Child's construction toy

• US 4,620,843 A
• Filed: 08/09/1984
• Issued: 11/04/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Richard H. Higginbotham Jr, Richard H. Higginbotham Sr
• Original Assignee: Richard H. Higginbotham Jr, Richard H. Higginbotham Sr
• Inventors: Higginbotham, Richard H. Jr., Higginbotham, Richard H. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/639,491
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 272/30, 272/54, 272/111, 272/113, 272/56.5 R, 446/85, 446/93, 446/94, 446/95, 446/96, 446/102, 446/103, 446/104, 446/126
• US Class Current: 446/94
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/002 made of parts to be assembled
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/00 Other toys

Abstract

A constructional toy is disclosed which may be assembled in numerous different configurations employing four basic components which include a triangularly-shaped component, a rectangularly-shaped component and two elongated board components. A pair of wheels are mounted on the triangularly-shaped and rectangularly-shaped components. From these four basic components, the plurality of toys may be constructed.

Claims

1. A construction toy capable of being converted into a plurality of different toy configurations, comprising:

(a) a triangularly-shaped component formed of two matching planar, parallel, and mutually spaced triangular members joined along their respective peripheries by a first set of dowels, said dowels of said first set being mutually parallel, equal in length and substantially equally spaced about the periphery of said triangular members;

(b) a rectangularly-shaped component formed of two matching planar, prallel, and mutually spaced rectangular members joined along their respective peripheries by a second set of dowels, said dowels of said second set being mutually parallel, equal in length and substantially equally spaced about the periphery of said rectangular members, at least three of said dowels of said second set being spaced along one side of said rectangular members and being spaced by substantially the same distance as the dowels of said first set, the triangular members of said triangularly-shaped component having altitudes substantially equal to at least one outside dimension of the rectangular members of said rectangularly-shaped component;

(c) a first elongated board component having means for selectively hooking over a dowel of either of said sets mounted adjacent each end of said first board component on the bottom surface thereof;

(d) a second elongated board component having a plurality of transversely extending slats depending midway of the bottom surface of said second board component, said slats being arranged to form dowel receiving channels therebetween; and

(e) lock means on said triangularly shaped and rectangularly shaped components for fastening them securely to each other to form a stable structure.

2. The construction toy of claim 1 wherein said lock means comprises a block member mounted to said rectangular members, said block member including a portion projecting beyond the periphery of said rectangular members, said lock means further including a slidable lock bar assembly mounted to said triangular members and adapted to be placed in cooperative alignment for locking engagement with said block member mounted to said rectangular members.

3. The construction toy of claim 1 further including latch means mounted to the bottom surface of said first board component, said latch means being spaced from said hook means a distance substantially equal to twice the spacing between adjacent dowels, the spacing between adjacent dowels of said first set of dowels and said second set of dowels being substantially equal.

4. The construction toy of claim 3 wherein said latch means cooperate to releasably lock said first board component to said triangularly-shaped component and said rectangularly-shaped component to form different toy configurations.

5. The construction toy of claim 4 further including a pair of wheels mounted on said triangularly-shaped component and said rectangularly-shaped component.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said latch means comprises a duplicate set of latches mounted to the bottom of said first board component, said latches being spaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the spacing of adjacent dowels of either said triangularly shaped or rectangularly-shaped components