Push toy

• US 4,291,489 A
• Filed: 06/23/1980
• Issued: 09/29/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hasbro Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hasbro Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: McCarthy, Thomas C. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Application Number:
  US06/162,381
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 46/205, 46/204, 46/106, 46/107, 46/99, 46/114, 46/220
• US Class Current: 446/451
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 7/04 moving together with a toy vehicle or together with wheels rolling on the ground, i.e. driven by vehicle or wheel movement

Abstract

A wheeled push toy including a housing and a push rod. A first action element is adapted to move up and down in a generally continuous fashion with respect to the housing while a second action element is adapted to be intermittently propelled up the push rod a short distance and fall back by gravity. The action of the above described elements is controlled by the movement of the supporting wheels of the toy and preferably in a fashion such that the intermittent movement of the second action element is produced only upon forwardly pushing the toy in contrast to rearwardly pulling such.

Claims

1. A push toy comprising a housing, a generally upright push rod connected thereto, said housing including an axle for supporting wheel means in turn adapted to rotate in contact with a supporting surface as said toy is moved thereacross by said push rod, a first action element supported by said housing and adapted for reciprocal movement with respect thereto, a second action element supported by said push rod and adapted for reciprocal movement with respect thereto, first activation means associated with said axle for generally continuous moving said first element during movement of said toy and second activation means associated with said axle for intermittently moving said second element during movement of said toy, said second element slidably mounted on said push rod and including a pin downwardly extending therefrom, said second activation means including spring means having a hammer and adapted for loading by rotation of said wheel means during a portion of a single revolution thereof and release during another portion thereof such that said hammer strikes said pin upon its release so as to abruptly propel said second element up said push rod whereupon it falls back to its original position by gravity.

2. A push toy comprising a housing, a generally upright push rod connected thereto, said housing including an axle for supporting wheel means in turn adapted to rotate in contact with a supporting surface as said toy is moved thereacross by said push rod, a first action element supported by said housing and adapted for reciprocal movement with respect thereto, a second action element supported by said push rod and adapted for reciprocal movement with respect thereto, first activation means associated with said axle for generally continuous moving said first element during movement of said toy and second activation means associated with said axle for intermittently moving said second element upon rotation of said wheel means in one direction only, said second activation means including a gear supported by said housing and adapted for rotation along with said wheel means and spring means supported from said housing and positioned laterally offset from the plane defined by the rotation of said gear, said spring means including a hammer, said gear including at least one laterally projecting pin adapted to contact and progressively load said spring means during a portion of a single gear revolution and thereafter suddenly release said spring means such that the hammer thereof strikes said second element so as to abruptly propel such upwardly along said push rod.

3. A push toy comprising a housing, a generally upright push rod connected thereto, said housing including an axle for supporting wheel means in turn adapted to rotate in contact with a supporting surface as said toy is moved thereacross by said push rod, a first action element supported by said housing and adapted for reciprocal movement with respect thereto, a second action element supported by said push rod and adapted for reciprocal movement with respect thereto, first activation means associated with said axle for generally continuous moving said first element during movement of said toy and second activation means associated with said axle for intermittently moving said second element during movement of said toy, said second element slidably mounted on said push rod and including a pin downwardly extending therefrom, said second activation means including spring means having a hammer and adapted for loading by rotation of said wheel means during a portion of a single revolution thereof and release during another portion thereof such that said hammer strikes said pin upon its release so as to abruptly propel said second element up said push rod whereupon it falls back to its original position by gravity, said spring means mounted in said housing, said second element non-rotationally mounted on said push rod such that said pin projects through a rear wall of said housing and is thus oriented for contact by said hammer.

4. A push toy comprising a housing, a generally upright push rod connected thereto, said housing including an axle for supporting wheel means in turn adapted to rotate in contact with a supporting surface as said toy is moved thereacross by said push rod, a first action element supported by said housing and adapted for reciprocal movement with respect thereto, a second action element supported by said push rod and adapted for reciprocal movement with respect thereto, first activation means associated with said axle for generally continuous moving said first element during movement of said toy and second activation means associated with said axle for intermittently moving said second element upon rotation of said wheel means in one direction only, said second activation means including a gear supported by said housing and adapted for rotation along with said wheel means and spring means supported from said housing and positioned laterally offset from the plane defined by the rotation of said gear, said spring means including a hammer, said gear including at least one laterally projecting pin adapted to contact and progressively load said spring means during a portion of a single gear revolution and thereafter suddenly release said spring means such that the hammer thereof strikes said second element so as to abruptly propel such upwardly along said push rod, said spring means including an elongated body pivotally mounted on said housing, said hammer formed from an upper portion of said body, said body being spring biased towards a first position, a lever mounted on said body for free pivotal movement in a direction towards said body and for movement with said body in the opposite direction, said gear pin adapted to contact said lever upon rotation thereof so as to pivot said body in an opposite second direction against the action of said spring whereupon continued rotation of said gear in one direction causes said gear pin to disengage said lever and thus cause said body to be abruptly forced to its first position by said body spring, said lever being freely movable to a rest position by said gear pin when said gear is rotated in its opposite direction such that the second action element is not activated when the gear is rotated in its opposite direction as when the toy is pulled rather than pushed.

5. The push toy of claim 4, said axle including a pinion in turn meshed with said gear.

6. The push toy of claim 4, said gear including a pair of diametrically opposed pins.