U.S. patent number 3,838,535 [Application Number 05/312,988] was granted by the patent office on 1974-10-01 for toy blocks dimensioned and configured for plural connections.
Invention is credited to Peter Larws.
United States Patent |
3,838,535 |
Larws |
October 1, 1974 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
TOY BLOCKS DIMENSIONED AND CONFIGURED FOR PLURAL CONNECTIONS
Abstract
The invention relates to toy building brick of rectangular
cross-section 2a .times. a and any arbitrary length X .times. a.
These bricks are characterized by n cube-shaped openings of the
volume a .times. a .times. a between the two broad sides 2a .times.
Xa. The bricks are also characterized by (n-1) webs of the
cross-section a .times. a/2 remaining between these openings. The
bricks are also characterized by 2 cross bars of the cross-section
a .times. a/2 and the length (n + n-1/2)a, n being a whole number
of at least 2.
Inventors: |
Larws; Peter (638 Bad Homburg,
DT) |
Family
ID: |
5827893 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/312,988 |
Filed: |
December 7, 1972 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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Dec 14, 1971 [DT] |
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2161913 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
446/124; 52/606;
52/609; 52/592.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H
33/084 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63H
33/08 (20060101); A63H 33/04 (20060101); A63h
033/08 () |
Field of
Search: |
;46/25,28,23
;52/606,609,503 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Shay; F. Barry
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Littlepage, Quaintance, Murphy
& Dobyns
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A set of toy building bricks of rectangular cross-section 2a by
a and any arbitrary length Xa, characterized by:
a. n cube-shaped openings of the volume a by a by a opening through
the two broad sides having the dimensions 2a by Xa;
b. (n-1) webs of the cross-section a by a/2, one of said webs
remaining between adjacent ones of said openings, and
c. 2 cross bars of the cross-section a by a/2 and the length (n+
n-1/2) a, n being a whole number of at least 2, a plurality of said
bricks being shaped and proportioned so that the ends of cross bars
of two bricks of said plurality will fit into one of said openings
of a third brick of said plurality to serve as connecting means
therefor.
2. A set of bricks according to claim 1, characterized in that at
least 2 webs on the same broad side 2a by Xa of the building brick
are reduced to the height of the longitudinal axis of the building
brick, i.e., to the cross-section a/2 by a/2.
3. A set of bricks according to claim 1, characterized in that at
least one of the two cross bars, at least between two webs, is
reduced to the height of the longitudinal axis of the building
brick, i.e., to the cross-section a/2 by a/2.
4. A set of bricks according to claim 1 characterized in that n has
the value 3.
5. A set of toy building bricks of rectangular cross-section 2a by
a and any arbitrary length Xa, comprising:
a. first and second cross bars having a cross section a by a/2 and
a length Xa wherein:
Xa = (n + n-1/2)a
wherein:
a has any value.
n is an integer at least equal to 3,
b. (n-1) webs connecting facing surfaces of the first and second
cross bars wherein said webs and said cross bars define cube-shaped
openings of height a, width a and length a
c. n cube-shaped openings of the volume a by a by a opening through
the two broad sides having the dimensions 2a by Xa.
Description
The invention relates to a toy building brick from which it is
possible to construct a wide variety of different objects by
fitting together identical building bricks.
Many different types of building bricks are known, from which
objects can be constructed by fitting them together. The method of
building with the known bricks, however, requires either a
plurality of complicated connecting elements (German
Gebrauchsmuster Pat. No. 1,954,832) or permits only quite simple
representations of a certain group of patents (German Pat. No.
825,518 and French Pat. No. 1,183,331) or permits only partially
positive connections of the separate building bricks (U.S. Pat. No.
2,147,237).
Other known building bricks also do not fit together with tight
joints in the three spatial planes, so that at most it is only
possible to build in two planes at right-angles. Furthermore, the
construction of self-supporting space lattices is either impossible
with these building bricks (See German Gebrauchsmuster Pat. No.
1,985,950) or can only be achieved by complicated additional
elements.
The object of the present invention is a building brick for a
universal system of playing, which fulfills the following three
preliminary conditions:
1. The external dimensions of the building brick are to conform to
the following ratios: the length is to be equal to twice the width
and the width is to be equal to twice the thickness of the building
brick, so that a maximum of possibilities of combinations are
provided. By varying the length with a constant width-thickness
ratio, the possible number of the combinations can be further
modified;
2. Two building bricks must be able to be held together with a
tight joint by a third in a positive manner in preferably two but
at least one stressing direction;
3. In order to provide even more possibilities of combinations for
the building brick and more especially to permit the fitting of
axles which carry wheels, the openings and recesses on the building
brick, which are necessary according to Point 2, in addition permit
the insertion of rods of any desired legnth and of circular or
square cross-section with the same thickness in at least two planes
of the building brick, and all side surfaces of the building brick
should be an even multiple of this thickness.
This object is achieved according to the invention with a building
brick which has a rectangular cross-section 2a .times. a and an
arbitrary length X .times. a, a being any arbitrary length unit,
and which is characterized by:
a n cube-shaped openings of the volume a .times. a .times. a
between the two broad sides 2a .times. Xa;
b. (n-1) webs of the cross-section a .times. a/2 remaining between
these openings, and
c. 2 cross bars of the cross-section a .times. a/2 and the length
(n + n-1/2) a, n being a whole number of at least 2 and preferably
at least 3 and ideally equals 3.
The length of the building brick is preferably 4a, i.e., the brick
is twice as long as it is wide and twice as wide as it is
thick.
In addition to the cube-shaped openings a .times. a .times. a, also
other recesses can be provided on the webs and cross bars; for
example, in accordance with one constructional form of the
invention, at least 2 webs on the same broad side 2a .times. Xa of
the building brick are reduced to the height of the longitudinal
axis of the brick. i.e., to the cross-section a/2 .times. a/2, or
in accordance with another constructional form of the invention, at
least between 2 webs, at least one of the 2 cross bars can be
reduced to the height of the longitudinal axis of the brick, i.e.,
to the cross-section a/2 .times. a/2, or such recesses can be
provided both on the webs and on the cross bars.
The invention is more fully explained by the drawings, in
which:
FIG. 7 shows a preferred building brick 10 of the invention with
the length 4a and in the normal form, i.e., without additional
recesses. The brick comprises cross bars 11, 12 and webs 13,
14.
FIGS. 2 to 10 shows some possibilities of combinations of the brick
of FIG. 1;
FIG. 11 shows a modified building brick 16 in which recesses are
provided on the two webs 17, 18, which recesses extend from the
broad side 2a .times. 4a to the height of the longitudinal axis of
the brick, so that these webs are reduced to the cross-section a/2
.times. a/2; The brick 16 has cross bars 19, 20;
FIGS. 12 to 15 show possible combinations with such building bricks
according to FIG. 11;
FIG. 16 shows a modified brick 23 in which recesses are arranged
between the webs 24, 25 on the cross bars 26, 27, which recesses
extend from the broad side 2a .times. 4a of the building brick to
the height of the longitudinal axis of the brick, so that the cross
bars 24, 25 are reduced at this position to the cross-section a/2
.times. a/2;
FIG. 17 shows a possibility of combinations when using bricks
according to FIG. 16, and
FIG. 18 shows a modified building brick 30 which has the features
of the brick 16 and the brick 23.
Although the invention has been described in considerable detail
with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, it will be
understood that variations and modifications can be effected within
the spirit and scope of the invention as described above and as
defined in the appended claims.
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