US3513590A - Blocks connectable by lateral sliding,including means for reducing sliding contact - Google Patents

Blocks connectable by lateral sliding,including means for reducing sliding contact Download PDF

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Publication number
US3513590A
US3513590A US641820A US3513590DA US3513590A US 3513590 A US3513590 A US 3513590A US 641820 A US641820 A US 641820A US 3513590D A US3513590D A US 3513590DA US 3513590 A US3513590 A US 3513590A
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United States
Prior art keywords
blocks
face
coupling
block
assembly kit
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Expired - Lifetime
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US641820A
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English (en)
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Artur Fischer
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Individual
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Individual
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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
    • A63H33/00—Other toys
    • A63H33/04—Building blocks, strips, or similar building parts
    • A63H33/10—Building blocks, strips, or similar building parts to be assembled by means of additional non-adhesive elements
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
    • A63H33/00—Other toys
    • A63H33/04—Building blocks, strips, or similar building parts
    • A63H33/06—Building blocks, strips, or similar building parts to be assembled without the use of additional elements
    • A63H33/08—Building blocks, strips, or similar building parts to be assembled without the use of additional elements provided with complementary holes, grooves, or protuberances, e.g. dovetails
    • A63H33/084—Building blocks, strips, or similar building parts to be assembled without the use of additional elements provided with complementary holes, grooves, or protuberances, e.g. dovetails with grooves

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to building or assembly kits in general, and more particularly to toy building or assembly kits for the erection of replicas of buildings, vehicles and the like.
  • Building or assembly kits are known, for instance from my above-identified copending application and from others, in which a plurality of structural elements in form of building blocks are provided. These building blocks have male, female, or male and female coupling portions so that they can be connected to one another by mating of complementary coupling portions.
  • these coupling portions are in form of undercut grooves provided in one or more surfaces of the building blocks, and in form of complementary male coupling heads which are also undercut and project from one or more surfaces of the same or other building blocks.
  • a coupling head of one block is introduced into a groove of another, usually from an open end of the groove, and the coupling head is then shifted in the groove until the two blocks are in their desired relative positions.
  • the present invention provides this desired improvement.
  • the present invention very substan tially reduces the friction between the juxtaposed faces of blocks, which are connected as discussed above. It achieves thus reduction in friction by significantly reducing the area of contact between the juxtaposed surfaces.
  • one feature of my invention resides in the provision of a building block having a face; coupling ice means provide on the face; and friction-reducing means projecting from the face for preventing surface-to-surfacc contact of the face with a similar face on an other building block in response to mating engagement of the coupling means with complementary coupling means provided on such other building block.
  • the friction-reducing means is provided in form of projections which may have various configurations and whose surface portions which are to be in engagement with a surface of another block, are preferably convexly curved to further reduce the area of contacts.
  • the friction-reducing means in accordance with the present invention may be integral with the building block itself, or it may be provided on or integral with the coupling means. Also, it may be of the same material as the building block, or of a different material which may be the same as the material of the coupling means.
  • FIG. 1 is a partly sectioned top-plan view of one side of a building block incrporating my invention
  • FIG. 2 is an end view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but illustrates a somewhat modified embodiment
  • FIG. 4 shows an end view of an additional embodiment
  • FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section through the embodiment shown in FIG. 4.
  • FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation, showing two of the building blocks illustrated in FIG. 1 coupled together.
  • FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a building block 1 of polygonal cross-section and outline.
  • Block 1 is provided in at least one side face thereof, with an undercut groove 2. It is also provided with a similar undercut groove 3 in one of its endfaces, and the cross-sectional configuration of groove 3 is identical with that of groove 2.
  • the opposite endface is provided with an upwardly extending recess 4 in which there is received a complementarily configurated extension portion 6 of an undercut male coupling head 7, which is integral with the portion 6 and projects outwardly beyond the same and the endface in which it is secured, in fixed relationship thereto.
  • the portion 6 is provided with a plurality of radially extending wings or ribs 8 (see FIG. 2) which prevent rotation of the portion 6 in the recess 4.
  • the portion is in turn provided with a passage (not numbered) in which one end portion of a pin 5 is received, the other end portion thereof being received in an extension of the recess 4.
  • the outer surface of pin 5 is provided with a plurality of sawtooth shaped ridges which, as illustrated, encircle the pin 5, but which might alternately also extend axially thereof.
  • Each of the wings 8 has, at its end which faces in direction of the coupling head 7, an abutment or engagement surface portion 9 which, as evident from FIGS. 1 and 2 both, is concavely rounded.
  • the surface portions 9 constitute contact-reducing means according to the present invention.
  • the depth to which the portion 6 with its wings 8 is inserted into the recess is so selected that the surface portions 9 project a slight distance beyond the endface in which the recess 4 is provided. In accordance with the invention I have found it advantageous that this distance be on the order of several hundreds of a millimeter, that is no less than 0.01 mm. and no more than 0.09 mm. (see FIG. 6).
  • Adherence to this tolerance, in the manufacture of blocks embodying my invention, is simple particularly if, in forcing the portion 6 into the recess 4, the surface portions 9 on the one hand and the endface in which recess 4 is provided on the other hand, are engaged by the tool utilized for inserting and forcing the portion 6 into position.
  • the building block 1 itself of a relatively hard synthetic plastic material, and to make the portions 6 and 7 of a more elastic synthetic plastic material.
  • Usual synthetic plastic material for the building block 1 may be polystyrol known under the trademark Luran and for the portions 6 and 7 acetalcopolymerisat known under the trademark Hostaform C.
  • FIG. 3 is substantially similar to that in FIGS. 1 and 2 except that, Where in the preceding figures the projecting portions of the wings with the surface portions 9 extended radially of the head 7, in FIG. 3 the projecting portion with its abutment-surface portion 20 is of annular outline, surrounding the undercut coupling head 21 which is of quadratic cross-section. To obtain greater elasticity, the surface portion 20 may be discontinuous, the interruptions being clearly visible in FIG. 3.
  • FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate still another embodiment of the invention.
  • the coupling head 7a is here of circular cross-section, while the extension portion 6a with the wings 8a corresponds in configuration to the portion 6 with the Wings 8 in FIG. 1, as visible in FIG. 5.
  • the block 1b in FIG. 5 is substantially quadratic and the distance between two opposite ones of its faces is so selected as to correspond to the combined embedded length of two of the portions 6a. Accordingly, therefore, block 1b is provided with two recesses corresponding to the recess 4 in FIG. 1, and one of the portions 6a is received in each of these recesses. Further, each end portion of the pin 5a is received in a passage of the respective portion 6a, thus connecting both portions 6a together. Except for these differences the embodiment in FIGS. 4 and 5 corresponds to that in FIGS. 1 and 2.
  • FIG. 6, finally, shows two building blocks connected to one another, with block 1 substantially corresponding to that shown in FIG. 1, and block 1a constituting the auxiliary block with which coupling is to be effected.
  • the projecting surface portions 9 on the projection-which in this embodiment is of circular outlineresults in spacing between the juxtaposed endfaces of the blocks 1, 1a, although the distance is illustrated in exaggerated form for the sake of clarity, it being recalled that the actual distance is only a few hundreds of a millimeter.
  • the pin 5 can be secured to the portion 6 via cooperating screw threads and be frictionally secured in the block 1--or vice versa.
  • the angular positions of the head 7 relative to the block endface can be made adjustable if the portion 6 is of circular cross-section without the wings 8, and if the pin 5 is threadedly secured to the portion 6.
  • the screw threads mate stiflly enough to prevent undesired rotation of portion 6 and head 7. If plastic is used, this is a simple matter, as is well known in the art.
  • the pin 5 can be eliminated and the portion 6 be made cylindrical.
  • saw-tooth shaped ridges corresponding to those shown in FIG. 1 on the pin 5 can be provided on the portion 6 itself.
  • the head 7 and the projections provided with the surface portions 9 can be made integral with the block,
  • the entire block with head and projections can be made of a materialsuch as a synthetic p1astic-which is different from that used for making the regular blocks to which the special block is to be connected. This facilitates sliding displacement of the blocks relative to one another.
  • An assembly kit comprising a first building block having a first face and provided thereon with first coupling means; a second building block having a second face; second coupling means provided on said second face, said first coupling means being an undercut groove and said second coupling means being an undercut coupling head in fixed relationship on said second block and receivable in said groove in coupling relationship only by sliding in a direction longitudinally thereof with freedom of said longitudinal sliding movement; and contactreducing means located in fixed relationship on said secand building block and projecting from said second face thereof for preventing surface-to-surface contact of said second face with said first face on said first building block in response to sliding engagement of said first and second coupling means.
  • said contact-reducing means comprises a plurality of projections radially spaced from said second coupling means and each having a surface portion spaced from and facing in the same direction as said second face of said second building block.
  • said contact-reducing means comprises at least one projection having a surface portion spaced from and facing in the same direction as said second face of said second building block.
  • extension portion has a cross-sectional area greater than that of said coupling head and is provided adjacent said head with an exposed surface which extends laterally beyond said coupling head and is located in the general plane of said second] face, said contact-reducing means being provided on said surface.

Landscapes

  • Joining Of Building Structures In Genera (AREA)
  • Toys (AREA)
  • Finishing Walls (AREA)
  • Lining Or Joining Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
  • Floor Finish (AREA)
US641820A 1966-06-04 1967-05-29 Blocks connectable by lateral sliding,including means for reducing sliding contact Expired - Lifetime US3513590A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DEF0049391 1966-06-04

Publications (1)

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US3513590A true US3513590A (en) 1970-05-26

Family

ID=7102983

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US641820A Expired - Lifetime US3513590A (en) 1966-06-04 1967-05-29 Blocks connectable by lateral sliding,including means for reducing sliding contact

Country Status (12)

Country Link
US (1) US3513590A (es)
AT (1) AT289604B (es)
BE (1) BE699173A (es)
CH (1) CH459853A (es)
DK (1) DK115529B (es)
ES (1) ES139599Y (es)
FI (1) FI47044C (es)
GB (1) GB1167608A (es)
IL (1) IL27761A (es)
NL (1) NL6707525A (es)
NO (1) NO116710B (es)
SE (1) SE327938B (es)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3591973A (en) * 1969-03-07 1971-07-13 Artur Fischer Toy building kit
US4035947A (en) * 1975-08-21 1977-07-19 Burge David A Toy construction set having interconnectible components with interfitting formations
US5239803A (en) * 1991-11-07 1993-08-31 Shannon Stephen J Single-component-type structural system
USD384707S (en) * 1996-05-14 1997-10-07 Burns William R Toy building block
US5918999A (en) * 1998-03-27 1999-07-06 Lamarca; Guy M. Geometric spacial frame assembly

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2118845B (en) * 1982-03-19 1985-10-02 Lindsay Dennis Chapman Interlocking puzzles
DE3246817A1 (de) * 1982-12-17 1984-06-20 Artur Dr.H.C. 7244 Waldachtal Fischer Prismatischer spielbaustein aus kunststoff
CN109603146A (zh) * 2018-12-04 2019-04-12 汕头市澄海区恒荣塑胶制品有限公司 一种拼接玩具及其拼接方法

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE36679C (de) * S. CLARKE in London, Childs Hill Works Leuchter
US2649803A (en) * 1952-06-24 1953-08-25 Internat Molded Plastics Inc Snap-fastener toy blocks
US2961779A (en) * 1959-07-30 1960-11-29 Mary I Perry Educational manipulative device and method of teaching
US2981009A (en) * 1959-06-12 1961-04-25 Lindquist Nora Educational building block set
US3195266A (en) * 1962-05-07 1965-07-20 Richard A Onanian Construction toy comprising blocks and coupling means

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE36679C (de) * S. CLARKE in London, Childs Hill Works Leuchter
US2649803A (en) * 1952-06-24 1953-08-25 Internat Molded Plastics Inc Snap-fastener toy blocks
US2981009A (en) * 1959-06-12 1961-04-25 Lindquist Nora Educational building block set
US2961779A (en) * 1959-07-30 1960-11-29 Mary I Perry Educational manipulative device and method of teaching
US3195266A (en) * 1962-05-07 1965-07-20 Richard A Onanian Construction toy comprising blocks and coupling means

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3591973A (en) * 1969-03-07 1971-07-13 Artur Fischer Toy building kit
US4035947A (en) * 1975-08-21 1977-07-19 Burge David A Toy construction set having interconnectible components with interfitting formations
US5239803A (en) * 1991-11-07 1993-08-31 Shannon Stephen J Single-component-type structural system
USD384707S (en) * 1996-05-14 1997-10-07 Burns William R Toy building block
US5918999A (en) * 1998-03-27 1999-07-06 Lamarca; Guy M. Geometric spacial frame assembly

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NL6707525A (es) 1967-12-05
AT289604B (de) 1971-04-26
CH459853A (de) 1968-07-15
IL27761A (en) 1971-08-25
ES139599Y (es) 1972-11-16
DE1603304B2 (de) 1975-10-16
DE1603304A1 (de) 1972-01-13
NO116710B (es) 1969-05-05
ES139599U (es) 1968-12-01
GB1167608A (en) 1969-10-15
FI47044B (es) 1973-05-31
SE327938B (es) 1970-08-31
DK115529B (da) 1969-10-13
FI47044C (fi) 1973-09-10
BE699173A (es) 1967-11-03

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