A system of elements for the creation of graphic compositions

Abstract: The system consists in a board (1) with sockets (2) and an assortment of tetrahedral pegs (3) having a regular obverse face (4) and a reverse side in the form of a triangular shank (5) that inserts to a matching fit in one of the sockets; with the pegs inserted, in effect, the adjacent faces (4) make contact one with another in such a way that no gaps are left between their adjoining edges. Each of the faces (4), or a part of each face, if divided into more than one field, is uniformly tinted in one of a given set of repeated colours or polychrome or monochrome shadings.

Description: The invention relates to a system of elements used in creating graphic compositions. The prior art embraces graphics composition systems consisting in a perforated surface, or board, and a plurality of pins, or pegs, insertable in the holes of the board. The holes are set close to one another, positioned in such a way that the heads of the inserted pegs are brought into contact one with another; thus, using pegs with heads in a variety of colours, it becomes possible to insert the pegs selectively into the holes by their shanks, in such a way that the heads create a graphic composition resembling mosaic. For example the German patent application DE-A-3228497 discloses such kind of graphic composition system. This system comprises a board with some holes and a series of elements with a pin to be inserted in the holes of the table. The elements may have various geometrical form like: circle, sector of circle (quadrant), square, rectangle. The system has some drawbacks: in certain positions and with some elements, for example with a circle and a square, the surface presents lack of continuity, besides an element has only a single possible face for the graphic composition. Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a system unaffected by the drawbacks in question. The stated object is realized with a system of elements for the creation of graphics compositions as characterized in the claims appended, which comprises a first element, or board, affording sockets in which to insert the matching shanks of second elements, each having a regular polygonal flat face disposed normal to the axis of the shank. The distance between adjacent sockets is such that the polygonal faces of the inserted second elements lie in full contact one with the next by way of their corresponding respective sides, with no gaps remaining. The invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which: figs 1 and 2 show a plan and a side elevation, respectively, of certain elements of the system according to the invention; fig 3 shows a perspective of one of the elements illustrated in figs 1 and 2; fig 4 illustrates a possible graphic composition obtainable with the system of elements according to the invention. With reference to fig 1, the system of elements according to the invention consists essentially in a first element, or board 1, and a plurality of second elements 3. The second elements 3 are embodied each with one flat face 4 of regular polygonal shape, and on the reverse of the flat face, a shank 5 insertable in one of a plurality of sockets 2 formed in the top surface of the board 1. The shank 5 might be cylindrical in embodiment. Alternatively, the cross section of the shank might be geometrically similar to the flat face 4, and of proportionately reduced dimensions, needless to say; for example, the element 3 might be embodied as a pyramid the base of which coincides with the flat face 4. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each element 3 appears as a regular tetrahedron, the flat face 4 coinciding with any one of the four tetrahedral faces, and the shank 5 coinciding with the tetrahedral solid in its entirety. The flat face 4 is uniformly tinted in one of a selected range of colours, or poly- or monochrome shadings, and might be divided up into two or more fields of which the dimensions of the sides that coincide with the sides of the relative flat face 4 may be either equal to or sub-multiples of the dimensions of those sides. With reference in particular to figs 1 and 2, the board 1 affords a plurality of sockets 2 exhibiting equilateral triangular section, and a plurality of second elements 3 embodied as regular tetrahedrons. The adjacent edges 6 of adjoining sockets 2 are disposed parallel and set apart one from the other at a perpendicular distance equal to twice the distance by which the corresponding side of a flat face 4 projects beyond the edge when the relative second element is inserted in the socket (fig 2). Thus, the flat faces 4 of the second elements 3 are brought fully into contact one with the next by way of their adjoining sides, in such a way that no gaps remain between them. In the example of fig 3, which shows an element 3 of regular tetrahedral embodiment in accordance with the foregoing description, each face 4 is divided into two fields by a straight line either lying parallel to one side and intersecting the two remaining sides at mid-point, or bisecting one of the angles. Each field of the flat face 4 divided in this way is uniformly coloured or shaded as aforementioned, and the colouring or shading of the two fields is dissimilar. It will be clear enough that a regular tetrahedral shape as disclosed provides considerable savings in material, since each element 3 has four different flat faces 4, any one of which can be used in the creation of a selected graphic composition.

Claims: A system for the creation of graphic compositions comprising a first element or board (1) affording a plurality of sockets (2), and a plurality of second elements (3) provided obversely with a flat face (4) of regular polygonal shape, and reversely with a shank (5) insetable in the sockets (2) of the board (1), certain of the second elements (3) exhibit a flat face (4) uniformly tinted in one of a selected range of colours, or polychrome or monochrome shadings, whereas the remainder exhibit a flat face (4) divided into at least two fields, each of which uniformly tinted in a colour or shading of the same range, characterised in that the shank (5) of the second element (3) exhibits a polygonal cross section geometrical similar to the flat face (4); and in that the relative sockets (2), in which are accomodated said polygonal cross section shanks (5), exhibit a geometrical form similar to the flat face (4) and with the same relative position of the polygonal sides, and said sockets (2) are set apart one from the next at a distance such that when the second elements (3) are inserted in the sockets by way of their shanks (5), the relative flat faces (4) are brought fully into contact one with the next by way of the respective adjoining sides with no gaps remaining. A system of elements as in claim 1, characterised in that the second element (3) is embodied as a pyramid of which the base coincides with the flat face (4). A system of elements as in claim 1, characterised in that the second element (3) is a regular tetrahedron of which any one of the four faces coincides with the flat face (4).

Inventors: FRANCIONI CORRADO, FRANCIONI, CORRADO
Applicants: FRANCIONI CORRADO, FRANCIONI, CORRADO
Application year: 1989
Main classification: B44C3
IPC codes: B44C3, A63F9