US3566530A - Toy building kit with angularly displaceable coupling means with restoring means - Google Patents

Toy building kit with angularly displaceable coupling means with restoring means Download PDF

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Publication number
US3566530A
US3566530A US763551A US3566530DA US3566530A US 3566530 A US3566530 A US 3566530A US 763551 A US763551 A US 763551A US 3566530D A US3566530D A US 3566530DA US 3566530 A US3566530 A US 3566530A
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United States
Prior art keywords
coupling
sections
building blocks
toy building
angular displacement
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Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
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US763551A
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English (en)
Inventor
Artur Fischer
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Individual
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Individual
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Publication date
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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
    • A63H33/042—Mechanical, electrical, optical, pneumatic or hydraulic arrangements; Motors
    • 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
    • A63H33/105—Building blocks, strips, or similar building parts to be assembled by means of additional non-adhesive elements with grooves, e.g. dovetails
    • 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
    • A63H33/107—Building blocks, strips, or similar building parts to be assembled by means of additional non-adhesive elements using screws, bolts, nails, rivets, clamps

Definitions

  • a toy building kit includes at least two building blocks each of which is provided with at least one undercut connecting portion.
  • a coupling arrangement is provided for coupling the toy building blocks to one another with freedom of relative angular displacement. It includes two coupling sections, each of which is provided with at least one connecting portion which can mate with an undercut connecting portion of one of the toy building blocks and a joint which joins the coupling sections to one another so that they have freedom of relative angular displacement from a rest position to a displaced position whereby building blocks connected to the respective sections are similarly angularly displaced.
  • Displacing means is associated with the sections and is operative for restoring the same to the aforementioned rest position when they undergo angular displacement from the rest position to a displaced position and the force effecting such angular displacement is terminated.
  • the present invention relates to a toy building kit in general, and specifically to coupling means for coupling blocks of a toy building kit to one another with freedom of relative angular displacement.
  • the coupling means be still more versatile, namely applications where the building blocks connected to the coupling means are desired to be brought to relatively displaced angular positions under the influence of an external force but are required to return to their initial positions when this external force is terminated or decreases below a certain level. Then, there are applications where it is desirable that a constant and non-varying force be exerted upon building blocks or groups of blocks, for instance where a current take-off is to be pressed with constant and nonvarying force against a current-carrying rail of a toy railroad or the like constructed with my kit.
  • a more specific object of my invention is to provide a toy building kit therefore of the type disclosed in my aforementioned copending application but which includes a coupling means capable of providing the advantages which I have outlined above as desirable.
  • Yet another object of my invention is to provide such a toy building kit which is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and which will provide a child playing with the kit with maximum versatility and stimulation.
  • a toy building kit which includes at least two toy building blocks each of which is provided with at least one undercut connecting portion.
  • Coupling means is provided for coupling the toy building blocks to one another with freedom of relative angular displacement and includes two coupling sections each of which has at least one connecting portion adapted to mate with an undercut connecting portion of one of the toy building blocks so that the latter may be fixedly secured to the respective coupling section.
  • Joint means are provided as a part of the coupling means and joins the coupling sections to one another with freedom of relative angular displacement from a rest position to a displaced position.
  • I provide displacing means which is associated with these sections and which is operative for restoring the same to the aforementioned rest position in response to angular displacement of the sections from this rest position to a displaced position and subsequent termination of the force which has effected such displacement or decrease of the force below a given level.
  • My displacing means will be in form of a torsion spring, and any torsion spring is suitable for this purpose, including a spiral spring the opposite ends of which are each connected to one of the displaceable sections, or a torsion bar.
  • the coupling means consists of two coupling sections 1 and 2 and the section 1 carries an undercut coupling head 4 whereas the section 2 is provided with an undercutcoupling groove 5.
  • Each of the coupling portions 4 and 5 is adapted to mate with a complementary mating coupling portion provided on the block B, as diagrammatically illustrated and more clearly discussed in my aforementioned copending application.
  • the ends of the coupling sections 1 and 2 which face one another are provided with substantially plate-shaped projecting portions 6 and 7, respectively, each of which is provided with a transverse opening or bore 11, the bores 11 being axially aligned as illustrated.
  • Each of the portions 6 and 7 is provided within its bore 11 with an inwardly directed annular shoulder 12 and each of the bores 11 accommodates one of the connecting elements 9 and 10, respectively, whose enlarged heads 13 and 14 abut against the respective shoulders 12.
  • the elements 9 and are screw threadedly connected with one another so that they can be turned with reference to one another about a turning axis 8 which simultaneously constitutes the pivot axis about which the sections 1 and 2 may be angularly displaced with reference to one another.
  • the novel displacing means is constituted in the illustrated embodiment by a torsion spring 19 which is located in the enlarged boreportion intermediate the shoulders 12; the opposite ends 15 and 16 of the torsion spring 19 are connected with the respective shoulders 12, as illustrated, so that, when the sections 1 and 2 are angularly displaced with reference to one another about .the axis 8 in one direction the spring 19 will be wound more tightly, whereas when sections 1 and 2 are displaced about the axis 8 in opposite direction the spring 19 will be unwound.
  • the rest position of the sections 1 and 2 is illustrated in the drawing.
  • the torsion spring 19 will always attempt to return to its equilibrium condition, that is the condition which it assumes when the sections 1 and 2 are in the illustrated position and when the spring is not subjected to winding or unwinding stresses. Accordingly, this tendency results in the exertion of torsional forces upon the sec tions 1 and 2, with which the spring 19 is connected by virtue of the fact that its ends 15 and 16 are connected with the shoulders 12 of the respective sections 1 and 2.
  • the sections 1 and 2 are thereby urged to return to their rest position as illustrated, with the advantageous consequences which have been outlined as desirable in the introductory portions of the specifications.
  • sections 1 and 2 which advantageously consist of synthetic plastic material although other material is also suitable, and which advantageously may have a general configuration reminiscent of the configuration and/ or size of the building blocks B, may be provided with additional coupling portions such as undercut grooves 18 located in their lateral faces as opposed to the coupling portions 4 and 5 which are provided at the respective end faces of the sections 1 and 2.
  • coupling heads corresponding to the coupling head 4 of section 1, just as it is evident that the provision of coupling means on the lateral faces of sections 1 and 2 may not only be in addition to but in place of the provision of the coupling portions 4 and 5 on the end faces.
  • a toy building kit in combination, at least two toy building blocks each provided with at least one undercut connecting portion; and coupling means for coupling said toy building blocks to one another with freedom of relative angular displacement, said coupling means comprising two coupling sections each provided with at least one connecting portion adapted to mate with a respective one of said undercut connecting portions of each of said building blocks, said coupling sections further having two juxtaposed faces provided with respective axially aligned bores, joint means received in said aligned bores and joining said coupling sections to one another with freedom of relative angular displacement from a rest position to a displaced position, and restoring means associated with said coupling sections permanently tending to transversely displace said faces away from one another and being operative for restoring said coupling sections to said rest position in response to angular displacement from said rest position to a displaced position.
  • said coupling sections being elongated and each including a substantially plate-shaped projecting portion extending in direction of elongation of the respective section and provided with a respective one of said faces, said restoring means being provided between and in engagement with said faces of said plate-shaped projecting portions.
  • said restoring means including a torsion spring.
  • undercut connecting portions comprising undercut grooves and projecting undercut connecting heads.
  • said joint means comprising a tubular bushing received in said aligned bores.
  • said restoring means including torsion-bar means.
  • said restoring means including a spiral spring axially compressed between said juxtaposed faces and having opposite ends each connected to one of said sections.

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  • Toys (AREA)
US763551A 1965-09-27 1968-09-30 Toy building kit with angularly displaceable coupling means with restoring means Expired - Lifetime US3566530A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DEF0047284 1965-09-27
DEF0053639 1967-09-30

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3566530A true US3566530A (en) 1971-03-02

Family

ID=25976998

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US763551A Expired - Lifetime US3566530A (en) 1965-09-27 1968-09-30 Toy building kit with angularly displaceable coupling means with restoring means

Country Status (9)

Country Link
US (1) US3566530A (fr)
CH (1) CH477212A (fr)
ES (1) ES358627A2 (fr)
FR (1) FR95820E (fr)
GB (1) GB1168060A (fr)
IE (1) IE32366B1 (fr)
IL (1) IL30786A0 (fr)
NL (1) NL6811495A (fr)
SE (1) SE329114B (fr)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4159592A (en) * 1978-01-10 1979-07-03 Matrix Toys, Inc. Close coupling strut for construction set having clip fasteners
US5427558A (en) * 1990-12-04 1995-06-27 Interlego Ag Toy building element with a spring mechanism
US6030270A (en) * 1998-03-18 2000-02-29 Interlego Ag Toy building element with rotatably configured coupling means
US20050075036A1 (en) * 2003-05-22 2005-04-07 Joshua Lamb Toy block with rack assembly
US6893316B2 (en) 2003-05-08 2005-05-17 Mattel, Inc. Toys with mechanical interaction and method of using the same

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DK150448C (da) * 1980-11-25 1987-10-12 Interlego Ag Kobling, bestaaende af et par samleled til udloeselig sammenkobling af stangformede konstruktionselementer, saerlig legetoejselementer, i forskellige indbyrdes vinkelstillinger

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4159592A (en) * 1978-01-10 1979-07-03 Matrix Toys, Inc. Close coupling strut for construction set having clip fasteners
US5427558A (en) * 1990-12-04 1995-06-27 Interlego Ag Toy building element with a spring mechanism
US6030270A (en) * 1998-03-18 2000-02-29 Interlego Ag Toy building element with rotatably configured coupling means
US6893316B2 (en) 2003-05-08 2005-05-17 Mattel, Inc. Toys with mechanical interaction and method of using the same
US20050075036A1 (en) * 2003-05-22 2005-04-07 Joshua Lamb Toy block with rack assembly

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
IE32366B1 (en) 1973-07-11
NL6811495A (fr) 1969-04-01
SE329114B (fr) 1970-09-28
IL30786A0 (en) 1968-11-27
CH477212A (de) 1969-08-31
ES358627A2 (es) 1970-05-01
IE32366L (en) 1969-03-30
GB1168060A (en) 1969-10-22
FR95820E (fr) 1971-07-09

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