GB469842A - Improvements in toy vehicles and tracks therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

469,842. Toys. KOHNSTAM, E. March 21, 1936, No. 8502. [Class 132 (iii)] A toy vehicle track has means for alternately blocking each road at a crossing and for actuating corresponding signal lights. The track 4, which may be of sheet metal in sections, is dish shape and underneath the arms of the unitary crossing 2 are provided slidable channel section elongated obstructor plates 6, 7, 8, and 9 guided for vertical and longitudinal movement by flanges 10 pressed-out from the track to leave slots 11. The obstructor plates are simultaneously actuated by links 15 connected to an oscillatory plate 14 connected by a cranked reciprocating rod 16 to a control lever 13 to alternately in pairs lower them beneath, and raise them to, the level of the track 4 through slots 21 cut in the side flanges 22 of the plates co-operating with fixed cam elements 20 in the form of lugs inturned from the flanges 10 of the track 4. When a pair of obstructor plates are in the level of the track 4 a curved gravity or spring-pressed clockwork-drive stopping or braking element 5 on the vehicle is retained in the inoperative position and the vehicle can proceed across the crossing, but when a pair of obstructor plates are below the level of the track 4 the element 5 moves downwards and becomes operative to stop or brake the clockwork drive of the vehicle. The side flanges 3 of the track 4 slope slightly outwardly so as not to impede materially the rotation of the vehicle wheels when driven, but they exert a braking action on the vehicle after the drive has been stopped. Two obstructor plates in adjacent arms of the crossing may be used instead of four plates. A standard 23 is detachably mounted near the crossing and carries a four-sided lantern 23a with two differently coloured windows, 24, 25, representing " stop " and " go " lights, in each side and divided into two compartments by an opaque screen, the windows being illuminated by an electric lamp in each compartment connected to terminals 26, 27, one or other of which is connected to the pivotally mounted terminal 29, connected to the pocket lamp battery 30, by a wiper 31 fixed to the plate 14 and moved therewith. In a modified construction the obstructor plates are replaced by wire stops against which the vehicles abut directly and which are slidable in guide slots across the track.