US3624961A - Toy vehicle bogie - Google Patents

Abstract

A STEERABLE TOY VEHICLE HAS A BOGIE WHICH RESPONDS TO A FORCE APPLIED TO THE VEHICLE BODY TO TURN THE VEHICLE IN THE DIRECTION OF THE APPLIED FORCE, THE BOGIE IS MOUNTED SO AS TO TURN AND CANT.

Description

Dec. 7, 1971 J. c. BRUBAKER ,5

TOY VEHICLE BOGIE Filed Feb. 5, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR JACOB CLARENCE BRUBAKER By W/M ATTORNEYS Dec. 7, 1971 J. c. BRUBAKER TOY VEHICLE BOGIE 2 Sheets-Shoot l Filed Feb. 5, 1969 INVENTOR JACOB CLARENCE BRUBAKER United States Patent 3,624,961 TOY VEHICLE BOGIE Jacob Clarence Brubaker, Lancaster, Pa., assignor to Gabriel Industries, Inc., New York, N.Y. Filed Feb. 5, 1969, Ser. No. 796,681 Int. Cl. A63h 17/26 US. Cl. 46-221 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A steerable toy vehicle has a bogie which responds to a force applied to the vehicle body to turn the vehicle in the direction of the applied force; the bogie is mounted so as to turn and cant.

This invention relates to a toy vehicle bogie. More particularly, this invention relates to a toy vehicle bogie which makes the vehicle steerable in response to the force applied to the vehicle body, which force normally would be the hand of a child playing with the toy.

There are presently available a great number of toy vehicles which primarily consist of a vehicle body mounted on two or more axles that support the wheels. In some instances the axles are mounted in fixed bearings and hence the vehicle can go only in one direction. Other vehicles have a steering mechanism consisting of a linkage connected to a steering wheel so that one of the axles can be turned and hence cause the toy vehicle to turn as it is propelled either by hand or by some form of drive mechanism. The drive mechanisms usually take the form of either a momentum type of motor having a large fly wheel or an electric motor energized by batteries, although other forms of drive mechanisms may be provided.

The present invention invention provides a new and unobvious steerable toy vehicle. In accordance with the present invention the vehicle wheels are caused to turn in response to the application of a force to the vehicle body. Thus, the child playing with the vehicle merely applies a lateral force in the direction which he desires the vehicle to turn in order to cause the vehicle steering wheels to turn in that direction. The wheels turn because the entire wheel assembly (hereinafter referred to as a bogie) is mounted in such a manner that the axle of the wheel turns a pivot pin and cants relative to the vehicle. The canting action reinforces the turning response of the vehicle and pivots the entire axle in the direction desired. When it is desired to terminate the turning action of the vehicle, the force is merely reversed and the axle rotates in the opposite direction until the vehicle is proceeding in any new direction as desired, within limits set by the turning radius of the vehicle.

Another feature of the present invention is to provide a second bogie for a toy vehicle whereby it cooperates with the steerable bogie so as to cant the vehicle body to keep both bogie wheels on the ground during turning.

It therefore is an object of the present invention to provide a new and unobvious steerable toy vehicle.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a toy vehicle in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the toy vehicle in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the steerable bogie in accordance with the present invention taken along the line 3--3 in FIG. 2.

3,624,961 Patented Dec. 7, 1971 FIG. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the steerable bogie in accordance with the present invention taken along the line 44 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a partial longitudinal view of the rear axle of the vehicle taken along the line '5-5 in FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals indicate like elements, there is shown in FIG. 1 a toy vehicle 10 which takes the form of a truck for purposes of illustration. However, it should be understood that the form of the body of the toy vehicle plays no part in the present invention. The body could be that of an automobile, a bus, truck, tractor or a trailer, or any other form of wheeled vehicle.

As illustrated, the vehicle 10 is mounted on a front bogie 12 and a rear bogie 14 with each bogie rotatably supporting two wheels.

The front bogie 12 may be referred to as a steerable bogie and comprises wheels 16 and 18 mounted on the end of axle 20. The wheels are preferably made of a resilient, molded plastic material so as to have the appearance of conventional rubber tires and wheels. The wheels are provided with integral central hubs 22 and 24 which extend inwardly from the center of the wheel and have openings therein. The openings in the hubs 22 and 24 frictionally receive the ends of axle 20 and hence fix the wheels thereon so that they rotate with the axle. It should be understood, however, that other means of mounting the wheels to the axle 20 may be provided. Indeed, the wheels could be rotatably fixed to the axle 20. In the latter instance the axle itself would not rotate.

The axle 20 is rotatably mounted in a cross member 26 which comprises an elongated U-shaped channel which is substantially co-extensive of the distance between the wheels 16 and 18. The cross member 26 is mounted so that its open channel 28 opens downwardly, although it could be mounted with the channel opening in an upward direction or even in a sidewise direction. With the channel 28 opening downwardly, the side walls are curved toward each other, as best shown in FIG. 3. The inward curvature of the walls 30 and 32 rotatably retains the axle 20 within the channel 28. Thus, a force applied to the vehicle 10 will cause the wheels 16 and 18 to roll along a supporting surface. The axle 20 rotates within the channel 28 as the wheels roll.

A pivot member 34 in the form of an upstanding pin is fixed to cross member 26 as by welding, brazing, or it may be integrally formed with the cross member during a stampi'ng or molding operation. The pivot member 34 is located in the centre of cross member 26 so as to be equidistant from the end thereof and equidistant from the wheels 16 and 18.

Pivot member 34 is formed to include a base 36 which is fixed to the cross member 26. Base 36 is of a larger diameter than the rest of pivot member 34 and hence defines a shoulder 38 on which the bottom surface 40 of the vehicle 10 rests. Pivot member 34 includes an intermediate concentric section 42 of lesser diameter than the base 36 but greater diameter than the end section 44. Thus, the intermediate section 42 defines the shoulder 38 with the base 36. The intermediate section also defines the shoulder 46 with the concentric end section 44 of lesser diameter. The end section 44 receives a speed nut 48 or some other retention means for retaining the pivot member 34 in position within an opening 50 within the bottom surface 40 of the vehicle 10. Thus, the intermediate section 42 extends through the opening 50 and is held within opening 50 by the shoulder 38 and the speed nut 48. It should be understood that the speed nut 48 is but one form of means which may be used to retain the pivot member 34 within opening 50. For example, the end section 44 could be threaded and a nut engaged therewith.

As best illustrated in FIG. 3, the length of intermediate section 42 between shoulders 38 and 46 is greater than the thickness of bottom surface 40. Thus, the pivot member 34 is free to slide longitudinally within the opening 50. The walls of the opening 50 are chamfered on either side of the bottom surface 40 so as to form as inner projection 52 which makes line contact with the intermediate section 42. The net result is that the pivot member 34 is loosely held within the opening 50 in such a manner that it is free to slide longitudinally, to rotate (pivot) about its longitudinal axis, and to cant. When the pivot member 34 cants, its longitudinal axis assumes an angle other than normal to the surface 34. Since the cross member 26 is also normal to the longitudinal axis of the pivot member 34, it follows that it will cant; that is, it assumes an angle other than parallel to the surface 40, which angle may be generally referred to as the cant of the cross member 26.

An ear 54 is mounted on and extends from cross member 26 to define a constraining member. Ear 54 may be formed with the cross member 26 as by molding or stamping or it may be brazed, welded or otherwise fixed to the cross member 26. Ear 54 is provided with an aperture 56 which serves to constrain a constraining pin 58, Constraining pin 58 is fixed to and depends from the bottom surface 40 of the vehicle 10. The pin 58 extends into the aperture 56 and hence prevents simple rotation of the pivot member 34 about its longitudinal axis.

Aperture 56 is formed like aperture 50 in that it is chamfered at both sides so as to form a projection 60 whose apex makes line contact with the constraining pin 58. The purpose in forming aperture 56 with projections 60 is so that the pin 58 may cant within the aperture. Pin 58 is of such a length that it cannot be removed from aperture 56 even when the bottom surface 40 of the vehicle is brought into abutment with the speed nut 48. The diameteri'of aperture 56 is slightly greater than the diameter of pin 58 so that there is a loose fit between the two.

Aperture 56 in ear 54 in positioned equidistant from the end of the cross member 26. Aperture 56, and hence constraining pin 58 are spaced a short distance from pivot member 34 and best slfown in FIG. 3.

From the foregoing, and as indicated above, it should be apparent that the cross member 26 cannot pivot about the longitudinal axis of pivot member 34 since it is constrained by the engagement of constraining pin 58 within aperture 56. However, it should also be recognized that the loose fit between pivot member 34 and bottom surface 40 as well as the loose fit between pin 58 and aperture 56 does not prevent the cross member from simultaneously turning and canting relative to the bottom surface 40. Thus, a turning or pivoting motion of the wheels 16 and- 18 can be effected by causing the cross member to cant relative to the bottom surface 40. The physical relationship which results in this turning and canting movement can best be seen in FIG. 3. In that figure, the axis xx intersects the juncture of projection 52 and the center line of pivot member 34 on the one hand and intersects the juncture of pivot 60' and the center line of constraining pin on the other hand. Thus, the axis x-x is an axis of rotation about which axle 20 and the wheels attached thereto may rotate. While it may appear that the constraining pin 58 and the pivot member 34 prohibit such rotation, it is clear, from what has been set forth above that the fact that the openings through which each of these members is inserted is chamfered coupled with the fact that there is a relatively loose fit between each member and its opening permits this relationship to occur. Thus, both the pin and the constraining member, rather than interfering with the rotation of the axle about axis x-x in fact make this rotation possible.

If, for example, it is desired to have the truck turn, then the right or lefthand portion of the cross member, de pending upon the direction of turning, will swing upwardly and to the rear and the opposite portion will swing downwardly and to the front relative to the bottom surface of the vehicle. This continues until the cross member either strikes the bottom surface or strikes the limit stop pins 62 and 64. The limit stop pins 62 and 64 are positioned to contain the wheels 16 and 18 within their respective fender openings; that is, the wheels are prevented from striking the fender Walls. The pivotal action is illustrated in FIG. 2 by the broken line illustration of the cross member 26 and wheels 16, 18.

The foregoing described mounting for the bogie 12 permits a child or anyone else manipulating the toy vehicle 10 to cause it to turn by applying a lateral force in addition to the normal forward driving force. This force is applied to the vehicle body. This lateral force causes the vehicle body to cant relative to the cross member 26 since the cross member is supported by both wheels 16 and 18 on the floor or other supporting surface. This lateral force also causes the cross member to pivot as the canting action takes place. Hence the vehicle turns. The vehicle is caused to proceed along a straight line simply by removing the lateral force and applying a forward driving force. The removal of the lateral force together with the forward force causes the body to right itself and the cross member to resume a transverse position with both wheels rolling in a forward direction. Hence, the bogie 12 mounted on the vehicle 10 is steerable. I

Although the preferred embodiment of this invention as illustrated in pivot member 34 as being fixed to the cross member 26, it should be recognized that the pivot member could be fixed to the bottom surface of the vehicle and loosely engaged with the cross member. In

v a like manner, the position of the aperture 56 and constraining pin 58 could be reversed so that the constraining pin is fixed to the cross member 26 and the aperture 56 formed in the bottom surface of the vehicle.

The vehicle 10 is also provided with a rear bogie 14 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5. Rear bogie 14- is designed to accommodate the canting action of the vehicle body.

As shown, the bogie 14 consists of an axle '66 supporting wheels 68 and 70 in the same manner as axle 20. Thus, the wheels 68 and 70 are preferably identical to the wheels 16 and 18 and are fixed to the axle 66 by a fric- The axle 66 is dotatably held on the bottom surface 40 of the vehicle 10 by a bifurcated lug 72 which is crimped about the axle 66. The axle 66 is free to rotate Within the lug 72.

A pair of cylindrical posts 74 and 76 depend from one side of the vehicle chassis and a similar pair of cylindrical posts 78 and 80 depend from the opposite side. Each pair of posts 74, 76 and 78, 80 is spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the diameter of axle 66. The length of axle 66 is such that the hubs of wheels 68 and 70 make tangential engagement with the posts 74, 76 and 78, 80. Hence, the posts prevent the axle 66 and hence the wheels 68, 70 from being laterally displaced. The axle 66, however, is free to be displaced in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axes of the posts. As best shown in FIG. 5, the bight 82 of the bifurcated lugs 72 is spaced away from the bottom surface 40 of the vehicle 10. This means that the axle 66 is free to rock in a plane parallel to its longitudinal axis and is guided in such rocking motion by the posts 74-80.

The purpose in providing this type of support structure to the bogie 14 is so that the rear wheels 68 and 70 stay on the ground when the body of the vehicle 10 is canted during turning.

From the foregoing, it should be apparent that a steerable bogie for the vehicle has been provided.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof.

It is claimed:

1. A vehicle bogie for a toy vehicle comprising a cross member for supporting a wheel at each end thereof, a pivot member fixed to said cross member, a con-straining member fixed to said cross member, said constraining member being spaced from said pivot member, a constraining pin depending from the underside of the vehicle and engaging said constraining member to define a first loose fit, said pivot member engaging said vehicle to define a second loose fit, and said first and second loose fits define an axis of rotation for said cross member so that it will turn and cant relative to the vehicle body.

2. A vehicle bogie in accordance with claim 1 wherein limit pins depend from said vehicle to limit the amount of pivot and cant of said cross member.

3. A vehicle bogie in accordance with claim 1 wherein said pivot member is positioned intermediate the ends of said cross member, and said constraining member is similarly positioned relative to the ends of said cross member and displaced laterally from said pivot member.

4. A vehicle bogie in accordance with claim 1 wherein said vehicle body has a structural member connected thereto, said structural member defining an aperture, said pivot member being a pin extending from said cross member through said aperture, and means for retaining said pin in said aperture.

5. A vehicle bogie in accordance with claim 1 wherein said pivot member pin is held within said aperture by said retaining means so as to permit longitudinal displacement and canting of said pin relative to said aperture.

6. A vehicle bogie in accordance with claim 1 wherein said constraining member is an aperture fixed to said cross member.

7. A vehicle bogie for a toy vehicle wherein the vehicle may be caused to turn by canting of the vehicle body relative to a cross member supporting the vehicle wheels, comprising said cross member, wheels supported at the ends of said cross member, a pivot member pivotally connecting said cross member to said vehicle body to define a first connection at said vehicle body, said first connection permitting pivotal and canting movement of said cross memdefine a second connection spaced downwardly and rearwardly of said first connection to interconnect said vehicle body and said cross member, and said first and second connections define an axis of rotation for said cross member so that said cross member will turn when said vehicle body is canted.

8. A vehicle bogie in accordance with claim 7 wherein limit pins are mounted to limit the amount of pivot and cant of said body relative to said cross member.

9. A vehicle bogie in accordance with claim 7 wherein a second bogie supports said vehicle body, said second bogie comprising an axle supporting a wheel at each end thereof, said axle extending through two elongated openings spaced apart from each other, and a bearing intermediate said elongated bearings, said intermediate bearing constraining said axle to rotate about its axis, said elongated openings permitting rotation of said axle about its axis and rocking about said intermediate bearing of said axle toward and away from said vehicle body.

10. A vehicle bogie for a toy vehicle comprising a support member, said support member defining a surface with a depending portion connected thereto, a pivot member, said pivot member being pivotally connected to said sup- 1 port surface in depending relation thereto, said pivotal conber relative to said vehicle body, a constraining member and a constraining pin in loose mutual engagement to nection defining a first juncture, axle means for rotatably supporting wheels, said axle means being coupled to said pivot member in spaced relation from said first juncture, an elongated constraining member coupled at one end to said pivot member in spaced relation from said first juncture and projecting laterally of said axle means, said other end being pivotally coupled to said depending portion remotely from said surface to define a second juncture, and said first and second junctures define an axis of rotation for said axle means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,150,727 8/1915 Alexander 46-221 UX 2,388,629 11/ 1945 Anderson 46201 2,501,206 3/1950 Brackett 46201 2,908,997 10/1959 Handler 46221 X 3,412,505 ll/1968 Mills 46221 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner D. L. WEINHOLD, JR., Assistant Examiner UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 ,62 ,961 Dated December 7 1971 Jacob C. Brubaker It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Claim 3, line 5; change "laterally" to longitudinally Signed and sealed this 27th day of June 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER, JR. ROBERT GOT'I'SCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

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