Abstract:
A spiral ramp for toy vehicles includes a vertical center pole supported by a base having a receiving socket for the lower end of the pole and a plurality of radially extending feet. A plurality of support clamps are arranged at different positions along the center pole and receive the upper ends of a corresponding plurality of downwardly angled support arms. A plurality of curved track segments are serially joined to form a spiral ramp which is supported by the attachment of the lower ends of the support arms to selected ones of the curved track segments. The height and character of the spiral ramp thus formed is adjustable by moving the plurality of support clamps upon the center pole and adjusting the angle defined by the support arms extending therefrom.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to toy vehicle playsets and particularly to those utilizing free-wheeling vehicles operative within multiply curved and looped track sets. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Toy vehicle playsets have become an extremely popular category of toy products and, notsurprisingly, this popularity has prompted practitioners in the art to create and fabricate a wide variety of toy vehicle playsets. Accordingly, vehicle playsets have been provided which employ a variety of track configurations which typically define multiple loops and curves and usually provide a smooth trackway having upwardly extending sidewalls for confining and guiding the toy vehicle. While many toy vehicle playsets utilize powered vehicles having small battery-powered motor drives in the toy vehicles, the more prevalent type of toy vehicle playset involves the use of a free-wheeling unpowered toy vehicle operative together with some type of apparatus for imparting energy and velocity to the toy vehicle. Typical types of devices used in accelerating such unpowered toy vehicles upon trackways have included elongated downwardly inclined gravity acceleration ramps, fixed launchers having a spring-driven type of accelerator which, in essence, “catapults” the toy vehicle onto the track as well as conventional rotating wheel booster accelerators which employ a pair of rotating soft foam wheels on each side of the toy vehicle track and which impart acceleration to the vehicle as it passes between the rotating wheels. 
     Regardless of the type of acceleration device used in such toy vehicle playsets, practitioners in the art have endeavored to provide more interesting and amusing trackways and trackway path devices for the toy vehicle to traverse. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,480,210 issued to Perrinjaquet sets forth a RACETRACK having an elongated flexible trackway defining a trackway path and rising sidewalls which is downwardly inclined from a table or other raised object to a floor surface and which is supported by a plurality of intermediate telescoping supports. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,677,469 issued to Edmisson, et al. sets forth a LOOPED TRACK SYSTEM FOR TOY WHEELED VEHICLES which provides a flexible trackway supported to produce a direction changing vertical loop. The direction changed is approximately ninety degrees in traversing the loop. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,703,989 issued to Tomiyama sets forth a TRACK DEVICE FOR TOY VEHICLE having a spiral track member defining inner and outer ends to which other track members may be joined to form a track assembly such as a continuous track. The spiral member is axially extensible and mounted upon a support adjacent the inner end of the spiral. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,708,116 issued to Woodward sets forth a CURVED ACCESSORY USABLE WITH TRACK SYSTEM FOR TOY WHEELED VEHICLES having a flexible trackway and a vertical support which includes a base having a raised support and a pair of lower supports. The trackway is secured to the lower supports on each side and is inverted and attached to the raised support to provide a loop which curves and inverts the toy vehicle. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,712,538 issued to Starr, et al. sets forth TOY VEHICLE TRACK SUPPORT STRUCTURE having a planar base defining a plurality of track attachment devices and a vertical tower. The vertical tower supports a horizontally extending arm having a track attachment at the end thereof. A flexible track passes over each side of the planar base and is secured thereto. The track further rises at its center and inverts forming an inverting loop, the high point of which is secured to the horizontal arm. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,476 issued to Porter, et al. sets forth a HELICAL TRACK SYSTEM having a helical ramp supported by a quartet of external support posts and having means at the upper and lower ends thereof for attaching to a trackway. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,735,923 issued to Brigham, et al. sets forth a LOOPED TRAFFIC ACCESSORY having a pair of support bases each secured to opposite ends of a vertical track loop. Each support base further includes an extending tongue for engaging and securing a straight line trackway to interpose the loop within a conventional trackway. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,585,166 issued to Stephens sets forth a COLLAPSIBLE TOY AUTOMOBILE RACE COURSE having a spiral track within an arrangement for biasing the track to act as a spring having a relaxed essentially collapsed position and an extended taut position. A post is provided for holding the track in an extended position so than one end is higher than the other forming a spiral. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,067 issued to Carmo sets forth a COMBINED BALL AND FLEXIBLE TRACK having an extended flexible track secured to supporting handles at each end thereof. A ball is rolled within the track between the two ends and opposing players raise and lower the track ends to roll the ball along the track. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,949 issued to Buck, et al. sets forth a TOY TRACK AND BOWL WITH CAR HEIGHT INDICATOR having a vertically disposed drum defining an entrance aperture coupled to a track ramp. A toy vehicle enters the drum at high speed and rapidly progresses about the drum. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,157 issued to Lambert sets forth a TOY RACING SET having at least one powered vehicle, a length of flexible track and a carrying case. The carrying unfolds to form a track upon which the vehicle may run. The case many be closed having the flexible track therein to provide a loop-the-loop track for a powered vehicle. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,953 issued to Hippely, et al. sets forth a TOY VEHICULAR PLAYSET having a horizontally disposed drum coupled to an entrance ramp and an exit ramp and defining a spiraling transitory path for toy vehicles therebetween. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,609,363 issued to Udagawa sets forth a TRACK TOY having a supporting tower replicating a robot and an encircling spiral track for toy vehicles. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,053 issued to Cook, et al. sets forth a MULTI-FUNCTION TOY STUNT SET which may be used to form a loop and ramps for use during play with toy vehicles. Two tower members with engaging grooves are mounted on top of a base and a frame with flexible sheet pieces is positioned between the tower members. A rod at the end of a flexible member may be inserted into grooves in order to form loops and ramps. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,299,565 issued to Yarashes; U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,626 issued to Tucker; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,603,505 issued to Tsugawa set forth various toy vehicle type accessories having looped trackways. 
     While the foregoing described prior art devices have provided improvement in the art and, in some instances enjoyed commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore improved interesting and entertaining toy vehicle playset accessories and devices. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved accessory for use in a toy vehicle trackway playset. It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide an improved accessory for toy vehicle trackway playsets which provides a spiral ramp for use in the toy vehicle trackway. 
     In accordance with the present invention, there is provided for use in combination with a toy vehicle, a spiral ramp comprising: a center pole having a lower end and an upper end; a base for securing the lower end and supporting the center pole in a generally vertical orientation; a plurality of support clamps secured to the center pole between the lower end and the upper end in a generally spaced-apart arrangement each defining a first attachment means; a plurality of support arms each defining an upper end having a second attachment means cooperatively engaging one of the first attachment means and a lower end defining a third attachment means; and a plurality of curved track segments, at least some of the curved track segments defining a fourth attachment means each cooperatively engaging one of the third attachment means, the curved track segments being joined to form a spiral track supported by the support arms. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like reference numerals identify like elements and in which: 
     FIG. 1 sets forth a perspective view of a spiral ramp for toy vehicles constructed in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 sets forth a partial section view of the present invention spiral ramp taken along section lines  2 — 2  in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 sets forth a perspective view of the present invention spiral ramp for toy vehicles having the curved trackway ramp portions omitted; 
     FIG. 4 sets forth a section view of the trackway support of FIG. 3 taken along section lines  4 — 4  therein; and 
     FIG. 5 sets forth a partial section perspective view of the support clamp and support arm attachment of the present invention spiral ramp for toy vehicles. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 sets forth a perspective view of a spiral ramp for toy vehicles constructed in accordance with the present invention and generally referenced by numeral  10 . Spiral ramp  10  includes a generally cylindrical center pole  11  having a bottom end received within a socket  13  defined in a support base  12 . Base  12  further includes a plurality of radially extending feet  14  through  18  which are joined to socket  13  and extend outwardly to vertically support center pole  11 . Spiral ramp  10  further includes a plurality of supports clamps  20 ,  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24  and  25 , the structure of which is shown in FIG. 4 in greater detail. However, suffice it to note here that support clamps  20  through  25  are generally C-shaped in cross-section and are sufficiently resilient to be snap-fitted upon center pole  11 . In the preferred fabrication of the present invention, support clamps  20  through  25  are spaced upon center pole  11  in the manner shown to provide an appropriate spacing for defining the spiral ramp of the curved trackway described below. In accordance with the present invention, support clamps  20  through  25  are vertically movable upon center pole  11  as indicated in either the upward or downward directions to adjust the eventual shape provided for the spiral ramp trackway. Support clamps  20  through  25  each define a respective arm socket  40  through  45 , the structure of which is set forth below in FIG.  5 . Suffice it to note here that each of support clamps  20  through  25  defines a spherical socket such as arm socket  41  shown in FIG.  5 . Correspondingly, a plurality of support arms  30 ,  31 ,  32 ,  33 ,  34  and  35  are secured to support clamps  20  through  25  respectively by attachment to arm sockets  40  through  45  respectively. More specifically, support arms  30  through  35  each define a respective ball such as ball  36  shown in the upper portion of support arm  31  (shown in FIG. 5) which is received within arm sockets  40  through  45  respectively to secure the upper ends of support arms  30  through  35  to clamps  20  through  25 . It will be understood that support clamps  20  through  25  are identical and further that support arms  30  through  35  are identical. Thus, the attachment of support arm  31  to support clamp  21  using arm socket  41  and ball  36  shown in FIG. 5 will be understood to be illustrative of the attachment of each of support arms  30  through  35  to support clamps  20  through  25 . As is better seen in FIG. 3, each of support arms  30  through  35  define a respective ball member  50  through  55  at the lower ends thereof. 
     Spiral ramp  10  further includes an input track portion  26  and an exit track portion  29  operative to join spiral ramp  10  to the remainder of a toy vehicle trackway (not shown). For purposes of illustration, an illustrative free-wheeling unpowered toy vehicle  27  is shown traveling in the direction of arrow  28  upon track  26  in the anticipated use of the present invention spiral ramp. It will be understood, however, that the present invention spiral ramp is bilateral and thus while a climbing application is illustrated in FIG. 1, the present invention spiral ramp may be utilized within a toy vehicle track set in the opposite direction in which a toy vehicle enters the spiral via track section  29  and exits via track section  26  without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In accordance with an important aspect of the present invention, the spiral trackway portion of spiral ramp  10  is fabricated of a plurality of curved interlocking trackway segments  60  through  74  which are sequentially coupled between track portion  26  and track portion  29 . Curved track segments  60  through  74  are substantially identical and each define a respective cooperating interlock (not shown) which facilitates attachment of each track segment in a serial fashion to form a spiral track portion. This interlocking feature may utilize virtually any of the well known interlocks conventionally used in coupling toy vehicle trackway segments together. For example, track segments  60  through  74  may define respective male and female connector elements which form a continuous track by mating each male portion with the succeeding female portion of the sequential track segment forming the trackway. 
     In accordance with the present invention, each of curved track segments  60  through  74  define a respective ball socket on the underside thereof. Due to the perspective view of FIG. 1, ball socket  84  is visible on the bottom of track segment  64 . FIG. 2 sets forth a section view of track segment  64  and ball segment  84  receiving ball  51  of arm support  31  in greater detail. However, suffice it to note here that ball socket  84  on the underside of curved track portion  64  facilitates the attachment of the lower end of support arm  31 . Correspondingly, the perspective view of FIG. 1 also shows ball sockets  85 ,  86  and  87  on the underside of curved track segments  65 ,  66  and  67 . In addition, the perspective view of FIG. 1 shows ball sockets  89 ,  90 ,  91  and  92  on the undersides of curved track segments  69 ,  70 ,  71  and  72  respectively. It will be understood, however, that while not seen in FIG. 1, the remainder of curved track segments within spiral ramp  10  also include identical ball sockets on the undersides thereof. 
     In accordance with an important aspect of the present invention, the spiral path of the trackway formed by curved segments  60  through  74  may be varied or adjusted by moving support clamps  20  through  25  and by separating one or more of the lower ends of support arms  30  through  35  from their coupled track segments and reattaching the lower ends of the support arms to different curved track segment ball sockets as desired. In this manner, the spiral path of the spiral ramp is varied to add further interest and enjoyment to the use of the present invention spiral ramp for toy vehicles. 
     FIG. 2 sets forth a partial section view of a typical track segment and support arm attachment taken along section lines  2 — 2  in FIG.  1 . It will be understood that while FIG. 2 shows the specific structure for track segment  64  secured to support arm  31 , the structure set forth in FIG. 2 is equally descriptive of the identical attachments between support arm  30  and its respective track segment (track segment  62  seen in FIG. 1) and support arms  32  through  35  and their respective attachments to track segments  67 ,  68 ,  71  and  73  (seen in FIG.  1 ). 
     More specifically, track segment  64  defines a trackway path  100  sufficiently planar to receive a toy vehicle such as toy vehicle  27  shown in dashed-line upon surface  100 . Track segment  64  further defines a pair of upwardly extending sidewalls  101  and  102  which extend from trackway path  100 . In addition, segment  64  defines a ball socket  84  on the underside of the track segment. Correspondingly, a support arm  31  defines a ball  51  having a slot  56  formed therein. Support arm  31  is joined to track segment  64  by forcing ball  51  into socket  84  thereof. During the insertion of ball  51  into socket  84 , slot  56  allows ball  51  to deform sufficiently to be force inserted into socket  84 . Thereafter, ball  51  expands to fill socket  84  and captivate ball  51  therein. It will be noted that the ball and socket attachment of arm  31  to track segment  64  facilitates a substantial degree of pivotal or angular adjustment between track segment  64  and support arm  31 . Once again, it should be understood that the structure of track segment  64  is identical to track segments  61  through  63  and  65  through  74  and thus each track segment and its respective attachment to a support arm is accomplished in the identical fashion to that shown in FIG. 2 between track segment  64  and support arm  31 . In the event it is desired to relocate support arm  31  in attachment to a different track segment to alter the spiral character of spiral ramp  10 , a sufficient force applied to arm  31  against track segment  64  again deforms ball  51  and allows it to be withdrawn from socket  84 . 
     To better illustrate the arrangement of support clamps and support arms upon center pole  11  of the present invention spiral ramp, FIG. 3 sets forth a perspective view of center pole  11  together with support clamps  20  through  25  and support arms  30  through  35  with the curved track segments and track portions  26  and  29  omitted. As described above, spiral ramp  10  includes a base  12  supported by a plurality of radially extending feet  14  through  18  (foot  16  not visible in FIG. 3 due to the perspective view). Base  12  further includes a socket  13  which receives the lower end of cylindrical pole  11 . A plurality of support clamps  20  through  25  are snap-fitted upon pole  11  in the desired arrangement. Support clamps  20  through  25  define respective arm sockets  40  through  45  each configured as shown in FIG.  5  and each receiving the upper end of a support arm  30  through  35 . Again, the attachment of the upper ends of support arms  30  through  35  is illustrated in FIG. 5 by the attachment of support arm  31  within arm socket  41  of support clamp  21 . It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the ball and socket attachment of the upper ends of support clamps  20  through  25  within arm sockets  40  through  45  allows for angular adjustment of support arms  30  through  35  upon center pole  11 . This further facilitates the variability of the spiral ramp as clamps  20  through  25  are adjusted upon pole  11 . FIG. 3 also shows the structure of balls  50  through  55  at the lower ends of support arms  30  through  35  respectively. It will be recalled from the above description of FIG. 2 that the attachment of each of support arms  30  through  35  is provided by inserting its respective ball within the ball socket of its associated curved track segment. 
     FIG. 4 sets forth a section view of pole  11 , clamp  24  and arm  34  taken along lines  4 — 4  in FIG.  3 . To facilitate the illustration of arm socket  44  of support clamp  24 , support arm  34  is shown in dashed-line representation. More specifically, pole  11  defines a generally cylindrical cross-section and receives the generally C-shaped snap-fit attachment of clamp support  24 . Clamp support  24  further supports an arm socket  44  within which support arm  34  is secured. It will be noted that clamp support  24  is preferably formed of a resilient material such as molded plastic or the like and is preferably sized to be snap-fit assembled to pole  11 . Thus, clamp support  24  tightly grasps pole  11 . However, the position of clamp support  24  may be adjusted upon pole  11  either rotationally or vertically by simply applying sufficient force to clamp  24  to cause it to slide or pivot upon pole  11 . 
     FIG. 5 sets forth a partial section perspective view of the attachment of support arm  31  to clamp support  21 . It will be recalled that support arms  30  through  35  are identical in structure and that their respective attachments to identical support clamps  20  through  25  respectively are fully illustrated by the structure and attachment shown in FIG. 5 for support clamp  21  and support arm  31 . More specifically, pole  11  receives support clamp  21  in a snap-fit attachment in which support clamp  21  engages pole  11  with sufficient grasp to fix the position of clamp  21  upon pole  11 . Support clamp  21  defines an arm socket  41  which receives ball  36  of support arm  31  in a snap-fit or force-fit insertion. The ball and socket attachment between ball  36  of arm  31  and arm socket  41  of clamp  21  allows the angular position of support arm  31  to be adjusted in order to accommodate the particular spiral shape assumed by the spiral ramp as illustrated in FIG.  10 . 
     What has been shown is a spiral ramp for toy vehicles which provides an entertaining and amusing track portion within a toy vehicle trackway set. The spiral ramp described herein is capable of substantial adjustment both as to spiral height and spiral diameter and progression due to the novel clamp support attachment and ball and socket attachments between the support arms and their respective support clamps and track segments. The entire structure may readily be fabricated of relatively low cost molded plastic components and may be completely disassembled for compact storage between uses. 
     While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects. Therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.