US2088874A - Toy building block set - Google Patents

Description

w.- E. SCHAUER 2,088,874

TOY BUILDING BLOCK SET Filed Oct. 4, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS Aug. 3, 1937, w. E. SCHAUER TOY BUILDING BLOCK SET Filed Oct. 4, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR B Mul ,M W 7 ATTQRNEY5 I Patented Aug. 3, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT orries TOY BUILDING BLOCK ss'r Wilbert E. Scliauer, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to The Mueller &, Son Company, Milwaukee, Wis.,

a corporation of Wisconsin 7 Application October 4, 1935, Serial No. 43,472 9; Claims" (01. 46:49)

This invention relates to improvements in toy building block sets.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide a novel and improved toy building block 5. set combining the features of a jigsaw puzzle with those of a set of building units and adapted to be assembledvina particular sequence; to produce a specific building structure, theblocks. alsobeing adapted to be assembled inan entirely different 10 mannerin any desired arrangement toproduce a multiplicity of other structures through an entirely different connection between blocks. i

More specifically; I;propose; by means of the present invention to; provide a .buildingyvhereof the sides androcfrare. fashioned of separate strips depending for their position entirely upon a frictionalinterlock effected solely at their ends. Each ofthe majorstrips comprising the set is notchedat its end to have the formof an elon- 1 gated H., The notches arepreferably, however, offset from the center line so that the, terminal lug on one side ofsthe notch'isthicker than the terminal lug on the other, to tend to require; the assembly of the strips inrtheir'proper relation. 5 Moreover, the width of the thick lug and the thin lug of each strip. combined isequal tothe width of the notch, so, that when thesstrips areproperly assembled the thicklugof one and the 3 thin lug of the next adjacent strip are-received to- 30 gether in interlocking engagement (in the notch of an adjacent strip in a contiguous wall surface. The width of the aforesaid notches is also equal to the thicknessjof the strips to'ma'ke it possible to assemble. them in: ithe formationiiof many structures other than the building desjigrr for which they are primarily adapted. l a.

All of the several strips. are preferably pat"- terned witha surface. marking either printed thereon or stamped threinpor formed in relief 40 upon their faces. These surface markings/are such as to make it immediately evident'when one strip isfout of place so that in the correct assembly of the primary structure there "will be but one place forevery given strip, which must be in its place in order that the structure will appear correct when assembled. V a

It is a further object of the invention to provide anovel and improved form of assembled roof in which the eave portions of the ends of the roof are substantially continuous. from the ridge downwardly, each being notched for engagement with the ridge and notched-to receive the terminal lugs of the several longitudinal strips com- 155 prising the intermediate portion ofroof.

In the drawings:

Figure l isva view in perspective of a completed-building structure comprisingthe building block sets of this invention.

Figure 2 is an fexploded. view showing in perspective typical component parts of the building block sets as they appear in slightly separated positions.

. Figure S is a fragmentary detail in perspective showingthe. corner interlock between unmarked 10 strips-comprising thebuilding.

Figure. 4 isa fragmentary detail viewin perspectiveshowing another manner of connecting the strips.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail view in per- 15 spectiveshowing, a further optional manner of connecting the strips.

.- Figure 6- is a view similar to Figure 3 showing in fragmentary detail in perspective a modified type of building block unit provided with a modi- 20 fled surfacemark-ing to represent a brick rather than a log structure.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

The great majority of the building. blocks used. to construct the building shown in Fig. 1, are of the form designated by reference character 1. Assuming that the structure shown in Fig. 1 is secure, it will .be obvious that the strips 1 comprisingthe ends and front and back thereof will be of uniform length. Each comprises a thin strip. of w ood having notches 8 .atits ends defining terminal lugs 9 and it which are respectiv e ly thick and thin, the notches being offset slightly from the longitudinal center line of the stick; Although each notch 8 is preferably offset,

its thickness is exactly half thewidth of the stick so asto be substantially equal to the combined width of the tongues 9 and Ill. Thus the several sticks may be interlocked as shown in Fig. 3 40 with the adjacent sticks l of one wall having their adjacent lugs 9 and I!) each engaged in one of the notches 8 of an adjacent stick in the contiguous wall.

The thickness of each strip 1 is preferably exactly half of its width. Thus the thickness of each strip corresponds substantially identically to the width of the notch 8. The depth of the notch, in turn, is preferably exactly equal to the a width ofthe stick. Thus the full width of one stick may be received edgewise into the notch of another stick as shown in Fig. 4, the parts being held frictionally in any relative position in which they maybe assembled in this manner.

Likewise the a notched end portions of two '55 sticks at right angles to each other may be interlockingly engaged as shown in Fig. 5, to make an extremely rigid joint connecting two sticks end to end. By means of these two types of con- 5 nection the most elaborate skeleton structures may be assembled. If desired, the lugs 9 and I may be made only half as long as those shown in Figs. 1 to inclusive, and in that case the sticks may be provided with a surface configuration i0 suggestive of brick as shown in Fig. 6, where the sticks 1' are interlocked in the same manner as Fig. 3 except that the lugs 9 and lll'do not project fromthe mortised corners.

Where the mortised corners project, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the sticks preferably have a surface configuration or marking suggestive of the logs of a log cabin. Preferably, the

surfaces of the sticks will be free of relief and parallel and the desired appearance will be produced by printing a surface design on to the sticks. The windows l4 and the door l5 of the building shown in Fig. 1 were made by stamping or printing an appropriate design on to the successive sticks employed in the building of the structure. The back surfaces may have diiferent designs or may be left unfinished to increase the co-eflicient of friction.

It will also be notedthat there is a carefully worked out series of shadows or shading at l6.

secutive sticks comprising the building, so that if a child using the toy assembles any stick in the wrong location the error will immediately be apparent. ,There is but one location for every stick in which the design on the surface thereof will match the design on adjacent sticks. This fact adds greatly to the interest of the set of blocks when the blocks are assembled in the form shown in Fig. 1. 0 Interlocking with the sticks 1 comprising the front, back and end walls of the building structure shown in Fig. 1, are gable units such as that shown at I! in Figs. 1 and 2. For convenience eachgable unit comprisesa single piece of wood having beveled margins is coming to a peak at I 9. Each gable unit also has notches 8 exactly like those of the sticks! to complete the assembly of the end wall.

A ridgeunit at 20 comprises two of the sticks 50 I which have been beveled and nailed to an underlying ridge board 2| which holds themtogether as a unit. The bevel of strip 1 is such that they will fit the peaks IQ of the gable unit, as is fully apparent from Fig. 2. With the ridge unit 55 20 in place, the eaves strips 23 maybe interlocked therewith. Each of the eave strips has a .piece of molding at 24 depending from its margin, and each is provided with a series of lugs at 25 with which the several sticks I used to comprise 6 the body of the'roof, may be interlocked.

The strips 1 used in the roof, are identical, except in surface marking, with the strips'used in the walls. The chimney 26 is simply anappropriately shaped block of wood formed to fit over the 65 ridge.

V 70 desired, it may be replaced by a notched strip such as, that used at 23 to comprise the eaves of the roof. Such a strip will interlock the ends of the adjacent wall boards and may resemble a corner post or equivalent structural member adjacent 7 the open side of the shed thus formed.

These shadows are carried across the several com I I claim:

1. A building block comprising an elongated strip provided with terminal tongues and an intervening notch, the width of the notch being approximately equal to the combined width of both tongues, whereby the tongues of two corresponding building blocks may be engaged simultaneously in'said'notch to be frictionally retained between the first mentioned tongues.

2. A building block comprising an elongated l0 strip notched at each end to provide pairs of terminal tongues substantially aligned with the margins of the strip, the width of each notch being substantially. equal to the thickness of the strip and to the combined width of the tongues 15 at either side thereof, whereby said notch is adapted to receive and frictionally retain other tongues aligned with the opposite margins of two similar blocks.

3. A building block comprising an elongated 20 strip, the width being approximately twice the thickness and the length many times exceeding its width, and provided at each of its ends with notches approximately equal in depth to the width of strip and equal in width to the thick- 25 ness thereof, and tongues at each side of the respective notches, each pair of tongues having a combined width substantially equal to the interveningnotch and the thickness of the strip, two superposed tongues of two like blocks being together receivable for frictional retention in one of the notches aforesaid.

4. A building block comprising a strip of elongated form having a terminal notch slightly off center with respect to the center line of the 35 strip and providing tongues of unequal thickness at either side of the notch, the combined thickness of said tongues being substantially identical with the width of the notch, whereby the thicker'and thinner tongues of blocks identical with 40 the block aforesaid may be conjointly received for frictional retention in said notch.

5. In a structure of the character described,

a pair of continuous walls each comprising similar strips notched at their adjacent ends to pro-; vide spaced tongues, the notched portion of each strip being frictionally engaged with the tongues of two consecutive strips in the contiguous wall, whereby the strips of each wall interlockingly secure together the strips of the other of said, to walls.

6. A buildingstructure comprising a series of strips in substantial edge contact to comprise each wall of the structure, the ends of said strips being interlocked at the corners between. .55 contiguous walls, and each strip having terminal tongues and an intervening notch, the tongues being engaged in the notches of two consecutive strips in an adjacent wall, and the notch of each strip receiving adjacent tongue portions of said. '60 two consecutive strips in the contiguous wall.

7. A building structure comprising walls and roof panels, each including identical building .blocks, each said block comprising an elongated strip approximately the length of a wall of said. building and notched at its ends to provide two pairs of oppositely projecting terminal tongues whereof the combined thickness is approximately equal to the width of the intervening notches, the strips comprising contiguous wall panels being mutually offset, two adjacent terminal tongues of consecutive strips in one panel being engaged in the notch of a staggered strip in an adjacent wall panel.

8. A building structure comprising a p1ura1ity=- of walls each including elongated building strips in interlocking frictional engagement at the corners of said walls, gable pieces mounted on opposing walls and having means interlocking with a strip of an intervening wall, a ridge member spanning said gab-1e pieces, strips substantially identical with those of the walls spanning said gable members, and eaves units having means interlocked with the ends of said last mentioned strips, and with said ridge unit, whereby to hold said last mentioned strips upon said gable members as a roof for the structure.

9. In a building structure, the combination with wall devices having peaked gable members at their tops, of a pair of ridge boards provided with means connecting them together to span the apices of said gable peaks, eaves units provided with means interlockingly engaging their respective ends with said ridge members, each of said eaves units having its inner side margin provided with notches and a series of strips spanning said gable members and having tongues interlockingly engaged in the notches of said eaves units, whereby they are maintained in assembly to comprise a roof structure.

WILBERT E. SCI-IAUER.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,088,874. August 3, 1937.

WILBERT E. SCHAUER.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, sec-- 0nd column, line 44, claim 5, for the word "continuous" read contiguous; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 5th day of October, A. D. 1957.

Henry Van Arsdale (Seal; Acting Commissioner of Patents.

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