Toy construction kit

A construction kit is indicated which consists of elongated stave elements (2), which at their ends are provided with protruding plate portions (6, 10) with pins (8) and holes (12) for mutually rotatable end joining of the state elements in one and the same plane. The elements are primarily intended for being laid out as edge or outline markings, but they are provided with groove-shaped depressions (4), which by means of bonding blocks (32) also allow a stabilized stacking of the elements for forming spatial structures.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a toy construction kit consisting of 
joinable, elongated elements. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Construction kits are known which have different types of stave or plate 
strip elements, with which a spatial structure may be constructed, but 
these elements are not especially well suited for the simple purpose of 
merely being "line markers", e.g. for being laid out on a floor area for 
marking traffic lanes, harbour structures, building ground plans, etc. 
When laying out such markings, children normally make do with available 
elongated objects such as rulers, sticks, string, pencils, etc., but in 
connection with the invention it is realized that there is a need for such 
marker elements of a more appropriate design. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The construction kit according to the invention comprises a number of stave 
elements of plastic material, the ends of which are provided with 
snaplock-like coupling means for rotatable coupling of the stave ends, 
which means are provided on plate portions which are outwardly projecting 
from the stave ends with a reduced thickness relative the stave thickness 
and at their outer ends are provided with either perpendicularly 
protruding snap lock pins or locking holes for cooperating with such pins, 
the plate portions provided with the locking pins being situated in a 
median plane of the stave elements and preferably having locking pins 
which project outwardly to both sides, while the plate portions which are 
provided with the locking holes are situated in extension of an upper or 
lower side area of the stave element, the thickness and location of the 
plate portions being adapted in such a manner that two endwise joined 
stave elements will generally be flush with one another. 
For the desired primary use of the elements, two essential advantages are 
hereby obtained, viz. for one thing that the elements may be joined end by 
end in a rotatable manner such that they may be laid out in extension of 
each other in either a straight or a kinked manner, i.e. for obtaining 
line markings along large straight or curved stretches or with sharp 
angles, and for another thing that the joined elements will be positioned 
in the same plane, i.e. with both or all adjoining elements parallel with 
and engaging the support surface without using special, superposed joining 
members at the joined ends. A further and essential advantage will be that 
at the end joints, if desired, a third element may be added to the joint, 
as there will be sufficient space for adding such an element with its 
apertured plate portion situated at the opposite side of the central pin 
plate portion of the joint, such that star points may be established in 
the system, e.g. for allowing an element stretch to branch out 
perpendicularly or obliquely from a through-going straight stretch, with 
all three adjacent elements being positioned in one and the same plane. 
This possibility is particularly pertinent in connection with laying out a 
ground plan for a building, as it is hereby possible to mark partition 
walls which project out from an unbroken outer wall, but of course this 
option may be used for many other purposes. 
Thus, in practice the elements should be about three times as thick as the 
said plate portions projecting out from the end portions, an appropriate 
thickness indication being about 10 mm, while the width, by way of example 
may be about 12 mm. An element of such cross-sectional dimensions will 
have a more than sufficient rigidity against bending in the vertical 
plane, and a fully sufficient rigidity will be obtainable even if both the 
upper and the lower side of each element is provided with a longitudinal 
groove, such that the desired total thickness is obtained by both sides of 
a thinner, elongated plate portion being provided at both edges with 
respective upwardly and downwardly projecting rib portions, which also 
economizes material. However, an especially important function of these 
edge ribs is to allow reception of upwardly or downwardly projecting 
holder block members which may be brought into holding engagement with the 
corresponding tracks between the edge ribs of respective over- and 
underlying elements, respectively, whereby the system acquires the further 
dimension that the elements may also be used as stackable building 
elements, e.g. for providing house walls or other vertical surfaces. 
The said snap lock pins should project no further outwards than to the 
opposite upper and lower side planes of the elements, as they would 
otherwise obstruct a flat engagement of the elements against the surface 
on which they are laid out. When they are designed as snap lock pins they 
should be provided with expanded head portions which can cooperate with 
the locking holes, and according to the invention these conditions may be 
provided for by the locking holes being provided with outer extensions, 
which may receive the locking heads without the latter projecting outside 
the outer side of the plate portions in which the locking holes are 
provided. This implies moreover that elements which are laid out on top of 
each other may very well extend over or under end joints in the subjacent 
or superjacent row of elements, just as branch elements may branch out 
from these joints without interrupting the tight joinability of the 
elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
The element 2 shown in FIG. 1 is a die cast plastic stave of width B and 
height H, in the upper and lower side of which are provided longitudinal 
grooves 4, each by way of example having a depth of 1/3 H. At one end of 
the stave is provided a plate portion 6 outwardly projecting in the median 
plane and having a thickness of about 1/3 H and provided at both its upper 
and lower side with a vertical locking pin 8, which is described in more 
detail below. At its other end the stave 2 has a similar outwardly 
projecting plate portion 10, which however is not situated in the median 
plane, but in the lower side plane; while also having a thickness of about 
1/3 H. This plate portion, which by turning the stave 2 upside down will 
be situated in the upper side plane of the stave, is provided with a 
locking hole 12 for cooperation with one of the locking pins 8 of an 
adjacent stave element. 
This is shown in more detail in FIG. 2, in which it will also be seen that 
the two joined elements will be flush with each other, such that they may 
be supported in a level manner on a common surface, e.g. a table or floor 
surface. A dotted line 14 indicates that the plate portion 10 may equally 
well be situated above and below the plate portion 6, without this 
changing the fact that the elements will be joined in direct extension of 
each other. 
Thus, it is possible with such elements to build up an element row of any 
length, and with the pin-and-hole connections 8,12 the elements may freely 
be placed in direct extension of each other or with desired mutual angular 
turns; the plate portions 6 and 10 project relatively far outwards such 
that the elements may be placed not only in right angles but also in acute 
angles with each other, e.g. down to only about 30.degree.. 
In FIG. 3 is shown by way of example how such rows or joints of elements 
may be laid out for marking e.g. streets in connection with squares or 
closed areas, and the children may then play with toy vehicles on the 
marked street areas, and with trees and houses outside these areas. It is 
especially seen that an area 16 is formed by elements joined at acute 
angles and that the construction kit may also comprise stave elements 18 
of a curved shape. Of course there could be provided elements shaped with 
right-angled or oblique-angled bends, but such bends may already be 
established by a turning out of joined, non-bent elements. It appears 
furthermore from FIG. 3 that the elements--and this may apply to both the 
straight and the curved elements--may be provided in different lengths and 
optionally also with different curves. 
It has been mentioned that it is of no importance whether the plate portion 
10 is placed above or underneath the plate portion 6, but as shown in FIG. 
4 this has the significant consequence that one same joint may comprise as 
many as three stave elements which are all situated in the same plane, 
viz. with the plate portions 10 of two elements situated respectively 
above and beneath the plate portion 6 of the third element. Thus, firm 
branchings may be established, which may be very pertinent in connection 
with laying out markings of topographic details, but which is particularly 
pertinent for laying out building ground plans as shown e.g. in FIG. 5; it 
is widely used to play with house arrangements based on a ground plan of 
the house, and here the elements according to the invention may thus be of 
good use by allowing a clear marking of the ground plan. 
In FIG. 6 it is shown in more detail that the locking pins 8 may have a 
foot portion 20 which is outwardly constricting, and a head portion 22 
expanding therefrom and having an outwardly narrowing end portion 24, the 
single pins 8 moreover being provided with a transverse perforation 26 
which makes the thus separated halves of the pin resiliently bendable 
against each other. Correspondingly the locking hole 12 is provided with a 
central constricted portion 28, the diameter of which is slightly smaller 
than the outer diameter of the locking head 22, such that a locking 
engagement may be established by inserting the hole 12 over the pin 
without this pin protruding from the respective upper or lower side of the 
plate portion 10; it is indicated in dotted lines that this plate portion 
may be placed underneath just as well as above the plate portion 6. 
It is shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 that vertical inclined ribs 30 are provided at 
the transition area between the plate portions 10 and 6 and the respective 
thick ends of the stave elements 2. The function of these ribs is to allow 
an easier separation of the joined elements when locking heads 22 of a 
good locking effect are used; a release may then be brought about merely 
by a mutual rotation of the elements about the pin 8, until the angle 
between them gets so acute that the side edges of the plate portions 6 and 
10 will hit these ribs 30, or rather the corresponding rib of the opposite 
element 2, and by a brief continuous rotation of the elements the rib or 
ribs 30 will then force the plate portions 6 and 10 from each other, 
whereby the locking engagement is released. 
Even though the primary function of the elements is to provide line 
markings, they may, however, also be used as stackable building elements, 
the grooves 4 in the top and bottom side of the elements making it 
possible to effect a stacking assembling by means of intermediate holder 
blocks 32, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. In FIG. 8 it is also shown that such 
layers of elements may be stacked without regard to the position of the 
joints, as the thickness of the material at the joints is no different 
from the thickness along the elements in general. 
However, it may of course be advantageous to let at least certain joints be 
placed directly above each other, e.g. when constructing house corners or 
partition wall connections as suggested in FIG. 9. In a house wall 
structure it is easy to provide apertures for doors and windows merely by 
omitting to place stave elements at the concerned areas. 
It may be appropriate that the side walls of the grooves 4 are provided 
with protruding vertical rib portions 34 for marking the areas where the 
holder blocks 32 should preferably be placed. 
In FIG. 10 is shown a box for receiving a set of the disclosed building 
elements. The bottom of the box is provided with various depressions in 
which may be received elements of various length and straight and curved 
elements, respectively. Especially from FIG. 11, in which this box is 
shown in inverted condition, it will be seen that the box depressions may 
constitute recognizable building structures whereby the box in itself may 
be comprised in a play arrangement on a suitable support. The box is 
provided as completely tight so that it may be used for playing with 
water, both as a floater and as a water container. 
In FIG. 10 it is shown that on a protruding edge flange on the box there 
may be provided knobs, the length and width dimensions of which fit the 
width of the grooves 4, such that the stave elements may be connected to 
the box. When the base shape of the knobs is square the stave elements may 
be mounted along the box sides or perpendicularly protruding therefrom, 
while the elements may furthermore be outwardly or inwardly projecting in 
all directions when the knob shape is circular. 
The lengths of the box sides are proportioned in such a manner that by use 
of some of the stave elements these may be joined and laid out as a 
structure on the box sides, e.g. with corner joints as shown in FIG. 9, 
and a transparent lid (L) associated to the box as shown in FIG. 11' may 
then be placed as a roof over the thereby constructed "hall". 
Many different objects may very well be comprised in or added to the system 
and need merely be designed for being joined with or to the stave 
elements, e.g. erect fence portions or lamp posts for guided insertion 
into the grooves 4, or model houses which at their underside are provided 
with downwardly protruding pins 8 or holes 12 for cooperation with the 
corresponding locking means of the stave elements. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
In a preferred system use is made of three stave lengths with a length 
proportion of 1:2:4, the greatest length being 250 mm. The curved elements 
constitute 1/8 of a circle having a radius of 250 mm, and they are 
joinable into a circle having a diameter of 500 mm, whereby a diagonal 
consisting of two stave elements each of 250 mm may be placed in the 
circle. It has proved appropriate that each kit of stave elements comprise 
a few elements which have coupling holes 12 at both ends, and there may 
optionally also be used elements with pins 8 at both ends.