Track bed simulating assembly for snap together model railroad tracks

• US 5,503,330 A
• Filed: 11/29/1994
• Issued: 04/02/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bachmann Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bachmann Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Riley, H. Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Mark T.
• Application Number:
  US08/346,134
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 238/10 R, 238/10 E, 238/10 F, 238/10 B, 238/10 C, 238/10 A
• US Class Current: 238/10.00E
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 19/30 Permanent way; Rails; Rail-joint connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 19/36 Model railway structures, e.g. kinds of arrangement of several units in containers, or on plates, or in combination with scenics for toy purposes models or scenery for general purposes G09B

Abstract

Model railroad track assemblies are formed from preassembled track sections, each including a pair of spaced-apart parallel metal rails molded in place in a one-piece ladder-like body, and a track accessory in the form of a one-piece molded plastic body having no undercuts to permit fabrication of the body by simple two-piece open and close molds. Male latching members and female engagement structures are integrally molded at each end of each track body, side-by-side for releasible latching engagement with like structures on the ends of like bodies. Each molded body including its latching members and engagement structures is adapted by the provision of suitable openings, spaces and recesses to permit top to bottom nesting engagement of identical track assemblies with one another for protection and reduced storage size.

Claims

1. A model railroad accessory comprising a substantially rigid, one-piece molded plastic body having a major upper side molded to generally replicate at least a portion of a railroad track bed and an opposing major lower side, the body having at least two ends, each end including a male latching member and a matingly complementary female engagement structure molded in plastic, side-by-side, in one-piece with a remainder of the body, each female engagement structure being formed on the major lower side of the body and including a slot exposed at the end of the body and each male latching member projecting outwardly from the end of the body and having a nominal width greater than a width of the slot and being sufficiently resiliently flexible to be compressed to a width less than the width of the slot and to expand to a width greater than the width of the slot when released, the female engagement structure having an internal width greater than the width of the open slot and the major upper surface including at least one molded-in guide structure configured and located to receive and position a preassembled length of model railroad track including a pair of metal rails molded in place on a ladder-shaped member simulating a series of spaced-apart ties, with each rail of the length of track in alignment with a rail of an identical length of track united with an identical one-piece molded plastic body, when one end of the one piece molded plastic body is brought into engagement with an end of an identical molded body having an identical preassembled length of track identically mounted to the identical body, openings at each of the ends of the body, the openings being located to receive rails of a second identical track assembly including identical body and preassembled track length assembly, nested with the molded plastic body and track length assembly;

and

a preassembled length of model railroad track secured to the upper side of the body.

4. The track assembly of claim 1 further comprising an opening through an inner end of each female engagement structure located to receive a rail of a second identical body and track length assembly nested into the major lower side of the molded plastic body and track length assembly.

5. The track assembly of claim 4 in combination with the second, identical track assembly, the track assembly being nested with the second, identical track assembly.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein the nested track assembly and second identical track assembly have a total height less than twice the height of the track assembly.

2. The accessory of claim I wherein the male latching member comprises a support portion integrally formed with and projecting away from the major upper and lower sides of the body and a more flexible latching portion extending from a distal end of the support portion transversely back towards the major upper and lower sides of the body.

3. The accessory of claim I wherein the height of the male latching member is greater than the height of the female engagement structure.

7. A model railroad accessory comprising a substantially rigid, one-piece molded plastic body having a major upper side molded to generally replicate at least a portion of a railroad track bed and an opposing major lower side, the body having at least two ends, each end including a male latching member and a matingly complementary female engagement structure molded in plastic, side-by-side, in one-piece with a remainder of the body, each female engagement structure being formed on the major lower side of the body and including a slot exposed at the end of the body and each male latching member projecting outwardly from the end of the body and having a nominal width greater than a width of the slot and being sufficiently resiliently flexible to be compressed to a width less than the width of the slot and to expand to a width greater than the width of the slot when released, the female engagement structure having an internal width greater than the width of the open slot and the major upper surface including at least one molded-in guide structure configured and located to receive and position a preassembled length of model railroad track including a pair of metal rails molded in place on a ladder-shaped member simulating a series of spaced-apart ties, with each rail of the length of track in alignment with a rail of an identical length of track united with an identical one-piece molded plastic body, when one end of the one piece molded plastic body is brought into engagement with an end of an identical molded body having an identical preassembled length of track identically mounted to the identical body, the major upper side of the body is recessed sufficiently to receive and at least partially surround a length of preassembled model railroad track;

an integral length of preassembled model railroad track with molded tie portions and rails, the integral length of track being fixedly secured in the recessed upper side of the molded plastic body, the rails are solid members and further comprising a tubular joint mounted on one end of each rail; and

a projection molded onto the major upper side of the molded plastic body directly beneath the tubular joint pressing the tubular joint upwardly against the rail.