US3716939A - Toy construction systems - Google Patents

Toy construction systems Download PDF

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Publication number
US3716939A
US3716939A US00158229A US3716939DA US3716939A US 3716939 A US3716939 A US 3716939A US 00158229 A US00158229 A US 00158229A US 3716939D A US3716939D A US 3716939DA US 3716939 A US3716939 A US 3716939A
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United States
Prior art keywords
cylindrical
pins
projections
protuberances
adjacent
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Expired - Lifetime
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US00158229A
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English (en)
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J Pibet
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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
    • A63H33/06—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
    • A63H33/086—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 primary projections fitting by friction in complementary spaces between secondary projections, e.g. sidewalls

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A toy building element which is adapted to be interengaged with a similar or identical building element comprising a hollow rectangular box which has an exterior top face with a plurality of rows of a plurality of equally spaced cylindrical projections which extend above the top face and which are provided with boxes having diameters which are the same as cylindrical pin elements which project in an opposite direction from an interior face within the box.
  • the diameter of the pin elements is substantially equal to the spacing between adjacent cylindrical projections of adjacent rows. This makes it possible to interengage the cylindrical pin of one building element between the cylindrical projections of another building element or to engage the pins into the bores of the cylindrical projections.
  • the main purpose of this invention is to improve upon these features of construction systems by providing new types of pieces allowing for a wider range of .positional variations, thus increasing the number of toy constructions possible, which is not easy to accomplish with the systems known so far.
  • FIG. 1 is a top view of one of the pieces made according to the invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the piece shown in FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 3 is a lengthwise section of the same piece, along line III-III of FIG. 1.
  • FIGS. 4 to 7 illustrate four cases of relative positions obtainable with two adjacent pieces (one of six and another of two external protuberances), as seen transversely.
  • FIGS. 8 to 11 illustrate a further four positional combination (using the same pieces), as seen in a lengthwise or end-to-end coupling.
  • FIGS. 12 and 13 are respectively a top view and a side view of a modification of the pieces of the toy construction system, that allows for a much greater variety in coupling.
  • FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate partially new types of coupling, as seen transversely and lengthwise respectively.
  • the improvements in toy construction systems provided by the invention are based upon the provision of basic pieces in the form of hollow boxes 1, open at their base, and having a top exterior face with a plurality of cylindrical projections or external protuberances 2, of a diameter D as well as internal protuberances 3, of a diameter D,, the ratio between these diameters being preferably 1:3, although there may be any other suitable ratio between said diameters.
  • the external protuberances 2 have a central hole or cavity 4, of a diameter equal to that of the internal protuberances 3, so that concentric coupling may take place between both types of protuberances.
  • the external protuberances 2 are arranged in lengthwise rows f and transversal columns c, the figures attached being illustrative of a general case in which there are two rows f, and f and three columns 0,, c and
  • the arrangement of the internal protuberances 3 is in the form of alternate rows, where distance L (FIG. 2) between any two protuberances, both considered lengthwise and transversely, equals'l 2 where l is the diagonal distance between said protuberances.
  • the number of internal protuberances is related to the number of external protuberances by the following formula:
  • f and c are respectively rows and columns of external protuberances, their product f.c corresponding therefore to the total number of said protuberances.
  • D and D are respectively the diameters of external and internal protuberances.
  • the toy construction system of the invention may also comprise pieces such as those illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13, the characteristic feature of which is that radial cuttings or notches 6 are provided in the external protuberances 2, or alternatively there is a reduction in height of the lateral walls of piece 1, so that by combining these special pieces with standard or basic pieces 1, the arrangements illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15 become obtainable, there being no obstacle against external protuberances coinciding with the lower edge of the side walls of the pieces coupled together.
  • coupling between pieces may take three basic forms, namely: external protuberances 2 between internal protuberances 3 (FIG. 11); external protuberances 2 between internal protuberances 3 and the side walls of the basic element 1 (FIGS. 4, 5 and 8); and direct concentric coupling of protuberances (FIGS. 6,7 9 and 10). Further, there is an optional additional type of coupling if external protuberances coincide with the the walls of the basic element (FIGS. 14 and 15).
  • FIGS. 4 to 7, 8 to 11 and 14 to 15 may be greatly increased, as these basic positions repeat themselves indefinitely from left to right and from top to bottom.
  • a toy building element adapted to be interengaged with a similar building toy element comprising a hollow rectangular box having an exterior top face with at least one row of a plurality of equally spaced cylindrical projections extending above said top face, the interior of said box having at least one cylindrical pin projecting downwardly and located between two adjacent ones of said cylindrical projections but projecting in an opposite direction from the interior of said box, said cylindrical projections each having a central bore of a size to receive said cylindrical pin of a similar element to be engaged therewith, said cylindrical pin being of a diameter substantially equal to the spacing between said cylindrical projections and being snugly engageable between an adjacent pair of the cylindrical projections of the similar element to be engaged therewith, said box having side and end walls dimensioned and oriented to engage around at least one of said cylindrical projections upon engagement of said box over the projection of the similar element.
  • At least one row of cylindrical projections comprises a plurality' of substantially parallel rows of laterally aligned cylindrical projections with said cylindrical'projections of adjacent rows being spaced apart by an amount substantially equal to the diameter of said cylindrical pin, said cylindrical pin of the similar element being engageable between aligned cylindrical projections of adjacent rows.
  • At least one cylindrical pin comprises a plurality of pin rows each having a plurality of cylindrical pins with the pins of adjacent rows being offset so that the pins of one row are centrally positioned between adjacent pins of the next rows.
  • a toy building element according to claim 4 wherein said cylindrical projections are dimensioned and located so that the pins may be engaged selectively and alternatively in the central bores of such projections and also between adjacent pins in a row and opposite pins of alternate rows and said cylindrical projections have diameter three times the diameter of said cylindrical pins.
  • At least one set cylindrical pins comprises a plurality of cylindrical pin rows each having a plurality of pins with the pins of adjacent rows being offset so that the pins of one row are centrally positioned between adjacent pins of the adjacent rows.
  • a toy building element adapted to be interengaged with another similar toy building element comprising a block member having a first face with a plurality of substantially parallel rows of laterally aligned cylindrical projections extending above said first face and having an opposite face with a plurality of cylindrical pin rows being offset so that the pins of one row are centrally positioned between adjacent pins of the adjacent rows, said cylindrical pins projecting from said second face and located between two adjacent cylindrical projections in an opposite direction and on said opposite second face said cylindrical projection each having a central bore of a size to receive said cylindrical pin of the similar building element to be engaged therewith and being of a diameter substantially equal to the spac ing between said cylindrical projections and being snugly engageably between an adjacent pair of said cylindrical projections of the similar building element to be engaged therewith, said cylindrical projections of adjacent rows also being spaced apart by an amount substantially equal to the diameter of said cylindrical pins, so as to accommodate the cylindrical pins of a similar building element and therebetween in snug interengagement.
  • said block member comprises a hollow box, said box having side and end walls extending in the same direction as said cylindrical pins, said second face being located on the interior of said box.
  • Improvements in toy constructions systems of a type which include a plurality of pieces with interengageable projections and recesses, comprising a hollow piece open at its base and having an internal protuberance within its base and having an opposite face with an external protuberance, said external protuberance having a central hole which is substantially equal to the diameter of the internal protuberance so that said internal protuberance is interengageable therein, said external protuberance being approximately three times the diameter of said internal protuberance, the inside width of said base being sufficient to accommodate the dimensions of at least two of said internal protuberances which are spaced aparta distance equal to the dimension of one of said external protuberances.
  • said hollow piece includes an external flat wall having said external protuberances and side walls defining said base with an opening at one end, said hollow piece being engageable with another hollow piece and three coupling possibilities, namely: said external protuberances of one piece being interengaged between internal protuberances of another piece, said external protuberances of one piece being interengaged between said internal protuberances of said internal protuberances and the next adjacent row being spaced from said walls by an amount at least equal to the diameter of said external protuberances.

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  • Toys (AREA)
  • Joining Of Building Structures In Genera (AREA)
  • Revetment (AREA)
US00158229A 1970-09-16 1971-06-30 Toy construction systems Expired - Lifetime US3716939A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ES383688A ES383688A1 (es) 1970-09-16 1970-09-16 Mejoras en los sistemas de construcciones desmontables de juguete.

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3716939A true US3716939A (en) 1973-02-20

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ID=8456784

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US00158229A Expired - Lifetime US3716939A (en) 1970-09-16 1971-06-30 Toy construction systems

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US (1) US3716939A (es)
JP (1) JPS5525874B1 (es)
CH (1) CH553585A (es)
DE (1) DE2138230C3 (es)
DK (1) DK131093B (es)
ES (1) ES383688A1 (es)
FR (1) FR2105812A5 (es)
GB (1) GB1321365A (es)

Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3982353A (en) * 1975-01-31 1976-09-28 Interlego A.G. Doll head mounting joint
US4629192A (en) * 1985-05-20 1986-12-16 Franklin Nichols Interlocking puzzle blocks
US4919635A (en) * 1988-12-19 1990-04-24 The Ritvik Group Inc. Toy construction assembly
SG82548A1 (en) * 1993-09-22 2001-08-21 Interlego Ag A toy building set and building elements therefor
US6398612B2 (en) * 1999-03-16 2002-06-04 Keith H. Gudger Construction toy interconnector
US20050034413A1 (en) * 1999-11-24 2005-02-17 Weber Ralf D. Universal structural element
US20060166591A1 (en) * 2005-01-24 2006-07-27 Harris Peter M Connecting toy
CN104338328A (zh) * 2013-07-31 2015-02-11 李席纬 积木玩具的嵌接加强构造
US9345981B1 (en) * 2014-02-24 2016-05-24 Hasbro, Inc. Multidimensional alignment spacing for toy building elements
USD879403S1 (en) * 2016-10-24 2020-03-24 Johnny Mark Teague Memory trove headstone
US11273386B2 (en) * 2017-04-10 2022-03-15 Shanghai Pai Technology Co., Ltd. Multi-dimensional building block toy building component and set capable of being built freely on front and back sides

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0027840A1 (de) * 1979-10-25 1981-05-06 Karl von Däniken Bauelemente für Spielzeuge
GB2118447B (en) * 1982-04-14 1985-10-23 Kassai Kk Block toy
FR2733435B1 (fr) * 1995-04-28 1997-07-18 Point Cartes Jeu de construction
TW436310B (en) * 1999-01-15 2001-05-28 Interlego Ag A building element for a toy building set

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CH303483A (fr) * 1952-10-22 1954-11-30 Bongiovanni Charles Support d'étagère d'exposition.
US3234683A (en) * 1961-10-19 1966-02-15 Interlego Ag Toy building element including a rotatable bushing

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CH303483A (fr) * 1952-10-22 1954-11-30 Bongiovanni Charles Support d'étagère d'exposition.
US3234683A (en) * 1961-10-19 1966-02-15 Interlego Ag Toy building element including a rotatable bushing

Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3982353A (en) * 1975-01-31 1976-09-28 Interlego A.G. Doll head mounting joint
US4629192A (en) * 1985-05-20 1986-12-16 Franklin Nichols Interlocking puzzle blocks
US4919635A (en) * 1988-12-19 1990-04-24 The Ritvik Group Inc. Toy construction assembly
SG82548A1 (en) * 1993-09-22 2001-08-21 Interlego Ag A toy building set and building elements therefor
US6398612B2 (en) * 1999-03-16 2002-06-04 Keith H. Gudger Construction toy interconnector
US7340868B2 (en) * 1999-11-24 2008-03-11 Weber Ralf D Universal structural element
US20050034413A1 (en) * 1999-11-24 2005-02-17 Weber Ralf D. Universal structural element
US20060166591A1 (en) * 2005-01-24 2006-07-27 Harris Peter M Connecting toy
US7140944B2 (en) 2005-01-24 2006-11-28 Mattel, Inc. Connecting toy
CN104338328A (zh) * 2013-07-31 2015-02-11 李席纬 积木玩具的嵌接加强构造
US9345981B1 (en) * 2014-02-24 2016-05-24 Hasbro, Inc. Multidimensional alignment spacing for toy building elements
USD879403S1 (en) * 2016-10-24 2020-03-24 Johnny Mark Teague Memory trove headstone
US11273386B2 (en) * 2017-04-10 2022-03-15 Shanghai Pai Technology Co., Ltd. Multi-dimensional building block toy building component and set capable of being built freely on front and back sides

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CH553585A (de) 1974-09-13
DE2138230C3 (de) 1980-08-14
DE2138230A1 (de) 1972-03-23
FR2105812A5 (es) 1972-04-28
GB1321365A (en) 1973-06-27
JPS5525874B1 (es) 1980-07-09
DK131093B (da) 1975-05-26
ES383688A1 (es) 1973-06-01
DE2138230B2 (de) 1976-03-25

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