US3004364A

US3004364A - Educational toy frame

Info

Publication number: US3004364A
Application number: US815539A
Authority: US
Inventors: Glen F Benkelman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-05-25
Filing date: 1959-05-25
Publication date: 1961-10-17
Anticipated expiration: 1978-10-17

Description

Oct. 17, 1961 G. F. BENKELMAN 3,004,364

EDUCATIONAL TOY FRME Filed May 25, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 20 /3 4 l,/:2 I9", T0 ,2A IQAI 1/ 3 0 ,2A @j f@ ma (2l L24 L/8 l5 24 if J FIG. 2 l/17 /81I d4 0 /IZA ,19A 7 0 ,(/ZA Zhou; C11 ^'5-{'i 23 p f5 f @Lm '19 l/6 l 23A g Y Fl Q) 29A, G 3 3 0 l l l ,1 f) l EL? @i @1i i? L5 vk29 Y J i l 23 O'. G I INVENTOR.

` L29A GLEN F BENKELMN F/G 5a BY @Zz Oct. 17, 1961 Filed May 25, 1959 G. F. BENKELMAN 3,004,364

EDUCATIONAL 'roy FRAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l .9) /'8 /ZA l i i F/G4 /9\l /la 35 55E Lf 1 l l i F/G. 5

. l?) fl? 55 Ii F/G 6 /8 19, //8 /8\l I s f x i if a /2A i [3@ i l F167 /ZA g g [I8: a a /ZA I [I3/mg 13:3@ l H68 FIG.l lO FIG.

INVENTOR. GLEN l? BENKELMAN BW? Mu/V 'I'his invention relates to toy blocks, and more particularly to toy building blocks suitable for interlocking to form various structures.

States Patent O Children like to play with blocks and as a child grows older he very likely will have a propensity to enjoy building structures of his own design. This is both educational and enjoyable -for the child. In his building, the child, in many cases, enjoys experimenting with and changing the structure he has created, but yet he may desire that these structures have a rather high degree of stability. He will also desire that the blocks he uses be capable of being assembled and disassembled with ease and simplicity.

Accordingly, one of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a toy building block which can be quickly combined with a similar block in forming a structure.

Another object of this invention is to provide a toy building block which can be used with similar blocks to build a relatively stable structure.

Another object of this invention is to provide a toy building block that is relatively simple to combine with similar blocks to provide a variety of structures.

Another object ofl this invention is Ato provide a toy building block'that has means for operative connection to similar toy blocks.

A related object is to'provide a toy building block that has end extensions that can be interlocked with similar toy blocks.

[Another related objectl of this invention is to provide a toy building block that has a'n extension to be an operative connection with a similar block and means for holding a similar block in operative connection.

Another related object of this invention is to provide a toy building block having extensions, apertures to accept similar extensions, and angularly extending intersecting apertures to receive pins to lock similar blocks together.

Another related object of this invention is to provide an elongated square cross-sectioned building block having extensions and extension-accepting apertures, and angularly extending intersecting apertures in the blocks to lock the extensions to a similar block by means of a locking pm.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a group of buildin-g blocks in operative connection;

FIGURE 2 is a plan View of two building blocks;

FIGURE 2A illustrates an alternative embodiment permitting coupling and pinning from either top or side position;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the blocks of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 3A is a side view of the female ended block of FIGURE 2A;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged plan view of the block shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURES 5 through 8 are each side elevational views of alternate embodiments of the invention;

FIGURE 9 is a plan view of a ller block;

`FIGURE 10 is a side elevational view of the block shown in FIGURE 9; and,

FIGURE l1 is a side elevational view of a locking pin.

ICC

Referring to FIGURE 2 of the drawings, there is illustrated a pair of mated

building blocks

10 and 30. Block 10 is a femalestructure and block 30 is a male structure. The

blocks

10 and 30 have a body portion 11 having hrst and second spaced opposite ends. First and second female connector means are provided, each composed of two

rectangular extensions

12 and 24. The body portion 11 of the blocks each has a

face surface

13, 14, |15, and 16 dening, in the illustrated embodiment, a rectangular cross-sectional body. The

extensions

12 and 24 are deiined by the face surfaces 2.0 and 21 respectively, which are extensions of body surfaces 13` and 15, and by a connection means accepting slot 17. A locking pin aperture 23 extends transversely through the

extensions

12 and 24 which are provided to accept a locking pin, such as locking pin 26 illustrated in FIGURE 11.

The body portion has a connection means receiving aperture 19 dimensioned and positioned to accept male connection means of another block and serve as a socket to receive such connection means. The width of the body `11 in the area lof the socket 19* is such that the distance from one surface of socket 19 to the parallel face surface of the block will permit one of the

connections

20 or 24 to reside in the socket 19 and the Votherrextension to reside on the surface of the block, with the body structure therebetween residing in and meshing with the slot 17. The

connections

20 and 24 each have approximately the dimensions of connector 12. Thus, another block dimensioned as the block 10 may be interlocked with the block 10. by inserting one of the extension members into the socket 19 and the other extension member positioned on the face surface of the block. An oifset connection is thus provided. t

A pin aperture 18 extends through the body 11 in a transverse direction to the direction of the socket 19 and f is dimensioned to receive a pin 26. Thus, the mated blocks may be removably interlocked for a solid construction.

In the preferred embodiment as illustrated, the side walls of the

extensions

20 and 24 are extensions of the

surfaces

14 and 16. Thus, the block 10 is a longitudinal member of rectangular cross-section having slotted ends to receive a male connection or to receive one of the resultant extensions -of the slotted female block and with cross apertures to receive locking pins.

Also in FIGURE 2, the male block 30 is constructed with all dimensions and proportions similar to the blocks 10, but with single extension` members or male connections 12 as male connections. The connections 12 are dimensioned exactly as each of the

extensions

20 and 24. Hence, it will be seen that the lateral dimension of the block 10 is three times the lateral dimension of a

single extension

20 or 24, and that the lateral dimension of the

extensions

12 and 24 is equal to the lateral dimension of the slot 17. This modular arrangement permits a multiplicity of combinations not heretofore available in conventional toy blocks.

The block 11 is also provided with transverse pin receiving openings indicated by reference character 23A, which are provided for the purpose of permitting the connections 12 to be locked into engagement with slots 17, socket 19, or a slot 19A provided through the central portion of the male blocks 30.

The versatility of this toy construction is greatly enhanced by the modification set forth in the FIGURES 2A and 3A. Here it will be seen that the socket areas centrally of the blocks are in the form of two cross slotted

sockets

29 and 29A. Hence, the female extensions or the male extensions of other `blocks may be inserted in either direction through the central portion and may be locked therein by a pin 26.

The FIGURE 4 illustrates the male version of the blocks set forth in FIGURE 2, for better comparison with the alternate structures of FIGURES 5 through 8.

f, In the FIGURE 5 the construction is identical inall respects with the block. of FIGURE 4 With the exception that the male connection, indicated by reference character 3S, is half the thickness of the similar extension 12 of FIGURE 4. It is often desirable to have two blocks extending in two directions from another block. Since the extension members of the block of FIGURE 2 are all dimensioned to iit exactly into the recessed sockets, such extensions from a single location in opposite directions is impossible. However, with the half thickness extension 35 the two blocks of FIGURE 5 may be inserted into any given socket recess and extended from that single recess in alignment or at an angular direction, in the case of an end junction. Furthermore, whenever such a block as that illustrated in FIGURE 5 is to be extended alone from a single socket, a ller block which can be considered a partl of the male connection means 36 as set forth in FIG- URE 9 may be inserted with the male connection 35 to lill the unused space intended for another connection 35. Locking pin apertures without reference characters are provided through the connection 35 and through the similar blocks setforth in FIGURE 9 for the same purpose as set forth previously.

The block illustrated in the FIGURE 6 has one female end and one male end, and provides further combination effects.

The block of FIGURE 7 is provided with a plurality of socket recesses through the body portion of the blockv and the illustrated embodiment sets forth two sockets passing through the body of a block in one direction and the third passing at a 90-degree angle through the opposite direction.

The FIGURE 7 illustrates a hybrid type of block with a female and a male end and the FIGURE 8 illustrates the same type of lcentral body structure withA two male ends.

Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of'particularily, it is understood that the present' disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the Cletails of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing fromY the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed'.l A i I claim: Y

A toy building block, comprising, a body of square cross section longer than wide, saidbody having at least one projection from each end which projection is onethird as thick as the block width and is as wide as the block, one slot through the body between two sides and another slot intersecting the one slot and extending between the remaining two faces, said slots dimensioned one-third as thickas the block and as wide as the block to receive an end projection of another block having end projections of like form, a pin aperture axially of each slot and centered with respect to the slot, each end projection having a transverse lock-pin opening, whereby a projection may be inserted into a slot of a like block and aV pin placed to vlock the projection into the block slot. Y

References Cited in the le ofv this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain ---a Jan. 16, 1952