US2901819A

US2901819A - Device for securing miniature rails to miniature railway bed units

Info

Publication number: US2901819A
Application number: US531095A
Authority: US
Inventors: Schaffan Stephen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1955-08-29
Filing date: 1955-08-29
Publication date: 1959-09-01
Anticipated expiration: 1976-09-01

Description

Sept. 1, 1959 s. SCHAFFAN 2,901,819

DEVICE FORISECURING MINIATURE RAILS T0 MINIATURE RAILWAY BED UNITS 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 29, 1955 ATTORNEY Filed Aug. 29, 1955 Sept. 1, 1959' s AFFAN SCH DEVICE FOR CURING MINIATURE RAILS TO MINIA ITS E RAILWAY BED UN 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 d\i BY.

ATTORNEY Sept. 1, 1959 s. SCHAFFAN 2,901,819

DEVICE FOR SECURING MINIATURE RAILS TO MINIATURE RAILWAY BED UNITS Filed Aug. 29, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTO'R.

ATTORNEY Sept. 1, 1959 s SCHAF N I 2,901,819

DEVICE FOR SEURING MI ATUIE RAILS TO MINIATURE RAILWAY BED UNITS Filed Aug. 29, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 A TTORZVEY Sept. 1, 1959 s. SCHAFFAN MINIATURE RAILWAY BED UNITS 0 T s L I A R E R U T A I N I M G N I R U Wuv S R O F E C I V E D Filed Aug; 29, .1955

6 Sheets-Sheet 5 S. SCHA FFAN SECURING M Sept. 1, 1959 2,901,819 DEVICE FOR INIATURE RAILS TO MINIATURE RAILWAY BED UNITS 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Aug. 29, 1955 INVENTOR. \QA/A FA IT ATTORNEY nited DEVICE FOR SECURING MINIATURE RAILS TO MINIATURE RAILWAY BED UNITS 3 This invention relates to miniature rail units such as are popularly used in miniature train systems and to the device for securing miniature rails to miniature railway bed units. Pursuant to the present invention, miniature rails may be rapidly and accurately secured to bed units automatically by novel means for positioning and holding the units in position in the assembly operation.

The parts may be assembled and moved out of the assembly position, by a novel apparatus, as will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings attached hereto, and from the following description. The drawings illustrate the application of the method and apparatus of this invention in several practical forms thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a device which may be used to carry out the method of this invention, showing in full lines, retracted, a pair of bars to engage rails to be moved into engagement with C- shaped open holders on the miniature railway bed unit, and, showing, in dotted lines, said bars in their fully engaged position,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the first plate member 26 and associated parts shown in Fig. 1, the second plate member 74 (which is shown in Fig. 1 as closed over the first plate member) being shown in Fig. 2 as open,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken at line 33 of Fig. 2, showing one form of unit release lever which may be used in carrying out the invention, movably disposed in a recess in the plate,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken at line 44 of Fig. 1, showing the plate recess for receiving the slide bar finger,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, transverse sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 2, showing the rail and rail holder receiving recesses provided in the plate,

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the form of invention shown in Fig. l, with the second plate which is movably mounted on the device, to be superposed over the miniature railway unit to hold the same in position during the assembly operation, shown elevated as it would be to facilitate removal of said unit after completion of the assembly operation,

Fig. 7 is a similar view, showing the second plate moved to its closed position over a unit positioned on the first plate, preparatory to moving the slide bars against the ends of the rails,

Fig. 8 is a similar view, showing the position of the slide bars at the completion of their operative stroke having moved the rails into the holders of the unit,

Fig. 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary, elevational view showing details of one form of means which may be used for connecting the second plate to the device, showing, in full lines, the position of the parts when the second plate is being moved to its open (dotted vertical) position, and their position when the second plate is held in closed (dotted horizontal) position,

tates Patent Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional elevational view taken on line 10-10 of Fig. 11,

Fig. 11 is a top plan view of a further form of device embodying the invention, prior to the positioning of a miniature railway bed unit therein,

Fig. 12 is a similar view showing miniature railway bed units positioned therein,

Fig. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary view of said form of the invention, showing the second plate closed over said miniature railway bed units,

Fig. 14 is an enlarged, sectional, elevational view, taken on line -44 of Fig. 11, and

Fig. 15 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view, showing the manner in which a miniature rail unit is held in a O-shaped open holder of a miniature railway bed unit pursuant to the invention.

As shown in the drawings, this invention provides a novel method of securing miniature rails such as shown at 20 (Fig. 15) of T-shaped cross section within a plurality of registered spaced C-shaped open holders 21 formed on a miniature railway bed unit 22 (Fig. 12) or 23 (Fig. 6) said holders 21 extending above the plane 24 of a face 25 of said unit (Fig. 15),

Pursuant to the invention, the miniature railway bed unit is positioned on a registration plate 26 having railreceiving recesses 27 (Figs. 3 and 5) registered with the series of holders 21 when the unit 22 is positioned on plate 26. The recesses 27 (Figs. 2 and 8) correspond with the axial lines of the plurality of holders 21 (as will be readily apparent from Fig. 2 from which it will be noted that the recesses 27 are in line with the axial lines of grooves 45 to receive said holders 21). The plate 26 is preferably provided with registration means, such as stop pins 28, 29 (Figs. 1, 2, 7 and 8) which serve to both position the unit 22 in correct registry on the plate 26 and also to stop the slide bars 30, 31 from excessive movement in operation, as presently explained. The invention may be used for units 22 of relatively straight form such as shown in Fig. 12, or of other form such as the arcuate form shown at 23 in Fig. 6, the said units having a plurality of cross ties 32 connected, as at 33, for spaced, transverse disposition (Fig. 6). A plurality of spaced C-shaped open holders 21 are formed along one of the sides of the units 22, 23, as, for example, in registry with the connecting portions 33 of said units, for reception of the rail members 20; in the two rail track unit, there would be two of such series of spaced C-shaped open holders 21; for a three rail system, a third series of C-shaped holders would be provided; the device of this invention would be correspondingly conformed to that use thereof.

In Figs. 2, 6, 11 and 12, the invention is shown used for securing a pair of T shaped rails to a railway bed unit, for which purpose a pair of slide bars 30, 31 (Figs. 6, 7, 8), 60, 61 (Figs ll, 12, 13, 14) is provided. A

.single slide bar may be used for moving both rails into the two series of C-shaped open holders from one end of the unit 22, or 23 by the provision of both rail receiving recesses 27 to either the left or the right of the

28 or 29, for example, in Fig. 6 (or of pins 28, 29' of Fig. 11).

A description of one slide bar and associated parts will suflice for both throughout the drawings; similar parts will be designated by corresponding reference characters. The means (28, 29, Fig. 2, 28, 29 Fig. 12) serves to locate the units 22, 23 on registering plate 26 and also as a stop means to prevent movement of said units responsive to movement of the bar and prevent excessive movement of the bar. The slide bar 31 (Figs.

6 and 4) has a finger 35 disposed for reciprocating movement in the rail receiving recess 27, so that, when the unit 23 is positioned on the registration .plate 26, as shown inFig. 6, andtheslidebaris actuated by anysuitable means 34, slide bar finger 35 .will be moved into engagement with the end 36 of the miniature rail 20 to move thearail-towardaunitrz23; forcing theirail vinto the holders 21 of the series carried by unit 23. The means. 34 for actuating. the. sliderbar-31 may comprise av piston or plunger37 reciprocated in the cylinder or actuator 38 which may be an electromagnet, for example, or. air pressure cylinder; hydraulic or other means or the like, actuated by suitable valve or other control means operated by-the operator, for reciprocating the plunger 37 at the desiredtimes. The reciprocating means 34 kmay be a rod pivoted, as at 39, on plate 26 at oneend, the oppositeend having fixedithereto the slide bars31, and connected, as for example, by a .pivot 40-withplunger 37. v A'bracket 41 ,may. be provided to stabilize therod 34 in;its movement from the (inoperative) .full-line position inrFig. :1 .to the dotted line position thereshown at the completion of the vcycleof moving the rail: into the-series of holders 21.

I have foundit convenient, in .practicingthe invention, to manually initially insert the rails 20 into a few of the C-shaped holders 21 immediately adjacent the ends of the unit 23, and then positioning the unit 23 with-the pair of raiis seouredthereto (as shown in'Fig. 6) downwardly in the recesses 27. Then asecond plate 74 (Fig. 7) may beclosed over the-unit, as for example, by use of suitable linkagesuchas .shown at 42-5(Fig. 9) to the (left hand) dotted line position, holding the unit 23, in position while the rails are inserted into the-holders as above explained. Linkage 42 may have an operating bar 75. After the'operation has been completed, the plate 74 may be lifted by actuating the linkage 42 to the (right hand) dotted line position shown in Fig. 9, for example. A release lever 43 may be positioned in a recess '44 in registrationplate 26 for actuation at an angle to the axis of the bar finger recess 27 and intersecting the same. beneath the plane thereof (Fig. 3) so that-said lever 43 may be actuated (Fig. 3) to the dotted line position to release the unit 23; in practice, the method is .an extremely rapid andraccurate one, requiring a minimum amountof attention by the operator.

In'the form shown in Figs. 1014,- the deviceis used for inserting rails into units 22 of relatively straight outline, in which case the slide bars 60, 61 maybe movable in-

keyways

62, 63 in the plate 26. In this form of invention, the device is adapted to accommodate a pair of rail units 22 (Fig. 12) each slide bar 60, 61 engaging one of the pair of rail units to move the same into the series of -G-shaped open holders of the units 22. If desired, any suitable means for holding the units 22 in positionduring operation of the device may be provided. For example, a second closure plate 64 '(Fig.: 11) may beprovided, connected by suitable linkage 65*to the plate 26. The pistons or plungers 37, in the form shown in-Figs. 11 and 12, may be straight-line acting'pistons, as shown.

The registration-plate 26 is provided, inyaddition to the rail receiving recesses 27, with grooves 45 Efor the G shaped holders 21. The opening ;76 (Fig; 15) of holders 21 may be formed to-approximately. the. external dimensionsof the base'portion46 of the miniature rail- "so-that, after the insertion of the, rails therein,

said rails will be efiectively locked against removalwith 4 20 to be received therein. Means may be provided on the plate 26, such as the keyway 47 in the Fig. 7 form of plate 26 or the

keyways

62, 63 in the Fig. 11 form to receive the units 22, 23. In the Fig. 11 form the rail bed device may be made for one, two or more units, as may also the device of Fig. 1.

Having thus described-my invention, what I claim as new and desire-to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for-assembling a miniature railway track rail onto a miniature railway bed, said bed having a plurality of rail-receiving holders projecting from one face'thereof in spaced, aligned relation, said apparatus comprising a first plate having a plurality of recesses complementary to the projecting holders of the railway bed, said bed being positioned on said plate with its projecting holders disposed in said complementary recesses, said first plate further being provided with a rail receiving recess axially aligned with said plurality of recesses, said rail being positioned in said rail receiving recess, a second plate, means to secure the second plate over the railway bed to hold the latter onto the first plate with the projecting holders of the railway bed disposed in said complementary recesses of the first plate, and means extending into the rail receiving recess and movable against the rail to move the rail into the projecting holders of the railway bed.

2. In an apparatus as set forth inclaim 1, stop means on said first plate so located as to be disposed adjacent the ends of the railway bed when thelatter is so disposed in said complementary recesses of the first plate, to assure registration of the railway bed with the projection holder recesses on the first plate.

3. An apparatus for assembl'inga miniature track rail onto a miniature railway bed, said bed having two rows of axially aligned, parallel rail receiving holders projecting from one face thereon-said apparatus comprising a plate having two rows of axially aligned parallel projection receiving recesses complementary to the two rows of axially aligned,paralle1 rail receiving projectingholders, said bed being positioned'on said plate with its rows of projecting holders disposed in said two-rows of projection receivingrecesses, said plate being further provided with a rail-receiving recess aligned with and opening into a row of holder receiving recesses, said rails being positioned in :said rail-receiving recesses, means secured to the plate,,movable on to the railway bed to secure the railway bed onto the plate with the projecting holders of the railway bed disposed insaid complementary recesses of the plate, and means extending into the rail receiving recesses and movable against the'rails while the railway'bed is so secured onto the plate, to move the rails into the projecting holders of the railway bed.

4. In-anap-paratus as set forth-in claim 3, stop means on thefirst plate so located as to be disposed adjacent the, ends of the railwaybed 'whenthe latter is so disposed in said complementary recesses of the first plate, to assure registration of the railway bedwith thepropection holder recesses on the-firstplate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,132,136 Wattie Mar. 16, 1915 1,309,107 Seidel July 8, 1919 2,086,998 Gilbert July .13, 1937 2,290,584 Gardner et al July 21,1942 2,550,898 Youngblood May 1, 1951 2,604,692 Broden July '29, 1952 2,703,204 Miller Mar. 1,1955 2,726,693 Saxton Dec. 13, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 376,670 Germany June 2, 1923