Adjustable track

This toy track is adjustable in its vertical contour, and holds itself in the vertical contour to which it is adjusted. The track is made up of numerous short sections. Each track section carries connectors that fixedly but releasably lock that section to an adjacent section, at a vertical angle selectable arbitrarily by the user of the toy. The connectors have mating pin-and-slot combinations for coupling adjacent track sections so that adjacent sections can rotate vertically with respect to one another. In addition the connectors have mating protuberance-and-groove combinations for locking the adjacent sections in particular vertical-rotation positions--that is, at the arbitrarily user-selectable angles. The connectors are secured at opposite sides (laterally, relative to vehicle motion along the track) of each track section, and the connectors extend longitudinally beyond that track section to engage like connectors of the adjacent section. The connectors are upstanding from the roadbed sections and form sides for the adjustable track. Ninety degree turns and turnaround gates for use with the adjustable track are also provided.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The invention relates to the field of track for toy vehicles and, in 
particular, to track which is adjustable to a selected contour. 
BACKGROUND ART 
For some time now, one of the most exciting areas of entertainment for 
children has involved the use of toy vehicles and track for such vehicles. 
Slot cars and railroad trains have used intricate track set-ups composed 
of permanently formed sections to increase the play value of such types of 
vehicles. Simpler toy vehicles have utilized flexible track which could be 
gently bent to a certain degree and used with permanently molded curves 
and loops to provide a somewhat complicated track set-up. With the use of 
flexible track, inclines could also be made which would have a variety of 
slopes ranging from gentle to steep but which would not be susceptible of 
rapid or discontinuous changes in slope. For these latter types of slopes, 
molded non-adjustable track portions have been provided which would 
simulate rough terrain or enable rapid slope changes to be achieved. 
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an 
improved track for use with toy vehicles. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved track 
which can be adjusted to have a selected contour. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved 
track which can be adjusted to have rapid or discontinuous changes in 
slope. 
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved 
track which can be adjusted to simulate a rough terrain. 
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an 
improved track having an improved turn around and an improved corner. 
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
An adjustable track for use with toy vehicles is provided. The track 
comprises a plurality of roadbed sections and connectors coupled to the 
roadbed sections for fixedly but releasably interlocking the roadbed 
sections with one another at selected angles to form a track having a 
selected contour. The angles and thus the contour of the track can be 
readily changed whenever desired. In a particular embodiment, the 
connectors are coupled to opposite sides of the roadbed sections and 
extend beyond the sides of the roadbed sections to engage like roadbed 
sections and like connectors between them. The connectors have pins 
extending from first ends and the like connectors have slots in first ends 
which are adapted to mate to rotatably couple the roadbed sections. The 
connectors also have a plurality of grooves at the first ends and the like 
connectors have one or more protuberances at the first ends which are 
adapted to mate to lock the roadbed sections at the selected angles. The 
connectors also have slots in and protuberances on second ends adapted to 
mate with pins and grooves on second ends of like connectors so that all 
the connectors can be coupled to one another with the roadbed sections 
therebetween to form the adjustable track. The connectors are also 
upstanding from the roadbed sections and form sides for the adjustable 
track. Ninety degree turns and turnaround gates for use with the 
adjustable track are also provided. 
The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the 
invention, both as to its organization and its method of operation, 
together with further objects and advantages thereof, will be better 
understood from the following description in connection with the 
accompanying drawings in which a presently preferred embodiment of the 
invention is illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly 
understood, however, that the drawings are for purposes of illustration 
and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of 
the invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
Referring now to FIG. 1 a top plan view of an adjustable track element 10 
of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The 
track element 10 has a roadbed 12 which has raised portions 14 thereon to 
add texture to the surface 16 of the roadbed 12. Attached to the roadbed 
12 are a pair of connectors 18,20 which, as shown in FIGS. 2-5, are 
upstanding from the roadbed 12 and serve as sides to the roadbed 12. These 
sides provide smooth inside surfaces which minimize drag on the toy 
vehicles when they engage those surfaces. Each of the connectors 18,20 
have pins 22,24 extending from first ends 26,28 thereof and slots 30,32 
formed in second ends 34,36 thereof extending beyond the roadbed 12. In 
addition, each of the connectors 18,20 have a plurality of grooves 38,40 
in the first ends 26,28 and one or more protuberances 42,44 extending from 
the second ends 34,36. The track elements may be made of various suitable 
materials such as molded plastic which will give the elements a degree of 
flexibility and resilience for purposes of interconnection and adjustment 
of track elements as described below. 
As is shown in FIGS. 6-9, the various elements of the connectors 18,20 are 
adapted to mate with like elements of like connectors when the like 
connectors and its associated roadbed from a like track element are 
inserted between the second ends 34,36 of the connectors 18,20 extending 
beyond the roadbed 12, and when the connectors 18,20 and the roadbed 12 
are inserted between like extending second ends of like connectors of a 
like track element to form the adjustable track 46. Thus in FIG. 6 track 
elements 10,10',10" are shown coupled together by connectors 18,18',18". 
Pin 22 of connector 18 is inserted into slot 30' of connector 18', as 
shown in FIG. 9, while protuberances 42' of connector 18' are engaged with 
grooves 38 of connector 18, as shown in FIG. 8. Similarly, protuberances 
42 of connector 18 are engaged with grooves 38" of connector 18", as shown 
in FIG. 8, while pin 22" of connector 18" is inserted into slot 30 of 
connector 10. Likewise pin 22' of connector 10' is inserted into the slot 
of its adjacent connector while protuberances 42" of connector 10" engage 
the grooves of its adjacent connector. 
Pins 22,22',22" and slots 30,30',30" thus serve to rotatably couple the 
track elements 10,10',10", while protuberances 42,42',42" and grooves 
38,38',38" lock the roadbeds 12,12',12" at selected angles to form a 
selected contour for the adjustable track 46. This contour is illustrated 
in FIG. 7 in which the roadbeds 12,12',12" are shown in cross-section 
carrying a vehicle, in phantom, with the smooth interior surfaces of the 
ends 28,28',28" of the connectors 20,20',20" serving as one side for the 
adjustable track 46. As shown in FIG. 7 the transition between roadbeds 
12,12',12" can be abrupt, depending on the angle selected, so that the 
changes in slope can be rapid or even discontinuous to simulate a rough 
terrain, with the protuberances and the grooves serving to fixedly but 
releasably lock the selected contour in place. This contour can of course 
be changed whenever desired by the user. 
Referring now to FIG. 10 a top plan view of a turnaround gate 48 for use 
with the adjustable track 46 of the present invention is illustrated. The 
gate 48 consists of a circular track portion 50 bounded by an outer wall 
52 and an inner wall 54 of sufficient height that a vehicle could not 
climb over the walls 52,54, generally a height higher than the center line 
of the tires, which walls 52,54 urge the vehicle into a direction opposite 
the initial direction of the vehicle. The gate 48 has a deflector 56 
coupled to the inner wall 54 which allows vehicles to enter into the 
circular track portion 50 through opening or entrance region 58 and 
prevents them from entering through opening or exit region 60, thus 
determining the direction of rotation of vehicles entering the gate 48. 
The deflector 56 is generally made out of a flexible material so that a 
vehicle exiting from the gate 48 through opening 60 will merely push aside 
the deflector 56 and exit from the gate 48, while a vehicle trying to 
enter the opening 60 will push the deflector clockwise against 56 the 
outer wall 52 and to be nonmovable from that position by the vehicle. 
Alternatively, the deflector 56 could be rigid and coupled to the inner 
wall 54 by a spring-loaded hinge to perform the same function. Outer wall 
52 also has at the ends thereof near the entrance to the gate 48 slots 
62,64 and protuberances 66,68 to engage the pins 22,24 and the grooves 
38,40 of connectors 18,20 of track element 10. The side wall surfaces of 
the gate are smooth to avoid drag. The floor is also smooth to permit the 
wheels to slip so the toy vehicle can turn and change direction as it 
passes through the gate. 
In FIG. 11, a ninety degree turn 70 for use with the adjustable track 46 of 
the present invention is illustrated. The turn 70 consists of entrance 
region 72, deflection region 74 and exit region 76, all bounded by outer 
wall 78 and inner wall 80. The outer and inner walls 78,80 in the entrance 
region 72 have slots 82,84 and protuberances 86,88 to engage the pins 
22,24 and the grooves 38,40 of connectors 18,20 of the track element 10. 
The outer and inner walls 78,80 in the exit region have pins 90,92 and 
grooves 94,96 to engage the slots 30,32 and the protuberances 42,44 of the 
track element 10. The deflection region 74 consists of expanded regions 
98,100 and a narrow region 102, formed by the inner wall 80 and curved 
portions 104,106 and straight portion 108 of the outer wall 78. 
In operation, the vehicle enters the turn 70 at region 72 and encounters 
the straight portion 108 of the outer wall 78 in the narrow region 102. 
This turns the vehicle so that it then goes along the straight portion 108 
of the outer wall 78 while traversing the narrow region 102 and then 
encounters curved portion 106 of the outer wall 78 which acts to deflect 
the vehicle into the center of the region 76 and prevents the vehicle from 
clinging to the outer wall 78, thus facilitating the exiting of the 
vehicle from turn 70. The curved portion 106 thus acts to overcompensate 
for the turn 70 in expanded region 100 and causes the vehicle to exit the 
turn 70 in the center of the attached track element 10. Expanded region 98 
and curved portion 106 of the outer wall act to similarly deflect vehicles 
going in the opposite direction and are not necessary if the turn 70 is 
only going to be used as a left turn for a one-way track, as shown in FIG. 
11. The outer and inner walls 78,80 are, as before, of a sufficient height 
so that a vehicle could not climb over them, generally a height higher 
than the center line of the tires. The length of expanded region 100 is 
approximately equal to or greater than the length of the vehicle going 
through the turn 70. If the expanded region 100 is too short, then the 
vehicle will not be sufficiently deflected to exit the turn 70 in the 
center of the attached roadbed element 10. Finally, the turn 70 does not 
have to be ninety degrees but can range from merely a small angular 
deflection to the turnaround of FIG. 10 or even greater angles. The floor 
and sidewalls are smooth as with the gate for like reasons. 
Having thus described the invention, it is obvious that numerous 
modifications and departures may be made by those skilled in the art. The 
placement of the pins and grooves and the slots and protuberances could be 
interchanged and the pins and grooves positioned to face inwardly and the 
protuberances outwardly without affecting the operation of the invention. 
Likewise the grooves and protuberances could be replaced by various other 
engaging means, such as by applying a tacky medium or the product sold 
under the trademark "velcro" to the inner surfaces of the sides and 
pressing them together to engage. Thus the invention is to be construed as 
being limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
The adjustable track and turns are useful in conjunction with toy vehicles 
for entertainment purposes.