US2936544A - Construction toy - Google Patents

Description

May 17, 1960 P. KOHNER cous'mucnou TOY Filed Dec. 2a. 1956 I NV E NTOR. 591/4 //0///vfi? arm/may United Stat Pat CONSTRUCTION TOY Paul Kohner, Jamaica, N.Y., assignor to Kohner Brothers, New York, N .Y., a partnership Application December 28, 1956, Serial No. 631,092

1 Claim. or. 46-19) This invention relates to construction toys in general and more particularly to construction toy sets for young children.

Among the objects of the present invention, it is the aim to provide a construction toy set which is characterized by a limited number of conformations which in turn, however, will lend themselves to the construction in combination of a practically unlimited number of structures.

More specifically, the present invention aims to provide a construction toy set characterized by a plurality of chambered pieces of various sizes, each having an upper hip or angle wall consisting of two Wall portions dis posed at an angle to .one another to form a dihedral angle, aprons extending vertically downward from the edges of said two wall portions, and recesses or depressions formed in the upper face of said wall portions, in size and dimensions corresponding to, and receiving the free edges of, the aprons of other pieces.

It is still another object of the present invention to pro vide a construction toy set characterized by a plurality of chambered pieces of the conformations aforesaid which will lend themselves to produce a toy village consisting of residential houses, such as ranch houses and the like, apartment houses, oflice buildings. such as skyscrapers, public buildings, such as churches, hospitals, schools, garages, railroad stations, hotels and motels.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a construction toy set characterized by a plurality of chambered pieces of various sizes in single and multiple arrangements, characterized primarily by a hip or angle wall sometimes provided with a plurality of rows of recesses or depressions in its upper face and sometimes also provided with recesses interrupting some of the aprons to simulate windows or doors, the recesses in the upper face being formed to receive the free edges of aprons extending from the angle walls of other chambered pieces of various sizes, With or without said recesses, and sometimes provided with a. plain, uninterrupted upper face and short downwardly extending aprons to nest into the recesses of other chambered pieces to simulate a roof.

These 'and, other'features, capabilities and advantages of the present invention will appear from the subjoined detailed description of specific embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig.jl,is a side elevation of astructure produced by construction pieces constituting parts of the present in vention.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3- is a plan view of the multiple construction piece illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective of the largest single construction piece, illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section showing a second structure made possible with these construction pieces.

In the embodiment shown thereare illustrated six different construction pieces as illustrative of one embodiment of the present invention, consisting of the extended multiple construction piece 1, the large single construc- 2,936,544 Patented May 17, 1960 tion piece 2, the medium construction piece 3, the small single construction piece 4, the large roof piece 5, and the small roof piece 6.

In actual practice when sold as a set, it has been found desirable to sell these sets in the following quantities, to Wit, for the smallest set, twenty-eight pieces, one of the multiple construction pieces 1, twelve of the largest single construction pieces 2, three of the medium single construction pieces 3, three of the smallest construction pieces 4, six of the large roof pieces 5, and three of the small roof pieces 6. In the second set, fifty-six pieces consisting of twice as many of each of the six types provided in the smallest set, and in the third set, eighty-four pieces consisting of three times as many of each of the types provided in the smallest set.

While it is obvious that various combinations may be selected of pieces having the basic characteristics of this invention, excellent results have been achieved when the construction piece 1 consists of an angle or angular upper wall 7, in turn consisting of two plane sheets 8 and 9 forming a dihedral angle with one another, with an apron 10 extending down from each of the ends of the two sheets 8 and 9, and an apron 11 extending down from the lower outer edge of each of the sheets 8'and 9.

In the upper face of the wall 7, there are provided a plurality of groups 12 of recesses or depressions, three being shown as desirable for the triple construction piece, each group 12 consisting of an outer rectangular recess 13, an intermediate rectangular recess 14, and an inner rectangular recess 15. All three recesses, 13, 14 and 15, of course follow the outline of the angular wall 7, that is with an angle at the apex 16 of the wall 7. T he outer recesses 13 of two adjacent groups 12 at their adjacent sides form a single recess 17 of double width. Furthermore, the outer recesses 13 of the three groups 12 extend into one another along the lower and alined edges of the Wall 7 to form two continuous recesses 18 which are disposed in a plane perpendicular to the vertical as compared to the planes in which the sheets 8 and 9 are disposed.

The height of the aprons 1d and 11, as compared to the width of the construction piece 1, is about three .to eleven. In other words, if the width is 1%", the height of the aprons 10 and 11 would be about -78". As shown, the apron 11 may be provided with four recesses or interruptions 19, simulating windows or doors, when a plurality of the construction pieces are connected to one another.

The largest single construction pieces 2 are substantially identical to one of the parts of the multiple construction piece 1, that is, each piece 2 has one set of three recesses-2ti, Z1 and 22-see Fig. 4, and each lateral apron 23 has two recesses or interruptions 24.

The'interrnediate single construction pieces 3 ditier,

' primarily from the construction pieces 2 in that each piece.

3 has only two rectangular recesses 25 and 26 and the aprons 27 and 28 rest in the recess 21 of a construction.

primarily from the intermediate construction piece 3 in.

that it has only one rectangular recess 364 on its upper face, and its aprons 331 and 32 rest in the recess 25 of an intermediate single construction piece 3.

The large roof pieces 5 have a plain, uninterrupted upper angular face 33 and short vertically extending aprons 34 and 35, the lower edges of which, see Fig. 2, will rest in recesses corresponding in size to the recess 20 of the large single construction piece 2 or the recess 13 of the multiple construction piece 1.

The small roof pieces 6 have a pyramidal upper face 36, see Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and short aprons 37 and 38 to rest in recesses of the size of the recess of the construction piece 3 or the recess 30. of the construction Pie V In Figs. 1 and 2, all six ditferent types of construction pieces are used, with a roof construction piece 5, in one instance, resting directly in a recess 13 of the multiple construction piece 1 and, in another instance, resting in the recess 2% of the single construction piece 2. The roof pieces therefore could only be used with these two types and sizes of recesses.

The intermediate construction piece 3 similarly could be used either with the multiple construction piece 1, when it would rest in the recess 14 of the construction piece 1, or with the largest single construction piece 2, when it would rest in the recess 21 of the construction piece 2.

The smallestconstruction piece 4 could be used in direct engagement with an intermediate construction piece 3 when it would rest in the recess 25 of the construction piece 3, or with the largest construction piece 2 when it would rest in the recess 22 of the construction piece 2, or with the multiple construction piece 1 when it would rest in the recess 15.

T he small roof piece 6 could be used with the smallest construction piece 4 when it would rest in the recess of the construction piece 4, or with the intermediate construction piece 3, when it would rest in the recess 25 of the intermediate construction piece 3, or with the largest construction piece 2 when it would rest in the recess 22 of the largest construction piece 2, or with the multiple construction piece 1 when it would rest in the recess 15 of the multiple construction piece 1.

The largest construction piece 2, as is the case with the large roof piece 5, could be used not only with another construction piece 2 when it would rest in the recess 20 of another construction piece 2, but also with the multiple construction piece 1 when it would rest in the recess 13 of the multiple construction piece 1.

Not only the aprons 23 of the construction pieces 2 but also the aprons 28 of the construction pieces 3, and the aprons 32 of the construction pieces 4, are provided with window or door forming recesses or interruptions 39.

When the construction pieces 1, 2, 3 or 4 constitute the lowest construction piece of a building, then the interruptions, such as the interruptions 19 of the construction piece 1, the, interruptions 24 of the construction piece 2, and the interruptions 39 of the construction pieces 3 and 4 would simulate doorways.

When, however, the construction pieces 2, 3 and 4 form upper levels of the building, as shown in Fig. 1, then the interruptions, such as the interruptions 24 of the construction piece 2 and the interruptions 39 of the construction pieces 3 and 4, would simulate windows with the spaces between the upper angular walls between successive pieces 2 and 3, 3 and 4, afiording through passages from the windows or interruptions 39 on one side of a construction piece 2, 3 or 4 to and through the windows or interruptions 39 on the other side of such construction piece.

Since the multiple construction piece 1 could also rest on two or three construction pieces 2, then the multiple construction piece 1 would constitute an upper level and the interruptions 19 would then similarly simulate windows.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made to details of construction without departing from the general spirit of the. invention as set forth in the appended claim.

Excellent results have been achieved when the construction pieces 1-6, inclusive, are composed of a plastic material although obviously these pieces may be made ofv other materials without departing from the general spirit of the invention. a

I claim:

in a construction toy set, the combination of a multiple construction piece havingan angular wall, comprising two wall portions inclined to one another, and engaging one another to form adihedral angular apex, a plurality of like sets of rectangular recesses as to perimeters, each set comprising at least three different sizes of recesses as to perimeters parallel and in alinement with one a and parallel to, and equally spaced from, said apex, and

in turn in alinement with similar two horizontal sides of the other recesses, and the two other sides of each of said recesses perpendicular to said apex, said wall portions having parallel horizontal lower edges and parallel in: clined lower edges first aprons extending downwardly from said horizontal lower edges, second aprons extending down from said inclined lower edges, there being interruptions in said first aprons to simulate doorways when in a construction piece at the bottom and windows when in a construction piece disposed upon another construction piece, a second construction piece having an angular upper wall comprising two wall portions inclined to one another and engaging one another to form a dihedral angular apex, a rectangular recess on the upper face of said latter angular wall, two of the sides of which are horizontal and parallel to, and equally spaced from, said apex and the other two sides of which are perpendicular to said apex, first aprons extending down from the lower edges of said latter angular wall, the lower edges of which latter aprons conformto one of the recesses in the angular wall of said multiple construction piece, second aprons extending down from the inclined edges of the angular wall of said second construction piece, and a roof construction piece having aprons extending down from the edges thereof, the loweredges' of which latter edges conform to the recess in the upper face of said second construction piece the successive angular walls being spaced from one another to form chambers and forming clear passages from and through the interruptions in one of said first aprons to and through the interruptions in the other of said first aprons of one and the same construction piece, the space below the angular wall of a construction piece forming clear passages from, and through the interruptions in one of said first aprons to and through the interruptions in the other of said first aprons of one and the same construction piece when disposed at the bottom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,182,980 Converse May 16, 1916 2,278,894 Paulson Apr. 7, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 439,159 France Apr. 1, 1912 915,449 France July 2 2, 1946

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