US3140825A - Tracks for electrically driven model vehicles - Google Patents

Description

July 14, 1964 A. J. K. EDMONDSON TRACKS FOR ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN MODEL VEHICLES Filed Oct. 24, 1961 m QQR Inventor B W @Z ZM Attorneys United States Patent, Ofifice 3,149,825 Fatented July 14, 1964 3,140,825 TRACKS FOR ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN MODEL VEHICLES Anthony James Kinghorn Edmondson, Selling, Faversharn, Kent, England, assignor to Minic Limited Filed Oct. 24, 19b1, Ser. No. 147,285 Qlairns priority, application Great Britain Jan. 12, 1961 7 Claims. (Cl. 238-10) One kind of track for electrically driven model vehicles is made up of sections which are assembled together to form a complete track. Each section comprises a base of insulating material into which at least one pair of parallel conducting rails are set. Each pair of rails are separated by a gap for receiving a guide member which is carried by a vehicle and which picks up electric current from the rails for driving an electric motor in the vehicle.

It is important for the economical production of large quantities of the sections that the rails should be assembled in the bases in a simple manner.

According to the present invention, a section of track of the kind described comprises a base of insulating material having a slot in its upper surface, two conducting rails in the slot being separated and pressed one against each of the side walls of the slot by a separate insulating strip which is a push fit between the rails and above which the rails extend so that, in use, a guide member of a model vehicle can run along the top of the strip and between the rails and each of the rails having a laterally projecting tongue which is received in a recess in the adjacent side wall of the slot.

This section of track is made in a simple manner by forming the base with a slot in its upper surface and a recess in each side wall of the slot, forming the two conducting rails each with a laterally projecting tongue, inserting the rails into the slots so that the tongues project one into each recess and forcing the insulating strip down between the rails to separate them and to press them one against each side wall of the slot.

Preferably the rails are thin metal strips which are retained in the slot with their flat surfaces against the side walls of the slot and each tongue may then be formed by bending a tab cut from the lower part of the metal strip out of the plane of the metal strip about a vertical axis.

The base is preferably formed by a plastic moulding having four shallow side walls and a top that is flat except for the slot which penetrates into a rib on the underside of the top, the recess for the tongues being interruptions in the ribs.

One example of a section of track in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a partly exploded perspective View of the section;

FIGURE 2 is a view of part of the section from below;

FIGURE 3 is a section along the line III-III in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a section along the line lV-IV in FIGURE 2.

The section comprises a moulded base of insulating plastic material having a top 1 and shallow side walls 2. The top 1 has two parallel longitudinal ribs 3 and 4 on its underside and two slots 5 and 6 are formed in the upper surface of the top 1 and penetrate into the ribs 3 and 4. Two thin metal strips 7 and 8 which form rails are separated by and pressed with their flat surfaces in contact with the side walls of each slot 5 and 6 by an insulating strip 9. The strip 9' is a tight push fit between the rails 7 and 8 and when the rails and the strip 9 are in contact with the flat base of the slot, the rails 7 and 8 extend above the insulating strip 9'. In this position, a

guide member of a model vehicle can run in the groove above the strip 9' and between the rails 7 and 8 which supply electric current to the driving motor of the model vehicle through the guide member.

Each of the rails 7 and 8 has two tongues 9 and 10 formed by tabs which are cut out of the lower part of the rail and are bent out of the plane of the rail about a vertical axis. These tongues 9 and 10 extend into recesses, in the adjacent side wall of the slot 5 or 6, formed by interruptions in the ribs 3 and 4. The interruptions are surrounded by thin walls 11 which are integral with the top 1 of the base. When the rails 7 and 8 are in position, the tongues 9 and 1t) engage the under surface of the top 1 so that the rails are positively prevented from working upwards. As the tongues 9 and 10 extend in opposite directions, the rails are also positively prevented from moving longitudinally because the free ends of the tongues 9 and 10 engage parts of the surrounding walls 11.

The rails 7 and 8 are very quickly and simply assembled in the base. This is done by inserting the rails 7 and 8 in one of the slots 5 or 6 with the tongues 9 and 1t projecting from the remote sides of the rails and moving the rails until the tongues are aligned with the recesses. The rails 7 and 8 are then separated and the insulating strip 9 is forced {down between the rails so that they are held apart.

A number of sections are easily connected together to form a complete track. Each moulded base has a projection 12 and a slot 13 in each end and when twosections are brought together end to end, the projection 12 on one section enters a corresponding slot 13 on the next section and vice versa. Each rail 7 or 8 has a resilient bent extension 14 at one end and the base is cut away to expose a part 15 of the :other end of the rail. When two sections are connected, the extension 14 of one rail bears against the exposed part of the rail with which it is aligned so that an electrical connection is made. Adjacent sections may additionally be connected by pegs which are received as a push fit in two circular recesses 16 formed in a solid piece 17 of the moulded base, the recesses in adjacent ends of the two sections being aligned when the sections are brought together.

I claim:

1. A section of track for an electrically propelled model vehicle comprising:

a base of electrically insulating material having a slot in one face thereof;

two conducting rails removably mounted within said slot in contact with the side walls thereof;

an insulating strip coextensive in length with said rails,

dimensioned to be a push fit between said rails,

and positioned at the base of said slot to urge said rails against the opposite side walls of said slot; tongues projecting laterally from said rails;

and means defining recesses in the side walls of said slot for receiving said tongues whereby said rails are positively located within said slot and restrained against both upward and longitudinal movement along and out of said slot respectively.

2. A section of track as defined by claim 1 in which said tongues comprise: tabs cut from the lower part of each rail and bent out of the plane of the said rail.

3. A section of track as defined by claim 1 in which there is a tongue at each end of each rail and a corresponding recess in the side wall of said slot at each end thereof.

4. A section of track as defined by claim 1 in which said base includes a pair of slots in parallel relationship and two pairs of rails, one pair in each slot.

5. The combination defined by claim 1 in which said base comprises a molded synthetic resin shell including four shallow Walls interconnected by a top; a rib formed on the under surface of said top and said slot extending into said rib.

6. The combination defined by claim 1 in Which said base comprises a molded synthetic resin shell including four shallow Walls interconnected by a top; a rib formed on the under surface of said top, said slots extending into said rib and said means defining said recesses comprising discontinuous portions of said rib.

7. The combination defined by claim 6 including Walls surrounding said interruptions in said rib and in which said tongues engage both the underside of said top and said surrounding walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lingenfelder Feb. 28, Ekstrom Jan. 19, Larrabee Dec. 19, Steigerwalt Nov. 17, Schlau Sept. 19, Schlau Apr. 3, Kollmeier June 5, Lovell Aug. 7,

FOREIGN PATENTS France Oct. 3,

Claims (1)

1. A SECTION OF TRACK FOR AN ELECTRICALLY PROPELLED MODEL VEHICLE COMPRISING: A BASE OF ELECTRICALLY INSULATING MATERIAL HAVING A SLOT IN ONE FACE THEREOF; TWO CONDUCTING RAILS REMOVABLE MOUNTED WITHIN SAID SLOT IN CONTACT WITH THE SIDE WALLS THEREOF; AN INSULATING STRIP CO-EXTENSIVE IN LENGTH WITH SAID RAILS, DIMENSIONED TO BE A PUSH FIT BETWEEN SAID RAILS, AND POSITIONED AT THE BASE OF SAID SLOT TO URGE SAID RAILS AGAINST THE OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS OF SAID SLOT; TONGUES PROJECTING LATERALLY FROM SAID RAILS; AND MEANS DEFINING RECESSES IN THE SIDE WALLS OF SAID SLOT FOR RECEIVING SAID TONGUES WHEREBY SAID RAILS ARE

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