Toy construction system having reusable distensible joining members

A device for temporarily inserting and thereafter withdrawing elastomeric, bullet-shaped joinder units from holes in toy structural elements, said joinder units having a base and a body portion with a bore therein, said body portion having a relaxed outer diameter greater than the diameter of said holes and, when longitudinally stressed, less than the diameter of said holes, said device including

• a frame,
• opposing jaws mounted on said frame for opening and closing movement,
• a wire mounted on said frame for movement between said jaws,
• means for moving said wire longitudinally and in a direction toward and away from said frame, and
• control means for controlling the movement of said jaws and said wire,
• whereby said joinder unit may be held by said jaws and said wire inserted in its bore to longitudinally stress said unit to permit insertion of said joinder units into, or removal from, the holes in said toy structural elements.

A toy device for inserting and withdrawing rivet elements from the holes in the structural elements in a toy construction system of the type including structural elements having preformd alignable holes through which reusable rivet elements are fitted to join the structural elements together, said reusable rivet elements being formed of distendable material and having an elongated body with a relaxed diameter greater than the diameter of the holes in the structural elements and a diameter, when distended longitudinally, less than the diameter of said holes, and an enlarged base at one end for receiving a longitudinal distending force to the rivet element, said device including:

• closable jaw means for engaging the base of said rivet element,
• an elongate wire positionable in a bore of said rivet element against its opposite closed end,
• means for moving the jaw means and wire relative to one another to distend the rivet element longitudinally to reduce the diameter of its body for insertion into or withdrawal from said holes,
• and means for moving the jaw means and wire together to relax the rivet element when in said holes to increase its diameter for fastening the structural elements together.

A toy rivet gun for use in toy construction systems having distensible rivets with a bore therein, said rivets being closed at one end and having a flange about their other end, said rivet gun including

• a housing,
• a pair of rivet grasping jaws mounted at one end of said housing for longitudinal movement into and out of said housing so that longitudinal movement towards said housing closes said jaws,
• an insertion wire sized to fit within said bore as positioned in said housing between said jaws,
• actuating means associated with said housing for drawing said jaws towards said housing and thereby closing said jaws
• whereby operation of said actuating means when the flange of one said rivet is within said jaws causes said jaws to close about said flanges and to draw said rivet towards said housing, causing said insertion wire to enter the bore of said rivet and distend same.