US732384A

US732384A - Toy building-blocks.

Info

Publication number: US732384A
Application number: US15278703A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frederick Thomsen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1903-04-15
Filing date: 1903-04-15
Publication date: 1903-06-30
Anticipated expiration: 1920-06-30

Description

' PATENTED JUNE so, 1903. P. THOMSEN, TOY BUILDING BLOCKS. APPLICATION FILED APE-16, 1903.

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PATENTED JUNE 30,- 1903. P. THOMSEN. TOY BUILDING BLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15, 1903.

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trms cu. molaum m: NORRIS P N9. 732,384. PATENTED JUNE 3,0, 1903.

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- TOY BUILDING BLOCKS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.- 15, 1903, H0 MODEL. 3 BHEET8-SKEET'8.

THE mmms PETERS coy. moruu'mm WASHXNDTON. nv c4 UNITED STATES Fatented'june3( 1903.

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TOY. BUILDING-BLOCKS.

SPEGIFIGATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 732,384, dated June 30, 1903.

Application filed April 15, 1903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK THOMSEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newport News, in the county of Warwick and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Toy Building-Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in building-blocks for use in the amusement andinstruction of children, and has for its objects to provide a series of blocks of a novel construction which may be joined together in various ways to produce different kinds of structures or buildings and which may be arranged in different ways in the same structure to vary the ornamental appearance thereof, to provide a series of building-blocks of elastic material, and finally to provide a novel means for securing the various blocks removably together.

My invention will be more clearly understood from the accompanying drawings, in which Figure'l is a front elevation of a house built with my improved blocks. Fig. 2 is an end view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of the structure shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of one course or layer of blocks employed in this construction of the house shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating different forms of blocks which may be employed. Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of a cornerblock. Fig. 5 is a perspective of a straight block or unit. Fig. 6 is a cross section through the same. Fig. 7 represents in elevation and vertical section, respectively, a window or door frame; and Fig. Sis a View in elevation of a post.

Referring now to the drawings, and especially to Fig. 3 thereof, 1 indicates a straight block or unit (shown in detail in Figs. 5 and 6) and which, as shown, for example, at 2 and 3 and as clearly illustrated at other parts of this figure, may be made in various lengths. 4indicatesacorner-b1ock. (Shown alsoin detail in-Fig. 4.) 5 indicates a compound block for use in forming and joining to the main structure or house rectangular towers, wings, or bays; 6, another form of compound block, and 7 circular blocks, the

blocks

6 and 7 being used in constructing round or half-round towers, bays, or the like; 8, another form of Serial No. 152,787. (No model.)

compound block for connecting porches and balconies to the house, and 9 forms of compound blocks for connecting fences or gardenwalls to house oi for forming interior division- Walls. I have thus indicated blocks having different shapes or configurations with a view to indicate more clearly the disposition and relative association of these blocks in the practical application of my invention to the construction of a house of the shape shown in the drawings. It will be manifest, however, that not only can the blocks indicated be arranged in a different manner from that shown, but also that blocks having a different configuration or shape from theillustrated examples may be employed, and I do not, therefore, wish to limit my invention to the shape or configuration of the blocks employed except in so far as such shape or configuration forms a part of the novel construction of this block, as hereinafter indicated.

As illustrated particularly in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7, each of the blocks or units employed is. provided on one side with a dovetail groove 10 and on its opposite side or edge with a tongue 11, the tongue of any of the blocks or units being adapted to be received snugly into the groove of any of the other blocks or units to form'a close interlocking connection. I

A salient feature of this invention resides in making the various blocks or units from an elastic material, and to this end I construct them from any one of several well-known materials or compositions. Thus I may employ india-rubber, in which case the rubber would be vulcanized and deodorized, or I may employ a compound of rubber and cork or artificial whalebone on a substance called rubber-leather, which is made from an india-rubber cement and ground cork, wood, or paper-pulp or other fibrous substance. Whatever the material or composition employed, I combine with the same suitablepigments' to give any desired variety of colors.

By forming the blocks or units of an elastic material the tongue of one block or unit by the use of slight pressure can be pressed into ICO ed. Furthermore, there will be no danger of chipping the blocks in putting them together or taking them apart.

The straight blocks, as also the legs of bloc s forming corners, wings, &c., will be made in different lengths, so as to break joints in adjoining cou rses. The outside face of the blocks may be made to resemble rough or fancy cut stone and the inner surface be made smooth, or the outside face may be of one color and the inside of another, so that the same blocks by being reversed may form different designs.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a window or door frame constructed as a single unit and provided at one end witha groove 10 and at the other with a tongue 1l. This unit is provided at one end with a slot or opening 12 and at opposite sides with grooves 13, whereby a strip of glass or mica may be inserted and held in position.

In Fig. 8 is shown a post or column which may serve as typifying the construction of the pillars 14 or of the newels 15. (Shown in Fig. 1.) As shown, this post is provided at opposite ends with outwardly-flaring dowelpins 16, and the parts with which the posts, pillars, or newels are connected will of course be provided with correspondingly-shaped holes; but said post may have a tongue and groove, like the other units, instead of dowelpins.

For the upper part of the house I provide a series of blocks 17, each of which has a projection 18 on one side, of ornamental configuration, to form, with other similar projections on corresponding blocks, a cornice and on the opposite side a projection 19 to serve as a support for one end of the roof-support 20, the other end resting against some other portion of the house. The lid of the box containing the blocks may be conveniently used for forming the roof. In like manner other blocks 21 may be provided with projections 22 to serve as floor-supports. Similar blocks 23 may have projections 24 to form window caps or ledges.

To facilitate the placing of each block in the place intended for it in any design, I contemplate stamping each block with a distinctive mark, preferably a number, and all blocks of the same size and shape will have the same number. The difi'erent designs which may be built with one set of blocks will be printed on a sheet, and on this sheet each block will be given the mark which corresponds to the block to be used in the place designated by this mark. Fig. 1 may be taken as an illustration of such a design-sheet, the mark on each block being omitted to prevent confusion.

From the preceding description, taken in connection with the drawings, it will be seen that given a suflicient number and variety of my improved blocks there is almost no limit to the number and variety of designs that maybe formed with the same and that owing to the shape of the blocks shown in Fig. 3 a house built from the same will be square, plumb, and true and architecturally correct, besides being substantialin structure. Thus these blocks will not only aiford amusement, but will tend to train the eye to an appreciation of artistic efiects and correct architectural designs.

In making the various blocks or units I prefer to round off or slightly bevel the corners or edges 24 of the tongues 11 and also the edges 25' of the grooves 10, as shown in Fig. 6. This construction will enable a more ready and easy assembling of the units and overcome the liability of these edges to chip off or break.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new is-- 1. A toy building-block formed of elastic material having two sides representing inner and outer wall-surfaces, and provided on one of its other sides with a tongue and on the opposite side with a groove, the said tongue and groove being slightly tapered and adapted to be pressed into interlocking engagement with a corresponding tongue and groove of a similar block to form a dovetail joint.

2. In aset of take-down toy building-blocks, a plurality of units formed of elastic material, each unit being provided on one side with a dovetail tongue and on its opposite side with a dovetail groove, the said tongues and grooves extending throughout the entire length of the units and adapted to be pressed into interlocking engagement one with the other, and some of the units of the set being so shaped as to form corners and projections in a building construction, all substantially as for the purpose described.

3. A toy building-block provided on opposite sides with a dovetail tongue and a dovetail groove, and having on one of the remaining sides a projection to form a cornice and on the opposite side a projection to form a support.

4:. A toy building-block formed of elastic material and provided on one side with a dovetail tongue and on its opposite side with a dovetail groove, and having on'one of its other longitudinal sides a projection.

5. In a set of building-blocks, a unit formed of elastic material having the shape of the letter L, and provided on one side with an L- shaped dovetail tongue and on the other side with an L-shaped dovetail groove.

6. In a set of building-blocks, annit formed of elastic material, having the shape of the letter T, and provided on one side with a dovetail tongue and on the other side with a dovetail groove, said tongue and groove conforming to the shape of the unit.

7. In a set of building-blocks, annit having the shape of the letter Z, and provided on one side with a dovetail tongue and on the other side with a dovetail groove, said tongue and groove conforming to the shape of the unit.

8. In a set of building-blocks, a unit formed of elastic material having the shape of a T, with a right-angular extension at the foot, and provided on one side with a tongue and on the other side with a groove, said tongue and groove both conforming to the shape of the unit.

9. In a set of building-blocks, a unit formed of elastic material having a curved and a straight portion and provided on one'side with a tongue and on the other side with a groove, said tongue and groove both conforming to the shape of the unit.

' 10. In a set of toy building-blocks, a unit in the form of a frame, having at one end a dovetail tongue and at the other end a dovetail groove, and provided in one end with a slot and at opposite inner sides with grooves.

11. In a set of toy building-blocks, a curved or arched unit formed of elastic material and having a curved or arched tongue on one side 20 and a correspondingly-shaped groove on the other side, said tongue and groove being of dovetail form.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- 25