US1668551A - Toy building blocks - Google Patents

Description

May s, 1928.

G. L. CROSMAN ET AL TOY BUILDING BLOCKS Filed Jan. 9. 1926 Patented May 8, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,668,551 AT T OFFICE GEORGE L. CROSMAN, OF FALMOUTH FORESIDE, MAINE,AND LORING P. CBOSMAN, OF WAVERLEY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOES' TO CROSMAN BROTHERS COMPANY, OF v PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE. i

'roY BUILDING BLOCKS.

Application. filed January In the field of play things for children, i

the toy building block has always been a favorite on account of its appeal to the childish imagination. tion recognizes this fact and aims to provide a block set which will allow the widest lat-- itude in the matter of possible designs and shapes for the various structures which can be evolved from the many number of possible combinations of our block units.

structurally, the block units themselves areso proportioned andldesigned as to firmly but detachably interlock with each other in a variety of relative positionings so as to permit the greatest range of block combinations, and this capacity for variation is fur ther increased by the provision of a series of individual key-pieces which cooperate with the blocks to extend their field of possible combination.

The construction and use of our toy building'setis described and illustrated in the accompanyin specification and drawings, and the particular features of novelty are pointed out in the appended claims. In the drawings: Fig. lfis'a perspect-ive'view of one of the many possible block combinations.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of the block units, and

Fig. 3 a perspective view showing several key pieces ofdiiferent lengths.

Ne have indicated at 1 apluralit-y of identical block units. Each unit is preferably twice as long as it is Wide, and is provided with two parallel slots 2 at each end. The depth of the slots is such that when four of the blocks, asA, B, C and D are assembled as shown at the base of the design illustrated in 1, the openingin the center of the block assembly is equal to the width and thickness of a single block. By so proportioning the blocks, block assembly designs are possible which could not other- Wise be made. In Fig. .1, for example, this opening is shown as filled by the vertically disposed block E which constitutes the stem of the design illustrated.

The lateral tongues 3 left by the slots 2 are of substantially the same width and thickness as the slots themselves so as to key into said slots and firmly but detachably lock the block units together in a variety of angles relative to each other.

Our present invene, 1926., Serial No.. 80,211.

The slots are sawed with hollow ground saws for the sake of accuracy. This leaves the edges sufficiently rough to ailord a good frictional contact so that the blocks will remain locked to each other without the necessity of using any supplemental locking means. The fiat faces of the blocks may,i if desired, be sanded or planed. I

In order toextend the possibilities of block combinations in. assemblingthe blocks, we provide with each block set a plurality of splints or keys I, detailed in Fig. 3. These splints are preferably smoothly sawed and are furnished in different lengths. the keys are twice thelength of the SlOtS in the blocks and others are three and four times the length of'such slots, but all, of course, substantially correspond in depth and thickness to the slots 2.

These splints may be positioned vertically in the slots of the blocks, as indicated at 4, Fig. l; horizontally, as indicated at 41"; or endwise as indicated atti and the blocks themselves may be assembled either flatwise, as in the case of the'blocks A, B, C, D; or vertically. endwise, as in the case of the blocks E, F, G; horizontally edgewise, as in the caseof the blocks H, J, K, L; or crosswise as in the case of the blockM. In fact, the possible block combinations are so numerous and varied as to be limited practically only by the limitations of the imagination. Preferably, the slots 2 are exactly as deep asthey are wide. This permitstwo.

blocks, as the blocks H and N in Fig. 1, to be locked. together by the splints t in Fig. 1) at right angles to each other to form a square corner, and is a desirable feature in building.

Some of y WVhile applicants blocks are capable of a variety of assemblies as indicated in part by the drawings, "it may be said that the characteristic assembly or assembly relation is that based on the fact that the characteristic blocks of the set each have a central or body portion and a pair of end or assembly portions. As heretofore described the characteristic block is 8 x 4 X 2 oblong. In this the body portion which lies between the assemblyor end portions is a- 4 X 4 x 2 body and the two assembled portions at the end of this are each of dimensions 2 X 4; x 2 or, in other words, the tongue and grooved portions are each half of the intermediate or body portion so that when added together they equal the volume and the dimensions of the central or body portion. The assembly of the blocks produces what might be called an additive substraction which is characteristic of the invention. that when four blocks are inter-engaged as those at the bottom of Fig. 1,'the overlap produced produces a reduced space between the four blocks and this space corresponds in proportion to what is termed the body portion of the block, which is also of the proportion of the block in transversesection so that the block B may be set vertically between the interlocked blocks A, B, C, and D, as shown at the bottom of Fig. 1, and, of

f -ourse. it is to be understood that the block lends itself to the other assemblies described, but the foregoing seems to be a. characteristic of the invention.

Various modifications in the form and construction of our device may obviously be resorted to, all without departing from the spirit oi? our invention it within the limits of the appended claims.

hat we therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A building block set comprising aplurality of duplicate block units of such dimensions that when four blocks are assembled inhollow square formation the central opening defined by the block assembly will snugly receive and irictionally retain a single block introduced endwise into said opening, the blocks for this purpose being each of a length twice its width and of a thickness half its width and provided at each end with a pair of spaced parallel slots extending across the block end and longitudinally along the top and bottom faces of the block said slots being so spaced from the sides oi the block as to form at each end of-the block a pair of lateral tongues of the same width, length and depth as theslot-s themselves and adapted for interlocking engagement in the slots of an adjacent block.

A building block set comprising a plurality of duplicate block units, each block being of a length twice its width and of a thickness half its width and provided at each end with a pair of spaced parallel slots extending across the block end and longi tudinally along the top and bottom faces of the block, said slots being so spaced from the sides of the block as to form at each end of the block a pair of lateral tongues of the This means very novel 1,ess,ss1

same width, length and depth as the slots themselves and adapted for interlocking engageinent in the slots of an adjacent block, and a series oi? detachable and interchangeable keys of the same width as the slots adapted for frictional engagement in said slots for extensibly keying the block units together in a variety of assemblies including an assembly wherein two alincd blocks are mutually keyed to each other and to a third block disposu intermediate thereof and transversely thereto. i

3. A building block set comprising a plu rality of duplicate block units of such dimensions that when four blocks are assembled in hollow square formation the central opening defined by the block assembly will snugly receive and trictionally retain a single-block introduced endwise into said opening, the blocks for this purpose being each of a length twice its width and of a tl'iickness half its width and provided at each end with a pair of spaced parallel slots extending across the block end and longitudinally along the top and bottom faces of the block, said slots being so spaced from the sides of the block as to form at each end of the block a pair of lateral tongues of the samewidth, length,a11d depth as the slots themselves and adapted for interlocking engagement in the slots of an adjacent block, and a series of detachable and interchangeable keys of the same width and distance as the slots adapted for frictional engagement in said slots for extensibly keying the block units together in a variety of assemblies including an assembly wherein two alined blocks are mutually keyed toeach other and to a third block disposed intermediate thereof and'transversely thereto.

i. A building block of a length twice its width and of a thickness half its width and provided at eachend with a. pair of spaced parallel slots extending across the block end and longitudinally along the top and bottom faces of the block, said slots being so spaced from the sides of the block as to form at each end of the block a pair of lateral tongues of the same width, length and depth as the slots themselves and adapted for interlocking engagement in the slots of an adjacent block.

In testimony whereof we ilillXUUl' signatures.

GEORGE L. CROSMiiN. LORING P. CRO MAN.

Images