Roller coaster toy
OwnerRichard G. Millerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A roller coaster or gravity motive toy is disclosed herein having a tortuous elevated track layout and toy vehicle system including adjustable support stanchions for the track attached thereto by a universal joint. The vehicle includes rollers movably supporting the vehicle on the track with pivotal roller guide and lateral securement elements to detachably couple the vehicle to the track. An articulated figure or caricature is carried in the vehicle having pivotal extremities adapted for centrifugal actuation during travel of the vehicle. A motorized lift is operably carried on the track selectively engaging with a vehicle lifting the vehicle to an elevated starting position for gravity operation.
Claims7
A toy vehicle and track system comprising the combination of:
- a continuous track arranged in a tortuous path elevated above a supporting surface;
- a plurality of height-adjustable towers in spaced-apart relationship supporting said track on said supporting surface;
- a gravity operated vehicle having support rollers movably carried on said elevated track;
- retaining and guide means operably carried on opposite sides of said vehicle selectively engageable with opposite sides of and beneath said track for releasably maintaining said vehicle on said track;
- said vehicle retaining and guide means include a pair of rollers carried on each side of said vehicle in rollable engagement with opposite sides of and the underside of said track;
- each pair of said retaining and guide means rollers comprising a first roller engageable with the side of said track and a second roller engageable with the underside of said track, said pair of rollers having turning axles normal with respect to each other;
- said retaining and guide means include a pivoted lever member on each side of said vehicle having an end portion extending beyond said vehicle and terminating with said second roller projecting inwardly under said track in rollable engagement with opposite undersides thereof;
- and
- actuation means pivotally interconnecting ends of said lever members opposite to their ends carrying said second roller for manually deploying said second rollers beneath said track and to release and remove said second rollers from beneath said track.
A toy vehicle and track system comprising the combination of:
- a continuous track arranged in a tortuous path elevated above a supporting surface;
- a plurality of height-adjustable towers in spaced-apart relationship supporting said track on said supporting surface;
- a gravity operated vehicle having support rollers movably carried on said elevated track;
- retaining and guide means operably carried on opposite sides of said vehicle selectively engageable with opposite sides of and beneath said track for releasably maintaining said vehicle on said track;
- said vehicle retaining and guide means include a pair of rollers carried on each side of said vehicle in rollable engagement with opposite sides of and the underside of said track;
- each pair of said retaining and guide means rollers comprising a first roller engageable with the side of said track and a second roller engageable with the underside of said track, said pair of rollers having turning axles normal with respect to each other;
- said retaining and guide means include a pivoted lever member on each side of said vehicle having an end portion extending beyond said vehicle and terminating with said second roller projecting inwardly under staid track in rollable engagement with opposite undersides thereof;
- each of said pivoted lever members includes an actuation portion extending from said end portion above said vehicle and pivotally joined with said actuation portion of the other lever member;
- a pivot connection on each of said lever members joining said lever members to the respective sides of said vehicle;
- said pivot connections being operable to extend and retract said second rollers away from and back to said underside track position in response to manual pinching of said actuation portions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.