Mechanical toy with walking action

摘要

1,013,896. Toys. PRODUCTS DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. Feb. 20, 1964 [March 8,1963], No. 7167/64. Heading A6S. A toy animal which performs a walking action comprises a hollow body 10, preferably of plastic material, on which is mounted a head and four legs each having an upper section 78 and a lower section 76 pivotally connected by a member 80 through which passes the crank ends 120, 124 of a driven shaft 110 and an idler shaft 112 (Fig. 3). The rear pair of legs are engaged by the crank ends of shafts 114, 116 (Fig. 1). Drive to the driven shafts is effected by an electric motor 138 through reduction gearing, a gear wheel 114 keyed to the driven shaft 110, a chain 164 and a gear wheel 162 keyed to the driven shaft 114. The shafts 110, 112, 114, 116 are so arranged that diagonally opposite legs perform identical operations, and that the lower legs sections remain substantially perpendicular to the surface on which the animal travels. (Figs 9-12 not shown). Forward or backward movement of the animal is controlled by a switch 170 (Fig. 15) which comprises an upper ratchet member 196 which is urged by a spring 210 (Fig. 13) in a clockwise direction. Upon pulling on a leash, which is connected by string 218 to the ratchet member 196, that member is urged in an anticlockwise direction and also urges a lower ratchet member 198 in the same direction. Conductive strips 206, 208 connected to the lower ratchet member move over an insulating plate and contacts 176, 178 and 180, 182 which are connected respectively to batteries 30 and the motor. Upon each pull on the leash the lower ratchet member and the conductive strips move through 45 degrees from the position of Fig. 14, and the strips connect contacts 178, 182 and 180, 176 so that the motor operatres to drive the animal in one direction. A second pull moves the lower ratchet member through another 45 degrees, to de-energize the motor, and a further pull causes the strips to connect contacts 180,178 and 176,182 so that the motor drives the toy in the opposite direction. The lead 58 is mounted in the body for bobbing motion, and permanent magnet 248 may be positioned in the nose. In the embodiment of Fig. 18, the leg sections are pivotally connected by pins 276 and are driven by shafts 288 and 278, and the diagonally pairs of legs are not mounted in similar positions with relation to the body, and thus swaying effect of the walking motion is increased.