Construction element and throwing toy made therefrom

A construction toy comprising the combination of:

• at least one generally cruciform flexible joint comprising:
• four arm members disposed in a cruciform arrangement;
• and
• cruciform hub means of elastic material integrally connecting said arm members for forming an actuable joint between them, said hub means having a thickness less than that of said arm members and joining with them in such manner that the inner ends of said arm members are tapered about their peripheries to merge with said hub means;
• and
• at least one rod-like member having at least one end which is held on the outer end of at least one of said arm members.

A construction toy comprising the combination of:

• at least one generally cruciform flexible joint formed of:
• two lengths of flexible tubing, each comprising:
• means for defining an axial channel extending the length of said tubing;
• and
• means for defining diametrically opposed apertures in the walls of said tubing communicating with said axial channel to form a transverse opening through said tubing capable of accommodating the passage of the other length of flexible tubing, said opening defining means including elastic sidewall means for compressively surrounding said other length of tubing to hold it in said opening;
• one of said lengths of tubing having the other held in its opening with the two openings in such relationship that the outer elastic sidewall means compressively collapses the inner elastic sidewall means;
• and
• at least one rod-like member having at least one end whose width is slightly larger than that of said channels whereby said end may be compressively held therein.

A manipulatible toy comprising:

• twenty-four rod-like members of identical length;
• and
• twelve flexible joint means each containing four legs for connecting said rod-like members into six squares and eight triangles, said joint means each comprising:
• first and second lengths of flexible material;
• and
• means in both of said lengths of material for defining a transverse opening therethrough capable of accommodating the passage of the other length of material, said opening defining means including elastic sidewall means for compressively surrounding said other length of material in said opening and one of said lengths having said other length of material held in said opening with said openings cooperating such that the outer elastic sidewall means compressively collapses the inner elastic sidewall means.

A throwing toy comprising:

• a freestanding collapsible cube-octahedron comprising:
• twenty-four rod-like members of identical length;
• and
• twelve flexible joint means each containing four legs for connecting said rod-like members into a hollow configuration having six square and eight triangular faces;
• and
• means for engaging and holding said cube-octahedron preparatory to throwing it, comprising:
• handle means for gripping by a thrower;
• and
• skewering means, connected to said handle means and comprising substantially parallel edges and a rounded end remote from said handle means, for fitting into any of the faces of said cube-octahedron.