Erector Set

Invented by : A.C. Gilbert

Invented in year : 1911

Erector Set is a brand of a toy construction set. The set consists of collection of small metal beams with regular holes for nuts, bolts, screws, mechanical parts such as pulleys, gears and small electric motors. The brand ERECTOR is exclusive for the American market, whilst MECCANO® is exclusive for the rest of the world. Erector sets are manufactured by Meccano S.N. of France, part of the Nikko Group of Japan. They do not have the flanged beams of the original Gilbert Erector Sets. The brand is currently operating in over 80 countries and earns 70% of its revenue outside of France. It is a popular brand in the Unites States of America distributed by Schylling Toys since Jnauary 2008. It is a favourite amongst the children.

Erector Set History

The brain behind the Erectors Set was Alfred Carlton Gilbert (13th Feb, 1884 – 24th Jan, 1961). Gilbert was an American inventor, toy-maker and businessman. In 1909, he co-founded a company ‘Mysto Manufacturing’ which made magic sets. It was in 1911, that the Erector Set was invented by Gilbert. The inspiration behind the Erectors Set came to Gilbert whilst commuting from New Haven, Connecticut to New York City. Looking from his train window, Gilbert saw that workers were building a power-line tower using steel beams being used on the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. He envisioned the steel construction girders into miniature forms with different material for children. The company which Gilbert had co-founded, was named A.C. Gilbert Company, set up at Erector Square factory in New Haven, Connecticut.  Erector Set toys were consequently manufactured by the A.C. Gilbert Company. In 1913, at the Toy Fair held in New York City, A.C. Gilbert first introduced the ERECTOR® brand and sets to the toy world. The first sets were called by A.C. Gilbert ‘The Erector / Structural Steel & Electro-Mechanical Builder’. These sets had evenly spaced holes for bolts to pass through and used screws, bolts, pulleys, and gears similar to those used during real construction. Accessory sets were also available to allow children to upgrade basic sets.

Development in the Invention of Erector Set

By 1935, A.C. Gilbert  company had sold more than 30 million of the sets. Gilbert, further included chemistry sets, microscope sets and other educational toys to his product line, accumulating more than 150 patents during his 50-year career.

In 1938, he acquired the rights to the ‘American Flyer Toy Train Line’ from W. O. Coleman and moved their production from Chicago to New Haven. At the same time, he adopted a 3/16 Scale for this train line while keeping the ‘Three-rail O-gauge Track’ now associated with Lionel.

Following World War II, O-gauge track was abandoned in favour of two-rail S-gauge track. His trains got him worldwide famous for making American Flyer trains look ‘Real’ rather than a ‘Toylike’.

In 1949, an Erector Set was used to build the precursor to the modern artificial heart by Drs. William Sewell and William Glenn of the Yale School of Medicine. The external pump successfully bypassed the heart of a dog for more than an hour.

Gilbert's original rival Meccano Company (now Meccano Toys Ltd.) acquired the rights to the Erector Set after 1962, and still sells them today.

During the 1990s, MECCANO bought the ERECTOR® brand.

In recent years the Erector brand has refreshed the erector set principle with dozens of innovative kits that allow children (and adults) to create classics like the ferris wheel to cool new designs like a motorcycle, a roadster, crane, and skyscrapers like the Empire State Building. With a wide range of prices and skill levels, there's an erector set for everyone.

In 2008,  MECCANO launched a line of robotic products called SPYKEE. It is a build-it-yourself robot. SPYKEE has a webcam, a microphone, a speaker and two engines. It can move, see, hear, speak, take pictures, record videos, etc. It can detect intruders, and can play digital music. When its battery gets low, SPYKEE returns to its recharging base all by itself.

Various products were developed for children like:

• Erector Build & Play Motorize Bucket.
• Erector 20 Model Case.
• Erector Build & Play Mechanical Bucket.
• Erector Tuning RC Red Hot Racer.
• Erector Tuning RC Carbon Style.
• Erector Build & Play Train.
• Erector Build & Play ATV - 4 Models.
• Erector Extreme Dragster.

Role of the Invention of in the development of Human Life

• Gilbert Erector Sets raised the standard of toy manufacturing. He inspired other toy manufacturers’ to make quality and precise toys.
• Erector Sets quality and creativity inspired media to use it for it’s purposes. Example an Erector Set was used in the HBO movie, You Don't Know Jack, featuring Al Pacino. The ‘Soarin' attraction at Walt Disney World's Epcot near Orlando, Florida was designed with an Erector Set.
• Erector Sets are more than just toys they are tools to better the minds of the children whilst enjoying themselves. Erector sets enable the building of working models and mechanical devices and have inspired countless engineers, designers, architects and creative minds of all ages. Modern versions include new technologies to accelerate construction for even the youngest children.