US2307197A

US2307197A - Coupler for toy railroad vehicles

Info

Publication number: US2307197A
Application number: US404761A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph L Bonanno
Original assignee: Lionel Corp
Current assignee: Lionel Corp
Priority date: 1941-07-31
Filing date: 1941-07-31
Publication date: 1943-01-05
Anticipated expiration: 1960-01-05

Description

Jan. '5, 1943. J. L .ABoNANNo 2,307,197

(,'OUPLER FOR TOY RAILROAD VEHICLES I Filed July 51,l 1941 INVENTOR Jos-PH L. ,50m/wvo BY l Patented Jan. 5, 1943 UNiTED STATES 'PATENT v I 2,307,197y y f Y,

Joseph L. Bonanno, Maplewood, lN. J., assignox' to The Lionel Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Claims.

The invention relates to couplers for toy railroad vehicles and is more particularly directed toward an electro-magnetically operated coupler for use on toy switch engines.

The present invention contemplates a coupler adapted to be mounted on a toy switch engine to be controlled remotely so that the toy locomotive can be used for switching toy cars about on a toy track layout.

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 Vertical sectional view through a fragment of a toy locomotive and through a coupler;

Figure 2 is an inverted plan view o-f the front end of the locomotive and the coupler; and

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, taken in the direction of the arrows.

A toy locomotive I0 has a chassis casting, the front end of which is indicated at II. A coupler supporting bracket I2 is secured to the chassis by screws indicated at I3. The bracket carries a pivot post I4 and has a depending arm I5. The post I4 carries a swingable coupler bar I6, having a short extension I1 adjacent the depending arm I5. The front end of the coupler bar I6 is provided with a movable coupler head I8. While this coupler head normally lowers by gravity, it is preferably provided with a spring I9 which urges it downwardly in a, more positive fashion than where mere gravity is relied upon. The coupler bar when used on a switching engine is not provided with the usual coupler hook, as it is desirable to be able to release the car from the engine by the lifting of one coupler head only.

The bar I6 is biased to an intermediate or midpositionby coiled spring 20 mounted on post I4 and having ends 2| and 22, which pass by extension Il in the bar I6 and the xed depending arm I5. When the bar I6 is shifted out of midpositio-n, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2, the lower end 22 of the spring is carried with it. This tensions the spring and when the force which shifted the coupler bar is removed, the tensioned spring returns the coupler bar to the mid-position.

The front end of the locomotive carries a cross plate 24 secured in place by screws 25. This plate provides a slot 26 through which the coupler bar I6 may swing. It is cut out, as indicated at 21, and provided with forwardly extending

anges

28, 28 for purposes to be described.

A solenoid coil 30 is secured to a frame member 3 I, this frame member being secured to the chassis of the locomotive by screws indicated at 32. The frame member is shaped, as will be clear from Figure 3, to provide space for the coupler bar I6 to swing back and forth above the frame. The solenoid coil 30 attracts an armature 33 and pushes a plunger 34 to the left, as shown in the drawing, thereby actuating an arc-shaped element 35 to bring it against the extension 36 of the coupler head I8. It will be obvious that this arc-shaped coupler head lifter 35 may engage the extension 3B in any position in which it may be by reason of the shifting of the coupler bar out of mid-position.

The coupler head lifter 35 may be made of sheet metal and passes through the opening 21. It has two rearwardly extending plates 31, 3l which overlie the

anges

28, 28 of the cross plate 24 and pass back alongside the coil supporting frame.

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. A toy railroad vehicle having a xed horizontal solenoid coil, a coupler bar pivoted for movement about a vertical axis and spring biased to a mid-position over the coil axis, a coupler head movably mounted on the coupler bar, and a reciprocable armature having a curved face engageable with the movable coupler head to actuate the latter irrespective of the angular position of the bar.

2. A toy railroad vehicle having a xed horizontal solenoid coil, a coupler bar pivoted about a vertical axis and spring biased toward a midposition over the coil axis, a movable coupler head carried by the bar, and an armature operable by the coil and engageable with the coupler head irrespective of the angular position of the bar.

3. A toy railroad vehicle having a body, a fixed pivot post carried by and spaced from the end o the body, a coupler bar carried by the pivot and extending beyond the end of the body, spring means biasing the bar to mid-position, a movable coupler head carried by the bar, a plate xed to the end of the body and supporting the free end of the bar, a longitudinally extending solenoid coil carried by the body below the bar when in midposition, a core in the coil, and a coupler head shifter carried by the core and extending laterally in each direction to be opposite the coupler head in al1 positions of the coupler bar.

4. A toy railroad vehicle having a body, a xed pivot post spaced from the end of the body, a coupler bar carried by the pivot and extending beyond the end of the body, spring means biasing the bar to mid-position, a movable coupler head carried by the bar, a strap carried by the body and above which the bar passes, a solenoid coil carried by the strap below the mid-position of the bar, a core in the coil, and a coupler head shifter carried by the core and extending laterally in each direction to be opposite the coupler head in all positions of the coupler bar.

5. A toy locomotive h ving a cast body, an end plate secured to the body and having horizontal. spaced apart end portions below the body. a coupler bar pivoted to the body and extending forwardly between the bottom of the body and the top of the end plate, a movable coupler head carried by the bar and having a downwardly extending element, a solenoid coil secured to the body to be below'the bar, a core in the coil, and a coupler head lifter carried by the core and extending laterally in each direction to be opposite the downwardly extending element in all positions of the coupler bar, the coupler head lifter having guides which overlie the spaced end portions of the end plate.

JOSEPH L. BONANNO.