Railways – Track clearers
Reexamination Certificate
2003-05-05
2004-07-06
Jules, Frantz F. (Department: 3617)
Railways
Track clearers
C015S054000, C105S001500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06758145
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the model railroads and, more particularly, to a device for cleaning the top surface of the tracks of a model railroad.
Model railroad sets operate electrically with the engine of the locomotive, or other powered car, receiving low voltage electrical current through the track into the wheels of the locomotive. When the tracks become dirty with oil, dust, oxidation, etc. the transmission of electrical current from the track into the locomotive wheels is hindered due to the lack of proper contact therebetween. Accordingly, it is often necessary to remove the oil and dirt from the top surface of the tracks to assure proper operation of the locomotive. One mode of cleaning the railroad tracks is to manually clean the surface of the tracks with appropriate cleaning material, usually wet with a cleaning solution, but this is a rather slow and laborious process. Providing a railroad car properly equipped with cleaning material will effect a surface cleaning of the railroad tracks while the model train is being run around the tracks.
Track cleaning cars for model railroads are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,475,771, issued to Murray Wittner on Jul. 12, 1949, depicts an attached piece of rolling stock on which is mounted felt pads at positions to correspond to the tracks. The Wittner track cleaning car is weighted to effect a cleaning of the top surface of the tracks. In U.S.Pat. No. 3,103,897, issued to Joseph Bonanno, et al on Sep. 17, 1963, and a corresponding U.S. Design Pat. No. 185,107, issued to Kenneth Van Dyck on May 8, 1959, provides a centrally positioned cleaning member that spans across the tracks. This cleaning member can be absorbent material or gritty material for roughening the top surface of the tracks.
In U.S.Pat. No. 5,816,168, issued to Matthew Poissant on Oct. 6, 1998, the model railroad car is equipped with a pair of rotating brush elements, somewhat like a street sweeper to remove debris from the surface of the tracks. In U.S.Pat. No. 5,904,100, issued to Barry Findley, et al on May 18, 1999, a three-rail track system cleaning mechanism is disclosed with a fresh supply of cleaning material being dispensed from a roll carried by the railroad car so that the cleaning material itself does not get dirty as it is rolled across the surface of the tracks.
The cleaning of railroad tracks with specialty cars for accomplishing the desired task is reflected in representative patents from the previous century. For example, U.S.Pat. No. 50,634, issued to G. C. Sharp on Oct. 24, 1865, and U.S.Pat. No. 195,217, issued to M. C. Isaacs on Sep. 18, 1877, are directed to brushes that are mounted on railroad cars for cleaning and clearing the tracks of dirt and debris. In the Isaacs patent, the brushes are retractable to permit selective engagement thereof. German Patent No. DE 28 01 111, granted on Mar. 15, 1979, is also directed to a cleaning device for effecting the cleaning of the top surface of a railroad track on which the car is traversing.
It is desirable to provide a model railroad car that will be operable to clean the top surface of the model railroad tracks as the car is being run around the tracks. The cleaning element being rubbed against the top surface of the tracks would be most effective if a tensioning element could vary the pressure exerted on the cleaning element and provide a coupling between the truck bearing the wheels and cleaning element to assist in the cleaning element following the truck around curves in the track.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of the known prior art by providing a railroad track cleaning car having a weighted cleaning member suspended from a framework connected to fore-and-aft positioned trucks.
It is another object of this invention to provide a retaining wire interconnecting the truck and a articulating arm to which is mounted the cleaning element to force the articulating arm to move with the truck around curves in the track.
It is a feature of this invention that the railroad track cleaning car is provided with a spring pressure apparatus to vary selectively the spring pressure exerted on the cleaning element
It is an advantage of this invention that the cleaning element will clean the top surface of the model railroad track as the train in which the track cleaning car is attached runs across the track.
It is another feature of this invention that a retaining wire is clipped to a articulating arm and engaged with the truck to which the articulating arm is mounted so that the articulating arm will follow the movements of the truck.
It is another advantage of this invention that the cleaning element is maintained in engagement with the model railroad track even around curves.
It is still another advantage of this invention that the cleaning element is abrasive and scours the top surface of the model railroad tracks.
It is still another feature of this invention that the abrasive material on the weighted cleaning element is easily replaced.
It is yet another feature of this invention that the spring pressure adjustment mechanism includes a locking cap that engages the articulating arm to lock the selected spring pressure applied to the cleaning element.
It is yet another advantage of this invention that the cleaning element is suspended between a pair of trucks to support the cleaning element over the model railroad tracks.
It is a further advantage of this invention that the articulating arm interconnecting the truck and cleaning element is guided with the truck to keep the cleaning element over the model railroad tracks while traversing curves in the track.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a model railroad track cleaning car that is durable in construction, inexpensive of manufacture, carefree of maintenance, facile in assemblage, and simple and effective in use.
These and other objects, features and advantages are accomplished according to the instant invention by providing a model railroad track cleaning car having a cleaning element suspended between a pair of wheeled trucks. The cleaning element is an abrasive material that is affixed to the underside of a weighted chassis that is suspended from a pair of articulating arms connected to the respective wheeled trucks. The cleaning material is easily replaced by removing a pair of fasteners from the chassis. A spring tension apparatus is positioned between the articulating arm and the cleaning element chassis to selectively position the cleaning element over the model railroad tracks. A retaining wire is captured in the articulating arm and engages the corresponding truck to turn the articulating arm with the truck, thus positioning the cleaning element over the model railroad tracks even when traversing a curve. A thumb wheel is formed with a notch that receives the articulating arm to lock the thumb wheel into a selected position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 50634 (1865-10-01), Sharp
patent: 195217 (1877-09-01), Isaacs
patent: 2475771 (1949-07-01), Wittner
patent: D185107 (1959-05-01), Van Dyck et al.
patent: 3103897 (1963-09-01), Bonanno et al.
patent: 5060335 (1991-10-01), Webster
patent: 5067283 (1991-11-01), Pomikacsek
patent: 5816168 (1998-10-01), Poissant
patent: 5904100 (1999-05-01), Findley et al.
patent: 6536355 (2003-03-01), Amemiya
patent: 2801111 (1979-03-01), None
Jules Frantz F.
Miller Law Group PLLC
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