Toy runways

Oct. 29, 1963

3,108,398

A. EINFALT

TOY RUNWAYS

Filed Feb, 28, 1961

Sheets-Sheet 1

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ATTORNEYS'

Oct. 29, 1963

Filed Feb. 28, 1961

A. EINFALT

TOY RUNWAYS

3,108,398

Sheets-Sheet 2

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INVENTOR

Alfred ffnfalt

ATTORNEYS

United States Patent Office

3,103,398

Patented Oct. 29, 1963

3,108,398 TOY RUNWAYS

Alfred Einfalt, Nurnberg, Germany, assignor to Gebruder Einfalt Biechspielwarenfabrik, Nurnberg, Germany, a firm

Filed Feb. 28,1961, Ser. No. 92,195

Claims priority, application Germany Jan. 3,1961 9 Claims. (CI. 4'6—216)

The invention relates to a toy runway comprising a multiple track arrangement with vehicles running thereon and stopping and releasing points for these vehicles.

According to the invention the toy runway is characterized in that at least two independent tracks are provided. By this novel construction it is possible to allow a plurality of toy vehicles to run independently of each other on two separate tracks. In order to increase the interest of the toy it is advisable for at least one track to be constructed for railway traffic and at least one for motor traffic. The railway track is constructed to imitate the ballast bed with sleepers and rails while the motor track is made to represent a roadway.

According to the invention the runway is composed of two sections which are connected by an imitation bridge over which both the railway track and the motor track lead. Separating the toy runway into separate sections only connected by a bridge makes it possible to provide the individual sections with different landscapes. Thus, for example, one of the sections of the railway can be made to represent a town while the other section represents the countryside.

On each section both the railway track and also the motor track have a reversing loop, which loops are arranged one behind the other preferably in the longitudinal direction of the bridge.

According to another feature of the invention, the bridge connecting the two runway sections is divided in its transverse central plane and the bridge parapets are connected by a hinge in this plane. This arrangement presents the advantage that one section of the runway can be folded on to the other section and when thus folded the two sections are parallel to each other at a distance apart. In this manner the toy runway requires considerably less space when not in use or when being transported. To prevent the toy runway from becoming damaged when packed, each of the two sections is provided with at least one raised portion or projection, representing for example a tunnel or buildings, and serving as spacing elements between the two sections when the runway is in folded condition. 50

To add to the interest of the toy, switch levers are fitted on the underside of the sections in known manner for controlling stops arranged on the tracks. It is then particularly advantageous to construct each switch lever in such a manner that it controls from one track a vehicle run- 55 ning on the other track and can then disengage a stop both in its own track as well as in the other track.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the invention diagrammatically and by way of example. In the drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy runway;

FIG. 2 shows the runway in folded condition, and

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of FIG. 2.

The toy runway according to the invention consists of two sections a and b which are connected by an imitation bridge c. Both the section a and also the section b carry 5 a railway track d and a motor track e, the former preferably constructed to represent a ballast bed with sleepers and rails and the latter to represent a roadway. At least one toy vehicle / representing a self-propelled railway car runs on the track d and at least one toy vehicle g 10 representing an automobile runs on the track e.

Each of the tracks d and e has two reversing loops h and h’ and i, ϊ respectively one loop being on each of the sections a and b. The loops h' and ΐ on the tracks d and e on the one section can be arranged mirror re15 versed to their loops h and i on the other section. Both the tracks d and e pass over the imitation bridge c. This bridge c is divided in its transverse central plane and the parapets k of the bridge are hingedly connected in this plane, for example, by rivets I. Raised portions or pro20 jections, which may represent a tunnel m or a building n are provided on the runway.

This construction enables the runway to be folded as shown in FIG. 2, when it is not in use or for transport, the section b then rests on the section a. In the embodi25 ment illustrated stopping places o, o’ and p are also provided. The stopping place p, which consists in known manner of an aperture in the track into which aperture a drop lever of a vehicle running thereover falls, is controlled by a lever q which on being depressed shifts a 30 plate into the aperture at the stopping place p. On the other hand the stopping places o and o' are controlled by a common lever r. This control lever r is on the same track as the stopping place o which it controls, whereas the stopping place o’ which it also controls is located on ³⁵ the other track which is independent of the track in which the lever r is situated.