GB2129318A

GB2129318A - Toy railway track vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2129318A
Application number: GB08231390A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Douglas James Cleminson
Original assignee: Hornby Hobbies Ltd
Current assignee: Hornby Hobbies Ltd
Priority date: 1982-11-03
Filing date: 1982-11-03
Publication date: 1984-05-16

Abstract

A vehicle intended to run on a toy railway track (as shown a W-section rail T) comprises a chassis with two spaced pair of wheels (11) adapted to run on one side of the track and a roller (19) which is spring biased into contact with the opposite side of the track to maintain the wheels (11) in running contact with the track irrespective of its spatial orientation. An electric motor (9) mounted on a chassis base plate (7) is energised a from conductors in the track by way of metal contact strips (13) supported from a carrier plate (12) of insulating material supported between the axes (10) of the wheels (11). Lever 30 may be operated to overcome the spring bias to enable the applying of the vehicle to the track. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Toy railway track vehicle This invention relates to a vehicle which is intended to run on a toy railway track system comprised of elements which can be assembled end to end and supported in space to form a threedimensional layout. In particular the invention relates to a vehicle intended to run on the toy railway track system disclosed in our co-pending British Patent Application.

In accordance with the invention a vehicle intended to run on a toy railway track comprises a chassis with two spaced pairs of wheels adapted to run on one side of a track and a roller which is spring-biased into contact with the opposite side of the track to maintain the wheels in running contact with the track irrespective of the spatial orientation of the track.

Further in accordance with the invention a vehicle intended to run on a toy railway track comprises a chassis, an electric motor mounted on the chassis, means for collecting current from the track to energise the electric motor, two spaced pairs of wheels adapted to run on one side of the track and a vehicle roller which is driven by the electric motor and spring biased into contact with the opposite side of the track to maintain the wheels in running contact with the track irrespective of the spatial orientation of the track.

A particular and at present preferred form of toy railway track vehicle is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the vehicle mounted on a length of track and with its body removed so as to expose its chassis and running gear; Fig. 2 is an opposite side elevation of the vehicle as shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the vehicle as shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the vehicle as shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Figs. 5 and 6 are transverse cross-sectional views to illustrate the mode of attachment of the vehicle to the track; Fig. 7 shows a typical 3-dimensional track layout which the vehicle is intended to traverse;; Referring now to the drawings, the toy railway track vehicle is shown in association with a track element T of a toy railway track system as described and claimed in our previously mentioned British Patent Application and of which a typical layout is shown in Fig. 7.

Each track element T comprises a double channel section moulded synthetic plastics material base 1 with four parallel wire rails 2, 3, 4, 5 embedded therein. These rails are laterally presented, that is to say they are disposed in vertical planes and curved configurations as between adjoining elements which are coupled together by resiliently deformable integral tongues (not shown) at their ends. Convex curved, concave curved and flat curved track elements (not shown) in addition to straight elements thus may be used in a complete track layout.

The vehicle chassis mainly comprises a flat plastics material plate 7 of rectangular shape provided with an enclosure 8 for an electric motor 9. The plate 7 supports a pair of spaced fixed axles 10 which each carry a pair of flanged free running wheels 11. These running wheels 11 of each pair are spaced laterally so as to engage the side margins of the base 1 of the track element T. The spaced axles 10 also serve to support a plastics material plate 12 which acts as a carrier for four resiliently deformable current conducting strips or contacts 13 which are engageable with the rails 2, 3, 4, 5 of the track elements.

It should be mentioned that the conductor rails 2 and 3 of each track element would be independently connected to one terminal of a low voltage DC supply source to enable two different vehicles of the character now being described to be controlled on the same track. Rail 5 would be connected independently to a low voltage DC supply power to lights and any electronic circuils on the vehicle. Rail 4 is a current return rail common to both electric supplies. The conducting strips 1 3 on the vehicle chassis are thus suitably connected to a printed circuit and electric component mounting board 14 which is attached parallel to the plate 7. The components on the board do not constitute part of the invention and are therefore not described.

The underside of plate 7 has guides i 5 which locate a slidable plate 1 6. This plate 1 6 has a pair of shields 1 6a projecting perpendicularly downwards from it and respectively adjacent the running wheei pairs. It also has a straight elongated slot 1 6b located parallel with and adjacent one side edge. Behind this slot 1 6b the fixed plate 7 has an arcuate slot 7a and through these two slots there extends a sleeve 1 7a which forms part of a lever 1 7 to be hereinafter further described. The sleeve 1 7a surrounds a shaft 1 8 to which there is fixed at one end a rubber vehicle driving roller 1 9 which is biased into contact with the rear side of the track element as later described.

The end of the shaft 1 8 remote from the roller 1 9 carries a gearwheel 20 which engages a pinion 21 rotatably mounted in one end of the lever 17. A rotary drive to this pinion 21, and thence to the driving roller 19, frorn a pinion 22 on the shaft of the electric motor 9 is transmitted by way of a gearwheel 23, pinion 24, gearwheel 25, pinion 26 and gearwheel 27.

The end of the lever 1 7 remote from the pinion 21 is attached to one end of a tension spring 28 of which the other end is attached to a peg 29 on the chassis plate 7. The same end of the lever 1 7 is pivotally attached to a long arm 30 which projects through a gate 31 formed integrally with the chassis plate 7.

As indicated in Fig. 5, by applying end pressure with the finger to the free end of the arm 30 the driving roller 19 with the plate 16 can be displaced away from the running wheels against the biasing force of the spring 28 acting on the lever 17 to enable the vehicle to be attached to the track. When this finger pressure is released, the spring 28 is effective to press the driving roller 19 into contact with the open side of the track element base 1 and also to hold the flanged wheels 11 and indeed the whole vehicle in an operative position upon the track, along which it will travel when a low DC voltage is applied between the rail 2 or 3 and the rail 4.

Any suitable means (not shown) may be provided on the chassis to enable an enveloping body to be readily attached thereto, such body being of any desired shape to suit the presentation of the track system and the vehicles to be moved along it.

Claims

1. A vehicle intended to run on a toy railway track comprising a chassis with two spaced pairs of wheels adapted to run on one side of a track and a roller which is spring biased into contact with the opposite side of the track to maintain the wheels in running contact with the track irrespective of the spatial orientation of the track.

2. A vehicle intended to run on a toy railway track comprising a chassis, an electric motor mounted on the chassis, means for collecting current from the track to energise the electric motor, two spaced pairs of wheels adapted to run on one side of the track and a vehicle drive roller which is driven by the electric motor and spring biased into contact with the opposite side of the track to maintain the wheels in running contact with the track irrespective of the spatial orientation of the track.

3. A vehicle according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the roller shaft is mounted on a lever which is pivotally mounted at one end of a chassis plate and has its other end connected to a tension spring, the lever being manually displaceable against the bias of the tension spring to move the roller away from the wheels to enable the vehicle to be mounted on a track element.

4. A vehicle according to Claim 2 or Claim 3 as dependent thereon and comprising a plate mounted from the axles of the running wheels and which carries current collecting means in the form of resilient metal strips adapted to contact electrically conductive rails embedded in the track.

5. A vehicle intended to run on a toy railway track and having a chassis substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.