GB2201900A

GB2201900A - Captive flying toy

Info

Publication number: GB2201900A
Application number: GB08705572A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Peter De Wit; Jane Patricia De Wit
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-03-10
Filing date: 1987-03-10
Publication date: 1988-09-14
Anticipated expiration: 2007-03-10
Also published as: GB8705572D0; GB2201900B

Abstract

A toy comprises a motor (4) having a drive shaft (6), at least one arm (8, 10), and a toy device (12) mounted on the arm (8, 10) remote from the drive shaft (6), the drive shaft (6) being inclined with respect to the vertical and the arm (8, 10) being inclined with respect to the horizontal whereby the toy device (12) climbs and descends as it rotates. <IMAGE>

Description

TOY APPARATUS This invention relates to toy apparatus and more especially this invention relates to toy apparatus having a toy device which is mounted for rotation in the air.

There are several known constructions of toy apparatus in which a toy device is mounted for rotation in the air. These known constructions tend to be mechanically complex and therefore costly to manufacture, or of a simple construction which saves on manufacturing costs but which produces toy apparatus which is somewhat basic and unrealistic.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide toy apparatus of the type in which a toy device is able to rotate in the air, which toy apparatus is of a relatively simple construction but which is nonetheless relatively realistic in its action.

Accordingly, this invention provides toy apparatus comprising a motor, a drive shaft which is driven by the motor, at least one arm which is caused to rotate by the drive shaft, and a toy device which is mounted on the arm remote from the drive shaft, the drive shaft being such that it is inclined with respect to the vertical and the arm being such that it is inclined with respect to the horizontal whereby the toy device is caused to raise and lower as it rotates about the drive shaft.

The raising and lowering of the toy device can be arranged to be a general raising and lowering in the air. Alternatively, the toy device can be arranged to take off and land on a surface as it rotates.

Usually, the motor will be inclined with respect to the vertical. Also usually, the motor and the drive shaft will be arranged to be axially in line. If desired, the motor could be vertically positioned but then the connection to the drive shaft would need to allow the drive shaft to be inclined with respect to the vertical. Such a connection to the drive shaft could be through appropriate gears or by means of a flexible drive shaft arrangement.

The motor may be a battery driven motor. Alternatively, the motor may be a mains driven motor. Where a mains driven motor is employed, then a transformer will normally be required to reduce the mains voltage.

Preferably, the arm is a cranked arm. The arm may however be straight if desired.

The toy apparatus may be such that there are two arms, each arm being identical. If desired, more than two arms may be employed.

The toy device may be any suitable and appropriate type of toy device. Examples of toy devices are a toy aeroplane, helicopter, hot air balloon, bird, flying insect or fairy. The flying insect may be, for example, a flying dragon or a bumble bee.

Where the toy device is an aeroplane, the aeroplane may be provided with wheels which may rotate as the aeroplane lands at the lowest point of its rotational circle.

The toy apparatus may include a mounting member on which the motor is mounted.

The mounting member may be in the form of a housing.

The housing may be arranged to be of a shape which is appropriate to the particular type of toy device employed.

Thus, if the toy device is a toy aeroplane, then the housing may be in the shape of an aerial, a control tower or an aircraft hanger. Examples of other shapes for the housing are a mountain, a castle and a tree.

The toy apparatus may advantageously include a base member.

The mounting member may be positioned on the base member so that the motor is raised above the base member.

The base member may be provided with various types of scenery appropriate to the particular type of toy device employed. The scenery can be painted on a flat upper surface of the base member or, alternatively, the scenery can be three dimensional scenery which is mounted on or formed as an integral part of the base member. The scenery may include flowers, trees, mountains, rivers or houses as may be appropriate. By way of example, it is mentioned that if the toy device is an aeroplane, then the scenery may be that of a landing field or a runway.

The toy apparatus may be made of any desired materials.

Wood and plastics materials are presently preferred.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front view of the toy apparatus; and Figure 2 is a top plan view of the toy apparatus.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown toy apparatus 2 comprising a motor 4 and a drive shaft 6 which is driven by the motor 4. The toy apparatus 2 has two arms 8,10 and each arm 8,10 is caused to rotate by the drive shaft 6. A toy device in the form of a toy aeroplane 12 is mounted at the end of each arm 8,10 remote from the drive shaft 6.

As shown in Figure 1, the drive shaft 6 is such that it is inclined with respect to the vertical. Also as shown in Figure 1, the arms 8,10 are such that they are inclined with respect to the horizontal. Thus, the aeroplanes 12 are caused to raise and lower as they rotate about the drive shaft 6. As can also be seen from Figure 1, the motor 4 is inclined with respect to the vertical so that the motor 4 and the drive shaft 6 are axially in line.

The motor 4 is a battery driven motor and it can be driven by one or more batteries (not shown). If desired, the motor 4 could be a mains driven motor and then a transformer (not shown) will be employed to reduce the mains voltage.

The arms 8,10 have cranked ends 14,16 respectively.

The aeroplanes 12 are mounted on these cranked ends 14,16.

The two arms 8,10 are identical to each other so that the two aeroplanes 12 follow the same flight path.

The motor 4 is mounted on a mounting member in the form of a housing 18. The housing 18 has an inclined upper surface 20 and the drive shaft 6 extends substantially at right angles to this inclined upper surface 20. The drive shaft 6 also extends substantially at right angles to the arms 8,10, so that the arms 8,10 extend substantially parallel to the inclined upper surface 20. The arms 8,10 extend from a drive device 22, and the drive device 22 receives the drive shaft 6. The drive device 22 may include appropriate gearing (not shown).

The housing 18 may be regarded as a control tower for the aeroplanes 12. The housing 18 upstands from the upper surface 24 of a base member 26. If desired, the upper surface 24 of the base member 26 can be provided with flat or three dimensional scenery appropriate to the toy apparatus 2 having aeroplanes 12.

The inclining of the drive shaft 6 enables a very simple connection to be made to the arms 8,10 via the drive device 22. The aeroplanes 12 can easily be appropriately located along the length of the arms 8,10 so that the aeroplanes 12 land and take off from the upper surface 24 of the base member 26. If the drive shaft 6 were not inclined to the vertical, then complex mechanical arrangements would be required to get the aeroplanes 12 to land and take off and this would increase the cost of producing the toy apparatus 2.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the arms 8,10 need not have the cranked ends 14,16 and the arms 8,10 could be straight if desired or bent to some other shape. The aeroplanes 12 can be replaced with any desired other toy devices such for example as a helicopter, a bird, a flying dragon or a fairy. only one of the arms 8,10 could be employed or more than two arms 8,10 could be employed. The base member 26 may be dispensed with, in which case the housing 18 could be mounted on a floor or a table. If desired, the motor 4 can be arranged to be adjustably mounted in the housing 18.

Claims

1. Toy apparatus comprising a motor, a drive shaft which is driven by the motor, at least one arm which is caused to rotate by the drive shaft, and a toy device which is mounted on the arm remote from the drive shaft, the drive shaft being such that it is inclinad with respect to the vertical and the arm being such that it is inclined with respect to the horizontal whereby the toy device is caused to raise and lower as it rotates about the drive shaft.

2. Toy apparatus according to claim 1 in which the motor is inclined with respect to the vertical.

3. Toy apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the motor and the drive shaft are arranged to be axially in line.

4. Toy apparatus according to any one of the preceeding claims in which the motor is a battery driven motor.

5. Toy apparatus according to any one of claims 1 - 3 in which the motor is a mains driven motor.

6. Toy apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the arm is a cranked arm.

7. Toy apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which there are two arms, each arm being identical.

8. Toy apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the toy device is a toy aeroplane, helicopter, hot air balloon, bird, flying insect or fairy.

9. Toy apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims and including a mounting member on which the motor is mounted.

10. Toy apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims and including a base member.

II. Toy apparatus according to claims 9 and 10 in which the mounting member is positioned on the base member so that the motor is raised above the base member.

12. Toy apparatus according to claim 10 or claim 11 in which the base member is provided with various types of scenery appropriate to the particular type of toy device employed.

Toy Toy apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.