Novelty rocket powered toy vehicle

Abstract

A rocket powered toy vehicle includes a vehicle body to which a multiplicity of wheels are mounted, the vehicle body mounting a rocket motor. The rocket motor includes at least a pair of side-by-side thruster units for propelling the toy vehicle along a supporting surface. The thruster units may be connected by a coupling member which carries a fuse for substantially simultaneous ignition of the thruster units and facilitating insertion and removal of the rocket motor.

1 . A rocket powered toy vehicle comprising: 
 a vehicle body presenting a forward end and a rearward end, the body including structure defining an opening at the rearward end and a chamber extending forwardly from the opening;    a multiplicity of road wheels mounted to the body for rotation for permitting rolling of the body atop a supporting surface; and    a solid-fuel rocket motor mounted in said chamber, said rocket motor including a plurality of ignitably interconnected side-by-side thruster units each having a separate casing and propellant charge, and wherein the combined propellant charge of the thruster units is less than 500 grams.    
   
   
       2 . A rocket powered toy vehicle as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle body has a longitudinal axis, the road wheels being coupled to the body for rolling in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body, and the structure defining the chamber includes a stop member positioned at the forward end of the chamber, and wherein the rocket motor and chamber are complementally configured such that when the rocket motor is inserted into the chamber in engagement with said stop member, the rocket motor is oriented along the longitudinal axis and inhibited from substantial movement in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis by the structure defining the chamber.  
   
   
       3 . A rocket powered toy vehicle as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the rocket motor including a coupling member for connecting the plurality of thruster units in side-by-side orientation, the coupling member being located rearwardly ofthe opening when the rocket motor is in engagement with said stop member.  
   
   
       4 . A rocket powered toy vehicle as set forth in  claim 3 , further including an ignitable fuse, the coupling member including a hole for passage of said fuse therethrough.  
   
   
       5 . A rocket powered toy vehicle as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein the fuse is carried by the coupling member such that the fuse is positioned for igniting the propellant charge of each of the plurality of thruster units.  
   
   
       6 . A rocket powered toy vehicle as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the thruster casings are elongated and include a closed end and a discharge outlet generally opposite to the closed end, and wherein the coupling member includes a plurality of nozzle openings, each of the plurality of nozzle openings being positioned in alignment with a respective one of the discharge outlets for directing combustion gasses rearwardly of the vehicle body.  
   
   
       7 . A rocket powered toy vehicle as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the coupling member nozzles are positioned rearwardly of the vehicle body when the rocket motor is mounted in the chamber with the thruster units in engagement with said stop member.  
   
   
       8 . A rocket powered toy vehicle as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the coupling member is adhesively connected to the thruster units.  
   
   
       9 . A rocket powered toy vehicle as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein the coupling member is molded of synthetic resin.  
   
   
       10 . A rocket powered toy vehicle as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein said fuse is a single elongated combustible fuse which extends between the nozzle openings of the coupling member and each discharge outlet of the thruster units.  
   
   
       11 . A rocket powered toy vehicle as set forth in  claim 3 , said rocket motor being removably received in said toy vehicle whereby upon completed combustion of the propellant charge, the rocket motor may be removed without the use of tools and replaced by another rocket motor.  
   
   
       12 . A rocket powered toy vehicle as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said vehicle body includes a plurality of guide wheels rotatably carried by the vehicle body, each of said guide wheels being rotatable about an upright axis and when said toy vehicle is positioned atop a supporting surface.  
   
   
       13 . A rocket powered toy vehicle as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein at least a part of each of said guide wheels is positioned laterally outboard of the vehicle body.  
   
   
       14 . A rocket powered toy vehicle as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein a first plurality of said guide wheels include a portion thereof extending forwardly of the vehicle body, and wherein a second plurality of said guide wheels include a portion thereof extending rearwardly of the vehicle body.  
   
   
       15 . A rocket powered toy vehicle as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the propellant charge of the thruster units includes a whistle effect such that an audible whistle is generated during ignition of the propellant charge.