Multiple vehicle launcher

• US 4,267,661 A
• Filed: 01/21/1980
• Issued: 05/19/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Marvin Glass & Associates
• Original Assignee: Marvin Glass & Associates
• Inventors: Hanson, Stephen P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shay, F. Barry
• Application Number:
  US06/113,718
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 46/1 K, 46/81, 46/201, 46/202, 124/17, 124/21, 124/41 R, 124/48, 124/51 R
• US Class Current: 446/430
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/008 Launching devices for motorless toy vehicles start mechanisms for trackways A63H18/026; for toy aircraft A63H27/14
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 9/74 with radially disposed cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 3/005 Catapults in pistol or rifle form having a cocking device, i.e. a mechanical device for holding the elastic band
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 3/02 Catapults, e.g. slingshots

Abstract

A launching device for launching toy vehicles or other objects includes a mechanism for sequentially launching of a plurality of the vehicles. The landing device includes a handle with a launching ramp defined thereon. Rotatably mounted on the handle is a vehicle support platform capable of holding a plurality of vehicles or objects to be launched. Propelling devices such as rubberbands are attached to the platform and are extended or tensioned by placement of a vehicle onto the platform. A latch is released to launch the vehicle by a trigger mounted on the handle. The toy also includes a biasing member for automatically rotating the platform relative to the launching ramp to position successive vehicles to be launched adjacent to the launching ramp. The rotating member may be a rubberband in which energy is stored by rotating or winding the platform relative to the handle through the employment of a winding mechanism.

Claims

1. A toy for launching a plurality of objects mounted on said toy, comprising:

a vertically inclined launching ramp for launching said objects onto a surface such as a floor or the like;

a carrier for said objects to be launched rotatably mounted on said ramp;

means on said carrier for holding at least one of said objects to be launched;

launching means on said holding means for launching said object;

said launching means including a stored energy element secured to said holding means in position for simultaneously biasing all of said plurality of said objects for launching each of said objects; and

means for rotating said carrier to align said holding means with said launching ramp.

2. The toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein said carrier comprises a platform rotatably mounted on said handle.

3. The toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein said carrier includes first indexing means for indexing and aligning said holding means adjacent said launching ramp.

4. The toy as set forth in claim 3 further including a handle and a trigger for releasing said indexing means and allowing said carrier to rotate and for actuating said launching means.

5. The toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein said holding means includes a slot and a latch for releasably latching said object in said slot.

6. The toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein said rotating means comprises a resilient element mounted on said carrier and means for winding said carrier relative to said handle to store energy in said resilient element for rotating said carrier, and second indexing means for indexing said winding means relative to said carrier.

7. A toy for launching a plurality of objects mounted on said toy, comprising:

a handle;

a vertically inclined launching ramp secured to said handle;

means for holding said plurality of objects rotatably mounted on said handle for launching each object in a direction radially of the center of rotation of said holding means;

a first stored energy device secured to said handle and said holding means for rotating said holding means to sequentially position said objects adjacent said launching ramp; and

a second stored energy device directly secured to said holding means in position for simultaneously biasing all of said plurality of objects for launching each of said objects.

8. The toy as set forth in claim 7 wherein said holding means includes a platform rotatably mounted on said handle, said platform including a plurality of slots for containing said objects.

9. The toy as set forth in claim 7 wherein said holding means further includes a plurality of latches for releasably latching said objects to said holding means.

10. The toy as set forth in claim 9 further including trigger means for releasing said plurality of latches.

11. The toy as set forth in claim 7 wherein said first stored energy device comprises a rubberband, and winding means for rotating said holding means and storing energy in said first stored energy device.

12. The toy as set forth in claim 7 wherein said second stored energy device comprises a rubberband.

13. A device for launching a plurality of objects, comprising:

a vertically inclined launching ramp;

a planar, object holding member rotatably mounted on said launching ramp;

means on said holding member for propelling said plurality of objects from said holding member in directions generally parallel to the plane of said holding member;

means on said holding member for releasably latching said plurality of objects onto said holding member;

trigger means on said device for unlatching each of said latching means;

means secured to said holding member to sequentially align said plurality of objects with said ramp upon unlatching said latching means; and

means for indexing said holding member with respect to said ramp.

14. The device as set out in claim 13 further comprising a handle on said launching ramp.

15. The device as set out in claim 13 wherein said holding member further includes a plurality of slots for containing said plurality of objects and said propelling means comprises a rubberband extending across each of said plurality of slots.

16. The device as set forth in claim 13 wherein said rotating means includes a rubberband secured to said ramp and to said holding member.

17. The device as set forth in claim 13 further comprising means for winding said holding member relative to said ramp to store energy in said rotating means.