DE9320572U1 - Kit made of wooden blocks - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a set of structural elements for constructing load-bearing or decorative structures, comprising a multiplicity of structural elements which consist of wood, are of trapezoidal basic structure and are connected to one another by complementary toothing elements, if appropriate with the additional usage of an adhesive means, having: first structural elements (3, 3') with an essentially rectangular cross-section and toothing elements (3, 17, 31) which are arranged on opposite longitudinal side surfaces (11, 15), are distributed over the entire length and, by virtue of the engagement into a complementary mating piece, permit a plurality of first structural elements (3, 3') to be positioned in a row one beside the other in an aligned manner; second structural elements (5, 5', 5'') with the same construction as the first structural elements (3, 3') and additional toothing elements (19, 21, 51) on the end sides, these corresponding to the toothing elements (13, 17, 31) on the longitudinal side surfaces; third structural elements (7, 7', 7'') with essentially the same construction as the first structural elements (3, 3'), but having a trapezoidal cross-section, the cross-section lines of the longitudinal side surfaces (11, 15) which bear the toothing elements (13, 17, 31) forming the legs of the trapezium; and fourth structural elements (9) which are of the same construction as the first structural elements (3) and have an additional toothing element (23) on a third longitudinal side surface (22), this permitting, by virtue of the engagement into the complementary mating piece, addition at right angles of the adjacent structural element, and optionally further structural element of the s, independent protection also being claimed individually for some of these structural elements. <IMAGE>

Description

Kit made of wooden blocks

The innovation relates to a kit for constructing load-bearing or decorative structures, consisting of a large number of wooden construction elements with a cuboid-shaped basic structure, which can be connected to one another as desired by means of mutually complementary interlocking elements, if necessary with the additional use of an adhesive, and to special wooden construction elements included in the kit with a prism- or cuboid-shaped basic structure and with interlocking elements on two of their opposite long side surfaces.

Yields in the forestry sector have fallen significantly. There is therefore a need to make profitable use of additional forest products. One forest product that has hardly been used up to now, and at most has been used as firewood or to a small extent as pulpwood, is so-called weak wood, i.e. wood from thin and crooked trunks or thicker branches, especially thinning wood. The innovation aims to make profitable use of this type of wood.

The European patent application 0 439 252 describes lightweight wall elements that are made up of individual components. The components have a predefined length, are stacked on top of each other in groups and fixed in position by lateral stabilizing posts. For the production of such components

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Normal lumber is used. It is not possible to create different constructions with this kit, in particular, the kit is not suitable for building arches or other rounded or polygonal constructions.

Wooden construction elements suitable for the construction of straight walls are also known from European patent application 0 226 567, whereby additional connecting elements are required for durable building structures, since the individual construction elements of the kit can only be connected to one another along their longitudinal direction.

European patent application 0 312 482 shows wooden construction elements in a kit that allow the construction of straight, curved or right-angled wall elements. Attaching the interlocking elements to these construction elements is technologically complex and causes high production costs, and the range of structures that can be produced is very limited.

The German laid-open specification 2 308 407 also discloses a kit with building elements cut out of larger volumes of wood, which are intended in particular for the rustic furnishing of interiors.

In contrast, the innovation is intended to create a kit that makes it possible to build a wide variety of load-bearing or decorative structures using forestry by-products to manufacture the building elements, whereby a limited number of different building elements is sufficient.

The above object is achieved in that the kit comprises at least: a first component with a substantially rectangular cross-section and toothing elements arranged on opposite longitudinal side surfaces and extending over the entire length, which, by engaging with a complementary counterpart, enable a flush arrangement of several first components; a second component with a similar basic structure to the first component and additional toothing elements on the front sides, which correspond to the toothing elements on the longitudinal side surfaces.

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' chen; a third component with a basic structure that is essentially the same as the first component, but with a trapezoidal cross-section, with the cross-sectional lines of the longitudinal side surfaces that carry the toothing elements forming the legs of the trapezoid; and a fourth component with a basic structure that is similar to the first component and an additional toothing element on a third longitudinal side surface, which enables the adjacent component to be arranged at right angles by engaging with the complementary counterpart.

By selecting suitable dimensions of the components of a kit, it is possible to build load-bearing structures for room design or room division. Kits with smaller components, on the other hand, are used to make models or small decorative objects, for example. The kits can also be used as toys in the usual way.

The building elements with, for building structures, preferably a cross-sectional area of about 25 to 200 cm ² can be cut out individually or in pairs from the essentially circular cross-section of small wood, whereby for individually cut out building elements a substantially square cross-section with edge lengths of about 5 to 15 cm and for double cut out of the circular cross-section a rectangular cross-section with an edge length ratio of about 1:2 or a trapezoidal cross-section is preferred. In the first case, if the weak starting round wood is used well, building elements are produced in which at least 65% of all annual rings of the starting material are in the cross-section of the building element, and in the latter case, which is also preferred because of the tendency of wood that is not yet dry to develop radial cracks, building elements are produced in which at least 60% of all annual rings of the starting material are in the cross-section of the two building elements, namely almost 50% of their extension in one of these two. The wood starting material is preferably dried for at least 6 months and cannot otherwise easily be used.

Wood such as pine, spruce, etc. It is of course not impossible that a kit also includes some components made in a different way, especially if it is designed for buildings that require special shapes of components in some places.

In a first embodiment, which enables a particularly simple and quick assembly of individual components, the toothing elements arranged on the components are directly complementary to one another. The toothing elements can in particular be tongue and groove, which can be modified in many different ways, for example dovetail-shaped, curved, etc. Of particular importance could be conical toothing elements, i.e. tongues that become thinner towards the outside and grooves that become narrower towards the inside, as these provide easy centering during assembly and help to avoid hindrances that could arise during assembly, for example due to enlarged, e.g. swollen tongues.

In a second embodiment, at least some components of a kit have similar toothing elements, which are formed in particular by a groove. In this case, the complementary counterparts form separate connecting elements that serve to connect adjacent components. If the similar toothing elements are grooves, the connecting element is a tongue, each of which is inserted and/or glued with a part of its transverse extension into the opposing grooves of the adjacent components. The connecting element designed as a separate tongue has the shape of an elongated cuboid, the dimensions of which correspond to the groove in the components. This embodiment enables even better use of the starting material, since toothing ^elements that protrude beyond the essential cross-section of the components are eliminated, and facilitates production by planing.

In the two previously mentioned embodiments, the grooves and/or the tongues can also be interrupted over the length of the component, so that, for example, individual parts

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Springs are distributed over the length of the component. The statement that the toothing elements allow for an aligned or right-angled arrangement when engaging with their respective complementary counterpart on another, similar component indicates the cuboid or prism surfaces on which the toothing elements are located and their mutual relationship. In terms of their dimensions and their arrangement on the surface, they must therefore be coordinated with one another, with a central course along the respective long side surfaces being preferred for reasons of interchangeability of the component orientation.

For the production of the components of the new

To build a kit made of round wood, all you need is a four-sided planer and a saw to subsequently cut the components to length, for example in lengths of 5 cm for model building blocks or from 10 to 100 cm for construction purposes.

It is advantageous if the kit also includes a fifth component, which has a triangular cross-section and two interlocking elements that extend over the entire length of adjacent longitudinal side surfaces. This makes it possible to create acute or obtuse-angled structures with the individual components. The fifth component can also be used as a ridge element in roof structures, for example.

Another advantageous addition to the new kit is a sixth component with a similar structure to the third component and additional toothing elements on the front sides. The use of these components offers the advantage that when building rounded or polygonal constructions, the components can be toothed together in two directions, which results in a higher stability of the construction. In both the sixth component and the above-mentioned second component, the toothing elements on the front sides can be arranged in continuation of those on the long sides or across them.

In special cases, it may be advantageous if the kit also contains connecting elements such as:

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elongated self-tapping wood screws that extend through at least two structural elements, or clamps that encompass at least two structural elements. Such additional connecting elements further increase the cohesion of the individual structural elements, which leads to higher load-bearing capacities, especially in self-supporting structures.

Independent protection is also claimed for the components referred to as the third and sixth components according to the innovation, which are not known in the prior art.

In two different variants of the innovation, the components mentioned have, on the one hand, similar toothing elements and, on the other hand, complementary toothing elements. In the versions of the kit and the various components that are equipped with similar toothing elements, a complementary counterpart is also used, which engages in the toothing element in each of the adjacent components when connecting adjacent components.

It is particularly advantageous for both the kit and the components mentioned if, in the case of the complementary toothing elements, these consist of a groove or a tongue and, in the case of the similar components, these consist of a groove, each of which has a substantially rectangular or slightly trapezoidal cross-section tapering outwards or towards the base of the groove, with the longitudinal side surfaces of the groove and the tongue, or their central plane, running perpendicular to the surface of the component on which the toothing element is arranged. Such toothing elements can be produced particularly easily, e.g. with the help of milling and planing machines, and can absorb large load forces. . ,

It is preferable if the tongue or groove takes up about a third of the area of the side on which it is located, and runs approximately in the middle of this area. This allows individual components to be arranged laterally offset from one another, which makes particularly decorative constructions possible.

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be formed.

Further advantages, features and developments of the innovation are apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the drawing. They show:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view from above of a wall constructed from elements of the new kit;

Fig. 2 a first component of the kit in a front view and in a side view;

Fig. 3 a second component in a front view and

in a side view;
Fig. 4 a third component in a front view and in a side view;
Fig. 5 a fourth component in a front view and

in a side view;
Fig. 6 a fifth component in a front view and

in a side view;

Fig. 7 a sixth component in a front view and in a side view;

Fig. 8 shows a second embodiment of the third component in a front view and in a side view;

Fig. 9 a second embodiment of the fourth component in a front view and in a side view

opinion;

Fig. 10 shows a second embodiment of the second component in a front view and in a side view;
Fig. 11 a seventh component in a front view and

in a side view;
Fig. 12 .;an_ eighth component in a front view-jund

in a side view;

Fig. 13 a second wall built with the kit, in a side view;

Fig. 14 a section of a third wall, which is connected to the

kit was built, in a front view;
Fig. 15 a section of a fourth wall, which is connected to the

kit, in a front view; Fig. 16 a fifth wall, which was built with the kit

was, in a perspective view;

Fig. 17 a sixth wall built with the kit, in a top view;

Fig. 18 a sixth wall in perspective view;
Fig. 19 a seventh wall in perspective view with simultaneous representation of a ninth building element;

Fig. 20 an eighth wall in perspective view under

simultaneous representation of a tenth component;
Fig. 21

and 22 schematic cross-sectional views illustrating the manufacture of the components of the

Kit made of round wood;

Fig. 23 shows a second embodiment of the first component in a perspective view with a separate spring;

Fig. 24 shows a third embodiment of the second component in a perspective view with a separate spring;

Fig. 25 shows a third embodiment of the third component in a perspective view;

Fig. 26 is a perspective view of an eighth component;

Fig. 27 is a perspective view of a ninth component with a separate spring.

In Fig. 1, a wall is shown in a steep perspective view from above, which is composed of components of an innovative kit. The kit consists in its basic configuration of a first component 3 (Fig. 2), a second component 5 (Fig. 3), a third component 7 (Fig. 4) and a fourth component 9 (Fig. 5).

The wall shown is made up of several such building elements. All building elements have a cuboid-shaped basic structure, which can also be described as a prism structure. The longitudinal extension of the building elements is variable.

Particularly suitable lengths for the building elements are 30 cm, 60 cm and 90 cm if the building elements are to be used for building constructions, for example in rooms or outdoor areas; and 5 cm, 10 cm and 15 cm long building elements are particularly suitable for model buildings and toy kits. The individual building elements are made of wood and have been worked out of the raw material using planing and milling machines, for example.

As can be seen in Fig. 1, a number of similar components are stacked on top of each other in the form of columns and the neighboring columns are interlocked with each other on their long sides. Columns made of the same components as well as those whose components differ from those of the neighboring column are arranged directly next to each other. The components can also be installed with a horizontal longitudinal extension.

Individual components are described below with reference to Figs. 2 to 10 and 12, which can be assigned to a first group of components or kits according to the innovation due to a common feature. This common feature consists in the fact that the toothing elements are formed by at least one first toothing element and a second toothing element which is complementary to the first, whereby these complementary toothing elements are arranged on different side surfaces of the components.

Fig. 2 shows the first component 3 individually. It has a substantially square cross-section. Toothing elements are attached to two opposite longitudinal side surfaces of the component, namely a tongue 13 on a first longitudinal side surface 11 and a groove 17 on a second longitudinal side surface 15. The toothing elements can, however, be designed differently in other embodiments. For example, complementary rows of teeth or a number of knobs and complementary recesses can be used. The tongue 13 and the groove 17 are complementary to one another, so that the tongue 13 of one component can engage in the groove 17 of the adjacent component. In

In the example shown, the side surfaces of the toothed elements 13, 17 are arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal side surfaces 11, 15 and the tongue 13 or the groove 17 is located in the middle of the first longitudinal side surface 11 or the second longitudinal side surface 15. The toothed elements 13, 17 each take up a third of the area of the longitudinal side surfaces 11, 15 . This divides the longitudinal side surfaces 11, 15 into three sections of essentially equal width.

Fig. 3 shows the second component 5. The basic structure of the second component 5 is similar to that of the first component 3, the cross sections are identical over most of the length of the components. In addition, there is another toothing element on each of the two end faces of the component 5. There is a second tongue 19 on the first end face and a second groove 21 on the second end face. The second tongue 19 and the second groove 21 are directly attached to the first tongue 13 and the first groove 17, i.e. they extend between the long side surfaces 11, 15 of the component 5. In an overlap area between the tongue and groove at the end of the tongues 13, 19, these were compensated by the groove.

When using first components 3 to build structures, the individual components are only interlocked in one direction. If, on the other hand, second components 5 are used, the individual components are interlocked in two directions. A combination of the first components 3 with the second components 5 is possible because the tongues 13, 19 and the grooves 17, 21 in a kit according to the innovation have the same dimensions and are complementary to one another. If necessary, the second tongue 19 can be removed at interfaces between the first components 3 and the second components 5, for example by planing.

The third component 7 is shown in Fig. 4. It differs from the first component 3 in that it has a trapezoidal cross-section. The side surfaces of the tongue 13 and the groove 17 are again arranged perpendicular to the long side surfaces 11, 15 of the component 7. By arranging them one after the other,

By assembling several third building elements 7, polygonal shapes of the building structure can be achieved. The smallest possible circumferential circle of the structures that can be built depends on the trapezoid angles of the third building element 7. In the embodiment shown, the angle enclosed between the legs and the long base edge is 85.5° on both sides, or the angle between the slanted side surfaces of the isosceles trapezoid is 9°. With a thickness of the building element of 7.5 cm, this results in an arc with an inner diameter of 1 m. Since the interlocking elements 13, 17 correspond to those of the first building element 3 and the second building element 5, the third building element 7 can be installed with the first building element 3 and/or the second building element 5. By interposing one or more first building elements 3 between two third building elements 7, the circumferential circle of the structure to be built can be increased.

The fourth component 9 is shown in Fig. 5. Again, the basic structure of the first component 3 is present, but another spring 23 is attached to a third longitudinal side surface 22 of the fourth component 9 as an additional toothing element. The additional spring 23 extends, like the spring 13 and the groove 17, over the entire length of the component 9. Its dimensions correspond to the spring 13 and are therefore complementary to the groove 17. The fourth component 9 is used as a corner or angle piece in the constructions that can be produced with the kit. With the help of such components, for example, walls or construction parts that abut one another at right angles and are interlocked with one another can be built. The arrangement of other components can be seen in Fig. 1.

With the four components 3, 5, 7, 9 listed, a kit is available with which different constructions can be built. Some examples are described below.

Fig. 6 shows a fifth component 25. The fifth component 25 extends the new kit. It differs from the basic components 3, 5, 7, 9 in that it has an essentially triangular cross-section, i.e. has the basic structure of a triangular prism. The spring 23

and the groove 17 are arranged on the two adjacent longitudinal side surfaces 22, 15, as with the fourth component. So that the fifth component 25 can interact with the other components of the kit, the tongue 23 and the groove 17 again have the same dimensions. The fifth component 25 can be used, for example, as an edge or end element.

The kit is further expanded by a sixth component 27 shown in Fig. 7. It is similar to the third component ₁₁ , ie it has a trapezoidal cross-section. As with the second component 5, in addition to the tongue 13 and the groove 17 on the sixth component 27, there are also toothing elements arranged on the two end faces, namely the second tongue 19 and the second groove 21.

This combines the advantages of the second component 5 and the third component 7 to enable polygonal constructions with increased strength, greater load-bearing capacity and interlocking options in two directions. Fig. 8 shows a second embodiment 7' of the third component 7. The structure differs from the first embodiment only by a modified trapezoid angle. In the example shown in Fig. 8, the angle enclosed between the legs and the long base edge of the trapezoid and the trapezoid angle are each 60°. The tongue 13 and the groove 17 do not differ from the interlocking elements explained so far. The kit according to the innovation can be advantageously expanded by this modified third component 7', and other angled courses can be created in the constructions. The component 7' according to Fig. 8 can, as will be shown, be manufactured from round wood with particularly good material utilization (Fig. 22). Designs are also possible in which the side lengths of the trapezoid are unequal.

In Fig. 9, a second embodiment 9' of the fourth component 9 is shown. The embodiment differs from the first embodiment of the fourth component 9 in that the first spring 13 on the first longitudinal side surface 11 is removed. The component 9' has

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but also the groove 17 and the additional tongue 23. It can be included in the kit in the form shown. However, it is also possible to remove the superfluous tongue 13 when assembling structures, e.g. by planing, whereby an angle element can serve as a corner element. In this way, the number of different components required is limited.

As a further example of the versatile modification or addition possibilities of the four basic elements of the kit, Fig. 10 shows a second embodiment 5' of the second component 5. Again, the tongue 13 and the groove 17 extend on the first longitudinal side surface 11 and the second longitudinal side surface 15, respectively, but the second tongue 19 and the second groove 21 run across the front sides of the component 5'. Such components can in turn be used advantageously in the construction of walls that abut one another at right angles or intersect. This lacks the common feature of the components described so far, namely the at least two mutually complementary toothing elements.

A seventh component 29 is shown in Fig. 11. This lacks the common feature of the previously described components, namely the at least two complementary toothing elements. The groove 17 is again arranged on the second longitudinal side surface 15, which extends over the entire length of the component 29. In contrast to the first component 3, there is no spring on the opposite first longitudinal side surface 11, but rather a further groove 31. Seventh components 29 are particularly advantageously used when two similar toothing elements, i.e. two springs 13, meet in building structures to be erected using the components of the kit. Another use is with separate spring components that are inserted into grooves on both sides. The seventh component 29 can be added to the kit as a supplement. It is also possible to produce a component that has a spring as a toothing element on each of the two opposite longitudinal side surfaces 11, 15.

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An eighth component 33 shown in Fig. 12 is similar to the second component 5 in terms of the toothing elements. It differs from the latter in that the cuboid-shaped basic structure is not completely formed, but rather the long side surfaces of the component 33 have a trapezoidal shape. As with the second component 5, the toothing elements 13, 17, 19, 21 are present.

The components shown and briefly explained serve as examples for a variety of possible variations of the basic components of the new kit. They can all be made from weak round wood using suitable planing and sawing settings.

The figures 13 to 20 described below show individual examples of the arrangement of the previously described components for constructing various structures. In the examples shown, only the components of the first group are used, which are characterized by complementary toothing elements on each individual component.

In Fig. 13, a second wall section is shown in side view, which is composed only of horizontally arranged first components 3. When the first components 3 are interlocked, they touch each other in support areas 35, which are formed by the first long side surface 11, the second long side surface 15 and the surfaces of the tongue 13 or the groove 17. To increase the strength of the erected wall element, an adhesive 37 can be applied to these support areas. A glue that is weatherproof, non-toxic and non-corrosive is particularly suitable for this. Furthermore, the adhesive 37 should have a short setting time and create a durable connection between the individual components without additional pressing during the setting time. This is necessary in order to erect larger building structures that consist of a large number of components, since such structures cannot be clamped in pressing devices. A suitable adhesive is a water-resistant assembly adhesive based on polyvinyl acetate, which meets the requirements of stress group B3 according to DIN 68 602.

The topmost component shown in Fig. 13

3 several annual rings 38 of the wood were marked.

If two structural elements are cut out of a small wood trunk next to each other during production, the distribution of the annual rings is approximately as shown.

In Fig. 14, a third section of wall is shown, which is also only composed of the first building elements 3. The straight section of wall is composed in a known masonry manner. The individual building elements 3 are stacked on top of one another, offset from layer to layer. Since the interlocking elements 13, 17 extend over the entire length of the building elements, this achieves a firm bond between the individual layers of the masonry and the adjacent building elements. If the strength of the masonry is high, several additional clamps 39 are provided, which hold two building elements 3 together, for example. The clamps 39 grip the long side surfaces 11, 15 of the building elements. Other fastening options for the clamps 39 are possible.

Fig. 15 shows a fourth wall section in a front view, which is composed of several second building elements 5. It can be seen that second building elements 5 with different lengths were used. This achieves an offset between the individual columns of the masonry even in the vertical arrangement of the building elements shown. The masonry shown is very strong because the building elements 5 are interlocked in two directions.

Fig. 16 shows a fifth wall section in a perspective view, which is composed of third building elements 7 and sixth building elements 27, each of different lengths. By using the building elements with a trapezoidal cross-section, where the trapezoid angle is 9°, for example, a polygonal course of the masonry is obtained, which can easily be adapted to a curve. An almost completely rounded outer surface of the masonry can be achieved by subsequently grinding the polygon corners.

To further increase the stability of the masonry shown, self-tapping wood screws 41 are provided, which connect two structural elements.

Fig. 17 is a view from above of a sixth masonry structure. In contrast to the constructions already described, the interlocking elements 13, 17 do not mesh directly with one another. Rather, they are connected to the long sides 11, 15 by means of adhesive due to the described division into thirds. Such a division enables offset masonry to be created for particularly decorative purposes.

In addition to wall sections, the new kit can be used to create a variety of load-bearing and decorative building structures. Examples of this are the following in no particular order: wall framework for cladding, decorative partition wall, garden bench, dog house, railing, arched garden bridge, soundproof wall, seating furniture, flower bed edging, etc.

Before building larger structures, it can be useful to build a model of the structures to be built in order to check their feasibility and appearance. This involves using building elements that are similar in shape and geometrically similar, but are scaled down and are themselves part of a model kit that complies with the new standards.

The building elements 7' according to Fig. 8 deserve special preference, since they can be cut from the round wood with the least amount of material given the trunk thickness. To finish off the wall, it may be necessary to plan special building element shapes that provide the necessary adaptation.

Fig. 18 shows a wall constructed from building elements 7' arranged in vertical columns. According to Fig. 19, the wall is extended to form a corner structure, with specially planed building elements 43 serving as corner building elements, the construction of which is readily apparent from the drawing. A variant is shown in Fig. 20, in which the building elements 7' are arranged in horizontal layers, with special corner building elements 44, of which the

Construction is evident from the drawing. The layers on top of each other are connected by the adhesive 37.

Fig. 21 and 22 illustrate the material-saving production of the building elements using the building elements 3 and 4. Fig. 21 shows a cross-section of a thin, weak wood trunk 45, e.g. a spruce trunk, as it accrues during thinning, from which the building element 3, the cross-sectional contour of which is drawn into the trunk, is cut out. The cutting out of the building element 2 is carried out, for example, with a four-sided planer and a cross-cut saw. The trunk has a certain number of annual rings 38, which are distributed as concentric circles over the entire cross-section of the trunk. Trunks with a diameter from 12 to 20 cm, for example, can be used.

To produce smaller components used in new model and toy kits, small wood trunks and thick branches with even smaller diameters can also be used as starting material.

With an essentially square basic cross-section of the component 3, the edge length is selected so that the available starting material is optimally utilized.

For such components that contain the fiber axis,

Depending on the condition and type of wood, radial cracks can easily occur, usually during production. Such radial cracks have no adverse consequences if, due to the structure to be erected, the structural elements are subjected to compressive or tensile stress in the direction of the grain or are only subjected to compressive stress across the grain and across the crack, for example in wall scaffolding and walls. In the case of tensile stress across the crack, for example in the case of bending stress in the transverse direction of the structural element, such elements with cracks cannot be used. Structural elements with radial cracks can therefore only be used to a limited extent.

According to Fig. 22, two structural elements 7' with a trapezoidal base cross-section are cut from the trunk cross-section. The angle of 60° between the base line and the leg proves to be optimal for the use of the area of the

round log as suitable. The structural elements T are projected into the cross-section of the log 45 in such a way that the two long base lines of the trapezoids lie against each other. The spring 13 protrudes beyond the slanting front surface, i.e. beyond one side of the trapezoid, by a distance that does not extend beyond the circumference of the trapezoid, which is given by the dimensions of the log 45. The fiber axis lies in the middle cutting plane, so that the tendency towards radial cracks does not occur.

With reference to Fig. 21, it could be that on one of the long edges 47 of the building element the edge is cut off by the trunk circumference or a rounded edge is created at this point, which still has some bark or bast residue. Similar phenomena can also occur on the other building element shapes. Such edges are accepted for many applications and are even considered advantageous for rustic decorations. For example, in the case of concealed constructions, e.g. wall constructions that are still clad in plasterboard, it is irrelevant whether the building elements have "forest edges". There should only be a clear surface for the installation and nailing of the cladding panels.

The following Figs. 23 to 27 describe components that can be assigned to a second group and that are characterized by the fact that they have similar toothing elements. These similar toothing elements are therefore not complementary. In order to create the connections between the neighboring components, however, toothing elements that can engage with one another are also required in this case. The complementary counterpart for the toothing elements of the components is therefore a mediating element that engages approximately 50% each in the two toothing elements of the neighboring components.

The examples shown refer to only one embodiment of gearing elements, namely the components shown have grooves that extend along the side surfaces as in the components already described. In this case, the mediating element is formed by a

A separate spring is formed, which has the shape of a strip or an elongated cuboid. The spring is inserted into the grooves of the components when assembling individual components. Depending on the dimensions of the groove and the spring and the strength requirements, the spring is pressed in and/or glued in. The spring can take up the entire length of the groove or only extend along individual areas of it. It is part of the new kit and can be included in different lengths.

The embodiments described below are similar in their basic structure to the components described above. Details are therefore only discussed to the extent necessary to illustrate the differences.

Fig. 23 shows a second embodiment 3' of the first component (Fig. 2). This component 3' corresponds in its structure to the seventh component 29. Like the latter, it has the first groove 17 on the second longitudinal side 15 and the further groove 31 on the first longitudinal side 11. The component 3' also differs from the first embodiment 3 of the first component in that the toothing elements 17, 31 take up less than a third of the width of the longitudinal side surfaces 11, 15.

In addition, a separate spring 49 is shown above the component 3', which fulfills the function of the mediation element complementary to the groove 31. The spring 49 is supplied loose and can possibly consist of several parts. It has the shape of an elongated cuboid. However, if the toothing elements of the components are designed differently, the shape is adapted to complement these toothing elements.

In Fig. 24, a third embodiment 5" of the second component is shown, which corresponds to the first embodiment with regard to the arrangement of the toothing elements. Grooves 17, 31 are located on the long side surfaces 11, 15 and the second groove 21 and a third groove 51 opposite it are located on the end faces. Again, the separate spring 49 is shown above the component 5".

A third embodiment 7" of the third basic element

of the kit is shown in Fig. 25. The trapezoidal cross-section is also present here. The difference is that there is no tongue opposite the groove 17, but rather the further groove 31.

Even without the graphic representation, it is clear to the person skilled in the art that all other components described above with complementary toothing elements can also be manufactured in such a way that similar toothing elements run along one or more long side surfaces and/or end faces. It must only be noted that the arrangement of grooves on three or four long side surfaces in certain components (e.g. in the fifth component 25) can lead to an extreme weakening of the remaining inner core cross-section, which means that these components only have a low level of strength.

However, this risk does not exist with an eighth component 53 shown in Fig. 26. The cross-section of the eighth component 53 is trapezoidal. It is therefore particularly suitable for the construction of polygonal or angled structures. Opposite the first groove 17 is the further groove 31. Further grooves 55 and 57 are incorporated into the other two long side surfaces. This means that the eighth component can also be used as a cross element.

As a further example of the versatility of the components and the kits equipped with them, a ninth component 59 is shown in Fig. 27. The grooves 17, 31, 55 and 57 are located on the four long side surfaces. In addition, the second groove 21 and a further groove 61, which runs perpendicular to the groove 21, are located on the first end face. On the other end face there are two further grooves running perpendicular to each other, but these are not visible in the figure. An additional groove 63 forms a transverse toothing element on the first long side surface 11. The transverse groove 63 enables the ninth component to be used, for example, when constructing intersecting walls.

Above the ninth component 59 is the separate spring

49. The spring 49 shown is designed in such a way that it is inserted into the groove 31 to about 50%, in order to engage with the remaining 50% in the groove of the adjacent component (not shown).

However, springs 49 are also possible that have only one width ■, which when inserted into the groove only completely fills it and then ends flush with the remaining surface of the long side face. The component is therefore universally applicable. The grooves that are not required are simply filled with separate springs of half the height.

In other embodiments, additional transverse grooves may be provided.

Due to their variable size and usability, the building elements can be used for the production of different shapes of buildings and components, such as: load-bearing walls and vaults, cloakroom walls and exhibition stands (also on stilts), garden houses, flower bed edging, garden architecture and plant pots, building elements for children's playgrounds, park benches, waiting room benches and shaped seats, advertising columns and notice boards, garages, dog kennels and bus stops, garden bridges and pedestrian bridges (arched), cladding for waste baskets or similar, railings, floor raising, half-timbered brickwork, noise barriers.

Claims (18)

Protection claims: 1. Kit for constructing load-bearing or decorative structures, consisting of a large number of wooden construction elements with a cuboid-shaped basic structure, which can be connected to one another by means of mutually complementary interlocking elements, optionally with the additional use of an adhesive, with first construction elements (3, 31) with a substantially rectangular cross-section and interlocking elements (13, 17, 31) arranged on opposite longitudinal side surfaces (11, 15) and distributed over the entire length, which enable a number of first construction elements (3, 31) to be arranged in alignment by engaging with a complementary counterpart; characterized in that it further comprises at least: second components (5, 5', 5") with a similar structure to the first components (3, 3') and additional toothing elements (19, 21, 51) on the front sides, which correspond to the toothing elements (13, 17, 31) on the longitudinal side surfaces; third components (7, 1', 7") with a substantially similar structure to the first components (3, 3'), but with a trapezoidal cross-section, the cross-sectional lines of the longitudinal side surfaces (11, 15) carrying the toothing elements (13, 17, 31) forming the legs of the trapezoid; and fourth components (9) with a similar structure to the first components (3) and an additional toothing element (23) on a third longitudinal side surface (22), which enables the right-angled arrangement of the adjacent components by engaging with the complementary counterpart. 2. Kit according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises fifth structural elements (25) with a triangular cross-section and two toothing elements (23, 17) which extend over the entire length of adjacent longitudinal side surfaces (22, 15). 3. Kit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it further comprises sixth components (27) with similar Structure like the third component (7) and with additional toothing elements (19, 21) on the front sides. 4. Kit according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the toothing elements arranged on some components comprise at least a first toothing element (13, 23) and a second toothing element (17) which is complementary to the first toothing element (13, 23). 5. Construction kit according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least two of the toothing elements (17, 31) arranged on some components are of the same type and the complementary counterpart is a mediating element (49) belonging to the construction kit, which is complementary to the similar toothing elements (17, 31) and engages in a mediating manner in two similar toothing elements of adjacent components. 6. Construction kit according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it further comprises connecting elements in the form of elongated self-tapping wood screws (41) which extend through at least two components and/or connecting elements in the form of clamps (39) which encompass at least two components. 7. A wooden construction element with a cuboid-shaped basic structure and with toothing elements on two of its opposite longitudinal side surfaces, in particular for use in a construction kit according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it has a substantially trapezoidal cross-section, the cross-sectional lines of the longitudinal side surfaces (11, 15) carrying the toothing elements (13, 17, 31) forming the Form the legs of the trapezoid.
30 8. Component according to claim 7, characterized in that the cross-sectional trapezoid has equal leg lengths and the included angle between the long base edge and the legs between 55° and 88°.
35 9. Wooden construction element with a cuboid basic structure, essentially rectangular cross-section and with toothing elements (13, 17, 31) on two opposite longitudinal side surfaces, in particular for use in a kit according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that characterized in that it has further toothing elements (19, 21, 51) on the front sides. 10. Component according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the toothing elements consist of at least a first toothed element (13) and a second toothed element (17) which is complementary to the first. 11. Component according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that at least two of the toothed elements (17, 31) are of the same type. 12. Kit or component according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that on the one hand the optionally complementary toothing elements each consist of a groove (17, 21) and a spring (13, 19) and on the other hand the optionally similar toothing elements consist of a groove (17, 31), each with a substantially isosceles cross-section, the center planes of which run perpendicular to the surface of the component on which the toothing element is arranged. 13. Kit or component according to claim 12, characterized in that the complementary counterpart for the groove (17, 31, 51, 55, 57, 63) serving as a toothing element is a separate spring (49) which can be inserted into the groove or part of the groove to approximately 50% of its transverse extent. 14. Kit or component according to claim 12, characterized in that the groove (17, 21, 31, 51, 55, 57) or the tongue (13, 19) takes up approximately one third of the area of the side surface on which it is arranged and is located approximately in the middle this area.
30 15. Kit or component according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the toothing elements (19, 21, 51, 55) which may be present extend on the end faces between the longitudinal side surfaces (11, 15) which carry the toothing elements (13, 17, 31). 16. Kit or component according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the structural elements consist of naturally grown wood with annual rings (38) and the central longitudinal axis of the starting material largely coincides with the longitudinal axis of the component. 17. Construction kit or component according to claim 16, characterized in that the center of the annual rings of the wood lies in a side surface plane of the individual components (Fig. 22). 18. Construction kit or component according to claim 16, characterized in that at least 65 % of all annual rings (38) of the starting material (45) are completely located in the cross-section of the component (3) (Fig. 21).