US2945315A

US2945315A - Design forming apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2945315A
Application number: US639721A
Authority: US
Inventors: Raymond F Stockton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1957-02-12
Filing date: 1957-02-12
Publication date: 1960-07-19
Anticipated expiration: 1977-07-19

Description

July 19, 1960 R. F. sTocK'roN 2,945,315

DESIGN FORMING APPABTUS Filed Feb. 12, 1957 2 sheets-sheet 1 I 2 2f-?, ,Z J

July 19, 1960 R. F. sTocKToN 2,945,315

' DESIGN FoRMING APPARATUS Filed Feb. l2, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n, Jj INVENTOR. J2 @wazzj @Zac-#5622 States` DESIGN FORMING APPARATUS Raymond F. Stockton, Sunland, Calif. (5.00 W. Avenue K, Lancaster, Calif.)

This invention relates to design forming apparatus and more particularly to a form thereof adaptedfor use by Children.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a design forming apparatus capable of being arranged and interconnected to form both a primary or underlying design-and a second design imposed thereon. AAnother object of the invention is to provide a design forming apparatus capable of arrangement to form superimposed designs which also has the capacity of permitting the basic or underlyingrdesign to remain undisturbed while the secondary is removed, altered or replaced with another design.

i A further object of the invention is to provide va design forming apparatus in which the foregoing objects are realized in practice comprising pluralities of connector elements having at least a pair of holes extending therethrough -parallel to each other and Vparallel tothe surface upon which the design is created 4and at least one other hole extending therethrough parallel to said pair of holes and disposed in a plane more rem'ote from said e surface, together with pluralities "of -rods and'other-eleI ments having portions thereof receivable in selected ones of said holes in the formation-of an innite variety of designs.v -V e v e With the foregoing objects in view, .together with such other objects and` advantages as may hereafter appear,

' the invention resides in the parts and in the construction,

combination and arrangement of parts, described, by way of example, in the following specification of one mode of execution of the invention; reference being had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of said specification and in which drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of certain of the parts of a design forming apparatus embody-ing the present inventio'narranged to show how the'4 various parts vmay be ihtertted together. A

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing certain of the parts arranged to form a basic or underlying design,

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the addition of other parts in an overlying design arrangement,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the staggered line 4--4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the various parts of the design forming apparatus employed in the combinations illustrated in the preceding fiigures.

Referring first to Fig. 5, the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a hanger member 1, having a hole 2 therethrough by which it may be supported by a nail or the like on a wall or other surface and a rod receiving hole 3 disposed below and at right angles to the hole 2, a plurality of

connector members

4 and 4 which are identical in side elevation but of different Widths; the connector elements 4 and 4' each having a pair of holes 5, 5 disposed one near each end of the member and being parallel to each other and to the base surfaces 6, vand a third hole 7 parallel to the holes 5, 5 but disposed midwayY between them and outwardly from am f I' j Patented Julylg, 1960' the 'surfaces' 6, 6 a greater distance'than the holes 5, 5. The apparatus also includes pluralities of each ofV two

other connectors

8 and 8 which are generally similar in side outline and widths to the connectors 4 and 4', respectively inhaving pairs of rod receiving holes 9 adjacent the ends thereof in similar location to the holes 5, 5 but having a second pair of holes parallel to and spaced midway between the holes 9', 9' instead of the single hole 7 in the

members

4 and 4. Allof said connector elements are of such thickness that the length of said holes therethrough is at least greater than the diameter of the` holes whereby the other design forming elements inserted in said holes, as will be hereinafter described, are held against lateral deflection in said connector elements withl resultant stability of the created design. The` said iirst named pairs of holes in all of said connector elements'are Aequally spaced to create a modular dimension in the formation of designs. The rest of the apparatus comprises elements adapted to iit into the holes lin the various connector elements and in theexample here shown comprises pluralities of straight rods '110, 11, 12 and V11i of varying lengths, other rods 14 with one end thereof bent at right angles offset rods 15 and 16 with parallel, oppositely disposed straight ends laterally offset from each other a distance equal to the spacings of the center holes of connector elements having their' ends connected Vby a rod pa-ssingthrough the endv holes thereof and with the end portions thereof beingY of diiferent lengths as indicated by the end 17 of the rod 16, ring elements 18 having straight ends 19 adaptedv to be` sprung apart to engage one of the holes in a connector element, semicircular elements 20 having straight' ends `adapted to engage Ythe holes in one side of a pair of connector elements when arranged in spaced enclY to endy relation,` U-Kshapedfelements 21 having parallel straightv ends ofequal length and U-shaped elements 22 having straight 'ends of unequal length. All of 'the' above ele-' ments are provided'in sufficient quantities to enable the construction of a'wide variety designs and thus there can be provided sets of varying sizes and sets already purchased can be amplified by the mere addition of other quantities of the component parts( It is to beln'oted that since the holes 5 of the

connectors

4 and 4 and the holes 9 of the connectors 8 Vand 8' are equally spaced from each other with resultant creation of a modular dimension for a `created design in a direction at right angles to the length of the holes,: the spacing between like other holes in the connector elements will be spaced from each other either at the saidmodular distance or a multiple of `such modulardistance.. Where adjacent connector'elements are mounted sideby-side on one of the rod-like elements and extend therefrom in opposite directions the central or other intermediate holes therein will be spaced from each other at a distance which is equal to the said modular distance. Where the connector elements are disposed in end-to-end relation but at their adjacent ends are mounted on laterally adjacent rods, these central or other intermediate holes will be spaced from each other a distance which is twice the modular distance. Thus, the oifset shown in the members '15 and 16 is equal to the said modular dimension while the end portions of the

members

20, 21 and 22 are spaced apart a distance which is twice the modular dimension.

Fig. l illustrates manners in which the various elements may be combined with each other. The iigure is not intended to show the development of a specific design but only that a series of the longer rods 10 may be connected in parallel spaced modular relation by the connecting elements; some of each of the connecting elements 4, l4', 8 and 8 being thus employed. This gure also illustrates the use of the offset members 15 and 16 showing l that the oifsetdimension is equal 4to. the spacing ofthe modulari-dimension,-between .adjacent-rods 10, it being notedfthat apair-of the members z-isishownremployed toforma ringe-.engaging two connector members While two or the-members 22 are engaged with connector mern bers which are vlaterallyfoiset from each other. v

lReferring nexttovlig. 2zthere,4 is shown the-first stage in Vthefclevelopment of acompleteddesign comprising the formation [of the basic or underlying design. In this illustration, aplurality tof long rods ,havebeen a1'- sembledso that the assembly can proceed without interest being lost due to the parts falling apart at one point While assembly is -being made at another point in the design. Still further, the design can be changed and altered while it is being built up when it is desired to make changes in some arrangement o'r when it is desired to apply a diierent overl-yingdesign on an existing basic design arrangement oftheelements.

While inthe vforegoing specication therehas been described a presentlyfpreferredembodiment ofthe invention, it is not to beinferred, therefrom that'the invention is to be deemed to be limited to the exact details thus disl closed by Way of example, and-it-will`beunderstood that ranged in spaced modular relationby being arranged in. n

pairs which are slightly `alternately laterally offset -from eaclr other Yand with; thek rods of .each Lpair 1 connected to- ,gethergbyrspacedV connector elements 8 and'with the Iad,- jacent pairs ofY rodszinterconnected bytwirptlirs ofthe connector elements 4 with onevof-reach pair thereofdisposedz-at oppositersidesyofthe membersrS- and the ends ofaeach-,pair-of the rods I'U'being connected by connectorelements.;f8.r Additionally, the uppermost of the .rods 10- carrics. thehanger 1 by which the design may be suspended while 'being formed and inline with Vthe hanger, the pairs -of rods 10,are connected kby connector memberst. Also, the lowerrnost rod 10is'also provided with aconnector element 4 depending from` the nud-length thereof. e

vFinally in- Figs. 3 and 4 -the basic design started in Fig. 2 is shown with the embellishment of a second design imposed thereon comprising the additionof short rods 12' to certainzofthe Ymembers 8 connecting Stheends of; pairs oftherods 10, the-additionof -rings 18r to the members whichare anked by the connectory members-4 andthe4 addition offshort rodswll, 12vand 13to thecentenholes ofthemembers 4.

It is=-obvious that any of the other` elements 14, 15, 16,

20-21 -and122 could be combined with the basic design in-anfininite number of Ways and itis `Vbelieved to `be equally obvious thatthefbasic design .issusceptible :of infinite variation. Making-thevarious `elements. of various colors further `increases thefpossibilitesfof making different designk effects.

' `tIt is` particularly to be'noted that the `assembly ofthevarious elements involvesonly the tting ofthe rods andA the,.rod;like end portionsV of the other elements into selected-holesinthe .connector elements so thattheskill required forinitial:use is Aonlyithat ofasmallchild. However,` theYV capability of the apparatus to -befforrned intocomplex designs issufciently ,great and challenging to r makefit attractive to older children aswell. Moreover, the nature of theV interconnectionof the parts'is such thatasit is assembled in any design, the parts stay asthe invention includes allsuch modications in the parts, and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall come within the purview of the appended claim.

`I claim: e

In a design forming apparatus.includingpluralities of groups of rod-like design forming elements of dilerent lengths and other pluralities of` groups `of rod-like elements having different configurations, the combination of a plurality` of connector elements eiective to interconnect parallel portions of selected ones ofsaid rod-like elements in the formation of plural interconnected designs including at least one design Asuperimposed on another; said connector elementseachfhaving arflat surface and having aplurality of parallel,,rodreceivingholes extending therethrough finlines,paralle1 t0 said flat/surface andparallel to each other, certain of said holes in each of the-connector elements beingspaced a uniform lesserdistance from. the planeof said flat surface and certain other of .said holesfinleach of said connector elements being spaced a uniform .greater/distance from said hat surface whereby said connectorelements and said rod-like elements may be combinedy in a rst design based on said iirst named holes and otherrod-like, elements combined with s aid `otherholes vinsaid connectors inasecond designk superimposed; onvsaid ii1."st-,d'esign; each of` said connector elements being -in the form ofasegmental portion of a torusfof rectangularcrosssectionand said rod receivingholes in said connectorelements extending only parallel. to` the,v axis, of/generationrof the torus.

References `Cited yinthetile of this patent UNITEDI STATES. `PATENTS