive vehicle

AssigneeAdolph E. Goldfarb

InventorsAdolph E. Goldfarb, Delmar K. Everitt

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Abstract

A toy vehicle only slightly longer than a "penlight" battery, and with chassis less than twice the width of such a battery, is able (traction permitting) to climb any grade on which it will not tip over backward--grades up to about 40.degree.--and to negotiate a vertical step taller than its tire radius. The AA-battery-powered four-wheel-drive vehicle has a small electric motor with a double-ended shaft, and a symmetrical gearing system consisting of, at each end of the motor, a pinion fixed on the shaft, a spur gear driven by the pinion and driving a worm, and a worm gear keyed to a corresponding axle. The motor, pinions, spur gears and worms, and the upper portions of the worm gears, are aligned along one side wall inside the vehicle chassis, with the battery alongside them occupying the rest of the chassis. Traction and climbing characteristics are enhanced by twice-overscale tires, preferably of open foam, with highly pronounced treads. A light distributor in the vehicle simulates two headlights, using light from a single small light bulb.

Claims35

Dependent claims

A miniature electrically self-powered toy vehicle capable of climbing over rough terrain and obstacles as well as up steep inclines, said vehicle having major weight components positioned to provide weight in a generally balanced and relatively low arrangement, while also providing adequate ground clearance in the area between the front and rear wheels, said vehicle comprising:

a frame;
front wheel means and rear wheel means mounted to the frame for rolling rotation about respective mutually parallel but spaced-apart front and rear axes, the distance between the front and rear axes being generally about two inches, each of said wheel means having high friction peripheral surfaces with inside edges located respectively adjacent to opposite sides of said frame;
an electric motor mounted to one side of the frame between the two axes and located adjacent to said inside wheel edges on said one side of the frame, and having a driveshaft which is perpendicular to the two axes and extends both fore and aft from the motor;
means mounted to the frame to releasably support electrical battery means in the form of a single standard cylindrical AA dry cell at the other side of the frame in a position extending substantially the full distance between said front and rear axes and located adjacent to said inside wheel edges on said other side of the frame, with the axis of the battery means substantially parallel to the driveshaft and the battery means being laterally adjacent to the electric motor and at approximately the same height as said front and rear wheel means, and wherein said frame, said motor and said battery means do not protrude any appreciable distance below the level of said front and rear axes in the area between said front and rear wheel means;
means for electrically connecting such battery means, when supported in the supporting means, to the motor, so that the battery means powers the motor;
a pair of worms rotatably mounted parallel to the driveshaft and driven respectively from the fore and aft extensions of the driveshaft;
and
a pair of worm gears rotatably mounted to the vehicle, with their axes of rotation parallel to the axes of wheel rotation;
each worm gear driving a respective one of the said wheel means, and being meshed with and directly driven from a respective one of the two worms.

6 more elements

A miniature electrically self-powered toy vehicle capable of climbing over rough terrain and obstacles as well as up steep inclines, said vehicle having its major weight components position to provide weight in a generally balanced and relatively low arrangement while also providing adequate ground clearance in the area between the front and rear wheels, said vehicle comprising:

a chassis having an extended rectangular bottom surface and raised walls at both sides, and at front and rear;
four wheels mounted to and secured for rotation with two axles, two wheels to each axle, the axles in turn being mounted in mutual parallelism for rotation generally at said rectangular bottom surface, in such orientation as to permit the toy to roll on the wheels in a direction parallel to the long dimension of the rectangular bottom surface of the chassis;
one of such axles being near one end of the rectangular bottom surface of the chassis and the other of the axles being near the other end of the said surface, and the axles being spaced apart by roughly the length of a standard size-AA penlight dry cell;
four tires, one mounted to each wheel, respectively;
an electric motor mounted upon the chassis along one of the side walls and having a driveshaft which is perpendicular to the two axles and extends both fore and aft from the motor;
a pair of pinions, each mounted directly to a respective one of the two fore and aft extensions of the shaft for rotation therewith;
a pair of spur gears, each fixed to a respective shaft parallel with but below the motor shaft, and journalled at one end in a respective end wall of the chassis, each of said spur gears meshing with and being directly driven by a respective one of the pinions;
a pair of worms, each fixed to a respective one of the spur gear shafts and secured to the corresponding spur gear for rotation therewith;
a pair of worm gears, each rotatably mounted to a respective one of the said two axles and secured for rotation therewith;
each of said worm gears meshing with and being directly driven by a corresponding one of the worms;
and
means for mounting a single standard size-AA dry cell longitudinally upon and within the chassis between the motor and the other one of the side walls, alongside the motor, pinions, spur gears, and worms at generally the same height as the wheels, and wherein said frame, said motor and said dry cell do not extend any appreciable distance below the level of the front and rear axles in the area between the front wheels and the rear wheels;
and means for electrically interconnecting such dry cell, when mounted to the mounting means, to power the motor.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.