US2717557A - Electrically operated track for model vehicles - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 13, 1955 SEYFFER 2,717,557

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED TRACK FOR MODEL VEHICLES Filed Sept. 28, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Hg. ig- 2 Sept. 13, 1955 ELECTRICALLY Filed Sept. 28, 1949 R. SEYFFYER 2,717,557

OPERATED TRACK FOR MODEL VEHICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g0 F795 3 3 I ,2;

24 /-7' 6 /4 J6 earfai Sf 10 0 22: 2/ 23 H W 1424 M23NF a United States Patent ELECTRICALLY GPERATED TRACK FOR MODEL VEHIQLES Robert Seylfer, Zurich, Switzerland Application September 28, 1949, Serial No. 118,266

Claims priority, application Switzerland December 22, 1948 13 Claims. (Cl. 194148) The invention refers to a device for the operation of at least one model vehicle or electric motor car on an electrically fed roadway and more particularly to a device where the electric current is supplied to the car-motor by means of slide contacts at the car or vehicle from electrically conducted laminae, bars or rails applied to, or provided on an insulating base and arranged in a series of which alternate laminae are connected to the terminals of at least one source of electricity.

It is a principal object of the invention to extend the period of time during which the motor or other apparatus on the vehicle is supplied with current when the vehicle passes over the series of electricity supplying laminae, irrespectively of whether the series of laminae is arranged to extend longitudinally or transversely of the track of the roadway.

More specifically it is an object of the invention to make possible the use of several slide contacts connected with the same terminal or the same terminals of the motor or other apparatus but spaced apart from one another so as, when the vehicle crosses the laminae to contact several laminae simultaneously.

To this purpose, in accordance with the invention, the vehicle is provided with rectifiers. At least one of the terminals of the motor or other apparatus is connected with at least one pair of slide contacts and the other terminal with at least one slide contact or with one or more pairs of slide contacts. Rectifiers are inserted into the connections between the terminal of the motor and the pair of slide contacts, or into the connections between the terminals of the motor and the pair or pairs of slide contacts connected with the respective terminal of the motor or other apparatus. The rectifiers as to their polarities are so disposed in the electrical connections between motor and slide contacts that with any one terminal of the motor or other electrically supplied apparatus only like electrodes of the rectifiers, either exclusively cathodes or exclusively anodes, are connected.

Further objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds and from the claims and drawings which illustrate, by way of example, some embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top view of an embodiment of a track with longitudinally extended laminae;

Fig. 2 is a top view of another embodiment of a track with transversely extended laminae;

Fig. 3 shows a cross section of a series of laminae, as seen along line A-A of Fig. l or of Fig. 2, and 21 diagram of the electrical connections of track and motor of an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 4 is an under-plan view of an embodiment of a vehicle;

Fig. 5 is a diagram of the electrical connections of a motor of another embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 6 shows, similar to Fig. 3, a cross section of a series of laminae and a diagram of the electrical connections of two motor windings or other apparatus for use on a single vehicle or on separate vehicles and of the electrical connections of the track to be electrified from two sources of electricity, derived from voltage division, as another embodiment of the invention.

The track for the motor vehicles is constituted by a series of electrically conductive laminae, generally designated by 1 and 2, and separated by insulating pieces or strips 4. The laminae may either extend in the longitudinal direction of the track, Fig. 1, or in the transverse direction thereof, Fig. 2. Alternate laminae of the series are respectively connected in common and to a terminal of a source U of electricity. Two sets of interconnected alternate laminae, of diifering polarity, are thus constituted by the laminae 1 and the laminae 2, respectively. Measured in the direction of line AA, the width of the laminae 1, 2, is considerably larger than the Width of the insulating interstices or pieces 4.

Fig. 3 shows the electrical connections of a track and of the motor which drives the vehicle. The vehicle itself is not shown on the track but is illustrated in Fig. 4. This vehicle 5 is provided at its under-side with four contact shoes or slide contacts 7, 8, 9 and 10 which slide over the roadway and thus supply with current the motor 11 which drives the wheels 6 of the vehicle 5.

The slide contacts 7 and 8 which lead to both terminals of the motor winding 11 and likewise the slide contacts 9 and 10 which respectively lead to the same motor terminals, are spaced apart from each other a distance which corresponds substantially to the distance of the center lines of two successive laminae 1 and 2 of unlike polarity or an integral multiple thereof. The distance between the slide contacts 7 and 9, which lead to the same terminal of the motor 11, and also that between the slide con tacts 8 and 10, which lead to the other terminal of the motor, differ however from the distance between the center lines of the laminae 1 and 2, of unlike polarity, to the extent that, of the two pairs of the slide contacts 7, S and 9, 10, always the slide contacts of one pair are on laminae of unlike polarity. If for instance, in the diagram of Fig. 3 the vehicle moves to the right, the slide contacts 9 and 10 will have reached laminae at the moment when the slide contacts 7 and 8 reach insulating pieces 4, and conversely. One terminal of the motor winding 11 is connected over the rectifiers 12 and 14 to the slide contacts 7 and 9, respectively, and the other terminal over the rectifiers 13 and 15 to the slide contacts 8 and 10, respectively. The rectifiers as to their polarities are so disposed that to the one terminal of the motor only the anodes and to the other terminal of the motor only cathodes of the rectifiers are connected.

In the case of Fig. 3 the source U of electricity supplies alternating current. In the position of the vehicle shown in Fig. 3 during one half-wave of the period current will flow over slide contact 7 and through rectifier 12 to Winding 11 and back through rectifier 13 and over slide contact 8 to the source of electricity. During the next half-wave of the alternating current period no current can flow in the reverse direction. On movement of the vehicle to the right the same phenomenon will take place when the slide contacts 9 and 10 contact the following laminae 1 and 2 of unlike polarity. As long as the contacts 9, 10 now slide over these laminae 1 and 2, current, during one half-wave of the period will again flow in the same direction as before from lamina 1 through slide contact 9, rectifier 14, motor winding 11, and back through rectifier 15, slide contact 10 and lamina 2 whilst during the next half-wave of the periods the current is interrupted by the rectifiers. The motor will thus be driven by unidirectional current. Every time when the slide contacts of one pair, 7 and 8, reach the insulating pieces 4, the slide contacts of the other pair, 9 and 10, will be on laminae,

and vice versa. The vehicle thus is connected at any time with the source U of electricity and will be driven uninterruptedly, irrespectively of whether the movement is in the longitudinal or the transverse direction of the laminae.

Since the vehicle is not bound to a definite gauge of the track, it may occur that during the drive the veand 9 slide o laminae o unli p y. o short circuit current can pass through the rectifiers l2 and 14 nce ey a e a r nge in eri w ppo it polarities in the circuit in which the short circuit current might otherwise flow, .011 the other hand, it the slide contacts 7 and 8 reach the same lamina or laminae of like polarity the motor winding will not be short-circuited. The current during one half-wave of the periods of the alternating current will flow from the lamina of one polarity over slide contact 7 through rectifier 12 to the one terminal of the motor winding and through this winding over its other terminal and through rectifier 15 and slide contact back to the lamina of the other or unlike polarity. During the other halfwave of the periods no current and thus no short circuit current can flow through the rectifiers and 13 between the laminae of unlike polarity since here again these rectifiers are lying with opposite polarities in series in the circuit which otherwise might be short-circuited.

Analogous conditions are valid for any position of a vehicle on the track.

In order to make possible the driving of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction as well as in the transverse direction of the laminae, the slide contacts are arranged at the underside of the vehicle in a disposition deviating fom a straight line, advantageously in an angle or, as Fig. 4 illustrates in a quadrangle. If this vehicle travels in the longitudinal direction of the laminae, the slide contacts 7 and 9 and the slide contacts 8 and 10 will respectively be connected with each other in pairs by the laminae, whereas at the travel in the direction transversely of the laminae, the slide contact pair 7 and 8 and the slide contact pair 9 and it) will respectively be connected by the laminae in certain positions of the vehicle. This, however, does not affect adversely the function of the driving motors owing to the effect of the rectifiers previously set forth. In the first event, when the rectifiers l2 and I4 and the rectifiers 13 and 15 are respectively connected in parallel by the laminae, there will be half-wave rectification and in the other event there will be full-wave rectification of the alternating current.

It will be readily understood that the vehicle may also be provided with more than four slide contacts which then, in analogy with the arrangement for four slide contacts, will be connected over rectifiers to the terminals of the motor. This will reduce the probability that the current to the vehicle during its travel might be interrupted. It is also possible, in accordance with a modification not illustrated here, to drive the vehicle only with three slide contacts, arranged in a triangle, longitudinally as well as transversely of the laminae. The slide contact 10 of the arrangement of Fig-. 3 might then be omitted and instead of the rectifier 3 a or al con uct ve connection emp oyed- Wi h the application of only three slide contacts it may however happen that the vehicle during its travel may at a time be fully without current.

The movement of the vehicle over such dead places of the track may be ensured by providing in the vehicle rotating masses or a fly-wheel 40 associated with the driving motor which supplied energy of inertia to the rotor of the motor and keeps it running when the current to the motor is interrupted.

if desired the wheels of the vehicle or part of them may be executed as contact means for transmitting the current from the laminae to the vehicle.

Fig. 5 illustrates another embodiment of the electrical connections of a vehicle. The four slide contacts 7, 8, 9, ll) are each connected with a pair of rectifiers 28, 32; 29, 33; 30, 34; and 31, 35, respectively. In these pairs the individual rectifiers are arranged as to their polarities inversely of each other and the free terminals of each of the two sets of equally disposed rectifiers, four rectifiers a set, are connected in common and to one terminal of the driving motor ll each. In this way only positive terminals, or anodes, are connected with the one terminal of the motor and only negative terminals, or cathodes, with the other terminal of the motor.

The device operates similar to that described with reference to Fig. 3 with the difference however that in any position of the vehicle on the track the alternating current supplied from the source U flows through the motor winding in the same direction during both half-waves of the periods, full-wave rectification taking place. In addition to higher efficiency there is the further advantage that with this arrangement either direct current or alternating current may be used for feeding the system instead of only alternating current as in the case of the embodiment of Fig. 3.

In the case of direct current, which may be connected in either sense to the device, the rectifiers operate as automatic switches which connect the current from the slide contacts to the corresponding terminal of the motor 11 so that the current flows through the motor always in the same direction as ever the polarity of the laminae may change at the slide contacts during the travel of the vehicle.

In this embodiment of an electrical installation in accordance with the invention, the number of slide contacts may also be increased at will, they may, however, also be reduced to three.

In order to make possible simultaneous operation of several vehicles, independently of one another on the same track or for the production of different effects on the same vehicle, as for instance steering, illumination, transmitting of signals, etc., the drive-way may be executed as illustrated in Fig. 6. In accordance with this embodiment of the invention, the conductive laminae, which may be arranged longitudinally or transversely of the track are disposed in groups of three or more laminae. In this arrangement, all first laminae (l) of the groups are connected to one terminal to a source of electricity, all second laminae (2) to the other terminal of the same source, and all third laminae (3) to the second terminal of a second source of electricity, and so on if there are more than two sources or voltages available. All first terminals of the sources are connected together.

Fig. 6 shows groups of three laminae 1, 2, 3, each, insulated by insulating pieces or strips 4 therebetween. In this embodiment instead of several a single source U or network is employed from which through voltage division two independently controllable voltages are derived by connecting to the second terminal of the network two regulating resistances 18, 19 which respectively are connected to the second and third laminae of the groups. More independently regulable voltages may be derived from the source if more regulators are connected to the second terminal of the source U. Correspondingly the number of laminae in each group will be augmented so that there is always one lamina more in the group than there are voltages available.

On the track of Fig. 6 there is a first vehicle represented by the motor winding 11 and the slide contacts 7, 8, 9 and 1%. The vehicle in its arrangement generally corresponds to that discussed with reference to Figs. 3 and 4. The slide contacts 7 and 8 leading to the terminals of the motor winding, and likewise the slide contacts 9 and 10 leading to the same terminals of the motor winding, are spaced apart a distance corresponding to the distance of the center lines of two neighbouring laminae 1 and 2. Rectifiers 12, 13, 14 and 15 are inserted into the connections as described before. A second vehicle with the motor winding 24 travels also on the track. This vehicle is likewise provided with four slide contacts which are connected in pairs 20, 22 and 21, 23 over rectifiers 36, 37 and 38, 39, respectively, to the terminals of the motor winding 24. Of these slide contacts those which lead to different terminals of winding 24 namely and 21 and also 22, 23, however, for this vehicle are spaced apart a distance corresponding to the distance of the center lines of the first and third laminae of a group.

If, for instance, the source U of electricity is a source of direct current, current will flow to the motor winding 11 of the first vehicle only then when one pair of the slide contacts 7, 8, or 9, 10, is in contact with the laminae 1 and 2. When for instance the slide contacts 7 and 8 or 9 and 10 are in contact respectively with the laminae 3 and 1; passage of the current through winding 11 is blocked by the rectifiers and the use of direct current. The vehicle therefore will be supplied with current only by the laminae 1 and 2 but will not be aflected by the other laminae. In order to make possible continuous travel of the vehicle also over the other laminae the vehicle is provided with rotating fly-masses or a fly-wheel associated with a motor. When the motor is driven fed by the laminae 1 and 2, the mass or fly-wheel accelerated by the motor accumulates energy of inertia which, when the current to the vehicle is interrupted, is supplied to the rotor and the motor is thus kept running.

Similarly, motor winding 24 is supplied with current only when two of the slide contacts, 20 and 21, or 22 and 23, contact respectively the laminae 1 and 3. The rectifiers however will block passage of the feeding direct current when the slide contacts are for instance on the laminae 2 and 1. Also this vehicle is provided with rotating fly-masses or a fly-wheel (40) which makes possible the travel of the vehicle over dead places by supplying energy of inertia to the rotor of the motor.

Both vehicles thus may travel simultaneously on the same roadway. They may, however, be started or stopped, independently of each other and be individually controlled, for instance by operation of the regulating resistances 18, 19.

Advantageously, the base of the roadway is of insulating material to which the laminae are applied by depositing the conductive material on the base by spraying, condensation of metal vapor, or by galvanization, or otherwise.

What I claim is:

l. A device for the operation of at least one model vehicle on a roadway, said device comprising alternate strips of insulating material and electrically conductive laminae constituting a track for said vehicle, terminals for a source of electricity, successive laminae of said track being alternatingly connected to said terminals; said vehicle being provided with slide contacts adapted to slide over said track, said vehicle being further provided with apparatus including at least an electric drive motor and adapted to be supplied with electricity from said terminals over said slide contacts, rectifiers being provided on said vehicle; wiring connections for electrically connecting one side of said apparatus with at least one pair of said slide contacts and for electrically connecting the other side of said apparatus with at least one of said slide contacts, rectifiers being inserted at least into the wiring connections between said pair of slide contacts and said first named side of the apparatus connected 6, thereto; said rectifiers being so disposed as to their polarities as to be connected with one pair of their like electrodes to said pair of slide contacts and with the other pair of like electrodes in common to said other side of said apparatus.

2. A device for the operation of at least one model vehicle on a roadway, said device comprising alternate strips of insulating material and electrically conductive laminae constituting a track for said vehicle, terminals for a source of electricity, successive laminae of said track being alternatingly connected to said terminals; said vehicle being provided with at least four slide contacts adapted to slide over said track and with apparatus including at least an electric drive motor and adapted to be supplied with electricity from said terminals over said slide contacts; said vehicle being further provided with at least four rectifiers, wiring connections for electrically connecting each side of said apparatus over one pair of said rectifiers to one pair of said slide contacts; said rectifiers being so disposed as to their polarities that the cathodes of one pair of rectifiers are connected in common to one side of said apparatus and the anodes of the other pair in common to the other side of said apparatus whereas the anodes of the first pair of rectifiers are connected individually to the slide contacts of the one pair of slide contacts and the cathodes of the other pair of rectifiers are connected individually to the slide contacts of the other pair of slide contacts.

3. A device for the operation of at least one model vehicle on a roadway, said device comprising alternate strips of insulating material and electrically conductive laminae constituting a track for said vehicle, terminals for a source of electricity, successive laminae of said track being alternatingly connected to said terminals; said vehicle being provided with a number of slide contacts adapted to slide over said track and being further provided with apparatus including at least an electric drive motor and adapted to be supplied with electricity from said terminals over said slide contacts; said vehicle being further provided with a plurality of rectifiers, wiring connections for electrically connecting at least two of said slide contacts each over one of said rectifiers to one side of said apparatus and another of said slide contacts over another of said rectifiers to the other side of said apparatus, the rectifiers being so disposed as to their polarities that to the one side of said apparatus only anodes of the rectifiers are connected and to the other side of said apparatus only cathodes of the rectifiers are connected.

4. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein alternate laminae of said series are respectively connected in common and to a terminal for said source of electricity, said interconnected alternate laminae thus constituting two sets of laminae of difiering polarities, and wherein the distance between at least two of said slide contacts differs from the distance of the center lines between successive laminae of differing polarity thereby to space at least two of said slide contacts apart from each other such a distance that they are always on laminae of unlike polarities.

5. A device for the operation of at least one model vehicle on a roadway, said device comprising alternate strips of insulating material and electrically conductive laminae constituting a track for said vehicle, terminals for an arbitrary number of sources of electricity being provided at said track, each source having two terminals, a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminals of all sources being electrically connected in common; the laminae of said series being arranged in groups, each group having a number of laminae one more than the number of said sources; apparatus of a number at least equal to said arbitrary number and adapted to be supplied with electricity from said sources, at least one pair of slide contacts for each apparatus being provided at said vehicle, one slide contact of the pair being connected to one side of the appertaining apparatus and the other slide contact of the pair to the other side of the appertaining apparatus, said number of apparatus including at'least an electric drive motor; said vehicle being further provided with rectifiers, at least one pair of rectifiers for each side of said apparatus, Wiring connections for electrically connecting each side of the apparatus over one of said pairs of rectifiers to a pair of said slide contacts; said rectifiers being disposed as to their polarities so that of the two pairs of rectifiers for each apparatus the cathodes of one pair are connected in common to the one side of said apparatus and the anodes of the other pair in common to the other side of said apparatus whereas the anodes of the first pair of rectifiers are connected individually to slide contacts and like- Wise the cathodes of the other pair of rectifiers; all first laminae of said groups being connected to said first terminals of said sources, all second laminae of said groups being connected to the second terminal of a first of said sources, all third laminae to the second terminal of a second of said sources, and so on, and finally all last laminae of the groups to the second terminal of the last source; slide contacts connected to an apparatus to be fed from said first source being spaced apart a distance corresponding to the distance between the center lines of the first and second laminae of a group, slide contacts connected to an apparatus to be fed from said second source being spaced apart a distance corresponding to the distance between the center lines of the first and third laminae of a group, and so on, and, finally, slide contacts connected to an apparatus to be fed from the last source being spaced apart a distance corresponding to the distance between the center lines of the first and last laminae of the groups.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5 wherein various vehicles are provided each including a driving motor and wherein at least part of said slide contacts are arranged on said vehicles.

7. A device 'as set forth in claim 5 wherein at least part of said slide contacts are arranged on the same vehicle, said vehicle being provided with various apparatus for producing diiferent effects, one of said apparatus being the driving motor of said vehicle.

8. A device as set forth in claim 5 wherein at least part of said slide contacts are arranged on the same vehicle, said vehicle being provided with various apparatus for producing difierent effects, one of said apparatus being the driving motor of said vehicle and others control means for said motor.

9. A device as set forth in claim 5 wherein said arbitrary number of sources of electricity -are constituted through voltage division of a single source.

10. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said laminae are arranged longitudinally of the track.

11. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said laminae are arranged transversely of the track.

12. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein several slide contacts are arranged on a vehicle in a disposition deviating from a straight line thereby to make possible driving of the vehicle longitudinally of the track at all transverse positions thereof.

13..A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said laminae consist of thin strips of conductive material on an insulating base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 978,884 Wohl Dec. 20, 1910 1,327,215 Roe Jan. 6, 1920 1,668,249 Rich -1 May 1, 1928 1,778,465 Ozanne Oct. 14, 1930 2,537,281 Roshak Jan. 9, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 820,165 France Nov. 5, 1937

Images