US3166314A - Race track - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 19, 1965 I A. A. wams'rzm RACE TRACK 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Kpril 18, 1962 Fig.

INVENTOR. A.A. WEINSTEIN ATTORNEY 1965 A. A. WEINSTEIN 3,166,314

RACE TRACK Filed April 18, 1962 a Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. A.A. WEINSTEIN ATTORNEY Jan. 19, 1965 A. A. WEINSTEIN RACE TRACK 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 18, 1962 INVENTOR. A.A. WEINSTEIN ATTORNEY Unit rte re 3,166,314 RACE TRAiIK Albert A. Weinstein, 2449 Sedgwick Ave, Bronx, NY.

Fi led Apr. 18, 1962, Ser. NoQISiiAZS 6 Claims. (Cl. 2725-) homestretch and straight backstretch connected by opposed turn portions. An inner hub rail and outer rail define the track or racing area. As is obvious, the shortest distance around the track is along the hub rail, and the usual driver strategy is to obtain a rail position and maintain it throughout therace. The leadlhorse thus retains the advantage of traversing the shortest distance. Follovw.

ing horses along the rail have the advantage of reduced wind resistance in following behind the lead horse, but then must pull out from the hub rail during the race, usually along the homestretch, in order topass and van quish the front runner. Horses running further out from the rail have significantly larger distances to cover and suffer a distinct handicap. More important, however, is that horses running along the outside frequently box in following horses on the rail preventing them from pulling out. As a consequence, strategical positioning rather than horse ability frequently determines the outcome of the race. This consequence reduces spectator and bettor interest.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide an improved race track affording greater opportunity for following horses to pass the lead horse without being required to negotiate an appreciably longer course.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an attachment or accessory construction for existing tracks which is easily and inexpensively added and which increases the chances to win for following horses.

These and other objects of the invention are achieved by modifying the hub rail construction leading into the homestretch. In accordance with my invention, the curved hub rail portion preceding the homestretch, which may also include a short portion extending into the homestretch, is made movable between a first closed position which conforms to the position occupied in the prior art track, and a second open position where it extends inward over the track toward the outer rail thereby narrowing the turn preceding the homestretch, providing a passing area or lane along the rail in the homestretch for following horses. One of the features of my invention is a movable rail construction providing a smooth transition to the fixed turn rail portions, which avoids distractions of horses and drivers. 'Another feature of my invention is that the running area of existing tracks is unaffected. Only a relatively short length of the hub rail need be reconstructed to achieve the full benefits of my invention. Still a further feature is that the movable rail construction is simple to operate and foolproof in that operation, and in no way does it interfere with the running of the race nor with spectator observation of the race.

Other and further objects and advantages of my inven-- tion will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof when taken together with the. accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a race track in accordance with my invention; t 3

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the turn portion preceding the homestretch showing, diagrammatically, a preferred construction of my movable rail;

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FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective views of portions of the movable rail illustrating the moving means;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the hinged joint illustrated in FIG. 4 showing the interference preventing means.

FIG. 6 is a perspective View of a modification;

The track illustrated in FIG. 1 has the usual clo'sed oval shape, which includes a straight homestretch 1 opposite a spectator grandstand 2, a straight backstre'tch 3, a curved turn portion 4 connecting the homestretch 1' and backstretch 3 and preceding the latter, and a curved turn portion 5 connecting the other ends of the backstretch 3 and homestretch 1 and preceding the latter. The finish line 6 is usually near the end of the homestretch 1. hub rail 8 extends along the inner edge of the running area, and a rail 9 circumscribesv the outer edge of the running area.

With this simple geometry, it is readily seen that the shortestdistance around thetrack is along the hub rail 8, so that the lead horse invariably occupies that position. The second or third or other following horses have to pull out from a rail position and swing around the outside of'the lead horse in order to vanquish the latter.

This occurs most often at the beginning of the homestretch, which is, of course, from the spectators view, the most exciting and enjoyable part of the race. Now, in a trotting race, the horse pulls a sulky with a width of about 3 feet. Thus, the second rail horse has to move out about 5 feet to pass the lead horse. The third rail horse, to achieve a front position, must move out about 10 feet, a handicap that is rarely overcome. However, other horses running alongside the second and third rail horses may box them in preventing them from challenging the lead horse. If the second or third horse finding itself in this position is also the favorite, the spectator reaction is adverse, which is to the detriment of the sport.

In my invention, before the horses reach the final turn before the homestretch, the hub rail portion 10 preceding the homestretch is moved outward 11 (shown in phantom) toward the outer rail 9 narrowing the turn preceding the hornestretch. Thus, the lead horse following the rail enters the homestretch at a point spaced sufficiently far from the hub rail 8 to enable at least one and side one or two passing lanes 12 for following horses in traverse the entire track twice for a full race. With a preferably two additional horses to swing in toward the hub rail 3 along the homestretch and hem an unimpeded position to challenge the'leader. Thus, my movable rail construction at the final turn makes available on the inaddition to those normally available along the outside. Boxing in of following horses is minimized by this construction providing a truer contest. The dash-dot line construction 11 in FIG. 1 illustrates the hub rail position for the final stretch run in accordance with my invention.

Making the rail section preceding the homestretch movable means that the movement can take place only for the final stretch run, and can take advantage of the trotting rules prohibiting lane crossing or excessive maneuvering by the lead horses. The trotting rules require that the lead horse in the final stretch maintain a straight course. Moreover, that happens to be the shortest distance to the finish line. This ensures that the newlyopened. inside passing lanes can be effectively utilized by the following horses. This also explains why the course cannot be permanently provided with an offset rail portion providing the inside passing lanes. The usual horse race is one mile in length, but the most popular tracks are onehalf mile in length, which means that the horses must permanently narrowed turn portion, inside passing lanes would become open during the middle of the race when no prohibitions on maneuvering or lane crossing exist.

Such an! arrangement would cause the lead horse to cross lanes and move over to the hubyrail along the straight portion to ensure his preferred rail position during the remainder of the race. Meanwhile other horses will be racing along the inside and outside lanes to pass the lead horse. Excessive maneuvering and interference would result in increasing the possibility of collisions and acci" dents. Also, a permanent offset-rail portion may. interfere with proper starting of the race using the conventional starting gate which leads the horses around the turn to the starting line. A movable rail portion providing the additional inside passing lanes only during the final stretch run avoids these detriments.

,A-movable rail portion at the turn offers a number of advantages over a movable hub rail along the homestretch' to widen the latter. In the first place, moving of the turn rail involves only about 150 feet of rail, as against about 600 feet if the straight rail portion were moved, which is much more complicated. Also, movement can only occur when the horses are sufiiciently far away not to be distracted. The longer rail length to be moved along the stretch reduces greatly the time interval during which movement will be allowable, Still further, moving of such a large stretch of rail would also be distracting to the spectators. Finally, when the homestretch is Wid ened, this means that the running'area has to be correspondingly widened, or the initial rail moved inwar both of which would entail considerable expense.

, FIG. 2 illustrates a preferred rail construction which oife rs the important advantage of maintaining a very smooth transition between the fixed and movable rail portions and whichrenders the moved rail portion practically indistinguishable from the usual rail to the horsesv or drivers. The fixed hub rail portion along the homestretch and the fixed hub rail portion along the turn is designated 8. These hub rail portions 8 are unmoved as in the normal track.

The movable hub rail portion in accordance with my invention is designated 10, and, as illustrated in FIG. 2, comprises a curved portion subtending an angle of (FIG. 1) about 30. It also includes a short straight section 14, so that the horses are travelling straight when the additional inside passing lanes 12 become available. Themovable curved portion can be varied from a small length subtending an angle 0 of about 15, to a longer length subtending an angle 0 of about 90. Longer movable lengths complicate unduly the means for effecting the movement but minimize the rate of change at the transition region. Below 15 it is very difiicult to make avail able two inside passing lanes and avoid a sharp discontinuity between the fixed hub rail at the turn and the movable section, which would distract drivers. and horses. About a 30 section provides two inside passing lanes without undue distraction.

The movable rail comprises three sections, a straight section 14 at the stretch 1 permanently united with a curved section 15 and moving together with it as a unit, and a straight hinged section 16, which in the closed position shown in solid lines in FIG. 2 extends in an offset position of? the running area inside the rail 8. This extra rail section 16 is necessary because the movable rail length in the closed position (solid lines) is shorter than the rail length in the open position 11 (phantom). In FIG. 2 also is shown how the movable rail position 11 makes available additional passing lanes 12 on the inside. The lead horse will. follow the arrow 17, which represents the shortest distance to the finish line. The second horse along the rail can go inside or outside. If boxed in, it can go inside following the arrow 17'. This makes the path of the arrow 17" available for still another horse.

The means for moving the movable rail 10 between its closed and open positions are shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2. These means include three tracks 20 and v 50, two of which are similar, anchored or embedded in v the ground, along which run carriages connected to the movable rail 10 for shifting it between its two positions. FIG. 3 shows, in perspective, a preferred arrangement the position of the horses. The manual mechanism shown has the advantage of simplicity and low cost. The rail section shown corresponds to the inside of the curved section 15. It is shown being supported in part by a series of spring-mounted wheels 21 so as to clear the ground by a few inches. The horses run, of course, along the side facing the vertical fiat portion 22., The sup porting wheels 21 may be of any construction suitable for the purpose which is to support the rail and move.

freely across the running area. As shown, it may comprise a pair of supporting members 23, 24 rigidly secured to the underside of the rail 15. The support 24 is hollow for receiving a wheel mount 25 as a piston. The mount 25 has a yoke section 26 on which is journaled a wheel 27. A spring 28 extending between the element 24 and the yoke 26 resiliently carries the rail load. The wheel support 25 is free to moveup and down within the cylinder 24, and is. also free to rotate and is thus able tofollow the rail motion. Preferably the wheels 27 have balloon-tires to roll easily over an uneven sur-' face, or a sharp disc-shape to cut easily through any' clumps of earth created by the horses hoofs.

Rigidly connected 3th to the horizontal rail portion 15 is a drive rod or element 31, the opposite end of which forms part of a carriage 32 which may be manually reciprocated along a track 33. The track 33 comprises a section of angle iron 34 secured to the ground at op posite ends by concrete stanchions 35, 36 anchored to the ground. Mounted along the edges of the track 33 are a pair of guide rails and supports 37 providing guide channels 38 through which may slide a pair of vertical supports 39 secured to the end of the drive rod 31. Also secured to the end of the drive rod 31 is a yoke structure 49 in which is journaled for free rotation a large carriage wheel 41 having a V-groove 42 along its periphery for engaging the track 33. A push bar 43 is secured to the yoke 40. A lock mechanism is mounted on the carriage 32 for locking it in position at the two end points of its reciprocating path. The lock comprises a pair of latch members 45 pivotally mounted on the yoke 4-0 and extending in opposite directions as shown. Each of the latch members 45 has a cammed surface 46 leading to a recessed portion 47, and a handle 48. The

g stanchions 35 and 36 are in turn provided with cooperating cam surfaces 49, 44, respectively. When the carriage reaches the end of its motion, a cam 46 on a latch 45 will strike the cam surface 49, 44, ride up it until the recess 47 is reached, and then fall down, locking the carriage in position. To release the lock, the handle 48 is raised. It will thus be seen that movement of the car riage 32 will cause the movable rail section 10 to be' moved from its closed posiiton to its open position, and back. As will be seen more clearly in FIG. 2, from the closed position shown in solid lines, the straight section 14 and adjacent curved section 15 move directly out over the running area into the open position shown in phantom, where they are held in fixed position by the two locked carriages 32 associated with the two tracks 20. During this movement, the hinged extra rail section 16,

which is straight, is pulled out from its offset position and forms the connecting link between the fixed hub rail 8 along the turn and the end of the curved rail section 15 in the open position. The fixed rail 8 is curved, usually a circular arc, so forms a tangent to that curved section 8,"providing a smooth transition, and also formsa tangent to the curved section 15 of the movable r-ail, providing a smooth transition there also. change in the rail is a short straight portion 16 tangent to and intervening between two gentlycurved portions that the straight section 16 Thus, in the open positionjthe only r o 8 and 15. Such a gradual and smooth transition is hardly noticeable to the drivers or horses.

FIG. 4 illustrates the arrangement of the hinged section 16 and the means for moving it. The hinged section 16 is shown in the'open position. It is connected to a carriage 51 similar to that illustrated in FIG. 3. The carriage rides on a rail 52 anchored to the ground, and has a latch 53 for cooperation with a stanchion 54 anchoring one end of the rail 52 for locking the carriage. The carriage 51-is pivotally connected at 55 to the rail section 16 by means of an L-shaped rod 56 which enables the section 16 to clear the forward stanchion 54 when the rail section 16 is pulled inward to close the movable rail 14]. The railsection 16 is supported by the usual spring-mounted wheels 21.

To close the movable rail 10, the latch 53 is released, and the rail section 16 pulled inward to the right of and alongside the track 50, as shown in FIG. 2. As the adjacent rail section 15 is pulled inward, it is drawn towards the fixed rail section 8. To restore the original rail, in the closed position, the hinged end 56 of the rail section 15 must abut against the end 57 of the fixed rail 8. But, without further expedients, the top rail piece 58 at the hinged end of the rail section 16 will interfere with the corresponding rail section at the fixed rail 8. This interference is avoided by the following construction at the hinged end. The end of the curved rail section 15 has a vertical plate 60 (see also FIG.

secured to it, along the inside edge of which are provided aligned tubular sections 61. The adjacent end of the rail section 16 has an L-shaped vertical plate 62 secured to it. The adjacent rail section 63 is vertically displaceable a distance equal to the thickness of the horizontal rail board. This is accomplished by providing depending pins 64 secured to the underside of the rail portion 63 and engaging openings in the vertical plate 62. The other end of the rail section 63 has a vertical plate 65 also provided with aligned tubular sections 66. Coupling the tubular sections 61 and 66 together is a hinge pin 67 with enlarged ends. As will be observed, clearance is provided along the pin 67 for the section 63 to be moved downward a short distance against the upward pressure imparted by compression springs 68 surrounding the depending pins 64. The section 63 can be locked in the down position by rotating a handle 69 mounted in the member 63 over it to prevent it from moving up. The section 63 moves as a unit with the rail section 16, the force being transmitted through the L-block 62 and depending pins 64. The entire rail section 16 which includes the rail section 63 can also pivot about the hinge joint formed around the pin 67. The hinged joint also acts to transmit motions between the ofiset rail section 16 and the adjacent rail section 15.

To close the movable rail 10, the rail section 63 is depressed and locked with the handle 69 in the depressed position. Thus, as the adjacent rail section 15 swings toward the fixed rail 8 for theends 56' and 57 to abut, the depressed section 63 slides underneath the horizontal rail member of the fixed rail 8, allowing a smooth unin- Iterrupted joint. This position is shown in FIG. 5. The handle 69 can then be released. When the movable rail is swung out into the open position, the section 63 will automatically return to its up position when the fixed v rail 8 is cleared. The tubular sections 61 limit the upward motion.

While the construction illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 is preferred, there are other constructions that may be employed for removing the extra rail section 16 from the path of the adjacent rail section 15 closing to meet the fixed rail 8. For example, if asmall depression in the top rail line is not objectionable, then the depressable section 63 can be built permanently in the down position, eliminating all the moving parts, except the hinge. Also, if desired, the space can be filled up, in the open position of the rail. 10, with a generally sector-shaped piece either hinged along the inside and hand-pivoted intotion 16, in an alternative construction illustrated in FIG.

6, the opposite end also may be hinged to the end of the fixed rail portion 8. With this arrangement, the center of the extra rail section, designated 71 in this figure is folded -'up, like in an accordion, out of the path of the engaging rail sections 15 and 8. As is illustrated in FIG. 6, the extra section 71 is divided or split into two portions 72 and 73 hinged 74 at their junction. The hinge 74 is located on the outside rail surface and may be recessed if desired. The curved rail section 15 is hinged at 75 to the adjacent end of thesection 72, and the other split section 73 is hinged at 76 to the fixed rail 8 but inward of the edge 57 to abut the edge 56' of the curved section 15. The top rail of, the split section 73 has a downward step 77 fitting underneath the fixed rail 8,- as shown. To place the movable rail in the closed position, the split section 71 is pulled inward, and the movable carriages 32 pulling the curved section 15 will cause the until the edge 56' abuts against the mating edge 57 of the fixed ran 8. To place in the open position, the split section 71 should be forced into a straight position and can be suitably held therein.

An example, which is not to be considered as limiting, of the dimensions of a movable rail in accordance with my invention for a recommended Trotting Association one-half mile track now follows. The rail parts may be conventional, comprising about 20" and 8" boards joined at their junction to form the well-known L-shaped hub rail. For an angle 0 equal to about 30, the straight rail section 14 is about 10 feet, the curved rail section 15 about 120 feet in length, and the extra rail section 16 about 30 feet in length. The section 14 at the stretch is easily moved inward over the track a distance of 15 feet providing two inside passing lanes 12. The rail transitions from curved 8, to straight 16, to curved 15, to straight 14 are hardly noticeable and will not distract horses or drivers.

It will be clear from the foregoing that my invention olfers a distinct improvement over existing tracks, especially for. one-half mile tracks for harness racing. It enables at relatively low cost and with little disturbance of existing facilities improved race tracks providing less chance for boxing in of strong contenders and in general a truer contest affording greater spectator enjoyment.

While I have described my invention in connection with specific embodiments and applications, other modifications thereof'will'be readily apparent to those skilled in this art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A race track comprising a generally fixed oval track having straight homestretch and backstretch portions interconnected by curved turn portions, a hub rail extending around the track along the inside edge and conforming to the shape of the track a portion of said hub rail along a turn portion preceding the homestretch portion being separable from the remainder and being movable, said movable portion comprising a curved section substantially to. the curved section, and means for moving the said movable rail portion from a first position wherein the curved section connects together the fixed rail portion on the. turn and the fixed rail portion on the homestretch and the straight section extends inside the hub rail, to an open position Whereinthe straight section forms a tangent to the fixed rail portion on the turn andlto the curved section and the latter extends over the track running 7,. area spaced outward from the fixed rail portion on the homestretch afiording an additional passing lane on the insidesubstantially'at the beginning of the homestretch portion.

2. A track as set forth in claim 1 wherein the straight section is hingedly joined to the curved section, the portion of said straight rail section adjacent the hinge being movable to prevent interference with the fixed rail portion on the turn when the movable rail portion is moved to' the closed position; I

' 3. A track as set forth in claim 1 wherein the curved section terminates in a short straight portion adjacent the homestretch.

4. A race track comprising a generally fixed oval track having straight homestretch and backstretch portions interconnected by curved turn portions, a hub rail extending around the track along the inside edge and conforming to the shape of the track, the portion of said hub rail along the turn portion preceding the homestretch portion being movable from a first position alongside the inner edge of the track to a second position on the track whereby the said preceding turn portion is narrowed relative to the homestretch portion providing a wider area for passing at the beginning of the homestretch, said movable rail portion extending substantially from the beginning of the straight homestretch portion along the curved turn portion over an arc substending an angle between about 15 and 90 and comprising a straight-section hingedly joined to a curved section, means for positioning the straight section inward of the hub rail in offset position and the curved section to'form a smooth transition to the fixed rail portions, means for moving the movable rail portion over the track running area drawing the straight section to a position forming a smooth transition to the fixed rail portion along the turn and forming a smooth transition to the curved section extending out-' ference preventing means comprises a vertically movable portion of the straight section adjacent the hinge.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 920,346 5/09 Kronenberger 2725' 1,634,326 7/27 Jennings 272-5 2,757,930 8/56 White et al. 272-5 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. DELBERT B. LOWE, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A RACE TRACK COMPRISING A GENERALLY FIXED OVAL TRACK HAVING STRAIGHT HOMESTRETCH AND BACKSTRETCH PORTIONS INTERCONNECTED BY CURVED TURN PORTIONS, A HUB RAIL EXTENDING AROUND THE TRACK ALONG THE INSIDE EDGE AND CONFORMING TO THE SHAPE OF THE TRACK A PORTION OF SAID HUB RAIL ALONG A TURN PORTION PRECEDING THE HOMESTRETCH PORTION BEING SEPARABLE FROM THE REMAINDER AND BEING MOVABLE, SAID MOVABLE PORTION COMPRISING A CURVED SECTION SUBSTANTIALLY ADJACENT THE HOMESTRETCH PORTION AND A STRAIGHT SECTION REMOTE FROM THE HOMESTRETCH PORTION MOVABLY CONNECTED TO THE CURVED SECTION, AND MEANS FOR MOVING THE SAID MOVABLE RAIL PORTION FROM A FIRST POSITION WHEREIN THE CURVED SECTION CONNECTS TOGETHER THE FIXED RAIL PORTION ON THE TURN AND THE FIXED RAIL PORTION ON THE HOMESTRETCH AND THE STRAIGHT SECTION EXTENDS INSIDE THE HUB RAIL, TO AN OPEN POSITION WHEREIN THE STRAIGHT SECTION FORMS A TANGENT TO THE FIXED RAIL PORTION ON THE TURN AND TO THE CURVED SECTION AND THE LATTER EXTENDS OVER THE TRACK RUNNING AREA SPACED OUTWARD FROM THE FIXED RAIL PORTION ON THE HOMESTRETCH AFFORDING AN ADDITIONAL PASSING LANE ON THE INSIDE SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE HOMESTRETCH PORTION.

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