US2204264A - Toy structure - Google Patents

Description

June l11, 1940. DI M, WARREN V2,204,264

TDY STRUCTURE Fedxx-'em 19, 1938 2 sheets-sheet 1 June l l, 1940.

D. M. WARREN 2,204,264

Toy STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 19, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 11, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOY STRUCTURE Donald M. Warren, La. Fayette, Ind.

Application February 19, 1938, Serial No. 191,422

9 claims. (c1. 1s-21) flat condition and which is folded and applied to This invention relates to improvements in a toy structure and more particularly to improvements in the construction of such toys as paperboard doll houses and other forms of toy buildings. The invention also contemplates improvements adaptable to the construction of toy articles which represent vonly a single room.

The main objects of the invention are to provide a structure which may be sold in a collapsed condition and which may be easily and quickly set up into a house or room by a young child; to provide a structure which, when set up, is rigid and will remain in set-up condition and the parts of which will not fall apart incident to the reasonable handling of `the structure; and to provide a structure which may be collapsed to a flattened condition in `which it may be conveniently and practicably packaged in an envelope instead of the usual, more expensive, box.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a structure wherein various connecting elements employed may be substantially concealed therebyV to improve the appearance of the structure; to provide a structure which may be made economically and at low cost so as to be adapted to be retailed at relatively low prices; and in general it is the object of the invention to provide an improved toy structure of the class described'.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood by reference to the following specication and accompanying drawings wherein there is illustrate-d a toy structure embodying a selected form of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective illustrating a setup doll house embodying a preferred form of the invention.

Figure 2 isV a. fragmentary perspective illustrating some of the details of the construction employed in the doll house shown in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary exploded perspective View illustrating the relationship of certain parts of the structure shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan of a portion of a base member showing certain details of the construction. v

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a plan section illustrating one arrangement for concealing certain connections shown in the structure of Figure l.

Figures 7 and 8 are fragmentary front and side views of the elements shown in Figure 6, and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary plan of a blankin the corner construction to form the concealed arrangement `shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8.

This application is in part a continuation of my pending application Serial No. 135,358.

Referring now to the drawings:

The structure shown in Figures lrto 5, inclusive, embodies a base member I5 which is preferably formed of paperboard and of such thickness as will afford the desired stiffness and strength. The base member, when in collapsed condition, is a flat sheet equipped with scores or creases constituting fold lines such as indicated at 16 in Figure 4, which permit the bending of marginal portions of the base member to downwardly folded position, in which they constitute iianges II-IL As shown in Figure 1, the structure embodies a main house portion I8 and an auxiliary portion IB which in this instance is shown as in the form of a bay window or sunporch.

The walls of the house herein shown comprise an end wall 20, front wall members 2l vand 22, an end wall member 23, an end wall member 24, and there are roof members, for the main e house structure and 26 for the bay window.

The Walls may be connected to the base or iioor I5 through the agency of tongues such as indicated at 2'I, Which project from the edges of the floor part I5. As best shown in Figure 3, the "r tongues 2'I are cut out of the adjacent ilangeforming portions II and it is preferable that the normal stiffness of the floor member I5 be maintained in said tongues and in the connection between said tongues and the iloor member proper, Wherefore the fold lines I6 are preferably Omitted across the width of the tongues. Hence when the flange portions I'I are bent downwardly the tongue elements 21 will remain in their co-planer relation to the i'loor part I5. The Wall parts are provided with openings such as indicated at 28 (Figure 3) for engaging said tongues 2I, said tongues and openings preferably being of the type shown in my Patent No. 1,984,666. Such tongues eiect a sort of snap locking action which eiectively retains the parts in connected relation but permits separation when desired. v

The walls may be connected to each other through similar tongue and opening connections such as shown at 28St and the roof elements 25 and 26 may also be attached by such tongue and opening connections to the adjacent edge portions of the walls on which the respective roof portions rest.

` tending position against the end edges 2I.

When a base is formed as above explained, i. e., by bending down integrally marginal portions to form the depending flanges, there will normally remain suflicient resiliency in the paperboard stock to urge the flange portions to return to their unfolded or atwise position relative to the main oor portion I5. Such tendency is, of course, resisted by the surrounding walls but it is preferable that additional means be provided for resisting such tendency. For that purpose, certain of the depending flanges, in this instance the front and rear flanges marked I'I-a and H b, are provided with end extensions marked II-e and adjacent their ends said flanges are provided with openings such as indicated at 29.

The openings 29 in the front and rear flanges are adapted to receive tongues 30 which project from the adjacent ends of the end flange members such as indicated at I'I-c in Figures 3 and 4. It will be seen that when the end flanges such as I 'I-c are folded downwardly, the front and rear flanges I'I-a. and II-b,-respectively, may be folded downwardly so as to cause the openings 29 therein to t over the respective end tongues 30 to cooperate therewith to lock said floor and rear flanges in their downwardly ex- The described connection also obviously serves to prevent the end flanges from unfolding.

Where such end extensions as II-e would be conspicuous, asfor example at the rear of the structure such as shown in Figure 1, such end extensions may advantageously be enlarged and shaped and printed or lithographed to represent any suitable object or ornamentation, for example a shrub such as indicated at 32.

In order to increase the rigidity of the structure, it is desirable to provide additional connections between the various parts for preventing buckling of the different elements and separation thereof. As shown herein, one such additional connection may consist in the provision of a tongue such as indicated at 33-33 on the front edges of the end walls 2D and 23. Such tongues, in this instance, are only about one-half the width of the other tongues shown and they are so located that their bottom edges engage the top edge portions 34 of the flange extensions I'I-e (see Figure 3). The front walls 2l and 22 are provided with suitable openings such as indicated at 35 for receiving the tongues 33, as clearly shown in Figures land 2. It will be observed that the tongue 33 serves the purpose of supplementing a connection between the tongues 30 and respective front wall portions 2| and 23.

A tongue 3B (similar to the tongues 33) is provided on the inwardly facing edge 3'I of a front wall part 2I-a which extends inwardly from the front wall part 2| and abuts the outside of the front wall part 22. The latter front wall part is provided with a suitable opening indicated at 38 for receiving said tongue 36. The relationship of the tongue 36 and the opening 38 is such that the upper edge of the tongue will lock in the opening 38 and such that the lower edge of the tongue, herein shown to be straight, will bear on the top of the floor member I5 to prevent the latter from rising or warping upwardly.

For additionally holding the front wall member 22 in assembled relation to the base, the latter is provided with a notch such as indicated at 39 substantially in continuation of the edge of the base element against which the wall element 22 is positioned. The inner end 40 of said wall element 22 is extended suciently beyond the front wall part 2I-a to project into said notch and if desired said end portion 4D may be still further extended and provided with a notch indicated at 4I for embracing portions of the floor member I5. It will be observed that the entrance of the wall portion 22 into the notch 39 will serve the purpose of preventing the wall 22 from buckling away from the edge of the base and that the entrance of a portion of the Wall I5 into a notch such as 4I in the wall will serve to position the floor effectively.

In some instances toy structures such as herein shown are left open to permit access to the interior of the structure for the arrangement of toy furniture, et cetera, within the house. In some such cases the end walls areprovided with extensions adapted to fold inwardly over the end portions of the rear flange I'I to hold it in downwardly folded position. In the present instance the structure is illustrated as being free of any such inwardly extending back wall form-'- ing portions, thereby providing freer access to the interior of the structure. To supplement the tongue opening connections 30-29, which holds the end back flanges II-c and I'I-bI in their depending position, the end walls are extended at their rear edges soas to permit the provision of a notch such as indicated at 42 which is adapted to receive the thickness of the end lextension I'I-e of the rear flange I 'L -b. As best shown in Figures 3 and 4, the said end extension I 'I-e may also be provided with notches such as indicated at 43 adapted to receive the thickness of the end walls such as 23, thereby to lock thelatter more effectively against the end flanges I'I-c.

As shown in Figures 4, the provision of a tongue and opening connection 29 and 30 between the flange portions IT-b and l'I-c requires the em- Y' ployment of some of the paperboard stock which would otherwise be cut away in forming the base unit. Hence, if an ornamental representa? tion such as 32 is tobe provided, it will either have to be of a very small object which can be made of the material located in the corner immediately beyond the end of the tongue 30 or it will have to be made by employing some material beyond the normal edges of the blank required for forming the base structure.

For concealing the connections between various parts, diierent expedients may be resorted to. By way of example there is shown in Figures 6 to 9, inclusive, one arrangement for concealing the connections between the ends of adjacent walls such as the walls 20 and 2 I. When the connections are to be concealed, it is preferable that the openings, such as indicated at 44 (Figures 6 and 7) which receive the tongues such as at 54 be so located that they are outward of the tongues when the parts are connected. The opening 44 and the tongue 54 in Figures 6 and 7 correspond respectively to the openings in the wall 2l and the tongues which enter said openings from the front edgeof the end wall 20 to form, in Figure 2, the tongue and opening connection 28a. A corner concealingI member 45 is suitably scored or creased to provide fold lines such as indicated at 46 to permit the member to be folded to the substantially tubular corner post forms shown in Figures 6 to 8. In applying the member 45, one marginal portion 41 is equipped with suitable openings such as indicated at 48 to t the tongues 54 and said marginal portion is rst locked or buttoned onthe tongues 54, said marginal portion overlying the end portion of the front wall2| beyond or outwardly of the tongues 54. The member 45 is then bent forwardly to cause a portion 49 thereof to eX- tend forwardly inside of the tongues 54, a portion 5 is bent to extend outwardly in parallel relation to the front wall 2|, a portion 5| is bent to extend rearwardly in parallel relation to the end wall 20, and the other marginal portion 52 is bent to extend inwardly in parallel relation to the front wall 2| and in contact with the rear side of the end portion thereof as clearly shown in Figure 6. Tongues such as indicated at 53 are provided on the edge of the portion 52 and are adapted to be bent and inserted into the openings 44 and 48. The cornerconcealing v member 45 may be applied after the house structure is erected in its entirety but it does not interfere with the disassembling of the house which may be effected in the usualmanner merely by pulling the part, such as end wall 20, away from the front wall 2|, whereupon the tongues 53 of the corner concealing member will be loose in the openings 44 and 48, and be readily removable therefrom.

It will be apparent that the corner concealing element 45 may be made of relatively thin stock since it need not withstand any material stresses or strains.

Similar concealing means may also be employed for concealing the connections between they floor member I5 and the side walls, such concealing means being in effect substantially represented by Figure 6 if the member 20 represented the floor and the member 2| an upstanding side Wall.

As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the bay window structure comprises an end wall portion 24 constituting a separate element suitably connected to the adjacent parts of the structure and front and back wall portions 54 and 55, which are made integral with the end wall 23 and adapted to be folded outwardly along suitable fold lines such as 5S. Suitable slits are provided for permitting such front and back wall portions to be folded outwardly as indicated.

In the structure disclosed, the floor for the bay window or sunporch extension and the main house portion is a single integral element, as distinguished from separate connected elements such as have been heretofore employed in structures embodying main and auxiliary sections such as referred to. The employment of an integral floor element for the structure eliminates weaknesses and increases rigidity so as to eliminate to a considerable degree commercial objections to paper doll houses and like toy structures.

As indicated, the outside of the structure may be suitably printed or embossed to illustrate windows, doors and the like for ornamental purposes. Likewise, the interior may be appropriately ornamented to represent suitable fittings, et cetera.

Changes in the described structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which should be determined by reference to the following claims, the same being construed as broadly as possible consistent with the state of the art.

I claim:

1. A toy structure having main and auxiliary house parts, the latter constituting a reduced size portion projecting from the former, said structure comprising a floor member for the main house part, an extension integral with said floor member and constituting a floor for said auxiliary house part, said extension having at least one edge extending from. a point intermediate the ends, of an edge of said floor member, and main and auxiliary house part walls, independent of the floor member and detachably secured against the edges thereof, said floor member being spaced upwardly from the plane of the lower edges of the wall member.

2'. A toy structure comprising a flat paperboardmember having a pair of side edges extending angularly relative to` each other, said member being provided with fold lines spaced inwardly from. said edges for facilitating folding of marginal portions of said member to Harige-forming position on the member, one of said marginal portions having an end extension adapted to overlap the adjacent end of the other marginal portion when said portions are folded to said ange-forming position, said overlapping extension having an opening ther-ein, a tongue projecting from said overlapped end and entering said opening for locking said marginal portions in said ange-forming position, and walls positioned against the faces of said flanges and connected to said member.

3. A toy structure comprising a flat paperboard member having a pair of side edges eX- tending angularly relative to each other, said member being provided with fold lines spaced inwardly from said edges for facilitating folding of marginal portions of said member to ange-forming position on the member, one of said marginal portions having an end extension adapted to overlap the adjacent end of the other marginal portion when said portions are folded to said flange-forming position, said overlapping extension having an opening therein, a tongue projecting from said overlapped end and entering said opening for locking said marginal portions in said flange-forming position, and a wall part positioned against the face of the folded marginal portion having said opening, said wall part being provided with an opening adapted to receive said tongue for attaching said wall thereto.

4. A toy structure comprising a flat paperboard member having a pair of side edges extending angularly relative to each other, said member being provided with fold lines spaced inwardly from said .edges for facilitating folding of marginal portions of said member to ange-forming position on the member, one of said marginal portions having an end extension adapted to overlap the adjacent end of the other marginal portion when said portions are folded to said ange-forming position, said overlapping extension having an opening therein, a tongue projecting from said overlapped end and entering said opening for locking said marginal portions n said flange-forming position, a wall part positioned against the face of the folded marginal portion having said end tongue, said wall part being provided with an edgewise extending tongue projecting over the end extension of said other folded marginal portion and engaging the upper edge thereof, and another wall part positioned against the face of said other folded marginal portion and having an opening for receiving said end tongue and another opening for receiving said edge tongue of the first-mentioned wall part.

5. A toy structure comprising a oor member, a wall member disposed adjacent an edge of said oor member, and a second wall member extending outwardly from said first-mentioned wall member and having an edge disposed adjacent the face of said inst-mentioned wall member, means for maintaining said floor member and first-mentioned wall member in substantially fixed relationship, and means for anchoring said second Wall member to the face comprising a tongue extending inwardly from said edge of the second wall member, said rst-mentioned wall member having an opening therethrough for receiving said tongue, said tongue and opening being so positioned that said tongue engages said floor member.

6. A toy structure comprising a flat paperboard member having a pair of side edges extending angularly relative to each other, said member being provided with fold lines spaced inwardly from said angularly related edges for facilitating folding o1 marginal portions of said member to ange-forming position thereon, one of said marginal portions having an end extension projecting beyond the plane of the other when folded to said flange-forming position, a wall member adapted to be positioned against one of said flanges, connecting means for maintaining said wall member in assembled relation to said anges and said flanges in folded flange position relative to the normal plane of' said member, said connecting means including at least in part said ange extension, and said extension being so shaped as to represent a selected object for decorative or like purposes substantially as described.

7. A toy structure of the class described comprising members interconnected through the agency of interiittng tongues and openings, and means for concealing such connections comprising a part substantially enclosing said connecting means and itself secured in place by engagement with said connecting means.

8. A toy structure comprising members interconnected through the agency of intertting tongues and openings, and means for concealing such connections comprising an independent part foldable to form a substatially tubular element enclosing said connections, and means for detachably securing said part in place on the structure.

9. A toy structure of the class described comprising members interconnected through the agency of intertting tongues and openings, and means attached to the structure for concealing said intertting tongues and openings.

DONALD M. WARREN.

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