IL27761A

IL27761A - Toy building brick elements

Info

Publication number: IL27761A
Application number: IL27761A
Authority: IL
Original assignee: Fischer Artur
Priority date: 1966-06-04
Filing date: 1967-04-09
Publication date: 1971-08-25
Also published as: GB1167608A; ES139599U; DK115529B; DE1603304A1; CH459853A; AT289604B; NO116710B; SE327938B; DE1603304B2; NL6707525A; ES139599Y; FI47044C; US3513590A; BE699173A; FI47044B

Description

27761/2 Toy building brick elements ARTUR FISCHER C?26310 This invention relates to toy building brick elements of plastics materialp in particular to those in which a prismatic brick, usually of square cross section, is provided with tenons and grooves for interconnection with ihe remaining elements of a toy building set which have similar connecting members.

With these elements a certain difficulty is encountered in forming the tenons integrally with the main body of the element Moreove j when two such bricks are bein joined together or being displaced after having been joined* with respect to each other, a certain roughness in the movement is produced by the fact that the face of the brick that comprises the groove bears on the face of the other brick that comprises the tongue, as two surfaces of the same plastic materia- slide along each other under the pressure with which the tongue holds the two bricks together* With a view to overcoming these drawbacks the inventio provides a brick element of synthetic resin for use in toy building sets, which is characterized b the following features. a. the brick is prismatic with rectangula , preferably square, profile b« it has an undercut tenon at one end face, or a tenon each at both end faces; c. the tenon is made integrally with, or secured to, an insert anchored in the respective end portion of the brickϊ d. the insert is made integrally with bearing surfaces projecting slightly from the end face of the brick.

If the brick has a tenon at one end face only the opposite - - 3 Preferably, longitudinal undercut grooves are disposed in e&ch of the ou end faces over their entire length.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the bearing surfaces are rounded.

It is, moreover, preferred to provide the bearing surfac on four fins disposed in the diagonal planes which bisect the corners of the brick. However, other arrangements of the bearing surfaces are possible.

The cross-section of the tenon in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the projection may eithe be square or circular. The axial section of the tenon may have the shape of a truncat cone or of part of a sphere, according to whether or not the projection is to be rotatable in the groove of a brick to which it is connected.

The insert, which may consist for example of a synthetic material more resilient than that of the brick, should preferabl not be a force fit in the recess provided therefor in the brick because this would make the height of the projecting shoulders from the surrounding surface of the brick rather uncertain.

Therefore, preferably the dimensions of that part of the insert below the fins are somewhat smaller than the size of the corresponding recess in the brick, and the brick and insert are connec ed to one another by means of a metal pin whose Ui?per end remains below the level of the projections provided on the insert. The pin is preferably provided with serrations O barbs which facilitate the driving in of the pin and, on the other hand, prevent inadvertent withdrawal of the connecting tenon iom the The invention is illustrated, by way of example .s in the accompanying draings in whichs Fig, 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of one embodiment of building brick according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the brick shown in Fig. 1; Fig, 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of a modification of the building brick*' Figs* 4 and 5 are respectively a plan view and a sectional elevation of a further embodiment of a building brick» and Fig* 6 is a side elevation of two bricks as shown in Figs. 1 and 2* when interconnected end to end* Figs. 1 and 2 show an elongated brick 1 of prismatic shape* havin longitudinal grooves in the side walls a d a transverse groove 3 at one end* A cruciform insert 6 incorporating tenon 7 has been inserted in the direction of the arrow A into a corresponding recess in the body of the brick 1 at the other end thereof* and is held in place by means of a serrated or barbed pin 5 engaging in the insert 6 and in a bore 4 of the brick 1» The undercut tenon 7 of the insert 6 projects beyond the end face of the brick 1 and serves for coupling the brick 1 to another brick provided with a. matching groove* The fins 8. of the cruciform insert 6 prevent it from rotating in the brick. They are · disposed in the diagonal planes of the brick, afeouldero -eg On the outer surfaces of the fins 8, adjacent the tenon 7, the fins shoulders or 8 are provided with bearing surfaces 9 which project beyond the millimetre. This dimension is easXLy obtained during manufacture if, when Inserting the insert 6 in the brick 1, the die of a press used for the purpose is applied to the four bearing surfaces to 9 and to the end face of the brick, rather than/the upper surface of the tenna.7. ¾e brick 1 consists of a comparatively hard synthetic plastics material, whereas the insert 6 including the tenon 7 consists of a more ductile and resilient synthetic plastics material. ig* 5 shows a bearing collar 20 of square shape associated with the insert which incorporates the tenon 21 of square cross-section. In order to achieve increased resilience of the brick, the bearing collar 20 may be interrupted as shown.

Pig* 4 shows a brick with cruciform insert similar to that shown in Pigs. 1 and 2, but with a connecting tenon 7a of circular cross-section. As shown in Pig. 5 the brick lb is substantially cube shaped and is provided at both ends with inserts 6 having connecting tenons 7- The bearing surfaces 9 on the fins 8 of the insert 6 are preferably of rounded cross-section, so that the coupled bricks slide easily during interlocking thereof. The dimension of the brick is twice the length of an insert 6β, common serrated or barbed pin 5 holding the two connecting tenons together.

Pig. 6 shows how two bricks 1, la of the type illustrated in Pig. 1 can be connected to one another by means of a tenon 7 of one brick 1 and a groove 3 in the other brick l 8 The bearing surfaces 9 projecting from the brick 1 are part of the insert with which the tenon 7 is associated. The air gap δ - surface 9 has been exaggerated in the drawing; its dimension need only be a few hundredths of a millimetre. 2he construction of the sbove described bricks guarantees a very accurate sliding fit between the coupled bricks during the process of interlocking them together.

The fixing of the insert into the brick may, according to a modification not illustrated, be accomplished by forcing a pin corresponding to the pin 5 illustrated in the above-* described examples into the insert and providing the pin with a thread at the end adjacent the brick, instead of with barbs or serrations. If this thread engages with sufficient friction— and this can easily be achieved in synthetic plastics material--any desired angular position of the brick relative to the insert may be cliosen. In that case the insert must not be provided with arms or fins to prevent rotation and should be of axially symmetrical shape. 3?he thickness of the neck of the undercut tenon may be a liotle less than the clear space between the lips of the grooves of the brick. ¾his will not impair the resistance of tvxo coupled bricks to relative rotation..

According to a further modification, not illustrated, the pin used for joining the insert and the brick may be dispensed with and the connecting tenon itself provided with an integral peg with transverse serrations or barbs for engagement with the bore of a brick.

Claims

27761/2 \ - 7 -

1. A brick element of synthetic resin for use in toy building sets, which is characterized by the following features: a» the brick is prismatic with rectangular, preferably square, profile? b. it has an undercut tenon at one end face, or a tenon each at both end faces; c. the tenon is made integrally with, or secured to, an insert anchored in the respective end portion of the brick; d« the insert is made integrally with bearing surfaces projecting slightly fron the end face of the brick*

2. , A toy building brick as claimed in Claim 1, having a tenon at one end and an undercut groove over the entire width of the opposite end,

3. · A toy building brick as claimed in Claim 1, having a tenon each at both ends,

4. A toy building brick as claimed in Claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the bearing surfaces are rounded.

5. · A toy building brick as claimed in anyone of Claims 1 to 4> wherein the bearing surfaces are provided on four fins disposed in the diagonal planes which bisect the corners of the brick.

6. A toy building brick as claimed in anyone of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the bearing surfaces ~Srm a rectangular frame round the tenon. 27761/2 - 8 -

7. A toy building brick as claimed in anyone of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the insert is made from a synthetic resin different from that of which the body of the brick consists.

8. A building brick as claimed i anyone of Claims 1 to % in which the insert has on its underside an aperture engaged by a connecting pin of a different materials e.g. metal, for holding the insert in the brick.

9. A building brick as claimed in Claim 8, in which the pin is force-fitted in the aperture and in registering bore in the brick.

10. A building brick as claimed inClaims 7» 8 or 9, in which the pin has longitudinal and/or transverse serrations.

11. A building brick as claimed i any of Claims 1 to 10, in which the height of the projections above the surface of th brick is of the order of a few timdredths of a millimetre.

12. Building bricks substantially as described herein with re erence to the drawings. RC:BH