Construction set
Encyclopedia
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
of a variety of different models. The pieces avoid the lead time of manufacturing custom pieces, and of requiring special training or design time to construct complex systems. This makes them suitable for temporary structures, or for use as children's toy
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
s.
Categories
Construction sets can be categorized according to their connection method and geometry:- Struts of varying length that are connected by nodes are good for building space frameSpace frameA space frame or space structure is a truss-like, lightweight rigid structure constructed from interlocking struts in a geometric pattern. Space frames can be used to span large areas with few interior supports...
s, and often have components that allow full rotational freedom.- D8h (*228) nodes are used for K'NexK'NEXK'Nex is a brand name of a construction toy system invented by Joel Glickman, designed and produced by Industries of Hatfield, Pennsylvania, USA. Currently Michael Araten is the president of the organization. The name is, presumably, a phonetic variation of connects, and is pronounced the same way...
, TinkertoyTinkertoyThe Tinkertoy Construction Set was created in 1914—one year after the A. C. Gilbert Company's Erector Set—by Charles H. Pajeau and Robert Pettit in Evanston, Illinois. Pajeau, a stonemason, designed the toy after seeing children play with pencils and empty spools of thread. He and...
s, Playskool PipeworksPlayskool PipeworksPlayskool Pipeworks with the unique 'click-lock' locking system is a construction toy consisting of white tubes and multi-colored connectors assembled and disassemble with a plastic wrench... - OhOctahedral symmetry150px|thumb|right|The [[cube]] is the most common shape with octahedral symmetryA regular octahedron has 24 rotational symmetries, and a symmetry order of 48 including transformations that combine a reflection and a rotation...
(*432) nodes are used for Mero produced by Mero-SchmidlinMero-SchmidlinMero-Schmidlin plc is a business specializing in building construction systems. It is based in Surrey in the United Kingdom and is owned by the German MERO-TSK Group . The name MERO is an abbreviation for Mengeringhausen Rohrbauweise .-History:The MERO company was founded by Dr Ing. Max... - IhIcosahedral symmetryA regular icosahedron has 60 rotational symmetries, and a symmetry order of 120 including transformations that combine a reflection and a rotation...
(*532) nodes are used for Zometool
- D8h (*228) nodes are used for K'Nex
- Panels of varying sizes and shapes
- Panels of varying sizes and shapes are connected by pins or screws perpendicular to the panels, which are good for building linkagesLinkage (mechanical)A mechanical linkage is an assembly of bodies connected together to manage forces and movement. The movement of a body, or link, is studied using geometry so the link is considered to be rigid. The connections between links are modeled as providing ideal movement, pure rotation or sliding for...
such as an Erector SetErector SetErector Set is the trade name of a toy construction set that is popular in the United States.It consists of collections of small metal beams with regular holes for nuts, bolts, screws, and mechanical parts such as pulleys, gears, and small electric motors.The brand name is currently used for...
, MeccanoMeccanoMeccano is a model construction system comprising re-usable metal strips, plates, angle girders, wheels, axles and gears, with nuts and bolts to connect the pieces. It enables the building of working models and mechanical devices....
, MerkurMerkur (Toy)Merkur refers to a metal construction set built in Czechoslovakia . It was also referred to as Constructo or Build-o in English-speaking countries and Tecc in the Netherlands....
, Steel TecSteel TecSteel Tec is a metal construction toy similar to Meccano. It used a combination of metal and plastic parts held together by metal screws.It was manufactured in China by the Azrak Hamway International, Inc. from 1992 to 1997. The rights are currently held by JAKKS Pacific, Inc.Unlike Meccano , the...
, Lego TechnicLego TechnicTechnic is a line of Lego interconnecting plastic rods and parts. The purpose of this series is to create more advanced models with more complex movable arms, such as machines with wheels, in addition to the simpler brick-building properties of normal Lego....
, TrixTrix (construction sets)Trix model construction sets were originally produced in 1931 by a Nuremberg company, Andreas Förtner . The German patent for the basic Trix pieces had been granted the previous year, in 1930....
and FAC-SystemFAC-SystemFAC-System is a mechanical construction set, invented by Swedish artist Mark Sylwan in 1952. It uses mainly metallic parts, and extensively uses steel rod....
. - Panels of varying sizes and shapes with flexible panels or hinges between panels such as Tog'lTog'lTog'l was a construction set produced by Mattel from 1968 through 1970, similar in concept to Lego.-Composition:At its core was a cube-shaped building block called a "Tog'l Block". Each side of the block had a hole or a pin that could be used to connect to the corresponding element on the side of...
, JovoJovoJOVO Click 'N Construct is a brand name of toy constructions system invented by Josef Volgger and produced by JOVO International of Helsinge, Denmark. The toy consists of equilateral triangle, square and regular pentagon plastic pieces that click together on their edges, and the edges then act as...
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- Panels of varying sizes and shapes are connected by pins or screws perpendicular to the panels, which are good for building linkages
- Building components with various methods of connection include:
- No connection: toy blockToy blockToy blocks , are wooden, plastic or foam pieces of various shapes and colors that are used as building toys...
s, Anchor Stone BlocksAnchor Stone BlocksAnchor Stone Blocks are stone building blocks made in Rudolstadt, Germany. They are so precisely cut and polished that they fit together perfectly. They are made in three colors in imitation of the red brick, tan limestone, and blue slate of European buildings...
, and KaplaKaplaKapla is a wooden block construction toy for children and adults. Each block is an identically sized and shaped piece of pine, with dimensions in the ratio of 1:3:15; i.e., 1 unit high, 3 units wide and 15 units long.-Overview:... - Studs: LegoLegoLego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
, Coco, RastiRastiRasti is a construction toy made from plastic, similar to Lego, Tente and Mis Ladrillos, that was produced by the Knittax company in Argentina between the 1960s and the 1970s.- Construction :...
, TenteTente (Toys)Tente was a line of construction toys created in 1972 by EXIN-LINES BROS S.A., a plastics and toy company based in Barcelona, Spain which ceased operation in 1993. Subsequently, the trademark and patents were acquired by EDUCA BORRAS, and as of 2008 the toy line appears to be discontinued...
, Mega BloksMega BrandsMega Brands, Incorporated , formerly Mega Bloks, Incorporated, is a publicly traded children's toy company. Mega Bloks is the name of their most popular product, a line of construction set toys, with other brands including Mega Puzzles, Board Dudes and Rose Art. Mega Brands, Inc. distributes a...
, fischertechnikFischertechnikFischerTechnik is a brand of construction toy. It was invented by Artur Fischer and is produced by FischerTechnik GmbH in Waldachtal, Germany. Fans often refer to FischerTechnik as FT or ft. It is used in education for teaching about simple machines, as well as motorization and mechanisms...
, PlaymobilPlaymobilPlaymobil is a line of toys produced by the Brandstätter Group , headquartered in Zirndorf, Germany.New products and product lines developed by a 50-strong development team are frequently introduced by Brandstätter. Some of these, such as promotional products, are only produced in limited quantities...
, Loc BlocsLoc BlocsLOC BLOCs was a plastic block construction toy set. Never reaching the popularity of Lego bricks, they did have a loyal following of fans. They were marketed in the 1970s and 1980s by Entex Industries, and manufactured in Japan as Dia Block by Kawada Co., which still produces sets to this day.They...
, Cobi blockCobi (building blocks)COBI is a Polish toy company with its headquarters in Warsaw, Poland. COBI's most prominent toys are building blocks - sold primarily in Poland and central Europe. They sell other products but none of these are available from the company's English language online store. The COBI website accepts...
s, and OxfordOxford (toy company)Oxford is a South Korean toy company, based in Busan, that makes interlocking brick toys. The company was first founded in 1961 as Dongjin Ind. Corp. The company's small sized blocks are compatible with Lego brand bricks, and the company makes blocks in larger sizes for younger children... - Notches: Lincoln LogsLincoln LogsLincoln Logs is the name of a children's toy consisting of notched miniature logs, used to build miniature forts and buildings. They were invented by John L. Wright, son of the architect Frank Lloyd Wright...
, GIKGIKThe Great Invention Kit is a construction set, like Lego, but using a different type of assembly principle. It was first developed by Eli, Grace, and Neil Gershenfeld in their house....
, and Stickle bricksStickle bricksStickle Bricks are a construction toy primarily intended for toddlers invented by Denys Fisher. The brand is owned by Hasbro and they are currently manufactured by Flair Leisure Products plc.... - Sleeves: CapselaCapselaCapsela is a construction toy consisting primarily of spherical plastic capsules which may be connected to form various toys that can be static or moving and suitable for land or water. The capsules usually have six hollow octagonal connectors pointing out, where an octagonal sleeve piece bridges...
- No connection: toy block