Toy vehicle track

Details Toy vehicle track Toy vehicle track

2001-01-15

2002-08-06

Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)

Railways: surface track

Portable track

Simulated roadbeds

C104S053000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06427926

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to toy vehicle tracks.
2. Description of Prior Art
It is well known to provide a track for toy vehicles such as care, locomotives, railway trucks and the like, formed of a number of pieces that fit together to form a continuous track. The pieces may be quite different so that straight pieces, curved pieces, bridge pieces, tunnel pieces and so forth, can be joined together end to end to make up different configurations of a track for the car or train. Often the ends of the pieces have integrally formed configurations so that adjacent pieces are joined and held or kept together by “jig-saw” shaped connections integrally formed on the ends of the pieces that releasably inter-engage.
A particular set of pieces that fall within the ambit of this prior art comprise a number of square pieces that each have an upper surface formed with one or more tracks for a vehicle and that are joined together in use by jig-saw type connections on each of their four sides.
A continuous circuitous track is formed for a vehicle, typically a toy car with a central downwardly protruding steering post that enters into the track. Such a set of pieces when joined together form a track in only two-dimensions which is somewhat restrictive.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to overcome or to at least reduce this problem.
According to the invention there is provided a set of regular pieces arranged to be brought together end to end to form a continuous toy track that extends across top surfaces of the pieces, in which each regular piece has the same depth and is rectangular in overall plan and formed with jig-saw longitudinally disposed connections at each end for co-operating With and joining to an adjacent piece end to end, each piece has an upper formation to engage with a lower formation of another piece such when the two pieces are stacked on top of another the upper and lower formations provide a locating key between the stacked pieces, in which the set includes two or more ramp pieces each formed with complimentary dimensions to the regular the pieces and jig-saw connections, the ramp pieces each providing a track section adjacent a lower end of the ramp to line up in elevation with a regular piece joined at the lower end and providing a track section adjacent an upper end of the ramp to line up in elevation with a multiple of regular pieces stacked adjacent the upper end so that the track rises up as it passes from the single piece to a top of the multiple pieces.
All the pieces may be generally square in overall plan, and each piece has jig-saw connections laterally disposed at each side to join adjacent pieces side by side.
The upper end of the ramp piece is preferably arranged to line up in elevation with two stacked pieces.
A lower surface of each ramp piece preferably has lower formations for keying to upper formations of the regular pieces.
The upper and lower formations may be provided at upper and lower peripheries of the pieces.
Separate removable connectors may be provided for holding adjacent pieces together and insertion apertures in each adjacent piece into which pins of the connector can be pushed and releasably retained.


REFERENCES:
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patent: 3402503 (1968-09-01), Glass et al.
patent: 3414194 (1968-12-01), Seitzinger et al.
patent: 3579904 (1971-05-01), Genin
patent: 4346889 (1982-08-01), Barlow et al.
patent: 4469331 (1984-09-01), Rinker
patent: 4504243 (1985-03-01), Barlow et al.
patent: 4685884 (1987-08-01), Rohan
patent: 4941611 (1990-07-01), Arsenault
patent: 4953786 (1990-09-01), Arsenault
patent: 4990117 (1991-02-01), Yonezawa
patent: 6033746 (2000-03-01), Morris

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