US2534458A

US2534458A - Toy track connecting means

Info

Publication number: US2534458A
Application number: US18111A
Authority: US
Inventors: Marshal H Larrabee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1948-03-31
Filing date: 1948-03-31
Publication date: 1950-12-19
Anticipated expiration: 1967-12-19

Description

Dec. 19, 1950 M. H- LARRABEE TOY TRACK CONNECTING MEANS Filed March 31, 1948 anIII-InlIlIIIl-lulllllnlln umllllllm l l l z b awn 1 Ill- uumgq 58 :y .mllllllllm I n 3 55 0x ll EIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I." 34 I i-IiIII.IIlIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-lllllllllllll llllilfi ralree, grwcm/tov Patented Dec. 19, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE TOY TRACK GONNECTING -MEAN S Marshal H. Larrabee, Skaneateles,N. Y.

Application March 31, 1948, Serial No. 13,111

9 Claims. 1

In my United States Patent No. 2,254,153, granted August 26, 1941, I disclose a toy consisting of a toy railway construction outfit composed of a set of cars, and certain track elements easily and simply constructed of simple wooden pieces.

The track elements shown in said patent consist of straight and curved track pieces, crossovers, ramps and switches, capable of being joined together by a tongue and slot connection pierced to receive a connecting pin.

The present invention relates to a new and novel track connecting means intended to take the place of and eliminate the use of the connecting pins used according to the .previous dis-, closure.

Such pins, while entirely operative to perform the intended function, have been found to be undesirable in certain circumstances. Sets, such as described in the patent, are intended'for children, and it has been found that it is difficult and tedious for very young children to join track sections together by placing such pins in the very small holes in tongue and slot, which have to be aligned in order for the pins to pass through.

Pins of the type required also have to be made especially, have to be packaged with each set, and tend to become lost or scattered about the playroom when used. Also there is the danger that children will place such pins in their mouths or swallow them.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate the difficulties attending the use of pins, while providing a track joint of extreme simplicity, simple and cheap to fabricate.

The present invention supplies a joint for the types of track disclosed in my said patent, which is simpler to connect together, and provides any desirable amount of elasticity in the joint. Separate connecting means, such as the pins, are eliminated.

The nature of the invention will bedescribed in connectionwith the drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of two complementary track ends, showing one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the invention of Fig. 1 with a partial cut-away portion, showing the track ends in joined position;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the slot end of a track section, showing a modification; and

Fig. 4 is aperspective view similar to Fig. 1, showing a further modification.

For the sake of simplicity, a full showing of the various track pieces has not been made, it being understood that these may be the same described in my said patent.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate a track section In having parallel track grooves II and a square slot 2 i2, adapted to receive the tongue end 13 of a track section I4, also having track grooves ll therein.

Slot i2 and tongue are made with a tolerant lit as is shown in Fig. 2, and do not of themselves supply sufiicient frictional contact to hold track sections Ill and I4 together.

In the side walls of the slot [2, Iprovide opposed chambered recesses l5 and I6. As illustrated, these are circular and dish-shaped, as

they may be advantageously formed with a simple rotary cutting tool.

Connecting the recesses I5 and It with the upper face of the track section are vertical entrance channels II and I8. These channels are preferable of slightly less width and depth than the recesses l5 and i6 and may be formed in the same cutting operation.

The tongue [3 of track piece [4 is laterally 1 bored to provide a hole 19 accommodating a billet or lug of resilient rubber 20. The rubber billet 29 is of a length sufficient to protrude from either end of the hole l9 and to provide a frictional gripping fit in recesses and I6 when joined together, as shown in Fig. 2.

In order to join track pieces [0 and I4, piece l i is placed with tongue 13 carrying the protruding ends of billet 20, over the entrance points of channels I! and I8. Pressure applied to piece I4 will then cause the billet to pass downwardly through channels 1-! and i8, and enter recesses l5 and I6, where it will be firmly lodged. Reverse pressure will separate the track pieces.

In Fig. 3, a modified form of the invention is shown. In this modification, the track piece carrying the tongue and rubber billet is the same as described for Figs. 1 and 2. Track piece 2|, however, carries a slot 22, the walls of which carry

opposed recesses

22 and 23, access to which by billet 20 is had by horizontally disposed entrance channels 25 and 26. This form of the invention has the advantage that the track pieces do not need to be lifted in order to be joined; however, the first embodiment described has less tendency to pull apart as the result of a horizontal pull.

As shown in the further modification of Fig. 4, the position of the parts may be reversed. In this figure is shown a track piece 21 having a square slot 29, the walls of which are bored with holes and 3|, in which are held two resilient rubber billets 32 and 33. These billets are flush with the outer track walls, and protrude into the slot 29, where they engage in the

recesses

34 and 35 carried by the tongue 38 of track piece 28. Vertical entrance channels 36 and 31 connect with

recesses

34 and 35; these, however, may be horizontal, as in the embodiment of Fig. 3.

In the above views the rubber billets, the holes in which they are located, and the recesses for receiving and ripping the protruding billet ends, have been shown as circular, for the reason that stock rubber usually comes in this condition. It is obvious, of course, that the rubber billets may be square or of any other suitable shape, and the other parts, such as the recesses, adapted correspondingly. Also, while rubber is preferred, other resilient materials may obviously be used.

Several obvious methods may be used to locate the rubber billets into the holes bored for them. If the hole roughly corresponds to the diameter of the billet, it is necessary to coat the hole or the billet with adhesive. Or, the billet being larger than the hole, it may be forced into the hole and will retain a frictional fit therein. Before insertion into the holes, the billet is preferably cut to the desired length.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. Toy track sections having a joint including a slot carried by one section and a tongue carried by an adjacent section to be coupled therewith, said slot and tongue having opposite walls engaging each other with a loose fit, said slot having a recessed wall portion, said tongue carrying a lug of compressible material protruding therefrom and yieldingly frictionally engaging in said recessed wall portion, said track sections being uncoupled by withdrawing said lug from said recessed wall portion through a channel in the wall of the slot.

2. Toy track sections having a joint including a slot carried by one section and a tongue carried by an adjacent section to be coupled therewith, u

said slot and tongue having opposite walls engaging each other with a loose fit, said slot having a recessed wall portion, said tongue carrying a lug of compressible material protruding there from and yieldingly frictionally engaging in said recessed wall portion, said track sections being uncoupled by withdrawing said lug from said recess through a channel in the wall of the slot, said channel being relatively smaller than said lug.

3. Toy track sections having a joint including a slot carried by one section and a tongue carried by an adjacent section to be coupled therewith, said slot and tongue engaging each other with a loose fit, said slot having recessed wall portions, said tongue having a bore carrying a billet of compressible material protruding from the opposite ends of said bore and yieldingly frictionally engaging in said recessed wall portions, said track sections being uncoupled by withdrawing said billet from said recessed wall portions through channels in the walls of said slot.

4. Toy track sections having a joint including a slot carried by one section and a tongue carried by an adjacent section to be coupled therewith, the walls of said slot and tongue engaging each other with a loose fit, a lug of compressible material supported by one of said walls and a recessed portion in the wall opposite said lug, said lug and said recessed portion being in yielding frictional engagement when said track sections are coupled, said sections being uncoupled by withdrawing said lug from said recessed portion through a vertical channel in the Wall carrying said recessed portion. a

5. Toy track sections having a joint including a slot carried by one section and a tongue carried by an adjacent section to be coupled there with, the walls of said slot and tongue engaging each other with a loose fit, a lug of compressible material supported by one of said walls and a recessed portion in the wall opposite said lug,

said lug and said recessed portion being in yielding frictional engagement when said track sections are coupled, said sections being uncoupled by withdrawing said lug from said recessed portion through a horizontal channel in the wall carrying said recessed portion.

6. Toy track sections having a joint including a slot carried by one section and a tongue carried by an adjacent section to be coupled therewith, the side walls of said slot and tongue being in spaced relationship when engaged together and having an interval of separation therebetween leaving a loose fit in the joint, an elastic lug protruding from a side Wall of one of said track sections to an amount in excess of the width of separation between said side walls, and pivotal means in the side wall of the other track section engaging said lug for angling said track sections in a longitudinal vertical plane.

7. Toy track sections having a joint including a slot carried by one section and a tongue carried by an adjacent section to be coupled therewith, the side walls of said slot and tongue being in spaced relationship when engaged together and having an interval of separation there between leaving a loose fit in the joint, an elastic lug protruding from a side wall of one of said track sections to an amount in excess of the width of separation between said side walls, and a recessed wall portion in the side wall of the other track section in which the lug is permitted to expand, said lug and said recessed wall portion forming a'pivot point for angling said track sections in a longitudinal vertical plane.

8. The invention according to claim 7, further including an entrance channel in the side wall of said other track section extending between an edge of the track and said recessed wall portion, said entrance channel providing passage for the lug into and from said recessed wall portion, when the track sections are connected or disconnected.

9. Toy track sections having a joint including a slot carried by, one section and a tongue carried by an adjacent section to be coupled therewith, the walls of said slot and tongue engaging each other with a loose fit,,a lug of compressible material protruding from a wall of said slot and yieldingly frictionally engaging a recessed portion in a wall of said tongue opposite thereto, and an entrance channel in the wall of said tongue connecting with said recessed portion.

MARSHAL H. LARRABEE.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,142,150 Dorrill June 8, 1915 1,971,545 Tompkins Aug. 28, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 307,505 Germany Jan. 31, 1918 570,620 Germany Feb. 17, 1933