GB876054A - Improvements in toy vehicles and tracks - Google Patents

Abstract

876,054. Toy vehicles and tracks. HESLOP, J. D. Oct. 23, 1958 [Aug. 12, 1957], No. 25429/57. Classes 132(2) and 132(3). A track for use with electrically driven toy vehicles has spaced strips of electrically conducting material for supplying current to the driving motors of the vehicles and includes a guide strip of magnetic material for magnetically controlling steering gear provided on the vehicles. A track section consists of a base 10 of insulating material on which are sprayed magnetic strips 12 of iron dust admixed with an adhesive. The base is then sprayed with a layer 13 of insulating paint, and a series of copper strips 14 are sprayed on the layer 13. The sides of the base are bent over to encircle bus-bars 15, 15A formed with projecting pins 16 for engaging in sockets 36 of the bus-bars of adjoining sections of the track. Alternate copper strips 14 are connected to the busbar 15 and the remaining copper strips are connected to the other bus bar 15A. A toy car is driven by an electric motor 24 and is steerable by castoring wheels 22 controlled by a magnet 28 which follows the iron strip 12 between a pair of copper strips 14; contact strips 25 on the motor engage the strips 14. A fixed magnet 29 of the same polarity as the magnet 28 repels the front magnet of any other car which is following too closely and causes the following car to steer away. The deflected car continues to travel by inertia until its steering magnet coacts with another iron strip 12 and guides its contact strips 25 on to the associated pair of copper strips 14. The fixed magnet 29 may be placed at the front of the car and the pivoted magnet 28 at the rear. On curved sections of the track the iron stripsmay deviate from the copper strips towards the inside of the bend so causing cars approaching the bend at its outer side to move on to copper strips situated nearer the inside of the. bend. The copper strips may extend transversely to the length of the track, the contact strips on the cars being appropriately staggered so that they make contact with alternate copper strips as the car follows a longitudinal iron strip. Banking, flyovers and cross-overs may be provided. By placing a number of the vehicles on the track, the user may simulate conditions on motor racing tracks. According to the Provisional Specification, each vehicle has a reciprocating electric motor and the steering is controlled by a pivoted magnet co-operating with an associated pulse emitter.