Construction set:Big T - "Junior"

Charles Pajeau and Robert Petit began producing the classic Tinkertoy construction sets of 81 pieces in 1914 in a small woodshop in a Chicago suburb. After the first years of production, Tinkertoy sets came in several varieties. For older children, the Toy Tinkers offered in 1919 Giant Tinker, a set for making models with motion. The set encouraged the work (through play) of budding mechanics and architects. In 1927, the Double Tinkertoy set offered twice the number of pieces as the original set for building larger structures. By 1932 Pajeau and Petit produced sets with motors and electricity. For families without electricity, the Spring Motor Tinkertoy set provided a wind-up motor with about two to four minutes of energy for moving models. The mechanized sets proved very popular for about 10 years. In 1942, however, the United States' entry into World War II demanded all the motor-making materials for the war effort, so the mechanized Tinkertoy sets were discontinued.