US1511600A - Rail connecter for toy railways - Google Patents

Description

\ A. R. FERGUSSON RAIL CONNECTER FOR TOY 'RAILWAYS Original Filed Sent. 27. 1922 atented Uct. M31924,

ALAN 11-. FERGUSSON, 01E BUFFALO, NEW YOHLIEC.

RAIL CONNEGTER- FOB, TOY RAILWAYS.

Original application filed September 27, 1922, Serial No. 590,781, now Patent No. 1,452,370, dated April,

17, 1923. Divided and this application filed April 3, 1923.

To all whom it may comer-n:

Be it known that l, ALAN R. Fnnoussorv, a'citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the countyof Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in'Rail Connectors for Toy Railways, of which the tollowingis a specification.

This invention relates to rail connectingor clamping devices for toy or miniature railways, and is a division of my copending allowed. application for toy railway, Serial No. 590,781, filed September 27. 1922, now Patent No. 1,452,370, dated April 17, 1923.

An object of this invention is to provide a clamping device particularly adapted for the purpose of detachably or releasably clamping or connecting together a'rail and a supporting tie of a toy track section.

A further object of this invention is to provide an efficient and easily manipulated clamping device having a semi-circular channel or gutter member for clamping a cylindrical body or wire rail to its supporting: means.

A further object of this invention is to provide an efiicient and relatively cheap connecting or clamping device for releasably connecting together a pair of cylindrical members such as a cylindrical wire rail and tie, preferably located one at right angles to the other.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following; description and appended t claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in the sev eral views and wherein Fig. 1 is a plan view partly broken away illustrating my improved connecting device as applied to a toy railway section; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the connecter or clampmg device; Fig, 3 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the lower part of the device and Fig. 4.-

is a detail perspective view illustrating the parts of the device.

Before explaining in detail the present improvement and mode of operation thereof, I desire to have it understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction and arrangement of parts which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other Serial No. 629,739.

embodiments, and that the phraseology which'I employ is for the purpose of description and. not of limitation.

Thepresent improved clamp or clip device-is adapted for use particularly with a wire formed toy railway; sectlon and as shown .111 Fig. 1 1s especially adapted-for the purpose of detachably connecting a cyliw.

drical and preferably a wire formed rail such as a power rail to a cylindrical cross tie, such as a wire formed tie.

For the purpose of illustrating the particular application or use of the present in- A detachable.

of this device cylindrical wire or body is releasably connected to a cylindrical wire or body extending transversely thereto. The clamp in itspreferred form comprises preferably a pair ofsubstantially similar members insulated one from the other and interlocked in inverted relation through the medium of the insulation. Each of these members comprises a body member 12 preterably cut to the required shape from sheet metal and bent up or coiled to form a pair of curved side walls 13 and 14. These curved'walls are open at the top so that the longitudinal edges 15 and 16 are spaced apart throughout the length of the device. The side walls 13 and 14.- form a channel or gutter into which the wire 11 may be in sorted, and it will be noted that the side 'or'wire rail 11.

As a result of this construction when the wire or cylindrical rail is pressed through the opening at the top of the clamp the side walls 13 and 14 will spread or spring apart to permit the wire to be seated in the channel. Thereupon the semi-circular walls of cylindrical body or wire.

the clamp or clip will spring back into place andenc be easily detached from thejaws orwall's 13 and 14 by pulling the wireand clip apart, 1O

the j tatements t ns thi iepe tion, whicli'ispermitted by the fact that the jaws jonwalls l3 and 14; embrace the wire only to a fPQintav fraction beyond, its center line. Furthermore since the sem -circular ,wall s or spring-jaws of the clamp embrace c tenc rcle only ai fraction moi e than one halfofthe circumference ofthe wire rail 7 1 1, the wheel'or jrollerv-on the enginewvill I or member vice tenninate W ii travel overjthe: top of; the ,WlIQ without .hit-

tins aid 1%; E ac-h orcontac'ting with the clamp Walls 18 of the clipfmembe rs forming the de- 1 projecting portions 17 re bent under tojformf hook. shaped These bent tongues 18 are sei to a piece of insulating" ma- 9, and the; gutters or clip members i tinned atright angles toeac'h ot ier, per member A having the channel open- 7 the top, thereof andthe lower gutter Bfbein'g in inverted .p'o sit ionwith rel 'i n t th upper memb A d v s the,channel'opening' at the bottom thereof.

It will'of course-be noted tha -1211c inverted clip member adapted toflbe releasably connected ,to cylindrical or, wire cross -ti'e ;,thel'e-tter bei g" p ung nt th hanml of the l'ower glitter member B, while. the

' d, rail is sprung intolthe channel fonned' bythe upper gutter member A;

,Each semi-circular channel of the inverted parts. A BIenc e.s fi qie i y es 9 the ylindrical W r '1 0x19 o as t pe m se t fie sp I i lbe insulating tense-t a esidedg of t e s un.

and preyenting any substantially relative.

mo emen ihet ns la-t g member. 19 or ving a, n1ea nfs through themedium; of which the -i i 11 m mber's Av an Bare; inte d and in latecl e fr m th oth the mmense qfieininsthe pp sed ends 22,

- and weir fwi-rera semi circular 1. am mte ed a 205 as to f m cesses' for receiving the bent, tongues 1718 rail to be sprung into position therein, thus providing a resili-ent gri )ping-clampl and e'nds 22 and 23.

It will be understood thatthe curyed: walls l3 atnd 14 of, upper gutter member K may be" of any desired height so as to hold a cylindrical body therebetween, and may extend to any desired height beyond the center line of the channel; If it is desired to per manently hold a cylindricalbody between the curved side Walls, the same may extend to a somewhat greater height and the vire or cylindrical body inserted or threaded end- Wi'se into the channel between thTesemi-cin cular side walls. i f

It is to be understood that by describing in detail herein any particulanforn structure. or arrangement,' it is not intended to limit the invention beyond. the terms of the several claims onthe requirements of the prior art. 7 j

Having thus explained the nature of my without attempting to set forth" all of. the

forms in. whichit may be made, or, all ofi the modes of its use, I claim:

1. A clamping device-for clamping a wire rail of a toy railway and comprising a sheet metal body member bent to form a pair of substantially semicircular expansible and" contractible walls,and means located at the bent portion thereof for secl'u'ingit in position." p

2'. A clamping device for clamping a Wire rail .of a toy railway and comprisinga sheet metal body member having a pair of expansible and contractible side Walls forming a semicircular channel having an openingat the top f less width than. the, diameter ofsaid channel, and means at the botfor securing it in pomember bent to form a pair of resilient substantially semicircular walls having free edges projecting toward each other and spaced apart, said body member havingat the bent portion thereof means for "securing it in position."

4. ,A. clamping device for clamping a wire rail of a toy railway and comprising a b ody memberbent to form a pair of resrhent substantially semicircular walls haying free edges pro ecting-toward each other andspaced apart, said body-member having at the bent portion thereof means for securing it in position, and comprisinga pair of pp sed. ho k m ng m m ers-i 5. A clamping device for clamping a wire formed rail and tie of a toy railway toether and comprising a pair of clip memhers connected together back to back and each having a similarly formed gutter whereby said gutters are located in inverted relation, one of said gutters having spring walls for gripping a rail or tie.

6. In a device of the class described the combination of a pair of clip members connected together and having each a gutter, and insulating means through the medium of which said members are rigidly interlocked.

7. In a device of the class described the combination of a pair of clip members connected together and having each a gutter, and insulating means for connecting said members together in inverted relation.

8. A rail connecter for toy railways comprising a sheet metal member bent to form resilient side walls having spaced free edges adapted to grip a wire rail below the top thereof, said member having means located at the bent portion thereof for securing it in position.

9. A rail connecter for toy railways comprising a sheet metal member bent to form resilient side walls having spaced free edges adapted to grip a wire rail below the top thereof, said member having at opposite ends thereof a pair of clip forming portions for securing it in position.

10. A device of the class described comprising a pair of similar substantially semicircular gutter members, insulating means located between said members, and said members having parts thereof bent to embrace said insulating means.

11. A device of the class described comprising a pair of similar substantially semicircular gutter members positioned in inverted relation, insulating means located between said members, and said members having parts thereof bent to embrace said insulating means.

12. A device of the class described com prising a pair of substantially semi-circular gutter members extending one transversely to the other and insulating means for connecting said members together.

13. A device of the class described com prising a pair of substantially semi-circular gutter members extending one transversely to the other and insulating means for connecting said members together, one of said members having a longitudinal opening at the outer part thereof and of less 1Bvidth than the diameter of the gutter mem- 14. The combination of a clamp member comprising a substantially semi-cylindrical gutter, and an insulating strip, said gutter terminating in a projecting portion bent to embrace an edge of said strip.

15. The combination of a pair of transversely located clamp members located one above the other, and insulating means thru the medium of which said members are interconnected.

16. A rail connecter comprising a body member having a pair of opposed edges bent in one direction to form a, channel. and having a pair of opposed edges bent in the opposite direction to form a channel having resilient walls.

17. A rail connecter having a pair of inverted gutter portions extending one transversely to the other, one adapted to be connected to a rail and the other to a cross tie, and one or both of said gutter portions having spring side walls.

Signed at Buffalo, New York, this 28th day of March 1923.

ALAh R. FERGUSSON.

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