GB2248787A - Spaced bricks - Google Patents

Abstract

A kit of model construction bricks such as a children's kit of construction, are utilised together to build various structures. The bricks 1 have bores (2) passing therethrough by means of which they may be stacked one above the other on dowels 5. The bricks when assembled one above the other on the dowels are capable not only of forming rectilinear lines, but may be inclined within the horizontal plain to form a curved or tortuous wall. The bricks are suitably provided with two bores and may be assembled to form a wall. Some bricks may be wedge-shaped to create the top of a sloping wall. They may also be joined to tiles (15, Fig. 5). The kit may include laminar rectangles for use as doors or windows. Studs or bolts adapted to receive vertically disposed dowels, may be attached to some of the bricks or laminar rectangles. <IMAGE>

Description

Model Construction Bricks This invention relates to model construction bricks and kits thereof, such as a childrens' kit of construction bricks, utilised together to build various structures.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a kit of model construction bricks capable of simplicity in assembly and considerable variability in design and configuration of construction.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a kit of model construction bricks, wherein at least some of the bricks have bores passing therethrough by means of which they may be stacked one above the other on dowels, at least some of the bored bricks being rectangular in plan with two bores spaced out along or parallel to the long axis of the rectangle, each of the two bores being separated from its adjacent end of the rectangle by a distance less than half the distance by which it is separated from the other of the two bores.

By means of the invention, it is possible to ensure that the bricks when assembled one above the other on the dowels are capable not only of forming rectilinear lines and layers of bricks in the form of a straight wall, but may be inclined within a horizontal plane with respect to each other to form (in overall appearance) a curved or tortuous wall, or even to form (in overall appearance) a circular tower, for example.

In addition to the rectangular bored bricks hereinabove specified, the kit may incorporate bricks of various other configurations to provide variety of configuration of structure which can be built from the kit, such as bricks of square plan view having a central single bore for receiving a dowel on which the bricks are spaced, the dimensions of the square plan brick being such that two square bricks placed on dowels protruding upwardly from a single rectangular brick as hereinabove specified are separated by a gap of significant dimension whereby to enable movement of both square plan bricks about a vertical axis from a parallel disposition.

The dowels provided in the kit are preferably long enough to connect several layers or courses of bricks, so that a structure of significant height may be built on a single collection of dowels, and an even higher structure built when dowels are placed one on top of another within the bores in the bricks. For convenience, dowels of different lengths may be placed one on top of the other.

The dowels may have tapered blunted ends which overlap at their junctions.

Bricks of inclined upper surface may be provided so that a wall may be constructed of overall inclined upper surface, for example, so as to constitute, for example, the gable of a house.

Door or window opening bricks may be provided which may be constituted by laminar rectangles to which may be attached by studs or bolts apertured lugs adapted to receive vertically disposed dowels. Such bricks may also be used as roof tiles where appropriate.

Alternatively, special rectangular laminar bricks may be provided to constitute roof tiles, for example, of model constructions. The roof tiles may be capable of being attached together by means of studs or bolts to form sheets, two of which may be used for the sides of a roof.

The two sheets may be hinged together and a central cross beam brick may be provided for extending, for example, between two gable walls of a building structure across which the two sheets may be placed along their hinge line.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, one embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures l(a) and (b) are a plan view and a side elevation of a rectangular plan brick from a kit in accordance with the invention; Figures 2(a) and (b) are a plan view and a side elevation respectively of a square plan brick from a kit in accordance with the present invention; Figures 3(a) and (b) are axiometric views of rectangular bricks and square bricks of Figures 1 and 2 assembled into parts of model wall structures from a kit in accordance with the present invention; Figures 4(a) and (b) are an axiometric view and a front elevation respectively of part of a model gable wall structure from a kit in accordance with the present invention;; Figure 5 is an axiometric exploded view showing the construction of a roof from a kit in accordance with the invention; and Figures 6(a) and (b) are a side elevation and a plan view (partially in section) of an opening window member brick from a kit in accordance with the present invention.

It is to be seen that the brick structures in the Figures are solid in appearance. These may be, for example, formed from wood such as polished hardwood or softwood, or may be formed from plastics material and may be substantially hollow, and may be provided with through channels for the doweling. The dowelling itself may be of wood or may be of an appropriate plastics material.

The standard building brick 1 of the construction kit illustrated is best shown in Figures 1(a) and (b). It is to be observed that the overall length of the rectangular brick is indicated as being "z", whilst the width is indicated as being "2x", the spacing in from the ends of the rectangular bricks of the centres of the bore holes 2 for dowels are also designated as "x". As can also be seen from Figure 1(a), the distance between the centres of the two bore holes 2 is a distance of "y" and in accordance with the invention "2x" must always be less than "y", and, indeed, significantly so, in order to enable rectangular bricks 1 disposed upon vertical securing dowels to be turned to an inclined disposition within a horizontal plane with regard to each other so as to enable the construction of a wall which in general overall appearance is of curved configuration in plan.

Typically, a standard rectangular brick for a model construction kit in accordance with the invention would be 215mum long by 93mm wide, the dowel bores 2 being inset from the sides and from each end by 46.5mm to the centre of the bore. The dowel bore itself will typically be of the order of 20mm diameter, with a separation between the centres of the two bores of 122mm. Again, typically, the height of the brick is 46.5mm.

Reference to Figures 2(a) and 2(b) shows what can be referred to as a half brick 3. In this brick the dimensions in plan are that the two sides are "2x" in length and a dowel bore 4 is located centrally thereof so that the distance of its centre from any one side is always "X", and hence any half brick placed upon a dowel passing through a bore 2 in a standard rectangular brick 1 will extend across the top of the standard rectangular brick to the same extent as any rectangular standard brick placed in a similar manner upon the dowel passing through the same bore in the underlying rectangular brick. This again enables a uniform turning of one brick with respect to another, albeit a half brick.

For association with bricks of the size referred to above in connection with the standard brick 1, typically a half brick 3 is of wall length in plan of 93mm, so that the spacing from the centre of the dowel bore 4 to each side is 46.5mm. Again, the height of the brick is 46.5mm, whilst the dowel bore again is 20mm in diameter.

Figure 3(a) shows a typical assembly of standard rectangular bricks 1 and half bricks 3 in a gently curved configuration in plan enabled by the ability of the bricks 1 and 3 to be inclined one to another when viewed in plan.

As can be seen, standard bricks 1 are placed one upon another and secured together by means of dowels 5 and, at the same time, are inclined within a horizontal plane with regard to each other to a easily accommodatable angled disposition.

At one end 6 of the structure illustrated, half bricks 3 are shown to provide an appropriate plane, vertical finish to the structure at that end.

Figure 3(b) illustrates a different form of construction in which two walls 7,8 rectilinear in plan view, are constructed with standard bricks 1 being maintained in their parallel disposition to one another and the walls 7,8 meeting at a right angled corner.

Again, it is to be noted that half bricks 3 are used at ends 9,10 of each wall to provide a plane, vertical end surface thereto.

It is to be noted that in both Figures 3(a) and 3(b) the spacing between the bricks not only enables curving of the bricks, but also enables free flow of air therebetween so that, if a child, for example, should assemble a structure whithin which it is able to climb, ample provision of air through the bricks is provided to avoid any safety risk with respect to the child's breathing.

With regard to Figure 3(b), it is to be noted that, since the standard bricks 1 are of similar dimension in their width as in their overlying length, a right angled corner can easily be accommodated without disrupting or interfering in any way with the smooth alignment of the structure.

Referring now to Figures 4(a) and (b) and Figure 5, there are illustrated a selection of various brick forms, those shown being useful for constructing a gable wall 11 and roof tiling for a model construction of a pitched roof building. Thus, in Figure 4(a) and 4(b) there is shown a plurality of standard bricks mounted upon appropriate length dowels, each dowel having placed on its upper end a special short dowel 12 adapted to protrude to a limited extent only from the upper of the standard bricks 1. By this means, wedge shaped bricks 13 having an inclined upper surface may be placed upon each of the special short dowels 12 so that, in overall effect, as can best be seen from Figure 4(b), a sloping top to the wall 11 is produced.This is illustrated also in Figure 5 where, in addition, a special central cross beam brick 14 of elongate form is illustrated adapted to stretch between the apex of two gable walls 11. Rectangular laminar tiles 15 are secured together by nylon nuts 16 and bolts 17 passing through apertures 18 at the four corners of the tiles 15, so as to form two plates. The plates of tiles 15 are interconnected by means of apertured leather hinges 19 supported by apertured strips of wood 20 and secured by bolts 21, and nuts 22 at the top edges of the plates of tiles 15. The completed roof sits on the cross beam 15 with its lower edges overlying side walls 23 of standard bricks 1.

The bricks of Figures 4(a) and 4(b) and Figure 5 enable the construction of a model pitched roof house.

Reference to Figure 6 illustrates another special brick, this time a brick 25 comprising a window. As can be seen, the special brick 25 comprises a vertical laminar rectangular member, which may be formed of a transparent plastics material or of wooden board, and that shown is of the same length as a standard rectangular brick 1, and has a height of four standard rectangular bricks. Other dimensions are of course possible, and the window may be two standard bricks long and five high. The space to be occupied by the window 25 is crossed vertically by two dowels 26 for connecting to standard bricks above (not shown) and below the window. The window 25 is attached to special lugs 27 by means of nylon bolts 28 and nuts 29 such that a vertical groove 30 in the studs disposed in operation alongside the window 25 fits loosely around and holds the window brick against one of the dowels 26.

As can best be seen in Figure 6(b), this enables opening and closing of the window by rotation of the lugs 27 about their associated dowel 26.

A door (not shown) may be provided for a structure built from the kit, which may use similar hinges to those illustrated with respect to the window just described.

Such a door may be almost of the same height as the structure to obviate the need for any doorway blocking dowels to support bricks above the door.

By means of the invention, we enable the provision of a versatile model construction kit of bricks from which a great variety of structures can be assembled, in which, in addition to "straight" walls, those of a curved configuration can easily be assembled, and in which adequate air flow through into the inside of the structures built is assured. Assembly and disassembly is simple and can be accomplished readily by children for example.

It will, of course, be understood that the kit of bricks may be of any inter-related correlated size, so that a large kit may be provided to enable large structures to be assembled, each of the component parts being of correlated large dimension. Alternatively, kits of correlated small integral parts can be formed. Again, the faces of the bricks may be provided with colouring or designs or other notations such as might, for example, be useful, when designed for children, in teaching mathematics or spelling.

It is to be understood that the foregoing is merely exemplary of kits of model construction bricks in accordance with the invention and that modifications can readily be made thereto without departing from the true scope of the invention.

Claims (6)

1 A kit of model construction bricks wherein at least some of the bricks have bores passing therethrough by means of which they may be stacked one above the other on dowels, at least some of the bricks being rectangular in plan with two bores spaced out along or parallel to the long axis of the rectangle, each of the two bores being separated from its adjacent end of the rectangle by a distance of less than half the distance by which it is separated from the other of two bores.

2 A kit of model construction bricks as claimed in claim 1, which includes bricks of various other configurations to provide variety of configuration of structure which can be built from the kit, such as bricks of square plan view having a central single bore for receiving a dowel on which the bricks are spaced, the dimensions of the square plan brick being such that two square bricks placed on dowels protruding upwardly from a single rectangular brick as herinabove specified are separated by a gap of significant dimension whereby to enable movement of both square plan bricks about a vertical axis from a parallel disposition.

3 A kit of model construction bricks as claimed in claim 1 wherein the dowels are long enough to connect several layers or courses of bricks.

4 A kit of model construction bricks as claimed in claim 1 which includes laminar rectangles which may be used as doors or windows.

5 A kit of model construction bricks as claimed in claim 4 to which may be attached by studs or bolts apertured lugs adapted to receive vertically disposed dowels.

6 A kit of model construction bricks substantially as described herein with reference to figures 1-6 in the description.