US3475849A

US3475849A - Motion transmitting arrangement combined with toy construction kit

Info

Publication number: US3475849A
Application number: US613299A
Authority: US
Inventors: Artur Fischer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-02-07
Filing date: 1967-02-01
Publication date: 1969-11-04
Anticipated expiration: 1986-11-04
Also published as: ES336081A1; FR1510464A; IL27301A; SE368909B; NL6618093A; GB1140795A; CH443096A; FI49777C; AT276175B; DE1603294A1; NO118262B; FI49777B; BE691227A

Description

Nov. 4, 1969 A. FISCHER 3,475,849

MOTION TRANSMITTING ARRANGEMENT COMBINED WITH TOY CONSTRUCTION KIT Filed Feb. 1, 1967 INVENTOR.

ARTUR nscusn MaZa4/ United States Patent 3,475,349 MOTION TRANSMITTING ARRANGEMENT COM- BINED WITH TOY CONSTRUCTION KIT Artur Fischer, 133 Grunmettstetterstn, 7241 Tumlingen, Germany Filed Feb. 1, 1967, Ser. No. 613,299 Claims priority, applilca ation Germany, Feb. 7, 1966,

Int. Cl. A63h 33/00, 33/04 US. C]. 4616 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS A toy construction kit of the type with which the arrangement of the present invention can be used to particular advantage, is disclosed in my co-pending application Ser. No. 580,943, filed on Sept. 21, 1966 under the title Toy Building Kit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a toy building kit in general, and more particularly to a motion-transmitting arrangement which is particularly suitable for use with toy building kits of the type set forth above with reference to my co-pending application.

As pointed out, toy building kits are known from my co-pending applications, in which the various structural elements such as building blocks are provided with coupling means so that they can be releasably connected to one another. Specifically, the coupling means disclosed in the co-pending application includes undercut grooves provided in surfaces of at least some of the structural elements, and projecting male coupling portions provided on at least some others of the structural elements and having a cross-section complementary to that of the undercut grooves. Thus, these male coupling portions can be inserted into and withdrawn from the undercut grooves only at the ends thereof, and not intermediate the ends transversely of the elongation of the grooves.

Building kits of this type have been highly successful, having found a wide market distribution, because of their versatility as well as because of the challenge they present to a child in the construction of durable and relatively true-to-life replicas of buildings and the like. However, they have thus far lacked a versatile motion-transmitting arrangement for mechanizing certain of the structures erectable with the structural elements, for instance vehicles, cranes and so on.

A preferred motion-transmitting arrangement for these purposes would be a drive means capable of producing and transmitting a reciprocatory motion, namely a cylinder and piston arrangement. Unfortunately, there has been no way heretofore in which such an arrangement could be properly coupled with the other elements of the construction kit without violating the concept that all elements of the kit be connectable to one another in a simple manner without requiring additional connecting 3,475,849 Patented Nov. 4, 1969 ice means beyond those integrally provided on the respective elements, thus minimizing the problems which in ordinary toy construction kits result from the such additional connecting means.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes the disadvantages outlined above and constitutes a further improvement of the construction kits disclosed in my co-pending application.

More particularly, the present invention provides a motion-transmitting arrangement for use with construction kits of the type which I have disclosed in the copending application.

The novel motion-transmitting arrangement can be connected to the structural elements of kits of the above type in precisely the same manner in which these structural elements are connected to one another.

The motion-transmitting arrangement in accordance with the present invention is simple to manufacture and therefore inexpensive. Its connection with other structural elements requires no manipulative skill in excess of that needed for connecting the elements themselves to one another. Furthermore, the element embodying the novel arrangement can itself serve as a structural element in the erection of structures of various types.

In accordance with one feature of my invention I provide a toy construction kit of the type which comprises a plurality of connectable structural elements provided with coupling means, such kit including motion-transmitting means in addition to the structural elements. In accordance with the invention this motion-transmitting means includes a first member, and a second member which is carried by the first member and guided thereby for reciprocatory movement relative thereto. The first member has an outer peripheral surface which is provided with coupling means complementary to that on the structural elements of the kit, so that it can cooperatively engage the coupling means of these elements, whereby the first member can be detachably secured to such structural elements.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned side-elevational view of an arrangement embodying the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a top-plan view of a somewhat modified arrangement embodying the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Discussing now the drawing in detail, and firstly FIG. 1 thereof, it will be seen that a cylinder of a cylinder-andpi-ston arrangement is generally indicated with reference numeral 1. The cross-sectional configuration of cylinder 1 is illustrated as being quadratic, in keeping with the similar configuration of the structural elements to which cylinder 1 is to be connected, as will hereafter be discussed. Of course, instead of being quadratic the cross-section could be rectangular, triangular or, generally speaking, polygonal.

It will be seen that the cylinder 1 consists of two portions, respectively indicated with

reference numerals

1a and 1b. The portion 1a is provided with an elongated chamber 10 of circular cross-section, within which there is arranged a piston 12 for reciprocatory movement in the direction of elongation of the chamber 10. The latter has an open end remote from the portion 112, and a suitable closure or cap member 8 serves to close this open end. The member 8 is provided with external screw-threads which mesh with complementary threads on the cylinder portion 1a, as shown.

Furthermore, closure member 8 has an opening through which piston rod 6 extends, which is thus guided by the member 8 for linear reciprocation. The drawing shows that piston rod 6 is secured to piston 12 for movement therewith.

At opposite end pistons of the chamber 1c conduits 7 communicate with the same. Since such communicaion takes place at opposite sides of the respective end portions of the piston 12, it will be evident that conduits 7 serve to introduce and remove a pressure medium from chamber 1c, respectively. The double-headed arrows associated with each of the conduits 7 indicate that such pressure medium can be introduced into chamber 10 through either of the conduits 7 and that it can of course also be removed through either conduit.

The portion 1b of the cylinder 1 is solid, that is, it is not provided with a chamber as in the case of portion 1a. In the region of this portion 1b the external peripheral surface of cylinder 1 is provided with at least one, and preferably several, undercut groove 2 of the type disclosed in my aforementioned co-pending application. That end face of cylinder 1 which is provided on the portion 1b thereof carries an axially extending male coupling portion 3 of undercut configuration, clearly vsible in the drawing and corresponding to the male coupling portions disclosed in my co-pending application.

A structural element 4, of the type discussed earlier and disclosed in my co-pending application, has an undercut groove 4a whose configuration corresponds to that of the groove or grooves 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the male coupling portion 3 of cylinder 1 is received in the groove 4a, thus securing the cylinder 1 to the structural element 4.

A second structural elements 14 is secured to the cylinder 1 also, and in this instance a male coupling portion corresponding to the portion 3 is provided on the element 14 and is couplingly received in one of the grooves 2 on the cylinder 1.

It is evident that the connection of the cylinder 1 with various structural elements, such as the elements 4 and 14, is not only simple but also quick, reliable and capable of great versatility. Since the cross-sectional dimensions of cylinder 1 are preferably the same as those of the structural elements 4 and 14, the ease and versatility of con nection are still further enhanced.

The free end of piston rod 6, that is the end which is not secured to piston 12, is received in a groove 10 of an articulated structural element 9. The groove 10 is similar to grooves 2 and the free end of piston rod 6 is simply inserted through one open end of the groove 10, to be frictionally retainedtherein. The articulated structual element 9 is fully disclosed in my co-pending application Ser. No. 580,943 and consists of two sections 9b and 90 which are turnable relative to one another about an axis 911. Each of the sections 911 and 9c is provided with one or more grooves 10 and, on its free endface, with a projecting male coupling portion 11 which is so similar. to portion 3 of cylinder 1 as not to require special description.

The embodiment of FIG. 2 is largely similar to that of FIG.. 1. It differs in this in that the structual element 4 of FIG. 1 is replaced by a similar structural element 24 through one of whose undercut grooves (not shown but similar to groove 4a) or through a special bore of which a cylindrical member extends and is freely turnable relative to the element 24. The end portions of the member 5 which extend laterally beyond the element 24 project into undercut grooves (not shown but similar to groove 40) of the structural elements 34 wherein they are. frictionally retained. An exemplary use of such an arrangement would for instance be in an outrigger-type crane with the elements 34, which are tiltable about the axis defined by member 5, secured to the outrigger and the section 9c secured to the housing of the crane. A change in the position of the piston 12 within the cham ber 10 would then change the elevation of the outrigger of the crane. This, of course, is only an example and many other possibilities will readily come to mind.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of toy building kits differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a toy building kit, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can be applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characeristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. A toy construction kit comprising, in combination, a plurality of structural elements at least some of which are provided with coupling portions in form of undercut coupling recesses and at least some others of which are provided with coupling portions in form of undercut coupling projections complementary to said coupling recesses; motion-transmitting means, including a first member having an outer peripheral surface including a plurality of faces and also having an internal chamber provided with an open end, and a second member partly received in said internal chamber for reciprocatory movement therein and including a portion extending outwardly through said open end; closure means sealing said open end around said outwardly extending portion; complementary coupling portions in form of a complementary undercut coupling recess provided in at least one of said faces and a complementary undercut coupling projection provided on at least one other of said faces and respectively adapted for releasably coupling said first member to one of said structural elements which is provided with a mating coupling portion; and mating engagement means provided on said portion of said second member constructed and arranged for being matingly receivable and frictionally retainable in respective ones of said coupling recesses of said structural elements whereby said motiontransmitting means serve to transmit motion and cause relative movement between structural elements respectively coupled with said first member and said portion of said second member.

2. A toy construction kit as defined in claim 1, wherein said faces include a plurality of side faces and an end face of said first member, said one face constituting one of said side faces and said other face constituting said end face.

3. A toy construction kit as defined in claim 2, said housing complementary coupling portions further comprising at least one additional undercut coupling recess provided in another of said side faces.

4. A toy construction kit as defined in claim 1; said first member having a cross-sectional configuration similar to the cross-sectional configuration of at least some of said structural elements of said kit.

5. A toy construction kit as defined in claim 1; said first member having cross-sectional dimensions equal to the corresponding cross-sectional dimensions of at least some of said structural elements of said kit.

6. A toy construction kit as defined in claim 1, wherein said first member is a housing constituting a cylinder, and wherein said second member comprises a piston received in said chamber and said outwardly extending portion constitutes a piston rod carried by said piston.

7 A toy construction kit as defined in claim 6, wherein said housing is elongated and comprises a first and a longitudinally adjacent second housing portion, one of said housing portions defining said internal chamber and said outer peripheral surface being provided with said complementary coupling portions at least in the region of one of said housing portions.

8. A toy construction kit as defined in claim 6 said complementary coupling projection having a neck carried by said other facet and a head carried by said neck and having a greater width than the latter.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,060,619 5/1913 Nusly 46-39 2,451,593 10/ 1948 Washington 4640 X 3,076,286 2/ 1963 Czecholinski 4626 X 3,193,149 7/1965 Beaubien 4639 X FOREIGN PATENTS 616,778 1/1949 Great Britain.

77,788 6/ 1951 Norway.

F. BARRY SHAY, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 4623