Rotatable cam for use in a toy construction set

Claim 2

In a toy construction set, a plurality of interconnectible members, at least one of said members having a cylindrical bore therein, a rotatable coupling cam completely contained in said bore, said cam behind axially shiftable in first and second directions, means holding said cam captive within said bore, said holding means permitting an end portion of said cam to project in said first direction from said one member when said cam has been shifted sufficiently in said first direction, so that said end portion projects from said bore, said plurality of members including at least another member having an opening for receiving therein said projecting end portion when said cam has been shifted sufficiently in said first direction and having means associated with said opening capable of providing obstructive engagement with said end portion when said end portion is projecting from said one member after said cam has been shifted sufficiently in said first direction and is rotated into said obstructive engagement.

Claim 3

In a toy construction set as defined in claim 1 wherein said one member constitutes a block and said another member constitutes a base plate.

Claim 4

In a toy construction set as defined in claim 1 wherein said one member and said another member constitute first and second blocks.

Claim 5

In a toy construction set as defined in claim 1 wherein said end portion is provided with an outwardly extending member and said means associated with said opening includes an inwardly extending member, said obstructive engagement occurring when said outwardly extending member is rotated into engagement with said inwardly extending member.

Claim 6

In a toy construction set as defined in claim 1 wherein said end portion is provided with outwardly extending flanges and said means associated with said opening includes inwardly extending lugs, said obstructive engagement occurring when said outwardly extending flanges are rotated into angular alignment with said inwardly extending lugs.

Claim 7

In a toy construction set as defined in claim 5 wherein said bore forms an additional opening, said holding means including inwardly extending lugs associated with said additional opening and flanges extending into said bore at a location in said bore spaced from lugs associated with said additional opening, said coupling cam being engageable with said lugs when axially shifted in said bore in said second direction which is a direction opposite to said first direction and being engageable with said inwardly extending flanges when shifted sufficiently in said first direction.

Claim 8

A toy construction set as defined in claim 6 wherein said inwardly directed flanges are disposed within said bore and spaced from one end thereof to determine the distance said end portion projects.

Claim 9

A toy construction set as defined in claim 7 wherein said distance is only sufficient to enable said outwardly extending flanges on the portion of said cam to effect said obstructive engagement with inwardly extending lugs associated with said first-mentioned opening.

Claim 10

A toy construction set as defined in claim 8 wherein said coupling cam includes additional outwardly extending fingers at the end thereof remote from the outwardly extending flanges on said end portion, said additional outwardly extending flanges engaging the inwardly extending lugs associated with said additional opening when said cam is sufficiently retracted into said bore.

Claim 11

A toy construction set as defined in claim 9 wherein said coupling cam has a slot between said additional outwardly extending flanges which extends axially toward said end portion.

Claim 12

In a toy construction set, plurality of interconnectible blocks, certain of said blocks including an axially shiftable and rotatable coupling cam, said cam in each instance being shiftable from a fully retracted position within the block with which it is associated to a partially projected position, said certain blocks also having means engageable by the cam of an adjacent block when the cam of said adjacent block is in its said partially projected position.

Claim 13

In a toy construction set, plurality of interconnectible blocks, certain of said blocks including an axially shiftable and rotatable coupling cam, said cam in each instance being shiftable from a fully retracted position within the block with which it is associated to a partially projected position, said certain blocks also having means engageable by the cam of an adjacent block when the cam of said adjacent block is in its said partially projected position.

Claim 14

In a toy construction set as defined in claim 11 wherein the toy construction set includes a base plate, said base plate having respective means engageable by the cam of an adjacent block when the cam of said adjacent block is in its said partially projected position.

Claim 15

In a toy construction set as defined in claim 12 wherein said base plate includes a plurality of axially shiftable and rotatable coupling cams.

Claim 16

In a toy construction set, a plurality of interconnectible blocks, first of said plurality of blocks including a coupling cam for attaching said first block to a second block of said plurality of blocks, and a third block of said plurality of blocks including means for selectively attaching said third block to said first block and said second block, said second block including a tubular bushing having inwardly extending lugs, said cam having flanges thereon engageable with said lugs.

Claim 17

In a toy construction set, a plurality of interconnectible blocks, first of said plurality of blocks including a coupling cam for attaching said first block to a second block of said plurality of blocks, and a third block of said plurality of blocks including means for selectively attaching said third block to said first block and said second block, said second block including a tubular bushing having inwardly extending lugs, said cam having flanges thereon engageable with said lugs.

Claim 18

In a toy construction set, first and second blocks wherein each block includes a tubular bushing having a cylindrical bore extending therethrough, a pair of diametrically located lugs extending toward each other at one end of said bore, a pair of diameterically located flanges extending toward each other within said bore and recessed with respect to the other end of said bore, a coupling cam shiftably contained in said bore, a first pair of diametrically located flanges extending outwardly in opposite directions from one end of said cam, a second pair of diametrically located flanges extending outwardly in opposite directions from the other end of said cam, said first and second oppositely extending flanges being spaced an axial distance less than the distance between said lugs and said recessed flanges and said first pair of flanges on said cam being obstructively engageable with said lugs when said cam is shifted in one direction and said second pair of flanges on said cam being obstructively engageable with said recessed flanges when shifted in an opposite direction so that said cam is held captive in said bore between said lugs and said recessed flanges, said lesser distance between said first and second oppositely extending flanges permitting said cam to be axially shifted within said bore so that said second oppositely extending flanges project axially from the first block so that said second oppositely extending flanges can be obstructively engaged with the lugs of said second block when said cam is rotated to thereby interconnect said first and second blocks.

Claim 19

In a toy construction set, first and second blocks wherein each block includes a tubular bushing having a cylindrical bore extending therethrough, a pair of diametrically located lugs extending toward each other at one end of said bore, a pair of diameterically located flanges extending toward each other within said bore and recessed with respect to the other end of said bore, a coupling cam shiftably contained in said bore, a first pair of diametrically located flanges extending outwardly in opposite directions from one end of said cam, a second pair of diametrically located flanges extending outwardly in opposite directions from the other end of said cam, said first and second oppositely extending flanges being spaced an axial distance less than the distance between said lugs and said recessed flanges and said first pair of flanges on said cam being obstructively engageable with said lugs when said cam is shifted in one direction and said second pair of flanges on said cam being obstructively engageable with said recessed flanges when shifted in an opposite direction so that said cam is held captive in said bore between said lugs and said recessed flanges, said lesser distance between said first and second oppositely extending flanges permitting said cam to be axially shifted within said bore so that said second oppositely extending flanges project axially from the first block so that said second oppositely extending flanges can be obstructively engaged with the lugs of said second block when said cam is rotated to thereby interconnect said first and second blocks.

Claim 20

A toy construction set as defined in claim 15 wherein said second oppositely extending flanges are formed with sloping cam surfaces.

Claim 21

A toy construction set as defined in claim 16 in which said cam surfaces have notches formed therein in which said lugs reside when said cam is rotated to interconnect said first and second blocks.

Claim 22

A toy construction set as defined in claim 16 in which said cam has a slot between said second oppositely extending flanges, said slot extending from said other end of said cam toward its said one end so that said second flanges can flex toward each other to effect the release of the cam from said cylinder bore when subjected to an excessive amount of force.

Claim 23

A toy construction set as defined in claim 18 in which said cam has a second slot between said first oppositely extending flanges, said second slot extending from said one end of said cam toward its said other end so that said first flanges can flex toward each other to facilitate factory insertion of said cam into said cylindrical bore.

Claim 24

For use in a toy construction set, a rotatable cam comprising a body portion having a slot extending from one end thereof toward the other end thereof, said body portion having a pair of oppositely directed flanges at said one end, each of said flanges having a cam surface on the side thereof facing toward said other end of the body portion, said body portion having a second pair of oppositely directed flange at its said other end, said second flanges being generally perpendicular to said first flanges.

Claim 25

For use in a toy construction set, a rotatable cam comprising a body portion having a slot extending from one end thereof toward the other end thereof, said body portion having a pair of oppositely directed flanges at said one end, each of said flanges having a cam surface on the side thereof facing toward said other end of the body portion, said body portion having a second pair of oppositely directed flange at its said other end, said second flanges being generally perpendicular to said first flanges.

Claim 26

A rotatable cam for use in a construction set as defined in claim 20 in which said body portion has a second slot extending from its said other end toward its said one end, said second slot being generally perpendicular to said first first slot.

Claim 27

A rotatable cam for use in a construction set as defined in claim 21 in which the cam is formed from a plastic material.

Claim 28

A rotatable cam for use in a construction set as defined in claim 22 in which said plastic material acetal.