Erector set for artistic structural designs

An erector set for creating artistic structural designs comprising: a base and a set of modular structural elements connectable to one another, said modular structural elements comprising stiff, arcuate members having v-shaped slots in the convex and/or in the concave surfaces thereof and having either a v-shaped slot or a taper on each of the end portions thereof, said tapered end portions being configured to mate with and be held within any of the said v-shaped slots in said convex or concave surfaces or in end portions of the said arcuate members.

SPECIFICATION

The present invention relates to an erector set and more specifically to an erector set for creating artistic structural designs. In its broadest embodiments the erector set comprises a base and a set of modular structural elements connectable to one another. The modular structural elements comprise stiff, arcuate members having v-shaped slots in the convex and/or in the concave surfaces thereof and have either a v-shaped slot or a taper on each of their end portions. The tapered end portions are configured to mate with and be held within the v-shaped slots in the convex or concave surfaces of the arcuate members or in the end portions of those members.

With reference toFIG. 1, reference10refers generally to an artistic structure which can be erected with the erector set of the invention. There are a virtually unlimited member of designs which can be created, as will be apparent from the following discussion.

Reference12refers to a foundation piece of the base which is preferably a solid block of suitable material such as wood. Affixed on foundation piece12is a vertically oriented support member14having a v-shaped slot in the upper end thereof for mating with and holding a tapered end portion of a modular element of the erector set. The erector set may contain multiple foundation pieces of different configuration and/or multiple support members of different configuration in order to provide variety and complexity.

Reference16refers to the multiplicity of modular structural elements with which the various artistic designs can be created. Each of the modular structural elements comprises a stiff, arcuate member, desirably made of wood or plastic, having a body portion which has v-shaped slots in its convex and/or concave surfaces. These v-shaped slots are best shown inFIGS. 2A-2Dwherein reference numeral22refers to a v-shaped slot in the concave surface and reference numeral20refers to a v-shaped slot in the convex surface. Each of the modular structural elements has a tapered end portion, seen inFIG. 1and inFIG. 2Cat reference numeral18. Reference numeral24shows an end portion of the modular structural element having a v-shaped slot, not unlike the v-shaped slots20and22. Tapered end portion18is sized to mate with and be held within any of the v-shaped slots in the convex or concave surfaces of another modular structural element or to mate with and be held within a v-shaped slot in an end portion of another modular element. In preferred embodiments, the v-shaped slots20and22are slightly larger in size than the tapered end portions18of the modular structural elements. This allows for changes in balance and shifting of weight as construction proceeds. In still other embodiments, the v-shaped slots20and22may have partially enclosed sides.

With reference toFIG. 3, the upper end of vertically oriented support member12has a v-shaped slot which mates with a tapered end portion, e.g. tapered end portion18, of a modular element. Once the first modular element is supported within support member14at slot24, the design may branch out into any number of configurations, one of which is shown inFIG. 1.

Preferably the arcuate modular members describe an arc of from 20 to 50 degrees. In another preferred embodiment the arcuate member may be tapered at both ends, one such tapered end having the above-described v-shaped slot.