US3323252A

US3323252A - Motor and chassis assembly for toy racing car

Info

Publication number: US3323252A
Application number: US454438A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lawrence F Gipperich; Bacsanyi Thomas; Sheldon Philip
Original assignee: MODEL PRODUCTS CORP
Current assignee: MODEL PRODUCTS CORP
Priority date: 1965-05-10
Filing date: 1965-05-10
Publication date: 1967-06-06
Anticipated expiration: 1984-06-06

Description

June 6, 1967 L. F. GIPPERICH ETAL 3,

MOTOR AND CHASSIS ASSEMBLY FOR TOY RACING CAR Filed May 10, 1965 I N VE Jan Farm: 7T 7770 7145 ,ZdCSd/I z', Bf/727i j/PeZJo/i United States Patent 3,323,252 MOTGR AND CHASSIS ASSEMBLY FOR TOY RACING CAR Lawrence F. Gipperich, St. Clair Shores, Thomas Bacsanyi, Livonia, and Philip Sheldon, Rochester, Mich., assignors to Model Products Corporation, Mount Clemens, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed May 10, 1965, Ser. No. 454,438

Claims. (Cl. 46-243) This invention relates to an improved motor and chassis assembly for an electric powered toy automobile. Such automobiles secure their power from an electric track and are raced around a course defined by the track. It is desirable to have the motor and chassis assembly with a low center of gravity which assembly can be easily and inexpensively mass-produced. It is also desirable to have the weight properly distributed between the front and rear wheels so as to provide improved handling characteristics whereby the toy maintains traction with the race course.

Our motor and chassis assembly is of an improved compact and flat construction in which the armature is journaled in bearings in axially spaced field magnets and in which the pole plates form an integral part of the chassis. Our invention utilizes a novel construction for locating the field magnets whereby the entire motor and chassis assembly is held together by four screws which serve to hold the pole pieces to the magnets, secure the chassis to the motor, and locate the magnets in the motor. This construction saves manufacturing costs While providing an improved product. The chassis consists of two generally tubular frames which telescope over and extend forwardly and rearwardly of the motor and in which the wheel axles are journaled. This arrangement provides a very compact motor chassis assembly which imparts improved handling characteristics to the toy racing car by keeping the weight of the assembly properly located between the front and rear wheels so as to improve traction with the race course.

. Accordingly, it is the object of our invention to provide an improved electric toy racing car motor and chassis assembly.

Another object is to provide a toy electric racing car motor and chassis assembly which has a generally tubular, compact construction easily adapted to different size car bodies and which may be easily and economically manufactured and assembled.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and may be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which by way of illustration show a preferred embodiment of the invention and what we now consider to be the best mode of applying the principles thereof. Other embodiments of the invention may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a partially broken away side view of a toy electric racing car showing a motor and chassis assembly according to our invention;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of our motor and chassis assembly;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the contact taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is an exploded view of the electric motor used in our invention.

As shown in the drawings, the invention comprises a motor and chassis assembly to which a plastic automobile body 12 may be secured so as to make a plastic racing car for use in slot type electric race tracks. An electric motor 14 contains an armature 16 therein and has two

circular field magnets

20 and 22 at either end thereof. The magnets each have a central aperture 24 carrying a bearing 26 in which the armature shaft 28 is journaled. The armature shaft 28 extends through the bearing in magnet 22 and carries a pinion gear 30 at the end thereof. The

magnets

20 and 22 contain opposed radial orientation slots 32 at the magnetic poles thereof. When assembled in the motor, the slots 32 of

magnets

20 and 22 are opposite one another. The motor is provided with two ferrous pole pieces 34 and 36 which run between the

magnets

20 and 22 and join the like poles of the magnets so as to produce a strong magnetic field between the pole pieces. When the pole pieces are in assembled position on the magnets, threated opening 38 are positioned adjacent the radial slots 32. The ends of the pole pieces 34 and 36 each carry a flange 40 which is bent inwardly around the

respective magnet

20 or 22 so as to prevent shifting of the magnets outwardly relative to the pole pieces when the motor is assembled. A non-ferrous strap 42 secured by nut and bolt 44 surrounds the pole pieces and holds the motor brushes relative to the motor.

A non-ferrous tubular rear chassis unit 48, which may be made of aluminum, is telescoped over and extends rearwardly from the rear magnet 22. A similar front chassis unit 50 extends forwardly from magnet 20 at the front end of the motor. Each unit telescopes the ends of the pole pieces 34 and 36 and also the poles of the respective field magnets. The rear chassis unit 48 carries a rear axle 70 on which is secured gear 72. The gears 30 and 72 are meshed so that the motor drives the real axle 70 so as to rotate the rear wheels 74 and propel the toy racer around the track. The front chassis unit 50 carries at the leading end thereof a contact unit 56 for making electrical contact with the power source located in the track. The contact unit is secured to the chassis by means of a vertical collar 62 which provides for positive electrical contact between the motor and the power source as the racer travels around the race track. Vertical blade 58 of the contact extends down into the slot in the race track so as to position the racer relative thereto and also serves to separate the flexible contacts 60 which engage the electrically conductive metal strips on opposite sides of the slot in the track. Wires 63 lead from the contacts 60 to the brushes of the motor 14- shown generally at 64. The front chassis unit 50 also carries a front axle 66 with front wheels '75 secured thereto. As shown in FIGURE 1, suitable means such as screws 76 extend through the holes 77 in the chassis units and are threaded into the car body to mount the latter on the chassis.

The rear chassis unit 48 is provided with openings 0pposite the holes 38 at the rearward end of the pole plates 34 and 36 whereby screws 52 may be inserted through the openings in the rear chassis and threadedly engaged with the rear openings 38 in the pole plates. Screws 52 also extend radially inwardly within the slots 32 of the rear magnet 22. The front chassis unit 50 is provided with slots 54 located opposite the front openings 38 in the pole plates 34 and 36 whereby screws 53 may be inserted through the slots 54 and may be threadedly engaged with the front openings 38 in the pole plates. The screws 53 extend through the pole plates and into the radial slots 32 in the front magnet 20. By using the construction just described the motor and chassis units are assembled by means of the

screws

52 and 53 to form a compact motor and chassis assembly of generally tubular construction having a low center of gravity.

The

magnets

20 and 22 are preferably cold pressed magnets of the kind identified under the trade name Loadex. These magnets have a high magnetic permeability and are relatively inexpensively formed from lead and cobalt particles to an exact geometry. In this fashion it is possible to make the

magnets

20 and 22 with the apertures 24 and slots 32 located therein without resorting to expensive milling or drilling operations. The magnets are press formed and then magnetized so that the poles are located at the slots 32.

The motor and chassis construction described provides for positive location and orientation of the

magnets

20 and 22 between the flanges 40 on the ends of the pole plates and the inwardly protruding portions of the

screws

52 and 53 located within the slots 32. The slots 32 also serve to identify the poles of the

magnets

20 and 22 so as to facilitate proper positioning of the magnets with like poles opposed to one another. The slots 54 in the front chassis unit 50 provide for axial adjustment of the unit so as to enable the chassis and motor assembly to fit different size car bodies.

While we have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of our invention, it is understood that this is capable of modification, and we therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail ourselves'of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A motor and chassis assembly for a toy slot racer comprising an electric motor having a pair of axially spaced, disc-shaped magnets oriented with like magnetic poles opposed to each other, two ferrous pole pieces each contacting said magnets at the edges thereof and joining two of said like poles so as to form a magnetic field between said pole pieces, an armature having an armature shaft journaled in hearings in the magnets, one end of the armature shaft extending through one magnet with a pinion gear attached thereto, means located at the end of each pole piece overlapping the end faces of the magnets to prevent shifting of the magnets relative to the pole pieces; a generally tubular chassis unit extending axially from each end of said motor and telescoped over the adjacent ends of said pole pieces, one of said chassis units carrying an axle with a gear secured thereto and meshed with said pinion gear so that the motor drives the axle; electrical contact means carried by the other of said chassis units for making electrical contact between the motor and an electrically conductive track; the magnets having slots at each pole on the inner faces thereof, said pole pieces having openings opposite said slots, said chassis units having holes opposed to said openings, and holding elements inserted through said holes and openings and into said slots so as to secure said chassis units to said motor and to orient said magnets relative to said pole pieces.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said holding elements cooperate with said first-mentioned means to prevent axial shifting of the magnets.

3. A motor and chassis assembly as described in claim 1 wherein said magnets are cylindrical with the armature located axially therebetween the pole pieces are curved to fit the circumference of the magnets, and the armature has a close fit with the curved pole pieces.

4. A motor and chassis assembly for a toy vehicle comprising an electric motor having a pair of axially spaced, disc-shaped magnets oriented with like magnetic poles opposed to each other, a ferrous pole piece extending between each pair of like poles so as to form a magnetic field between the pole pieces, an armature having an armature shaft journaled in axial bearings in the magnets, a chassis comprising frame members extending axially from and telescoped over the ends of said pole pieces, one of said frame members carrying driving means driven by the motor for propelling the vehicle, electrical contact means mounted on the other frame member for making electrical contact between the motor and a source of electric power; the magnets having slots at each pole on the inner faces thereof, said pole pieces having openings opposite said slots, said frame members having holes opposed to said openings and holding elements inserted through said holes and openings and into said slots so as to secure said chassis to said motor and to orient said magnets relative to said =pole pieces.

5. A motor and chassis assembly according to claim 4 including means on the ends of said pole pieces engaging the outer faces of said magnets and cooperable with said holding means to prevent axial shifting of the magnets.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,598,211 5/1952 Beliaeff. 3,121,811 2/1964 Marti et al. 310154 X 3,163,123 12/1964 Ziroli 46--243 X 3,165,654 1/1965 Mabuchi 310l54 X RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A MOTOR AND CHASSIS ASSEMBLY FOR A TOY SLOT RACER COMPRISING AN ELECTRIC MOTOR HAVING A PAIR OF AXIALLY SPACED, DISC-SHAPED MAGNETS ORIENTED WITH LIKE MAGNETIC POLES OPPOSED TO EACH OTHER, TWO FERROUS POLE PIECES EACH CONTACTING SAID MAGNETS AT THE EDGES THEREOF AND JOINING TWO OF SAID LIKE POLES SO AS TO FORM A MAGNETIC FIELD BETWEEN SAID POLE PIECES, AN ARMATURE HAVING AN ARMATURE SHAFT JOURNALED IN BEARINGS IN THE MAGNETS, ONE END OF THE ARMATURE SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH ONE MAGNET WITH A PINION GEAR ATTACHED THERETO, MEANS LOCATED AT THE END OF EACH POLE PIECE OVERLAPPING THE END FACES OF THE MAGNETS TO PREVENT SHIFTING OF THE MAGNETS RELATIVE TO THE POLE PIECES; A GENERALLY TUBULAR CHASSIS UNIT EXTENDING AXIALLY FROM EACH END OF SAID MOTOR AND TELESCOPED OVER THE ADJACENT ENDS OF SAID POLE PIECES, ONE OF SAID CHASSIS UNITS CARRYING AN AXLE WITH A GEAR SECURED THERETO AND MESHED WITH SAID PINION GEAR SO THAT THE MOTOR DRIVES THE AXLE; ELECTRICAL CONTACT MEANS CARRIED BY THE OTHER OF SAID CHASSIS UNITS FOR MAKING ELECTRICAL CONTACT BETWEEN THE MOTOR AND AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE TRACK; THE MAGNETS HAVING SLOTS AT EACH POLE ON THE INNER FACES THEREOF, SAID POLE PIECES HAVING OPENINGS OPPOSITE SAID SLOTS, SAID CHASSIS UNITS HAVING HOLES OPPOSED TO SAID OPENINGS, AND HOLDING ELEMENTS INSERTED THROUGH SAID HOLES AND OPENINGS AND INTO SAID SLOTS SO AS TO SECURE SAID CHASSIS UNITS TO SAID MOTOR AND TO ORIENT SAID MAGNETS RELATIVE TO SAID POLE PIECES.