GB1585825A - Constructional toys - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO CONSTRUCTIONAL TOYS (71) I, CHARLES WILLIAM MURPHY, a British Subject of 50 St. Edwards Road, Southsea, Hampshire P05 3DJ (formerly of 158, North Road, Klipriviersberg, Johannesburg, South Africa), do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- The invention relates to constructional toys.

In its broadest aspect, the invention provides a constructional toy kit which includes a plurality of elongate elements and a plurality of connecting members, characterised by the following features: a) the connecting members are made of synthetic resinous material, preferably plastics material; b) at least some of the connecting members are in the form of back-to-back clips each provided with resiliently sprung jaws into which the elongate members can be "snap"fitted (i.e. the elongate elements are movable into and out of engagement with the jaws in a direction transverse to the elongate element); c) the connecting members hold the elongate members at an angle to one another; and d) the jaws of each connecting member are resiliently flexible towards and away from one another, they follow the contour of the gripped elongate element, and, when the jaws are unstressed, the jaw opening is smaller than the jaw interior.

For the purpose of this specification the term "elongate element" includes a spigot, trunnion or the like.

The elongate elements may be of any suitable cross-sectional configurations, but are conveniently of substantially circular cross-sectional configuration.

Said back-to-back clips may be fast with one another in predetermined angular relationship, preferably by being integrally formed, or may be rotatably and/or detachably mounted relative to each other.

One form of connecting member may incorporate a pair of integrally formed backto-back clips located transversely of each other and adapted releasably to couple two of the elongate elements together in fixed transverse relationship to each other and substantially at 90 to each other. A preferred arrangement of this form of connecting member according to the invention is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings which are an elevation and plan respectively of the member. The member is made of synthetic resinous material and comprises two resilient clip formations la, 1 b which are integrally formed in back-to-back relationship to face away from each other and to be located at right angles to each other.Clip formations la, ib are in the nature of longitudinally slit tubes of circular internal cross-section defining jaws 30, 32 which are adapted releasably to receive complementary elongate elements 2a, 2b respectively. Each jaw 30, 32 has an opening 34 smaller than the jaw interior 36 when the jaw is unstressed. The elongate elements 2a, 2b are movable into and out of engagement with clip formations la, ib respectively in directions transverse to the elongate elements as indicated by arrows A and B respectively by resilient deformation of the jaws 30, 32.

Elongate elements 2a, 2b may comprise solid rods or tubes.

Another form of connected member according to the invention may comprise three integrally formed clip formations located in mutually transverse relationship to each other and adapted releasably to couple three elongate elements together in fixed transverse relationship to each other. Suitably, the three clip formations are located at 90 to each other.

An arrangement of this form of connecting member is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings which are end and side elevations respectively of the member.

The member is again made of synthetic resinous material and comprises three resilient clip formations 3a, 3b and 3c which are integrally formed and located at right angles to each other. Here again, clip formations 3a, 3b. 3c are in the nature of longitudinally slit tubes of circular internal cross-section which are adapted releasably to receive comple mentary elongate elements 4a, 4b and 4c respectively. The elongate elements 4a, 4b, 4c are movable into and out of engagement with clips 3a, 3b, 3c respectively in directions, transverse to the elongate elements, indicated by arrows C and D.

In another embodiment of the connecting member of the invention a swivel coupling or a bearing includes at least two clip formations which are rotatably mounted relative to each other.

In one form of such swivel coupling or bearing, two clip formations are rotatably mounted relative to each other in back-to back relationship.

An arrangement of this form of swivel coupling or bearing is illustrated in Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings which is an "exploded" side view of the coupling which comprises two parts 5a, Sb; each comprise a resilient clip formation 6a, 6b respectively which again is in the nature of a longutudinally slit tube adapted releasably to receive a complementary elongate element (not shown). Part 5a further includes spigot 7a which is rotatably receivable in a socket 7coin part 5b so that parts 5a and 5b are rotatably mounted on each other in back-to-back relationship.Parts 5a, 5b and therefore the elongate elements engaged in clip formations 6a, 6b may be rotated into any required angular relationship relative to each other about pivot axis X-X.

In another form of swivel coupling or bearing, of the invention, two relatively rotatable parts each present at least one pair of spaced apart and axially aligned clip formations. Suitably, each of the two relatively rotatable parts presents two pairs of spaced apart and axially aligned clip formations. The two pairs of clip-like formations of each such part face outwardly away from each other.

An arrangement of this form of swivel coupling or bearing is illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 6 is an end elevation of the coupling; Figure 7 is a side elevation of the coupling of Fig. 6; and Fig. 8 is a plan view of the coupling of Figs. 6 and 7.

The coupling comprises two relatively rotatable parts Sa and 8b of synthetic resi nous material. Parts 8a and 8b are both substantially rectangular in end view as shown in Fig. 6, and part 8b presents a projecting spigot 9b on which the bore 9a of part 8a is rotatably mounted. Each part 8a, 8b includes an integrally formed resilient clip formation IOa, lOb respectively at each corner thereof.Clip formations l Oa, lOb are arranged in pairs so that each part 8a, 8b carries a pair of spaced apart and axially aligned clips l Oa, lOb respectively on each of two opposed sides thereof so that the two pairs of clips l Oa, l Ob of each part 8a, 8bface outwardly away from each other. Clips lOa, lOb are adapted releasably to engage com plementary elongate elements (not shown).

Other elements may be provided in conjunction with the couplings of the invention.

For example, a castor unit includes bifurcations each of which includes a clip formation adapted rotatably to engage one of a pair of trunnions extending axially from a wheel or roller adapted to be located between the bifurcations; and a socket adapted to receive one of said elongate elements.

An arrangement of the castor unit is illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10 of the accompanying drawings which are an elevation and plan respectively of the castor which is made of synthetic resinous material. The castor comprises a body 11 which includes a socket 1 lea adapted to receive a complementary elongate element (not shown); and bifurcations 12 integrally formed with body 11 and presenting resilient clip formations 12a in which trunnions 13 on a roller or wheel 14 are rotatably receivable.

A kit embodying the invention may further include one or more additional constructional members.

Such an additional constructional member may comprise a coupling presenting a pair of aligned, oppositely facing sockets adapted to receive a pair of elongate elements in coaxial relationship. The coupling may be of tubular formation.

An arrangement of a coupling of the kind defined in the previous paragraph is illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12 of the accompanying drawings, which are side and end views respectively of the coupling which is made of synthetic resinous material. The coupling comprises a tubular element presenting oppositely facing sockets 15 at opposite ends thereof and which are adapted to receive a pair of complementary elongate elements 16 in co-axial relationship. Fig. 11 shows a barrier 17 between the two sockets but this is not essential: the bore of the tubular element may extend continuously along the entire length of the element.

Another additional constructional member may comprise a support member including a base plate; and a socket adapted to receive an elongate element.

An arrangement of such a support member is illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14 of the accompanying drawings, which are an elevation and plan respectively of the support member which is integrally formed of synthetic resinous material. The support member comprises a base plate 18, and a socket 19 located at right angles to base plate 18.

Socket 19 is adapted to receive a complementary elongate element 20.

A constructional toy kit embodying the invention is particularly suited for the building of scaffold-type miniature structures, and to this end the kit may include such things as wheels, pulleys, and buckets. At least some of the necessary elongate elements could be so configured as to represent builder's planks.

Presentation of the kit could be in a moulded tool-type box with a vacuumformed interior shell sub-divided into compartments each of which contains an appropriate kind of constructional element.

A kit embodying the invention, when used as a childs constructional toy, is simple enough and yet effective enough to stimulate the imagination of a young mind into creating three dimensional structures of almost limitless angular shape (for example, bridges, cantilever cranes, tetrahedrons) in addition to the more familiar scaffold-type structures.

In any kit embodying the invention, although the said members must be of synthetic resinous material it will be appreciated that the elongate elements can be of any suitable material, although metal and plastics tube or rod is currently preferred.

The elongate elements could be inherently flexible, allowing them to be bent to desired shapes and extending the versatility of the kit even further.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A constructional toy kit which includes a plurality of elongate elements and a plurality of connecting members, characterised by the following features: a) the connecting members are made of synthetic resinous material, preferably plastics material; b) at least some of the connecting members are in the form of back-to-back clips each provided with resiliently sprung jaws into which the elongate members can be "snap" fitted (i.e. the elongate elements are movable into and out of engagement with the jaws in a direction transverse to the elongate element); c) the connecting members hold the elongate elements at an angle to one another; and d) the jaws of each connecting member are resiliently flexible towards and away from one another, they follow the contour of the gripped elongate element, and, when the jaws are unstressed, the jaw opening is smaller than the jaw interior.

2. A kit according to claim 1, in which the said back-to-back clips are rotatably and/or detachably mounted relative to each other.

3. A kit according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which at least one of the elongate elements is capable of being bent at one or more points along its length.

4. A constructional toy kit, according to claim 1 and comprising members of any of the kinds substantially as described herein with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (4)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. receive an elongate element. An arrangement of such a support member is illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14 of the accompanying drawings, which are an elevation and plan respectively of the support member which is integrally formed of synthetic resinous material. The support member comprises a base plate 18, and a socket 19 located at right angles to base plate 18. Socket 19 is adapted to receive a complementary elongate element 20. A constructional toy kit embodying the invention is particularly suited for the building of scaffold-type miniature structures, and to this end the kit may include such things as wheels, pulleys, and buckets. At least some of the necessary elongate elements could be so configured as to represent builder's planks. Presentation of the kit could be in a moulded tool-type box with a vacuumformed interior shell sub-divided into compartments each of which contains an appropriate kind of constructional element. A kit embodying the invention, when used as a childs constructional toy, is simple enough and yet effective enough to stimulate the imagination of a young mind into creating three dimensional structures of almost limitless angular shape (for example, bridges, cantilever cranes, tetrahedrons) in addition to the more familiar scaffold-type structures. In any kit embodying the invention, although the said members must be of synthetic resinous material it will be appreciated that the elongate elements can be of any suitable material, although metal and plastics tube or rod is currently preferred. The elongate elements could be inherently flexible, allowing them to be bent to desired shapes and extending the versatility of the kit even further. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A constructional toy kit which includes a plurality of elongate elements and a plurality of connecting members, characterised by the following features: a) the connecting members are made of synthetic resinous material, preferably plastics material; b) at least some of the connecting members are in the form of back-to-back clips each provided with resiliently sprung jaws into which the elongate members can be "snap" fitted (i.e. the elongate elements are movable into and out of engagement with the jaws in a direction transverse to the elongate element); c) the connecting members hold the elongate elements at an angle to one another; and d) the jaws of each connecting member are resiliently flexible towards and away from one another, they follow the contour of the gripped elongate element, and, when the jaws are unstressed, the jaw opening is smaller than the jaw interior.

2. A kit according to claim 1, in which the said back-to-back clips are rotatably and/or detachably mounted relative to each other.

3. A kit according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which at least one of the elongate elements is capable of being bent at one or more points along its length.

4. A constructional toy kit, according to claim 1 and comprising members of any of the kinds substantially as described herein with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.