US1314541A - Toy block - Google Patents

Description

F. U. SEEGER.

TOY BLOCK.

\APPLICATION FILED APR. 19. l9l9.

1,314,541. Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

INVENTOR AT ORA/EV UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK U. SEEG-ER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 SAMUEL GABRIEL SONS &

' COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TOY BLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK U. SEEGER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in To Blocks, of which the following is a speci cation.

This invention relates to toy blocks, such as alphabet or picture blocks, for the instruction and amusement of children.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a block of this character, constructed of cardboard or similar material, in a simple and inexpensive manner, and which will be of great durability.

Theinvention more particularly compre hends'a block constructed of three primary elements consisting of a strip of bendable material to produce the four sides of the block and two end pieces insertible between the body walls having cooperating means to provide a very secure and rigid connection between the several parts.

It is a further general object of my invention to provide a non-collapsible block which will be light in weight and will not be likely to injure one struck thereby, even though the block may be thrown with considerable force.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved con struction, combination and relatlve arrangement of the several parts, as will be hereafter more fully described, subsequently claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of the body blank of my improved block;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the block with certain parts broken away and others omitted;

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the end walls;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the block, one wall thereof being broken away, and v Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary erspective View illustrating the manner 0 assembling and connecting the body and end walls.

Referring in detail to the drawing, designates a strip of cardboard or other suitable material having the necessary structural rigidity, but capable of being bent. This materral upon one side is slightly creased at equidistantly spaced points as shown at 6, and the sections of the material are bent inwardly toward the creases to provide a substantially rectangular bod structure having the walls designated 6. y slightly creasing the strip 5, instead'of deeply scoring the same and bending the sections inwardly, the material at the outer side of the body and at the juncture of the wall 6 is not broken, but

resents a smooth continuous corner surface.

hus, I obtain a maximum of stren h in the block structure, so that it is capa le of resisting severe strains.

Each of the body walls 6 at its opposite ends is centrally recessed or mortised, as indicated at 7 the depth of the mortises being equivalent to the thickness of the material. Preferably, a single mortise is formed in each end edge centrally of the block wall.

The end walls 8 are each stamped or cut from a cardboard sheet, so as to fit tightly within the end of the block body, and with the marginal edges of said end wall frictionally contacting with the inner faces of the respective body walls. The end wall is provided upon each of its edges at the center thereof with a ton e or tenon 9 adapted to fit tightly within t e mortises 7 in the body walls of the block. These tenons are also of a depth equivalent to the thickness of the material. Thus, it will be apparent that the outer surfaces and edges of the end walls will be flush with the surfaces and edges of the body walls. If desired, a suitable adhesive may be applied to the edges of the mortises 7 and the tenons 9, though this is not at all necessary, as the tight frictional en agement of the end walls and the tenons t ereon with the body walls of the block will securely retain the several walls in assembled relation.

After the parts of the box structure have been thus assembled, strips of paper, linen or other suitable material 10 are pasted or adhesively secured alon the corners of the block walls and upon t e contiguous angular meeting faces of said walls. Finally, a lithographed paper sheet is adhesively secured upon the body walls of the block and also upon the end walls thereof, said sheet having delineated thereon letters of the alphabet, animals, or other objects, which will be instructive and amusing to children. This lithographed sheet indicated in the drawing at 11 extends over and completely covers all surfaces of the block wall and likewise thereinforcing corner strips 10.

From the foregoin description considered in connection wlt-h the accompanying drawing, the construction and manner of assembling the several parts of my improved block will be clearly and fully understood. The block may, of course, be made in many different sizes, and while I have above referred to a simple rectangular block structure, it is manifest that the several features of my invention can also be advantageously employed in the manu facture of toy blocks of various other forms. I have found, in practice, that a block constructed as herein described is exceedingly durable and will withstand a great amount of rough handling. At the same time the block can be manufactured at nominal cost, and being very light in weight will not damage or mar furniture or injure persons -with whom it may come in contact, though thrown with considerable force.

I have herein illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, but as the improved block may likewise be exemplified in many other analogous constructions, it is to be understood that I reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes in the form, construct-ion or arrangement of the various parts as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim: 7

1. A non-collapsible block comprising a body strip of material adapted to be bent to form the side walls of the block structure. and end members of similar material adapted to be fitted between the body walls at the opposite ends thereof, said end members and the body walls having cooperative means centrally formed on their proximate edges to rigidly retain the parts in assembled relation.

2. A non-collapsible block comprising a body consisting of a cardboard strip ada ted to be bent at spaced points to form t e side walls of the block, each of said walls having mortises centrally formed in its end edges, and end Walls adapted to be fitted between the ends of said sidewalls and each having tenons formed on its edges for engagement in the mortises in the respective side walls,- the length of said tenons and the depth of the mortises corresponding to mortises centrally formed in its end edges,

and end walls adapted to be fitted between the ends of s'aid'side walls, and each having a single tenon centrally formed on each of its edges for engagement in the mortises in the respective side walls, the length of said tenons and the depth of the mortises corresponding to the thickness of the block walls.

V 4. A non-collapsible block comprising a body consisting of a cardboard strip creased at spaced points to provide portions bendable inwardly upon the creased side of the strip toward each other to form the side walls of the 'block, each of said walls having'mortises centrally formed in its end edges, end walls adapted to be fitted between the ends of said side walls, and each having a single tenon centrally formed on each of its edges for engagement in the mortises in the respective side walls, the length of said tenons and the depth of the mortises corresponding to the thickness of the block Walls, and reinforcing strips adhesively secured over the meeting edges of the side walls and end walls and along the juncture of the side walls with each other.

5. A non-collapsible block comprising a body consisting of a cardboard strip creased at spaced points to provide portions bend able inwardly upon the creased side of the strip toward each other to form the side walls of the block, each of said walls having mortises centrally formed in its end edges, end Walls adapted to be fitted between the ends of said side walls, and each having a single tenon centrally formed on each of its edges for engagement 'in'the mortises in the respective side walls, the length of said tenons and the depth of the mortises corresponding to the thickness of the block walls, reinforclng strips adhesively secured over the meeting edges of the side walls and end walls and along the juncture of the side walls with each other, and a lithographed paper sheet adhesively secured upon the block walls and over said reinforcing strips.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name thereto.

FREDERICK U. SEE-GER.

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