Did You Know...
...Chester Carlson was a patent agent who tired of having to make multiple copies of patent applications using the only duplication method available at the time: carbon paper. In 1959 he came up with a new copying system and took it to IBM for evaluation. The "experts" at IBM determined potential sales to be only 5,000 units because people wouldn't want to use a bulky machine when they had carbon paper. Carlson's invention was the xerography process, the company founded on the system is Xerox.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7438623 | Geometric construction system A geometric construction system includes: a plurality of flat panels; and a plurality of connecting units provided on side edges of the flat panels. Each connecting unit includes first and second engaging parts. The first engaging part is formed with a protrusion, a... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7434359 | Constructing geodesic domes with panels Techniques are described for constructing geodesic dome structures. For example, a method includes connecting a set of panels to form a geodesic dome. The panels have surface contours that conform to a surface contour of a geodesic dome having a dimension larger tha... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7229334 | Toy house assembly A house-building toy comprises element blocks that include floor foundation blocks (2) functioning as the foundation of a house model and structuring a floor portion of the house model, wall blocks (3) structuring a wall portion of the house model, roo... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7192329 | Multi-facet decoration assembly A multi-facet decoration assembly is provided, comprising multiple polygonal grates with equilateral sides. Each corner of the polygonal grate has one catch pin and one slot pin disposed on the underside. This unique decoration ball assembly can be easily assembled ... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7155865 | Prefabricated housing structure A housing structure includes a first plurality of wall panels which form a lower course and a second plurality of wall panels which form an upper course. Each of the wall portions is generally rectangular and includes integrally formed interlocking portions which fa... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7104863 | Product cycle project development A method for teaching production cycle project development utilizing a construction set having at least one construction set component designed to be alterable (e.g., robot) for constructing a user-definable apparatus. The teaching may include providing instructions... | 09/12/2006 |
| 6996942 | Constructing geodesic domes Techniques are described for constructing geodesic dome structures. For example, a method includes connecting a set of temporary spacers to a set of connectors. The spacers arrange the connectors in space so that the connectors are referenced with respect to one ano... | 02/14/2006 |
| 6935075 | Triangular stackable building wall module and method A stackable building wall unit adapted to be stacked with a plurality of identical building wall units in a plane to form a wall comprising three rectangular panels each including inner and outer faces, a pair of spaced apart long edges, and a pair of spaced apart s... | 08/30/2005 |
| 6925770 | Interlockable element for structure assembly set An interlockable element for a structure assembly set includes an at least partially planar body and a connector edge having associated therewith a first A-type and B-type connector pair disposed about a first axis of rotation and a second A-type and B-type connecto... | 08/09/2005 |
| 6824440 | Element of erection set, and erection set provided therewith An element of an erection set has a body provided with a rigid projection and a flexible plate spaced from one another so as to form a gap therebetween such that a width of the gap between ends of the projection and the plate is greater than a width of the gap betwe... | 11/30/2004 |
| 6736691 | Toy building set with interconnection by means of tenons with snap A toy building set comprising box-shaped building elements that have, in the horizontal plane, dimensions that are integer multiples of a horizontal module (L), and, in the vertical direction, a height (H) which exceeds the horizontal module. The building elements h... | 05/18/2004 |
| 6672931 | Interconnectable model construction elements A system of interconnectable construction elements created from molded plastic, and which include planar and cylindrical strut members of varying lengths and thicknesses which can be coupled together and to various construction elements of varying geometr... | 01/06/2004 |
| 6554676 | Toy building set A toy building set of building elements (10, 30) having coupling studs (15) and cavities (34) to receive coupling studs (15) in frictional engagement. The cavity (34) accommodates guide means (37) which are adapted to contact coupling studs (15) with a lo... | 04/29/2003 |
| 6447358 | Toy building set A toy building set comprising a plurality of building elements which each are provided with hinge parts, a first type of hinge parts comprising a substantially cylindrical rod-shaped shaft part of a building element, a second type of hinge parts comprisin... | 09/10/2002 |
| 6186855 | Set of elements articulated to each other The four elements are each provided with protrusions constituted by forks the branches of which are resilient, which are each provided with a recess and with an embossment. These protrusions engage with each other, their embossments and their recesses hoo... | 02/13/2001 |
| 6179681 | Universal connector toy The present invention provides a versatile construction kit which can be used to easily form models of virtually any conceivable person, place or thing including a variety of vehicles, buildings, people, animals, weapons, machinery, caricatures, objects a... | 01/30/2001 |
| 6142848 | Educational toy components A constructional toy component (13) which has on at least one edge (11), two portions (15, 16) each of which has associated therewith one of two complementary members (19, 18) the arrangement being such that when two similar edges are brought into abutmen... | 11/07/2000 |
| 6116981 | Constructional pieces with deformable joints A constructional system provides a plurality of pieces that can be used to assemble an object. The object includes a connector piece having a shaft that includes opposing first and second ends, and a first deformable section including opposing first and s... | 09/12/2000 |
| 6116980 | Set of elements articulated to each other Four elements are each provided with protrusions constituted by forks, the branches of which are resilient. Each fork is provided with a recess and with an embossment. The protrusions engage with each other, their embossments and their recesses hooking ea... | 09/12/2000 |
| 6073404 | Model building A modular building model is provided. The modular building model includes a base and a lower level module disposed on and engaged with the base. An upper level module is disposed on and engaged with the lower level module. The base includes a releasable s... | 06/13/2000 |
| 6068533 | Panel element for multi-part construction toy A panel for a multi-part construction toy characterized by having recesses along some or all of its side edges for the locking reception of connector elements of the type incorporated into standard K'NEX multi-part construction sets. The panels are design... | 05/30/2000 |
| 5964635 | Toy construction system The present invention relates to a toy construction system comprising building elements of a first type that has a pair of opposed walls that define a space between said opposed walls, wherein those sides of the walls that face towards the space are provi... | 10/12/1999 |
| 5938496 | Constructional pieces with deformable joints A constructional system provides a plurality of pieces that can be used to assemble an object. The object includes a connector piece having a shaft that includes opposing first and second ends, and a first deformable section including opposing first and s... | 08/17/1999 |
| 5895306 | Polygonal puzzle kit capable of three-dimensional construction, such as toy construction A toy construction kit, particularly a three-dimensional puzzle, including a plurality of generally regular polygonal construction elements that can be releasably assembled, through tab-and-slot, hinged interengagement, to form a toy construction. Each of... | 04/20/1999 |
| 5876261 | Building set for a toy building A building set for a toy building comprising a number of building modules (1) which each defines a space, said building modules (1) being so designed that they may be stacked or arranged next to each other as desired for the construction of single- or mul... | 03/02/1999 |
| 5853313 | Constructional toy with deformable joints A constructional toy system provides a plurality of pieces that can be used to construct an object. Each piece has at least one section having opposing first and second notches, and a tongue defining a neck between the first and second notches, the tongue... | 12/29/1998 |
| 5833512 | Slotted and grooved construction toy A slotted and grooved construction toy of the type having a plurality of flat bodies with slots interlocking with other flat bodies. The flat bodies have a plastic foam core in combination with a laminated surface. The foam core is a semi-rigid and compre... | 11/10/1998 |
| 5826394 | Basic building blocks for constructing complex building structure A hollow block (e.g. a rectangular prism) preferably has six (6) perpendicular faces. Each face preferably has a wall with a particular thickness. An opening is provided in at least a particular one of the faces, and preferably in all six (6) faces. A hol... | 10/27/1998 |
| 5823531 | Three-dimensional puzzle assembled from separate pieces A three-dimensional puzzle assembled from puzzle pieces having a succession of rectilinear, curved, or rectilinear and curved segments that cooperate with other assembling and immobilization means used to assemble the puzzle. The assembling and the immobi... | 10/20/1998 |
| 5746038 | Construction components and assembly system Assembled structural components, fabricated from cementitious, fibrous, clay, and aggregate materials, have fibers aligned parallel to tensile forces to form a load bearing structure for use in construction. Fiber and cement membrane components hold rigid... | 05/05/1998 |
| 5661941 | Constructional building set A building element for a constructional building set having coupling means for coupling to other building elements included in the building set by cooperation with their coupling studs arranged with mutual modular measures, said coupling means comprising ... | 09/02/1997 |
| 5372450 | Flexible joint connector An interlockable connection system is disclosed herein for releasably joining a selected number of tiles together wherein each tile includes a plurality of receptacles adapted to snap-lock with a retaining element used in common with other tiles so as to ... | 12/13/1994 |
| 5306198 | Toy building block assembly The invention is arranged to include a plurality of various block-like members having configurations to include cubic, parallelepiped, and triangular cross-sectional configuration arranged for assemblage relative to one another, wherein each of the block ... | 04/26/1994 |
| 5259803 | Toy construction set featuring gears and radiant connectors A construction toy formed from a plurality of building blocks. A primary form of building block is formed as a wafer-shaped rectangle having top and bottom surfaces formed of complemental interconnectable arrays of posts or rectangular vanes on a top surf... | 11/09/1993 |
| 5222902 | Interlocking blocks A toy connector in accordance with the present invention joins first and second structural elements which are aligned adjacent one another and engaged to form a flush, secure connection having a female connector assembly joined to the first structural ele... | 06/29/1993 |
| 5212842 | Child's interlockable foam pad, foam pad structure and method An interlockable foam pad adapted with other interlockable foam pads to form foam pad structures, such as a three-dimensional structure or a foam pad exercise mat. The foam pad comprises a core foam layer of a polyethylene foam layer, the top and bottom f... | 05/25/1993 |
| 5112266 | Noise making device A noise making device for creating selective clapping sounds comprised of a pair of section halves of molded plastic construction, each section including a handle portion and an elongated flat blade portion extending therefrom together with locking elemen... | 05/12/1992 |
| 5100358 | Coupling device for polygonal elements designed to form spatial structures and in particular polyhedral toys A polygonal element has at each of its sides a coupling device designed to connect said element with an identical or different polygonal element equipped with a complementary coupling device in such a manner as to form a polyhedral spatial structure with ... | 03/31/1992 |
| 5049104 | Connecting means for a toy building set A connecting system for a toy building set comprises a first coupling part (11) and a second coupling part (12, 13), which are provided on their respective ones of a pair of building elements, adapted to be interconnected, and are formed with respective c... | 09/17/1991 |
| 5046988 | Linked polyhedra with corner connector A transformable combination of linked polyhedra which includes a set of a plurality of objects each having at least first and second faces and a member for connecting adjacent objects in a manner which allows rotation of one object while an adjacent objec... | 09/10/1991 |
