...... Continuing the LEGO story
After the Second World War, plastics appeared in Denmark, and LEGO purchased a plastic injection molding machine in 1947. One of the first modular toys produced was a truck that could be disassembled and reassembled. In 1947, Ole Kirk and Godtfred obtained samples of interlocking plastic bricks produced by Kiddicraft. Hilary Fisher Page designed these "Kiddicraft self-locking building bricks." In 1939, Page applied for a patent for a hollow plastic cube with four studs on the top, which can be positioned up and down without moving laterally. In 1944, Page added an "improvement of toy building blocks" to a previous patent, in which he described a building system based on rectangular hollow building blocks with 2X4 studs on the top, thus It is possible to construct walls with staggered rows and window openings. In 1947, an additional building permit was obtained. In 1949, the LEGO Group began to produce similar bricks, calling them "automatic binding bricks." LEGO blocks are made of cellulose acetate and developed in the spirit of traditional wooden blocks, which can be stacked on top of each other but can be "locked together." They have a few round "studs" on the top and a hollow rectangle on the bottom. They will stick together, but not too tight to separate. In 1953, these blocks were renamed: LEGO Mursten, or " LEGO Bricks".
Initially, plastic products were not popular with customers, who preferred wooden or metal toys. Due to poor sales, many LEGO goods were returned. In 1954, Godfred became the junior managing director of the LEGO Group. Godfred's conversation with an overseas buyer shocked the idea of a toy "system" that contained many related product lines. Godtfred evaluated their available products and believes that plastic bricks are the best choice for this type of "system". In 1955, LEGO released such a system "town plan" using building blocks.
Building bricks are very popular, but there are some problems from a technical point of view: they have limited "locking" capabilities and are not widely used. In 1958, the brick was improved and a hollow tube was installed on the bottom of the brick. This change adds support for the foundation, thereby achieving better locking capabilities and enhanced versatility. The company applied for patents for the new design and several other similar designs to avoid competition. Ole Kirk Christiansen died the same year, and Godfred inherited the company's leadership.