US2486299A - Toy signal device - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 25, L949. E. P. LEPPER 2,486,2

TOY, ,SIGBAL DEVICE I Filed Oct. 16, 1948 Patented Oct. 25, 1949 UN l??TED'- AT ENT OFFICE 2,486,299. 'roi? SIGNAL DEVICE Edwin P; Lepper, Springfield; Mass: Application October 16, 1948;'Serial'1o. 42911 1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in a 'toy and-is directed rrfoieparticulairlyto the-provision of a novel signallin'g 'rr'ieans fortoy'trains of the mechanical type;

It is the principle-object of my invention to provide anovel and improved electrical signal construction for 'use-in' connection with toy trains or the like of the mechaifical type wherein electrical circuits'by means oi'whi'ch an electrical signal device might be employed areotherwise non-existent; m other-word's; in'mechanical train sets,- where electricity "isno't usei l, it has not been heretofore possible 'to--'i-nclude therein electrically operated signalling devices" or other items of equipment Such as semaphoresignals, roadcrossover guards and the like which c'o'uldbe operated by means of electricity just as in thecase of electrically operated train 'sets. Thatis'to say, the element of automaticoperation, attendant with so 'many items" of aneIectricalIy' operated train set has up to now been obviously rmissing in the case of such items'when used in mechanical train sets.

Vlfiththe above primary object in view; it'is It is a still further object of my invention to provide a device which is constructed of relatively simple parts which are adapted to he readily assembled and which whenmnce assembled are positively and securely retained-in operative relationship-and which cannot be readily separated from each other, either accidentally or otherwise.

With theforegoingandwarioii other novel features andadvantages and-other objects-of my invention as will become more aparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the operating member of the device of my invention in association with toy railroad tracks;

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the operating member shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevational view along the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of one form of a signal member of the device of my invention with certain"parts broke" away for purposes" of clearrfess;

Pig: '5 a sectionai eievatioi1'al view'bn the use 5-5 of Fig. 1; and a L Fig: 6" a" wiringdiagram to explain the invention. A V A In theabovementioned-drawings anexedh'ereto' and forming a p'a rt 'ofthis 'specificatiori; Ihav'e shown but 'dne eintbdiinem of my invention which is deemed preferable, but it b e'iunder'stobd that changesandmodifieati -s may be" made within the scope of the appended claim without departing rrom-tnespirit or thefinventionf Referring now" to-thWi'fEerent drawings" more in detail, in which similarcharacters of reference indicate corresponding parts in ail'the'fi'gure's' and "referring meie partieuiar1y; to-the preferred form of my invention selected for illustrative pure poses, I hevashewna section of toy railroad tracks of the coh'veiitionaifde'sig'n andfhavinga' pair of rails "I ll secured to' 'spaced:crosssleepers or ties'l Zivith connectorsll fixed to the rails at one end of the sectionfand sleeves I 6 formed from the rails at 'the' oppositefend 'of tiresection"; all is wennown inthe t'oy-"artf A support zwwmch may be? made from any insulation materialiha'sjdispbsed' on the underside thereof a 'strip' member 2 nxec-theret bymeans o'i' a rivet 240'1 the lik ei The 'opp'osite ends'of the member 22 has upwardly andiinwardlyex tending' eiidportion's"or" cars 26 adaptedto 'erhbracethesidesof 'the member 2Q a'nd th'e' fi anges ll of the rails lll 'andPtofholH the support snugly fast thereto when 'in' operating relationship.

central-1y dispcsseir uponfitheripper surface" of the member 2lljisacontact member 30' whi'clz't is fixed *toth'e" support ZW'by means of rivetsiiz.- Upwardlyextending from the contact member at opposite sides thereof arerigid" contact members 34 and 34 and these are angularly disposed so as to have free ends which converge toward but do not touch each other upwardly of and above the upper surface of the member 20.

An upwardly extending flexible contact member 36 is fixed at one end to the underside of the member 20 and extends upwardly through an opening therein. The free extremity of the memher 36 is disposed between the converging free 5 ends of the members 34 and 34.

Being flexible, the free end of the member 36 is adapted to move forwardly and rearwardly so that it contacts the end portions of the members fi l and 34 in successive movements.

A connecting member 40 is fixed to the under side of the member 20 .by means of the rivet 32 and extends outwardly to one side of the member 26 and a connecting member A2 is likewise fixed to the underside of the member 29 by means of a rivet 44 and extends outwardly to one side of the member 20, all as is shown in Fig. 2.

The flexible contact member 39, may, if de sired, be fixed to the under side of the support 20 by gripping the end thereof between the members 28 and 42 substantially as shown in Fig. 2.

The signal member of the device of my invention is shown as a grade crossing signal in Fig. e although it will be understood that any type of signal device may be employed herewith.

For purposes of illustration, I have shown a grade crossing signal having a base 50, a post 52 upwardly extending from the base, and a pair of cross arms 54 arranged at the top of the post in the Well known manner.

The base 59 carries a terminal 69 to which a connection 62 may be fixed and a terminal 6 3 is likewise carried by the base but is separated therefrom by an insulated block 66. A connection 68 is fixed to the terminal 64.

A contact '19 is held at one of its ends in pivoted relation with the terminal 94 and it has an opposite free end which may be engaged to embrace the under side of a battery 80 located within the post 52 as shown in Fig. 4. In the form shown two batteries are employed.

A light 82 is fixed in the top of the post 52 in the well known manner.

The opposite ends of the connections 52 and 68 described above are connected to the connecting members 40 and 42 respectively as will be observed in Fig. 2.

An electrical circuit is now provided wherein when a contact is provided between one of the rigid contacts as and the flexible contact 39 the circuit extends from one of said rigid contacts 35 through the member 30 and the connecting member 42 through the connection 68 and the contact 2'9 to the batteries 89 and the light 82 and is completed through the post 52 and the base 59 and the terminal 60 and thence through the connection 62 to the member All and the member 30.

It is understood of course that a buzzer or flag device can be substituted for the light as a signal means without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

The upwardly extending flexible contact member 36 may be varied in its length for various reasons as will shortly be observed.

As the train passes along the rails, the axles of the trains actuate the member 36 and urge it toward one or the other of the end portions 34, depending of course upon the direction of the train. As the train moves forwardly the member 36 is held against the end portion 34 until the axle slips over the member 36 so as to release the latter whereupon the member 36 swings in an opposite direction to the other or opposite end portion 34 thereby establishing another contact.

The member 36, being so flexed, swings backwardly and forwardly until such springability explres.

As successive axles pass over the device, successive series of such contacts are created.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoin description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claim are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A switch device for an electrical circuit adapted for securement to the rails of a toy train system comprising in combination, a support formed from insulating material adapted to underlie the rails having a centrally disposed slot therethrough, means for securing said support to the underside of the rails, a connecting member on the underside of said support and a contact mem-- ber on the upper side of said support fixed thereto by a member extending therethrough and electrically connecting the same, a second connecting member on the underside of said support and fixed thereto, and a flexible contact member having a lower end fixed to said second connecting member and an upper free end extending upwardly through the slot and being adapted to flex forwardly and rearwardly transversely of said support and longitudinally of the rails, said contact member having separate spaced contact portions disposed on opposite sides of and spaced away from said flexible contact members and adapted to be engaged thereby.

EDWIN P. LEPPER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

Images