Track assembly for toy trains

Claim 1

A track assembly for toy trains comprising a plurality of rails and ties having coupling means for detachably mounting the ends of the rails on the ties, wherein the rails are elongated, substantially rod-shaped elements having an upper face and a bottom face, a longitudinally extending rail-forming rib integral with the upper face and a longitudinally extending cavity in the bottom face, and wherein the ties are rectangular plate elements having a bottom face and a top face provided with upwardly extending coupling studs, characterized by the combination of the following features: (a) in the rails: an aperture (bottom aperture) in the bottom of the cavity adjacent either end of the rail extending toward the rib and another aperture extending transversely through the rib (rib aperture) at the interface of said upper face and rib and communicating with the bottom aperture, (b) on the ties: at least one pair of upwardly extending spring clips spaced apart at a distance corresponding to the rail gauge of the track, each of said spring clips comprising a socket having a width substantially equal to the width of the cavity in the rails and a height corresponding to the depth of the cavity, and a pair of upwardly extending and resiliently deformable tongues spaced apart from each other a distance substantially equal to the width of the bottom aperture and a height substantially equal to the depth of the bottom aperture and adapted to be received in and fill the bottom aperture, said tongues terminating at their upper ends in outwardly extending projections which overlie said upper face whereby when the socket is pressed into the cavity said socket fills the cavity and said tongues fill said bottom aperture and said projections extend into said rib aperture and over said upper face for cooperating with said socket seating in said cavity for detachably interlocking the ties with the rails in a double locking action.