Spin tower station for use with toy vehicle and trackway
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to toy vehicular systems, and in particular to a spin tower station which can be used with a toy vehicle and trackway. 
     Toy vehicles which run on closed track systems are well known amusement devices. The repetitive vehicular movements frequently encountered in such amusement devices, however, can frequently become boring. Accordingly, a number of techniques have been used for extending the usefulness of such toys by providing a degree of variety to stave off the ultimate onslaught of boredom. Unfortunately many such techniques are complicated or expensive, as can be verified by anyone who has ever witnessed a model railway system which has expanded to take over an entire room and depleted the pocketbook of its owner. 
     One toy vehicle and trackway system which inexpensively provides a marked degree of variety is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,402, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference. As is discussed in more detail hereafter, this patent discloses an amusement device having several &#34;stations&#34; connected by vechicle conduits such as descending sections of trackway. A toy vehicle having a miniature electric motor with a gearing arrangement to rotate two gear wheels extending from either side of the vehicular chassis is used in the amusement device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,402. The driving arrangement for such toy vechicles is well known in the art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Despite the market place&#39;s enthusiastic reaction to the amusement device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,402, it would be desirable to provide a toy vehicle and trackway system which can command a child&#39;s attention longer by providing still more variety. Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide an additional station which is compatible with and not redundant with respect to the stations disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,402. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a station having an entry port for receiving vehicles traveling in a first direction at a first elevation, and an exit port for releasing the vehicle at a second elevation for further travel in a second direction. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a spin tower station having a station entry port and an awaiting platform which is biased upward by a spring, and which is provided with a mechanism for simultaneously rotating the platform and moving it translationly in response to the weight of a vehicle on the platform, the combined rotational and translational movements being selected to align the vehicle with the awaiting trackway section at the station exit port. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an earlier toy vehicle and trackway, which is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,402, illustrating generally the motion of a wheeled vehicle on sections of trackway connecting a rotating carrier station, a bridge station, and a somersault tower station; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a toy vehicle and trackway system incorporating the spin tower station of the present invention, illustrating generally the combined rotational and translational movement of the vehicle produced by the new station, in addition to the complimentary movements generated by known stations; 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of the spin tower station, illustrating the position of the platform before it is forced downward by the weight of the toy vehicle, the position of the platform after the vehicle has undergone rotational and translational movement, and the motion of the toy vehicle as it departs the spin tower; 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3, illustrating generally the spiral flange which cooperates with a guide notch to produce rotational movement as the weight of the toy vehicle compresses a biasing spring; 
     FIG. 5 is a exploded perspective view of part of the mechanism illustrated in FIG. 4. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The spin tower station of the present invention can be adventageously employed with a toy vehicle and trackway of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,402. With reference to FIG. 1, such an amusement device may include trackway sections 12 interconnecting bridge station 14, rotating carrier station 16, and somersault tower station 18. As is illustrated in FIG. 1 the entire trackway-and-station assembly presents a downward sloping circuitous path leading from the top or exit port of somersault tower station 18 to the bottom or entry port of somersault station 18, with portions of the trackway 12 being vertically spaced apart to accomodate the downward slope. A vehicle 10 placed in the position illustrated in FIG. 1 will coast downward on its freely rotatable wheels under the influence of gravity, guided by upstanding rail 28 protruding from trackway 12, until it encounters the entry port of rotating carrier station 16. The exterior configuration of vehicle 10 can take different forms, such as the configurations illustrated in phantom in FIGS. 2 and 3. The vehicle 10 then enters movable carrier 60, which is spring biased in the position illustrated. Movable abutment 84 retains the vehicle 10 within carrier 60, but the momentum of vehicle 10 causes carrier 60 and the vehicle supported thereon to rotate against the biasing force until abutment 84 is activated at the exit port of rotating carrier station 16 and releases vehicle 10 to continue its downward journey. The biasing force returns carrier 60 to its previous position to await the next encounter with the vehicle 10. After leaving the exit port of station 16, trackway 12 carries vehicle 10 to the entry port of the bridge station 14. Movable bridge 30, which is spring biased in the position illustrated in FIG. 1, is provided with rails 42 having continuous racks of teeth 44 on the top thereof. It will be apparent that power driven gear wheels 24 (it being noted that a second gear wheel 24 is positioned on the side of vehicle 10 not illustrated in FIG. 1) are positioned to engage racks of teeth 44 and slowly draw vehicle 10 into bridge station 14. As vehicle 10 advances into station 16 its weight forces bridge 30 downward against the biasing force until vehicle 10 resumes its journey on trackway 12 after leaving the exit port of station 14. Upon encountering the entry port of somersault tower station 18, powered gear wheels 24 mesh with continuous racks of teeth 50 and draw vehicle 10 slowly upward, it being noted that rails 48 are provided to keep gear wheels 24 in engagement with racks of teeth 50 during the ascent. An abbreviated rack of teeth 52 is provided at one side of somersault tower station 18 to engage a stationary gear wheel 26 (not shown), which is mounted concentric to the gear wheel 24 on the side of vehicle 10 not visible in FIG. 1, to slowly rotate or &#34;somersault&#34; vehicle 10 during a portion of the assent to the exit port of station 18. After leaving the exit port vehicle 10 begins another downward trip. 
     The spin tower station 102 of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 2 as part of a toy vehicle and trackway amusement device of the type previously discussed, it being noted that ascending ramp 104 having racks of teeth 106 (not shown) suitably positioned to engage powered gear wheels 24 on vehicle 10 has been added to receive vehicle 10 from the exit port of somersault tower station 18 and deliver it to the entry port of spin tower station 102. 
     As is illustrated in FIG. 3, station 102 is provided with a base 108 which is advantageously constructed for connection with the base members of the remaining stations so that the various stations may be interlocked to increase the sturdiness of the entire assembly. Molded upon the plastic forming base 108 is support 110, which is provided with notch 112 for receiving tongue 114 pertruding from cylindrical column 116 so as to ensure that column 116 has the proper angular orientation with respect to base 108 when column 116 is inserted into support 110. Support 118 having first element 120 and second element 122 is fixedly mounted at the top of column 116, first element 120 being provided with member 124 having tongue 126 for receiving and supporting the section of trackway 12 leading from the exit port of station 102, and with member 128 for receiving and supporting element 130, which is pivotably attached to the underside of ramp 104, to support the end of ramps 104 adjacent the entry port of station 102. 
     With reference now to FIGS. 4 and 5, member 132 is provided with upper cylindrical column 134 having sprial flange 136 affixed thereto, and lower cylindrical column 138 on which arcuate collar 140 is affixed. Column 116 is hollow to accommodate columns 134 and 138, which are biased upward within column 116 by spring 142 extending between the base 146 (not shown) of column 116 and collar 140. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that ribs 144 and 146 affixed to the inside of column 116 limit the verticle movement of member 132 by impinging upon the upper surface 148 and end portions 150 of collar 140. 
     With continuing reference to FIG. 4, second element 122 is provided with guide notch 152 to accomodate sprial flange 136. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the interaction of flange 136 and notch 152 will impart a rotational movement to member 132 when column 134 is inserted into or withdrawn from column 116. 
     With now reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, platform 154 is affixed to the top of upper cylindrical column 134. Parallel rails 156 having continuous racks of teeth 158 on the top thereof are mounted on platform 154 and oriented to align with ramp 104 when member 132 is in its uppermost position, that is, when collar 140 abuts rib 144. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that when vehicle 10 exits ramp 104, the rotating gear wheels 24 will engage racks of teeth 158 and draw vehicle 10 forward until it no longers receives support from ramp 104. The weight of vehicle 10 on platform 154 will force member 132 downward against the biasing force of spring 142, until the bottom of platform 154 rests on the upper surface of element 122. The distance of this translational movement is selected to that the simultaneous translational and rotational movement will align rails 156 with the trackway section 12 leading from station 102, as illustrated in phantom lines in FIG. 3. Further rotation of gear wheels 24 will move vehicle 10 off platform 154 and onto trackway 12, so that vehicle 10 can continue to the next station. 
     With final reference to FIG. 2, the operation of the spin tower station of the present invention can now be described in conjunction with a toy vehicle and trackway amusement device. With the vehicle positioned as shown in phantom lines in FIG. 2, descending trackway 12 will lead it to the entry port of somersault tower 18, whereupon the vehicle will be raised in the manner previously described to the exit port of station 18 and thence, by the continuing rotation of gear wheels 24, up ramp 104. Ramp 104 delivers the vehicle at the entry port of station 102, and continued rotation of gear wheels 24 draws the vehicle entirely onto platform 154. At this point the weight of the vehicle produces the combination of translational and rotational movements previously described, to deliver the vehicle at the exit port of station 102 so that it can continue down trackway 12. It is apparent that station 102 receives the vehicle at a first height above base 108 and traveling in a first direction, and delivers the vehicle at a second height above base 108 so that it can travel in a different direction. Following the vehicle&#39;s exit from station 102, gravity leads it to station 16 and then to station 14. Thereafter the cycle begins again for the repeated amusement of the child. 
     Although the spin tower station of the present invention has been described with specific reference to the toy vehicle and trackway of U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,402, it is apparent that it could be advantageously employed in amusement devices having other combinations of stations and trackway sections.