Model track section

Claim 2

A model track section comprising a generally flat bed having one end region and an other end region, a pair of conductive rails on said bed longitudinally coextensive therewith and having a pair of adjacent facing sides and a pair of nonfacing sides, said one end region of said bed having a longitudinally inwardly extending opening substantially occupying the space between the adjacent facing sides of said rails, the other end region of said bed having a pair of longitudinally inwardly extending cutouts on the nonfacing sides of and containing said rails, the rail ends at said one bed end region being spaced apart a greater distance and the rail ends at said other bed end region being spaced apart a lesser distance for longitudinal insertion of the lesser spaced rail ends between a pair of greater spaced rail ends of a like track section when said track sections are moved in longitudinal end-to-end assembled relation, and resilient means associated with at least one of said greater and lesser spaced rail ends for deflection thereof upon said insertion. said resilient means comprising a longitudinally extending slit in said one end region of said bed spaced outwardly from each of said rails, the region of said bed between each of said slits and the rail adjacent to a respective slit defining a resilient backing portion.

Claim 3

A track section according to claim 1, said greater spaced rail ends being nonconvergent for receiving the lesser spaced rail ends of said like track section.

Claim 4

A track section according to claim 1, said lesser spaced rail end portions being nondivergent for entry between a pair of greater spaced rail ends of a like track section.

Claim 5

A model track section according to claim 3, said lesser spaced rail end portions being convergent at an angle having its bisector generally longitudinally of the track section for generally straight longitudinal assembling and disassembling movement of a pair of track sections.

Claim 6

A track section according to claim 1, in combination with snap formations on opposite bed end regions for interfitting engagement with opposite bed end regions of like track sections upon said longitudinal end-to-end assembly.

Claim 7

A track section according to claim 5, certain of said snap formations being in at least one of said cutouts spaced from said at least one of said greater and lesser spaced rail ends.

Claim 8

A model track section according to claim 1, said other bed end portion pair of inwardly extending cutouts being configured to conformably receive the spaced bed portions at said one bed end on opposite sides of said rails, and interfitting snap formations on said spaced bed portions and in said pair of inwardly extending cutouts.

Claim 9

A model track section according to claim 7, said interrail cutout and said pair of cutouts being of approximately the same depth for approximately equal and minimum overlap of connected track sections.

Claim 10

A track section comprising a generally flat bed having one end region and an other end region, a pair of conductive rails on said bed longitudinally coextensive therewith and having a pair of adjacent facing sides and a pair of nonfacing sides, said one end region of said bed having a longitudinally inwardly extending opening between the adjacent facing sides of said rails, the other end region of said bed having a pair of longitudinally inwardly extending cutouts along the nonfacing sides of said rails, the rail ends at said one bed end region being spaced apart a greater distance and the rail ends at the other bed end region being spaced apart a lesser distance for longitudinal insertion of the lesser spaced rail ends between a pair of greater spaced rail ends of a like track section when said track sections are moved in longitudinal end-to-end assembled relation, resilient means associated with at least one of said greater and lesser spaced rail ends for deflection thereof upon said insertion, and snap formations on opposite bed end regions for interfitting engagement with opposite bed end regions of like track sections upon said longitudinal end-to-end assembly, certain of said snap formations being in at least one of said cutouts spaced from said at least one of said greater and lesser spaced rail ends, said resilient means comprising a slit extending longitudinally inwardly from said one end region of said bed and spaced outwardly from each of said rails, the region of said bed between each of said slits and the rail adjacent to a respective slit defining a resilient backing portion.

Claim 11

A track section comprising a generally flat bed having one end region and an other end region, a pair of conductive rails on said bed longitudinally coextensive therewith and having a pair of adjacent facing sides and a pair of nonfacing sides, said one end region of said bed having a longitudinally inwardly extending opening between the adjacent facing sides of said rails, the other end region of said bed having a pair of longitudinally inwardly extending cutouts along the nonfacing sides of said rails, the rail ends at said one bed end region being spaced apart a greater distance and the rail ends at the other bed end region being spaced apart a lesser distance for longitudinal insertion of the lesser spaced rail ends between a pair of greater spaced rail ends of a like track section when said track sections are moved in longitudinal end-to-end assembled relation, resilient means associated with at least one of said greater and lesser spaced rail ends for deflection thereof upon said insertion, and snap formations on opposite bed end regions for interfitting engagement with opposite bed end regions of like track sections upon said longitudinal end-to-end assembly, certain of said snap formations being in at least one of said cutouts spaced from said at least one of said greater and lesser spaced rail ends, said resilient means comprising a slit extending longitudinally inwardly from said one end region of said bed and spaced outwardly from each of said rails, the region of said bed between each of said slits and the rail adjacent to a respective slit defining a resilient backing portion.

Claim 12

A model track section according to claim 9, said one end region having a resiliently deflectable finger on the outer side of each slit, other of said snap formations being on at least one of said fingers for releasable snap interfitting engagement with said certain of said formations.