US550563A

US550563A - Block

Info

Publication number: US550563A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1895-11-26
Anticipated expiration: 1912-11-26

Description

(No M0555) A J; PIERCE, JI'. BLOCK.

No. 550,553. y Patented Nov. 25, 1895.

Witwe/.wea

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSIAH PIERCE, JR., OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,563, dated November 26, 1895.

Application filed March 28, 1895. Serial No. 543,525. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, Josmn PIERCE, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Blocks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use `the same.

My invention relates to improvements in blocks; and it consists in providing a block with-a plurality of illustrations of animals or other devices superimposed over the edges of the said block and provided with similar section-lines along the said edges, whereby the said block is adapted to combine with any number of similar blocks, and yet the said block shows when examined from any of the said edges a complete figure or design. The top and bottom of the said block may be provided with illustrations of a similar type or of any other type, or maybe left blank, if desired.

The said invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same parts are indicated by the same letters and numerals throughout the several views.

Figure l represents a blank made of cardboard or any similar material from which the hereinafter-described block may be manufactured; and Fig. 2 represents a perspective View of three blocks constructed according to my invention and put together to form certain combinations hereinafter to be described.

B, B', and B2 represent threelblocks constructed according to my invention and placed the one beside the other, as shown in Fig. 2. The blank for manufacturing one of these blocks, or the paper case which may be used to inclose a cubical block of wood or other material, is shown in plan in Fig. l, where B0 represents the blank or paper case, as the case may be, and b," b2, b3, h4, h5, and h6 represent the various panels forming the sides of the cubical block. These panels are capable of being folded upon the dotted lines l, 2, 3, 4, 5, and (i, while the panels b', b3, and

h4 are provided with flaps or edges b, which are inclined, as at bo, and should preferably be faced with glue, so that when the said panels are folded into a quadrangular form the panels Aof the block is completed.

blocks may be readily computed; but the b5 and b may be turned down upon and glued to the said iiaps, whereby the cubical exterior Printed, stamped, painted, or otherwise applied across the fold l before the blank is made up is the figure of some object, whether animate or inanimate is immaterial, which object is represented in Fig. l as a rhinoceros. Another object is similarly arranged across the fold 2, which in Fig. lis represented as a dromedary, and similarly for the fold 3, Where a kangaroo is `shown. The fold @L is completed by the junction of the outer edges of the panels h and b4, and thus the four sides of the block are covered with 1i gures, part of which are on one side of the block and part of Which are on the other side of the block; but the said figures all have section-lines on the edges of the block of equal dimensions and similarly disposed relative to the base of the block.

For symmetrys sake the top and the bottom of the block, represented by the panels b5 and h6, respectively, are provided with illus- 75 trations of afsimilar type; but this is entirely immaterial and has no bearing upon the essence of my invention.

It will be seen that Where several blocks are constructed similar to that shown diagrammatically in Fig. l the various devices on any one of the said blocks will combine with the devices shown on thesides of any one of the other blocks to form figures, which may be either correct,'as by proper junction 8 5 of t-Wo similar blocks, or fantastic, as shown in Fig. 2, Where three of the blocks are shown as connected together and part of the dromedary shown on one block combines With a part of the kangaroo shown on the other block to form an imaginary animal, which the junction of the two blocks entitles a dromega- Again, the junction of the two blocks B and B2 (shown in Fig. 2) represents an imaginary animal formed by the junction of 95 half of an alligator with the other half of a rhinoceros, which the blocks show as named an alliceros The possible combinations of a few of these IOO number of said combinations for, say, a dozen blocks is almost beyond comprehension.

Vhile I have shown animals on the said blocks, any other suitable devices or designs may be applied and the same or similar .effeet may be produced.

I am aware that blocks of various descriptions have been made upon which sliced pictures have been placed, which pictures when put together as a mosaic form a completed picture. I am also aware that blocks and other devices have been made in which the section-lines along the edges of the said blocks are so arranged as to register with similar section-lines along the edges of other blocks, and thus the same blocks may be used to represent a diversity of diierent devices made up oi' interchangeable halves. In these various devices, however, the object is represented as half on one block and half on the other and only one part of the object can combine with one part of some other object, while the blocks as detached represent no complete design. In my invention, however, the two parts of a complete illustration are bent over the folds or corners of the block, so that when the block is looked at edgewise the entire illustration is seen, and yet when other similar blocks are brought into j uXtaposition thereto the said blocks can combine with either half of any of the said objects to form other objects or illustrations. The effeet oi this is to double the number of combining faces, and hence to multiply the number of combinations to a large extent.

It will be evident that oblong or hexagonal Vblocks or any other blocks which are adapted other illustrations may be substituted for the animals represented in the drawings.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. A plurality of blocks each provided with a plurality of designs or figures stamped, printed or painted across the angular edges of each of said blocks and so arranged that one part of each of said designs or figures will be on one side of one of said edges, and the other part on the other side of said edges, and the imaginary section made by the said edge shall register with the imaginary sections made by the similar edges of the other blocks, substantially as described.

2. rlhe combination with a block provided with designs or figures printed or painted across the edges thereof and extending on either side of said edges, of a second similar block having designs or figures also printed or painted across the edges thereof and also extending on either side of said edges, the iinaginary section lines made by the said edges being adapted to registerwith each other, and either part of one design being adapted to form a composite figure with either part of any design on the other block, substantially as described.

3. A blank for blocks comprising three panels transversely disposed, and four pan els longitudinally disposed, the said panels being adapted to fold as shown, with designs or iigures stamped, printed or painted across some of the said folds, and so arranged that the imaginary section lines made by the said folds shall be at the same position relative to the base of the block, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSIAH PIERCE, Jn. lVitnesscs:

Jos. II. BLAcKWooD, .ToHN CHALMERS XVILsoN.