The Pull-Back Toy Car is an incredible piece of engineering! This is sometimes called a “Wind-Up” toy car. This videos covers the specifics of the mechanism: the motor chassis, the 5 gears, and the torsion spring. We’ll talk briefly about gear ratios, gear trains, and also cover why you hear that mysterious clicking noise when it winds up enough./Jared Owen
source/image(PrtSc): Jared Owen
When the car is pulled back, it winds up an internal coil spring by engaging the motor with a clutch. When the car is released, the spring unwinds and propels the toy forward.
A pull-back toy works on the general principle of Newton’s Third Law of Motion: every action has equal and opposite reaction. The toy car moves forward much further than it was pulled backward.
Advertisement
This is possible because there is a clockwork motor inside it. When the car is pulled back, it winds up an internal coil spring by engaging the motor with a clutch. When the car is released, the spring unwinds and propels the toy forward.
