US2708885A - Separate remote control of toy train and carried accessory - Google Patents

Description

May 24, 1955 w. R. SMITH ETAL SEPARATE REMOTE CONTROL OF TOY TRAIN AND CARRIED ACCESSORY Filed Sept, 14, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l v TQR i W115i,

ATTORNEY May 24, 1955 w. R. SMITH ETAL SEPARATE REMOTE CONTROL OF TOY TRAIN AND CARRIED ACCESSORY Filed Sept. 14, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVE Til 1E5 l K Y & B J lllllllllllllllllllllll u n u u u n h v I In i w lallilL w r 1| q l I wfix mms R. x v QM Simxodz... H

ATTORNEY United States Patent 0 SEPARATE REMOTE CONTROL OF TOY TRAIN AND CARRIED ACCESSORY William R. Smith, Philadelphia, Pa., and Raymond E. Smith, Hamden, Conn., assignors to The A. C. Gilbert Company, New Haven, Conn., a corporation of Maryland Application September 14, 1949, Serial No. 115,712 10 Claims. (Cl. 104-150) This invention relates to electrical systems for remotely controlling at will and from one or more trackside locations not only the propulsion of a toy train but alternately or jointly therewith the operation of special accessory equipment carried by the toy train to be brought into use by electrical energization, as for instance the motor of an air impeller which sounds a whistle or some other kind of electrically activated accessory.

Electrical systems formerly proposed for the indicated purpose have involved relatively complex, costly and large size electrical apparatus functioning in some instances to impress selectively upon a toy railway track currents having differing frequencies of alternation or pulsation, or in other instances functioning to reverse the direction of fiow of direct current supplied to such track, or in still other instances functioning to step up the voltage of the track current to a whistle blowing potential considerably above that needed for the mere running of the train at top speed.

In all of these formerly proposed systems blowing of the whistle has been impossible without occasioning some kind of interference that proves detrimental either to successful sound of the train carried whistle or to normal train operation when the whistle is being blown. Some proposed systems have made impossible the blowing of a train carried whistle while the train is standing still It is an object of the present improvements to make use of alternating current alone for operating the train at chosen speeds in selected directions, and to make use of alternating current having a direct current component to control starting and stopping of a whistle sounding motor. Heretofore when combined alternating and direct current has been proposed for differentially operating a toy train and its carried accessory, it has been thought necessary to employ a plurality of electromagnetic step switches to attain successful independent control of the train and of the accessory. For more definite comparison of these improvements with such prior art, reference may be had to United States Patent No. 2,292,565, granted August 11, 1942, to R. H. Jordan, now owned by the as signee of the present application. In this Jordan patent,

circuits are proposed that are featured by some of the dis- Y advantages which have been referred to. In contrast thereto this invention utilizes but a single conventional form of A. C. operated electromagnetic step switch for sequentially starting, stopping and reversing the conventional A. C. operated propulsion motor of a toy train.

An important objective of the invention further is to reduce or avoid altogether any artificial loading of circuit branches with current consuming heat productive electrical loads such as large and costly resistors or choke coils which have heretofore been considered necessary either for maintaining requisite strength of the train propelling alternating current while the whistle is being blown or for attaining requisite strength of direct current to control blowing of the whistle while the train is standing idle and drawing no current through the track.

A particular aim is to avoid simultaneous connection of the track at any time to both a source of alternating 2,703,835 Patented May 24, 1955 current alone and a source of current composed partly of alternating current and partly of direct current, and yet to make the shift from one kind of current to the other so rapidly that no perceptible effect is had upon the propelling motor of the train.

These and other objectives of the improvements will appear in greater particularity from the following description of successful and preferred embodiments, the description having reference to the appended drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an electric circuit system incorporating the present invention and providing independent remote control of a toy train propulsion motor and of an electrically operated train carried accessory.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the partially broken away structure of a quick acting switch employed in the circuit arrangements of Figs. 1, 6, 8 and 9.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary exterior front view of the said quick acting switch.

Fig. 4 is a view taken in section on the plane 44 in Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a view taken in section on the plane 5-5 in Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of a modified electric circuit system similar to Fig. 1, but wherein all extraneous circuit loading devices are successfully omitted.

Fig. 7 is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 1 showing modified circuits whereby the quick acting switch is incorporated within the casing of the transformer unit.

Fig. 8 is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 6 with the quick acting switch incorporated within the transformer unit.

In the drawings the usual source of alternating current is represented as an encased variable transformer unit designated 12 as a whole in Fig. 1. A portion of the secondary 13 of transformer 12 is utilized as a source of variable voltage supply for controlling the travel of the toy train which is only diagrammatically represented at 44 and 56, the former representing a toy locomotive and the latter representing either a portion of the locomotive or its tender or other piece of rolling stock hauled by the locomotive. The transformer unit 12 may be stationed at any trackside location along a course of toy railroad whose track comprises the simple two conductive traction rails 14 and 15.

Rail 14 is electrically connected directly to the base or zero voltage binding post 16 of the transformer unit, which binding post at the inside of the transformer case is in permanent electrical connection with the zero or no-voltage terminal 17 of secondary 13. The usual contact wiping arm 18 sweeps over and engages conductively and separately with a series of spaced stationary tap terminals 20 thereby deriving from the secondary 13 selective voltages and serving as a voltage regulator for varying train speed as arm 18 is swung by its manual control knob 19 which is accessible outside the case of the transformer.

Also accessible outside the transformer case is the manual operating handle 22 of a normally closed, rnomentary opening circuit control switch 23 which is operable at will to break electrical connection between the mid-potential binding post 24 of the transformer unit and the voltage varying arm 18. Repeated actuations of switch handle 22 electrically control a locomoti e carried step switch 46, 47 thereby successively to start, stop and reverse the train travel as will later appear in greater particular.

In the form of the invention diagrammed in Fig. 1 an extended portion 26 of secondary 13 has its high voltage end in permanent electrical connection with binding post 27 of the transformer unit. Externally of the transformer case, binding post 27 may be connected by a long distance lead 28, shown only partially in Fig. 1, to trackside accessories such as electromagnetically operated or electrically lighted semaphores, crossing gates, etc., requiring for their operation electrical energization by a higher voltage than needs be supplied to the tracks for normal running of the train at full speed. Circuits containing such accessories may be completed back to the transformer unit through track 14 and the lead 30.

It has been stated that the base binding post 16, of zero voltage, connects directly to track rail 14 through a lead 30. The variable voltage binding post 24 from which is derived the alternating current that is fed to the other track rail is connected to the latter through an intermediate control unit designated 31 as a whole in Fig. 1. In Fig. 6 a modified form of control unit is designated 31'. Either control unit 31 or 31 may be electrically connected to the transformer unit 12 by a single long distance lead wire 32 if desired. Unit 31 or 31' might be incorporated within the casing of the transformer 12 but preferably is encased as a separate unit as is indicated by broken lines in the drawing and thus may be located at a considerable distance from the transformer. In Fig. 1, unit 31 is shown to contain in circuit connected relation a small simple and low cost half-wave dry-disc type of rectifier 33, an electrical element translative of alternating current in the form of a capacitor 34, a double-throw quick acting manually operable snap switch 35, and a circuit loading auxiliary resistor 36, which latter is omitted in the modified form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 6. Capacitor 34 is permanently coupled in parallel or shunt relation to rectifier 33.

By means of the double-throw snap switch 35 having normally opened contacts 37, 4t and normally closed contacts 3938, and for the purpose of blowing a train carried whistle, the parallelly coupled rectifier 33 and capacitor 34 can when desired be switched into circuit between transformer binding post 24 and lead 41. Thus in the circuit arrangement shown a choice of contrasting kinds of current is made available to the track through different circuit paths on diiferent occasions. Normally the path containing said rectifier and capacitor in shunt relation is cut off from the source of current by the self restored condition of snap switch 35 and thus there is substituted for the branch of the circuit occupied by the rectifier and the capacitor a direct bypass from lead wire 32 to lead 41 and to the track rail 15 through the normally closed switch contacts 39 and 38.

One end of resistor 36 is connected to track rail 14 by lead 42 and its other end is connected to lead 41. Hence it is bridged across track rails 14 and 15 at all times. It is capable of serving as an auxiliary or artificial load tending to increase the strength of direct current drawn through rectifier 33 for operating the whistle when the train is standing still and the A. C. propulsion motor is drawing no current through the capacitor 34.

In the above understanding of the'source and control of current supplied to track rails 14 and 15 by units 12 and 31, the simplification of controls for the propulsion motor and for the whistle blowing motor is evident in comparison with the hereinbefore mentioned Jordan patent with particular respect to the number and kinds of electromagnetic switches employed to govern the train propelling motor 45 and the accessory operating motor 55.

In Fig. 1 the conventional A. C. operated train propulsion motor 45 is sequentially started, stopped, reversed, and stopped, by the four rotary positions through which contact drum 46 progresses as it is stepped around by repeated downward strokes of armature pawl 47 against successive teeth of the notched driven wheel 52 fixed on drum 46. Such strokes are effected by electromagnet 48 against the constant armature lifting urge of spring 51. The solenoid of electromagnet 48 is permanently connected across the track rails 14, 15 through the traction wheels (not shown) of the locomotive 44 by leads 49 and 50 respectively. The motor starting,,stopping and reversing action of contact drum 46 is well known in the art and will be apparent from the diagram of connections without more detailed description. It may be like the corresponding step switch disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,196,319 granted April 9, 1940, to I. E. McLoughlin, now owned by the same assignee as the present application.

Also in Fig. 1, a conventional A. C. operated whistle blowing fan motor is diagrammatically represented at as carried on what may be the tender 56 of locomotive 44 or any other of the train rolling stock including the locomotive. This whistle motor is electrically connected to be started and stopped under control of the electromagnetically operated contacts 57 and 58 of the D. C. relay 59. Contact 57 is carried on the pivoted armature 60 of the relay and is normally separated from stationary contact 53 by the spring 61 which is overcome by the downward pull of the electromagnet 59 when its coil is electrically deenergized. Relay 59 is operatively responsive only to direct current, being prevented from responding operatively to alternating current by the well-known instrumentality of shading coils or lag rings 62.

The whistle blowing motor 55 is shown only diagrammatically because it is representative of various kinds of train carried accessories that may be electrically activated occasionally in the operation of a toy railroad through track-side remote control. Examples of such equipment appear in various U. S. patents owned by the assignee of the present application, including Nos. 2,097,961; 2,176,- 458; 2,311,882; 2,317,974; and 2,450,867. The propulsion motor 45 of the locomotive may be like that shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,348,616 owned by the same assignee.

Toward the objective of discontinuing entirely the supply of one form of current to the track before another form of current is substituted for it, the switch 35 is utilized for selectively rendering alive either the circuit branch 43 to 39 or the circuit branch 33 to 37, but not both at the same time. Switch 35 may incorporate snap acting mechanism like that shown in Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, although there are a large variety of doublethrow snap switches commercially available which may be used in the place of this particular construction.

The switch and its mechanism for automatically causing quick contact action chosen to illustrate the invention is shown in detail in Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive. On an insulative base 64 there are mounted two relatively insulated stationary contacts 39 and 41) each comprising a bent metal strip. A similar pair of relatively insulated stationary contacts 37 and 38 are mounted on an insulative cover plate 65 joined to the base 64 by insulative body portions 66 of the switch. In the circuit arrangements of Figs. 1, 6 and 7 stationary contact 40 is placed in permanent electrical connection with stationary contact 38 by the detachable bus wire 53. As switch 35 is used in Fig. 8, bus wire 53 is removed for reasons later to be explained. Base 64 and cover plate 65 serve to mount and guide a push bar 67 operated by pushing on its insulative handle or button 72. A swingable member or conductive contact bridging leaf 68 is actuated by push bar 67 in conjunction with spring 69 in such manner as automatically to insure very rapid or snap action of leaf contact 68 in both directions between its full line and broken line positions in Figs. 4 and 5. In its said full line, or normal, position the bifurcate free end of contact leaf 68 conductively bridges stationary contacts 39 and 40. In its other or broken line position contact leaf 68 conductively bridges stationary contacts 37 and 38. Thus contact leaf 68 is always urged into one or the other of the said two positions by the upward thrust of spring coil 69 on whose top it is pivotally perched with its depending anchorage tongue 70 loosely occupying the hollow of the spring coil. I

In operation, as the downward directed spur 71 on the manual operated push bar 67 travels to the right or to the left in Fig. 4, it slides through the crotch afforded by the bifurcate shape of the upper end of contact leaf 68 and thus cams the latter downward while the bifurcate ends of the leaf still remain in wiping engagement with both the stationary contacts 39 and it) or 37 and 38. This wiping engagement continues until the point of the actuating spur passes the crotch in the contact leaf whereupon the strongly compressed spring coil 69 sharply flings contact leaf 68 upward which owing to the slanting edge of spur 71 inclines the leaf toward the right in Fig. 4. Thus only after contact leaf 68 completely leaves engagement with contacts 39 and 40 does it come to rest in its broken line position conductively bridging stationary contacts 37 and 39. At no time are the switch contacts 39 and 37 permitted to be simultaneously in circuit wherefore undiluted alternating current can never be passed by switch 35 to the track at the same time that a mixture of alternating current and direct current is passed to the track. Pushing the bar operating button 72 toward the left in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 against the yielding resistance of its return spring '73, which is mounted on base 64, causes the train whistle to blow until button 72 released by the operators hand, whereupon bar 67 is returned to its full line position by spring 73. Said full line position is therefore the normal position of leaf contact 68 wherein switch contacts 39 and 38 in Fig. 1 are normally closed while switch contacts 37 and it) remain normally open.

Summarizing the operation of this much simplified electrical system as a whole, the normally closed condition both of contacts 3?, 38 in snap switch .35 in the whistle blowing control unit 31 and of the manually operable switch 12 in the transformer unit 12 permits alternating current only to be supplied to track rails 14 and 15 from the transformer secondary 13 at voltages for regulating train speed that are variable between no voltage and approximately 7 /2 volts by turning the manual knob 19 of the transformer. Relay 59 does not respond to alternating current wherefore the whistle blowing motor 55 remains idle and the whistle is silent. The train will be caused to run forward at the selected speed, ior to stop or to run backward at selected speed, as each actuated excursion of switch button 22 causes drum 46 to advance one step through its motor reversing rotary positions.

When it is desired to blow the whistle, if the voltage varying arm 18 of the transformer is not on the base or zero tap terminal 17, whistle motor 55 can be started by pushing the snap switch operating button 72 toward the left in Figs. 1 and 4 against the resistance of its return spring 73. This first opens contacts 39, 38, and automatically thereafter closes contacts 37, 48 with a snap action under the impulse of spring coil 69. Now, purely alternating current is no longer supplied to track rail 15 directly from lead 32 to lead 51 through lead 43 and switch contact 39, but must travel through switch contact 37 by way of the branch path which contains rectifier 33 and condenser 34 in shunt relation which rectifier and condenser are connected to switch contact 37 by the lead 29.

Thus, after momentarily cutting off all current to the track, there is substituted for the pure alternating current originally furnished for ordinary train operation a composite current consisting partly of alternating current passed by capacitor 34 and partly of half-wave direct current rectified at 33. The direct current com ponent is sufficient to energize the D. C. relay 5% whose contacts 57, 53 are thereupon caused to close and start the whistle motor 55 which is itself energized by the alternating current component while the propulsion motor 45 continues to be operable by same. Accessory motor 55 will continue running and sounding the whistle whether or not the train is traveling as long as snap switch button 72 remains manually depressed. Upon manual release of button 72, spring 73 automatically returns bar 67 to its full line position, first causing contacts 37, 40 to be opened thus cutting off all current to the track, and instantly thereafter closing contacts 39, 38, so that the direct current component in the track circuit is removed. This deenergizes the coil of relay 59 and permits contacts 57, 58 to open and stop running of the whistle motor.

In Fig. 1, the resistor 36 will be of assistance in drawing enough direct current through rectifier 33 to operate relay 59 even when voltage regulating arm 18 is set at a very low voltage position on the series of transformer secondary taps 20.

A modified electrical system embodying the present invention in still more simplified form is shown in Fig. 6 where all need for the resistor 36 or any equivalent thereof is done away with. This is accomplished by making use, for blowing whistle, of a voltage derived from extension 26 of the secondary 13 such potential being substantially higher than that ever needed merely to run the train at maximum desired speed.

The modified system of Fig. 6 is like that of Fig. 1 except that the long distance lead wire 32 is no longer utilized to feed current through the shunt related rectifier 33 and condenser 34. Instead a second long distance lead wire 75 connects contact 37 of snap switch 35 with the super high voltage binding post 27 of the transformer. Thus in Fig. 6 rectifier 33 and condenser 34 always derive their current supply at approximately twice the maximum voltage available from transformer binding post 24 in Fig. l. The train, however, when the whistle is not being blown, is left to be operated through the same circuit and voltage conditions as in Fig. 1. This elimination of resistor 36, required to be of some 12 ohms, saves an idle or unused electric consumption of some 19 watts and further saves the undesirable heat generation and space demanded thereby in the whistle control unit 31.

In the electrical systems of both Figs. 1 and 6 the whistle blowing switch 35 is located in a unit separate from transformer 12 and containing the rectifier 33, capacitor 34 and resistor 36 when the latter is used. Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate changes in the electrical connections which enable switch 35 alone to be contained in the casing of the transformer while the rectifier 33, capacitor 34 and resistor 36 may remain in separate units 31:: in Fig. 7 and 31b in Fig. 8. It is highly desirable not to place the resistor 36 in the transformer casing because of the heat generated thereby while to incorporate the rectifier and capacitor in the transformer casing would demand objectionable enlargement of the transformer unit. There may nevertheless be advantages in locating switch 35 in the transformer casing because it is small in size and its operating button 72 can be brought into close physical association with the operating handle 22 of the train control switch thereby to be manipulated by the same or different fingers of a single hand of the operator if desired.

Explaining the changes necessary in the circuit connections of the modified system of Fig. 7 as compared with Fig. 1, like reference characters designate like elenients but it will be noted that a fourth binding post 76 has been added to the casing of transformer 12a through which new binding post the switch 12 connects directly to track rail 15. The rectifier 33 and capacitor permanently in shunt therewith, derive current supply through a long distance lead 32 that connects with transformer binding post 24 as before, but now 24 is internally connected not with train starting and stopping control switch 23 but instead connects to contact 39 of switch 35. Switch 23 is connected not directly with voltage regulating arm 18 as before but only through contacts 37 and 40 of switch 35 when the latter contacts are normally closed as shown indicated by full lines through switch 35 in Fig. 7. Thus in Fig. 7 normally the pure alternating current at voltages regulated by arm 18 is supplied to track through lead 77, switch 35, switch 12 and lead 78, returning to the transformer from track rail 14 through lead and binding post 16 to the base terminal 17 of secondary 13. When button 72 of quick acting switch is depressed to blow the whistle, all current is first cut off from the track by the opening of contacts 3740 after which contacts 3938 of switch 35 are closed, diverting current from regulator arm 18 through switch 35 to binding post 24, lead 32, rectifier 33 in shunt with capacitor 34, and lead 41 to track rail 15 returning from track rail 14 through the same lead 30 as before. In Fig. 7 switch 23 will not serve to start and stop the train while the whistle is being blown. Switch 23 might be interposed in the lead 77 and switch contact 37 connected directly to binding post 76 and thus act to stop and start both the travel of the train and the blowing of the whistle when its handle 22 is manually depressed While the button 72 of whistle switch 35 is also depressed.

Fig. 8 shows an electrical system like that in Fig. 7 insofar as electrical elements and leads therein are designated by the same reference characters, but the system in Fig. 8 not only permits switch 35 to be placed in the transformer unit but also makes it possible to derive whistle blowing current from the super high voltage end of the transformer secondary through the switch lead 80 connected to contact 38 of switch 35. Here the bus wire 53 is removed from switch 35 and only the switch contact 40, to the exclusion of switch contact 33, con nects with the voltage regulating arm 18 through lead 77. The result is that for ordinary train control current is supplied to track rail 15 through lead 77, switch 35, switch 12 and lead 78, returning from track rail 14 through lead 30 as usual. When the whistle is being blown lead 77 becomes dead ended at contact 40 of switch 35 and current is furnished from high voltage lead 25, through switch 35 to long distance wire 32 leading to rectifier 33 in shunt with capacitor 34 thence to track rail 15 through lead 41 returning from track rail 14 through lead 30 as usual. By making switch 12 a double pole momentary contact switch connected to make and break circuit simultaneously through leads 77 and 80 in Fig. 8 and by connecting contact 37 of switch 35 directly to binding post 76, in said figure, switch 22 so modified and electrically connected will act to stop and restart both the travel of the train and the blowing of the whistle when its handle 22 is manually depressed while the button 72 of whistle switch 35 is also depressed.

The capacitor 34 translates alternating current without appreciable consumption of current or generation of heat, and in Figs. 6 and 8 enables the entire system to be free of artificial loads or heat generating elements. As a working guide to a system of electrical values that balance well for the intended purposes, we may assign the following ratings to various elements in the system in the clear understanding that such are not in any way restrictive of the scope of the invention nor of the coverage of the appended claims. The half wave rectifier 33 may be rated 6 volts.064 ampere. The D. C. half wave component of the composite current that will result will be about 2 /2 volts. Relay 59 which responds to direct current at this voltage may have a resistance of about 140 ohms. The condenser 34 of, say, 450 microfarads will operate satisfactorily at as high as 15 volts. The A. C. propulsion motor of the train may operate on between 1.25 amperes at 7 volts or 2.1 amperes at 15 volts. These suggestive values may be varied and many other changes made within the principles of the invention wherefore the following claims are directed to and intended to cover all substitutes and equivalent electrical or mechanical arrangements that come fairly within a broad interpretation of their terms.

I claim:

1. An electromechanical system for separately controlling both the running of a toy train and the operation of an accessory carried thereby, comprising in combination, a source of alternating current, a course of toy track including conductive rails, toy train rolling stock on said track, relatively branched circuits for leading current from said source through optional paths to said track each of said circuits having a single dead end, a rectifier and a translative electrical element permanently connected in shunt relation thereto in one of said circuits for bypassing alternating current around said rectifier, a train speed varying voltage regulator contained in another of said circuits, a train propelling motor deriving energizing current from said track, an electromagnetic switch carried by the rolling stock electrically connected to control the starting and stopping of said train propelling motor, an electrically energized accessory carried by the rolling stock deriving energizing current from said track, a relay carried by the rolling stock electrically connected to energize and deenergize said accessory including an electromagnet operably nonresponsive to alternating current alone but operably responsive to a composite current derived from said track comprising both an alternating current and a direct current component, and a manually operable quick acting electric switch including separate stationary contacts one in electrical connection with the single dead end of one of said circuits and the other in electrical connection with the single dead end of said other circuit, said switch also including a contact making and breaking member and automatic quick acting mechanism operatively related to said member in a manner to cause the latter first to move away from a starting position wherein current is directed to said track via only one of said circuits and then to pass through a temporary intermediate position wherein said contacts are conditioned totally to cut off current from said track and then to continue moving to a resting position wherein current is directed to said track via only the other of said circuits, the time occupied by said member in passing through said intermediate position being too brief to operably affect said electromagnetic switch or the operation of the train.

2. In electrical apparatus for toy railroads as described in claim 1, the combination defined in said claim, in which the said electric translative element is a capacitor.

3. In electrical apparatus for toy railroads as described in claim 1, the combination defined in said claim, in which the said electromagnetic switch has sufiicient mechanical inertia to lag appreciably in its electro-mechanical response to the brief cut-off of track current by the said quick acting switch.

4. An electromechanical system for separately controlling both the running of a toy train and the operation of an accessory carried thereby, comprising in combination, a source of alternating current, a course of toy track including conductive rails, toy train rolling stock on said track, relatively branched circuits for leading current from said source through optional paths to said track each of said circuits having a single dead end, a rectifier and a translative electrical element for by-passing alternating current around said rectifier permanently connected in shunt relation thereto in one of said circuits, a train speed varying voltage regulator in series with another of said circuits, a train propelling motor deriving energizing current from said track, an electromagnetic switch carried by the rolling stock electrically connected to control the starting and stopping of said train propelling motor, an electrically energized accessory carried by the rolling stock deriving energizing current from said track, a relay carried by the rolling stock electrically connected to energize and deenergize said accessory including an electromagnet operably nonresponsive to alternating current alone but operably responsive to a composite current derived from said track comprising both an alternating current and a direct current component, and a manually operable quick acting electric switch including separate stationary contacts one in electrical connection with the single dead end of one of said circuits and the other in electrical. connection with the single dead end of said other circuit, said switch also including a contact making and breaking member and automatic quick acting mechanism operatively related to said member in a manner to cause the latter first to move away from a starting position wherein current is directed to said track via only one of said circuits and then to pass through a temporary intermediate position wherein said contacts are conditioned totally to cut off current from said track and then to continue moving to a resting position wherein current is directed to said track via only the other of said circuits, the time occupied by said member in passing through said intermediate position being too brief to operably affect said electromagnetic switch or the operation of the train, said speed varying voltage regulator being structurally associated with said source of alternating current and structurally separate from said rectifier and translative element and connected thereto only by electrical conductors.

5. In electrical apparatus for toy railroads as described in claim 4, the combination defined in said claim, together with a manually operable train circuit control switch operative to disconnect at least one of the said circuits from the said voltage regulator.

6. An electromechanical system for separately controlling both the running of a toy train and the operation of an. accessory carried thereby, comprising in combination, a source of alternating current, a course of toy track including conductive rails, toy train rolling stock on said track, relatively branched circuits for leading current from said source through optional paths to said track each of said circuits having a single dead end, a rectifier and a translative electrical element for by-passing alternating current around said rectifier permanently connected in shunt relation thereto in one of said circuits, a train speed varying voltage regulator in series with another of said circuits, a train propelling motor deriving energizing current from said track, an electromagnetic switch carried by the rolling stock electrically connected to control the starting and stopping of said train propelling motor, an electrically energized accessory carried by the rolling stock deriving energizing current from said track, a relay carried by the rolling stock electrically connected to energize and deenergize said accessory including an electromagnet operably nonresponsive to alternating current alone but operably responsive to a composite current derived from said track comprising both an alternating current and a direct current component, and a manually operable quick acting electric switch including separate stationary contacts one in electrical connection with the single dead end of one of said circuits and the other in electrical connection with the single dead end of said other circuit, said switch also including a contact making and breaking member and automatic quick acting mechanism operatively related to said member in a manher to cause the latter first to move away from a starting position wherein current is directed to said track via only one of said circuits and then to pass through a temporary intermediate position wherein said contacts are conditioned totally to cut off current from said track and then to continue moving to a resting position wherein current is directed to said track via only the other of said circuits, the time occupied by said member in passing through said intermediate position being too brief to operably affect said electromagnetic switch or the operation of the train, said quick acting switch being structurally associated with said rectifier and translative element, and said voltage regulator being structurally associated with said source of alternating current and structurally separate from said switch and rectifier and connected thereto only by electrical conductors.

7. An electromechanical system for separately controlling both the running of a toy train and the operation of an accessory carried thereby, comprising in combination, a source of alternating current, a course of toy track including conductive rails, toy train rolling stock on said track, relatively branched circuits for leading current from said source through optional paths to said track each of said circuits having a single dead end, a rectifier and a translative electrical element for by-passing alternating current around said rectifier permanently connected in shunt relation thereto in one of said circuits, a train speed varying voltage regulator in series with another of said circuits, a train propelling motor deriving energizing current from said track, an electromagnetic switch carried by the rolling stock electrically connected to control the starting and stopping of said train propelling motor, an electrically energized accessory carried by the rolling stock deriving energizing current from said track, a relay carried by the rolling stock electrically connected to energize and deenergize said accessory including an electromagnet operably nonresponsive to alternating current alone but operably responsive to a composite current derived from said track comprising both an alternating current and a direct current component, and a manually operable quick acting electric switch including separate stationary contacts one in electrical connection with the single dead end of one of said circuits and the other in electrical connection with the single dead end of said other circuit, said switch also including a contact making and breaking member and automatic quick acting mechanism operatively related to said member in a manner to cause the latter first to move away from a starting position wherein current is directed to said track via only one of said circuits and then to pass through a temporary intermediate position wherein said contacts are conditioned totally to cut off current from said track and then to continue moving to a resting position wherein current is directed to said track via only the other of said circuits, the time occupied by said member in passing through said intermediate position being too brief to operably ailect said electromagnetic switch or the operation of the train, the said rectifier being connected electrically on the side of said quick acting switch nearest said source of current, and said quick acting switch being structurally remote from said source of alternating current and connected thereto only by electrical conductors.

8. An electromechanical system for separately controlling both the running of a toy train and the operation of an accessory carried thereby, comprising in combination, a source of alternating current, a course of toy track including conductive rails, toy train rolling stock on said track, relatively branched circuits for leading current from said source through optional paths to said track each of said circuits having a single dead end, a rectifier and a translative electrical element for by-passing alternating current around said rectifier permanently connected in shunt relation thereto in one of said circuits, a train speed varying voltage regulator in series with another of said circuits, a train propelling motor deriving energizing current from said track, an electromagnetic switch carried by the rolling stock electrically connected to control the starting and stopping of said train propelling motor, an electrically energized accessory carried by the rolling stock deriving energizing current from said track, a relay carried by the rolling stock electrically connected to energize and deenergize said accessory including an electromagnet operably nonresponsive to alternating current alone but operably responsive to a composite current derived from said track comprising both an alternating current and a direct current component, and a manually operable quick acting electric switch including separate stationary contacts one in electrical connection with the single dead end of one of said circuits and the other in electrical connection with the single dead end of said other circuit, said switch also including a contact making and breaking member and automatic quick acting mechanism operatively related to said member in a manner to cause the latter first to move away from a starting position wherein current is directed to said track via only one of said circuits and then to pass through a temporary intermediate position wherein said contacts are conditioned totally to cut oif current from said track and then to continue moving to a resting position wherein current is directed to said track via only the other of said circuits, the time occupied by said member in passing through said intermediate position being too brief to operably affect said electromagnetic switch or the operation of the train, together With a source of higher potential current than flows through said regulator connected to said rectifier in a manner to by-pass said regulator for energizing said relay.

9. An electromechanical system as defined in claim 8, together with a manually operable train controlling'circuit breaking switch electrically connected in series with both the said quick acting switch and the said voltage regulator and in parallel with the said rectifier.

10. An electromechanical system for separately controling both the running of a toy train and the operation of an accessory carried thereby, comprising in combination, a source of alternating current, a course of toy track including conductive rails, toy train rolling stock on said track, relatively branched circuits for leading current from said source through optional paths to said track each of said circuits having a single dead end, a rectifier and a translative electrical element for by-passing alternating current around said rectifier permanently connected in shunt relation thereto in one of said circuits, a train speed varying voltage regulator in series with another of said circuits, a train propelling motor deriving energizing current from said track, an electromagnetic switch carried by the rolling stock electrically connected to control the starting and stopping of said train propelling motor, an electrically energized accessory carried by the rolling stock deriving energizing current from said track, a relay carried by the rolling stock electrically connected to energize and deenergize said accessory including an electromagnet operably nonresponsive to alternating current alone but operably responsive to a composite current derived from said track comprising both an alternating current and a direct current component, and a manually operable quick acting electric switch including separate stationary contacts one in electrical connection with the single dead end of one of said circuits and the other in electrical connection with the single dead end of said other circuit, said switch also including a contact making and breaking member and automatic quick acting mechanism operatively related to said member in a manner to cause the latter first to move away from a starting position wherein current is directed to said track via only one of said circuits and then to pass through a temporary intermediate position wherein said contacts are conditioned totally to cut ofi current from said track and then to continue moving to a resting position wherein current is directed to said track via only the other of said circuits, the time occupied by said member in passing through said intermediate position being too brief to operably alfect said electromagnetic switch or the operation of the train, said source of alternating current including both a relatively low potential tap of train operating voltage from which current passes via one of said relatively branched circuits through said voltage regulator to said track and a relatively high potential tap of super voltage, together with a conductor leading current from said super voltage tap through the other of said relatively branched circuits to said rectifier independently of said voltage regulator.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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