US1192039A - Toy construction-block. - Google Patents

Description

'A. D. CONVERSE.

TOY CONSTRUCTION BLOCK.

APPLICATION HLED JULYG. I915.

1 ,1 92,939, Patented July 25, 1916.

4 If W T 1 rhnfi. zwense,

Jliiy ATHERTON D. CONVERSE, OF WINCI-IENDON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TOY CONSTRUCTION-BLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1916.

Application filed July 8, 1915. Serial No. 39,169.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, A'rnnn'roN D. CON- vnnsn, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of VVinchendon, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth of Mz'lssachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Construction-Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates'to toy construction blocks and has for its object the provision of a toy of this character in which the constituent parts thereof are not liable to become ineffective on account of changes in temperature or from other causes.

The invention consists of a plurality of rods preferably cylindrical and a member by which these rods are adapted to be connected together, said member being made of thin yielding disks connected together at separated points and provided with a plurality of sockets and an opening perpendicular to said sockets, each socket and said opening being provided with means for gripping the end of a rod inserted therein.

The invention further consists of certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be fully understood by reference to the description of the darwings and to the claims hereinafter given.

Of the drawings: Figure 1 represents an elevation of a connector having a plurality of rods secured therein. Fig. 2 represents an edge view of the connector. Fig. 3 represents a section of the same on line 33 on Fig. 2, and Fig. 4: represents a section. of the same on line 44: on Fig. 3.

Similar characters designate like parts throughout the figures of the drawing.

In the drawings, 101O are a plurality of rods preferably cylindrical from end to end.

11 is a member adapted to connect the va rious rods lO--10 together as desired. This connecting member 11 is made up of two thin metal disks 12 each struck up to form a plurality of radial recesses 13 and each having a central opening 14- surrounded by a serrated flange 15, the walls of which are slightly inclined inwardly as shown in Fig. 41 of the drawings.

The two disks 12 are secured together by rivets 16 at separated points near the edges of said disks, these rivets 16 being positioned intermediate two of the recesses 13. IVhen the two disks 12 have been secured together by the rivets 16 the recesses 13 are oppositely disposed and form sockets to receive the ends of the rods 10. The mouth of each socket is of the same diameter as the diameter of the rods 10 and the upper and lower walls of said sockets are slightly inclined inwardly as indicated at 17 in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

When the end of a rod 10 is inserted into a socket the inclined wall 17 will impinge thereon and retain said rod in position. The thin disks 12 forming the connecting memher are sufliciently yielding to permit the insertion of a rod. In like manner, when a. rod is inserted into the opening 141 as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the inclined serrated walls 15 surrounding said opening impinge upon the rod and hold it in position. By making a connecting member in this manner a solid rod may be used, thus dispensing with the necessity of splitting the ends of the rods, as in toys of this character now in general use.

One advantage of the present construction is that owing to the fact that the connecting member 11 is made of thin sheet metal it is not affected by changes in temperature and is always in condition for use. Heretofore, when the connecting members have been made of wooden blocks, water is liable to affect the wood and cause the rods to stick in the connectors so that they can only be removed with difficulty.

It is believed that the operation and many advantages of this invention will be fully understood from the foregoing description.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a toy, the combination of a plurality of rods; and. a connecting member consisting of two disks of yielding material secured together and having central annular flanges extending toward each other forming a continuous opening through said disks with its wall slightly inclined inwardly from each end, said disks having oppositely disposed radial curved portions forming sockets the mouths of which are of the same diameter as the mouths of said opening.

2. In a toy, the combination of a plurality of rods; and a connecting member consisting of two disks of yielding material secured together and having central annular ing, and the Walls of which are inclined flanges extending toward each other formslightly toward each other. 10 ing a continuous opening through said disks Signed by me at 4 Post Olfice Sq., Boston, With its Wall slightly inclined inwardly Mass, this 7th day ofJuly,1915.

from each end, said disks having oppositely ATHERTON D. CONVERSE. disposed radial curved portions forming Witnesses:

sockets the mouths of which are of the EDWARD T. ALLEN,

same diameter as the mouths of said open- WALTER E. LOMBARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

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