US3520475A - Track toy,especially automobile track toy - Google Patents

Description

July 14, 1970 M. ERNST 3,520,475

` TRACK TOY, ESPECIALLY AUTOMOBILE TRACK TOY Filed may 25. 196s United States Patent O TRACK TOY, ESPECIALLY AUTOMOBILE TRACK TOY Max Ernst, .Lohengrinstn 14, Nuremberg, Germany Filed May 23, 1968, Ser. No. 731,372 Claims priority, application Grmany, May 24, 1967,

Inf. cl. A6311 19/30 U.S. Cl. 238-- 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a track toy, especially an automobile track toy. .In assignees application Ser. No. 706,091r tiled Feb. 6, 1968, there has been described a track ltoy,.especially an automobile track toy, for toy objects which while. lacking a drive of their own are by means of a follower pin or the like movable over a track. The track is adapted to be composed of plate-shaped sections and is provided with guidingpassages the top side of which has a slot, while longitudinally extending driving bodies are respectively located in said guiding passages, by means of which driving bodies `the toy objects, especially ,vehiclesare ,adapted'to be coupled, each driving body being driven by an electric motor.

The production of the plate-shaped track sections with the guiding passages and the guiding slot required for coupling to the toy objects, causes certain difficulties when the respective parts Vare to be produced of synthetic material by injection molding. In the above-mentioned patent application Ser. No. 706,091 there is described an embodiment for the plate-shaped track sections according to which ,the guiding passages have the shape of grooves open at `the top and preferably of square cross-section. For purposes of forming the guiding slots, strips of synthetic material are fastened to the top side of the track sections yby means of an adhesive. These strips leave free the guiding slot in the central portion above the grooves provided in the lower part.

Such a method of producing the track sections is relatively awkward and if the fastening together is not carried out very carefully, there exists the danger that the parts will become loose during the actual driving operation.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a track toy of the above-mentioned general type which will greatly facilitate the production of the plateshaped track sections.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved track toy of the above-mentioned general character.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates a portion of a track section according to the present invention with two guiding passages, at the junction of a straight and a curved track section;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section taken along the line I-I of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section taken along the line III-III of the cover plate illustrated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a top view of a cover plate for use in connection with the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-section through a pivot connection according to the present invention but on a larger scale than that of FIGS. l-4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-section taken along the line VI-VI of FIG. l.

The present invention is characterized primarily in that the plate-shaped track sections are made substantially of a grate-shaped bottom portion provided with preferably slightly conical stud bores while the cover plates defining the guiding slots are provided with molded-on studs by means of which the connection of the bottom portion and the cover plates is effected.

According to another important feature of the present invention, the stud bores provided in the bottom part are in the vicinity of their lower end provided with a constriction the diameter of which is considerably less than the diameter of the stud, so that the ends of the studs while elastically widening said constrictions are held in the stud bores with press-fit.

The connection of the bottom part with the cover plates of the track sections can be effected in a relatively simple manner and results in a light-weight track of considerable stiffness in which the cover plate cannot accidentally detach itself from the bottom portion. Nevertheless, it is possible, for instance by means of a suitable tool to detach the cover plates from the bottom part and to replace the latter if they have been damaged.

The stud bores in the lower track part are advantageously provided in reinforcements in webs extending transversely to the guiding passages, or, in the vicinity of the connecting portions of said transverse webs, with the guiding passages, for instance, with outer limiting webs.

l In order to prevent the lower ends of the studs or portions pressed downwardly by said studs and pertaining to the parts defining the stud bores, from protruding below the supporting surfaces for the lower track portions, the constrictions in said stud bores are arranged somewhat higher and provided 'with a countersunk portion, and the studs are made only so long that their ends will be 1ocated within said countersunk portions and therefore will be located above the lower continements of the lower track parts.

'Referring now to the drawing in detail, the track sections are composed primarily of grate-like plates formed by an inner guiding passage 1, and outer guiding passage 2, an inner marginal portion 3, an outer marginal portion 4, and closure webs 5. The parts 1-4 which extend primarly in the longitudinal direction of the track are at the ends of the track sections held together by said closure webs 5 and are in the space therebetween connected by transverse webs 6, 7 which are preferably offset with regard to each other. At the inner edges of the closure Webs 5 and on the transverse webs 6, 7 there are provided reinforcements `8 having a slightly conical stud bore 9. The stud bores 9 are near their lower end provided with a constriction 10 followed 'by a flat countersunk -portion 11. For covering the lower portions of the track there are provided rectangular or bent plates 12, 13 which at the bottom side are provided with cylindrical or likewise slightly conical studs 1-4. The studs are arranged at the bottom side of the plates 12, 13 and so spaced from each other that they precisely 't into the stud bores 9 of the lower porions of the track.

The connection of the lower portion of the track with the cover plates is effected in a most simple manner by rst placing the studs of the cover plates into the stud bores of the lower part of the track whereupon the thus prepared track section is introduced between two spaced rollers which are moved and press the cover plates into the lower part of the track.

According to the embodiment shown in the drawings,

the connection of the individual track sections is eiliectedl by means of tongues 15 which are molded onto the end faces of the transverse webs and which are each provided with a protrusion 16 and with corresponding yokes 17 arranged on the oppositely located plate. These yokes 17 are likewise molded on. The tongues 15 are introduced into the rectangular openings `between the transverse web and a yoke 17. According to the illustrated embodiment, one such connection is provided at both sides of the two guiding passages 1 and 2 and more specifically on the outer guiding passage 2 opposite the inner guiding passage 1 in reverse direction with regard to each other.

It is, of course, to be understood, that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular construction shown in the drawing, but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the invention. Thus, while the track described above has only two guiding passages, it is, of course, to be understood that more than two guiding passagesl may be provided, if so desired.

What I claim is:

1. lIn a track toy, especially for toy vehicles including track bodies for loop trackway formation having a plu-V rality of plate-formed track sections each having a onepiece `bottom portion of molded synthetic material and having inner and outer marginal portions adjoining the top side thereof provided with guiding slots for receiving endless driving means the improvement therewith which comprises in combination transverse web means with at least one enlarged portion having a Ibore therethrough in a direction substantially at right angles to said transverse web means, and cover plate means defining structure at least partially complementary to and projecting over and beyond at least an inner respective edge of the guiding slots, said cover plate means integrally therewith having molded on substantially rounded studs located intermediate opposite edges of said cover plate means and having a diametric width sufficiently great to assure a snug pressiit interconnection of said studs with respective bores of said transverse web means, said cover plate means in complementary relation at least in part to said guiding slots being located physically intermediate complementary interiitting and interlocking engagement of the one-piece bottom portion of molded synthetic material at locations on opposite sides of both said coveruplate means and the guiding'slots." M i 2. A track toy, especially for toy automobiles, which includes: track bodies for loop traokway formation having a plurality of plate-formed track sections each having a one-piece bottom portion of molded synthetic material and having inner and outer marginal portions adjoining the top side thereof provided with guiding slots for receiving endless driving means, said track sections having transverse web means with bores therein particularly near ends of said sections, and cover plate means defining structure at least partially complementary to said guiding slots and provided with molded-on conical studs extending into and frictionally engaging said Ibores constricted near lower ends thereof to thereby permit press-t connection of said cover plate means to said track sections.

`3i. A track toy according to claim Z, in which said there are reinforcing webs intermediate ends also containing bores reinforced and connected to portions of said track sections which define said slots.

4. A track toy according to claim 2, in which said |bores are provided with constrictions having an inner diameter less than the diameter of said studs pressed complementary thereto to be passed tightly throughy the References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,401,468 6/ 1946 Duffy. 3,228,607 1/ 1966 fRobinette et al. 3,288,368 11/1966 Athearn 23-8-10 AIRTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner R. A. BERTSCH, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. XR.

Images