Land sail vehicle
OwnerJohn J. Sinisiinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tricycle-type wind-propelled toy land vehicle includes a sail with reliable tangle-free boom control. Both the disposition of the boom and the front wheel steering is actuated by a radio frequency remote control system. The vehicle further includes a skid plate surrounding the front wheel to prevent tip-over. The front wheel is steered by a worm gear drive which is self-locking. Boom control is provided by a guided cable system or, in an alternate embodiment, a direct gear drive to rotate the mast. In yet another embodiment, boom control is provided by a sliding leaf spring which passes underneath the boom and attaches to a track on the underside of the boom.
Claims14
A remote-controlled wind propelled land vehicle comprising:
- a frame having a rear portion including means for mounting two spaced apart coaxially aligned rear wheels;
- means at a front portion of said frame for mounting a single steerable front wheel, said rear wheels and said front wheel providing rolling support for said frame along a ground surface;
- a steering mechanism mounted to said frame for turning said front wheel about a substantially vertical axis;
- remote control means including a receiver responsive to remote control signals mounted upon the rear portion of said frame for driving said steering mechanism;
- a mast mounted to said frame for supporting an upright wind sail assembly including a swingably mounted boom connected to said mast and a sail;
- said remote control means further comprising at least one motor for steering said front wheel and further including means for manipulating said boom in response to control signals generated by a remote control sending unit;
- and
- said steering mechanism comprises a forwardly-extending rotatable drive shaft having a worm gear at a forward end thereof meshing with a planetary gear of said steering mechanism, said drive shaft having a rearward end connected to said remote control means.
A remote-controlled wind propelled land vehicle comprising:
- a frame having a rear portion including means for mounting two spaced apart coaxially aligned rear wheels;
- means at a front portion of said frame for mounting a single steerable front wheel, said rear wheels and said front wheel providing rolling support for said frame along a ground surface;
- a steering mechanism mounted to said frame for turning said front wheel about a substantially vertical axis;
- remote control means including a receiver responsive to remote control signals mounted upon the rear portion of said frame for driving said steering mechanism;
- a mast mounted to said frame for supporting an upright wind sail assembly including a swingably mounted boom connected to said mast and a sail;
- said remote control means further comprising at least one motor for steering said front wheel and further including means for manipulating said boom in response to control signals generated by a remote control sending unit;
- and
- wherein said means for manipulating said boom comprises an extendable and retractable leaf spring.
A remote-controlled wind propelled land vehicle comprising:
- a frame having a rear portion including means for mounting two spaced apart coaxially aligned rear wheels;
- means at a front portion of said frame for mounting a single steerable front wheel, said rear wheels and said front wheel providing rolling support for said frame along a ground surface;
- a steering mechanism mounted to said frame for turning said front wheel about a substantially vertical axis;
- remote control means including a receiver responsive to remote control signals mounted upon the rear portion of said frame for driving said steering mechanism;
- a mast mounted to said frame for supporting an upright wind sail assembly including a swingably mounted boom connected to said mast and a sail;
- said remote control means further comprising at least one motor for steering said front wheel and further including means for manipulating said boom in response to control signals generated by a remote control sending unit;
- and
- a skid plate affixed to said frame located proximate the front wheel, said skid plate including left side and right side surfaces which are ground engagable when said vehicle is traveling in a heeled over condition, each surface extending laterally beyond a line between said front wheel and each rear wheel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.