US2799118A

US2799118A - Toy building structure

Info

Publication number: US2799118A
Application number: US510471A
Authority: US
Inventors: James L Lullo
Original assignee: JAMES L LULLO; RICHARD C LINDBERG
Current assignee: JAMES L LULLO; RICHARD C LINDBERG
Priority date: 1955-05-23
Filing date: 1955-05-23
Publication date: 1957-07-16
Anticipated expiration: 1974-07-16

Description

July 16, 1957 J.' L. LULLO 2 799, 3

TOY BUILDING STRUCTURE Filed May 23, 1955 v 2 Shets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

JAMES L. LULLO ATTORNEYS July 16, 1957 J.- 1.. LULLO 2,799, 18

TOY BUILDING STRUCTURE Filed May 23, 1955 z Sh eets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JAMES 1.. uu o ATTORNEYS United States Patent() I TOY BUILDING STRUCTURE James L. Lullo, Chicago, 111., assignor to Richard C. Lindbcrg and James L. Lullo, Chicago, 111., as trustees Application May 23, 1955, Serial No. 510,471

3 Claims. (Cl. 46-26) This invention relates to toy building blockswhich may be assembled in various ways to form different structures.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a set of toy building blocks consisting of corner structural members and connector members therefor which may easily be assembled to form a number of different and ornamental toy structures.

The invention is characterized by corner structural members in the form of cubes which are apertured to receive dowel-like connector members, the corner members and the dowel-like members being assembled to form a structure in space with the dowel-like members being interchangeable as girder and column members, the so formed structure in space being covered by panel members which interlock with the connector members to present upon final assembly a completely enclosed miniature structure.

Other objects and important features of the invention will be apparent from a study of the specification'following taken with the drawings which together illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and what is now considered to be the best mode of practicing the principles thereof. Other embodiments of the invention may be suggested to those having the benefit of the-teachings herein, and it is therefore intended that the scope of the invention not be limited by the precise embodiment herein shown, such other embodiments being intended to be reserved especially as they fall within the scope of the appended claims.

. In the drawings:

Fig. l is an elevational view of a structure having the improvements according to the present invention embodied therein;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the structure seen in Fig. 1, looking from the right to the left, showing in part the manner in which the members, are connected to form a structure in space, and showing panel members which are interlocked with the connector members thereof;

Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows, and showing the manner in which the panels are interlocked with the connector members;

Fig. 4 is an isometric view of one of the cube shaped structural members which form points for connection for connector members to define a structure in space;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of one of the connector members which is connected to the cube shaped structural member seen in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detailed sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows, showing how the connector members are locked to the cube shaped structural members;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the panels arranged to be detachably connected to the connector members, and showing details of a locking rib on the inner side 2,799,118 Patented July 16, 1957 thereof, said locking rib being arranged to secure the panel detachably to the connector members;

Fig. 8 is a section taken along the line 88 of Fig. 7 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 9 is a section taken along the line 99 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows, showing the construction of a panel member especially shaped to provide one of a bottom course of such panel members.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in Fig. 1 a structure in space indicated generally by the reference numeral 10. The structure 10 consists of a number of connected parallelepiped structures each consisting of corner structural members indicated generally by the reference numeral 11, horizontal and vertical side connector members 12, and panel members 13 which are detachably secured to the side connector members 12 so as to completely enclose the structure seen in Fig. 1.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 2 to 6, each of the corner members 11 is in the form of a hollow cube, as shown. The corner members 11 are each provided with apertures 14 in at least three faces thereof, if such member is to be used as a cornice member C as seen in Fig. 1, or in four of the faces thereof if such member is to be used as a side corner member as CS seen in Fig. 1. Such structural member 11 would be provided with such apertures 14 in four of the faces thereof if used as an outer wall corner member WC seen in Fig. 1. Interior corner structural members 11 are provided in all six faces thereof with such openings 14 as will be readily understood.

Preferably, each of the corner members 11 will be made hollow as seen in Fig. 6, and may be formed of plastic from two half cube elements cemented together to result in a structure as seen in Fig. 4.

It is entirely within the scope of the invention, however, that the cube mmbers 11 be formed from a solid mass of material and drilled to provide a number of bores therein instead of apertures 14 for a purpose as will appear.

All of the corner members 11 are connected by the side connector members 12, and as seen in Figs. 5 and 6 the side connector members 12 are in the form of a dowel which is slotted as at 16 at each end to give a certain amount of resiliency thereto. Each of the dowels has an annular groove 17 near the end thereof and the ends of the dowels 12 are rounded as at 18 to permit easy entrance thereof within the aperture 14, the sides of the groove 17 of the dowel 12 engaging a wall 18 of the hollow cube member 11 as seen in Fig. 6.

As has been stated, the corner members 11 may alternately be provided with bores therein, and in such an event, the dowel 12 is not provided with the groove 17. By reason of the deformation possible by the slot 16 in the dowel, such dowel 12 may be inserted in such bore and be held frictionally thereby. It is preferred, however, by reason of the desirability of having the units assembled with a fairly close tolerance to construct the cubes 11 and the dowels 12 in the manner shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The dowels 12 and the corner members 11 may thus be assembled as seen in Fig. 1 and 2 to provide a structure in space. It will be seen that the dowels may be used interchangeably as girders or columns. The so-constructed structure may be provided with floors by interior panel members similar to that shown in Fig. 7 and which may be laid upon the dowel members 12 as seen more particularly in Fig. 9.

However, the exterior panels 13 of the structure seen in Fig. 1 are arranged to lock at at least two points with the dowel members 12. As seen in Fig. 7, each panel member 13 has a rib 21 on the inner face thereof, such rib extending for the length of the panel 13 and being provided at each end with a contour matching the contour in cross section of the dowel 12. Such rib 21 is arranged at its ends to embrace more than 90 of central angle of the dowel 12 so as to provide an interlocking action therewith, the panel 1-3 beingheld; in placeby such inter-- locking action, but beingcapable of being detached from the dowel 12 as desired.

Each of the panels 13 has a rectangular shaped cut-out 22 at the corners thereof so that it will fit snugly against the corner members 11-, as seen more particularly; in Figs. 2 and 7.

As seen in Figs. 2, and 9, the panels 13 do not lie flush:

with the plane of thecorner membersill, but itis. entirely within the scope of the invention. that they so do.

Referring now to Fig.9, there is shown a. form ofipane'li 1313 which may be used as a base course of suchipan'els,v so' that an edge 21' thereof lies flush with. the: bottom surface of the corner members 111 which rest upon the:

support, not shown, for the structure 10, Panel 13'Bi need not be necessary for purposesof uniformity;

All of the corner members 11 may be providedw-ith:

six apertures 14 in the case of'a hollow corner member, or with six bores in the case where the corner member is made from solidmaterial. Likewise, the rib 21 on the inner side of the panels 13 need not extend for the full length of the panel, and maybe discontinuous if desired, so long as there are locking'means'on the inner side of each panel 13 for the locking of samein the manner described,

While the invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment thereof, and also by way of some" alternate instructions, the scope of the invention is intended to be limited only by the claims here appended.

I claim as my invention:

1. A construction toy set having structural'elements adapted for connection in a combination to form astruc-- ture in space comprising cube shapemembers each provided with an aperture in a plane face thereof, connector members of circular cross section connected to said 'cube shaped members at said apertures to define a substantially square shaped area, and a panel member closing the area defined by four area defining connecting members, said panel member having cutout corner portions closely fitting the portions of said cube shaped members inter.- secting the plane of said area, said panel member being symmetrical and identical about axes' normal to each otherand lying in the plane of'said panel member, and means for securing said panel member to said connector members comprising locking means integral with said panelsand disposed at the edge portions of eachpanel, said locking means closely fitting said connectormembers of circular cross section; and'in'cross section consisting of an arcuate surface commencing on, the'front'faceofsaid panel member with a center corresponding to the center of said connector member in cross section and extending to a pointof intersection with the back face of said panel member for a distance to embrace more than and less than of central angle whereby said panel member may be snapped into position on said connector members with such securing means concealed from viewv 2. A construction toy set having structural elements adapted for connection in a combination to form a structure in space comprising cube shaped members each provided with an aperture in a plane face thereof, connector members of circular cross section connected to said cube shaped members at said apertures to define a substantially square shaped area, and a panel member closing the area defined by four area defining connecting members, said panel member having cutout corner portions closely fitting the portions of said cube shaped members intersecting the plane of said area, and means for securing said panel member to said connector members comprising locking means integral with said panels and disposed at the edge portionsfof'each panel, said locking means closely fitting said'iconnector:membersiof circular cross section; and in.

cross section consisting of an arcuate surface commencing on the frontface :oftsaidpanelmember with a center correspondingtothe 1 center of saidtconnector member inv cross sectionand extending to a point of intersection with the back'lface of said'panel member for a distance to embrace more than 90 and less than 180 of central angle whereby'said panel member may be snapped into position'on said connector members with such securing means concealedfrom view;

3. A construction toy set having structural elements adapted for connection in a combination to form a structure in space comprisingcube shaped members each provided with an aperture in a plane face thereof, connector members ofcircular cross section connected to said cube shaped members at said apertures to define a substantially square shaped area, and a panel member closingthe area defined by four area defining connecting members, said panel member havingcutout corner portions closely fitting the portions of said cube shaped members intersecting the plane of said area, said panel member being symmetrical and. identical about axes normal to eachIother-and lying in the plane of said panel member, and means for securing said panel member to said connector: memberscomprising locking means integral with said-panels and disposed at the edge portions of each panel, the-said'edge portions closely fitting said connector members'ofcircular cross section, and said edge portions embracing more than 90 of central angle whereby said panel members may be snapped into position on said connector members;

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS