GB1598056A

GB1598056A - Apparatus for moulding toy bricks

Info

Publication number: GB1598056A
Application number: GB5199/78A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Didi Spielwaren
Current assignee: Didi Spielwaren
Priority date: 1978-01-24
Filing date: 1978-02-09
Publication date: 1981-09-16
Also published as: ES466770A1; ATA169178A; CH626288A5; IT7847962A0; NZ186582A; AU518918B2; DE2802889A1; FR2414990A1; AU3418978A; FR2414990B1; AT366622B; IT1102045B; NL7803647A

Abstract

In the device for moulding toy building blocks from curable or polymerisable materials, slidable or pivotable wall strips (3, 4) are formed perpendicularly on a chassis (1) for forming mould boxes (25) and core bodies (6) detachably connected to the chassis (1) project into the mould boxes (25). <IMAGE>

Description

(54) APPARATUS FOR MOULDING TOY BRICKS (71) We, DIDI SPIELWAREN GmbH of 2 Karl Spitta Strasse, 8430 Neumarkt. Opf., Federal Republic of Germany, a German body corporate, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- The invention relates to a device for moulding toy bricks or the like from hardenable or polymerisable materials which apparatus, whilst promoting the play drive, permits inherently stable toy bricks to be produced simply and speedily.

According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus for moulding toy bricks from hardenable or polymerisable materials having a base plate and displaceably mounted wall strips at right angles thereto for forming mould boxes and core bodies projecting into the mould boxes over part of the height and connected to the base plate, wherein the mould boxes are provided with a common, base-secured, wall strip and wall strips mounted on a slider guided on the base plate and the slider is adapted to be adjustable on the base plate by means of toothed and lever drives.

The mould boxes tightly retain the materials and after setting thereof and removal of the wall strips the toy bricks can be removed without damage, whereby the core bodies remain on the base plate or are subsequently removed from the toy brick. For this purpose the wall strips and/ or the core bodies may engage displaceably on the base plate by means of toothed and lever drives.

The apparatus is arranged with the base plate having a lower encircling edge strip and a negatively formed base-secured wall strip at the top for forming one end face of the bricks and at least one slider displaceable at right angles. The slider supports parallel spaced side-by-side flat wall strips which are displaceable at right angles to the basesecured wall strip and a negatively formed wall strip forming the other end face end of the bricks is secured between the displaceable wall strips. The sliders so formed, by longitudinal displacement, permit a number of mould boxes to be formed side-by-side which can be opened or closed. Studs releasably engaging in aligned perforations of slider and plate serve for the location of the slider in the working position.

Furthermore, a channel or recess is provided on the top surface of the slider serving as mould permitting the additional moulding of base panels, roof panels, bricks or the like to be provided. For easier removal from the mould the base of this mould is provided with base sections displaceable relative to the slider to form an ejector, the actuation of which occurs either manually or automatically and is derivable from the slider movement.

Finally, provision is also made that the core bodies are secured individually or in pairs or together with wall strips in recesses of the base plate or mutually to support plates locatable on the base plate. Moreover, the removal operation of the toy bricks may be simplified by the use of soft plastics material, e.g. a polyolefine, such as "Lupolen" (RTM) for the wall strips, core bodies and sliders.

The present invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section of a slider in an end view; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of a slider; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a core body; and Fig. 5 is an alternative embodiment of a core body.

In Figs. 1 to 3 a mould apparatus is shown, in which a base plate 1 receives support plates 7 with core bodies 6 in recesses 8. Furthermore on the base plate 1, on both sides, wall strips 9 provided with enlargements 5 are securely formed and sliders 10 are guided which support wall strips 3 and 4. The sliders 10 are additionally guided on the base plate 1 by ledges 11 and by means of racked bars 12 engage below the base surface 11,. The racked bars 12 mesh with pinions 13 mounted non-rotatably on shafts 14 and rotatable by means of crank drives or motor drives. On opposite ends of the apparatus the sliders 10 are provided with moulds 15 in which the toy base plates, toy bricks or the like may be moulded.

Ejector plates 16 are retained in slides and actuatable by means of pins 17.

Fig. 4 shows core bodies 6 having a support plate 7 as used for removal of whole toy bricks from the moulds, whilst in Fig. 5 a core body 6 and a spacer 18 are located on a support plate 7 which permits the removal of half bricks from the mould.

For removal of toy bricks from the mould, the sliders 10 are caused to assume their working position (Fig. 1 top). The wall strips 3 are supported at their free ends in slots 20 of the wall strip 9. Insertion of the wall strips 3 into the slots 20 is facilitated by stops 19 with bevel surfaces 21. Recesses 22 of the sliders 10 are aligned in working position with recesses 23 of the base plate 1 and receive socket pins 24 for securing the sliders 10. In the mould boxes 25 brick compositions are now to be inserted. On setting or polymerisation of these compositions first the socket pins 24 are removed and by rotating the shafts 14 via the pinions 13 and racked bars 12 the sliders 10 are caused to assume the open position (Fig. 1 bottom). The toy bricks are exposed on the base plate 1 and may be removed from the apparatus. Subsequently, the core bodies 6 are pulled off from below. This operation is facilitated by using flexible plastics materials for producing the core bodies 6. It is possible to arrange the core bodies 6 with their support plates 7 securely on the base plate 1, whereby the removal of the core bodies from the mould is omitted.

Additionally, support plates 7 of core bodies of Fig. 1 may be provided with further wall strips 26, which permits the mould box 25 to be divided into halves for producing half bricks in the mould.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. An apparatus for moulding toy bricks from hardenable or polymerisable materials having a base plate and displaceably mounted wall strips at right angles thereto for forming mould boxes and core bodies projecting into the mould boxes over part of the height and connected to the base plate, wherein the mould boxes are provided with a common, base-secured, wall strip and wall strips mounted on a slider guided on the base plate and the slider is adapted to be adjustable on the base plate by means of toothed and lever drives.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which the sliding wall strips extend in spaced parallel juxtaposition and at right angles to the base-secured wall strip.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which the sliders with sliding wall strips are arranged on each side of the basesecured wall strips on the base plate.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 and 3, in which the sliders are securable on the base plate by means of studs engaging in perforations of slider and base plate.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 and 4, in which the sliders are provided on the upper surface with at least one recess acting as a mould.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, in which the bottom of the recess supports at least an ejector plate displaceable at right angles to the plane of the slider.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which the slider, the wall strips and the core bodies are formed of soft plastics material.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which the core bodies engage fixedly on support plates which are loosely mounted in recesses of the base plate.

9. An apparatus for moulding toy bricks substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. the apparatus the sliders 10 are provided with moulds 15 in which the toy base plates, toy bricks or the like may be moulded. Ejector plates 16 are retained in slides and actuatable by means of pins 17. Fig. 4 shows core bodies 6 having a support plate 7 as used for removal of whole toy bricks from the moulds, whilst in Fig. 5 a core body 6 and a spacer 18 are located on a support plate 7 which permits the removal of half bricks from the mould. For removal of toy bricks from the mould, the sliders 10 are caused to assume their working position (Fig. 1 top). The wall strips 3 are supported at their free ends in slots 20 of the wall strip 9. Insertion of the wall strips 3 into the slots 20 is facilitated by stops 19 with bevel surfaces 21. Recesses 22 of the sliders 10 are aligned in working position with recesses 23 of the base plate 1 and receive socket pins 24 for securing the sliders 10. In the mould boxes 25 brick compositions are now to be inserted. On setting or polymerisation of these compositions first the socket pins 24 are removed and by rotating the shafts 14 via the pinions 13 and racked bars 12 the sliders 10 are caused to assume the open position (Fig. 1 bottom). The toy bricks are exposed on the base plate 1 and may be removed from the apparatus. Subsequently, the core bodies 6 are pulled off from below. This operation is facilitated by using flexible plastics materials for producing the core bodies 6. It is possible to arrange the core bodies 6 with their support plates 7 securely on the base plate 1, whereby the removal of the core bodies from the mould is omitted. Additionally, support plates 7 of core bodies of Fig. 1 may be provided with further wall strips 26, which permits the mould box 25 to be divided into halves for producing half bricks in the mould. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. An apparatus for moulding toy bricks from hardenable or polymerisable materials having a base plate and displaceably mounted wall strips at right angles thereto for forming mould boxes and core bodies projecting into the mould boxes over part of the height and connected to the base plate, wherein the mould boxes are provided with a common, base-secured, wall strip and wall strips mounted on a slider guided on the base plate and the slider is adapted to be adjustable on the base plate by means of toothed and lever drives.