Sculptural objects

• US 4,238,905 A
• Filed: 08/17/1978
• Issued: 12/16/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Richard Ii Macgraw
• Original Assignee: Richard Ii Macgraw
• Inventors: MacGraw, Richard II
• Primary Examiner(s): Shay, F. Barry
• Application Number:
  US05/934,531
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 46/24, 46/25, 46/241, 35/72
• US Class Current: 446/92
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/046 comprising magnetic interaction means, e.g. holding together by magnetic attraction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 52/04 Magnetic connecting means for building components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 52/10 Polyhedron

Abstract

Sets of blocks, each set being a plurality of similarly shaped polyhedrons having faces of at least two different polygonal shapes. A set may consist of truncated octahedrons, of pentagonal prisms or of dodecahedrons. Magnetic or other means are provided in the faces so that matching faces may be joined and the blocks of a set built up in a large variety of close packing arrays without overlapping or interstices between the blocks. The blocks may be solid or hollow and may be coated with metallic material.

Claims

1. Sculptural objects comprising a plurality of identical geometric solid units each having a plurality of faces of at least two different polygonal shapes and collectively capable of random assembly into close packing spatial arrangements wherein there are no overlapping edges or interstices between abutting units, the mutually opposed similarly configured faces of each unit respectively having first and second magnet means of fixed oppositely oriented magnetic polarity, the magnetic poles of said first magnet means of one unit and the magnetic poles of the second magnet means of another unit being thus cooperable magnetically in selected pairs to join said units together in a predetermined manner and in a close packing arrangement, each said unit being a truncated regular octahedron and said magnet means being bar magnets one located at each polyhedron face, said bar magnets in the polar square polygonal faces having their north and south poles oriented along a circumferential line dividing pairs of opposite sides of said polar square faces, the magnets located in the equatorial square faces having their north and south poles oriented along a line bisecting pairs of opposite angles of said equatorial square faces in a circumferential direction and the magnets located in the hexagonal faces having their north and south poles oriented along lines bisecting pairs of opposite angles of said hexagonal faces and passing through points lying in a circumferential direction parallel to latitudinal circles.

2. Sculptural objects as defined in claim 1, wherein said geometric solid units are solid.

3. Sculptural objects as defined in claim 1, wherein said geometric solid units are hollow.

4. Sculptural objects as defined in claim 1, wherein the polygonal surfaces of each unit are covered with a metallic coating.