US3803758A - Programmable free-flight toy aircraft - Google Patents

Programmable free-flight toy aircraft Download PDF

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Publication number
US3803758A
US3803758A US00303733A US30373372A US3803758A US 3803758 A US3803758 A US 3803758A US 00303733 A US00303733 A US 00303733A US 30373372 A US30373372 A US 30373372A US 3803758 A US3803758 A US 3803758A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
cam
programmable
flight
toy
path control
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00303733A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
R Chang
D Bosley
M Roessler
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Mattel Inc
Original Assignee
Mattel Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Mattel Inc filed Critical Mattel Inc
Priority to US00303733A priority Critical patent/US3803758A/en
Priority to GB142873A priority patent/GB1381452A/en
Priority to CA161,668A priority patent/CA975175A/en
Priority to JP48010392A priority patent/JPS4976644A/ja
Priority to DE2304200A priority patent/DE2304200A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3803758A publication Critical patent/US3803758A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
    • A63H27/00—Toy aircraft; Other flying toys
    • A63H27/02—Model aircraft
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
    • A63H17/00—Toy vehicles, e.g. with self-drive; ; Cranes, winches or the like; Accessories therefor
    • A63H17/26—Details; Accessories
    • A63H17/36—Steering-mechanisms for toy vehicles
    • A63H17/395—Steering-mechanisms for toy vehicles steered by program

Definitions

  • ABSI'RACT A free-flying toy aircraft is disclosed which is powered by a rechargeable, battery-driven electric motor, the motor driving both the toys'propeller and an escapement that rotates a desired one of several cams having difi'erent cam surfaces.
  • the cam moves a follower connected to the toys flight control surfaces whereby a predetermined course of flight of the toy aircraft may be selected by the choice of a particular cam.
  • the cam drive mechanism continually rotates during operation of the toys electric motor, and the cam may provide a predetermined time delay after launch before the toys control surfaces are moved in accordance with the programmed flight path.
  • the present invention pertains generally to the field of toy aircraft and the like, and more particularly to flyable toy aircraft in which the toys propeller is driven by a self-contained electric motor.
  • Still another object of the present invention is to provide a programmable free-flight toy aircraft utilizing a single, self-contained, rechargeable battery-powered electric motor and providing a choice of several predetermined flight maneuvers.
  • Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a simple, yet effective, programmable free-flight toy aircraft that includes means wherein a predetermined delay time must elapse before the programmed maneuvers commence.
  • a programmable free-flight toy aircraft which includes a toy airframe including a fuselage and wing and stabilizer surfaces and at least one flight path control member associated with a stabilizer surface.
  • the toy has electric motor means mounted in the airframe and includes an electric motor and a rechargeable battery arrangement electrically connectable to the electric motor for providing rotational power.
  • a propeller is rotatably mounted on the airframe, and the invention also includes programmable flight path con-' trol means operatively coupled to the flight path control member for moving the control member in accordance with a predetermined flight pattern.
  • a drive mechanism is also disposed in the airframe and operatively couples the electric motor means to the propeller and to the programmable flight path control means for simultaneously transmitting the rotational power of the motor means to the propeller and the control means.
  • FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a free-flight type toy air craft, partially broken away, showing the internally mounted power plant and programmable flight control mechanism, constructed in accordance with the present invention
  • FIGS. 3 and 4 are plan views showing theworking relationship between the rudder actuating'cam follower and the pre-programmed rotating cam of the mechanism seen in FIGS. 1 and 2;
  • FIG. 4A is a plan view of a modified cam which may be substituted. for the pre-programmed cam of FIGS. 3 and 4;
  • FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the control mechanism taken along line 55 of FIG. 1; and.
  • FIG. 1 there is shown a programmable free-flighttype toy aircraft having an airframe 1 1 including a fuselage 13 with conventional wings 15 attached thereto, and conventional horizontal and vertical stabilizer surfaces 17 and 19, respectively.
  • the vertical stabilizer is provided with a rudder 21 pivotally attached along the trailing edge thereof by an integral hinge 23, the rudder 21 having an actuating mechanism 25 at its lower extremity, which includes a hinge'plate 27 through which a generally U-shaped control pin 29 is captured (see FIG. 2).
  • the bulkhead 39 may be a molded integral part of the fuselage with an outer edge conforming to the fuselages outer skin 41.
  • a nose cone inner housing 43 is attached to the bulkhead 39 and extends forward toward the propellers hub,45 and a propeller bearing element 47 disposed between the propeller hub and the forward nose section 33.
  • a powerful miniature electric motor 53 mounted by suitable means to the surface 51 of the bulkhead 39.
  • the motors output shaft 55 extends forward through a hole in the bulkhead 39, and'at the end of which a relatively small diameter pinion gear 57 is fixedly attached.
  • the pinion is meshed with the circumferential teeth 59 of a relatively larger diameter coupling gear 61 that is fixedlymounted on a coupling shaft 63 that extends through an appropriate hole in the bulkhead 39.
  • the rearwardly extending end 71 of the coupling shaft 63 is rotatively held in a journal bearing portion 73 of a gear box 75.
  • the shaft 63 extends through the bearing portion 73, and a worm pinion 77 is fixedly mounted adjacent the shafts end' 71.
  • the worm 77 meshes with a worm gear 79 fixedly mounted on a gear box shaft 81.
  • the axis of the shaft 81 is approximately orthogonal to the shaft 63, and an end 83 of the shaft 81 is held in a first open cup bearing portion 85 of the rigid end 87 of the gear box 75.
  • the opposite end 89 of the shaft 81 is disposed in a second open cup bearing portion 91 of the gear boxs flexible end 93.
  • the shaft 81 carries a worm 95 mounted between the worm gear 79 and the second cup bearing portion 91'.
  • a lower end portion 107 of the shaft 99 extends through an appropriate hole 109(FIG. 1) in a lower frame member l11, at the end of which shaft a cam retainer member 113 is affixed.
  • the member 113 like the other worms and gears, may be molded from a synthetic material such as nylon, for example, and includes an upper bearing portion 115 and a lower bearing stud portion 117. Also extending downwardly, but to one side of the portion 117, is a cam drive pin 119.
  • the cam retainer 113 is provided with a circular rim portion 121 to which barbed ends 123 of four symmetrically positioned upstanding resilient arm portions 125 of a cam member 127, may engage.
  • the cam member 127 is further provided with a central upstanding tubular bearing portion 129 and a pair of upstanding tab portions 131 extending radially in opposite directions from the tubular portion 129. The latter portion registers over the depending stud portion117, and the tab portions 131 cooperate with the cam drive pin 119 to cause the cam member 127 to rotate with the rotation of the shaft 99 whenever the drive pin 1 19 engages the tab portions 131.
  • the cam member 127 is preferably molded in a conventional process from a synthetic material such'as an a lower cup portion 133 from the upper edge of which horizontally extends a desired number of cam projections 135 (A through D, for exampleleach helping to define a special cam surface 137.
  • a cam follower arm 141 of a control rod 143 rides on the cam surface 137.
  • the control rod 143 in this embodiment was fabricated from No. 1 I MWG music wire and includes a forward bent end portion 145 passing through a framework hole 146, the end of which portion is anchored by means of a finger 147 extending through a hole 149 in an appropriate fuselage framework wall 151.
  • the rod 143 extends to the fuselage tail portion 153 (FIG. 1) where it terminates in an upstanding narrow U-shaped end portion 155 which engages the rudder control pin 29. It will be noted from the detail of FIG. 2, that anupper end 157 of the pin 29 is bent back andis anchoredin the rudder material, while its other extremity 159 is captured in the control rods end portion 155.
  • the control rod 143 may be guided for at least a portion of its length by a hollow tube 161, seen extending beyond the fuselage tail section 153.
  • this guide may comprise a bearing formed as an integral part of the fuselage.
  • the rod 143 is thus supported adjacent its end portions 145 and 155 in such a manner that the cam fol-lower arm 141 may swing in an are indicated by arrows 163 and 165 in FIG. 2.
  • the bent end portion 145 of the rod 143 is designed to bias the follower portion 141 in the direction indicated by the arrow 163, toward the cam surface 137.
  • Rotation of the control rod-143 causes its end portion 155 to swing in an are indicated by arrows 167.
  • This causes the rudder 21 to pivot with respect to the acetal homopolymer, for example, and further includes vertical stabilizer 19, as shown by arrows 169.
  • This pivoting is either to the left or to the right depending upon the extent and direction of the excursion of the cam follower portion 141 as it rides on the cam surface 137.
  • cam member 127 In operation, one of any number of cam members 127, each having a different cam surface contour, is snapped into place on the cam retainer 113.
  • the cam 127 is then manually rotated in the direction of an arrow 171, as shown in FIG. 3, until a dot alignment mark 173 is alongside an appropriate mark (not shown) on the bottom of the fuselage. This procedure assures that the craft's direction control mechanism is always in a desired initial setting.
  • the rotation of the cam member 127 may cause one of the tab portions 131 to contact the drive pin 119. This will, in turn, cause the shaft 99 and its worm gear 97 to rotate in a direction 100, as illustrated in FIG. 6.
  • the shaft supporting cup bearing 91 is mounted in the flexible end 83 of the gear box.
  • the flexibility of this end is assured by adeep notch 175 (see FIG. 5) in the adjoining upper wall 177.
  • This feature allows the worm 95 to move in the direction indicated by arrow 179 (FIG. 6) whenever the worm gear 97 is rotated in the direction shown by the arrow 100 by manually rotating cam 127, and is easily slipped over the teeth ofthe worm gear 97 without damage to either part.
  • the dashed outline in FIG. 6, clearly illustrates the movement of the various elements described immediately above.
  • end 87 of the gear box 75 is rigid and, axial movement of the shaft 81 in a direction opposite that shown by the arrow 179, as will be caused by the gear 79 being driven by the motor 53, will not allow the teeth of these meshed parts 96 and 97 to slip by each other.
  • FIG. 1 shows that the motor 53 includes a first electric current input terminal 181 and a second terminal 183.
  • the first terminal 181 is electrically connected through a conductor 185 to a positive terminal 187 of a rechargeable battery arrangement 189 comprising, in this embodiment, a pair of series connected, rechargeable nickelcadmium batteries 191 and 193.
  • the second motor terminal 183 is in turn connected through a resilient conductor 195 having a bent end portion 197.
  • the conductors end portion 197 is biased in a downward direction and is forced upward into contact with the negative terminal 199 of the battery arrangement 189 by a sliding movement of an on-off switch element 201.
  • the battery arrangement may be recharged from a conventional charging current source (not shown) by the insertion of a conventionally constructed charging plug (not shown) in a hole 203 in the lower fuselage framework, so that the plugs tip contacts a positive contact arm 205, and its sleeve contacts an appropriately apertured plate 207 contacted by the bent portion 197 of the conductor 195 when the switch element 201 is in its off position.
  • the motor When actuated, the motor will simultaneously drive 6 the propeller 31 (through the propeller shaft 69 and the coupling gear arrangements 67 and 59) and the cam member 127 (through the coupling shaft 63, the gearing arrangement in the gear box 75, and the shaft and cam retainer 99 and 113).
  • a predetermined time delay is built into the system. This is accomplished by manually rotating the cam member 127, as noted above. This action causes one of the tab portions 131 to move from a position as indicated, for example in FIG. 3, to one that has pushed the drive pin 119 to the position shown in FIG. 4. In this position of cam 127, the cam follower arm 141 is riding in a neutral notch 208 on cam 127 so that rudder 21 assumes the straight-ahead" position shown in FIG. 4.
  • the motor will cause the pin 119 to move along a curved path shown by a dashed arrow 209, before coming into contact with the other tab portion 131.
  • the cam member 127 will be driven by the drive pin 119 in the direction 171, and cam follower arm 141 will move out of neutral notch 208 and onto the program built into cam 127 so that the control rod will respond accordingly to move the crafts actuating mechanism 25.
  • a modified cam 127A may be substituted for the cam 127 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
  • the cam 127A may be identical .to the cam 127 except that a different program is provided thereby by replacing the camprojections A-D with a cam surface 137A which not only includes the neutral notch 208, but also includes notches 210, 212, 214, 216 and 218. These additional notches are a desirable feature on cam 127 because the program defined thereby is a figure-8 pattern which includes two straight courses of flight. If the toy airplane loses power on one of these straight courses, it could glide a long distance from its launching point.
  • notches 210, 212, 214 and 218 cause the airplane to rapidly execute slight righthand and left-hand turns during these straight courses of flight. This assures that the airplane will quite likely be set for a turn when its power supply becomes exhausted during one of the straight-course portions of its programmed flight.
  • a programmable toy vehicle comprising:
  • a toy vehicle frame including a stabilizer surface
  • motor means mounted in said frame and including an output shaft for providing rotational power
  • programmable travel-path control means mounted in said frame and operatively coupled to said control member for moving said control member in accordance with a predetermined travel pattern
  • said programmable travel-path control means also includes a control rod with a cam follower portion riding on the cam surface of said cam member, said control rod being engaged with said travel-path control member whereby said travel-path control member moves in accordance with the rotational position of said cam member relative to said cam follower portion; and i drive means disposed in said frame and operatively coupling said motor means to said programmable travel-path control means for transmitting said rotational power to said control means.
  • a toy airframe including a stabilizer surface, and at least one flight path control member associated with a stabilizer surface; motor means mounted in said airframe and including an output shaftfor providing rotational power; a propeller rotatably mounted on said airframe;
  • programmable flight path control means mounted in said airframe and opcratively coupled to said flight path control member for moving said control member in accordance with a predetermined flight pattern, wherein said programmable flight path control means also includes a control rod with acam follower portion riding on the cam surface of said cam member, said control rod being engaged with said flight path control member whereby said flight path control member moves in accordance with the rotational position of said cam member relative to said cam follower portion;
  • a programmable free-flight toy vehicle wherein said driven structure of said cam member extends rectilinearly in the path of said drive pin whereby said drive pin may not contact said driven structure for up to approximately of rotation of said cam retainer.
  • said drive means includes a gear'train arrangement transmitting rotational power from said motor means output shaft to said cam retainer,'said arrangement including slip means for allowing manual rotation of said cam member and said cam retainer in a predetermined direction of cam rotation to a desired initial programmed setting.

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US00303733A 1972-11-06 1972-11-06 Programmable free-flight toy aircraft Expired - Lifetime US3803758A (en)

Priority Applications (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US00303733A US3803758A (en) 1972-11-06 1972-11-06 Programmable free-flight toy aircraft
GB142873A GB1381452A (en) 1972-11-06 1973-01-10 Programmable toy vehicles and toy aircraft
CA161,668A CA975175A (en) 1972-11-06 1973-01-19 Programmable free-flight toy aircraft
JP48010392A JPS4976644A (de) 1972-11-06 1973-01-26
DE2304200A DE2304200A1 (de) 1972-11-06 1973-01-29 Programmierbares spielzeugfahrzeug, insbesondere flugzeug

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US00303733A US3803758A (en) 1972-11-06 1972-11-06 Programmable free-flight toy aircraft

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3803758A true US3803758A (en) 1974-04-16

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00303733A Expired - Lifetime US3803758A (en) 1972-11-06 1972-11-06 Programmable free-flight toy aircraft

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US3803758A (de)
JP (1) JPS4976644A (de)
CA (1) CA975175A (de)
DE (1) DE2304200A1 (de)
GB (1) GB1381452A (de)

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4022074A (en) * 1974-02-27 1977-05-10 Mabuchi Motor Co. Ltd. Cooling device
US4067139A (en) * 1976-07-16 1978-01-10 L. M. Cox Manufacturing Co., Inc. Electric powered flying model airplane
WO1989004707A1 (en) * 1987-11-25 1989-06-01 Miller William H Flying model airplane
US5046979A (en) * 1989-05-01 1991-09-10 Ragan Lawrence H Chassis module for model airplane construction
GB2360463A (en) * 2000-03-24 2001-09-26 Electric Game Company Simulated game bird target
US20060144995A1 (en) * 2004-12-10 2006-07-06 Clancy Andy J Remotely controlled model airplane having deflectable centrally biased control surface
US20110227430A1 (en) * 2008-09-29 2011-09-22 Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd. Power Tool
US20140314565A1 (en) * 2011-08-19 2014-10-23 Aerovironment, Inc. System for Protecting a Rotatable Shaft of a Motor from Excessive Bending Moments
US10894219B1 (en) * 2017-09-05 2021-01-19 David Thomas Parker Finger flying hover toy

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4636178A (en) * 1983-02-09 1987-01-13 Takara Co., Ltd. Rechargeable toy electric vehicle set
GB2194458A (en) * 1986-09-02 1988-03-09 Yang Tai Cheng Toy vehicle steering apparatus
GB2298258A (en) * 1995-02-23 1996-08-28 Hara J B O Worm and wheel reduction gear mechanism
DE19543284A1 (de) * 1995-11-21 1997-05-22 Robbe Modellsport Gmbh & Co Kg Antriebseinheit für ein Modellflugzeug

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2122346A (en) * 1936-01-31 1938-06-28 Horn Ernst Toy airplane
US2457281A (en) * 1946-05-11 1948-12-28 John K Shannon Control mechanism for model airplanes
US3355838A (en) * 1965-06-17 1967-12-05 Ronald E Huffman Fluid pressure control for model aircraft
US3699708A (en) * 1970-12-02 1972-10-24 Mabuchi Motor Co Electric-powered model airplane
US3717952A (en) * 1970-11-25 1973-02-27 N Strongin Toy vehicle

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2122346A (en) * 1936-01-31 1938-06-28 Horn Ernst Toy airplane
US2457281A (en) * 1946-05-11 1948-12-28 John K Shannon Control mechanism for model airplanes
US3355838A (en) * 1965-06-17 1967-12-05 Ronald E Huffman Fluid pressure control for model aircraft
US3717952A (en) * 1970-11-25 1973-02-27 N Strongin Toy vehicle
US3699708A (en) * 1970-12-02 1972-10-24 Mabuchi Motor Co Electric-powered model airplane

Cited By (17)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4022074A (en) * 1974-02-27 1977-05-10 Mabuchi Motor Co. Ltd. Cooling device
US4067139A (en) * 1976-07-16 1978-01-10 L. M. Cox Manufacturing Co., Inc. Electric powered flying model airplane
WO1989004707A1 (en) * 1987-11-25 1989-06-01 Miller William H Flying model airplane
US5046979A (en) * 1989-05-01 1991-09-10 Ragan Lawrence H Chassis module for model airplane construction
GB2360463A (en) * 2000-03-24 2001-09-26 Electric Game Company Simulated game bird target
GB2360463B (en) * 2000-03-24 2002-02-13 Electric Game Company Simulated game bird target
US20060144995A1 (en) * 2004-12-10 2006-07-06 Clancy Andy J Remotely controlled model airplane having deflectable centrally biased control surface
US7121506B2 (en) * 2004-12-10 2006-10-17 Clancy Andy J Remotely controlled model airplane having deflectable centrally biased control surface
US20110227430A1 (en) * 2008-09-29 2011-09-22 Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd. Power Tool
US9048699B2 (en) 2008-09-29 2015-06-02 Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd. Power tool
US20140314565A1 (en) * 2011-08-19 2014-10-23 Aerovironment, Inc. System for Protecting a Rotatable Shaft of a Motor from Excessive Bending Moments
US9776706B2 (en) * 2011-08-19 2017-10-03 Aerovironment, Inc. System for protecting a rotatable shaft of a motor from excessive bending moments
US20180043987A1 (en) * 2011-08-19 2018-02-15 Aerovironment, Inc. System For Protecting a Rotatable Shaft of a Motor from Excessive Bending Moments
US10507903B2 (en) * 2011-08-19 2019-12-17 Aerovironment, Inc. System for protecting a rotatable shaft of a motor from excessive bending moments
US11618549B2 (en) 2011-08-19 2023-04-04 Aerovironment, Inc. System for protecting a rotatable shaft of a motor from excessive bending moments
US11873074B2 (en) 2011-08-19 2024-01-16 Aerovironment, Inc. System for protecting a rotatable shaft of a motor from excessive bending moments
US10894219B1 (en) * 2017-09-05 2021-01-19 David Thomas Parker Finger flying hover toy

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE2304200A1 (de) 1974-05-16
CA975175A (en) 1975-09-30
GB1381452A (en) 1975-01-22
JPS4976644A (de) 1974-07-24

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