Improvements in Dolls' Houses and Appliances connected therewith.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 15th Dec., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dolls' Houses and Appliances connected
therewith.
I, HENRY FREDERICK ROBINSON, of Elindene, Thicket Road, Sutton, in the
County of Surrey, Jeweller's Manager do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying
drawing, that is to say :-
My present invention relates to dolls' houses to be used as toys by children, and
it has for its object a novel method of constructing such houses so that they can be
folded together into a very small space for convenience of carriage, whilst they can
be readily erected and put together when required, and are then strong, firm, and
durable, and very inexpensive.
I make my improved dolls' houses preferably of strawboard, millboard, or the
like light and inexpensive material, or of thin wood or other suitable substance.
The accompanying drawing is in illustration of my invention, Figure 1 being a
view of the millboard or other material in its expanded or flat state, whilst
Figure 2 shews the same folded and fixed together so as to constitute the dolls'
house, consisting of sides, back, roof, and different floors, the front being open in
the usual way. Figure 3 shews the roof in its expanded or flat state, and
Figures 4 to 11 shew detailed views, on a larger scale, of the devices by which the
different parts are fixed together.
In Figure 1, a represents the sheet of millboard or other material cut to the
required size and shape, which may be varied more or less as desired.
Openings b, b, represent windows, and similar openings may be made in the sides
as well as in the back, if desired. The dotted lines c, c represent cuts made partly
through the board so as to facilitate its folding into the shape shewn in Figure 2,
which represents the finished dolls' house. Figure 3 represents another sheet of
millboard or other material of suitable size and shape to form the roof of the
house, when folded at an angle on the line d, d. Floors e, f, g, are shewn at
different heights in Figure 3, and are also made of millboard or other material of
the shape shewn in Figure 12, their four sides being bent down at right angles to
give the necessary rigidity and enable them to be fixed in position as hereinafter
described. These floors have fitted inside their front edge a strip of wood h, and
the lower one 2 has also a similar strip fitted into its back edge (Figure 4). The
strips are fixed in position by light nails; and strong nails, easily inserted or
removed, are also fitted into holes through the sides of, the house, and into the
ends of the wooden strips, as shewn at i, i.
In order to support the sides and back of the floors fand g, their turned down
edges are fitted into and carried by brackets k, shewn on a larger scale in Figures 6
and 7, formed by punching pieces of the shape shewn in Figure 6 out of thin
sheet metal, and then bending them into the shape shewn in Figure 7, the projecting
spikes being passed through the walls of the house in the proper position as shewn
in Figure 1, and then bent down outside as shewn at 1, Figure 2. The downward
projecting edges of the sides and back of the floors and g fit into the recesses
formed by these brackets k, as shewn in Figure 5 into which they can be readily
inserted and removed. Instead of two, any other number of spikes may be used.
In order to support and fix the roof in the position shewn in Figure 2, brackets m
of the kind shewn in detail in Figures 8, 9, 10, and 11, are fixed to the upper edges
of the side walls, as shewn in Figure 1, projections at their upper ends passing

page_text: through slits made in the roof in the proper positions as shewn at n, n, Figure 3,
and their edges being then bent down against the roof, as shewn at o, Figure 2.
These brackets m are formed of pieces of sheet metal of the shape shewn in
Figure 8, parts of which are bent up as shewn in Figure 9, and fitted and fixed
upon the upper edges of the side walls, as shewn in Figures 1, 2, 10, and 11.
By the methods described a very strong and substantial dolls' house is con-
structed, which is very light, and can be folded up so as to occupy very little room
in carriage, but can easily be opened out and fixed in its finished state.
The outer side may be painted or may be covered by sheets of paper or other
material, painted or marked in imitation of brickwork, and the inside may be
decorated in any desired way, and the sides may be hinged to the back instead of
being bent in the way described.
I do not confine myself to the precise details of the invention, which may be
varied more or less to suit different circumstances. For instance, the different
parts may be attached together by any convenient means instead of by the devices
described, but,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The method of constructing dolls' houses from sheets of suitable material cut
to the proper shape, and capable of being folded and fitted and fixed together,
substantially in the manner described and illustrated.
2. In combination with the dolls' house constructed in the manner described in
Claim 1, the method of forming, supporting, and fixing the parts representing
floors, substantially as described and illustrated.
3. In dolls' houses of the kind described, the device for carrying the parts
representing floors, consisting of bent supports baving spikes by which they are
fixed in the walls, substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 6 and 7.
4. In dolls' houses of the kind described, the device for fixing the part
representing the roof, consisting of a bent bracket fitted and fixed upon the top of
the walls, and having a projecting piece passing through a slot in the part
representing the roof, and then bent down against the latter, substantially as
described and illustrated in Figures 8, 9, 10, and 11.
Dated this 13th day of November 1894.
EDWARDS & Co.,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.