GB2147633A

GB2147633A - Model building system

Info

Publication number: GB2147633A
Application number: GB08326710A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Edwin Jack Sadler
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-10-06
Filing date: 1983-10-06
Publication date: 1985-05-15
Also published as: GB8326710D0

Abstract

A model building system has base strips 1 which are attached to a base board to define the perimeter of a building and which has a pattern of vertical boles 2 to receive upright rods 3. On the rods 3, successive courses of brickwork are built up and glued in position. Each course consists of a number of brickwork simulating blocks 4, which have vertical holes 5 to receive the rods, and which may represent single bricks 4 or a number of bricks and/or part-bricks (4c, Fig. 2b). Each block has a ridge 6 on its lower face to space it from the course below and to simulate horizontal jointing. Vertical jointing is simulated by vertical spaces formed between adjacent blocks in the same course by the spacing of the rod holes 2 in the base strips. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Model Building System The present invention relates to a model building system for constructing models of buildings and other brickwork structures.

A known form of model building system includes a base plate with a plurality of evenly spaced apart holes, a plurality of connecting rods and a plurality of building blocks each having a pair of through holes. In use, the connecting rods are located in selected ones of the holes in the base plate and the buildings blocks are threaded onto the connecting rods to form layers of blocks with each layer offset horizontally from the adjacent layers above and below, after the manner of brickwork. The connecting rods hold the blocks together in a stable fashion. To add realism the blocks may be precoloured to represent bricks with intervening jointing or the details of the bricks and jointing may be painted onto the finished "brickwork".However, the end result can look artificial and with very small scale models for example model railway scale OO/HO (1:76.2), the painting of detail of individual bricks is impractical.

It is known to represent bricks at such small scales by having building blocks with a plurality of horizontal and vertical interconnecting grooves on one face to create the appearance of a number of bricks and associated jointing. Thus, each block will represent a number of columns and layers of bricks.

It is possible to represent a wall with only a few of these blocks since each can represent typically ten or more bricks. However, if as is usual the building block is a cuboid, i.e. a rectangular parallelepiped, the edges of the grooved face will not coincide with all the edges of the represented bricks, so the resulting brickwork will have bricks split between two blocks. This result is unsatisfactory.

The invention seeks to provide a versatile model building system in which at least the horizontal jointing is represented.

According to the invention there is provided a model building system comprising a base member having a plurality of regularly spaced holes, a plurality of connecting rods each locatable in one of the holes in the base member, and a plurality of building blocks each with at least two through holes so that each block can be mounted on at least two connecting rods and each having on one holed face a ridge which serves to provide a gap between said holed face and the adjacent face of a similar block abutting the ridge.

With the model building system of the invention brickwork can be assembled with the ridged face of each block lowermost to form a gap representing the jointing between that block and a lower block or the base member. By providing each block with individual jointing it is possible to create realistic brickwork and since each block may represent an individual brick the model building system can be versatile when compared to building systems where each block represents a number of bricks. The ridge may be large enough to represent mortar within the gap.

In a preferred embodiment the holes in the base member are spaced apart so that when the blocks are mounted on the connecting rods adjacent blocks of the same layer are spaced apart horizontally. The gap between horizontally adjacent blocks can then represent the vertical jointing between the blocks and, where each block represents a brick between horizontally adjacent bricks. For models of the OO/HO scale the resulting gap may be narrow enough to support a paint film of colour appropriate to jointing, or other coloured filler that may be inserted into the jointing gap. Alternatively, an end face of the block, which will be next to a horizontally adjacent block in use, can be provided with a ridge covering at least a substantial part of the end face to partially fill the gap representing the vertical jointing to represent mortar.

As previously stated each block of the model building system can represent an individual brick with associated horizontal jointing, and this is preferred. However, to facilitate building a block may represent a number of bricks of a layer or course, and in this case the vertical jointing between bricks within a block may be represented by a vertical groove or grooves. Each block may also represent a number of whole and part bricks to imitate certain styles of brickwork. The jointing between whole and part bricks within a block can again be represented by a vertical groove or grooves. It should be appreciated that the sides of each block will coincide with the jointing gap between bricks of that block and the next, so that the vertical gaps between blocks do not coincide with a represented brick.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a base member with connecting rods, Figure 2a is a perspective view from above and a perspective view from below of a building block representing a single brick, Figure 2b shows in perspective view from above various blocks representing combinations of bricks and a corner stone, Figure 3 is an exploded illustration of a building construction, and Figure 4 is an exploded illustration of another building construction.

Referring now to the drawings where like numerals indicate like parts.

A model building system includes a base member or strip 1 with regularly spaced apart holes 2, and a plurality of connecting rods 3 which are locatable in the holes 2. Referring particularly to Figure 2a, a building block 4 is a cuboid and has a pair of through holes 5 which extend between two parallel faces of the block. The block 4 has on one of the holed faces a ridge or extension 6 which covers a substantial part of that face. The ridge 6 covers the holed face of the block 4 except for a margin around the periphery of the holed face. The ridge 6 is intended to represent the horizontal jointing associated with the holed face of that block. The base strip 1 and block 4 are made from plastics material. Thus the base strip can be provided in lengths which can be cut as desired.

The block 4 illustrated in Figure 2a represents a single brick. Combinations of whole and part bricks are provided and these are illustrated in Figure 2b.

Referring now to Figure 2b, block represents three brick arranged as a "header/double space stretcher" combination, block 4d represents three whole bricks and a part brick in a "closeridouble stretcher" combination, block 4e represents three whole bricks and a part brick in a "closer/double header" combination, block 4f represents three bricks in a "triple header" combination, and block 4g represent four bricks in a "double stretcher" combination. The block 4h represents a "corner stone" of several brick width and height. The blocks 4c to 4g have vertical grooves 7 to differentiate between the whole, and whole and part bricks within a block, and also to represent vertical jointing between the bricks of the respective block.

The spacing of the holes 2 in the base strip 1 is selected so that, in use, when building blocks 4 are mounted on the connecting rods 3 located in the base strip 1, the blocks will be spaced apart horizontally as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The spacing of the holes 2 is selected so that the gaps 8 between the horizontally adjacent blocks corresponds to the width of the grooves 7.

Referring now in particular to Figures 1,3 and 4, a method of construction using the building system described will be outlined. First a number of connecting rods 3 are located in orthogonal arranged lengths of the base strip 1. As will be seen from Figures 3 and 4, connecting rods 3 need not be placed in every hole in the base strp 1, rather connecting rods 3 are located in selected of the holes 2 in a pattern depending on the "brickwork" to be constructed as a matter of design choice.

Referring in particular now to Figure 3, where some of the connecting rods 3 are shown as dot-dash line to assist in understanding, once the initial connecting rods 3 have been located in the base plate-1 according to the desired pattern building blocks 4 of the first course are mounted on the connecting rods. Figure 3 illustrates the construction of a "Flemish bond" and makes use of the blocks 4c "header/double stretcher", 4d"closer/ double stretcher", as well as the block 4 representing a single brick. The blocks 4 are glued in place with a suitable glue. Subsequent causes are then mounted on the first course. It will be appreciated that the blocks 4 of the lowermost course of bricks will have the ridge 6 abutting the base strips 1, while subsequent courses of the blocks 4 will have ridges 6 abutting the course of blocks below.The ridges 6 will thus represent the horizontal jointing between adjacent courses of blocks, i.e. between represented courses of bricks, while the gaps 8 between horizontally adjacent blocks will represent the vertical jointing between bricks of adjacent blocks.

Figure 4 represents the construction of "brickwork" in the manner of the "English bond".

As before connecting rods 3 are located in the desired pattern in length of the base strip 1, although the connecting rods are shown in dot-dash line to assist understanding. The "Englich bond" is constructed using blocks 4e "closer/double header", 4f "triple header" and 4g "four brick double stretcher", as well as with blocks 4 representing single bricks. The procedure for construction of the "English bond" is the same as that described above forthe"Flemish bond".

It is to be appreciated that the building system described allows for the construction of other styles of bonds but that for each style of bond the horizontal jointing between courses of blocks (bricks) will be represented by the ridges 6 on the lower holed face of each block (brick), while the gaps 8 between horizontally adjacent blocks represents the jointing between bricks of those blocks.

Claims

1. A model building system comprising at least one base member having a plurality of spaced holes, a plurality of connecting rods each locatable in one of the holes in the base member, and a plurality of building blocks each with at least two through holes such that the block can be mounted on at least two connecting rods and each having on one holed face a ridge which serves to provide a gap between the holed face and the adjacent face of a similar block or base member abutting the ridge.

2. A model building system according to claim 1, in which the ridge covers a substantial part of the area of the holed face and simulates mortar in the horizontal jointing.

3. A model building system according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the holes in the base member are so spaced apart lengthwise of the member that, when the blocks are mounted on the connecting rods, adjacent blocks of the same course are spaced apart to simulate vertical jointing.

4. A model building system according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which each of at least some of the blocks is formed with a mortar-simulating ridge on a side face intended to be adjacent a complementary face of another block in the same course.

5. A model building system according to any one of the preceding claims, in which at least some of the blocks represent single bricks.

6. A model building system according to claims 1 to 4, in which at least some of the blocks represent a number of bricks of the same course.

7. A model building system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which at least some of the blocks represent at least one brick and at least one part-brick.

8. A model building system according to claim 6 or claim 7, in which each of the blocks represent a number of bricks having surface grooves simulating vertical bonding between bricks.

9. A model building system substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.