Education device

• US 4,674,982 A
• Filed: 02/24/1986
• Issued: 06/23/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Harold M. Mackey
• Original Assignee: Harold M. Mackey
• Inventors: Mackey, Harold M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US06/831,812
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 434/188, 434/189, 434/199, 434/202, 434/405, 434/160, 40/450
• US Class Current: 434/188
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 1/40 to form symbols or signs by appropriate arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 7/02 Signs, plates, panels or boards using readily-detachable elements bearing or forming symbols

Abstract

Blocks of three different shapes can be detachably secured to a supporting surface such as a board and can form numbers from 0 to 9 inclusive in digital format.

Claims

1. An educational game comprising in combination a planar base, a plurality of shaped blocks detachably securable to said base and means to secure a selction of said blocks to said base to form digital type numbers from 0 to 9 inclusive, said blocks including at least three individually shaped blocks, an upper and lower transversely situated block, a centrally located transversely situated block and a side vertically situated block, said upper and lower transversely situated block being of a substantially rectangular cross sectional configuration having a first horizontal face and a second spaced and parallel horizontal face, and a first vertical face and a substantially spaced and parallel second vertical face, said first vertical face being longer than said second vertical face, the ends of said block angulating inwardly at a similar angle from the ends of said first vertical face to the ends of said second vertical face thereby defining a trapezoid.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said means include projections upstanding from said base and apertures in at lease one face of said blocks engagable with said projections.

3. The invention according to claim 2 in which each of said centrally located transversely situated blocks is of a substantially rectangular cross sectional configuration and includes a first horizontal face and a spaced and parallel second horizontal face, a first vertical face and a spaced and parallel second vertical face, said first vertical face and said second vertical face being of similar length, the ends of said block, when viewed in plan, converging to a common loci lying on the central longitudinal axis of said block, the distance between said common loci being greater than the length of said first and second vertical faces.

4. The invention according to claim 1 in which said side vertically situated block is of a substantially rectangular cross sectional configuration and has a first horizontal face and a spaced and parallel second horizontal face, a first vertical face and a substantially spaced and parallel second vertical face, said first vertical face being longer than said second vertical face, the ends of said block angulating inwardly from the ends of said first vertical face to the ends of said second vertical face at different angles to one another.

5. The invention according to claim 4 which includes at least two upper and lower transversely situated blocks, at least one centrally located transversely situated block and at least four side vertically situated blocks.

6. The invention according to claim 3 which includes at least two upper and lower transversely situated blocks, at least one centrally located transversely situated block and at least four side vertically situated blocks.

7. The invention according to claim 2 in which said side vertically situated block is of a substantially rectangular cross sectional configuration and has a first horizontal face and a spaced and parallel second horizontal face, a first vertical face and a substantially spaced and parallel second vertical face, said first vertical face being longer than said second vertical face, the ends of said block angulating inwardly from the ends of said first vertical face to the ends of said second vertical face at different angles to one another.

8. The invention according to claim 7 which includes at least two upper and lower transversely situated blocks, at least one centrally located transversely situated block and at least four side vertically situated blocks.

9. The invention according to claim 2 which includes at least two upper and lower transversely situated blocks, at least one centrally located transversely situated block and at least four side vertically situated blocks.

10. The invention according to claim 1 in which each of said centrally located transversely situated blocks is of a substantially rectangular cross sectional configuration and includes a first horizontal face and a spaced and parallel second horizontal face, a first vertical face and a spaced and parallel second vertical face, said first vertical face and said second vertical face being of similar length, the ends of said block, when viewed in plan, converging to a common loci lying on the central longitudinal axis of said block, the distance between said common loci being greater than the length of said first and second vertical faces.

11. The invention according to claim 5 in which said side vertically situated block is of substantially rectangular cross sectional configuration and has a first horizontal face and a spaced and parallel second horizontal face, a first vertical face and a substantially spaced and parallel second vertical face, said first vertical face being longer than said second vertical face, the ends of said block angulating inwardly from the ends of said first vertical face to the ends of said second vertical face at different angles to one another.

12. The invention according to claim 11 which includes at least two upper and lower transversely situated blocks, at least one centrally located transversely situated block and at least four side vertically situated blocks.

13. The invention according to claim 10 which includes at least two upper and lower transversely situated blocks, at least one centrally located transversely situated block and at least four side vertically situated blocks.

14. The invention according to claim 1 in which said side vertically situated block is of a substantially rectangular cross sectional configuration and has a first horizontal face and a spaced and parallel second horizontal face, a first vertical face and a substantially spaced and parallel second vertical face, said first vertical face being longer than said second vertical face, the ends of said block angulating inwardly from the ends of said first vertical face to the ends of said second vertical face at different angles to one another.

15. The invention according to claim 14 which includes at least two upper and lower transversely situated blocks, at least one centrally located transversely situated block and at least four side vertically situated blocks.

16. The invention according to claim 1 which includes at least two upper and lower transversely situated blocks, at least one centrally located transversely situated block and at least four side vertically situated blocks.