US3883987A - Toy vehicle turntable - Google Patents

Abstract

A turntable for a self propelled toy vehicle includes a base along which the toy vehicle may travel and a vehicle support member mounted on the base in the path of travel of the vehicle for supporting the vehicle with at least one of its drive wheels in engagement with the base. The support member is rotatably mounted on the base for rotational movement in a plane parallel to the base so that the engagement of one of the vehicle''s drive wheels with the base causes the support member to rotate, thereby changing the direction of travel of the vehicle. Stop means limits the rotation of the support member to a predetermined angle of rotation at which the vehicle is freed to move off the support member, with the stop means being released to permit further rotation in response to the presence of the next vehicle moving onto the support member.

Description

[ May 20, 1975 United States Patent 1 1 Joshi et al.

[ TOY VEHICLE TURNTABLE [75] Inventors: Madhusudan Joshi, Levittown;

Edwin A. Nielsen, Oceanside; Frank hicle support member mounted on the base in the path of travel of the vehicle for supporting the vehicle D. Venture, Commack, all of NY.

Ideal Toy Corporation, Hollis, NY.

May 15, 1974 Appl. No.: 469,992

[73] Assignee: with at least one of its drive wheels in engagement with the base. The support member is rotatably mounted on the base for rotational movement in a [22] Filed:

plane parallel to the base so that the engagement of one of the vehicle's drive wheels with the base causes the support member to rotate 52 us. 46/202; 46/216 h y changing the 511 m. A63h 19/00 direction of travel of the vehiele- Step means limit8 58 Field ofSearch........... 46/201, 202, 243 P, 216 the rotation of the pp member to a predetermined angle of rotation at which the vehicle is freed to 5 move off the support member, with the stop means References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS llll970 6/l97l being released to permit further rotation in response to the presence of the next vehicle moving onto the support member.

46/243 F Genin 46/202 X Primary Examiner-F. Barry Shay Assistant Examiner-R. F. Cutting 17 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Richard M. Rabkin, Esquire PZJENTEB MAY 20 I975 SHEET 1. BF 3 FIG.

PATENTED HAY 2 01975 SHEET 2 0F 3 PATENYED MAY 2 0 I975 SHEET 3 0F 3 TI I TOY VEHICLE TURNTABLE The present invention relates to a turntable for toy vehicles. and more particularly to a turntable which is powered by the vehicle itself.

In toy vehicle games. the vehicles are typically placed on a track or vehicle support surface and guided by the track through a predetermined path of travel. usually in a closed loop configuration. To increase the number of possible configurations for the vehicles path of travel. turntables are sometimes provided in toy vehicle games so that the direction of travel ofa vehicle can be changed within a relatively small or limited space. Such turntables however must be powered either manually or by an outside power source such as an electric motor or the like. Accordingly, they are relatively difficult for a child to operate, or when electrically operated. relatively complicated and expensive in construction.

Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a turntable for a toy vehicle which is relatively simple in construction and durable in operation.

Yet another object of the present invention is to pro vide a vehicle turntable which is adapted to be powered by the drive of the toy vehicle itself.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a relatively inexpensively constructed vehicle turntable which is adapted to be operated by a vehicle placed on the turntable.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention a vehicle turntable is provided which is adapted to change the direction of movement of a self propelled vehicle. The turntable includes a base which provides a vehicle support surface defining a path of travel for the vehicle. A vehicle support plate located in the path of travel of the vehicle. is rotatably mounted on the base of the turntable for rotation in a plane parallel to the support surface of the base. This support plate has a predetermined configuration selected so as to support the vehicle on the base with one of the vehicles drive wheels in driving engagement with the base. while the other of the vehicles drive wheels is out of engagement with the base. In this manner the one drive wheel of the vehicle engaged with the base will cause the support plate to rotate.

The operation of the turntable is assisted by the provision of at least one vehicle abutment bar mounted on the support plate for movement between a first position which blocks movement of a vehicle off of the support plate, and a second position which permits such movement. The abutment bar is opperately engaged with the base of the turntable with the latter including a guide which moves the abutment bar between its first and second positions. As a result a vehicle moving along the base onto the support plate has its movement stopped by the abutment bar while one of its drive wheels continues to rotate in engagement with the base to rotate the plate and to change the direction of the vehicles path of travel. The rotation continues until the abut' ment bar is moved into its second position by the guide means on the base.

The above. and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent in the following detailed description ofan illustrive embodiment thereof which used to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a turntable constructed in accordance with the present invention and showing a toy vehicle approaching the turntable;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the turntable shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the turntable of FIGv 1 showing. in phantom lines. the wheels of a vehicle (a) approaching the turntable and (b) positioned thereon.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 4 of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a plan view similar to FIG. 3. showing the position and configuration of the turntable support plate after a rotational movement of 90; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 5.

Referring now to the drawing in detail and initially to FIG. 1 it will be seen that a vehicle turntable 10. constructed in accordance with the present invention. includes a base 12 which defines a vehicle support surface 14 along which a self propelled vehicle I6 is adapted to travel. A rotatable turntable mechanism 18 is provided on base 12 in the path of travel of vehicle 16 and is adapted to be rotated by the drive mechanism of vehicle 16 when the vehicle moves on to the turntable mechanism. By the construction of the turntable mechanism and cooperating guide members on base 12, the turntable mechanism 18 will turn through 180 when a vehicle moves on to it. so that the direction of movement of vehicle 16 will be reversed. That is. after vehicle 16 enters into position on turntable mechanism 18. that mechanism will turn through l80 and then release vehicle 16 so that it will move off the turntable mechanism along support surface 14 towards the left of FIG. I. Vehicle 16 can be of any desired self propelled vehicle type construction, but preferably is powered by a friction typeflywheel motor. By this construction the pair of rear drive wheels 20 in the toy vehicle are continuously rotated by the flywheel drive mechanism contained therein. The rotation of these wheels is used, as described hereinafter. to cause operation of the turntable.

As seen most clearly in FIG. 2. turntable mechanism 18 includes a generally rectangular support plate 22 having a pair of diagonally related cutout sections 24 formed therein. In addition plate 22 includes an integrally formed pair of mounting arm structures 26 which have a generally inverted U-shapcd configuration and include support channels 28 formed integrally therein.

Support channels 28 provide mounting support for the arms 30 of a pair of vehicle abutment bars 32. The arms 30 of the abutment bars (which abutment bars are also generally U-shaped members) are captured within channels 26 with their ends 34 received in channels 28, as seen most clearly in FIG. 4. By this arrangement. arms 30. and thus abutment bars 32, are permitted a limited degree of lateral movement in a plane generally parallel to the plane of support plate 22, and also are permitted a limited amount of vertical or rotational movement in a direction perpendicular to plate 22. This freedom of movement for abutment bars 32 per mits the bars. as described hereinafter, to be moved between two positions. as shown in FIG. 4, wherein they alternately block the movement of a toy vehicle and permit the movement thereof off of the support plate.

Support plate 22, and thus abutment bars 32, are pivotally mounted on base 22 in any convenient manner,

as for example by metal rivet 36 or the like. Preferably, base 12 includes a well or a recess 38 formed therein which receives plate 22 so that the support surface 40 of the support plate lies in substantially the same plane as the vehicle support surface 14 of the base. This will facilitate movement of the vehicle onto the support plate. In this connection it is noted that plate 22 may also have diagonally opposed recesses 42 formed therein to define wheel wells which receive the wheels of the toy vehicle and facilitate movement of the vehicle onto and off of the support plate.

In any case, well 38 also is formed so as to receive or accommodate abutment bars 32 of support plate 22, so that in the down position of the bars (illustrated for example at the left in FIGS. 1 and 4) a vehicle will pass over the bar from support surface 14 onto the support plate 22. Of course, as seen in the drawings, the outer edges or surfaces 44 of abutment bars 32 are curved to conform generally to the curvature of the circular well 38.

Movement of abutment bars 32 is controlled by the bottom surface 46 of well 38 which defines a guide surface for pins 48 formed integrally with abutment bars 32. The bottom end portions 50 of pins 48 ride along surface 46 during rotation of plate 22 and thus control the movement and position of the abutment bars. In order to raise or lower the abutment bars, guide surface 46 is provided with an inclined recess or ramp 52 formed therein having its deepest end portion 54 located adjacent the end 56 of the vehicle support surface l4 in base 12. Ramp 52 extends through an arc of approximately l80, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 6. The ramp has two surface sections 52 and 52" with section 52' being relatively flat and section 52" being inclined upwardly from section 52' to surface 46. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that an abutment bar 32 adjacent the end 56 of support surface 14 (as shown in FIG. 1) will be in its down position with its pin 48 in recess 52. In this connection it is noted that the depth of the recess at end 54 (i.e. the depth of ramp section 52') is slightly greater than the height of pin 48, (see FIG. 4) so as to accommodate the pin.

Accordingly, a vehicle 16 moving along support surface 14, towards turntable mechanism 18 (see FIG. 1) will move across the adjacent abutment bar 32 onto the support plate 22. As mentioned that plate has a pair of diagonally opposed recesses 24, which recesses are located such that one of the drive wheels of the vehicle will be located in one of the recesses and engaged with the surface 46 of base 12 at all times, while the other of the drive wheels of the vehicle will be on the support surface 40, 42 of the support plate and out of driving engagement with base 12. Thus, when a vehicle is on support plate 22 the engagement of its right drive wheel with base 12 will cause the plate 22 to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction. Of course, it should be noted that when the vehicle enters onto plate 22 its forward motion is automatically stopped because the other abutment bar 32 is in a raised position as a result of the engagement of its guide pin 48 with the surface 46 of well 38 (see FIG. 4).

By this construction plate 22 continues to rotate in a clockwise direction and, as this occurs, the abutment bar 32 at the rear of vehicle 16 is slowly raised by the engagement of its pin 48 with ramp 52 until that bar reaches its fully raised position when surface 46 is reached. On the other hand, the abutment bar 32 engaged with the front of vehicle 16 remains in its raised position as a result of the engagement ofits pin 48 with surface 46, until the end 54 of recess 52 is reached after a rotation of approximately 180. At that point the abutment bar drops to its lower position as its pin 48 enters the recess provided by ramp 52. When this occurs the drive of the vehicle causes the vehicle to move off of support plate 22 and continue along its path of travel on surface 14, but in opposite direction from that shown in FIG. 1.

In order to provide a more accurate operation of the turntable mechanism 18, and to insure that the vehicle once rotated through I80 will be directed onto the vehicle support surface l4 between the walls 58 of base l2, the base is provided with a pair of stop members that cooperate with the abutment bars 32. Thus well 38 has an upright stop pin or an abutment member 60 formed on it bottom surface 46 at a position adjacent the end of ramp 52 and located to engage the pins 48 of the respective abutment arms 32. During rotation of support plate 22, as one of the bars 32 is raised by movement of its pin 48 along ramp 52, its pin 48 ultimately moves into contact with the stop member 60 so that further rotation of support plate 22 is prevented. The position of stop 60 is selected such that when it engages a pin 48 the rotation of support plate 22 is stopped in a position illustrated in FIG. 1 wherein the other abutment bar falls into its lower position so that a vehicle on the support plate can move directly onto the support surface 14 between walls 58. It is also noted that because of the configuration of the abutment arms 32 these arms provide side guide wall members 62, which serve as a continuation of the base guide walls 58, to insure that a vehicle on the turntable will be properly directed onto the base 12 between its guide walls 58.

In addition, because of the free lateral movement permitted bars 32 by the mounting of their arms 30, as described above, base 12 is provided with a cam guide member 64 adjacent stop 60 and positioned in front of the stop 60 with respect of the direction of travel of the guide pins 48. Cam member 64 is configured such that as a guide pin 48 moves out of recess 52 it will engage the surface of cam member 64 and be urged in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 4 to thereby move the abutment bar 32 to its retracted position, shown in solid lines in FIGS. 3 and 4. In that position further movement of plate 22 under the influence of the vehicle will cause the pin 48 to engage stop 60 thereby preventing further rotation of the plate 22.

In addition to stop member 60 base 12 includes a shoulder 66 formed adjacent end 56 of vehicle support surface 14. Shoulder 66 includes a vertical side wall having a height which is substantially less than the height of guide wall 58 of base 12. The dimension of shoulder 66 is selected such that as an abutment bar 32 moves into the position shown at the left in FIGS. 1 and 3, Le. at the position wherein its pin 48 enters the end 54 of recess 52, its squared end 70 will engage shoulder 66, if the abutment bar is in its raised position, to insure that plate 22 is stopped in the proper relative position with respect to support surface 14. When a bar 32 reaches this position adjacent surface 14 the bar will fall of its own weight, and because of the pressure of the front wheels of the vehicle against the inclined bar 32, into the recess 52.

it is noted that stop 60 is positioned such that movement of the plate 22 will still be occuring at the time the squared shoulder 70 engages the surface 68 of shoulder 66 so that when bar 32 moves to its down position the plate 22 is properly aligned with surface 14 so that the vehicle can move directly onto that surface.

Since shoulder 66 forms, in effect. an extension of only the upper portion of wall 58. once the abutment bar 32 is in its lower position shoulder 70 can pass beneath the shoulder 66. in addition, it is noted that the other shoulder 72 of each abutment bar 32 is curved so that during rotation of the plate it will not engage shoulder 66 even as it is raised along ramp 52. in any case ramp 52 is formed so that shoulder 72 will also pass beneath shoulder 66 during rotation of plate 22.

Accordingly, it is seen that, in operation. turntable I0 is initially set up in the configuration shown in FIG. 1 such that abutment bar 32 adjacent end 56 of vehicle support surface 14 is in its lower position so that a vehi cle 16 can pass over the abutment bar and onto the support plate 22. On the other hand the other abutment bar 32 is in its raised positions because of the engagement of its pin 48 with surface 46 of base 12 and that pin is engaged with the stop 60, having been guided into that position by the cam 64. As vehicle 16 moves onto plate 22 its front end engages the raised bar 32 at the right in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 and movement of the vehicle is thus stopped. However. the impact of the vehicle against the raised abutment bar 32 causes that bar to move from its retracted solid line position (shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) to its extended, dotted line position. As described above. such movement is permitted because of the support arrangement of arms 30 in channels 28. Such lateral movement of bar 32 frees its associated pin 48, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, from stop 60 so that the pin and stop are no longer engaged. Thus plate 22 is free to rotate under the effect of the engagement between the right drive wheel of the vehicle and the surface 46 of the base. Accordingly plate 22 will rotate in a counter clockwise direction with the front end of vehicle l6 engaged against one of the abutment bars 32 which is held in its raised position during such rotation by the flat surface 46 of the base. On the other FIGS. the other abutment bar 32 (at the left in FIG. 3 and 4) is slowly moved from its lower position to its raised position by the engagement of pin 48 with the inclined surface of ramp 52.

After plate 22 has rotated through 180 the raised abutment bar 32 (Le. the bar engaged with the front vehicle 16) moves into position over the end 54 of ramp 52. At that point that abutment bar will drop into the recess 54 under the influence of gravity. To insure that the plate 22 stops in its proper position the abutment bar, as described above, is provided with the shoulder 70 which engages the surface 68 of the shoulder 66.

As this is occuring, the other abutment bar 32, which is adjacent to the rear of the vehicle, is fully raised to its upper most position and moved from its extended to its retracted position by the engagement of its pin 48 with the cam member 64. Just after the first abutment bar engages shoulder 66 and moves down, the other abutment bar engages stop 60 so as to stop rotational movement of plate 22. Accordingly. vehicle 16 is then free to move outwardly over the abutment bar adjacent its front end and onto the support surface 14, while the other abutment bar is raised in its initial position ready to stop movement of the next vehicle entering the turntable.

Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to that precise embodiment, and that various changes and modification may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without parting from the scope and the spirit of the invention.

what is claimed is:

l. A turntable for a self propelled toy vehicle having at least one drive wheel. said turntable comprising a base along which said toy vehicle may travel and vehicle support means located in the path of travel of said vehicle for supporting the vehicle with said at least one drive wheel in engagement with said base. said support means being rotatably mounted on said base for rotational movement in a plane parallel to said base whereby engagement of said drive wheel with said base causes said support means to rotate and change the direction of travel of said vehicle; and vehicle barrier means for preventing movement of the vehicle from said support means until said support means has rotated through a predetermined angle of rotation; said barrier means comprising an abutment bar movably mounted on said support means for movement between a first position normally blocking movement of the vehicle off of said support means in its direction of travel and a second position permitting passage of the vehicle off of the support means; and means on said base for moving said abutment bar to its second position when said support means has rotated through said predetermined angle of rotation, whereby said vehicle will continue off of said support means in a new direction along its path of travel.

2. The turntable as defined in claim 1 wherein said releasing means includes guide surfaces formed on said base and positioned to engage a portion of the abutment bar for moving said abutment bar from its first to its second position.

3. The turntable as defined in claim 2 wherein said base has a vehicle support surface defining the path of travel of the vehicle and a well formed therein; said support means being mounted in said well with its upper surface located in substantially the same plane as said vehicle support surface and said abutment bar being positioned to enter said well in said second position thereof.

4. The turntable as defined in claim 2 including stop means for stopping rotation of said support member after movement thereof through said predetermined angle of rotation. said barrier means being responsive to the movement of a vehicle onto the support member for releasing said stop means to allow said support member to be rotated by the vehicle.

5. The turntable as defined in claim 3 wherein said base includes stop means for stopping rotation of said support means after movement thereof through said predetermined angle of rotation.

6. The turntable as defined in claim 5 wherein said abutment bar is mounted on said support means for reciprocal movement between retracted and extended positions in the direction of travel of said vehicle and includes an integral abutment surface for selectively engaging said stop means in the retracted position thereof whereby a vehicle engaging said abutment bar moves said bar to its extended position to release said abutment surface from engagement with said stop means to free said support means for rotation by said vehicle.

7. The turntable as defined in claim 6 wherein said guide surfaces include a cam, and guide surface for moving said abutment bar from its second extended to its first retracted position as the abutment surface of the bar approaches said stop means.

8. The turntable as defined in claim 7 wherein said support means includes a pair of identical abutment bars and said predetermined angle of rotation is 180.

9. A turntable for changing the direction of move ment of a toy vehicle having a pair of drive wheels, said turntable comprising a base providing a vehicle supporting surface along which said toy vehicle may travel; a vehicle support plate rotatably located in the path of travel of the vehicle on said base and mounted on said base for rotation in a plane parallel to said support surface said support plate having a predetermined configuration selected to support said vehicle on said base with one of its drive wheels in driving engagement with said base and the other of its drive wheels out of engagement with said base; and at least one vehicle abutment means mounted on said support plate for movement between a first position blocking movement of a vehicle on said plate and a second position permitting movement off of said plate; said base including means operatively engaged with said abutment means for moving said abutment means between said first and second positions whereby a vehicle moving along said base onto said support plate and stopped by said abutment means causes said plate to rotate and changes the direction of its own path of travel by the engagement of said one drive wheel with said base until said abutment means moves to its second position.

10. The turntable as defined in claim 9 including a pair of identical abutment means mounted on said support plate in diametrically opposed positions with respect to one another and respectively cooperating with said means for moving the abutment means between first and second positions; said last mentioned means changing the position of one of said abutment means from its first to its second position and the other of said abutment arms from it second to its first position during each l80 of rotation of said support plate whereby rotation of said support plate by a vehicle cause the direction of travel of the vehicle to be changed by 180.

11. The turntable as defined in claim 10 wherein said base includes stop means cooperating with said abutment means for stopping rotation of said support plate after each 180 movement thereof.

12. The turntable as defined in claim 11 wherein each of said abutment means comprises an abutment bar extending across the path of travel of a vehicle on said base; means for mounting said bars for movement between said first and second positions, wherein said first position of each of said bars is located to block movement of the vehicle and the second position of the bars is located to permit movement of the vehicle over the bars and for permitting movement of said bars between extended and retracted positions with respect to said plate in the driving direction of said vehicles; said bars each having a stop surface for engaging said stop means when said bars are in their retracted position; said stop means being located to engage the stop surface of the bar moved from its second to its first position during rotation of said plate, and said base including means for moving a bar from its extended position to its retracted position as the bar approaches said stop means, thereby to stop rotation of said plate.

13. The turntable as defined in claim 12 wherein said mounting means permits movement of the bars in their second position, when said plate is stopped, from their retracted to their extended positions said stop means and stop surfaces being dimensioned to be free of one another in the extended position of the bars whereby said support plate is free to rotate under the influence of the vehicle thereon until the support plate has rotated 180 and the stop surface of one of the bars engages said stop means.

l4. The turntable as defined in claim 13 wherein said bars each include a support pin extending outwardly therefrom towards said base and said means for moving said abutment means between said first and second positions comprises a relatively flat guide surface formed in said base and along which said pin moves during rotation of said plate; said guide surface including a recess having an inclined ramp formed therein extending from a position below the plane of said guide surface to said guide surface over an arc of approximately l to a position adjacent said stop means with the deepest end of said recess being substantially equal to the length of said pins whereby during rotation of said plate one of the guide bars is supported by its support pin in its first position from said stop means through until its support pin enters the deepest end of said recess and the other of said bars is moved from its second position to its first position as its support pin progresses along said ramp.

15. The turntable as defined in claim 14 wherein said base includes spaced guide wall means defining said vehicle support surface therebetween and located to direet a vehicle over the bar in its second position when the plate is stopped, and thus onto the plate, whereby the vehicle impacts against the other bar, then in its first position, to release that bar from engagement with said stop means and to permit rotation of the plate by said vehicle.-

16. The turntable as defined in claim 15 wherein said base has a recessed well formed therein having a bottom wall defining said guide surface said support plate being mounted in said well with its upper surface located in substantially the same plane as said vehicle support surface; said barrier bars being positioned to enter said well in the second positions thereof.

17. The turntable as defined in claim 16 wherein said support pins define said stop surfaces.

Claims (17)

1. A turntable for a self propelled toy vehicle having at least one drive wheel, said turntable comprising a base along which said toy vehicle may travel and vehicle support means located in the path of travel of said vehicle for supporting the vehicle with said at least one drive wheel in engagement with said base, said support means being rotatably mounted on said base for rotational movement in a plane parallel to said base whereby engagement of said drive wheel with said base causes said support means to rotate and change the direction of travel of said vehicle; and vehicle barrier means for preventing movement of the vehicle from said support means until said support means has rotated through a predetermined angle of rotation; said barrier means comprising an abutment bar movaBly mounted on said support means for movement between a first position normally blocking movement of the vehicle off of said support means in its direction of travel and a second position permitting passage of the vehicle off of the support means; and means on said base for moving said abutment bar to its second position when said support means has rotated through said predetermined angle of rotation, whereby said vehicle will continue off of said support means in a new direction along its path of travel.

2. The turntable as defined in claim 1 wherein said releasing means includes guide surfaces formed on said base and positioned to engage a portion of the abutment bar for moving said abutment bar from its first to its second position.

3. The turntable as defined in claim 2 wherein said base has a vehicle support surface defining the path of travel of the vehicle and a well formed therein; said support means being mounted in said well with its upper surface located in substantially the same plane as said vehicle support surface and said abutment bar being positioned to enter said well in said second position thereof.

4. The turntable as defined in claim 2 including stop means for stopping rotation of said support member after movement thereof through said predetermined angle of rotation, said barrier means being responsive to the movement of a vehicle onto the support member for releasing said stop means to allow said support member to be rotated by the vehicle.

5. The turntable as defined in claim 3 wherein said base includes stop means for stopping rotation of said support means after movement thereof through said predetermined angle of rotation.

6. The turntable as defined in claim 5 wherein said abutment bar is mounted on said support means for reciprocal movement between retracted and extended positions in the direction of travel of said vehicle and includes an integral abutment surface for selectively engaging said stop means in the retracted position thereof whereby a vehicle engaging said abutment bar moves said bar to its extended position to release said abutment surface from engagement with said stop means to free said support means for rotation by said vehicle.

7. The turntable as defined in claim 6 wherein said guide surfaces include a cam, and guide surface for moving said abutment bar from its second extended to its first retracted position as the abutment surface of the bar approaches said stop means.

8. The turntable as defined in claim 7 wherein said support means includes a pair of identical abutment bars and said predetermined angle of rotation is 180*.

9. A turntable for changing the direction of movement of a toy vehicle having a pair of drive wheels, said turntable comprising a base providing a vehicle supporting surface along which said toy vehicle may travel; a vehicle support plate rotatably located in the path of travel of the vehicle on said base and mounted on said base for rotation in a plane parallel to said support surface, said support plate having a predetermined configuration selected to support said vehicle on said base with one of its drive wheels in driving engagement with said base and the other of its drive wheels out of engagement with said base; and at least one vehicle abutment means mounted on said support plate for movement between a first position blocking movement of a vehicle on said plate and a second position permitting movement off of said plate; said base including means operatively engaged with said abutment means for moving said abutment means between said first and second positions whereby a vehicle moving along said base onto said support plate and stopped by said abutment means causes said plate to rotate and changes the direction of its own path of travel by the engagement of said one drive wheel with said base until said abutment means moves to its second position.

10. The turntable as defined in claim 9 including a pair of identical abutment means mounted on said support plate in diAmetrically opposed positions with respect to one another and respectively cooperating with said means for moving the abutment means between first and second positions; said last mentioned means changing the position of one of said abutment means from its first to its second position and the other of said abutment arms from it second to its first position during each 180* of rotation of said support plate whereby rotation of said support plate by a vehicle cause the direction of travel of the vehicle to be changed by 180* .

11. The turntable as defined in claim 10 wherein said base includes stop means cooperating with said abutment means for stopping rotation of said support plate after each 180* movement thereof.

12. The turntable as defined in claim 11 wherein each of said abutment means comprises an abutment bar extending across the path of travel of a vehicle on said base; means for mounting said bars for movement between said first and second positions, wherein said first position of each of said bars is located to block movement of the vehicle and the second position of the bars is located to permit movement of the vehicle over the bars and for permitting movement of said bars between extended and retracted positions with respect to said plate in the driving direction of said vehicles; said bars each having a stop surface for engaging said stop means when said bars are in their retracted position; said stop means being located to engage the stop surface of the bar moved from its second to its first position during rotation of said plate, and said base including means for moving a bar from its extended position to its retracted position as the bar approaches said stop means, thereby to stop rotation of said plate.

13. The turntable as defined in claim 12 wherein said mounting means permits movement of the bars in their second position, when said plate is stopped, from their retracted to their extended positions said stop means and stop surfaces being dimensioned to be free of one another in the extended position of the bars whereby said support plate is free to rotate under the influence of the vehicle thereon until the support plate has rotated 180* and the stop surface of one of the bars engages said stop means.

14. The turntable as defined in claim 13 wherein said bars each include a support pin extending outwardly therefrom towards said base and said means for moving said abutment means between said first and second positions comprises a relatively flat guide surface formed in said base and along which said pin moves during rotation of said plate; said guide surface including a recess having an inclined ramp formed therein extending from a position below the plane of said guide surface to said guide surface over an arc of approximately 180* to a position adjacent said stop means with the deepest end of said recess being substantially equal to the length of said pins whereby during rotation of said plate one of the guide bars is supported by its support pin in its first position from said stop means through 180* until its support pin enters the deepest end of said recess and the other of said bars is moved from its second position to its first position as its support pin progresses along said ramp.

15. The turntable as defined in claim 14 wherein said base includes spaced guide wall means defining said vehicle support surface therebetween and located to direct a vehicle over the bar in its second position when the plate is stopped, and thus onto the plate, whereby the vehicle impacts against the other bar, then in its first position, to release that bar from engagement with said stop means and to permit rotation of the plate by said vehicle. k

16. The turntable as defined in claim 15 wherein said base has a recessed well formed therein having a bottom wall defining said guide surface said support plate being mounted in said well with its upper surface located in substantially the same plane as saId vehicle support surface; said barrier bars being positioned to enter said well in the second positions thereof.

17. The turntable as defined in claim 16 wherein said support pins define said stop surfaces.

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