Amusement Device Having Interchangeable Components

Abstract

An amusement device of the take-apart and put-together type comprises a plurality of semi-circular, nestable multi-colored components, each having a hole therein, which can be assembled in various ways. Some or all of the components may be layed on a flat horizontal surface and arranged in concentric circles or semicircles or in an end-to-end sinuous arrangement. Or, some or all of the components may be arranged on the rod, when the latter is vertically disposed, as concentric circles or semicircles, each lying in a different vertical plane.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to amusement devices and particularly to those of the take-apart and put-together type comprising a plurality of components which can be assembled in a variety of ways.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Numerous amusement devices of the aforesaid character are commercially available and particularly designed to amuse youngsters and to teach them the principles of color, form and structural arrangement. Once such device, for example, comprises a base having an upstanding peg on which circular discs in a variety of sizes and colors may be arranged in various combinations. However, the possible uses of such a device are somewhat limited and there is no interaction or relative motion of components in such a device.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an amusement device of the take-apart and put-together type which comprises a plurality of components which can be assembled in a variety of ways. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each component is semi-circular in form and is adapted to meet with a complementary component of the same size and configuration. Each component is adapted to nest within an adjacent component of similar shape but larger in size and preferably of a different color. Each component is provided with a centrally located opening which is adapted to receive a rod which can extend therethrough. In use, some of the possible ways of assembling or arranging the components are as follows. The components may be arranged on a flat surface in the form of concentric rings giving a bulls-eye appearance, or in the form of concentric semicircles giving a rainbow appearance. The concentric semicircles can be arranged back-to-back. Or components may be laid end-to-end in a sinuous configuration. The components may also be arranged vertically, with the rod affording mechanical support, in the form of concentric circles with each circles lying in a different vertical plane. Also, the components may be arranged so that the components are nested and the ends of each component rests on a flat surface, with each component lying in a different vertical plane. The last described arrangement may be elaborated on by disposing the remaining components in inverted nested arrangement on the rod and capable of relative motion with respect to each other. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each component is semicircular, but it is to be understood that components could be rectangular or triangular in form whereby any two complementary components would form a rectangle. Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an amusement device or apparatus in accordance with the invention showing its components arranged in concentric circles and with a rod securing the components together;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one of the components shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but wherein the rod is removed and the segments are arranged at random in concentric circles;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing only half of the components arranged in concentric order;

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the components arranged end-to-end in sinuous form;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing how the arrangement of FIG. 1 may be disposed or positioned on edge with each pair of complementary components disposed in a different vertical plane;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing half of the components disposed in nested arrangement on a vertical rod and with the end surfaces of each component rested on a surface; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 7 but showing the other half of the components disposed on the rod with their end portions projecting upwardly.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1 there is shown an amusement device or apparatus in accordance with the present invention and which comprises components designated 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 arranged with complementary components designated 1', 2', 3', 4', and 5' on a rod 6 which extends through a rod receiving hole 9 in each of the components 1-5 and 1'-5'. It may be assumed, for example, that the components 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are fabricated of wood, plastic, metal or other rigid material, and that the components are colored white, yellow, orange, brown and red, respectively. The complementary components 1'-5' may also be assumed to be of the same color and material as the components with which they mate or cooperate.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of component 1 and it is to be understood that the other components 2-5 and 2'-5' are similar in shape although different in size, except for component 1' which is identical in size and shape to component 1. As FIG. 2 shows, component 1 is semicircular or arch-like in form and comprises a first end portion 10, a second end portion 11, a intermediate offset portion 12, and a central cut-out or relieved portion 7. For descriptive purposes component 1 comprises a top or front surface 13, a bottom or back surface 14, an inner surface 15, an outer surface 16, a first end surface 17, and a second end surface 18. The intermediate portion 12 of component 1 is provided with a rod receiving hole 9 which extends therethrough from inner surface 15 to outer surface 16. Each of the other components is constructed in the same manner as component 1.

Referring again to FIG. 1, it is seen that components 1 and 1' form a set of components. Similarly, components 2 and 2', 3 and 3', 4 and 4', and 5 and 5' also form sets. Each set of components if so proportioned and dimensioned that when the components forming a set have their end surfaces in abutting engagement, one set of components is concentrically nestable within the next larger set of components. Furthermore, the outer surface of the smaller set of components is contiguous to the inner surface of the next larger set of components. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 1, the sets of components are disposed so that all of the rod-receiving holes 9 are in axial alignment and the cylindrical rod 6 extends through all the holes to lock the components in position. Furthermore, in the arrangement shown in FIG. 1 it will be noted that the complementary components in each set come together or abut along a common plane 8.

FIG. 3 is an arrangement of the components on a flat horizontal surface with rod 6 removed and with each set of components orientated with respect to the other sets of components so that the rod receiving holes 9 are not in axial alignment. The configuration shown in FIG. 3 is, in effect, that of a puzzle comprising a plurality of components which need to be mated with respect to color and size in order to complete the assembly.

FIG. 4 is an arrangement of the components 1-5 on a flat horizontal surface without the use of rod 6 and wherein the components are concentrically arranged in appropriate order of magnitude with their end surfaces again lying in a common plane. The configuration shown in FIG. 4 lends itself to the teaching of orders of magnitude of components and regularizing the arrangement thereof.

In the arrangement shown in FIG. 5 the components 1-5 are arranged in end-to-end relationship in descending order of size (proceeding from left to right in FIG. 5) to provide an interesting, multi-colored, sinuous form. It is to be understood that the components 1'-5' could be similarly arranged and joined to the arrangement shown in FIG. 5. Furthermore, the arrangement shown in FIG. 5 could be altered so that the components 1-5 could be placed in some other order.

In the arrangement shown in FIG. 6 the components are disposed on the rod 6 as shown in FIG. 1 and the rod 6 is disposed vertically. Balancing of the apparatus is accomplished by moving each set of components into a different vertical plane until proper balance is achieved. The arrangement shown in FIG. 6 teaches the principles of balance of objects and principles of relative motion. FIG. 7 shows an arrangement wherein the components 1-5, for example, are inverted and disposed in concentric order on rod 6 which is vertically disposed. In FIG. 7 the end surfaces of each component rest on a horizontal supporting surface. The positioning of the components as shown in FIG. 7 can be maintained even though rod 6 is withdrawn.

The arrangement shown in FIG. 8 is similar to that of FIG. 7 in that rod 6 is vertically disposed and the components 1-5 are disposed thereon in inverted or downwardly extending position. In addition, the components 1'-5' are disposed in nested concentric, upwardly extending arrangement on rod 6. It is to be understood that in the arrangement shown in FIG. 8, any of the components 1'-5' could be rotated on rod 6 to illustrate principles of relative motion and color mixing.

In the embodiment of the invention disclosed herein, as previously noted, each component is semicircular or arch-like in form. However, it is to be understood that components could have other arch-like shapes provided such shape included first and second end portions joined by an intermediate portion having a rod-receiving hole therein and provided that each component had flat first and second end surfaces such as the surfaces 17 and 18 of component 1.

An amusement device or apparatus in accordance with the present invention is useful not only to amuse a youngster, but to teach numbers, colors, orderly arrangement of components, principles of balance and symmetry, principles of relative size and so forth.

Claims

I claim:

1. Amusement apparatus comprising: a plurality of components adapted to be arranged flat or upstanding on either end in various combinations on a flat surface, each component having an arch-like configuration and encompassing a recess, each component also having a centrally-located rod-receiving hole extending therethrough between its inner and outer surfaces, and each component terminating in two flat end surfaces which lie in a common plane, some components being of different sizes than others and each component being nestable within the recess of another component of larger size, each component having a complementary component of the same size and configuration with which it is cooperable in abutting relationship to form a set of components defining an enclosed central opening with each set of components being nestable within the central opening of another set of components of larger size, and a rod for insertion through said rod-receiving holes and with respect to which each component mounted thereon is relatively rotatable, said rod having a length at least equal to the outside dimension defined by the largest set of components when the flat end surfaces of those components are in abutting relationship, said rods being adapted to maintain different-sized components in nested relationship or to maintain sets of components in nested relationship.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each component has a semicircular configuration and wherein each set comprises two semicircular components of the same size and configuration arrangeable in abutting relationship to form a full circle.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein all the end surfaces of the different sized components can be arranged to lie in the same plane when said different sized components are in nested relationship.