US2272903A

US2272903A - Toy railroad trackage

Info

Publication number: US2272903A
Application number: US285853A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph L Bonanno
Original assignee: Lionel Corp
Current assignee: Lionel Corp
Priority date: 1939-07-22
Filing date: 1939-07-22
Publication date: 1942-02-10
Anticipated expiration: 1959-02-10

Description

INVENTOR Jesi/WZ. .5m/AAW@ ATTCHQNEY Feb. 10, 1942. y J. BoNANNo TOY RAILROAD TRACKAGE Filed July 22, 1939 Patented Feb. 10, 1942 TOY RAILROAD TRACKAGE Joseph L. Bonanno, Maplewood, N. J.,

The Lionel Corporation,

poration of New York Application July 22, 1939, Serial No. 285,853

13 Claims.

The present invention relates to toy railroad trackage, Vand is more particularly directed toward interchangeable sections for use in toy railroads, these sections having insulating bases adapted to be assembled end to end to `complete the trackage and carrying wheel guiding and preferably power rails which become automatically, electrically and mechanically connected when .the insulating bases are brought together.

According to the present invention the wheel guiding rail is ixedly secured at one end to the base, this end being provided with a longitudinally extending conducting element adapted to enter into the open end of the corresponding rail of an adjacent section. The open end of the rail is yieldably secured to the base and the base and projecting element above referred to have cooperating cam surfaces to eiect a latching action as the longitudinally extending element enters into the opening in the rail. The power rails have longitudinally extending conducting elements at each end and these conducting elements are oiset from the center line of the rail and adapted to enter into openings in the ends of the power rails of adjacent sections.

The accompanying drawing shows, for purposes of illustrating the present invention, one of the many embodiments in which the invention may take form, it being understood that the drawing is illustrative of the invention rather than limiting the same.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of two track sections showing the same separated and parts broken away;

Figure 2 is an inverted track sections of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3 3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the two sections nearly assembled;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line 5 5 of Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a sectional View on the line 6 6 oi Figure 5.

In the form of construction shown each track section has a base I made of molded insulating material. The upper surface of the insulating base has transversely extending tie simulating elements II and has longitudinally extending upwardly opening grooves I2, I2 for wheel bearing rails and I3 for a power rail. Near the ends I4, I4 of the base it is provided with apertures I5, I opening into the channels I2, I2 and an plan view of the two aperture I6 opening into the channel I3. The 55 Athe insulating base.

assignor to New York, N. Y., a. corchannels I2 are alike but reversed end to end, the lower channel I2 of Figure l opening at the right, while at the right-hand end of the upper channel I2, Figure 1, the insulating base is provided with a cam element Il, shown more clearly in Figure 3. The bases are provided with aligning lugs I8, I8 at the ends which are adapted to nt underneath the bases and align the bases when being assembled.

The track rails 20 are formed of inverted U- shaped strips of sheet metal of the proper size and length to t into the grooves I 2 and notched, as indicated at 2| Figure 3, to accommodate the camming element I'I. The sheet metal rails are secured to

anchorages

22 and 23. These anchorages are fiat sheet metal

stampings having holes

24 and 25 into which the thin sheet metal of the rails can be deformed. The anchorage 22 has a portion 26 adapted to extend down through the opening I5 in the insulating base, and this downwardly extending element is upset against a plate 2l bearing on the under surface of the insulating base, so as to xedly secure the end of the rail in place. The anchorage element 22 extends beyond the end of the insulating base, as indicated at 28, and vhas a nose 29 adapted to ride up over the cam element I1 and a recess 30 to-receive the cam element when the parts are completely assembled. The anchorage 23 has a long downwardly extending element 3l passing through the opening I5 and is secured to a spring 32 bearing on the lower surface of This spring is tensioned to hold the corresponding end of the rail down, as indicated on the right-hand side of Figure 3, but is yieldable when the camming element 28 is inserted, as shown in Figure 4, so as to raise the end of the rail 20 from the insulating base. When the ends of the bases are brought into engagement the cam I1 enters the notch 30 and the spring 32 acts to oppose separation of the bases. It will be apparent from the drawing that when the parts are completely assembled the outer surfaces of the wheel bearing rails will be perfectly aligned.

The power rails 33 are made similar to the wheel bearing rails and are secured to anchorages 36 in the same way. These anchorages are also similarly secured to the base. The anchorages for the third rail elements have longitudinally extending elements 35 which project from the end of the rails. 'I'hese elements are formed out of material of the anchorage by thinning the same so as to provide openings in eacl end of each rail into which the projection from the corresponding third rail may enter, as shown in Figure 6. These projections and openings are of! center so that the projecting elements of the third rails enter into the openings provided for them.

It will be noted that the construction herein shown is one which employs a readily made molded insulating body or .base and a number of inexpensive readily assembled stampings. The sections may readily be made interchangeable and susceptible of quick and ready assembly td form a complete railroad track layout. While the drawing shows a straight section it will, of course, be understood that similar curved sections may be made and that switches and cross overs may be provided with the same type of electrical mechanical coupling elements, so as to be interchangeable with the straight sections.

It is obvious that the invention may be embodied in many forms and constructions within the scope of the claims and I wish it to be understood that the particular form shown is but one of the many forms. Various modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwise limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. Toy railway trackage comprising a plurality of track sections adapted to be assembled end to end, each section comprising a base carrying wheel bearing rails, one end of each wheel bearing rail being fxedly secured to its base and having an element extending longitudinally beyond the rail above the base, the other end of each rail being secured to the base for yieldable vertical movement, the part of the base adjacent the yieldable end of the rail and the longitudinally extending element of the adjacent section having camming faces adapted to displace the yieldable end of the rail upwardly as the sections are being assembled and to interlock when the sections are' completely assembled.

2. In toy railway trackage, two track sections having bases disposed in abutting end to end relation, wheel bearing rails extending to the abutting ends, one rail being fixed to the top of the corresponding base, the other rail being secured to the corresponding base for yieldable vertical movement, the second base having a cam under the yieldable end of the rail, the fixed rail having a projecting element engageable with the other rail and the cam to displace the yieldable end of the adjacent rail as the sections are being assembled.

3. In toy railway traekage, a base having an upwardly facing cam near the end, an inverted U-shaped rail above the cam, a downwardly acting spring holding the rail in predetermined position and yieldable to permit the rail to be lifted, a second base having a xed rail provided with an extension adapted to enter the first rail and engage the cam and first rail and lift the first rail, the extension having a notch to receive the cam when the bases are in abutting relation and permit the rail to lower to its normal position.

4. In a toy railway track section, a base, an inverted U-shaped rail extending lengthwise of the base, and means for securing one end of the rail to the base and to an adjoining aligned rail comprising a plate received in the rail and having a downwardly extending anchorage lug and an exposed longitudinally extending element adapted to enter a rail of similar track section.

inverted U-shaped rail extending lengthwise of the base, means for securing one end of the rail to the base and to an adjoining aligned rail comprising a plate received in the rail and having a downwardly extending anchorage lug and an exposed longitudinally extending element adapted to enter a rail of similar track section, and means for securing the other end of the rail to the base comprising a plate received in the rail and extending down through an aperture in the base, and a spring secured to the downwardly extending part.

8. In toy railway trackage, track sections having bases in abutting relation and having corresponding aligned rails, the end of one rail being fixed and carrying a notched projection entering into the end of the other rail, theother rail being yieldably secured to its base, the said base having a camming element engageable with the projection to cause the projection to shift the yieldable end of the said other rail and entering the notched projection to resist separation of the sections.

9. In toy railway trackage, track sections having bases with aligning lugs to insure registry when the bases are abutted end to end, aligned track rails one of which is fixed and the other yieldable vertically against a spring, and cooperative devices effecting such vertical movement when the bases are brought toward one another. said devices passing by one another when the bases are in Contact so that rail elevation is Y normal and the .bases are secured against separation.

10. In toy railway trackage, an insulating base having a groove extending from one end of the base nearly to the other, an inverted U-shaped rail entering said groove, an anchorage for one end of the rail extending down through the base and beyond the end of the rail, and an anchorage for the other end of the rail extending down through the other end of the base, a spring engaging the last-mentioned anchorage and yieldably holding the rail down, the groove terminating short of said other end of the base to form a lug, the projecting end of the anchorage being shaped to interlock with the lug of an aligned groove of the adjacent section.

1l. `Toy railway trackage comprising bases rails carried on the bases, one end of each rail having a downwardly acting yieldable anchorage to hold that end of the rail against the base and an open end, the base having a cam underneath the rail, the cooperative end of the rail of the other section having an extension receivable in the open end of the first rail and a camming element engageable with the cam to lift the rail and a notch into which the cam may enter when the extension is pushed all the way into the opening.

12. Interchangeable sections for toy railway trackage comprising bases having aligning lugs to afford end to end assemblage of the sections,

wise of the bases and secured thereto, one end of each wheel bearing rail being vertically movable and open, the other end having a longitudinally extending element to enter the opening, the .base and longitudinally extending element having cam surfaces to cause a. latching action as the element enters the opening, the power rails being open at each end and having oi cen ter longitudinally extending elements adapted to 10 enter said openings.

JOSEPH L. BONANNO.