Abstract:
A model electric train car possessing various movable parts which allow the train car&#39;s pivotally-mounted truck and coupler assembly to maneuver around tight curves without interference from model train steps, skirts or other train car parts in close proximity to the train coupler, thereby, avoiding derailment of the toy train. The steps, skirts or other train parts to swing, slide, rotate, or otherwise move away from the truck and coupler assembly, being attached to the train car by pins, hinges, slides, snap connectors or the like to allow the free movement of the train parts.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims priority to Provisional Application No. 60/402,553, filed Aug. 12, 2002 and incorporated herein by reference. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of Invention 
   The present invention relates to a two-rail or three-rail model electric train car with at least one pivotally-mounted coupler and truck assembly to maneuver around curves on a model railroad train track. 
   2. Discussion of Prior Art 
   This present invention is intended for use with model electric train cars operating on a two-rail or three-rail continuous track system typical of the layout depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 1,142,150 to Dorrill. Dorrill presents one of the most basic configurations of model railroad track, a simple oval design of a straight and cured track sections. Although much more complicated layout designs can be created, the basic concepts still apply of the train traveling either in a straight line or around a curve. 
   Unfortunately for many electric model train owners, often there is only a limited area in which to set up a train track layout to operate a model toy train. A standard, small size layout would consist of straight and curved track sections forming an oval with a 30″ or 31″ radius curve. Because of the sharpness of the curve due to the limited space, a problem often reoccurs during train operation especially when the train setup includes train cars of longer lengths such as passenger cars: as the long train car rounds the curve, the truck and coupler assembly will make contact with any train car parts in close proximity to said assembly. In particular, the contact may be with the model train steps or model train skirt, or side panels, of the train car. The contact may cause derailment and damage of the electric model train. Given these restrictions, many model train operators are not able to operate scale size train cars on their layouts and must limit operation to semi-scale train cars which are not as long and have a shorter wheel base than the prototypical, longer scale train cars. 
   This situation does not present a problem in monorail systems. Because the wheels run on a single middle track, there is no reason for any interference or contact with the train or parts of the train. Several patents related to monorails exist. One such patent is U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,169 by MacKenzie. The patent describes the operation of a monorail system and, also, shows sides or skirts of the train which extend down over the wheels and part of the rail. These parts are commonly added for protection and aesthetic purposes to cover the mechanisms under the monorail train, but, due to the operation on a single track, the sides or skirts do not interfere with the train operation. 
   This type of contact between the coupler and truck assembly and the train car body is not the only cause for model train derailment. Train manufacturers have implemented several designs to minimize derailment. Most effective are control systems, often remote control systems, that regulate the speed of the train as it rounds a curve. Some have also applied physical features to address this common problem. U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,607 to Kilroy et al. includes a feature in the track design which reduces the train speed at specified locations on the track. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,564,337 to Fischbach, the objective is to provide a guard rail attached to the track in order to prevent derailment. U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,337 to Shaw discloses a locomotive with two sets of driving wheels which operate independently from each other in order to provide improved operation of the locomotive. While these disclosed inventions provide solutions to the problem of derailment, none would prevent the derailment caused by contact between the truck and coupler assembly and part of the train car itself. 
   It may be useful to examine briefly the basic common type of coupler and truck assembly used on electric toy trains to aid in understanding of how the coupler and truck assembly operate and are affected by any close proximity of any of the parts of the train body itself. Both U.S. Pat. No. 1,542,139 to Ives and U.S. Pat. No. 2,133,530 to Beutlich present the basic common electric model train truck design. Each truck assembly consists of a frame, two axles each with two wheels, a bolster positioned between the two axles, and some type of connection feature in the middle of the bolster to connect the truck assembly to the model train car. Both inventions also reveal another common practice among train manufacturers which is to add detail to the outside side frame so that the outward appearance of the model toy train truck is similar to the appearance of full-size train trucks. The most crucial elements of these and similar designs to the application of this present invention is that the truck assemblies are pivotally or swively mounted to the train car body and the trucks operate in a lateral, horizontal fashion. 
   Many inventors have chosen to attach, by any of various means, the coupling assembly to the truck assembly. Although it is possible to attach the coupler mechanisms to the model train body itself, toy train manufacturers have discovered through years of research and testing that combining the coupler and truck assemblies is very effective for model electric train operation. The two basic elements of the coupler assembly consists of a coupler arm, attached to the truck assembly, which extends out an appropriate length from the truck assembly to the front or rear of the train car and the coupling mechanism. The present invention is capable of being used with all types of coupler and truck assemblies. Thus, this present invention is not limited to a particular design of coupling mechanism, but can be utilized with any of numerous types of coupler and truck assemblies. U.S. Pat. No. 3,608,237 to Richter reveals an important benefit of joining the coupler assembly to the truck assembly. It discloses that this feature allows model train cars to couple and uncouple on curved sections of track as well as straight sections of track. U.S. Pat. No. 2,872,061 to Dunbar displays a good illustration in its FIG. 1 of two typical train cars, situated on model railroad track, coupled together. In addition, FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a pair of coupled truck and coupler assemblies situated on model railroad train track. Although, Richter and Dunbar present their own unique features, both patents describe the basic elements of a typical model toy train truck and coupler assembly. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is especially suitably applied to model passenger cars, because full-size train passenger cars operated by railroads often include steps, skirts, or side panels near the train wheels as part of their design. 
   It is important to a model toy train manufacturer to replicate the passenger car as accurately as possible. Although the proximity of steps, skirts, side panels, or the like did not interfere with full-size train operation, since railroads avoided constructing very sharp curves in the railroad lines for safety reasons, these designs, however, do present a problem to the model train manufacturer when the steps, skirts, side panels or the like interfere with the operation of the model pivotally-mounted truck and coupler assembly as it maneuvers around tighter curves in the model train track. In model passenger car designs which do not include a pivotally-mounted truck and coupler assembly, this occurrence of interference may not exist. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,779,133 to Zion, the coupler assembly is separate from the truck assembly and designed to create a certain streamlined appearance. 
   Although the present invention is more often used with passenger cars, its features can be implemented in model train engines and model train rolling stock cars where any train part attached to the train car body exists in close proximity to the truck and coupler assembly. As with the passenger cars, the chance of contact is greatest among cars of longer lengths as they negotiate sharp curves. An example of a freight car with steps located near the trucks and couplers is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,450 to Edwards et al., which discloses a method of manufacturing and assembling flexible plastic steps onto a model train boxcar. The objective of the type of construction disclosed by Edwards et al. is to prevent breakage of small parts, such as the steps, during the course of manufacturing, finishing, assembling, packing or handling the model toy train product. Edwards et al. does not disclose whether the use of flexible plastic steps, instead of a more rigid material, prevents interference with the train car coupler and truck assembly as it maneuvers around sharp track curves and, thereby, prevents possible derailment, or whether the utilization of the flexible steps improves model train operation in any way. One possible disadvantage, especially when applied to higher-cost train cars, is that the plastic might give the impression that the quality of the product is not as high as that of products that use metal steps or other metal accessory-type parts. 
   Toy train manufacturers have had few solutions to this space restriction except to set and to advertise recommended train circumferences acceptable for various length train cars. Therefore, hobbyists with small layouts have been limited to operating only smaller length train cars. There is one prior design that Lionel has implemented since the 1950&#39;s on certain types of toy diesel engines wherein the fixed steps are actually part of the truck and coupler assembly and not attached to the train shell or body at all. While this design achieves the objective of avoiding contact with the train, the permanent steps on the wheel assembly is not prototypical and gives an unusual and unnatural look especially as the train does round the curve and the steps move out with the truck assembly away from the train making it more obvious that the steps are not connected to the model train car body but to the truck and coupler assembly. The present invention offers an improved solution that both allows the steps to remain attached to the train car body replicating the full-size trains more accurately and provides a means of preventing contact resulting in derailment. 
   On model toy train cars, it is important to both manufacturers and consumers to include the steps to make the train car look as realistic as possible. Model train collectors have high standards for maintaining the protypical appearance of the models in relation to the full-size trains, and even small details will influence their purchasing decisions. Despite the importance of placing the steps in the proper location on the train, the steps often interfere with the truck and coupler assembly during operation. The improvement of this design over previous designs of molded steps or permanently fixed steps allows the flexibility of movement by manufacturing the steps as a separate piece and then attaching the steps to the train car by hinges or pins or a slide or other means so that if the truck and coupler assembly does come into contact with the steps, then the steps will have enough leeway of movement that they will be pushed aside and not maintain resistant contact with the train wheels and thereby avoid a train derailment or stoppage of operation or other malfunction. If hinges or pins allowing pivot are utilized, the steps could either swing out or swing up. 
   Another option in design of the train steps would allow the operator to slide the steps up under the train chassis during operation and therefore no object would be hanging down to cause interference; the steps the could be easily lowered back into position. Another way to achieve the same result would involve a design of steps that could snap on and off the train car. The main disadvantage of these two designs is that the steps would not be present on the train car while the train is in operation on the track; however, the objective of avoiding possible derailment would be achieved by using these methods, and the train car steps could easily be repositioned or reattached for display. 
   Model train enthusiasts value having a good looking train to display and appreciate as well as having a train that operates well on their model train layout. 
   Another common feature of model railroad passenger cars and some other model train cars is a side skirt or thin side panel that extends the length of at least some portion of the train car and below the bottom of the train undercarriage or chassis. The intent of the skirt, as designed by railroads for full-size cars, is mainly aesthetical and decorative. 50&#39;s and 60&#39;s style train cars often included this skirt feature, and it is important for model toy trains manufacturers that replicate trains from this era to include this feature as well. In model toy train manufacturing, there has been the difficulty of designing a train skirt to be positioned realistically and with a prototypical look without causing interference with train operation around curves in the track. This present improvement provides attachment of the skirt to the train car by hinged or sliding means so that the skirt can slide or swing or otherwise move out of the way of the truck and coupler assembly as contact is made between said assembly and said skirt. The skirt could be designed either to swing up or to swing out or slide in by various attachment means. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a side elevation of a model train passenger car according to the present invention with steps in close proximity to the truck and coupler assembly; 
       FIG. 2  is a side elevation of a model train passenger car according to the present invention with skirts in close proximity to the truck and coupler assembly; 
       FIG. 3  is a bottom plan view of a known model passenger car rounding a track curve, with restriction in allowable curve radius because of possible interference with the skirt sides; 
       FIG. 4  is a bottom plan view of a model passenger car according to the present invention rounding a sharper radius track curve with less restriction because of movable side skirts that swing out upon contact with the truck and coupler assembly; 
       FIG. 5  is a bottom plan view of a typical truck and coupler assembly pivotally-mounted on a train passenger car; 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic view showing lateral movement of a pivotally-mounted truck and coupler assembly like that of  FIG. 5  in relation to the movable steps of a passenger car according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 7  is an enlarged partial side elevation of the passenger car of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 8  is an end view of the passenger car of  FIG. 1  displaying the normal position of the steps in relation to the truck and coupler assembly; 
       FIG. 9  is an enlarged isometric view of a first embodiment of a model passenger car step according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 10  is an enlarged cross-section through a portion of the train car of  FIG. 8  showing a step attached by a hinged pin to the train car body; 
       FIG. 11  is a partial isometric view of a side and end of a model passenger car according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 12  is an isometric view of a portion of the underside of the train car of  FIG. 11  showing a step pivotally connected by a connecting arm and pin; 
       FIG. 13  is an enlarged partial side elevation of the passenger car of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 14  is an end view of the passenger car of  FIG. 13  displaying the normal position of skirts in relation to the truck and coupler assembly; 
       FIG. 15  is an enlarged side view of one of the skirts of  FIG. 14 ; 
       FIG. 16  shows the skirt of  FIG. 14  as it swings out from the car body; 
       FIG. 17  is a transverse cross-section of the floor of a car, having curved ends for pivotally supporting steps; 
       FIG. 18  shows one detail of a hinged step; 
       FIG. 19  shows another detail of a hinged step; 
       FIG. 20  is a side view of a spring used to return the step of  FIG. 10  to its normal position; 
       FIG. 21  is a top view of the spring of  FIG. 20 ; 
       FIG. 22  is an isometric view of a support member for supporting a step according to the present invention; and 
       FIG. 23  is a bottom plan view of an end of a train car according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a model electric train passenger car  1  is presented; the passenger car is designed to include front steps  2  near the front of the car  3  and rear steps  4  near the rear of the car  5 . The front steps and rear steps provide access to front ladder  6  and rear ladder  7 , respectively. Such steps and ladders on full-size train cars are intended for use by railroad workers and are not intended for use by passengers. Doorways  8  for passengers entering and exiting, in most cases, do not employ steps, but the height of the doors is calculated and designed to be positioned corresponding to platform height at railroad depots along the railroad lines or routes. Typically, the passenger doorways are located either near the center of the train car  9  or at one or both ends of the car. 
   It can be observed from  FIG. 1  that both the front truck and coupler assembly  10  and the rear truck and coupler assembly  11  of the model car  1  are in close proximity to parts of a train car body  12  that extends down lower than the train car chassis  13 , depicted here by the front step and rear step. In this design, it is primarily the coupler arm  14  and coupling mechanism  15  of the truck and coupler assemblies running lengthwise along the undercarriage  16  of the train car body and alongside the front step or rear step that are in closest proximity with the steps. However, this may not be the case in other car designs, wherein the truck assembly portion can come into contact with steps, skirts or other train car parts extending below the chassis. 
   Similarly,  FIG. 2  presents a model electric train passenger car  17 . In this case, however, the passenger car has a front skirt  18 , or side panel, and a rear skirt  19 . This particular design shows one doorway near the front of the car over the front skirt, but no doorways appear at the rear of the car over the rear skirt. The front and rear truck and coupler assemblies are in close proximity to the front skirt and the rear skirt. The center skirt sections  20  are not located in such a way that they could cause interference with either the front or rear truck and coupler assemblies. The front, center and rear skirts cover and protect train car undercarriage mechanisms. 
     FIG. 3  displays the underside of a model railroad train car  21  rounding a three-rail model railroad train track curve  22 , which has been superimposed schematically. Also viewed are the underside of the front truck and coupler assembly  23 , the underside of the rear truck and coupler assembly  24 , and the sides of the train car body  25 , including any parts or sections of the train car which extend down below the train car chassis into the undercarriage area of the train. By the solid lines of the train car body sides, this illustration depicts a known train car which has fixed or unmovable train sections  26  that allow limited and restricted movement of the front and rear truck and coupler assembly. Thereby, the radius or arc  27  of the curved track section that is negotiable by the car is also limited. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the underside of a train car body according to the present invention, including front and rear assemblies, rounding a model train track curve is shown. However, the curvature  28  of this second curve track section is much greater. The train car body has movable left and right front parts  29 ,  30  and movable left and right rear parts  31 ,  32 , the bottom of the part sections moving away or out from the train car as they come into contact with the front and rear truck and coupler assemblies. The result is less restriction of movement to the truck and coupler assembly. 
     FIG. 5  shows the underside of a typical pivotally-mounted truck and coupler assembly attached to a train car body. This design incorporates two functions of the train car, the truck assembly  33  and the coupling and uncoupling assembly  34 , into the same assembly. Since the two assemblies are attached, they operate in the same lateral fashion and cannot move in opposite directions. The main features of the truck assembly include a truck frame  35 , a front axle  36  and a rear axle  37 , wheels  38 , a bolster  39 , and a connection  40 . The bolster, usually constructed of a solid metal strip, is attached to the truck frame between the outer side truck frame  41  and the inner side truck frame  42  and runs the length of the frame parallel to the front axle and the rear axle. In the center of the bolster, any of various connections  43  can be utilized to connect the truck assembly to the train car body. Often a bolt extends down from the train car body into an opening in the truck assembly, but whatever the connection, the main objective of the connection is to provide pivotal and lateral movement of the truck assembly in relationship to the train car body. Another common feature of the truck assembly found in three-rail model train track setups, but not critical to the present invention, is the roller pickup  44  usually located on the bolster. The roller pickup touches the middle track rail during train operation and draws electricity from the third rail. The coupling and uncoupling assembly, often attached to the truck assembly of model railroad train cars, consists primarily of a coupler arm which extends out towards the end of the train to position the coupling and uncoupling mechanism in the desired location to couple with the next train car. The connecting means  45  connecting the coupler arm to the truck assembly can have various constructions, the important factor being that the coupler assembly is in a fixed position relative to the truck assembly, whereby the two assemblies operate in the same direction at all times and are not capable of moving in opposite directions. 
   The type of pivotally-mounted truck and coupler assembly of  FIG. 5  is also shown in  FIG. 6 , along with a schematic showing of a rear side of a train car  46  according to the present invention. The train car has a movable step  46 , to the side of the train car, that extends lower than the train car chassis, contacting between the coupling mechanism located near the end of the passenger car and in close proximity to the movable step. Line  47  corresponds to the right side of the coupler mechanism  48  on the truck and coupler assembly in its centered alignment on the train car. Line  49  indicates the point of contact between the right side of the coupler mechanism and the side train car steps. Since the steps are movable, line  50  shows the additional distance allowed the truck and coupler assembly, giving the train car a tighter allowable turning radius without derailment, compared with a conventional step, which is resistant to movement. 
     FIG. 7  shows one end of a passenger car train section according to the present invention, focusing on the step and the truck and coupler assembly section of the train car. Related to this figure,  FIGS. 8 through 10  provide some further detail on the attachment of the step to the passenger car. In the rear view of the passenger car in  FIG. 8 , the smallness of the distance between the left and right movable steps  51 ,  52  and the left and right outer sides  53 ,  54  of the train car is evident. The step piece  55  of  FIG. 9  is a ladder type step with two rungs and two top portions  56 ,  57 , each with an opening receptive to a pin  58 . The step is normally constructed of either plastic or metal. As can be seen from  FIG. 10 , the step is attached to the main train car body by a pin inserted through the openings in the top portions of the step and into a hinge part  59  of the model train car body. This type of construction allows the step to move out away from train car when contact from any part of the truck and coupler assembly is applied to the step. It should be noted that various designed steps and various types of attachment can be used to achieve this same objective. 
   In another embodiment,  FIG. 11  shows a step  60  with the top of the step extending out in a top section  61 . The top section not only resembles the surrounding train car body section, but also provides a connection to the train car, as is seen in the underside view of the train car in FIG.  12 . The top section has a connecting arm  62 , extending out from the back of the step and containing an opening  63  in its end through which a pin  64  can be inserted to hold the step piece in place and to provide pivotal movement of the step attached to the train pilot  65  away from the train car when the step is contacted by any part of the truck and coupler assembly as the train car negotiates a curve in the train track layout. 
     FIG. 13  depicts the end portion of another model train passenger car with a skirt, or side panel, located near the truck and coupler assembly.  FIGS. 14 through 16  detail operation and construction of the train car and skirt of FIG.  13 . Given the rear view of the passenger car in  FIG. 14 , the smallness of the distance between the left and right movable skirts  66 ,  67  and the left and right outer sides of the train car is evident. A skirt portion  68  shown in  FIG. 15  is thin and long and normally constructed of either plastic or metal. One top portion  69  of the skirt is constructed with an opening to receive a pin or other connecting means  70  attached in a hinge-like fashion to the train car body which would allow the train car skirt to move out from the train car and avoid obstruction of the truck and coupler assembly operation.  FIG. 16  illustrates the possible extent of movement of the left side skirt, depicted in  FIG. 14 , as attached to the train car body, so that it can move away from the train car as the truck and coupler assembly pushes the skirt away from obstruction. 
     FIG. 17  shows an embodiment in which edges of a side of a car have curved portions  74  to hold hinge pins on which the steps, for example, the steps  52  of  FIGS. 8-10 , can be pivotally mounted. 
   As can be seen from  FIGS. 20 and 21 , a spring  76  having a coiled center portion  78 , end prongs  80  lying in one plane, and a central U-shaped portion  82  extending outward from the coiled portion in another plane is used to return the steps  52  to their normal position. The hinge pin, for example, hinge pin  58  of  FIG. 10 , extends through the coiled portion  78  of the spring, the end prongs  80  are secured to the car, and the U-shaped portion  82  is secured to the step  52 . 
   As can be seen from  FIG. 22 , the step can be pivotally mounted on a support member  84  which can be secured to the underside of a car by, for example, a screw. The support member has a curved portion  86  to accept a pivot pin, such as the pin  58  of  FIG. 10 , on which the step is pivotally mounted. 
   As can been seen from  FIG. 23 , in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, skirts  88  depending from the sides of the train car can be mounted to move outward to accommodate movement of the truck and coupler assembly  90 , both adjacent to the end of the car and closer to the center of the car. The truck and coupler assembly  90  has members  92  extending toward the end of the car and supporting a pilot  94 . As the truck and coupler assembly  90  turns beyond a certain angle, one of the members  92  engages an inside surface of one skirt  88 . The skirts  88  are mounted for turning movement, such as pivoting movement, outward to accommodate the turning of the truck and coupler assembly  90 , as can be seen in FIG.  23 . The end of the truck and coupler assembly opposite to the members  92  engages a portion of the opposite skirt  88  at a point closer to the center of the car. The skirts  88  are mounted for turning, such as pivoting, movement outward to accommodate the turning movement of the adjacent portion of the truck and coupler assembly  90 . Thus, the skirts  88  are mounted for movement at opposite ends. To achieve this, a pivot pin and spring arrangement using the same principle as the pin and spring arrangements shown in  FIGS. 10 ,  20  and  21  can be used between the center of each skirt  88  and the supporting portion of the train car from which the skirt depends. 
   In order to avoid frictional restriction on the turning of the train wheels adjacent to the portions of the skirts near the center of the train car, pins extend laterally outward from the sides of the truck and coupler assembly  90  to engage the inner surface of the skirts, so that the wheels do not touch the skirts. In this regard, recesses are provided on the interior of the skirts to accommodate portions of the wheels. 
   Also in connection with  FIG. 23 , steps  96  are mounted on the pilot to move with the pilot as the truck and coupler assembly  90  turns. In this way, the steps do not interfere with the turning movement of the truck and coupler assembly. 
   Although not depicted in the drawings presented here, there are a number of other suitable methods for connecting model train steps, skirts or other train parts to the model train car which would allow movement of the said part to avoid resistant contact with the truck and coupler assembly as it maneuvers around a tight curve in the model train track layout. 
   It will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is contemplated that variations and/or changes in the embodiments illustrated and described herein may be made without departure from the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the foregoing description is illustrative only, not limiting, and that the true spirit and scope of the present invention will be determined by the appended claims.