Water-powered toys

Abstract

A ground-engaging toy vehicle powered by water flowing from a garden hose. The hose is connected to a stationary portion of a stake that serves as a center of revolution for the tethered vehicle. The water leaves the stationary portion of the stake into a rotary portion, traversing through a plastic tube that serves as a tether into an impeller housing. The impeller is attached to the drive shaft that is, in turn, attached through a reduction gear box and a series of pulleys and drive belt to the four wheels of the vehicle. After the water stream of the hose has partially exhausted its energy driving the wheels, it is discharged from the impeller housing to a plurality of fluid exhaust ports to provide one or more water sprays for kids to run through. In the preferred embodiment, the toy vehicle is configured as a fire truck.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A water-powered toy comprising 
 a) a chassis;    b) a plurality of at least three ground-engaging members mounted on and supporting said chassis;    c) a body attached to said chassis;    d) an impeller housing being mounted on said chassis;    e) a rotary impeller mounted within said impeller housing for converting linear motion into rotary motion;    f) connection means for a garden hose for conveying a flow stream having linear motion into contact with said rotary impeller;    g) means to connect said rotary impeller to at least one of said ground-engaging members for movement therewith;    whereby the flow stream of water emanating from the garden hose impacts said rotary impeller driving said at least one of said ground-engaging members.    
     
     
         2 . The water-powered toy of  claim 1  further comprising a stake having a first stationary portion positionable within a ground portion, a second rotary portion with a tether having a first end connected to said rotary portion and a second end secured to a portion of said body such that said water-powered toy revolves around said stake.  
     
     
         3 . The water-powered toy of  claim 2  wherein said connection means comprises 
 i) a length of tubing interconnected between said stake and said body, and  
 ii) a hose connector on said stationary portion of said stake,  
 said length of tubing forming said tether, such that the flow stream of water enters said hose connector on said stake, flows through said length of tubing and into said impeller housing.  
 
     
     
         4 . The water-powered toy of  claim 3  further comprising at least one discharge port formed on said impeller housing, connecting means attaching said at least one discharge port to a plurality of fluid exhaust ports mounted on said body, such that the flow stream of water exits said impeller housing being subdivided and is sprinkled through said plurality of fluid exhaust ports.  
     
     
         5 . The water-powered toy of  claim 4  wherein said at least one discharge port comprises two discharge ports and each of said two discharge ports, in turn, distributes the flow stream to two fluid exhaust ports.  
     
     
         6 . The water-powered toy of  claim 1  wherein said means to connect said rotary impeller to said at least one of said ground-engaging members connects said rotary impeller to all of said ground-engaging members.  
     
     
         7 . The water-powered toy of  claim 6  wherein said means to connect said rotary impeller to all of said ground-engaging members further comprises a reduction gear box.  
     
     
         8 . The water-powered toy of  claim 7  wherein said ground-engaging members comprise a plurality of four wheels.  
     
     
         9 . The water-powered toy of  claim 7  wherein said means to connect said rotary impeller to all of said ground-engaging members further comprises a pair of axles each mounting a pair of said plurality of wheels and an auxiliary shaft extending from said reduction gear box.  
     
     
         10 . The water-powered toy of  claim 8  wherein said means to connect said rotary impeller to all of said plurality of wheels further comprises three pulleys, one attached to each of said pair of axles and one attached to said auxiliary shaft, said three pulleys being interconnected by an endless drive belt.  
     
     
         11 . The water-powered toy of  claim 1  wherein said body is integral with said chassis.  
     
     
         12 . The water-powered toy of  claim 11  wherein said body is configured as a fire truck.