Self-Locking Building Bricks, baseplate (Kiddicraft)

Exhibit
Self-Locking Building Bricks, baseplate (Kiddicraft) Black baseplate for Kiddicraft's "Lego" precursor (i)
location:
Arch Two , Area 24 Building Sets 2 (display)
Shelf 1 1952

1949: Hilary Page patent for the baseplate (granted 1950) [image info]

A heavy black cast Bakelite base unit for Kiddicraft Self-Locking Building Bricks.

The weight and material of the base may seem anomalous given that the bricks themselves were injection-moulded, but given the size of the piece, and the importance of it not warping, casting the piece in bakelite was probably a way to get around the limitations of early injection-moulding machines and produce a piece that was more stable.

Kiddicraft Self-Locking Building Bricks, baseplate detail

Patent

Hilary Page applied for a patent for the design on July 19, 1949, which was granted in 1952 as patent number GB673857.

A supporting sheet or base 1 for toy building blocks of the type having ribs or projections on their upper face and a recess or recesses in from their lower face has, on its upper surface, a plurality of projections of circular cross section which are disposed equally spaced longitudinally and transversely in rows. Building blocks 3, 4 placed on the base are thus maintained in position by the engagement of base projections within the block recesses. The base may be of plastic and have an outer margin of a width equal to one half the distance between adjacent rows of projections to permit bases to be locked together by means of the blocks. The base has ribs and flanges, Fig. 5 (not shown), and feet 6 are provided. Specifications 587,206 and 633,055 are referred to.

External links

• Baseplate patent, GB673857 (A) ― 1952-06-11 (worldwide.espacenet.com)
• Source information on Hilary Page and Kiddicraft (hilarypagetoys.com)