GB2030460A - Toy vehicle steering simulation device - Google Patents

Abstract

A toy vehicle steering simulation device has an endless belt (32) which is movable and supports obstructions (172) on its outer surface for defining circuitous paths. A play piece (162), such as a simulated vehicle, is positioned on the outer surface of the endless belt for lateral displacement by on a vehicle displacing member positioned intermediate the webs of said endless belt adjacent the inner surface thereof. The play piece and vehicle displacing member are magnetically coupled through the belt. A simulated steering member is mounted for pivotable and/ or tilting displacement and coupled to the vehicle displacing member. Speed control means (50) is mounted on the simulated steering member for selective control of the speed of displacement of the endless belt. The device is provided with a lap counter and a timer for controlling the duration of the displacement of the belt. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Toy vehicle steering simulation device This invention relates generally to toys which simulate the steering of a vehicle. Children are generally fascinated by the activities of adults, and one of the most fascinating to children of such activities is the driving of vehicles. Accordingly, many toys have been designed which simulate vehicle steering.

However, in order to enhance the play-value of a toy vehicle steering simulation device it is desirable to provide a device which objectively tests the accuracy of the user's "steering ability" while realistically simulating steering activities and vehicle control.

One type of vehicle of particular fascination to children is the motorcycle and a simulation of the use and steering effect of a motorcycle would be of particular play value.

While many of the foregoing effects can be produced through the use of video or electronic arrangements, such arrangements are relatively expensive and it is desired to provide a simple electro-mechanical arrangement which can be relatively inexpensively produced yet provide substantial play-value. By providing a simulated vehicle laterally displaceable by a magnetically-coupled means along the surface of a movable endless belt bearing obstructions capable of breaking such magnetic coupling, and by providing control of such lateral displacement by a steering mechanism which simulates motorcycle steering and incorporates speed control, a toy of enhanced play-value is provided.

The present invention provides a toy device comprising frame means, an endless belt rotatably mounted on said frame means to define a pair of spaced webs and having an inner and outer surface; means for selectively longitudinally displacing said endless belt; a play piece positionable on the outer surface of said endless belt; play piece displacing means positioned intermediate said endless belt webs adjacent the inner surface thereof; magnetic means for releasably coupling said play piece and said play piece displacing means for the coordinate displacing thereof substantially in a lateral direction relative to said endless belt; play piece steering means mounted for pivotable displacement on said frame means; and means coupling said play piece steering means and play piece displacing means for the displacement of said play piece displacing means in said substantially lateral direction relative to said endless belt, whereby said play piece is displaceable substantially laterally relative to said endless belt in response to the pivoting of said play piece steering means during the longitudinal dis placement of said endless belt.

Preferably obstruction means are positioned on the outer surface of said endless belt capable of breaking the magnetic coupling between said play piece and said play piece displacing member when engaged against said play piece during the displace ment of said endless belt for defining a circuitous path on the outer surface of said endless belt.

Said play piece steering means may include manually operable speed control means operatively coupled to said endless belt displacing means for the selective control of the speed of longitudinal displacement of said endless belt. Timer means may be provided coupled to said endless belt displacing means for the stopping of such displacement upon the expiration of a predetermined time period.

Said play piece steering means may be in the form of a handlebar assembly incorporating a pair of handle members, said speed control means including one of the handle members, said handle member being rotatably mounted on said handlebar assembly for the selective setting of speed in response to the rotational position of said one handle. Said handlebar assembly may be mounted for both pivotable and lateral tilting displacement, said coupling means displacing said play piece displacing means substantially in the lateral direction relative to said endless belt in response to both the tilting and pivoting of said handlebar assembly.

Lap counter means may be provided operatively coupled to detect the incremental advance of said endless belt means. Said lap counter means may include a rotatable lap indicator, lap indicator advance means and means carried by said endless belt for periodically operatively engaging said lap indicator advance means for the incremental advance of said lap indicator. Said lap indicator advance means may consist of a pivotable pawl means displaceable to effect advancement of said lap indicator in response to periodic engagement by a projection carried by said endless belt.

The play piece may simulate a vehicle such as a motorcycle and the upper web of the endless belt may define an inclined surface.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a toy vehicle steering simulation device; Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the device of Figure 1 with the cover removed and the endless belt partially broken away; Figures 3, 5and 8are enlarged fragmentary sectional views taken respectively along lines 3-3, 5-5, and 8-8 of Figure 2; Figures 4 and 7 are sectional views taken respectively along lines 4-4 and 7-7 of Figure 3; Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along lines 6-6 of Figure 5; Figure 9 is a circuit diagram illustrating the connection between the motor, rheostat and timer switch of the device of Figure 1; and Figure 10 is a fragmentary partially sectional view showing a speed control arrangement; and Figures 11, 12 and 13 are fragmentary sectional views taken along lines 11-11, 12-12 and 13-13 of Figure 10 respectively.

Referring to Figures 1,3 and 5, the toy vehicle steering simulation device 10 includes a frame or case 12 supported at a selected incline to the horizontal (as represented by surface 14 in Figures 3 and 5) by a pair of legs 16 and a support surface 18 located adjacent the front end of said device. Legs 16 may be fixedly or pivotably mounted to the sides of frame 12, and in the embodiment depicted, are respectively pivotably mounted by means of a post 19 (Figure 5) journaled through the side wall of frame 12. Post 19 terminates in an enlarged head 20 for retaining a coii spring 21 extending about post 19 between head 20 and frame 12. Spring 21 biases leg 16 against frame 12.A plurality of apertures 22 in frame 12 are circumferentially spaced about each post 19 for receipt of a pair of pegs 23 projecting from each leg 16 for determining the angular orientation of legs 16. The angular position of each leg may be altered by pulling out the leg against the bias of spring 21, rotating the leg until pegs 23 are in registration with the desired apertures 23 and releasing the leg.

Frame 12 may be formed of one or more plastic mouldings and is open at its bottom side, said opening being sealed by a cover member 26. The upper surface 28 of frame 12 is formed with an opening 30 which permits viewing of a movable endless belt 32 as more particularly described below. A lap counter is housed within an upwardly projecting portion 33 at the rear of frame 12, projecting portion 33 being provided with a plurality of laterally spaced apertures 34 therethrough in a forwardly facing surface 36 thereof for viewing the lap counter as more particularly.described below.

Removably mounted on the forward end of frame 12 is a battery compartment cover 38 of conventional construction. Frame 12 is formed with a battery compartment portion 40 as more particularly shown in Figures 2 and 3, said compartment being adapted to receive and retain four batteries 42 to provide the power for the driving of the device 10.

Projecting upwardly from case 12 intermediate the battery compartment 40 and opening 30 is a handlebar assembly 44 shaped to simulate the handlebars of a motocycle. Handlebar assembly 44 includes a central housing 46 having left handle 48 and right handle 50 projecting laterally therefrom. As more particularly seen in Figures 3, 4 and 7, central housing 46 is coupled at a central bottom region thereof to a pivot member 52. Pivot member 52 is formed with an upper, essentially cup-shaped coupling portion 54 formed with a pair of openings 56 in the wall thereof. A pair of arcuate fingers 57 and 58 project downwardly from the central region of central housing 46 of handlebar assembly 44 and are snugly received in cup-shaped coupling portion 54 of pivot member 52.Finger 58 is formed with a longitudinally extending positioning rib 60 on the outer surface thereof positioned for receipt in a corresponding slot formed on the inner surface of cup-shaped coupling portion 54to insure proper orientation of the handlebar assembly 44 as shown in Figures 7 and 4. Also projecting downwardly from the bottom of central housing 46 are a pair of L-shaped spring fingers 64 which are positioned and dimensioned to engage in openings 56to insure affirmative coupling of pivot member 52 and handlebar assembly 44 for the coordinate pivoting and tilting thereof as more particularly described below.

Pivot member 52 is formed with a bowl-shaped portion 64 positioned immediately below cupshaped portion 56, said bowl shaped portion having an arcuate periphery for engaging against a correspondingly shaped socket 66 formed in the top surface of frame 12. Bowl-shaped portion 64 bears on and is both pivotably and tiltably displaceable in socket 66 in the manner of a ball joint coupling.

While socket 66 is of substantially circular crosssection, as is the corresponding region of ballshaped portion 64 of pivot member 52, frame 12 is formed with a substantially eliptically shaped sleeve projecting downwardly and surrounding socket 66 as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 7. The end 70 of sleeve 68 is of arcuate shape as more particularly shown in Figure 7, having a radius of curvature so as to define a substantially uniform distance from the axis of tilting rotation of ball-shaped portion 64 in socket 66.

A crank member 78 is formed with a cup-shaped portion 80 at one end thereof which extends about and receives end portion 74 and the lower-most region of cylindrical portion 72 of pivot member 52.

Said cup-shaped portion 80 of crank member 78 is coupled to the lower end of pivot member 52 by a rivot 82 which extends through bore 76 in end portion 74 of pivot member 52 and 84 in the base of cup-shaped portion 80 of crank member 78. Cupshaped member 80 of crank member 78 is dimensioned so that the upper surface 86 thereof bears on end 70 of eliptical sleeve 68 to hold pivot member 52, and therefore handle bar assembly 44, in position on frame 12.

The foregoing arrangement permits handlebar assembly 44 to be manually pivoted about the axis defined by pivot member 52 in the direction of arrows 88 (Figure 2) substantially between the positions illustrated by the moved positions 50' and 50" of right handle 50 and 48' and 48" of left handle 48 illustrated in chain lines in Figure 2. Further, handlebar assembly 44 and pivot member 52 may be tilted to the left and right as viewed from the front of device 10 about the pivot defined by bowl-shaped portion 64 and socket 66 in the direction of arrows 90 in Figure 7, between the extreme positions of pivot member 52 and crank member 78 illustrated by reference numerals 52', 52", 78' and 78" in Figure 7.

The dimensions of eliptical sleeve 68, as well as the dimensions of the opening 92 in the bottom of socket 66 (which is also substantially eliptical) serve to limit the pivotable displacement of the handlebar assembly 44. As is more particularly shown in Figures 2 and 3, crank member 78 is formed with a crank arm extending substantially normally to the axis of pivot member 52 and terminating in a coupling portion 96. Both the pivoting of handlebar assembly 44 about the axis defined by pivot member 52 and the tilting thereof as described above result in lateral displacement of the coupling portion 96 of crank member 78. This lateral displacement is transmitted to a play piece displacing member 98 (Figures 2 and 5) by means of a coupling string 100, one end of which is joined to coupling portion 96 of crank member 78 by rivet 102.Coupling string 100 extends about a pair of guide rollers 104 rotatably mounted on axles 106 secured to support plate 108, which is in turn mounted on frame 12 by screws 110.

Support plate 108' is secured to the opposite side of frame 12 from support plate 108 and is secured thereto by screws 110'. Bridging and supported by support plates 108 and 108' is a guide plate 112 formed with reinforcing ribs 114 and an arcuate, substantially laterally extending opening 116 therethrough. Play piece displacing member 98 is pivotably mounted to a post (not shown) on guide plate 12 and is held in position by bolt 118. The other end of coupling string 100 is secured by a rivet 120 to arm 122 of play piece displacing member 98 at a point spaced from the axis of pivoting of said play piece dispensing member as defined by bolt 118.

Said play piece displacing member is formed with a further arm 124 having at the end thereof a magnetsupporting portion 126 which supports a permanent magnet 128 which extends into and is displaceable along arcuate opening 116 in guide plate 112. The orientation of the poles of permanent magnet 128 is indicated in Figure 6 as being substantially aligned with the axis of opening 116. The top surface of permanent magnet 128 is in substantial alignment with the top surface of guide plate 112 as more particularly shown in Figure 6.Vertical support and guidance for play piece displacing member 98 is provided by the engagement of the upper surface of magnet-supporting portion 126 of further arm 124 against the bottom ofthe rib 114extending around the periphery of opening 116, and the engagement of the upper portion of a still further arm 130 against a rib 132 of play piece displacing member 98.

Permanent magnet 128 is displaced in the direction of arrows 132' in Figure 2 and 134 in Figure 6 in response to the pivoting or tilting of the handlebar assembly 44 as described above, such displacement being in response to the displacement of coupling string 100 in the direction of arrows 136 of Figures 2 and 3. The extreme lateral positions of play piece displacing member 98 are shown in chain lines in Figure 2 by reference numerals 98' and 98". The entire arrangement is centered by means of a torsional spring 138 mounted on a hub region 140 defining the axis of rotation of play piece displacing 98. One arm of torsional spring 138 is engaged in a notch in a peg 142 projecting from play piece displacing member 98 while the other arm of torsional spring 138 is engaged in a slot in a peg 144 projecting from guide plate 112.A first belt roller 146 is rotatably mounted on frame 12 by means of axles 148 just behind the rear of opening 30 in the top of frame 12. A second belt roller 150 is mounted just forwardly of the front of the opening 30 in frame 12 by means of axle 152 journaled in a portion of frame 12 and axle 154 coupled to the output of a gear reducing box 156. The input of gear reducing box 156 is coupled to an electric motor 158 which drives second belt roller 150 through gear reduction box 156. Both first and second belt rollers 146 and 150 are formed along the periphery of one side thereof with a plurality of circumferentially spaced projections 160.Extending around said first and second belt rollers is endless belt 32 thereby defining a pair of spaced webs, an upper web, the outer surface of which is exposed to view through opening 30 in frame 12 and which is, in part, supported by guide plate 112, and a lower web which extends below play piece displacing member 98. Guide rollers 104 serve to guide coupling string 100 around second belt roller 150 into the region intermediate the web defined by endless belt 32. Said guide plate 112 extends between said web and between said belt rollers. Endless belt 32 is formed with a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings 162 therethrough positioned and spaced to mate with projections 160 for retaining endless belt 32 in proper orientation and for the affirmative driving and displacement of said endless belt.As more particularly illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, the upper web of endless belt 32 passes adjacent permanent magnet 128. Disposed on the outer surface of endless belt 32 is a play piece 162, in this embodiment shaped in the form of a motorcycle and rider. Play piece 162 is formed, in a central lower region thereof with an axle 164 defined by a rivet and rotatably supporting an annular permanent magnet 166 supported between a pair of metal discs 168 which serves to concentrate the magnetic force of said permanent magnet. The orientation of the poles of said permanent magnet are illustrated in Figure 6 and correspond to the orientation of the poles of permanent magnet 128.

By reason of the permanent magnets 166 and 128, play piece 162 is magnetically coupled to play piece displacing member 98 so that as endless belt 32 is advanced in the direction of arrows 170 (Figures 3, 5 and 8), play piece 162 remains stationary, held in position by the magnetic coupling described above.

In the embodiment depicted, the outer surface of endless belt 32 is formed with artwork representative of various "tracks" and scenery to thereby create the illusion that the play piece is moving relative to the ground (when in fact, it is the "ground" which is moving relative to the play piece).

Secured to the outer surface of endless belt 32 are a plurality of projections 172, shaped in the embodiment depicted in the form of rocks, bushes, animals and the like. These obstructions are oriented to define circuitous paths along the surface of the endless belt and are adapted, if they engage play piece 162, to break the magnetic coupling, causing the play piece to fall or otherwise be carried by the endless belt. It is noted that the front and rear portions of frame 12 are formed to define a sufficient space from endless belt 12 to permit the free passage of projections 172. By manual tilting and pivoting of handlebar assembly 44, in the manner described above, the user of device 10 "steers" the play piece laterally relative to endless belt 12 in the direction of arrows 174 (Figures 1 and 6), the play piece being laterally displaced due to the magnetic coupling with the play piece displacing member.

In order to enhance the play-value of the device 10, a lap counter roller 176 is freely rotatably mounted in frame 12 by means of axles 178 and 180. Said lap counter roller is mounted in the upwardly projecting portion 33 of frame 12 as described above in registration with apertures 34. A knob 182 projects out of an opening in frame 12 and coupled to axle 180 for the manual rotation of lap counter roller 76 for the resetting thereof. As more particularly illustrated in Figure 2, the surface of lap roller 176 is provided with a stepped colored portion 184 so that as the lap roller 176 is incrementally advanced as described below, successively increased portions of the colored region 184 appear in apertures 34, the number of such apertures in which colored regions appear being a measure of the number of laps that the endless belt 32 has advanced.

Referring more particularly to Figure 8, wherein the mechanism for advancing the lap counter roller 176 is illustrated a ratchet wheel 186 is mounted adjacent said lap counter roller on axle 178 for coordinate rotation therewith. An escapement pawl 188 is pivotally mounted by post 189 to frame 12.

Escapement pawl 188 is provided with a first tooth 190 normally engaged with a tooth of ratchet wheel 186 and held in this position by a torsion spring 192 extending around post 189 and having one arm engaging axle 178 and a second arm engaging a peg 194 projecting from escapement pawl 188. Said escapement pawl 188 is provided with a second tooth 196 for engagement with the ratchet wheel 186 and a V-shaped deflection member 198 normally biased by spring 192 to a position adjacent endless belt 132 as it passes around first belt roller 146. Said endless belt is formed with a projection 200 extending from the outer surface thereof in registration with deflection member 198.When projection 200 comes into engagement with deflection member 198 it rides on the surface of the V-shaped deflection member pivoting the escapement pawl 188 to engage tooth 196 with a tooth of the ratchet wheel 186 to incrementally advance the lap counter 176 by the pitch of a single tooth of said ratchet wheel, sufficient to cause the colored region 184 to come into registration with the next window. As the projection 200 continues to advance in the direction of arrow 170, as shown in phantom in Figure 8, the escapement pawl 188 is released and returned to its original position by the action of spring 192, tooth 190 engaging in the next tooth of the ratchet wheel to complete the rotation of the ratchet wheel and to hold the ratchet wheel and lap counter roller 176 in position. This procedure is repeated for each lap of the endless belt.The teeth of the ratchet wheel 186 are canted to permitthe manual displacement of said lamp counter roller by know 182. If desired, incremental advance of the colored region to the next window may require two or more cycles as described above.

Referring to Figure 1, it is seen that central housing 46 of handlebar assembly 44 is provided, on the upper surface thereof adjacent left handle 48, with a rotatably mounted pointer 202, said upper surface of central housing 46 being provided with indicia indicative of a "fuel gauge". As shown schematically in Figure 9, coupledto pointer 202 and mounted within central housing 46 is a spring motor of conventional design suitable for serving as a timer 204. The timer also serves as an on and off switch for the device, the switch being in an "off" position when the spring motor (timer) 204 is at rest, as indicated by the "E" position. When the timer is in operation, an electrical connection shown schematically by the engagement of pointer contact 202' with timer contact 204' in Figure 9 closes the circuit between motor 158 and batteries 42.

As more particularly shown in Figures 10-3, a rheostat speed control for the endless belt 32 is provided, controlled by the operation of right handle 50. Said right handle 50 is rotatably mounted in central housing 46 by means of a circumferential groove 206 formed in an inner portion of right handle 50 and captured by the periphery of an opening 208 in central housing 46. Right handle 50 is joined for common rotation to a coupling member 210 by means of a keyed shaft 212. Also mounted on keyed shaft 212 is a metal wiper contact 214 positioned to selectively engage the coils 217 of a rheostat member 216 as shown in Figure 12, said rheostat being supported on central housing 46. In this manner, as right handle 50 rotates, the amount of resistance in the motor-battery circuit changes, thereby changing the speed of motor 158, and therefore the speed of advancement of endless belt 32.The assembly of right handle 50, coupling member 210 and wiper contact 214 is biased to a rest position by means of a toroidal spring 218, one arm of which engages the right handle 50 and the other arm engages the central housing 46. An inner region of right handle 50 is provided with a longitudinally extending rib 231 which rides between the ends of a projection 233 formed on the inner surface of central housing 46 as shown in Figure 11.

In order to provide a visual indication of speed to thereby enhance the play value of the device, a further pointer 220 is rotatably mounted on the top surface of central housing 46 adjacent right handle 50. Said top surface is provided with indicia 222 representative of "MPH". Pointer 220 is mounted on a shaft 224 which is journaled through the top surface of central housing 46 with the end thereof supported within said central housing. Shaft 224 is formed with a toothed region 226 engaged by a resilient pad 228 secured to an enlarged region 230 of coupling member 210. The resilient pad 228, which may be formed of a rubber, couples with the toothed region 226 of shaft 224 so as to rotate shaft 224 and therefore pointer 220 in response to the rotation of right handle 50. However, this arrange ment permits the user to independently rotate pointer 220 without damaging the speed control mechanism. Rheostat 216 and timer 204 are coupled to motor 158 and battery 42 by leads 232 (Figures 1 and 9) to close the circuit.

By the foregoing arrangement in accordance with the invention, a device is provided having enhanced play value wherein the steering and speed of a motor cycle may be simulated through the manipu lation of a realistic set of controls mounted on a handlebar assembly, the user being provided with a visual indication of his skill through the avoidance of obstacles by the play piece 162 and through the advance of the lap counter. While the embodiment depicted is in the form of a motorcycle, other configurations of the handlebar mechanism, play piece and endless belt may be utilized.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, and those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above constructions without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompany drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all ofthe generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Claims (23)

1. A toy device comprising frame means, an endless belt rotatably mounted on said frame means to define a pair of spaced webs and having an inner and outer surface; means for selectively longitudinally displacing said endless belt; a play piece positionable on the outer surface of said endless belt; play piece displacing means positioned intermediate said endless belt webs adjacent the inner surface thereof; magnetic means for releasably coupling said play piece and said play piece displacing means for the coordinate displacing thereof substantially in a lateral direction relative to said endless belt; play piece steering means mounted for pivotable displacement on said frame means; and means coupling said play piece steering means and play piece displacing means for the displacement of said play piece displacing means in said substantially lateral direction relative to said endless belt, whereby said play piece is displaceable substantially laterally relative to said endless belt in response to the pivoting of said play piece steering means during the longitudinal displacement of said endless belt.

2. The toy device as recited in Claim 1 including obstruction means positioned on the outer surface of said endless belt for defining a circuitous path on said outer surface of said endless belt, whereby the engagement of one of said obstruction means and said play piece may break the magnetic coupling between said play piece and said play piece displacement means.

3. The toy device as recited in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein said play piece is shaped in the form of a simulated vehicle.

4. The toy device of Claim 3, wherein said play piece steering means is shaped in the form of a simulated handlebar assembly.

5. The toy device of Claim 2 or any claim dependent thereon, wherein said obstructions are shaped in the form of simulated scenery.

6. The toy device as recited in any preceding claim including a pair of spaced belt roller rotatably mounted on said frame means and supporting said endless belt means therebetween for the longitudinal displacing of said endless belt and for defining said pair of spaced webs, one of said belt rollers being positioned intermediate said play piece steering means and said play piece displacing means, said coupling means therebetween extending around said one of said belt rollers.

7. The toy device as recited in claim 6, including a guide plate mounted on said frame intermediate said pair of spaced webs of said endless belt and positioned to support the upper of said spaced webs, said plate means being formed with a slot opening therethrough in the region of said belt means for defining the path of at least a portion of said magnetic means coupled to said play piece displacing means, said play piece displacing means being displaceably mounted on said play piece.

8. The toy device as recited in claim 7, wherein said play piece displacing means is pivotably mounted on said plate means and is adapted to carry at least a portion of said magnetic coupling means along an arcuate path extending substantially laterally of said endless belt and in registration with the slot opening in said plate means; said means coupling said play piece displacing means and said play piece steering means including string means coupled thereto and means for guiding said string means around said one of said belt rollers.

9. The toy device as recited in any preceding claim including means biasing the assembly defined by said coupled play piece steering means and play piece displacing means to a rest position.

10. The toy device as recited in any preceding claim including means mounting said play piece steering means to said frame to permit both pivoting and tilting displacement of said play piece steering means, said play piece displacing means being laterally displaced relative to said endless belt in response to both said tilting and pivoting displacement of said play piece steering means.

11. The toy device as recited in claim 10, wherein said mounting means includes axle means coupled to said play piece steering means for supporting same, said frame means being formed with a correspondingly shaped socket portion for receiving said bowl-shaped means to permit the tiltable and pivotable displacement of said axle means relative to said socket.

12. The toy device as recited in claim 11,wherein said mounting means further includes means for limiting the tilting displacement of said play piece steering means to tilting substantially along a single plane.

13. The toy device as recited in claim 11, wherein said socket portion formed in said frame means is further formed with a central opening therewith, said frame means being further formed with guide means projecting on opposed sides of said central opening from the side of said frame means away from said socket portion for defining a guide path for the tiltable displacement of said play piece steeing means, said axle means including a portion projecting through said central opening for guiding by said guide means.

14. The device as recited in claim 13, wherein said guide means is in the form of a substantially eliptical sleeve, the bottom wall thereof being concave in the direction of concavity of said socket means, axle means including an enlarged portion engaging the end of said sleeve for guiding and retaining said axle means during the pivoting and tilting thereof.

15. The toy device as recited in any preceding claim, including speed control means for selectively adjusting the speed of displacement of said belt means.

16. The toy device as recited in claim 15, wherein said play piece steering means is in the form of a simulated handlebar assembly including a pair of handles, one of said handles being rotatably mounted thereon, said speed control means being selectively controlled in response to the manual rotation of said rotatably mounted handle.

17. The toy device as recited in claim 15, wherein said speed control means includes manually rotatable actuating means, visual indication means and means coupling said visual indication means and said manual actuation means for providing a visual indication of selected speed.

18. The toy device as recited in claim 17, wherein said visual indication means includes pointer means and shaft means supporting said pointer means and including a gear portion, said displaceable actuating means including a rotatably mounted handle means, and resilient coupling means rotatable in response tithe rotation of said manual actuation means and resiliently engaging said gear portion of said shaft for the displacement of said visual indication means.

19. The toy device as recited in any preceding claim including manually setable timer means, and means electrically coupling said timer means and said means for longitudinally displacing said endless belt for actuating said belt displacing means during the period of operation of said timer means and turning said belt displacing means off thereafter.

20. The toy device as recited in any preceding claim including means for providing a visual indication of laps of rotation of said endless belt and means on said endless belt for actuating said lap indication means.

21. The toy device as recited in Claim 20, wherein said lap indication means includes a lap roller rotatably mounted on said frame means and including lap indicia means thereon, a ratchet wheel mounted on said lap roller, and pawl means mounted for cooperation with said ratchet wheel for incrementally advancing said ratchet wheel and lap roller in response to the actuation means carried by said endless belt.

22. The toy device as recited in Claim 21, wherein said pawl means is a pivotably mounted escapement pawl having first and second teeth alternately engageable with said ratchet wheel and means biasing said escapement pawl to engage one of said teeth with said ratchet to position same, said actuation means on said endless belt including a projection engageable against said escapement pawl to pivot same so as to engage the other of said teeth with said ratchet wheel to advance said ratchet wheel.

23. A toy device substantially as described herein with reference to or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.