US2442122A - Constructional toy building elements - Google Patents

Description

May 25, 1948. o. P. ERHARDT CONSTRUCTIONAL TOY BUILDING ELEMENTS Filed sept'. 2o, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 25, 1948. o. P. ERHARDT 2,442,122

l COSTRUCTIONAL TOY BUILDING ELEMENTS Filed Sept. 20, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR,

Armi/VEA Patented May 25, 1948 CNSTRUCTIONAL TOY BUILDING ELEMENTS Oscar P. Erhardt, New Haven, Conn., assigner to The A. C. Gilbert Company, New Haven, Conn., a corporation of Maryland Application September 20, 1945, Serial No. 617,547

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to constructional toy building elements particularly of the piling variety adapted for use with toy building blocks of the type disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 519,433, iled January 24, 1944.

An object of the present improvements is to provide constructional toy parts that can be piled in various chosen arrangements to resemble realistically in miniature the tile roof of real building structures.

A further object is to make use of elongated laterally overlapping bars arranged in step formation to simulate roofing tiles in such arrangement that one bar overhangs another in a way to cause a shadowed nook or angular gap beneath the overhanging edge of each bar.

Another object is to provide means for orienting the tile simulating bars in parallel and overlapping relation when they are piled and for resisting accidental lateral displacement of the piled bars.

A still further object is to provide a ridgepole tile simulating bar or bars that may be used as a foundation on which to pile suitable additional toy blocks representative of a brick or stone chimney.

These and other objects of the invention will become clear in the followingdescription of illustrative toy building elements embodying a satisfactory form of the invention which description has reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the upper portion of a toy house structure built by piling toy roof tile elements on the bare toy building walls shown in Figs. 6 and 7 in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 shows on an enlarged scale a fragmentary transverse cross-sectional view of the imitative tile roof forming bars of Fig. 1 piled in dowel oriented relationship to the wall forming blocks of Figs. 1 and 7.

Fig. 3 shows a modified shape and arrangement of the roof forming bars at the ridge pole suited to the wall forming blocks of Fig. 6.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective View of the ridge pole roof bar of Figs. l and 2 illustrative of the many dowel oriented relationships in which any roof bar can be lodged on the seating surface of any wall block.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the dowel oriented roof bars and wall blocks of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the bare tops of walls formed by blocks piled as in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 7 is a corresponding view of the stepped wall tops formed by blocks piled as in Figs. 3 and 5. In Fig. 1 the toy building structure indicated as a whole by IIJ includes two pairs of upstanding imitative house walls II of which one pair may be referred to as end walls which are spaced apart and have correspondingly stepped tops presenting corresponding seats or seating surfaces IZ at vertically spaced levels joined by corresponding risers or riser surfaces I4 extending vertically between the seats. The space between end walls I'l is spanned by parallel tile imitative roof bars I5 in the shape of substantially triangular prisms forming the slopes of the roof and in Figs 3 and 5 also used as the toy tile bars occupying the ridge pole position in the roof. In Figs. 1 and 2, however, a modiiied form of tile imitative roof bar I6 having oppositely pitched top faces 2| is used in the ridge pole position.

According to this invention the horizontal bottom face of each of the roof bars I5 rests near each end of the bar at a common level on companion seats or seating surfaces I2 of the stepped tops of the spaced toy building walls II. Each bar has an edge facing and flanking the riser I4 that extends upward from the seat I2 on which the bar rests. The roof bars I 5 are caused realistically to resemble actual roof tiles by having their seated horizontal bottom faces wider than the seats I2 of the walls on which they rest whereby the marginal portion of one bar at its relatively thin edge overhangs the seat I2 so that each bar overlaps both the wall seat on which it rests and also the relatively thick edge I8 of the next lower adjacent bar and moreover is vertically separated therefrom by an angular space in the nature of an elongated shadowed nook lending to the toy roof an eiective appearance of thickness and structural complexity that would not otherwise result.

The thick edge I8 of the bar is preferably vertically thinner than the height of the riser which it abuts.

Each of roof bars I5 tapers in vertical thickness from its relatively thick edge I8 to its relatively thin edge I'I at such angle that when the bar is based on a horizontal plane the top face 2210i the bar slants downward away from the bottom face of the next higher bar toward its thin overhanging 4edge I'I with preferably less pitch than the overall or general slant of the roof as a whole. This creates a stepped appearance to the roof surface which is characteristic of the visual effect of real tile roofs.

Specifically though notvnecessarily the walls vI'I may be composed of loosely piled toy building blocks I9 simulating in miniature size actual building bricks or artificial cut stone blocks.

These toy blocks I9 have structural features orienting them in a way to make them resistive to misalignment and accidental displacement when piled one upon another unskillfully as by a child. 'I'he structural features of bricks i9 are described and claimed in detail in my copending application hereinbefore referred to. It will sufce here to note with particular-reference to Figs.-

6 and '7 that in some cases the wall forming comprising in combination with spaced-apart .upright toy building walls having stepped tops bricks I9 may be piled so as to terminate 'at the ridgepole position in a single `full size brick I9 as in Figs. 3, and 6, whereas in other cases.v

the bricks may be piled so that a half length brick may be at the ridgepole position as in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 7. Y Y The toy brick imitative blocks contemplated for use with the tile roof simulating elements'of the present improvements will preferably be configured to presen-t rounded dowel bosses 2S which project from recessed lpar-rel portions of the block faces to a greater extent than does the border ridge 243 of the block. In the opposite panel portion of a given brick there are corresponding dowel sockets v2l spaced to accord with the spacing of bosses -26 and adapted to re- -ceivethe latter'bosses of a mating brick with a fairly snug lateral nt. The configuration of boss and socket is such as to leaveclearance spaces between the tips of the bosses and the bottomof .the sockets thus insuring ythat the planar ridges i215 of vmating bricks will mutually contact ina firm manner 'an-d prevent wobbling of the piled- `Specially shaped adaptor blocks 33 underlie the y lchimney forming blocks 32 and are featured by a horizontal top face 34 stably supporting the superimposed chimney structure and by a bottorn face 35 slantin-g in conformity with the top Vinclined faces 2l 'of the cap ba-r IS and resting thereon. In Fig. 2 these same adaptor blocks `33 are shown to resten the top faces of the roof bars 16.

The addition to theconstructional toy setvdisclosed in my hereinbefore mentioned copending patent application of tile roof simulating bars shaped and related as herein disclosed greatly enhances the number and realism ofV models that can be built thus lending zest-in creative play with architectural constructions 'rior young model builders. It enables piled block structures to reproduce more faithfully the outstanding appearance most characteristic of buildings provided with a tile roof, such as residences, roadside food stands, garages, cabins, nre houses, churches and public buildings. Since the dowel and' socket orienting engagement of the roofV :bars and their supporting wall blocks automatically brings the building elements into Vcorrect Y. relationship and stabilizes them against facci- Vdental displacement from proper position, no

skill in positioning of the blocks and bars but only imagination vin their selection to build 1the desired structures is lrequired of thechildfand there kresults uniform excellence and trueftodefined byY horizontal seats at vertically spaced levels alternating with risersextending vertically between said seats, toy roof bars each hav- Ying a horizontal bottom face resting on and substantially lwider than companion seats at a common level on respectively spaced walls, each bar further having an edge facing a riser that eX- tends upward from the seat on which said bar rests and having Van opposite edge overhanging Athe riser that extends downward 'from 4said seat, whereby a marginal portion of said bottom'face of the oar overlaps both said seat andthe next lower bar of the toy rooie. Y v

2. In a constructional toy, pilabl'e elements adapted to simulateti-le roof in a top building,

comprising in combination with spaced-.apart up- Y right toy building walls having stepped `tops defined by horizontal seats at vertically :spaced levels each of said seats having upstanding dovrel projections and alternating with risers 4extending vertically between'said seats, toy roof 'bars each having a horizontal bottom faceresting on and substantially wider than the companion seats on respectively spaced -wa-lls on which the bar rests, each bar furtherhavingV an edge facing the 'risers that extends upward from said companion seats and .having` an opposite edge overhangin'g theV risers that extends downward from said 'companion seats, whereby a marginal portion of said bottom face of the bar overlaps the said seats'fand also thenext lower bar of the toy roof, Vsaid bote tom faceof the bar having a recess .spacedfrom Y Y both of said edges ofthe barand receptive to a plurality of'said dowelV projections with a bar orienting t.

8. In a constructional toy, pilablev elements adapted to simulate tile Yroof ina 'toy building comprising in combination with spaced-'apart upright toy building walls having stepped tops dened by horizontal seats at vertically spaced levels each of said seats having upstanding d'owel projections and alternating with risers extending verticallyV between said seats, toy roof bars each having a horizontalbottom face resting on and substantially wider than `the companion seats on respectively spaced walls on which the bar lrests, each bar further having an edge facing the risers that extend upward from said companion seats and having anropposite edge overhang'ing the longitudinally of the' bar spaced from both of said edges of the bar'and receptive to a plurality 'of said dowel projections with 'a bar orienting it.

Il. Ina construction'alY toy, pilable elements adapted to simulate tile roof in aftoy 'building comprising in Vcombination with spaced-apart upright toy building walls having stepped `tops dened 'by horizontal seats at vertically spaced levels alternating with risers extending'vertically f s between said seats, toy roof Vbars each having ar that is Y1mm.'

horizontal bottom face resting on and substantially wider than companion seats at a common level on respectively spaced walls, each bar further having an edge facing a riser that extends upward from the seat on which said bar rests and :having an opposite edge overhanging the riser that extends downward from said seat whereby a marginal portion of said bottom face of the bar overlaps both said seat and the next lower bar of the toy roof, and each bar having a top face that slants downward away from said bottom face of the next higher bar thereby to produce an angular gap lbetween overlapping marginal portions of adjacent bars.

5. In a constructional toy, elements pilable to simulate a tile roof comprising in combination with spaced-apart upright toy building walls having stepped tops defined by horizontal seating surfaces and intervening vertical riser surfaces, toy roof forming parallel bars horizontally wider than said seating surfaces and vertically thinner than the height of said riser surfaces spanning the space between said end walls and resting jointly on said seating surfaces of the spaced-apart Walls in edgewise flanking relation to said riser surfaces, whereby an edge of one bar overhangs said seating surface on which it rests and thereby overlaps and is spaced above the next lower bar in a manner to leave a shadowed elongated nook between overlapping portions of adjacent bars.

6. In a constructional toy, elements pilable to simulate a tile roof comprising in combination with space-apart upright toy building walls having stepped tops defined by horizontal seating surfaces and intervening vertical riser surfaces, toy roof forming prismatic shaped parallel bars each having a sloping top surface, said bars being horizontally Wider than said seating surfaces and vertically thinner than the height of said riser surfaces spanning the space between said end Walls and resting jointly on said seating surfaces of the spaced-apart Walls in edgewise flanking relation to said riser surfaces, whereby an edge of one bar overhangs said seating surface on which it rests and thereby overlaps and is spaced above said sloping top surface of the next lower bar in a mannerto leave a shadowed elongated nook between overlapping portions of adjacent bars.

7. In a constructional toy, elements pilable to simulate a tile roof comprising in combination with spaced-apart upright toy building walls having stepped tops defined by horizontal seating surfaces and intervening vertical riser surfaces, toy roof forming prismatic shaped parallel bars each having a triangular profile and a sloping top surface, said bars being horizontally wider than said seating surfaces and vertically thinner than the height of said riser surfaces and spanning the space between said end walls and resting jointly on said seating surfaces ofV the spaced-apart walls in edgewise flanking relation to said riser surfaces, whereby an edge of one bar overhangs said seating surface on which it rests and thereby overlaps and is spaced above said sloping top surface of the next lower bar in a manner to leave a shadowed elongated nook between overlapping portions of adjacent bars.

OSCAR P. ERHARDT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,009,468 Burrowes Nov. 2l, 1911 2,119,921 Levy June 7, 1938 2,319,914 Blanding May 25, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 365,369 Great Britain Jan. 2l, 1932

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