Patent Publication Number: US-4150789-A

Title: Connection device for toy vehicle tracks

Description:
The present invention relates to tracks for toy vehicles such as railway trains and constitutes a Continuation in Part of my application Ser. No. 807,102 of July, 16, 1977, now abandoned. 
    
    
     Various connections have been designed in the past for joining sections of track for toy vehicles. Frequently these suffer from one or both disadvantages which are that protruding metal connections, primarily intended for electrical conduction are sharp and can hurt children using the track, or else the connections fail to provide a firm join when the track sections are fitted together. This latter disadvantage causes snags in the track making the movement of vehicles along the track difficult and when the rails of the tracks are used as electrical conductors in the case of toy railway tracks, poor electrical connection between track sections results. 
     Accordingly, the invention provides a plurality of toy vehicle track sections, each having at one or both ends of each track section, a protruding plug portion of plastics material and socket, the socket being adapted to receive a similar plug portion on the next track section, and the plug portion fitting into a similar socket on the next track section, the plug portion or socket having a detent, and the socket or plug portion correspondingly having a detent receiving means for locking engagement with the detent. 
     In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the socket is provided with a resilient seating, on which the detent or detent receiving means is provided. Preferably, the resilient seating is formed as part of a lower wall of the socket separated from the other walls of the socket at least part of its length by longitudinal slots running substantially in the longitudinal direction of a said track section. In the embodiment of the invention as described, the resilient seating is provided with a hole, forming the detent receiving means. 
     Preferably, the plug portion is formed with a channel-shaped cross-section with two vertical short portions and a longer horizontal joining portion, on an outer face of which is provided the detent or detent receiving means. The detent may be formed as a round projecting member suitably dimensioned to fit into a round hole or recess in one wall of the socket. 
     In the case where the track sections are provided with electrical conducting rails, the socket may be provided with an electrical connection, secured to one wall of the socket, and the plug portion is suitably provided with a further electrical connection mounted within the channel. Both electrical connections preferably extend under the conductor rails, and are held in electrical connection with the rails by being sandwiched between a track base and the rails. 
     It has not hitherto been convenient to connect together a track section of the type described and a standard track section in which the rails are connected together end to end by fishplates which are pushed over the end of a rail of one section and over the end of a corresponding rail of an adjacent track section and which then act to connect together both the rails and tracks. 
     A track section in accordance with this invention may have its base cut away beneath the ends of the rails at one or both ends so that a fishplate can be received beneath the rail to connect this to the rail of a standard track section. Thus a track section in accordance with the present invention can either be connected to another track section of the type described or alternatively it can be connected to a standard track section using standard fishplates. 
     Preferably each socket and/or plug is connected to a rail carried by the track section by means of a resilient or spring electrical connecting element which extends up across the cut away portion of the base of the section to engage the underside of the end of the respective rail. The necessary electrical connection is thus maintained between the plugs and sockets of the corresponding rails when a track section in accordance with this invention is connected to another track section of the type described. 
    
    
     The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective end view of one track section according to the invention, 
     FIG. 2 is an underside plan view of the track section shown in FIG. 1, 
     FIG. 3 is an end elevation of a modification of the track section; 
     FIG. 4 is a view of the end of a track section in accordance with this invention and a standard rail track section just prior to engagement; and 
     FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 showing the track sections engaged together. 
    
    
     As shown in the drawings, at the end of each track section 1 there is provided a protruding plug portion 2 formed of plastics material. There is also provided a socket 3 formed in a base 4. 
     The socket 3 is formed with a rectangular cross-section, having four walls. The lower wall 5 is provided with a resilient seating 6 in which is formed a hole 7. On either side of the resilient seating longitudinal slots 8 and 9 are provided to allow some independent movement of the seating 6 from the remainder of the lower wall 5. 
     The protruding plug portion 2 is formed into a channel shape having two short vertical portions 10 and 11 interconnected by horizontal portion 12 formed with a slight curvature on its leading edge 13. The plug portion 2 is dimensioned so as to fit precisely into the socket 3 and on the lower exterior side 14 of the plug portion there is provided a detent 15 which protrudes from the surface 14 to fit into a hole 7 in the seating 6 of the next track section. 
     Whereas the track sections are primarily designed for use with electrically operated toy vehicles, particularly railway trains, the connections provide a firm and suitable joint for non-electrical track. In the event of the track being electrified, metal conductor rails 20 and 21 are provided which are slotted into slots 22 provided in each sleeper 23 and crimped at, for example 24, between two sleepers 23 in order to provide a stop to longitudinal movement after assembly. 
     An electrical connection 25 is provided in the socket which is located by two slots (not shown) in the upper wall of the socket, so as to pass under and maintain contact with rails 20. In the plug portion 2 a corresponding connection is provided by means of a plate 27 held to the interior upper surface 28 of the portion 12 by means of a turned-over lip 29 engaging in a slot 30 and recess 31. The connector 27 is held to the rail 21 by passing through a slot 32 under the rail 21 so that an extension portion 33 is sandwiched between the track base 4 and the rails 21, to make contact at its terminal with a portion 34 of the rail 21. The connection plate 27 is provided with an upwardly protruding portion 35 to ensure a good contact with the next track section connector 25. 
     It will be appreciated that great care has been taken to ensure that all metal portions extending beyond the end 36 of each track section are guarded by means of the protruding plug portion 2. No metal connections in the socket portion extend beyond the end 36 of the track section. 
     In the modification illustrated in FIGS. 3-5 the base portion 1 of the track section is cut away as illustrated at 40 beneath each end of each rail 20, 21 so that, in effect, the free ends of the rail overhang the base at their terminal portions and as can be seen in FIG. 3 the connecting elements 25, 33 extend up across the cut away portion 40 to resiliently engage the underside of the respective rails and to maintain a good electrical contact. 
     If the track illustrated in FIGS. 3-5 is to be connected to a standard track such as is generally shown at 42 in FIGS. 4 and 5 then fishplates 44 are slid over the ends of the rails 46, 48 of the standard track section 42 and over the rails 20, 21 of the track section in accordance with this invention; the cut away portion 40 enabling the fishplate to be slid beneath the ends of the rails 20 and 21. When the fishplates are slid into cutouts 40 beneath rails 20, 21 they resiliently deflect connecting elements 25, 33 downwardly. Upon the removal of the fishplates from cutouts 40 the connecting elements 25, 33 again resiliently engage the underside of the rails. 
     The fishplates 44 as can be seen in FIG. 4 comprise a bent tubular metal sleeve open at both ends and formed with a longitudinal slot 45 to enable the side wall portions to be sprung apart when inserted over the ends of rails and then tightly to grip the rails. 
     The connected tracks are shown in FIG. 5 and it will be appreciated that a good mechanical joint is achieved due to the use of the fishplates which also act electrically to connect the rails 20 and 46; and 21 and 48.