US 4,547,160 AGranted

Educational building toy

OwnerRichard Labelleinventor

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Abstract

An educational and building toy including a set of blocks of different lengths, having spaced-apart holes the number of which is determined by the proportional length of the block relative to a unit length. A plurality of discs and wafers are also provided, having holes and also indicia opposed thereon for the arithmetical operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, and the cardinal numerals from one to ten, respectively. A plurality of flexible rods having axially-extending and circumferentially spaced ridges are provided. The peaks of the ridges define an outer diameter slightly larger than the diameter of holes in the blocks, discs and wafers, whereby a friction fit is obtained between the rods and perforated pieces to build different objects. The discs have a peripheral flange and a hub. The flange of some of the discs has inner gear teeth for meshing with the rod ridges. The hub hole of some of the discs have indentations for making a spline connection with the rod ridges.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An educational building toy comprising a plurality of toy blocks, of generally square cross-section and being of proportionally-graduated lengths;

including a first cubic block of one-unit length, the remaining blocks each having a length which is an integral multiple of the length of said first block;
said first block being provided with a first hole extending entirely therethrough along at least one its axes;
each said remaining block being provided with a number of lengthwisely equivalently spaced-apart first holes extending thereacross and opening at a first pair of opposite side faces thereof;
said number of first holes corresponding with the given multiple of unit length of each of said remaining blocks;
all of said holes having the same diameter;
further comprising a plurality of rods of circular cross-section and made of resilient material;
each said rod being formed with a plurality of axially-extending circumferentially-spaced ridges having peaks;
said peaks defining an outer diameter slightly greater than the diameter of said holes, whereby said ridges will be slightly deflected when said rod is inserted into any one of said holes to provide a friction fit therebetween the end faces of each said block, including said first block, being formed with second holes which communicate only with the adjacent one of said first-named holes respectively, said first block being provided with a third hole extending thereacross and normal to said first and second holes thereof, each of said remaining blocks being provided with a number of third holes extending thereacross and opening at the second pair of opposite side faces thereof;
said third holes of said remaining blocks being lengthwisely staggered relative to the first holes of said remaining blocks and being one less in number, some of said rods being formed with at least one intermediate portion therealong that has none of said ridges, thereby defining a smooth outer diameter, the toy further comprising a plurality of discs having a flat first face provided with a central hole of the same diameter as the other said holes;
a circumferential flange extending away from said flat face;
and a hub projecting from the other face and containing said central hole.

8 more elements

An education building toy comprising a set of toy blocks of generally square cross-section of proportionally-graduated lengths and each having transverse holes opening at a pair of opposite said faces of said blocks, all of said holes having the same diameter;

further comprising a plurality of rods of circular cross-section and made of resilient material;
each said rod being formed with a plurality of axially-extending circumferentially-spaced ridges having peaks;
said peaks defining an outer diameter slightly greater than the diameter of said holes, whereby said ridges will be slightly deflected when said rod is inserted into anyone of said holes to provide a friction fit therebetween, some of said rods being formed with at least one intermediate portion therealong that has none of said ridges, thereby defining a smooth outer diameter, and further including a plurality of discs having a flat first face provided with a central hole of the same diameter as the said holes of said blocks;
a circumferential flange extending away from said flat face;
and a hub projecting from the other face and containing said central hole.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.