US1109968A - Toy construction. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Sept. 8, 1914.

WITNESSES I ll JOSHUA L. COWEN, OF NEW YORK, N..Y.

'IOY CONSTRUCTION.

To (17] whom it may concern Be it known that I, Joslnm L. CownN, a citizen of the Unlted States, and a resident of New York' city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented" certain new and useful Improvements in 'loy Constructions, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to toy' constructions and particularly to atoy railway in which a rail conductor is used to carry an electric current to a. motor mounted upon a car.

The object of my invention is to provide a track construction comprising a roadway having electric conductors embodied therein and presenting a roadway on which the wheels of a car may be supported.

A further object of my invention is to provide a rail construction for carrying an electric current which rail also serves as a guide to hold the car in its proper course.

The features of novelty will be pointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a toy roadway disclosing a View of one end thereof and of the rail construction carried thereby. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 1 shown partly in section. Fig. 3 is an end view of the conduit portion of the roadway with the rail pin shown in cross section.

A. indicates the roadway which is preferably formed of sheet metal and is made in sections and bent to provide aconduit B which extends the entire length of the roadway. At the upper edges of the conduit are ribs BB which project slightly above the surface of the track portion of the roadway A. The track portion may be inclined if desired on each side of the median line of the conduit as indicated in dotted lines B B The metal is bent to provide outer sides AA which extend about at right angles to the plane surface A and the edges are bent to form beads A 3 in such a manner as to provide longitudinally extending openings in each of which a wire C is located and extends nearly the entire length thereof and projects beyond one end as illustrated at E, so as to provide sockets D- D at each end of the section and at opposite sides thereof and match pins E-E at each end of the section on opposite sides thereof, so that when the sections are joined together Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 22, 1912. Serial No. 692,336. 7

way can be built Patented Sept. 8, 1914.

will enter the sockets end to end, the pins E and thus alinc the surfaces A of the roadway and at the same time serve to hold the sections together. The'bottom of the conduit B is slitted in such a manner as to provide clip portions B which are bent upward to support a rail F which extends the length of the section and located between the base of the rail F and the clips E is a strip of insulating material G. v

The rail F is preferably formed of sheet metal as indicated and is provided at each end with a half pin H and semi-circular shaped socket at one side thereof, so that when the sections are placed together the half pin H in the end of one section of rail Wlll fit into the socket formed in the end of the adjacent rail and vice versa, thereby provldmg sections which are interchangeable, as will be'readily understood. The

height of the rail F'in :the conduit is pref-' erably less than the depth of the conduit.

While the sections of track or roadway here shown are illustrated as straight sections, it will be understood that cur-ved'sections'may also be provided by means of which a continuous, elliptical shaped roadupon' which a car can travel the circuit continuously. By connecting the rail F with one pole of an electric battery and" the metal roadway with theother pole thereof, a car placed on the roadway having a contact shoe in'cont'act with the rail would be furnished with a current of electricity which after flowing through the-motor would pass through' a second-comtact shoe which rested on the rib portions B, thus completingthe circuit through the motor lip drive the car, as will be readily understoo The construction of the car and its contacts for use with thisroadway is disclosed in a co-pending application herewith and therefore needs no further description in this application.

The construction herein shown may be modified to a considerable de-'.

gree without departing from the invention disclosed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new 1. A roadway for toy electric railways formed of integral sheet metal sections each section having substantially fiat track portions upon which the wheels of the vehicle are adapted to roll, and a conduit between said track portions, a rail attached to the roadway is adapted to rest and a conduit.

between said track portions, a rail within said conduit below the surface of the track portions and insulated therefrom adapted to serve as a current conveying means and also as a guiding means for the toy vehicle,

said track portions and rail being provided with attaching means for mechanically and,

electrically connecting the sections together.

3. A toy construction-comprising a sheet metal roadway formed as a separate inter-' changeable section having a track portion, a conduit formed integrally therewith, the upper portions of which extend above the surface of the roadway, said roadway'being.

adapted to serve-as a contact member from which the current is conducted to the vehicle, a rail supported in said conduit, and attaching means at the end of the section for connecting with an adjacent section.

4. A toy construction comprising a sheet metal roadway formed as a separate interchangeable section having a track. portion, a conduit formed integrally therewith, the upper portions of which extend above the surface of the roadway, said roadway being adapted to serve as a contact member from which the current is conducted to the ve hicle, a rail supported in said conduit, and insulating material located between said rail and the surface of said conduit.

5.. A. toy construction embodying a sheet metal roadway and a conduit formed therein incense below the surface thereof, a rail supported 1n the conduit, said rail having a socket at each end, an extended member fastened in each socket disposed mainly at one side of the median line of the rail, and insulating material located between the conduit and said rail.

6. A. toy construction formed of sheet metal comprising a roadway having substantially flat track portions upon which the Wheels of'a toy vehicle are adapted to roll and a conduit formed below the surface.

of the track portions and integral therewith,

a rail supported in said conduit, insulating material located between the rail and said conduit, and means located at each side of the roadway comprising pins and sockets for the purpose set forth.

'7. A. toy construction comprising a section of a sheet metal roadway and a conduit, the upper edges of the walls of which extend above the surface of the roadway, a rail supported in said conduit, side members, the lower edges of which are headed, and means carried by said side members to connect the ends to an adjacent section.

8. A. toy construction comprising a section of a sheet metal roadway and a conduit, the upper edges of the walls of which extend above the surface of the roadway, a rail supported in said conduit, side members, the lower edges of which are headed, and means carried by said side members to connect the ends to an adjacent section, said rail being provided with an extended mem ber adapted to carry a current of electricity to a rail .of an adjacent section.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York this 11th day of April A. l). 1912.

JOSHUA. L. GOWEN.

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