Helicopter toy

• US 3,864,868 A
• Filed: 06/06/1973
• Issued: 02/11/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tobin Wolf
• Original Assignee: Tobin Wolf
• Inventors: Wolf, Tobin
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Louis G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cutting, Robert F.
• Application Number:
  US05/367,535
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 46/1H,75,77,202
• US Class Current: 446/229
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/04 Captive toy aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/12 Helicopters A63H27/04 takes precedence; Flying tops

Abstract

A captive toy helicopter having a horizontally rotatable blade is suspended and controlled by a cable system in such a way as to move in horizontal and vertical directions as desired. Rotary movement are imparted to the blade by the cable system as the helicopter is moved.

Claims

1. An amusement device comprising, movable track means suspended between two spaced points, a traversing member supported by said track means for movement therewith, a toy helicopter provided with a horizontal rotor, a flexible line extending generally parallel to the track means, means on the traversing member for movably supporting spaced portions of the line, means on the helicopter engageable by the portion of the flexible line intermediate the spaced portions for suspending the helicopter and training the line against the rotor for rotating it during movement of the traversing member with the track means.

2. An amusement device comprising, track means suspended between two spaced points, a traversing member supported by said track means for movement therealong, a toy helicopter provided with a horizontal rotor, control means extending parallel to the track means and movably engaged by the traversing member for suspending the helicopter and operating the rotor during movement of the traversing member for suspending the helicopter and operating the rotor during movement of the traversing member along the track means, the control means comprising an elongated flexible member, said traverse member and helicopter being each provided with a pair of horizontally spaced openings, the flexible member extending through said openings to suspend the helicopter below the traverse member, a portion of the flexible member extending between the openings in the helicopter, and means on the rotor engageable by the portion of the flexible member extending between the openings in the helicopter for rotating the rotor as the traversing member moves along the track means.

3. An amusement device according to claim 2 including support means for said flexible member spaced from opposite sides of said traverse member, said flexible member being trained over at least one of the support means for pulling or loosening movements in raise or lower the helicopter respectively, and to rotate the helicopter rotor.

4. An amusement device according to claim 3 wherein the at least one support means is a rotatable pulley, and means located at one end of the track means for controlling rotations of the pulley in opposite directions.

5. An amusement device according to claim 4 including means at said one location for controlling movements of the traversing means in opposite directions.

6. An amusement device according to claim 5 wherein the means for controlling rotations of the pulley and the movements of the traverse member includes a single driving device operated to selectively rotate the pulley or to move the traverse member.

7. An amusement device comprising, a suspended traverse member mounted for movement along a substantially horizontal path, a flexible member extending parallel to the path of movement of the traverse member, said traverse member being provided with a pair of spaced openings through which the flexible member freely passes, a toy helicopter having a pair of linearly spaced openings through which the portion of the flexible member which is between the openings in the traverse member freely passes to suspend the helicopter for movements therewith and whereby pulling or loosening the flexible member in relatively opposite directions away from or toward the traverse member varies the height of the helicopter.

8. An amusement device in accordance with claim 7 wherein the helicopter is provided with a horizontal rotor blade, and means connected to the rotor blade cooperating with the portion of the flexible member between the openings in the helicopter for rotaTing the blade during vertical or horizontal movements of the helicopter.

9. An amusement device in accordance with claim 8 wherein at least one end of the flexible member is trained about a pulley and the other end relatively fixed, and driving means for rotating the pulley in relatively opposite directions to pull or lower the flexible member for varying the height of the helicopter.

10. An amusement device in accordance with claim 9 including driving means for causing horizontal movements of the traverse member along the path, and means at one end of the path of the traverse member for controlling both driving means.

11. An amusement device comprising, a flexible string secured at one end to a support, a member provided with a pair of spaced apertures through which the string passes to form a loop, means for suspending the member, a toy helicopter having a rotatable propeller shaft, means secured to the helicopter and provided with a pair of openings, the openings being spaced respectively from opposite sides of the shaft, the strands of the loop passing through the respective openings with the bight of the loop bearing against the propeller shaft to rotate it as the string is tightened or slackened by movement of its other end to raise or lower the helicopter.

12. An amusement device according to claim 11 including a rotatable drum for winding the free end of the string thereon for tightening or slackening the line.

13. An amusement device comprising, a suspended traverse member, means mounting the member for movement along a path, a flexible member extending parallel to the path of movement of the traverse member, said traverse member being provided with a pair of spaced openings through which the flexible member passes freely, a toy helicopter provided with a rotor, means secured to the helicopter providing a pair of spaced apertures, one on each side of the rotor axis, the portion of the flexible member between the openings in the flexible member passing freely through the apertures and bearing against the rotor for rotating it as the traverse member moves along said path.

14. An amusement device comprising, a toy helicopter provided with an aperture on opposite side of the shaft, a string suspended between spaced points which is threaded through the apertures and trained against the shaft to rotate it upon relative movements between the string and toy helicopter.

15. An amusement device according to claim 14 wherein said means secured to the helicopter comprises a bar extending transversely to the shaft, the apertures being provided by a loop formed on the free ends of the bar.

16. An amusement device according to claim 15 wherein said shaft is provided with a pulley against which the string bears.

17. An amusement device comprising, a traversing member, flexible means suspending said traversing member above ground for linear movements thereof, means for moving said flexible means in opposite directions, a flexible member extending substantially parallel to the path of movement of the traversing member secured at one end and movably supported at its other end, said traversing member having a pair of spaced guides through which the flexible member extends, and a toy object having at least one aperture through which the portion of the flexible membeter between said openings extends, whereby vertical movements of the object can be effected along all locations along its path of movement by pulling or slackening the flexible member.

18. An amusement device according to claim 17 including a rotatable pulley movably supporting the other end of the flexible member.

19. An amusement device according to claim 18 including means for controlling rotations of said pulley, said means for controlling the rotations of the pulley and the means for moving said traversing member comprising a single drive member and Pg,18 means to control said drive member for selectively operating the pulley and the traversing member.

20. An amusement device according to claim 17 wherein said means for suspending said traversing member for linear movements comprises, a string trained over a pair of spaced rotatable pulleys and connected at its ends to the traversing member.

21. An amusement device according to claim 20 wherein said traversing member is provided with aperture means through which the flight of the string which is unsecured to the traversing member extends.

22. An amusement device according to claim 21 including an additional rotatable pulley movably supporting the other end of the flexible member.

23. An amusement device according to claim 22 including a single driving device, and means to control said device to selectively rotate the pair of pulleys and the additional pulley.