Line guided self propelled vehicle

• US 5,562,522 A
• Filed: 02/28/1995
• Issued: 10/08/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kim A. Richno
• Original Assignee: Kim A. Richno
• Inventors: Richno, Kim A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Application Number:
  US08/395,666
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 446/444, 446/459, 446/441, 446/454, 446/451, 446/228, 446/229, 446/435, 273/86 R
• US Class Current: 446/444
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 18/00 Highways or trackways for toys railway permanent way A63H19/30; for special railways A63H21/00; Propulsion by special interaction between vehicle and track
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 29/18 Driving mechanisms with extensible rubber bands

Abstract

A toy vehicle using a rubber band drive operates in conjunction with a guide line that is associated with the vehicle. The vehicle includes a plurality of guides through which the guide line is threaded. The guide line is suspended between anchor stakes and includes a splayed end portion at a terminus of the guide line. An obstruction on the guide line will interface with a ring on the vehicle. When the ring becomes fouled by the obstruction it will cause the deployment of a parachute from the vehicle.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising a toy vehicle having a frame structure including a forwardly mounted transverse member, said frame structure supported on a plurality of wheels including a pair of drive wheels carried on an axle supported in a rear axle carrier;

and a winding stick means for temporary connection to said toy vehicle, the improvement comprising;

gear means carried by said rear axle carrier for driving said axle;

winding stick receiving means carried by said rear axle carrier for receiving said winding stick means;

elastic cord means connected to said forwardly mounted transverse member and to said gear means, said elastic cord means capable of storing potential energy;

a plurality of guides carried on said frame of said vehicle;

a guide line threaded through said guides on said frame;

an obstruction, having a diameter capable of passing through said guides without fouling, carried on said guide line;

a catch ring removably carried by said toy vehicle, said catch ring having an inner diameter less than said diameter of said obstruction whereby said obstruction will foul said catch ring preventing said catch ring from traversing said obstruction.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said catch ring is removably carried by said toy vehicle by means of a lanyard connected at one end thereof to said catch ring and at a second end thereof to one element of a two element hook and loop closure.

3. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said elastic cord means is woundup as said gear means is rotated through the rotation of said drive wheels of said vehicle.

4. The invention in accordance with claim 3 wherein said guides have an interrupted circumference to allow said guide line to be inserted into said guide.

5. The invention in accordance with claim 3 wherein said elastic cord is a rubber band.

6. The invention in accordance with claim 3 wherein said elastic cord is a woven elastic bungie cord.

10. The invention in accordance with claim 3 wherein said elastic cord is a woven elastic bungie cord.

7. An elastic cord driven vehicle and a guide line along which said vehicle can be guided, said vehicle including a gear drive means for receiving kinetic energy as rotary motion from said elastic cord, the improvement comprising:

gear drive means including a ring and pinion gear set, said pinion gear receiving rotary motion input from a drive gear connected to and driven by said elastic cord;

guides having an inside diameter carried by said vehicle;

a catch ring carried by said vehicle, said catch ring having an inside diameter less then the inside diameter of said guides;

an obstruction carried on said guide line which will foul said catch ring as said vehicle moves along said guide line as a result of said elastic cord driving said gear drive means of said vehicle.

8. The invention in accordance with claim 7 wherein said guides have an interrupted circumference to allow said guide line to be inserted into said guide.

9. The invention in accordance with claim 7 wherein said elastic cord is a rubber band.

11. The invention in accordance with claim 7 wherein said catch ring is connected by a lanyard to a parachute containing package carried on said vehicle whereby said parachute will be ejected from said package when said catch ring fouls said obstruction.

12. The invention in accordance with claim 11 wherein said parachute containing package contains a spring to assist ejection of said parachute from said package when said parachute ejection is initiated.

13. The invention in accordance with claim 7 wherein said guide line comprises:

a length of line terminating at one end thereof at a juncture of two other segments of line;

a first anchor stake which can be pushed into the ground to which one end of said line is attached;

a pair of anchor stakes which can be pushed into the ground to which said two other segments of line are attached, said pair of anchor stakes located more than one hundred feet away from said first anchor stake.

14. The invention in accordance with claim 13 wherein said obstruction is attached to said guide line before the juncture of said two other segments of line from the location of said first anchor stake.

15. The invention in accordance with claim 13 where each anchor stake comprises:

a spike;

a handle portion having a through bore through which the spike is positioned;

a ring through which the spike is positioned after it passes through the handle, said ring having a loop thereon to which said line is attached.

16. The invention in accordance with claim 15 further comprising a spacer through which said spike may pass to prevent said ring from contacting the ground when said spike and anchor is positioned in the ground.

17. The invention in accordance with claim 13 where each anchor stake comprises:

a spike;

a handle portion having a through bore through which the spike is positioned;

a loop formed on said handle portion for attachment thereto of said guide line.