Collapsible building block for erecting toy buildings that fall down flat

A collapsible toy building block with strong board members. Base board (12) and roof board (10) interconnect loosely with frame boards (24)(24A). Frame boards set loosely in channel (26) that is formed by, short in length, projecting spacers (18) that run parallel to flanges (14),(16) that are along the front and back ends of base (12) and roof (10). A building block of this construction can be combined with other identical building blocks or a variety of other building blocks, that have the same widths, to build toy buildings of many different configurations. The loosely fitting members, of a building block of this type, permit a building block or toy building constructed of building blocks to be knocked down flat by an outside force.

BACKGROUND 
1. Field of Invention 
This invention relates to a building block, that falls down flat when 
struck by an outside force, for building toy houses, skyscrapers, castles 
and other toy structures. 
2. Description of Prior Art 
Previously, building toy houses or toy skyscrapers out of cards took high 
dexterity. And if one was successful, a slight bump or door slam would 
cause a structure to collapse. 
A game or toy for building card houses was proposed by U.S. Pat. No. 
1,487,102 (1924). This patent consists of cards with perforations and pegs 
which fit through said perforations to hold cards of the building 
together. 
Frimberger's Modular Toy Structure (U.S. Pat. No. 29288844) Describes a 
modular component unit or modular panel unit. Throughout the description 
it refers to a statement: Assembled by frictional engagement with one 
another pieces or some similar description stating the words: Frictional 
engagement. This leads one to believe that a structure containing these 
components would stand fairly stable and if struck by an outside force 
would not fall down flat. 
Whereas my invention of a toy building block so constructed that wherein 
the frame boards of said building block interconnect loosely on the base 
piece of said building block and the roof piece interconnect loosely on 
the frame boards of said building block. When this said building block is 
struck by an outside force it falls down flat. It is not held together by 
frictional force. This invention had features to hold cards together. The 
inventor seems to have been mainly interested in card structures that 
would not fall down readily. 
SUMMARY 
In accordance with the present invention of a building block of 
loosely-fitting, interconnecting board members that fall down flat when 
struck by an outside force. 
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES 
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention are: 
(a) to provide a building block that falls down flat when struck by an 
outside force. 
(b) to provide a building block that can be set on top of other building 
blocks to build a variety of toy buildings. 
(c) to provide a building block that has plain frame boards that accept an 
unlimited number of designs there-on. 
(d) to provide a building block that allows one to build said building 
block with a minimum amount of dexterity. 
still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a 
consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.

REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS 
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10 Roof 22 Base Fillets 
12 Base 24 Frame Boards 
14 Base Flanges 24A Other Frame Boards 
16 Roof Flanges 26 Channel 
18 Spacers 
20 Roof Fillets 
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DESCRIPTION-FIG. 1 and FIG. 2-Preferred Embodiment 
A preferred material used, in the production of all parts of the present 
invention, is a strong plastic. 
FIG. 1 shows base 12 of the upper building block interconnecting with roof 
10 of the lower building block. Fillets 22 that run front to back on base 
12 straddle fillets 20 that run front to back on roof 10. 
FIG. 2 shows flanges 14, 16 that are around the perimeter of base 12 and 
roof 10. Base 12 and roof 10 also have, short in length, projecting 
spacers 18 that run parallel to flanges 14, 16 that are along the front 
and back ends of base 12 and roof 10. 
FIG. 3 shows channel 26 formed by parallel flanges 14, 16 and parallel, 
short in length, projecting spacers 18. Channel 26 is slightly wider than 
the thickness of frame boards 24, 24A. 
Vertical boards 24, 24A form the main body of a building block. Frame 
Boards 24 set loosely inside frame boards 24A at the corners where frame 
boards 24, 24A meet. In this case frame boards 24, 24A form a rectangular 
shape. 
Advantages 
From the description above advantages, of using strong plastic, in the 
production of this invention, become evident. 
(a) Strong plastic make parts long-lasting and said parts hold their 
original shape even after hard and repetitive use. Varied surface textures 
of frame boards also are possible. 
(b) A variety of designs are possible for surface decorations on frame 
boards. 
Operation--FIGS. 1,2 
The drawing in FIG. 1 shows two identical building blocks stacked one on 
top of the other. One can stack additional building blocks on top of 
these. Other building blocks can be set alongside other building blocks 
also, so that one's imagination can be used to create numerous 
configurations of toy buildings. 
It is entertaining to build a toy building and it is also entertaining to 
knock a toy building down flat. Blows delivered to a toy building from toy 
catapults, toy cannons, wrecking balls, toy bulldozers are examples. 
In FIG. 2 arrows show movement of base 12 and roof 10 to locate base 12 and 
roof 10 directly below and above frame boards 24, 24A. To accomplish 
interconnections, frame boards 24, 24A set in channels 26 of base 12 and 
roof 10. Frame boards 24A are of a length to set between flanges 14, 16 
that run front to back on base 12 and roof 10. Frame boards 24 are of a 
length to set between frame boards 24A as they stand in the FIG. 2 
drawing. Fillets 20 are located just inwards from the sides of roof 10. 
Fillets 22 are located on the very edges of the sides of base 12. 
Therefore, when one building block is placed on top of another building 
block, said fillets of roof 10 and base 12 interconnect in a straddling 
way, thus allowing the stacked building blocks to move backwards when hit 
by an outside force and to fall off the building block below it. Said 
fillets on each building block restrict the said building block from 
moving sideways when struck by an outside force thus preventing remaining 
building blocks from condensing on each other in a pinching movement. 
Thus, remaining building blocks are free to fall off the structure in 
their turn as they are struck by an outside force. 
Conclusion, Ramifications, and Scope 
Accordingly, the reader will see that a building block, as shown in FIG. 2, 
is a structure with loosely-fitting, separate parts that readily falls 
down flat when struck by an outside force. Identical building blocks are 
used in conjunction with other building blocks to build a variety of toy 
buildings. Many different shapes formed by a different number of frame 
boards are incorporated in a frame structure, such as rectangular, 
pentagonal, triangular, hexagonal, circular, for example. Base's 12 and 
roof's 10 then have these same shapes so that they interconnect over 
vertical standing frame boards 24, 24A. 
The building block shown in FIG. 2 is one type of structure. Another 
variation of the structure is a building block with a set of teepee boards 
between a base and roof board. The base board has a stopper strip across 
its center to stop the center legs of the teepee boards from moving wider 
apart. Flanges around the perimeter of its base and roof parts set over 
the teepee parts, as in my preferred structure. I found this teepee-braced 
building needed more dexterity to erect. 
Another building block with frame boards joined by hinges at the corners 
where the frame boards meet makes a sturdy frame. The base and roof boards 
also have flanges around their perimeters to that they interconnect over 
the frame boards with hinges. I found this type of building block does not 
fall down flat when it is knocked down by an outside force. 
Thus, the scope of this invention should be determined by the appended 
claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.