Abstract: Pontoons along both sides of the vehicle can be filled with either air or water, at the user's preference. When the pontoons are filled with air the vehicle floats in water and is driven along the water surface by a propeller and also by a tread drive. When the pontoons are filled with water the vehicle sinks in water and is driven along the bottom by, again, the propeller and treads. In either event when the vehicle comes to a dry surface it continues to be driven along that surface by the treads. The pontoons are provided with a hole and plug for use in filling or draining them. Preferably the interior spaces of the pontoons communicate through a cross-connection chamber that rougly equalizes the amount of water in the two pontoons, so that the vehicle has minimal tendency to capsize or ride in the water at a cant. An unusual two-worm-and-worm-gear drive train provides power to the tread drivers both fore and aft with high mechanical advantage and very few moving parts.

Abstract: This toy propels itself along the surface of a pool of water or along an extremely steep, irregular nonwater surface. A battery powers a motor, which drives the vehicle's four wheels and a steerable water jet. The wheels carry pronounced peripheral cleats for propulsion along both a water surface and a very steep, irregular nonwater surface. The hollow wheels, several times overscale, contribute significantly to overall buoyancy. The water-jet impeller aids propulsion along a water surface and can be rotated horizontally to direct the vehicle in circles of variable diameter. The motor shaft is aligned with the direction of vehicle travel and extends both forwardly and rearwardly from the motor to drive a symmetrical geartrain for nonwater-surface propulsion: fixed on each shaft end is a pinion that drives a spur gear, which in turn drives a worm, that in its turn drives a worm gear keyed to an axle. The worm gear drives the axle, which drives the wheels and tires.

Abstract: Accessible at both sides of this toy vehicle is a shifter element that enables a user to control the vehicle using only one hand, and without picking the vehicle up or even obstructing its forward travel. The shifter element may be used to turn the vehicle on or off. If the vehicle has two or more operating modes the shifter may be used to select between the modes. The shifter thus enhances the play fantasy, since "real" vehicles start and stop without being raised from the street by their drivers. The shifter element moves transversely relative to the vehicle. In one position the element protrudes at one side of the vehicle, and if pushed inwardly there the element moves toward the other side of the vehicle. In the other position the element protrudes at the other side of the toy; if pushed inwardly it moves toward the first side.

Abstract: This track, particularly for use with electrically self-propelled vehicles, has various elements for interfering with vehicle passage. Different effects are obtained--amusing, fascinating, or enhanced competitive play with two or more vehicles. Most of the interfering elements are detachable, and usable in different combinations and arbitrarily selectable positions. Three element types are (1) bumps that redirect the vehicles, tending to make them go around curves in the track without moving to the sides; (2) small flooring sections operated (by levers) vertically through holes in the track floor, to variably influence the vehicles' passage along the track; and (3) a gate, with a releasable catch, for starting cars along the track simultaneously in a race.

Abstract: An amphibious toy vehicle about the length of a "penlight" battery can climb any grade where it will not tip over backward, and can propel itself through water. An "AA" battery powers an electric motor in the four-wheel-drive vehicle. The motor has a double-ended shaft, driving a symmetrical worm-and-worm-gear geartrain. The motor and geartrain are aligned along one side of the chassis; the battery alongside them occupies the rest of the chassis. Both climbing and water-propulsion capability are enhanced by several-times-overscale hollow (to aid flotation) wheels, with pronounced peripheral cleats. A flotation chamber extends beneath the entire chassis. To resist degradation due to dirt, the chassis is substantially sealed against dirt particles, but for economy the sealing is not watertight. To compensate for this, the entire electromechanical system has been made to operate even with the chassis full of water.

Abstract: Toy motorcycle play apparatus comprising a toy motorcycle having an energy-storing drive-train mechanism, and a launcher for imparting energy to the mechanism and then releasing the motorcycle for forward movement. The motorcycle comprises aligned rotatable front and rear ground-engaging wheels and an intermediate flywheel, all rotatable about horizontal transverse axes. The energy-storing drive-train mechanism is formed by the flywheel, one of the wheels, and a gear train between them which reduces speed and increases power and duration of rotation at that drive wheel. In operation, the motorcycle is powered by the flywheel, which also serves to maintain it upright by gyroscopic action as it moves forwardly. The launcher holds the motorcycle in the desired upright orientation with the drive wheel elevated so that it can rotate freely while energy is being stored in the flywheel. Then the motorcycle is released, the drive wheel is allowed to engage the launcher platform and propel the motorcycle forwardly.

Abstract: This toy operates on continuous-belt treads that cooperate with other "climbing toy" features to provide extremely exaggerated ability to negotiate steep and/or rough surfaces. The car selectably operates: (1) as a conventional electrically powered toy, at at least one speed, on a flat surface; (2) as an electrically powered "climbing toy" with particularly advantageous weight distribution, at at least one reduced speed with greater torque, on a steep and/or irregular surface; or (3) as an unpowered free-rolling toy vehicle. Major weight components, particularly the battery and motor, are in a symmetrical, compact, balanced and relatively low arrangement--at about the same height as the tread drivers. Together with a speed-reduction mechanism they fill the toy's housing.

Abstract: This toy car has a selector on its sides for use, without picking the vehicle up, in selecting operation:(1) as a conventional electrically powered toy vehicle, at at least one speed, on a flat surface;(2) as an electrically powered climbing toy with particularly advantageous weight distribution, at at least one reduced speed with greater torque, on a steep and/or irregular surface; or(3) as an unpowered free-rolling toy vehicle.For climbing operation the car's battery, motor, etc. are in a symmetrical, compact, balanced, low geometry--about level with the wheels. With speed-reduction and selector parts they fill the toy's housing. The reduction mechanism has front-and-rear duplicate gearing: at each end, two worms that are both powered from the motor but through different reductions, and a worm gear shiftable between engagement with either worm by sliding on a square axle. Wheels are mounted to and driven by the axle ends.

Abstract: A target structure comprising of at least one target and means coupled to the target for exploding the target when the target is hit by an object. In a particular embodiment, the target is a horizontal panel and projector means is located beneath the panel and projects the panel away from the target structure when the panel is struck by an object. The projector means is spring-loaded and is triggered by the force of the object striking the panel.

Abstract: A wheeled turbine-powered toy vehicle and launcher apparatus. The toy vehicle has at least three spaced-apart ground engaging wheels on which it is supported and a drive mechanism operatively coupled to at least one of the wheels for transmitting rotation to the wheel. The drive mechanism includes a rotatably energy storing flywheel and an air turbine operatively coupled to the flywheel. The apparatus further includes an air delivery tube having a mouthpiece open to the atmosphere for the user to place into his or her mouth and blow air into. The tube has an outlet which is disposed adjacent to the air turbine for directing air against the turbine blades to cause the turbine to rotate. The toy vehicle is designed for use alone or with a launcher.

Abstract: A toy vehicle only slightly longer than a "penlight" battery, and with chassis less than twice the width of such a battery, is able (traction permitting) to climb any grade on which it will not tip over backward--grades up to about 40.degree.--and to negotiate a vertical step taller than its tire radius. The AA-battery-powered four-wheel-drive vehicle has a small electric motor with a double-ended shaft, and a symmetrical gearing system consisting of, at each end of the motor, a pinion fixed on the shaft, a spur gear driven by the pinion and driving a worm, and a worm gear keyed to a corresponding axle. The motor, pinions, spur gears and worms, and the upper portions of the worm gears, are aligned along one side wall inside the vehicle chassis, with the battery alongside them occupying the rest of the chassis. Traction and climbing characteristics are enhanced by twice-overscale tires, preferably of open foam, with highly pronounced treads.

Abstract: Toy apparatus including an assembly for coupling a self-powered 4-wheel drive toy pulling vehicle to a toy sled which provides a variable resistance or drag to test the pulling power of the vehicle. The toy apparatus simulates in a simplified and economical way its full-scale counterpart; in particular it provides for variations (such as in weight amount and location and coupling configuration) permitted or demanded by rules of competitive load-pulling events. The coupling assembly includes a harness mounted on the pulling vehicle and providing an upright transversely extending tab or bar, and a tongue pivotally mounted on the sled and having a transversely extending slot for receiving the tab. The tongue is pivoted about an axis generally parallel to the ground. This coupling tends to keep the toy vehicle-sled combination moving in a straight line and limits any tendency to veer off to the side.

Abstract: An electrically self-powered miniature toy vehicle having three or more driven axles, and being capable of climbing over rough terrain and obstacles as well as up steep inclines. In a preferred form, the vehicle in the form of the cab of an 18-wheeler truck is only slightly longer than two AA penlight batteries placed end-to-end and the chassis is less than twice the width of such batteries. The vehicle has a small electric motor with a double-ended shaft and a gearing system which drives the three or more axles. The motor and gearing system are located along one side of the chassis while the batteries are located along the other side of the chassis. The batteries are located approximately the same height as the wheels of the vehicle, and laterally adjacent to the motor. The frame, the motor and the batteries do not protrude any appreciable distance below the level of the axles in the area between the front and rear wheel. In a preferred form there is one front wheel axle and two rear wheel axles.

Abstract: This toy track is adjustable in its vertical contour, and holds itself in the vertical contour to which it is adjusted. The track is made up of numerous short sections. Each track section carries connectors that fixedly but releasably lock that section to an adjacent section, at a vertical angle selectable arbitrarily by the user of the toy.The connectors have mating pin-and-slot combinations for coupling adjacent track sections so that adjacent sections can rotate vertically with respect to one another. In addition the connectors have mating protuberance-and-groove combinations for locking the adjacent sections in particular vertical-rotation positions--that is, at the arbitrarily user-selectable angles.The connectors are secured at opposite sides (laterally, relative to vehicle motion along the track) of each track section, and the connectors extend longitudinally beyond that track section to engage like connectors of the adjacent section.

Abstract: A wheeled toy vehicle and launcher apparatus. The toy vehicle has: a drive mechanism including at least one drive-wheel, a flywheel and an air turbine operatively coupled to each other, and an air delivery tube having a mouthpiece for the user to blow air into to rotate the turbine. In one embodiment, the drive-wheel, flywheel, and turbine are in a single unit rotatably mounted on a rotatable carrier for causing a generally vertical movement of the drive-wheel toward and away from a supporting surface. The launcher, in a preferred form, permits the user to blow air into the mouthpiece while the drive-wheel is free to rotate. In another form, the launcher may include a biased propelling member.

Abstract: Toy motorcycle play apparatus comprising a toy motorcycle having an energy-storing drive-train mechanism, and a launcher for imparting energy to the mechanism and then releasing the motorcycle for forward movement. The motorcycle comprises aligned rotatable front and rear ground-engaging wheels and an intermediate flywheel, all rotatable about horizontal transverse axes. The energy-storing drive-train mechanism is formed by the flywheel, one of the wheels, and a gear train between them which reduces speed and increases power and duration of rotation at that drive wheel. In operation, the motorcycle is powered by the flywheel, which also serves to maintain it upright by gyroscopic action as it moves forwardly. The launcher holds the motorcycle in the desired upright orientation with the drive wheel elevated so that it can rotate freely while energy is being stored in the flywheel. Then the motorcycle is released, the drive wheel is allowed to engage the launcher platform and propel the motorcycle forwardly.