Champion Toy Company

Other

LeRoy Stienbarger

Frank B Gray

A toy vehicle for a child includes a track and roller drive train for propelling the vehicle. Each of a pair of pedal arms is pivotally mounted at its forward end and has a split track mounted at the rear end thereof which rides on a roller mounted on either side of the axle. As the pedal arms are reciprocated by a rider, the tracks drive the rollers and axle with the gap between ramps of the track allowing the track to straddle the axle at the bottom of each stroke. The track may be generally curvilinear, or compound angled to balance the torque generated by each stroke in either the forward or rearward direction, and to also provide a smoother driving action through substantially 180.degree. of axle rotation with each stroke.

Toy vehicle with track and roller drive train

A three-wheeled scooter includes a reciprocating treadle drive which a rider may use to propel the scooter in either the forward or rearward direction. The treadle drive includes a pair of treadles having their rear ends mounted to crank portions of a rear crank drive axle and their forward ends supported by rollers from a bar track having a generally flattened portion therein along with an inclined portion. Movement is achieved by a rider's shifting of his weight alternately from one treadle to the other as each treadle rotates into a driving orientation. The treadle drive is characterized by maintaining a driving relationship between at least one treadle and the crank axle at all times to thereby eliminate any 'dead spots'.

Three-wheeled scooter with reciprocating treadle drive

A tricycle or other similar vehicle has an improved drive mechanism utilizing a pair of pedals, each of which has an associated cam and cam follower such that as the pedals are reciprocated the cam followers ride along the cams to rotate a drive axle and propel the vehicle. A shift mechanism permits realignment of the cam followers and cams to thereby change the direction of movement of the vehicle as the pedals are reciprocated. The drive mechanism and shift may be mounted to the rear wheels or, in an alternate embodiment, mounted to the front wheel of the vehicle.

Growing community of inventors

Licking, MO, United States of America

LeRoy Stienbarger