No-pinch steering mechanism

1. A vehicle comprising:

a) a body,

b) a cross member attached to the body;

c) a tongue assembly featuring a leading portion, a central portion and a trailing portion, the central portion of said tongue assembly pivotably connected to the cross member;

d) a handle pivotally attached to the leading portion of the tongue assembly;

e) a tie rod pivotally attached to the trailing portion of the tongue assembly;

f) a pair of axle spindles pivotally attached one each to opposite ends of the cross member;

g) a mount which shields a vertical portion of the spindles and is connected to the cross member and the vehicle;

h) a pair of wheels rotatably mounted one each on the pair of axle spindles; and

i) a pair of generally S-shaped torque arms connected one each to the axle spindles and pivotally connected one each to opposite ends of the tie rod.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the tongue assembly includes a lower tongue and an upper tongue that are connected together by their leading portions and trailing portions, said upper tongue pivotally connected to the mount and said lower tongue pivotally connected to the cross member.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 further comprising a disk-shaped pinch shield attached to the cross member at a pivotal connection between the lower tongue and the cross member.

4. The vehicle of claim 2 further comprising a disk-shaped pinch shield attached to the upper tongue, said disk-shaped pinch shield pivotally connected to the mount.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a clevis attached to the leading portion of the tongue assembly and pivotally attached to said handle.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a pair of bearings positioned one each at opposite ends of the cross member; and

wherein the pair of axle spindles are generally L-shaped and each includes a generally vertical portion and a generally horizontal portion, with the vertical portions pivotally received one each by the pair of bearings and the pair of wheels rotatably mounted one each on the horizontal portions.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein each vertical portion of the pair of axle spindles features a squared fitting that is engaged by one of the pair of generally S-shaped torque arms.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the pair of generally S-shaped torque arms each includes a central portion, each of said pair of generally S-shaped torque arms sized and shaped so that a distance between the central portion of each torque arm and the tie rod is never less than approximately 12 mm.

9. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the cross member features a generally inverted U-shape so that said handle may be pivoted into a storage position under the wagon body.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the body is a wagon body and the cross member is mounted to an underside of the floor.

11. A steering mechanism for a children's vehicle comprising:

a) a cross member adapted to be attached to the children's vehicle;

b) a tongue assembly featuring a leading portion, a central portion and a trailing portion, the central portion of said tongue assembly pivotably connected to the cross member;

c) a handle pivotally attached to the leading portion of the tongue assembly;

d) a tie rod pivotally attached to the trailing portion of the tongue assembly;

e) a pair of axle spindles pivotally attached one each to opposite ends of the cross member;

f) a mount which shields a vertical portion of the spindles and is connected to the cross member and adapted to be attached to the children's vehicle;

g) a pair of wheels rotatably mounted one each on the pair of axle spindles; and

h) a pair of generally S-shaped torque arms connected one each to the axle spindles and pivotally connected one each to opposite ends of the tie rod.

12. The steering mechanism of claim 11 wherein the tongue assembly includes a lower tongue and an upper tongue that are connected together by their leading portions and trailing portions, said upper tongue pivotally connected to the mount and said lower tongue pivotally connected to the cross member.

13. The steering mechanism of claim 12 further comprising a disk-shaped pinch shield attached to the cross member at a pivotal connection between the lower tongue and the cross member.

14. The steering mechanism of claim 12 further comprising a disk-shaped pinch shield attached to the upper tongue, said disk-shaped pinch shield pivotally connected to the mount.

15. The steering mechanism of claim 11 further comprising a clevis attached to the leading portion of the tongue assembly and pivotally attached to said handle.

16. The steering mechanism of claim 11 further comprising a pair of bearings positioned one each at opposite ends of the cross member; and

wherein the pair of axle spindles are generally L-shaped and each includes a generally vertical portion and a generally horizontal portion, with the vertical portions pivotally received one each by the pair of bearings and the pair of wheels rotatably mounted one each on the horizontal portions.

17. The steering mechanism of claim 11 wherein the pair of generally S-shaped torque arms each includes a central portion, each of said pair of generally S-shaped torque arms sized and shaped so that a distance between the central portion of each torque arm and the tie rod is never less than approximately 12.0 mm.

18. The steering mechanism of claim 11 wherein the cross member features a generally inverted U-shape so that said handle may be pivoted into a storage position under the vehicle.