Trackway and powered vehicle with changeable covers

Abstract

A toy train and trackway wherein the trackway is provided with a section which has a base and upstanding side walls provided with supporting surfaces which include portions that are parallel to the base and portions that slope downwardly toward the base, a powered vehicle having wheels that move along the trackway and the base of the section and which is provided with outwardly extending flanges, and a plurality of covers of varying configuration for the vehicle, each being provided with flanges extending outwardly therefrom which are oriented to engage the supporting surfaces of the side walls of the section and the flanges of the vehicle.

I claim: 
     
       1. A toy train and trackway, comprising: a trackway provided with a section having a base and upstanding side walls opposite one another on respective sides of said trackway, supporting surfaces provided on said walls which include portions that are parallel to said base and portions that slope downwardly from said parallel portions toward said base,   a powered vehicle provided with wheels that move along said trackway and said base of said section, and flanges extending outwardly from said vehicle; and   a plurality of covers for said vehicle, each of said covers provided with flanges extending outwardly therefrom for engaging said supporting surfaces of said side walls of said section and said flanges of said vehicle, said vehicle and trackway being constructed and arranged so that said vehicle, moving over said trackway, can go underneath and completely pass one of said covers as the latter is maintained on said parallel portions, but can go under and pick up one of said covers that is present on said downwardly sloping portions.   
     
     
       2. A toy train and trackway as in claim 1, wherein the distance between said base and those portions of said supporting surfaces of said sidewalls that are parallel to said base is greater than the distance between the bottoms of said wheels and said flanges of said vehicle such that when said vehicle and said covers are in that portion of said section wherein said supporting surfaces are parallel to said base said flanges of said vehicle are positioned below said flanges of said cover, and wherein the front of said vehicle is provided with a beveled surface such that as said vehicle travels along said section said beveled surface engages said covers that are resting on said portions of said supporting surfaces that are parallel to said base raising said covers. 
     
     
       3. A toy train and trackway as in claim 2, further comprising abutments formed at the ends of said portions of said supporting surfaces that slope downwardly for engaging the front ends of said flanges of said covers, and wherein the distance between the ends of said portions of said supporting surfaces that slope downwardly and said base is less than the distance between the bottoms of said wheels and said flanges of said vehicle such that when said vehicle is at the end of said section said flanges of said vehicle engage said flanges of said cover raising same above said abutments permitting said vehicle and said cover to leave said section. 
     
     
       4. A toy train and trackway as in claim 3, further comprising a second section within said trackway, a bridge mounted to move with respect to said second section between raised and lowered positions, and spring means normally urging said bridge to said raised position. .Iadd. 5. An amusement device, comprising: a trackway including an elongated station having two ends,   a vehicle chassis having wheels for rolling said chassis along said trackway and through said station via the ends thereof,   a plurality of bodies each adapted to be deposited on and removed from said chassis, and   body exchange means for replacing a first body carried by said chassis with a second body previously positioned at said station, said body exchange means including means for removing said first body from said chassis when said chassis enters said station by supporting said first body on said station adjacent the end thereof that said chassis enters, and means for depositing said second body on said chassis when said chassis exits said station by lifting said second body from said station adjacent the end thereof that said chassis exits. .Iaddend..Iadd. 6. An amusement device as in claim 5, wherein said means for depositing said second body comprises surfaces associated with said station adapted to support said second body and including inclined portions positioning said second body thereon in an inclined position, retaining means for preventing said second body on said inclined portions from moving therealong, and means associated with said chassis upon engagement with said second body on said inclined portions for raising one end of said second body thereby permitting said chassis to move into engagement with said second body and thereafter raising the other end of said second body out of association with said retaining means to thereafter permit said second body to travel with said chassis along said trackway, said movement of said chassis through said station being continuous. .Iaddend..Iadd. 7. An amusement device as in claim 5, wherein said means for removing said first body comprises surfaces associated with said station adapted to support said first body, and means for retaining said first body at a predetermined position on said surfaces as said chassis moves continuously along said trackway through said station. .Iaddend..Iadd. 8. An amusement device as in claim 6, wherein said means associated with said chassis upon engagement with said second body for raising one end thereof comprises a downwardly sloping wall formed at one end of said chassis positioned to engage the lower portions of said bodies when said bodies are at said station. .Iaddend..Iadd. 9. An amusement device as in claim 6, wherein said retaining means for preventing said second body from moving along said inclined portions comprises at least one abutment formed at the end of one of said inclined portions and extending upwardly therefrom. .Iaddend..Iadd. 10. An amusement device as in claim 6, wherein said station comprises a base along which said chassis travels and upstanding sidewalls opposite one another on respective sides of said base, said surfaces being formed in said upstanding sidewalls. .Iaddend..Iadd. 11. An amusement device as in claim 7, wherein said station comprises a base along which said chassis travels and upstanding sidewalls opposite one another on respective sides of said base, said surfaces being formed in said upstanding sidewalls. .Iaddend..Iadd. 12. An amusement device as in any one of claims 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9, wherein said vehicle chassis is provided with an internal motor operationally connected to at least one of said wheels. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 13. An amusement device as in claim 5, wherein said bodies are configured to simulate the top portion of a vehicle. .Iaddend..Iadd. 14. An amusement device as in claim 13, wherein said bodies are three in number and configured to simulate different train engines. .Iaddend..Iadd. 15. An amusement device, comprising:   a chassis including means for propelling said chassis along a path, wherein said chassis has an axis disposed substantially parallel with respect to its direction of travel as it is propelled along said path, wherein said chassis has flanges extending outwardly from said chassis below the top thereof, and wherein said means for propelling said chassis includes wheels, means mounting said wheels to said chassis for rotation, a motor within said chassis, and means operatively connecting at least one of said wheels to said motor;   a plurality of bodies, each configured to be deposited on and removed from said chassis and having supporting surfaces provided thereon for engaging said flanges of said chassis and hollow portions encompassing the portion of said chassis above said flanges, each of said bodies simulating the top portion of a vehicle and having a front end and a back end with an axis running through the front and back ends; and   means for depositing one of said bodies on said chassis with the axis of the one of said bodies being substantially parallel to the axis of said chassis so that said chassis and said one of said bodies can move in unison along said path, and thereafter removing said one of said bodies from said chassis and substituting another of said bodies therefor with the axis of said other of said bodies being substantially parallel to the axis of said chassis so that said chassis and said other of said bodies can move in unison along said path. .Iaddend.