Amusement helicopter

• US 4,492,372 A
• Filed: 02/11/1982
• Issued: 01/08/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rawson Control Systems, Inc. (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rawson Control Systems, Inc. (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Rawson, deceased, James L., Maring, Thomas L., Lorence, Allan L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Application Number:
  US06/348,032
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 434/33, 434/55, 434/56, 434/57, 434/58, 272/17, 272/18, 272/1 C, 272/6
• US Class Current: 472/130
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/16 creating illusions of travel
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/14 controlled by fluid actuated piston or cylinder ram
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/46 the aircraft being a helicopter

Abstract

Helicopter intended for use as a toy and raisable on a four-bar linkage by a hydraulic cylinder through a hydraulic circuit. An electrical circuit provides for alternately flashing flight lights, pulsating front gun lights, and for providing through a speaker a chopper sound and a phasor gun sound. The hydraulic circuit includes a novel single spool for regulating flow through a valve between a combined motor pump tank to a cylinder at a fast speed up and slow speed down. The valve is mechanically linked to the joy stick. The four-bar linkage includes a safety bar which overrides the joy stick in the event that an individual or an object is positioned under the linkage in an elevated condition. The hydraulic circuit is provided with a joy stick stop limit within the joy stick throttle structure, a valve control stop link, a safety bar limit, and the inherent four-bar linkage limit, all of these limits acting to keep oil in the cylinder and provide for safety of operation. All of the electromechanical circuitry is positioned in one box which mounts within the enclosure providing for accessible and ease of replacement servicing as required.

Claims

1. An amusement aircraft simulator comprising:

a. frame support means including a raisable fourbar linkage having one end rotatably mounted about a shaft secured on said frome and an aircraft body supported on an other end of said linkage;

b. hydraulic means including a motor-driven hydraulic pump, a reservoir, a geometrically configured valve means connected thereto connected in a hydraulic circuit, and a hydraulic cylinder connected between said frame and a midpoint of said fourbar linkage;

c. electronic control means for controlling said hydraulic means and supported on said frame;

d. stop pin means for limiting the distance of travel of said fourbar linkage; and

connected to said valve means;

e. safety bar means over a portion of said fourbar linkage, said safety bar means including pivoting structure connected at a rearward end to said fourbar linkage and having slotted key means at an other end, a first barbell crank connected to a forward end of said fourbar linkage and said slotted key means, and a joy stick linkage connected on opposing sides of said first barbell crank, and a second barbell crank connected to a rearward end of said fourbar linkage;

f. joy stick means positioned at said other end of said fourbar linkage and including linkage means connected to said valve means; and

,

g. said aricraft body mounted to said other end of said fourbar linkage housing said joy stick means therein, whereby manual actuation of said joy stick means actuates said hydraulic means to further actuate said fourbar linkage to move said aircraft body to simulate free flight.

2. A simulator of claim 1 wherein said slotted key means provides a stop limit for safety of flight.

3. A simulator of claim 1 wherein said valve means includes a round spool having a plurality of wide and narrow orifices.

4. A simulator of claim 3 wherein said wide and narrow orifices are respectively for a fast downward and a slow upward movement of the aircraft body.

5. A simulator of claim 1 wherein said joy stick linkage includes adjustable means at both ends.

6. A simulator of claim 1 wherein said electronic control means includes means for generating sounds of flight, means for generating sounds of weapon firing, means for flashing flight lights, means for flashing weaponry lights, and speaker means for outputting said generated sounds in said aircraft body.

7. A simulator of claim 1 wherein said aircraft is a helicopter.

8. Aircraft of claim 1 including triangular side cover means rotatable about said linkage means for protecting said linkage means from insertion of any object therein.