US3684173A

US3684173A - Flexible track for miniature electric trains

Info

Publication number: US3684173A
Application number: US80521A
Authority: US
Inventors: Pietro Casadio
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-09-18
Filing date: 1970-09-18
Publication date: 1972-08-15
Anticipated expiration: 1989-08-15

Abstract

The invention relates to a flexible track for model railways, capable of assuming a straight or curve configuration. The track comprises support elements consisting of sleepers or ties connected by resilient sections so that they can be moved close to one another and provided with seats into which clamping or fastening members are insertable for holding the track down.

Description

United States Patent Casadio 1 1 Aug. 15, 1972 [54] FLEXIBLE TRACK FOR MINIATURE ELECTRIC TRAINS [72] Inventor: Pietro Casadio, via .lacopo di Paolo 521 US. c1. ..238/l0 E, 46/1 [51] Int. Cl. ..A63h 19/30 [58] Field of Search ..46/l; 238/10 E; 104/60 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,711,857 6/1955 Vanetzian et al. ..238/l0 B 2,703,204 3/1955 Miller ..238/l0 E 2,562,623 7/1951 Levering ..238/l0 B Primary Examiner-Ar thur L. La Point Assistant Examiner-Richard A. Bertsch AttorneyGuido Modiano and Albert Josif [5 7] ABSTRACT The invention relates to a flexible track for model railways, capable of assuming a straight or curve configuration.

The track comprises support elements consisting of sleepers or ties connected by resilient sections so that they can be moved close to one another and provided with seats into which clamping or fastening members are insertable for holding the track down.

2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAus 15 m2 sum 1 or 2 I N V E NTOR. Pietro CASAD IO PATENTEDAus 1 5 I972 SHEEI 2 OF 2 INVENTOR Pietro CASADIO AGH 1T FLEXIBLE TRACK FOR MINIATURE ELECTRIC BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a flexible track for model railways, which is capable of assuming a straight or curve configuration according to a desired path.

As known the shaped sections employed in the field of miniature electric trains to form the track, have poor stiffness due to the not large track gauge being used and thus because of the very limited dimension of the cross section of the structural shapes. The latter can, therefore, be supplied to the users in roll form of not excessive overall size and may assume the desired configuration in a ready manner.

The supports for the track usually consist of rigid material, and in such case are provided with already assembled rails. Since long time, however, embodiments making use of flexible material are known, which of course are practical if the sections from which the supports are obtained, have a certain extension.

In order to hold the track down onto the sleepers formed by such known flexible sections, there was suggested that each sleeper for each rail of the track be provided with a pair of small lugs between which the rail is inserted. Such operation particularly in relation to curved sections of the track is the more laborious and difficult the longer the flexible track section.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One object of the present invention is that of eliminating the above-mentioned difficulties which arise in the application of the rails to the presently used flexible supports.

Another object of the present invention is that of fully taking advantage of the flexible support features thereby to make it easy, ready and quick to arrange and hold rails on said supports whichever their development can be. Another important objectis that no limits are imposed to the length of the flexible support or of the rail sections which are supplied in skeins except those dictated by packaging and shipping requirements.

Another object of the present invention is that the flexible track be simple in structure, easy to manufacture, safe in use as well as of low cost.

These and still further objects which will betterappear hereinafter are attained by a track for electric miniature trains (according to the invention) comprising a pair of structural shapes or sections forming the rails, support sections for the rails, which can be connected to one another and consist of sleepers and longitudinal sections which connect the sleepers two-bytwo in alignment relationship of either rails, or altematively of both rails, characterized in that the said sleepers at the intersection spots with the said alignments are provided with pressure insertion seats for relative clip members which can be at least partially resiliently deformed and are capable of engaging and .holding the said rails down on the sleepers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will better appear from the description of preferred not-exclusive embodiments of a flexible track illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a section of flexible track for electric miniature trains, free of rails, and where only two end sleepers are shown in detail according to a first embodiment;

FIGS. 2 and 3 show a detail in an enlarged scale of one sleeper according to FIG. 1, and more precisely FIG. 2 is a top view showing a sleeper before the rails are mounted and FIG. 3 is a vertical section along the sleeper axis alter a rail has been laid down and before the complete locking of the same;

FIGS. 4 and 5 show the clamping means for securing the rails according to the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3, shown in a top and side view, respectively;

FIG. 6 shows a portion of the vertical section of -a second embodiment of the sleeper with the clamping means already inserted into the sleeper and free from rails.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Mth particular reference to the above Figures the flexible track sections each consisting of a single piece of plastics material, comprise a plurality of sleepers generally indicated at l which have a substantially parallelepipedic shape and define a common plane.

Preferably the sleepers have surfaces in sight with a wooden-like appearence and are hollow in the lower portion. The sleepers are alternately connected two-bytwo according two alignments symmetrical relative to the longitudinal axis of the track section, by longitudinal sections 2 which are rather narrow and slightly in relief above the sleepers. The track section has a straight axis, but it may be forced to assume a curved or bended axis by bending the same along the plane containing sections 2. The track section is then secured to a resting plane through securing elements which can be caused to pass through a pair of holes 3 formed in the central portion of two sleepers. In order to impart flexibility to the track section the longitudinal sections instead of being alternate along two alignments, are arranged along a single alignment.

In order to connect two track sections with one another the end sleepers 1a and lb have opposite coupling members. In the illustrated embodiment since the track section has an even number of sleepers, the end sleepers are connected to the adjacent ones by means of a longitudinal section 2 on the same alignment. On the other alignment the longitudinal section 20 projects outwardly from the sleeper la and is similar to the previous ones indicated at 2. The section 2a terminates with a transverse expansion 52a close to which there is provided a transverse lower recess 62a. Outside the sleeper 1b on the same alignment of the longitudinal section 2a there is provided a mouth formation 52b open upwardly and arranged to receive the expanded portion 520 of an adjacent track section. The outer edge of the mouth 52b has a recess 62b having a form such that it couples with the recess 62a of the adjacent track section. Along the above-mentioned alignments which will be straight or bended according to a desired configuration rails 4 will be arranged straight or bended respectively.

the sleeper, where the tooth 9b may be engaged.

plate is usually secured to the sleepers. From the central zone of the rib 5a a finger 5d extends upwardly to a higher level than the rib 5c and together with a nutshaped lug 5e defines a clamp member which in the real railroads is secured to such plate and clamp the rail down at one side thereof. To this end the finger 5d has an inclined portion which follows the pattern of the lower flange of the rail 4, and a vertical portion following the vertical rib or web of the rail. Below the finger 5d a slot 6 is formed in the sleeper 1 in order to permit the formation of the same projection when the track section consists of plastics material. Outside the intersection with each of said alignments the sleeper has a pair of ribs 7 which are parallel to the same alignment.

The rail can thus be positioned on the various sleepers of one or more track sections, and is arranged between the fingers 5d and the pairs of ribs 7 and rest on the longitudinal sections 2 and failing the latter being provided on the sleepers which reach the same level. The lower flange of the rail is in fact inserted below the fingers 5d and held down at the opposite side by the ribs 7. A clamping member is provided to secure definitely the rail to the longitudinal sections and consists of a block 8 having its upper portion with a configuration similar to that of the said hook element 5. The similar parts are then indicated by substituting the reference number 8 for 5. The rib 80 will be arranged between the ribs 7 while the face 8a rests on the relative sleeper. The lower portion 9 of the block 8 is narrower than the upper portion and almost at half height, the face of portion 9 being on the same side of the finger 8d, (i.e. at the side designed to be opposite the inside of the track section) has a sloping length 9a. At the lower portion opposite the block a tooth 9b projects which is champered at the lower portion thereof. Also each of the blocks 8 consists of plastics material and there is provided that a plurality of blocks be produced in a single formation operation and that the various blocks are jointed by relative connections or bonds long and thin enough to be broken and with which they form a comb formation.

Thus it is possible to insert by pressure the block into a suitable seat 10 of a sleeper by successively breaking the bond for connection to the bead. The seat 10 is formed in a solid portion of the sleeper. The lower portion of the block 8 once the same has been inserted, does not project from the resting face of the sleeper. The seat 10 is in fact delimited by two vertical surfaces parallel to the sleeper axis. The inner face of the seat has a sloping portion 10a on which the length 9a of the block rests, and the inner face just below the level of the portion 10a has a notch 10b towards the recess of 60 In the embodiment in FIG. 6 the clamping member 11 comprises an upper portion where on a common surface 11a (with a pair of projections 11b similar to heads of bolts and a pair of ribs parallel to the longitudinal sections 2) fingers 11d are forgigdhayirg an almost symmetric configuration and provided with relative nuts lTIA seat is thus defined between the fin gers arranged to receive the rail. The lower portion 12 of the double clamping member 11 has a periphery inside that of the surface 11a, the edges of which can thus rest on the sleeper l.

At the lower portion 12 a wedge shaped recess 12a is formed, thus dividing the same into two symmetric elements provided with teeth 12b extending in opposite directions. The engagement of the rail with the clamping member 11 is caused by temporarily bending the lower portion, i.e. by moving the two elements of the same close to one another. The member 11 then can be better arranged along the rail by causing it to slide according to the requirements. Portion 12 is then inserted into the seat 13 formed in the sleeper, still by bending the two elements of the same portion. The teeth 12b snap into notches 13b in a seat 13. Advantageously the surface 11a will be arranged between the side ribs 14 in the sleeper 1 thus being at the same level as the longitudinal sections 2.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and changes.

I claim:

1. A track for model railways comprising apair of parallel rails, supported by sleepers which are connected together by longitudinal sections extending below said rails, clamping means for said rails arranged in seats of the sleeper which are provided at the support points of said rails, wherein according to the improvement said claimping means comprise a block member having a lower portion provided with at least a tooth projection and adapted to be inserted by pressure in a respective seat of the sleeper so that the tooth projection engages a notch of said seat, and an upper portion with at least a hook projection formed thereon which engages the lower flange and the web of the rail at one side thereof, stop projections being further provided on said upper portion for abutment against the upper sur- 'face of the sleeper during insertion of the block member.

2. A track as claimed in claim 1, wherein said upper portion is provided with two symmetric hook projections arranged to engage at both sides the lower flange and the web of the rail and wherein at the lower portion a wedge-shaped recess is formed which divides said lower portion into two symmetric elements provided with tooth projections extending in opposite directions, the insertion of said lower portion in the respective seat occurring by moving said two elements close to one another thus causing the tooth projections to engage the respective notches of the seat and the hook projections to engage the lower flange of the rail.

Claims

1. A track for model railways comprising a pair of parallel rails, supported by sleepers which are connected together by longitudinal sections extending below said rails, clamping means for said rails arranged in seats of the sleeper which are provided at the support points of said rails, wherein according to the improvement said claimping means comprise a block member having a lower portion provided with at least a tooth projection and adapted to be inserted by pressure in a respective seat of the sleeper so that the tooth projection engages a notch of said seat, and an upper portion with at least a hook projection formed thereon which engages the lower flange and the web of the rail at one side thereof, stop projections being further provided on said upper portion for abutment against the upper surface of the sleeper during insertion of the block member.