US1517030A - Folding toy house - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 25, 1 24- 1,517,030

M. G. TALCOTT 0 FOLDING TOY HOUSE Filed. March 1 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet. 1

1,517,030 M. G. TALCOTT FOLDING TOY HOUSE Filed March 16. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet. 2

I Jim/51317012 Nov. 1924- 1,517,030

M. G. TALCOTT FOLDING TOY HOUSE Filed March 16, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ZYYEZSZTOIE 51 5: vz/[mqm A TTYS f I x Patented Nov. 25, 1924.

UNITED STATES IMORRIS GARDNER TALCOTT, OF EAST CLEVELAND, OHIO.

FOLDING TOY HOUSE.

Application filled March 16, 1923. Serial No. 625,438.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MORRIS GARDNER T ALCOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in a Folding Toy House, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention is concerned with toys, and has for its object the provision of a novel doll house construction. More specifically, the object of my invention is the provision of a doll house constructed of an extremely simple character which may be folded or assembled in such a simple manner as to be readily understood by the juvenile mind.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a doll house construction enibodying members or units which may be conveniently and readily folded in a compact manner, whereby the structure may be collapsed and placed in a package or container of such dimensions that the container may also serve as a foundation or base for the doll house, when the doll house is erected. A further object of my invention is the provision of a doll house construction of such proportions that the interior thereof, may be divided into rooms or compartments of suflicient dimensions whereby miniature furniture may be conveniently arranged therein.

An additional object of my invention is the provision of a novel, removable stair construction adaptable to the doll house structure and which may be compactly folded. Other objects of my invention will be hereinafter set forth in the following description which refers to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention. The essential characteristics are summarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the assembled doll house as viewed from an open side thereof; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the structure; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional elevation taken substantially along the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4:, is a perspective view illustrating the collapsible and folding characteristics of the structure; Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken through the container, showing the manner of placing the folded structure within the container; Fig. 6, is a cross-sectional plan view taken sub- In accordance with the objects of my ini r vention, I provide a doll house which is open on one side and divided into floors and compartments, the general dimensions of the house being such that there may be sufficient space whereby the hand may be inserted to adjust and arrange miniature furniture in the respective compartments. As shown in the drawings, the house comprises primarily a two floor structure, the main partition dividing the structure into a first and second story, and carrying various dividing walls which determine compartments on the respective floors of the structure. These smaller partition walls may be attached to the floor partition by hinges, whereby the proper proportioning of the respective compartments and the distance between the floors and ceilings of the structure, are such that the dividing walls may be readily folded into juxtaposition to the main partition divid.

ing the structure into two stories. The main floor, the exterior walls, the roof, the ceiling of the second floor, etc., are built up of panels carrying windows, the respective panels being connected by hinges whereby the major elements of the structure are interconnected and may be folded, as will be present ly described.

As shown in Fig. 4:, the end walls may comprise pairs of panels 9 and 10 suitably joined by hinge members 13, at a position which is midway of the top and bottom of the panels 9 and 10 respectively. The panels may be'reinforced by strips 14: along the hinge joint and by bottom strips 20 positioned on the outside of the wall. Hinged members 16 connect the end walls of the structure to the floor panel 15, which is positioned on a base 22.

The rear wall comprises two panel members 17 and 18, also having windows formed therein, and joined by hinge members 19. An interior-1y disposed strip 23, serves to reinforce the hinge joints between the panel members. The lower panel member may be hingedly connected to a rail 25, rigid with the floor panel 15, the height of this rail being substantially equal to the thickness of the panel members 9 and 10 when folded inwardly into a fiat position on the floor panel 15. A reinforcing strip 26, may be secured to and comprise part of the rail upon which the bottom edge of the panel member 17 rests when the rear wall is in a vertical or erected position.

The interiorly disposed reinforcing strips 14 and 23 may be spaced apart to provide a slideway for engaging the edges of the partitioning member 28 which comprises the second floor.- Parallel. rails 38 may be secured to the under side of the ceiling panel adjacent its lateral edges to receive the top edges of the end wall panel members 10.

The ceiling of the second floor comprises a panel member 30, which is pivotally connected to the top edge of the back wall panel member 18, the pivotal connection comprising hinge members secured to the wall and ceiling panel in such a manner that when the back Wall panels 17 and 18 are folded inwardly upon the floor panel 15, the ceiling panel 30 will be superposed upon the floor panel, with the end panels9 and 10 disposed therebetween.

The roof of the structure comprises panel members 31 and 32,-the former being eonnected to the ceiling panel 30 by interiorly disposed hinges 33. Hinges 34 may be positioned to connect the roof members 31, and '32, along the top edges thereof, whereby the roof member 32 may 3e swung inwardly adjacent the roof member 31, or may be swung through substantially 27'0degrees, whereby the member 32 may lie flat uponthe member 31, and the member 31 may lie fiat upon the ceiling member 30. Gable members may be secured adjacent the transverse edges of the ceiling panel and upon the top side thereof, whereby these members may support the roof members. Hinges 37 connect the gable members to the ceiling panel, whereby they may beswung inwardly and lie flat thereupon. It will thus be seen that when the structure is collapsed, the panel members 9 and 10 fold inwardly and superpose upon the floor panel 15. The back walls comprising the panels 17 and. 18 fold inwardly and carry with them the roof panels until they lie fiat upon the end wall panels 9 and 10. The ceiling panel will thus be brought down in superposed relation to the floor panel 15, with the end walls and the back Walls disposed therebetween. The gable members 36 may then. be swung inwardly to flattened position upon the ceiling panel, and the roof member 32 swung upwardly and into contact with the roof member 31. The latter m-embermay then be swung inwardly into a flat or superposed relation with the ceiling channel 30 and the gable members 36. Itwill be noted from the foregoing description that the floor and ceiling of the second story of the struc- 'ture, the two side walls, the rear wall, and

the roof, are all connected and may be folded in a very. compact manner.

To maintain the back and end walls in an erect, vertical position, I have spaced the reinforcing members 14 and 23 apart a suiiicient distance whereby the edges ofthe main partition member 28 comprising the second floor of the structure, may be firmly engaged thereby while permitting a sliding movement of the member 28, when knocking down or building up the structure. The partition member 28 carries the partition members 41', 42 and 43, which serve to divide the second'fioor of the structure into compartments. The members 41 and 43 may be connected in hinged relationto the partition member 28, while the member 42 may be in slidable engagement therewith. The rail members 44 may be secured to the top face of the partition member 28 to afford proper engagement and spacing means for the partition wall 42. Rails 45 similar to the rails 38, may be secured to the under face of the ceiling panel 30, in a position immediately above the rail members 44, carried by the main partition member 28; The first floor of the doll house may be divided into compartments by other partition members 46 and 47, hingedly connected to the under face of the partition member 28. The partition member 28 may i have a stairway opening 50, while any number of doorways, etc. may be formed in the partition members 41, 42, 43, etc.

The manner in which I construct and install. the stairway and stair frames in the doll house structure, is also based upon the consideration of compactness and ready assembly. The stairs may be made in units adapted to be attached to the partitionwalls in such a manner as to be maintained in place. As shown in Fig. 3, the stairway from the first to the second floor may com prise a stretch of stairs 53 disposed within one :of the end rooms of the first floor and extending half way to the next floor and terminating at an opening-54 formed in the partition wall 47. A second set of stairs 56 may be disposed within the central compartment 57. and extend from the wall opening 54 upwardly to the floor opening 50 in the partition member 28. The stair stretches 53 and 56 are attach-ed to landing members 59, which are connected by a hinge member 60, at a position in alignment with the par tition wall 47. Attaching means in the nature of a small metallic clip 61, may serve to connect the upper end of the stair stretch 56 with the partition member 28. The stair stretches 53 and 56, it will be seen are permanently connected together but when removed from the structure, may be folded by superposing the members 59, thus bringing the stretches of stairs together in the manner illustrated in F ig. 5. The main weight of the stairs is thus carried by the wall 47 through the members 59 resting along the bottom edge of the opening 54.

A second set of stairs extend from the second floor to the nursery or space beneath the eaves and comprises separable stair stretchers 62 and 63. The stairs 62 are positioned against the wall 43 and the back wall 18 and carry the landing 64 integrally therewith while the stair steps 63 may be detachably connected to the landing and to the edge of the opening 64 formed in the ceiling panel 80.

To carry out the miniature representation of a house, the foundation panels may be printed or may be covered with a paper coating representing brick, tile or stone. The foundation members may comprise a rear longitudinal panel hingedly c011- nected to the under side of the floor panel 15 and detachable end panels 71 pivotally connected to the front panel 72. A detachable chimney 40 may have the same finish as the foundation. This chimney member may be attached to the roof by any suitable means such as small pins embedded in the bottom edges thereof.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I provide a doll house structure which may be of a substantial size whereby the individual compartments or rooms in the structure may be accessible to the child when it is desired to shift the fur niture therein. The various compartments may have artistic finishes such as paper, stencil work, etc., the nature of the structure being such as to permit variations in the provisions for carrying out the representation of a miniature house. The folding principles involved are such as to at ford a greater degree of rigidity in the structure when assembled, while being of such simple character as to be readily understood by the juvenile mind, the rigidity of the entire structure being dependent upon the proper positioning of a main dividing member which determines the first and second floors of the structure. The character of the structure is also such that any suitable material such as veneered wood, commercial plasterboard or other paper board may be used. Furthermore, the entire arrangement is such as to permit of the struc ture being compactly positioned within a container C whereby the toy may be mailed or expressed without damage.

I claim 1. A doll house structure, including a base member comprising a floor of the structure, a plurality of walls hingedly connected to the base member and arranged to fold inwardly thereupon, a partition member in the nature of a second floor for the structure, said partition member being adaptable for sliding engagement with said walls, a ceiling panel hingedly connected to one of the walls, and roof members hingedly connected to the panel member.

2. In a doll house structure, a base memher, a plurality of side walls hingedly con nected thereto, said side walls being parted intermediate their upper and lower extremities whereby they may be folded upon themselves and inwardly upon the base member, a ceiling panel hingedly connected to one of said wall members and roof members hingedly connected to the panel member and to each other whereby the side walls may be folded inwardly upon the base member and the ceiling member and the roof members may be superposed thereupon.

3. In a doll house structure, the combina tion of a base member, a plurality of side walls hingedly connected thereto, said side walls comprising a plurality of panels hingedly connected, there being slideways associated with the connection of the respective panels, a major partition member defining the first and second floors of the structure and serving to prevent buckling of the wall panels when the partition member is in engagement therewith and transverse partition members hingedly connected to said partition member and having the free ends thereof in sliding engagement with a floor panel and a ceiling panel of the structure.

4. In a doll house structure, the combination of a base member, a rear wall and end wall hingedly connected to the base member whereby they may be folded thereover without being disconnected, a ceiling panel connected to one of the side walls, gable members carried by the ceiling panel, and roof members hingedly connected to the panel members whereby the side wall, the ceiling panel, the gable members and the roof members may be folded and superposed upon the base member.

5. In a doll house structure, the combination of a plurality of panel members comprising the outer vertical walls of the structure, the panel members being hingedly connected intermediate their upper and lower extremities whereby they may be folded inwardly, a base member connected to all of the side wall members, a ceiling panel and roof panels connected to one of the side wall members, and a partition member connected to the side wall members adjacent the panel connections thereof whereby the side wall members may be maintained in rigid verti' cal relation by said partition member and the ceiling and roof panels may be supported by the side wall members.

6. In a doll house structure, the combination of a base member, a plurality of outer folding walls hingedly connected thereto and a major partition member dividing the structure into an upper and a lower story, said partition member having a plurality of inner compartment defining members hingedly connected thereto whereby the removal of said major partition member will permit folding of the outer wall members upon the base member.

a 7. In a doll house structure, the combination of a major partition member defining the first and second floors thereof, a plurality of minor partition members carried thereby, one of said partition members having an opening therein and a folding stair case extending from one floor of the structure to the other and extending through said opening whereby the stair case may be supported by said partition member.

8. In a structure of the character described, the combination of a transverse partition member having an opening formed therein, and sets of stairs extending on each side of said partition member and supported there-by, said stairs being connected by a landing in the form of a pair of panels hingedly connected whereby one of said stair sets may be passed through said opening while connected to the other set, and may be folded in superposed relation.

' 9. In a structure of the character described, the combination of an inner partition wall member, and sets of stairs detachably connected at the landings thereof, said stair sets extending from one floor to another 10. In a doll house structure, the combination of a plurality of panel members comprising the outer vertical walls of the structure, the panel members being hingeably connected intermediate their upper and lower extremities whereby they may be folded inwardly, a base member connected to all of the side wall members, a partition member connected to the side Wall members adjacent the panel connection whereby the side wall members may be maintained in rigid vertical relation. by said partition member and folding stair-cases extending above and below the partition member.

11. In a doll house structure, the combination of a base member, a plurality of outer folding walls hingeably connected thereto, a major partition member dividing the structure into an upper and a lower story, said partition member having a plurality of inn-er wall members hingeably connected thereto whereby the removal of said major partition member will permit folding of the outer wall members upon the base member, and removable stair casings extending above and below the major partition member and disposed adjacent said inner wall members.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto am}: my signature.

MORRIS GARDNER TALoorr.

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