US2983071A - Construction elements - Google Patents

Description

y 1961 s. OLIVER 2,983,071

CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS Filed Jan. 13, 1959 INVENTOR. STEWART OL/l/ER A TTORNE Y United States Patent CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS Stewart Oliver, RD. 3, Rte. 31, Elizabeth, Pa.

Filed Jan. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 786,604

1 Claim. (Cl. 46-49) This invention relates to improvements in toys and more particularly to improvements in construction toys for use in the erection of toy buildings, bridges, towers, and the like.

The primary object of the invention is to provide improved forms of toy building elements which are adapted to be joined together with other elements and held in position by magnetic attract-ion to form the various structures as required by the toy being constructed.

Another object of the invention is to provide toy building elements which when assembled with other elements are capable of building various structures the parts of which will be held together in such a manner as to provide a simple, strong and durable construction which will be reliable in operation and not readily disassembled by jarring or otherwise.

Still another object of this invention is to provide structural element which when assembled will simulate in appearance the elements'used in the construction of actual buildings.

A still further object of the invention is to provide elements provided with magnetic means whereby to attract and hold the various other elements in selected relation as required by the toy being assembled.

These and other objects of my invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of girder elements associated in an assembled relation with parts of the girder element broken away;

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of the connector element;- a

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the connector element shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a section on the lines 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring specifically to the drawings in which like numerals are used to indicate similar parts throughout the various views, the toy building elements shown in the drawings and from which various models and structures may be erected comprise a plurality of girder elements 6 which may be made of a relatively thin strip of metal, plastic, or other suitable material. The girder elements are provided with a plurality of triangularly shaped perforations 7, spaced apart lengthwise of the strip and simulating the actual girder construction used in normal building practice.

The girder elements 6 are further provided with metallic end members 8 which are capable of being attracted magnetically and which are provided with a plurality of spaced apertures or through openings 9.

The connector elements or plates generally indicated at 10 comprise a shaped blank of permanently magnetized material provided with an enlarged central portion 11 and terminating in reduced end portions 12. The magnetic connector element 10 is further provided with a plurality of upstanding pins or studs 13 on one face thereof, and on its opposite face it is provided with a pair of upstanding pins or studs 14. Therefore, it is a relatively simple matter to assemble the girder elements and the connections in a variety of desired arrangements.

This is done by taking a girder element and aligning the openings in the end theerof with the upstanding pins or studs on the connector plate. The girder is then moved into position in close contact with the connector whereby magnetic attraction is set up between the girder and the plate to elfect the desired connection of the respective parts.

It will thus be seen that in this arrangement is accomplished both a mechanical and magnetic coupling between the respective parts. This procedure is repeated with the various other parts to produce the particular structure desired.

The connector plate 10- at its enlarged central portion 11 is provided on its reverse side with studs extending from each enlarged portion. The girder end elements mounted on the rear side of the connector plate are capable of attachment by the stud provided in the enlarged central portion of the connector element, extending through either of the openings provided in the girder end. When it is so desired only one of the openings in the girder element need be engaged with a corresponding stud on the front side of the connector plate.

Thus it will be seen with a construction toy of this type that various type connectors may be made to permit the assembly of dilferent types of structures.

It is not intended that the invention be limited to the construction shown in the drawings but is capable of variation and modifications within the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

In a structural toy including a plurality of simulated structural girder elements and girder connector plates, the combination comprising a substantially rectangular connector plate formed of permanently magnetized material and provided with an enlarged central portion, a pair of upstanding pins positioned in spaced relation on one face of said connector plate adjacent one end thereof and a second pair of upstanding pins positioned on the same face of said connector plate adjacent the opposite end thereof, a pair of upstanding pins on the opposite face of said connector plate, each pin of said pair on said opposite face of said connector plate positioned respectively on each outwardly extended portion of said enlarged central portion, girder elements including an elongated body portion and an end member, said end members each being formed of a magnetically attractive material, and means defining a plurality of openings in each girder end member adapted to receive selected upstanding pins on said connector plate therethrough whereby to align said girder with said connector plate and to magnetically secure said girder to said connector plate in said aligned position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,433,273 Graves Oct. 24, 1922 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,646 Great Britain 1913 20,642 Denmark Oct. 1, 1915 914,352 France June 17, 1946 Patented May 9, 1961

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