Toy motorcycle and launcher

Toy motorcycle play apparatus comprising:

• (a) a two-wheeled toy motorcycle having a frame and a generally aligned rotatable frong and rear ground-engaging wheels and an intermediate flywheel, all mounted on the frame and rotatable about generally horizontal transverse axes;
• one of said ground-engaging wheels being a drive wheel;
• the flywheel and the drive wheel being operatively coupled together by a gear train which reduces the speed and increases the power and duration of rotation at the drive wheel;
• the flywheel, gear train and the drive wheel comprising an energy-storing drive-train mechanism;
• the toy motorcycle, when in operation, being powered and gyroscopically balanced by the flywheel;
• and
• (b) a launcher having a platform and control means for releasibly supporting and holding the motorcycle on the platform in an upright forwardly aligned position with its drive wheel out of engagement with the platform so that the drive wheel can rotate freely;
• for imparting rotation to the flywheel;
• and for releasing the motorcycle and allowing the rotating drive wheel to engage the platform to propel the motorcycle forwardly,
• said control means comprising:
• (i) an energy-imparting wheel;
• (ii) an arm on said launcher for supporting said energy-imparting wheel both for rotation about a generally horizontal transversely extending axis and for vertical movement, said energy-imparting wheel being positioned for movement into and out of engagement with the motorcycle flywheel when the toy motorcycle is supported and held on the launcher;
• and
• (iii) motor means operatively connected to the energy-imparting wheel for rotating said energy-imparting wheel,
• said control means comprising movable support means coupled to said movable arm, said support means being movable incident to movement of said arm between a raised position extending above the platform to engage the motorcycle and raise its drive wheel off the platform, and a lowered position which permits the drive wheel to engage the platform.

Toy motorcycle play apparatus comprising:

• (a) a two-wheeled toy motorcycle having a frame and a generally aligned rotatable front and rear ground-engaging wheels and an intermediate flywheel, all mounted on the frame and rotatable about generally horizontal transverse axes;
• one of said ground-engaging wheels being a drive wheel;
• the flywheel and the drive wheel being operatively coupled together by a gear train which reduces the speed and increases the power and duration of rotation at the drive wheel;
• the flywheel, gear train and the drive wheel comprising an energy-storing drive-train mechanism;
• the toy motorcycle, when in operation, being powered and gyroscopically balanced by the flywheel;
• and
• (b) a launcher having a platform and control means for releasibly supporting and holding the motorcycle on the platform in an upright forwardly aligned position with its drive wheel out of engagement with the platform so that the drive wheel can rotate freely;
• for imparting rotation to the flywheel;
• and for releasing the motorcycle and allowing the rotating drive wheel to engage the platform to propel the motorcycle forwardly,
• said control means comprising:
• (i) an energy-imparting wheel;
• (ii) an arm on said launcher for supporting said energy-imparting wheel both for rotation about a generally horizontal transversely extending axis and for vertical movement, said energy-imparting wheel being positioned for movement into and out of engagement with the motorcycle flywheel when the toy motorcycle is supported and held on the launcher;
• and
• (iii) motor means operatively connected to the energy-imparting wheel for rotating said energy-imparting wheel,
• said arm being movably mounted on said frame below the platform and the platform being provided with the longitudinal slot through which an upper portion of the energy-imparting wheel extends incident to movement of the arm, said slot being substantially narrower than the width of the motorcycle rear wheel, the peripheral edge of the energy-imparting wheel being aligned with and adapted to engage the peripheral edge of the flywheel of the motorcycle when the motorcycle is supported and held on the launcher platform, said arm being pivotally mounted on the launcher and a portion thereof extending outwardly of the launcher to provide a control handle.

Toy vehicle play apparatus comprising:

• (a) a wheeled vehicle having a frame and an energy-storing drive train mechanism including at least one contact wheel mounted on the frame for rotation about a generally horizontal transverse axis;
• said mechanism including at least one ground-engaging drive wheel rotatably mounted on said frame;
• and
• (b) a launcher having a platform and control means for releasibly supporting and holding the vehicle on the platform in a forwardly aligned position with said drive wheel out of engagement with the platform so that the drive wheel can rotate freely;
• for imparting rotation and energy to the contact wheel;
• and for releasing the vehicle and allowing the drive wheel to engage the platform to propel the vehicle forwardly, said control means comprising:
• (1) an energy-imparting wheel;
• (2) an arm movably mounted on the launcher for supporting the energy-imparting wheel both for rotation about a generally horizontal transversely extending axis and for vertical movement, said energy-imparting wheel being positioned for movement into and out of engagement with the vehicle gear train when the toy vehicle is supported and held on the launcher;
• and
• (3) motor means operatively connected to the energy-imparting wheel for rotating said wheel,
• said arm being movably mounted on said frame below the platform and the platform being provided with a longitudinal slot through which an upper portion of the energy-imparting wheel extends incident to movement of the arm, said slot being substantially narrower than the width of the vehicle rear wheel, the vehicle gear train including a flywheel and the peripheral edge of the energy-imparting wheel being aligned with and adapted to engage the peripheral edge of the flywheel when the vehicle is supported and held on the launcher platform, said arm being pivotally mounted on the launcher and a portion thereof extending outwardly of the launcher to provide a control handle.

Toy motorcycle apparatus comprising:

• (a) a two-wheeled toy motorcycle having a frame and a generally aligned rotatable front and rear ground-engaging wheels and an intermediate flywheel, all mounted on the frame and rotatable about generally horizontal transverse axes;
• one of said ground-engaging wheels being a drive wheel;
• the flywheel and the drive wheel being operatively coupled together by a gear train which reduces the speed and increases the power and duration of rotation at the drive wheel;
• the flywheel, gear train and the drive wheel comprising an energy-storing drive-train mechanism;
• the toy motorcycle, when in opeation, being powered and gyroscopically balanced by the flywheel;
• and
• (b) energy-imparting means releasibly engagable with said energy-storing drive-train mechanism and operable to impart energy to said mechanism while said drive wheel is out of engagement with the ground or any other supporting surface and thereby free to rotate, said rear and front wheels and flywheel being generally disposed in a common vertical plane down the center of the motorcycle, the axes for said three wheels all being fixed in location relative to the frame, said drive wheel being the rearwheel and said gear train comprises a small gear coaxially mounted for common rotation with the flywheel, a large gear coaxially mounted for common rotation with said rear drive wheel and an intermediate gear meshing with both said small and large gears and being intermediate in size to said small and large gears, said gears being generally disposed in a common vertical plane parallel to the plane of said front and rear wheels and flywheel, there being an additional small gear coaxially mounted for common rotation with said rear drive wheel on the opposite side thereof from said large gear, said frame further including an abuttment guide section positioned adjacent to but sufficiently spaced from said additional small gear to define a pathway adjacent to said additional small gear, said pathway extending front-to-back and generally horizontally and proportioned to receive therethrough a toothed pull rack meshed with said additional small gear, said energy-imparting means being in the form of a hand-pullable separate toothed rack member which engages with said additional small gear while energy is being transferred, and which then disengages from said additional small gear.

Toy vehicle play apparatus comprising:

• (a) a wheeled vehicle having a frame and an energy-storing drive train mechanism including at least one contact wheel mounted on the frame for rotation about a generally horizontal transverse axis;
• said mechanism including at least one ground-engaging drive wheel rotatably mounted on said frame;
• and
• (b) a launcher having a platform and control means for releasibly supporting and holding the vehicle on the platform in a forwardly aligned position with said drive wheel out of engagement with the platform so that the drive wheel can rotate freely;
• for imparting rotation and energy to the contact wheel;
• and for releasing the vehicle and allowing the drive wheel to engage the platform to propel the vehicle forwardly, said control means comprising:
• (1) an energy-imparting wheel;
• (2) an arm movably mounted on the launcher for supporting the energy-imparting wheel both for rotation about a generally horizontal transversely extending axis and for vertical movement, said energy-imparting wheel being positioned for movement into and out of engagement with the vehicle drive-train when the toy vehicle is supported and held on the launcher;
• and
• (3) motor means operatively connected to the energy-imparting wheel for rotating said wheel,
• said control means comprising movable support means coupled to said movable arm, said support means being movable incident to movement of said arm between a raised position extending above the platform to engage the vehicle and raise its drive wheel off the platform, and a lowered position which permits the drive wheel to engage the platform.

Toy vehicle play apparatus comprising:

• (a) a wheeled vehicle having a frame and an energy-storing drive train mechanism including at least one contact wheel mounted on the frame for rotation about a generally horizontal transverse axis;
• said mechanism including at least one ground-engaging drive wheel rotatably mounted on said frame;
• and
• (b) a launcher having a platform and control means for releasibly supporting and holding the vehicle on the platform in a forwardly aligned position with said drive wheel out of engagement with the platform so that the drive wheel can rotate freely;
• for imparting rotation and energy to the contact wheel;
• and for releasing the vehicle and allowing the drive wheel to engage the platform to propel the vehicle forwardly, said control means comprising:
• (1) an energy-imparting wheel;
• (2) an arm movably mounted on the launcher for supporting the energy-imparting wheel both for rotation about a generally horizontal transversely extending axis and for vertical movement, said energy-imparting wheel being positioned for movement into and out of engagement with the vehicle drive train when the toy vehicle is supported and held on the launcher;
• and
• (3) motor means carried on said arm and operatively connected to the energy-imparting wheel for rotating said wheel.

Toy motorcycle play apparatus comprising:

• (a) a two-wheeled toy motorcycle having a frame and an energy-storing drive-train mechanism including at least one ground-engaging rear wheel rotatably mounted on said frame;
• said motorcycle having projection means fixed on said frame adjacent said rear wheel;
• and
• (b) a launcher having a platform and control means for releasably supporting and holding the toy motorcycle on the platform in a forwardly aligned position with said rear drive wheel out of engagement with the platform so that the drive wheel can rotate freely;
• for imparting rotation of said drive wheel;
• and for releasing the motorcycle and allowing the drive wheel to engage the platform to propel the motorcycle forwardly;
• said control means including fixed abutment means on said platform defining at least one forwardly facing stop surface and at least one downwardly inclined relief surface, said control means comprising hand movable rotation-imparting means engagable with the motorcycle energy-storing drive-train mechanism and operable to urge the toy motorcycle rearwardly against the stop surface while imparting rotation to said mechanism and for then permitting said projection means on the motorcycle to move down said release surface so that the rotating drive wheel may engage the platform for launching of the toy motorcycle,
• said hand movable rotation-imparting means being in the form of a hand-pullable separate member which engages with said energy-storing drive train mechanism on the toy motorcycle while energy is being transferred, and which then disengages from said mechanism,
• said launcher including means which guide the pull member, said guide means being disposed on the launcher rearwardly of said fixed abutment means and comprising a transverse rear wall section having an upper edge and a pull slot extending downwardly from said upper edge for receiving said pull member therein, whereby said pull member may be engaged with said toy motorcycle and the motorcycle and pull member may be positioned on the launcher as a unit.