Toy building set

Abstract

A toy building construction set has a plurality of molded support components. The three main types of support components include a column, a beam and a base. Each column includes a protrusion on one end to be accepted into a corresponding aperture in a base or underlying column. Each beam includes protrusions on each end adapted to be releasably received into corresponding slots located atop the columns. Each beam also includes panel-receiving prongs along the length of the beam to accommodate building panels. The building panels may have printing on one or both sides so as to appear as the exterior of a building, the interior of a building, or a combination thereof.

What I claim is:  
     
         1 . A toy building construction set comprising: 
 (a) one or more base components, each of said one or more base components comprising a top surface having one or more apertures;    (b) a plurality of beams, each beam of said plurality of beams having first and second end portions, an exterior surface area between said end portions, and defining a longitudinal axis, and further where said first end of each of said beams includes a protruding member substantially coaxial with said longitudinal axis and where said second end of each of said beams includes a protruding member substantially coaxial with said longitudinal axis, and further where said exterior surface area includes a one or more prongs;    (c) a plurality of columns, each column of said plurality of columns having first and second end portions, and defining a longitudinal axis and a perimeter, where said first end of each of said columns includes a protrusion substantially coaxial with said longitudinal axis of said column and where said second end of each of said columns includes a plurality of slots about said perimeter, each of said slots being adapted to releasably receive one of said protruding members of said beams, said second end of each of said columns further comprising a hole substantially coaxial with said longitudinal axis of said column adapted to receive a corresponding protrusion of an adjacent column; and    (d) a plurality of panels having apertures capable of being releasably received by said prongs of said beams;    wherein each of said protrusions of said columns may be selectively disposed in either a corresponding aperture of said one or more base components or in said hole of an adjacent column, and where said columns releasably receive said selected protruding member of said beams, and where said prongs of said beams releasably receive one or more of said panels so as to construct a toy building of predetermined configuration.