Abstract:
The coupling of two plate-shaped elements be means of an interlocking arrangement formed along the edges of the elements. The locking members of one element are in resilient engagement with identical locking members on the other element, the thickness of the individual locking members being half the thickness of the element and the members being staggered alternately to one side and the other of a plane through the center of the edge parallel to the side faces of the element.
Abstract:
A current feeding rail element for electrified toy railway tracks including an elongated body of molded plastic material provided with a pair of current rails mounted on the top face and having fastening tongues extending through apertures in the body and bent over to form contact faces at the bottom face of the body, coupling ribs being provided at the bottom face of the body for detachably mounting a connector having corresponding coupling means and a pair of contact members adapted to contact a pair of rail-fastening tongues when the connector is clamped against the bottom face of the rail element.
Abstract:
A construction toy including a splined shaft and a wheel element nonrotatably fitting thereon and retained by a spring ring which grips the shaft. A hub element is detachably secured to the wheel, with the spring occupying a recess between wheel and hub elements to limit their movement on the shaft. A. The Problem Small children playing with mechanical toy building sets often have difficulties in securing pinions, pulleys, discs and similar wheel elements on shafts when building vehicles or other mechanical devices. Fastening such wheel elements on the shafts generally requires the use of tools or accessories which are difficult to handle for small children. B. The Solution Two essential features are required for solving this problem, and the invention consists in the combination of these features: A. To provide a shaft having a noncircular cross section and wheel elements having a complementary hole, so as to enable the child to mount the wheels on the shaft by pushing them thereon from one end, thereby fixing the wheels on the shaft so as to prevent relative rotational movement. B. To provide a frictional fit between the shaft and the wheels so that axial displacement can only be effected by overcoming the friction therebetween. To this end a cylindrical recess is provided in the wheel element surrounding the central hole therein and an annular spring is located in the cylindrical recess in such a manner as to exert a radial pressure against the shaft, thereby increasing the frictional resistance against axial displacement of the wheels relatively to the shaft. The functioning of this spring is automatic and requires no skill or attention on the part of the user. C. The shaft may be tapered at one end, so as to facilitate the mounting of the wheels. D. The width of the cylindrical recess or cavity within the wheel is greater than the thickness of the spring to prevent the spring from being jammed within the cylindrical recess. E. The cylindrical cavity or recess is closed so as to totally enclose the annular spring by means of a hub element assembled with the side of the wheel.
Abstract:
This application discloses toy building blocks of similar shape but constructed to different modules. They are buildable together and, to this end, the inner protrusions of the smaller blocks coact with the outer projections of the larger blocks differently from the coaction within the module which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,005,282.
Abstract:
Abstract of DisclosureAn exemplary embodiment is a method for generating a brick model. The method includes receiving an electronic representation of an item to be represented by the brick model. The electronic representation is processed to generate building instructions for building the brick model and connected to an order interface for enabling the user to order bricks to make a model for shipment to the user.