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US 4,953,786 AGranted
Toy roadway tile
AssigneesDuane R. Arsenault, Alan J. Kirby
InventorDuane R. Arsenault
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Tile for use in forming a toy roadway, each tile having a roadway pattern formed on it and each tile having means for interlocking with similar adjacent tiles to form a complete system.
Claims13
A two-sided reversible toy roadway tile, comprising:
- (a) a first main body having a top surface, a bottom surface and at least three straight edges of equal length and contour along which the full length of each said edge the main body of a similar roadway tile abutts, wherein the interstices of said edges coincide with the vertices of an imaginary circumscribed regular polygon, wherein the center points of said edges coincide with the center points of the straight edges of said imaginary circumscribed regular polygon, wherein each of said edges is antisymmetric about said center points, and wherein said top surface forms one side of the roadway tile,
- (b) a second main body having a top surface, a bottom surface and at least three straight edges of equal length, and contour along which the full length of each said edge the main body of a similar roadway tile abutts, wherein the intersections of said edges coincide with the vertices of an imaginary circumscribed regular polygon, wherein the center points of said edges coincide with the center points of the straight edges of said imaginary circumscribed, regular polygon, wherein each of said edges is antisymmetric about said center point, and wherein said top surface forms the reverse side of the roadway tile,
- (c) roadways defining a pattern on said top surface of the first main body and on said surface of the second main body, and wherein the roadways of said first main body are of a different pattern than the roadways of said second main body,
- (d) configurations defining land areas on said top surface of the first main body and on said top surface of the second main body, and wherein the land areas of said first main body are of a different configuration than the land areas of the second main body,
- (e) a tab plate which is interspaced between the bottom surface of said first main body and the bottom surface of said second main body, and wherein each straight edge of the imaginary circumscribed regular polygon of said first main body is aligned with a congruent straight edge of the imaginary circumscribed regular polygon of said second main body to form a roadway tile, said tab plate having a projection which extends beyond each of said sets of aligned edges to provide means for engaging a similar roadway tile, and wherein said projection is inserted between a main body and corresponding tab plate of said similar roadway tile, so that, when the two roadway tiles are properly engaged, an edge of either the first main body or of the second main body of said roadway tile abutts an edge of either the first main body or of the second main body of said similar roadway tile, and whereby the pattern of roadways on said roadway tile and said similar roadway tiles are contiguous, and
- (f) means for securing the bottom surface of said first main body and the bottom surface of said second main body to opposite sides of said tab plate, wherein the patterns of roadways on said joined roadway tiles may be varied by reversing the orientation of one of said sides of the roadway tile, or alternatively by changing the alignment of an edge of either said first main body or of said second main in relation to an edge of said similar roadway tile.
3 more elements
A toy roadway tile comprising:
- (a) a main body having a top surface, a bottom surface and at least three edges of equal length, along which the full length of each said edge the main body of a similar roadway tile abutts,
- (b) roadways defining a pattern on said top surface,
- (c) configuration defining land areas on said top surfaces, and
- (d) a tab plate attached to the bottom surface of said main body and having projections which extend beyond each of said edges of the main body, to provide means for engaging similar roadway tiles, wherein said bottom surface of the main body is attached to the tab plate inwardly of the main body's edges, so that the projection of said tab plate is fully inserted between the tab plate and main body of a similar roadway tile so that an edge of said similar roadway tile abutts an edge of said roadway tile, and whereby the patterns of roadways on the abutting roadway tiles are contiguous, wherein said roadway tile further comprises a second main body which is attached to the other surface of said tab plate, said second main body having a top surface, a bottom surface and at least three edges of equal length and contour along which the full length of each said edge the main body of a similar roadway tile abutts, and wherein said top surface of the second main body includes a pattern of roadway and a configuration of land areas, which are of a different pattern and configuration than the roadways and land areas of said first main body.
1 more element
A toy roadway tile comprising:
- (a) A first main body having a top surface, a bottom surface and at least three side edges of substantially equal length,
- (b) roadways defining a pattern on said top surface,
- (c) configuration defining land areas on said top surface, and
- (d) a tab plate attached to the bottom surface of said first main body and having projections which extend beyond each of said side edges of the main body to provide means for engaging similar roadway tiles, wherein said bottom surface of the main body is attached to the tab plate inwardly of the main body's edges, so that the projection of said tab plate is fully inserted between the tab plate and main body of a similar roadway tile, so that a side edge of said similar roadway tile abutts a side edge of the roadway tile, and whereby the patterns of roadways on the abutting roadway tiles are contiguous, wherein the roadway tile further comprises a second main body which is attached to the other surface of said tab plate, said second main body having a top surface, a bottom surface and at least three side edges of substantially equal length, and wherein said top surface of the second main body includes a pattern of roadway and a configuration of land areas, which are of a different pattern and configuration than the roadways and land areas of said first main body.
1 more element
A two-sided roadway tile, comprising:
- (a) A first main body having a top surface, a bottom surface and at least three edges, and wherein each said edge is that portion of the perimeter of said first main body that is abutted along its full length by a mating edge of a main body of a similar roadway tile, and wherein said top surface forms one side of the roadway tile,
- (b) a second main body having a top surface, a bottom surface and at least three edges, and wherein each said edge is that portion of the perimeter of said second main body that is abutted along its full length by a mating edge of a main body of a similar roadway tile, and wherein said top surface forms the reverse side of the roadway tile,
- (c) roadways defining a pattern on said top surface of the first main body and on said top surface of the second main body, and wherein the roadways of said first main body are of a different pattern than the roadways of said second main body,
- (d) configurations defining land areas on said top surface of the first main body and on said top surface of the second main body, and wherein the land areas of said first main body are of a different configuration than the land areas of said second main body,
- (e) a tab plate which is interspaced between the bottom surface of said first main body and the bottom surface of said second main body to form a roadway tile, said tab plate having a projection which extends beyond the edges of said first main body and said second main body to provide means for engaging a similar roadway tile, and wherein said projection is inserted between a main body and corresponding tab plate of said similar roadway tile, so that when the two roadway tiles are properly engaged, an edge of either the first main body or of the second main body of said roadway tile abutts a congruent mating edge of either the first main body or of the second main body of said similar roadway tile,
- (f) means for securing the bottom surface of said first main body and the bottom surface of said second main body to opposite sides of said tab plate, wherein the perimeter contours of said first main body and said second main body and their alignment to one another are such that when multiple said roadway tiles with mating edge contours are interconnected to form a roadway landscape that is a continuous unbroken surface of abutting main bodies on one side of said roadway landscape, a continuous unbroken surface of abutting main bodies is simultaneously formed on the reverse side of said roadway landscape, and wherein road patterns terminating at the abutting edges of the main bodies of two said roadway tiles within said roadway landscape are contiguous.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.