US2070887A

US2070887A - Structural toy

Info

Publication number: US2070887A
Application number: US59244A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Ritchie L Dunn; Jr Herman T Birr
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1936-01-15
Filing date: 1936-01-15
Publication date: 1937-02-16
Anticipated expiration: 1954-02-16

Description

Feb. 16, 1937. R. D-ILINN, JRHY ET AL STRUCTURAL TOY Filed Jan. 15, 1936 "Hill:

k INVENTOR Mg @Y WOR Patented Feb. 16, 1937 STRUCTURAL TOY Ritchie L.

Dunn, Jr., Piedmont, and Herman T.

Birr, Jr., Oakland, Calif.

Application January 15, 1936, Serial No. 59,244

6 Claims.

This invention relates to toys adapted to be assembled by the user, from a plurality of preformed, interfitting parts.

It is an object of the invention to provide a toy of the character described which is practical- 1y a replica of an actual structure, and which will, during the process of assembling, serve to acquaint the assembler with the actual sizes, and other characteristics of the structure elements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structural toy made up of cardboard which will be possessed of a maximum degree of rigidity when assembled.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a structural toy, of the character described, which may be quickly assembled and dismantled by small children.

The invention possesses other objects and valuable features, some of which together with the foregoing, will be specifically set forth in the specification hereunto annexed. It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific form thereof shown and described a as other forms thereof may be employed within the scope of the appended claims.

The broader aspects of the invention may be seen upon reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the completely assembled toy.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken on the line 22 of Figure 1, showing the lock for connecting the two sections of the toy.

Figure 3 is a perspective View of a complete section of the toy, showing the parts thereof disassembled.

The toy, shown in Figure 1 of the drawing, represents a bridge of the suspension type, representative of any of the major bridges of the United States, and is, in miniature, an exact scale replica of the actual structure represented. Since even a small scale model of any of these structures would, if constructed as a unit, be exceedingly long, we prefer to construct the toy of two or more sections 4 and 5, with a joint, or joints, 6, therebetween.

As each of the bridges referred to above is practically symmetrical about a point midway of its length, we have made each of the sections 4 and 5 substantially alike, and in order to simplify the description, only one of the sections will be described in detail, since it is understood that the other section is similarly constructed.

Each section comprises a pair of side members I and 8, constructed of cardboard or another similar material. Each side member has a straight lower edge 9 and an upper edge formed by opposed curves Ill and H rising to an apex l2. Perpendicularly with the edge 9, on a line passing through the apex, a score I3 is provided to permit folding of the side member, so as to decrease its length to permit packaging or storage, and spaced along the score are apertures l4 having divergent slits [5 extending therefrom to provide, at one edge of each aperture, a resilient tab 6. The ends of each side member are provided with tabs I! each having formed in an edge thereof a V-shaped notch I8 provided at its bottom with a short slit l9. As will be evident, upon reference to Figures 1 and 3, the two side members may be jointed together by interlocking the notches Ill-of the tabs l1, and the slits l9 will wedge in each other and securely hold the tabs together.

To provide support for the portions of the joined side members, between the ends thereof, a cross member, generally indicated by the numeral 20, is provided comprising a sheet of material doubled upon itself about a score 2| to provide a pair of flaps 22. Each flap has formed,

therein a rectangular aperture 23, whose lower edge 24 coincides in height with the upper edge of the tabs [1, and along the sides of each flap lugs are provided positioned at the same distances from the lower edge 26 of the flaps that the apertures l4 are positioned, with respect to the edge 9 of each side member. It will thus be seen that when the lugs 25 are each inserted in their related apertures [4 the two side members will be joined together at a point intermediate their ends. The vertical width of the lugs is made slightly in excess of that of the apertures and the former are undercut so that when they are engaged in the apertures they will be locked therein. The resilient tabs l6 permit enlargement of the apertures when the wider tabs are being inserted or removed therefrom.

Means are provided to afford both a floor for the toy and to provide for horizontal bracing thereof. An insert, generally indicated by the numeral 21, is provided, comprising a sheet of material having a pair of parallel longitudinal scores 28, and bent to provide a top 29 having downturned marginal flanges 35. One end of the top is provided with an extension 3| and the other end thereof with a tongue 32 narrower than the top. The insert is mounted on the toy by placing the tongue 32 in the apertures 23 of the cross member 20, and pushing downwardly on the opposite end of the insert until the extension 3| rests on the upper edges of the adjacent tabs IT. The flanges 30 will, of course, be positioned adjacent the inner surfaces of the side members i and 8 with the lower edge of each flange lying alongside of the edges 9 of the side members.

A second insert 33 is provided, similar to the insert 2], comprising a sheet of material having longitudinal scores 34 and bent to provide a top 35 having marginal flanges 36. One end of the top 35 is provided with a tongue 37, similar to the tongue 32, but the other end of the insert instead of being provided with an extension, similar to the extension 3| of the insert 21, is provided with slits 38 in the flanges-36. The second insert is mounted on the toy by placing the tongue 31 in the cross member apertures- 23 and pushing downwardly on the opposite end of the insert until the joined tabs I? enter the slits;38; the flanges 36 thenbeing positioned between the inner surfaces of the side members land 8xwith their lower'edges alongside the edges 9 of the latter. It will be thus seen that the inserts, when imposition, afford horizontal stability to the toy by preventing relative parallel movement of the side members, besides providing afloor for the toy. The

tongues

32 and 31, the extension 3| and the portion of the top 35 of the insert 33,- extending outwardly beyond the slits 38, afford support for the tops of each insert by virtue of the factthat they are resting on the joined flaps I1 and the lower edge M'of'each cross member aperture 23 respectively. This support of the insert tops prevents sagging of the latter.-

' The construction of the end of the insert 33 adjacent the slits :38 provides means forjoining and securing the two sections 4 and 5 of the toy together. Referring to Figure 2 it'will be seen that by placing thetsections end to end with the joined flaps H thereof in contiguous relationship the adjacent end of the insert 33 may be pushed into place-so that the slits 38 thereof will engage the flaps whereupon the sections will be coupled together and will resist separation as long as one of the sections is ,not moved vertically with respectto the other section.

As isshown in' Figure 1 it will be seen that it is contemplated to .print on the surfaces of the side members pictorial representations of the various elements of the bridge structure such'as the towers 39, the roadway 40, ,thecables M, the Suspender ropes 42, and any other elements which -would be of educational interest to the constructor. The surfaces of the cross members 22 are also printed to represent the bracing ar- ,rangement 43 of the towers. In addition to the pictorial representation of the'bridge, it is also contemplated to print, on the surfaces of the side" and cross, members, legends 44 containing statistical data:relative tothe structure such as the heights of .thetowersy. the lengths of the spans, the amounts of the various materials needed to construct the parts, and any other information of interest.

Inconclusion it will be seen that we have provided a toy which may be readily assembled by even small children, since there are only a few simple joints to make; which is rigid and will therefore withstand rough usage; which educates the constructor, by being in miniature an accurate scale representation of the original structure; and which may be produced to sell at an extremely reasonable price.

We claim:

1. A toy bridge structure comprising sheets of material pre-formed to a scale outline of an actual existing bridge, said sheets having printed thereon a representation of portions of said bridge according to said scale, means representative of towers of said bridge engageable with portions of said sheets of material for maintaining said sheets in spaced relationship, and means for, connecting other portions of said sheets of material together to provide a self-supporting structure.

2. A toy bridge structure comprising sheets of material pre-formed to a scale outline of an actual existing bridge, said sheets having printed thereon a representation of portions of said bridge according to said scale, means representative of towers of said bridge engageable with portions of said sheets of material for maintaining said sheets in spaced relationship, means for connecting other portions of said sheets of material together toprovide a self-supporting structure, and means engaging said sheets and said tower representing means for preventing relative longitudinal movement between said sheets.

3. A toy bridge structure comprising sheets of material pre-formed to a scale outline of an actual existing bridge, each of said sheets having printed thereon a representation of a portion of said bridge according to said scale and having spaced tabs extending therefrom engageable with corresponding tabs of another sheet to secure said sheets together to form a self-supporting structure, a strip of material joined with said sheets between said tabs thereof, and having printed thereon a representation of the tower portion of said actual bridge, and portions of sheet material engageable with said strip of material and said sheets adjacent the joined tabs thereof to-provide a floor for said bridge structure.

4. A toy bridge structure comprising sheets of material pre-formed to a scale outline of an actual existing bridge, each of said sheets having printed thereon a representation of a portion of said bridge according to said scale and having spaced tabs extending therefrom engageable with corresponding tabs of another sheet to secure said sheets together to form a self-supporting structure, said sheets also having spaced apertures therein, a strip of material having an aperture therein and. lugs extending therefrom engageable with the apertures of said sheets, and portions of sheet material having tongues formed at one end thereof engageable with the aperture of said strip and an extension at the other end thereof engageable with said joined tabs.

5. A toy bridge structure comprising sheets of material pre-formed to a scale outline of an actual existing bridge, each of said sheets having printed thereon a representation of a portion of said bridge according to said scale and having spaced tabs extending therefrom engageable with corresponding tabs of another sheet to secure said sheets together to form a self-supporting structure, said sheets also having spaced apertures therein, a strip of material having an aperture therein and lugs extending therefrom engageable with the apertures of said sheets, and portions of sheet material having tongues formed at one end thereof engageable with the aperture of said strip, and extension at the other end thereof engageable with said joined tabs, and marginal flanges overlying a portion of the surface of each of said sheets.

6.-.A toy bridge structure composed of a plurality of separate units each comprising sheets of material preformed to a scale outline of an actual existing bridge, said sheets having printed thereon a representation of portions of said bridge according to said scale and having spaced tabs extending therefrom engageable with corresponding tabs of another sheet to secure said sheets together to form a self-supporting structure, said sheets also having spaced apertures therein, a

10 strip of material having an aperture therein and lugs extending therefrom engageable with the apertures of said sheets, and portions of sheet material having tongues formed at one end thereof engageable with the aperture of said strip, one of said portions having at the end thereof opposite said tongue an extension engageable with said joined tabs, and the other of said portions having therein at the end thereof opposite said tongue a slot adapted to receive the joined tabs of its own unit and the joined tabs of another unit to secure said units together.

RITCHIE L, DUNN, JR. HERMAN T. BIRR, JR.