US2326026A - Toy vehicle - Google Patents

Description

Au@ 3, 1943- l s. @DELL 2,326,026

TOY VEHICLE v Filed May 17, 1945 Patented Aug. 3, 1943 4 roir VEHICLE Sidney Godell, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Arvey Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Iilinois Application may 17, 1943, serial 16,487,206

tenias. (o1. Lic- 218)` This invention relates to improvements in toys, and particularly structuraltoys formed of cardboard, paperboard and the like sheet material.

More speciiically my invention relates to novel articulation or coupling means for toy trains, cars, wagons and the like vehicles, formed principally of cardboard, whereby the cars or units of such trains may be securely coupled by means which permit pivotal or angularmovement of the units relative to each other. l l Other objects and advantages of my invention, including details of construction and arrangement of parts will be apparent from a consider-.-

ation'of the following specification draw- Y ing, wherein:

Fig. lis a diagrammatic plan View of fa' plurality of toy railroad cars coupled together, in accordance with `my invention.

Fig. Zis a fragmentary, sectional plan view illustrating the end portion of two adjacent cars articulated by my novel. coupling means.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2. but with one of the cars in coupled angular relationship to theV other.

' Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional. elevation of two toy cars in coupled relationship'.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional plan view of theend of oneforrn of `car illustrating a coupling link `engagement aperture. I

Fig. 6 is a viewsimilar to that of tratingr another form of car construction the position of `its engagement'aperture;

Fig. 7 is a section on the; line `I-l of 4.

Fig. 5 iiius- Fig. 8 is a, plan view of my novel coupling 2link.'

l Referring to the drawing, l. illustra-tesa plurality of toy railroad cars formed of^ cardboard. in articulated engagement by means of my `nevel construction and coupling links showing the angular flexibilityof one. car with respect to another, car A simulating a streamlined locomotive, car B al passenger or baggage car, and car C an observation car. It will, of course, be understood that any number of carscf any simulated form may be coupled by providing them with suitable apertures and coupling links hereinafter more fully described.

My coupling links comprise astrip or shank portion I0, which may or may not be provided with the illustrated intermediate bulge, each` end of the strip terminating in a laterally projecting tab II, the tabs preferably merging with the shank by means of the tapered portions I2 and defined from the shank thereat by means of the score lines I3.

For reception of the coupling links, the base or illustrated by the car B of Fig. 6.

door portion of a suitable yaperture adjacent one or both ends, and adjacent thecar end wall. One form of car construction, as far'as is pertinent tothe present finvention, is illustrated by the car A Vof Fig. 5.

This car comprises a base 'I4 and an end wall l5 spaced from the end of Vthe floor or base Id, to provide a platform; This platform is `formed with an. elongated slot or aperture lil, preferably as illustrated in the outline of an isosceles trapee zoid, `the bases thereof being parallel to the edge ofthe car floor I4, with the shorter base adjacent to the floor end. The length of the longer base of the trapezoid is slightly less than the width of a tab II, but the` length of the shorter base isgreater than the width of the straight strip portion Ill. i The'greatest oblique dimension of a tabfrom one end of the scoreline i3 to an opposed outercorner ofthelportion I! is preferably substantially equal to the greatest opening of the apertures. The length of each tab II from the score line I3 tothe outermost edge is greater than the altitude` of the trapezoidal aper,n ture, or equivalent dimension of an otherwise shaped slot, suchas for example a rectangular slot or one with arcuate ends, not illustrated, and not fully equivalent.' I

-Another form of toy car construction is that Here the end wall I1 rises from the edge of the floor i3, their conjugation being defined by the line of fold I9.

The iioor I8 is provided with a suitable slot or trapezoidal aperture 20, similar to aperture IS.

One side of the' slot or 'the short base of aperture 2U terminates preferably as illustrated at thev fold lineIS and is defined Vby the lower edge of the end wall I1.

It will be understood, however, that the aperture 20 may be spaced inwardly of the fold line I9 similar to the endwise spacing of aperture I5, thesole difference between the use of the apertures I6 and 20 being that inthe former a tab II may be inserted either upwardly or down.- wardly, whereas in the lattera tab may be inserted only upwardly because downwardingress is blocked by the end wall I'I. The operative function of the two forms is, however, substantially the same and with like effect, and each may be engaged by either of the two tabs II on a strip I0.

For the purpose of illustration, Figs. 2, 3 and 4 show a car of type A coupled to a car of type B, a tab II being inserted upwardly throughthe aperture 20 of car B in the only possible manner, and a tab II inserted downwardly through the the toy car body is provided with opening of the slots or apertures.

both-the car bodies and the coupling links are of; 'cardboard or similar paperboard, the tabs may be" though not illustrated, the tab could have been inserted upwardly with like function and effect.

AS previously indicated, the width of the tabs II 'are preferably slightly greater than the widest portion of the slots or apertures I6 and ZB, and the greatest oblique dimension of the tabs from their inception atthe score lines I3 are preferably substantially equivalent tothe greatest However, since k aperture I6 of car A, but in this instance, al-

width than said aperture and a contiguous laterally projecting end tab portion the greatest dimension thereof being at least equal to the great- Y est dimension of said aperture and adapted to be extended through the apertures by slight urging,

orif necessary slight deformation, orby means of or with the aid-'of angularly inserting ya tab through a slot with one corner 'of the tab for- II are bent on the score lines'l, either downto lie substantially parallelVv to the doors of two adjacent coupled cars, asbest illustrated jin Fig;

*4,with the'tabs inclined thereto. Y

After Ycoupling two cars inthe manner and the` means described,V uncoupling l Yby relative movement, either linear or angular, is prevented byreasonof wedged frictional engagement of the parts or abutment of the lateral tab projections vagainst. the-surfaces defining the slots `or aper- :i:

turesyor wedging of their'tapered rootsy of the tabs against thefinclined sides defining the trapezoids, or abutment .of the progressively greater widthof the tabsagainst the progressively narrowerwidth of the apertures when rtwo coupled cars are in relative tension, together with the limitation of the deiining edge of the shorterbase v ofthe apertures.y Limited'angular movement of onev carwith respect Vto another, while in coupled engagement is however permitted, v`as partially l* illustrated in Fig. 3,'by reason of the fact lthat the coupling strip portion I 6 at-its conjugation with a tab H is appreciably narrower than the shorter base of the apertures l5 and 2li, and thus permits pivotal movement even when two cars are in ten- Vsion about'one of the lateral projections of a tab l I or its adjacent inclined root l2, although angularwithdrawal of a tab Vfrom an apertureV in suchv position is likewise limited byreason of the relatively greater width of the tab with respect to the if' aperture.V u v It will thus be evidentthatmy foregoing described and illustrated invention provides aneiii- Y'cient and eifectivevflexible coupling means for described comprising a vehicle base formed with y.

an aperture adjacent an end thereof and a coupling link adapted to be engaged thereby, said coupling link comprising a shank portion of lesser forcibly urged therethrough. 2. Coupling means for toy Vehicles of the olas described comprising a vehicle base formed with an elongated apertureextending parallel to and adjacent an end thereof and a coupling link havlaterally projecting portions, said tab being of greater width than said aperture and being adaptedto be inserted therethrough by partial distortion. l 3. Means for coupling two adjacent ends of toy vehicles of the class described, each of said vehi'cles comprisinga bottom formed with an elonwardly when a tab is inserted downwardly, or upwardly when a tab is inserted upwardly; 'so as to Y permit the intermediatecoupling stripportion iti gated vaperture extending parallel to and adjacent an end thereof and a coupling link comprising two opposed end tabs of greater width than said apertures and with a greatest dimension substantially equal to the greatest dimension of the apertures and adapted to be forcibly inserted therethrough into locking engagement, lsaid tabs being connected through a strip having portions contiguous with said tabs of lesser width than said apertures, and defined from the tabs by surface score lines. -1

4. Means for ilexibly coupling the ends of two adjacent paperboard trains and the like toy vehicles, each of said vehicles comprising a bottom formed with a trapezoidal aperture extending parallel to and adjacent an end thereof.. the inclined sides defining saidk trapezoid converging toward said end, and a coupling link comprising two opposed end tabs of at least equivalent width to the largest width of said apertures and adapted to be urged therethrough, said tabs being connected through a strip having portions contiguous with said tabs of lesser width than the shorter base of said apertures.

5. Means for exibly coupling the ends of two adjacent paperboard trains and the like toy Vehicles, each of said vehicles comprising a bottom formed with a trapezoidal aperture extending parallelto and adjacent an end thereof, the inclined sides defining said trapezoid converging'toward said end, and a coupling link comprising two opposed 1 end tabs adapted to be inserted therethrough and'of slightly greater width than the largest width of said apertures and having tapered root portions! converging toward a connecting Vstrip having portions contiguous with said' tabV roots of lesser width than Vthe shorter base or said apertures and defined from the root of the tabs by surface score lines and foldable thereat to permit said connecting strip to lie substantially parallel to said vehicle bottoms with said tabs inclined thereto. f

SIDNEY GODELL.

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