US3492759A - Appendage animating means for figure toys - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 3, 1970 J. s. I Ewls `Erm v APPENDAGE ANIMATING MEANS FOR FIGURE TOYS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 11, v1967 Feb.v 3, 1970 J. s. I Ewls ETAI- APPENDAGE ANIMATING MEANS FOR FIGURE TOYS Filed ce1. 11, 19e? :im B E f Feb 3, 1970 J. s, LEWS ETAL 3,492,759

APPENDAGE ANIMATING MEANS FOR lFIGURE TOYS Filed oct, 11, 1967 slshe'ets-sheet s,

United States Patent O 3,492,759 APPENDAGE ANIMATING MEANS FOR FIGURE TOYS J. Stephen Lewis, Pacific Palisades, Jack L. Lemkin, Los Angeles, George Sanchez, Compton, Jurgis Sapkus, Manhattan Beach, and John W. Ryan, Los Angeles, Calif., assignors to Mattel, Inc., Hawthorne, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Oct. 11, 1967, Ser. No. 674,590 Int. Cl. A63h 11/10, 1I/00 U.S. Cl. 46-102 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF TdE DISCLOSURE An animated doll has a rocker assembly mounted therein. The rocker assembly may be connected to the dolls head, legs and arms for oscillating the head and swinging the arms and legs when the rocker assembly is rocked by a torsion drive including a reciprocating push rod for turning the rocker assembly a partial turn in one direction and a return spring for returning the rocker assembly to its initial position. The push rod may be driven by a ground-engaging wheel associated with the doll. In a modification the .rocker assembly may be connected to the legs and upper torso half for swinging the legs and oscillating the upper torso half. The arms may -be connected to a member which is lixed to the lower torso half so that oscillation of the upper torso half will cause the arms to swing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The background of the invention will be set forth iu two parts:

Field of the invention The invention pertains generally to the field of mechanical ligure toys and more particularly to appendage animating means for gure toys.

Description of the prior art An example of an appendage animating means for ligure toys may be found in U.S. Patent No. 3,147,566 which discloses a mechanical doll having a movable head, movable legs and movable arms connected to an actuator strip rotatably -mounted in the doll. The head is connected directly to the strip for rotation therewith and the arms and legs are connected to the strip by a system of bevel gears. A pair of bevel gears are also provided for rotating the strip.

These bevel gears make the first-cost of the doll comparatively high and are subject to becoming worn and, if made from inexpensive materials, damaged in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and useful appendage animating means for ligure toys not subject to these disadvantages and exemplifying an improvement over the prior art.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and useful appendage animating means for ligure toys which includes a simple, inexpensive rocker assembly and a torsion drive means for rocking the rocker assembly to animate the ligure toys appendages.

A further object of the present invention is to provide appendage animating means of the type described which will oscillate a dolls head and swing its arms and legs when a cart, which forms a part of the present invention and which is connected to the doll, is moved over a suitable surface.

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Another object of the present invention is to provide appendage animating means of the type described which will oscillate a dolls upper torso half and swing its legs and which includes means whereby oscillation of the upper torso half swings the dolls arms.

According to the lirst embodiment of the present invention, a ligure toy, which is provided with appendages in the form of a head, arms and legs, is provided with appendage animating means including a rocker assembly mounted in the ligure toy.

The rocker assembly includes an upper post which is journalled in the neck opening of the figure toy. The upper post includes an extension which frictionally receives the head of the figure toy so that the head will be oscillated when the rocker assembly is oscillated. The rocker assembly also includes a lower post, which is journalled in the lower portion of the ligure toy, and plate means, which may be formed integrally with the upper and lower posts.

The appendage animating means also includes torsion drive means for oscillating the rocker assembly and connecting means for converting oscillation of the rocker assembly to swinging of the arms and legs. The torsion drive means includes a reciprocating push rod of the Bowden-wire type having one end which engages the plate to rock the rocker assembly in a first direction (such as clockwise, for example). The push rod is reciprocated by an olf-center axle on a cart which may be attached to the ligure toy by a tongue forming the housing for the push rod.

The torsion drive means also includes a return spring for returning the rocker assembly to its initial position after it has been rocked by the push rod.

The arms and legs are connected to the plate means by actuator cams which engage the corners of the plate means in such a manner that the motion thereof will be converted to swinging movements in the arms and legs. Thus, the arms and legs will be swung toandfro when the rocker assembly is rocked to oscillate the plate means.

In a second embodiment of the present invention, an upper torso portion is free to rotate with respect to a lower torso portion. A post extends from the plate means for the actuator cams on the legs to the upper torso portion and is aliixed thereto for oscillating the upper torso portion. Actuator cams and plate means connect the arms to the lower torso portion so as to cause the arms to swing due to oscillation of the upper torso portion.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like elements in the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE l is a vertical cross-sectional view of a figure toy constituting a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 2 2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along lineA3-3 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged, partial cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged, exploded, partial perspective view of the ligure toy of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged, partial cross-sectional view taken along line 6 6 of FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is an exploded perspective View of a gure toy constituting a second embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring again to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGURE l-6, a figure toy constituting a iirst embodiment of the present invention, generally designated 10, includes a torso 12 and appendage means 14. The appendage means 14 may take the form of a plurality of appendages such as arms, legs, a head or a tail and the like and is shown herein for purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, as including a head 16, a pair of arms 18, 20 and a pair of legs 22, 24.

The appendage means 14 may be animated by appendage animating means of the present invention, generally designated 26, which includes a rocker assembly 28 connected to the appendage means 14 by suitable connecting means 30 and which is adapted to be rocked by a torsion drive means 32.

The torso 12 serves as a housing for the animating means 26 and is shown herein for purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, as including an inner, rigid housing member 34 and an outer, soft pliable housing member 36. The outer housing member 36 may be used when it is desired to give the figure toy 10 a soft, life-like feel. It will, of course, be apparent to those skilled in the art that the outer housing member 36 may be dispensed with if this feature is not desired. In such case, the inner housing member 34 would Ibe molded to conform to the shape of the torso of a real-life gure which the ligure toy 10 simulates. The inner housing member 34 may be made from suitable plastic materials which cure to a somewhat rigid, shape-retaining structure and may be conveniently made by employing injection molding techniques to form a rear housing half 38 and a front housing half 40. These housing halves may be joined together to form the inner housing 34 which includes an upper cylindrical neck 42 having a counterbore 44 provided therein. The counterbore 44 forms an annular shelf 46 below :which an annular groove 48 is provided. The housing member 34 is also provided with an upper cylindrical sleeve 50, a lower cylindrical sleeve 52, a front lWall 54 and a rear wall 56. A pin 58 extends inwardly from front wall 54 and a hollow boss 60 extends rearwardly from the rear wall 56.

The rocker assembly 28 includes a post 62 having a lower end 64 journalled in sleeve 52, an upper portion 66 journalled in the upper sleeve 50, a neck post 68 frictionally receiving head 16 and an intermediate portion 70. The rocker assembly 28 also includes a plate means 72 which is affixed to post 62 and extends laterally outwardly on each side thereof. Plate means 72 includes an upper portion 74 having a rst corner 76 positioned adjacent a first arm opening 78 and a second corner 80 positioned adjacent a second arm opening 82. The plate means 72 also includes a lower plate portion 84 having a first corner 86 positioned adjacent a first leg aperture 88, which is provided in housing member 34, and a second corner 90 positioned adjacent a second leg aperture 92. The plate means 72 also includes an intermediate portion 94 which is engaged by an end 96 of a push rod 98 forming part of the torsion drive means 32 for pivoting rocker assembly 28 slightly in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE when push rod 98 is moved in the direction of arrow 100 (FIGURE 1). The

end 96 of push rod 98 may be caged between a pair of rod 98 is reciprocally mounted in a housing 114 forming the tongue on a cart 116 which is supported by a pair of wheels 118, 120 by their associated axle pins 122, 124, respectively. The wheels 118, 120 are connected together by an offset shaft 126 forming an eccentric drive for push rod 98 which is connected to shaft 126 by a C-shaped connector 128 carried by end 130 of push rod 98. The cart 116 is adapted to be pushed along on a suitable surface and is prevented from tipping over backwards by a strut 132 depending from a rear housing portion 134 thereof. The tongue 114 is provided with a connector 136 adapted to engage boss 60 for connecting cart 116 to figure toy 10. The cart 116 may be pushed along a suitable surface with the ligure toy 10 slightly elevated. Rotation of wheels 118, 120 reciprocates push rod 98 which co-acts with spring 106 to rock rocker assembly 28 oscillating plate means 72. This oscillation is translated into fore-and-aft swinging movements of arms 18, 20 and legs 22, 24 by associated arm and leg actuators 137, 138 and 140, 142, respectively, which, together with the neck post 68, constitute the connecting means 30. The actuators 137, 138, 140 and 142 each includes a shaft 144 rotatably mounted in arm openings 78, and leg openings 88, 92, respectively. Each shaft 144 includes an inner end 146 which carries a cam 148 and an outer end 150 which carries a non-circular connector 152. Each cam 148 is provided with a substantially V-shaped pocket 154 in which an associated plate corner 76, 80, 86 and 90 is seated, whereby swinging of plate means 72 will rotate the shafts 144 through their associated cams 148. The cams 148 are retained in position within housing member 34 by an associated pin 156 engaged in an associated aperture 158 provided in the sleeves 50 and 52. Dislodgment of the plate corners 76, 80, 86 and 90 from their associated pockets 154 is prevented by a thrust washer 160 formed integrally with post 62 and seated in annular groove 48.

Referring now more in particular to FIGURE 5, each arm 18, 20 may be made from a soft pliable plastic material and, as shown for the arm 20, is provided with an insert 162 which may be made from a comparatively rigid plastic material and which is provided with a noncircular inner periphery 164 adapted to be keyed to the non-circular connectors 152 on the arm actuators 137, 138. Each leg 22, 24 may also be made from a soft, pliable plastic material and is provided with an insert identical to the insert 162 for connecting the legs to their associated leg actuators 140, 142. Each leg 22, 24 is provided with a hollow cavity 166 for forming a knee joint in an associated leg. The cavities 166 may be formed by supporting a spherical member on a suitable stem in the mold in which the legs vare formed. This stem (not shown) will form an aperture 168 in the back of each leg 22, 24 for both permitting the removal of the spherical member and for weakening the material at the back of the knee to complete the knee joint.

In use, a child-user of toy 10 may tip cart 116 rearwardly until strut 132 engages the playing surface on which toy 10 is used. This will elevate legs 22, 24 slightly above the surface. The child-user may then push cart 116 along the surface causing wheels 118, to rotate, thereby reciprocating push rod 98. Movement of push rod 98 in the direction of arrow 100 moves plate 72 causing post 62 to pivot slightly in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 5, against the bias of spring 106. Since head 16 is frictionally engaged on neck post 68, head 16 will also pivot slightly in a clockwise direction. 'Ibis movement of plate means 72 causes upper plate 74 to swing arm 20 forwardly and upwardly and to swing arm 18 downwardly and rearwardly through plate corners 80 and 76, respectively, and their associated actuators 138, 137. Movement of plate means 72 by push rod 98 also causes lower plate 84 to swing leg 24 rearwardly and to swing leg 22 forwardly through plate corners 90 and 86, respectively, and their associated actuators 142, 140.

Movement of push rod 98 is in a direction opposite to that indicated by arrow 100 permits spring 106 to turn post 62 in a counterclockwise direction (back to its FIG- URE 1 position). This movement causes plate means 72 to swing arms 18, 20 and legs 22, 24 in a direction opposite to that heretofore described in connection with the moving of plate means 72 by movement of push rod 98 in the direction of arrow 100. Head 16 will also rotate in a counterclockwise direction back to its FIGURE 1 position.

Referring now to FIGURE 7, a figure toy constituting a second embodiment of the present invention, generally designated :1, includes a torso 12:1. having an upper torso portion 170 and a lower torso portion 172. The toy 10:1 may also include the previously described in connectionk with FIGURES 1-6 as including the head 16, arms 18, 20 and legs 22, 24 previously shown and described, but not shown in FIGURE 7.

The toy 10:1 also includes an appendage animating means, generally designated 26:1, which includes a rocker assembly 28:1 which may be connected to the appendage means 14 previously described by suitable connecting means V30:1 and which is adapted to be rocked by a torsion drive means 32a.

The torso 12:1 serves as a housing for the animating means 26:1 and is shown herein for purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, comprising a rigid housing member preferably molded to conform to the shape of the torso of a real-life gure which the gure toy 10 simulates. The torso 12:1 may be made yfrom suitable plastic materials which cure to a somewhat rigid, shape-retaining structure and may be conveniently made by employing injection molding techniques to form a rear, upper torso half 174, a front, upper torso half 176, a rear, lower torso half 178 and a front, lower torso half 180. The torso halves 174, 176 may be joined together to form the upper torso portion 170 and the torso halves 178, 180 may be joined together to form the lower torso portion 172. The upper torso portion 170 includes an upper cylindrical neck 42:1 having a counterbore 44:1 provided therein. Neck 42a is also provided with an annular groove 182 adapted to receive a head, like the one shown at 16 in FIGURE 1.

The rocker assembly 28:1 includes a post 62a. having a lower end 64:1 affixed to a lower plate means 84:1, an upper portion 66:1 secured in counterbore 44:1 by weldment means 184 and an intermediate portion 70a. The rocker assembly 28a also includes an upper plate means 74:1 which is affixed to a sleeve 186 encompassing the intermediate portion 70:1 of post 62:1 and having an end 186:1 secured to lower torso portion 172 by a weldment 187. The upper plate means 74av has a first corner 76:1 positioned adjacent a first arm opening 78a and a second corner 80:1 positioned adjacent a second arm opening 82:1. The lower plate means 84:1 has a first corner 86:1 positioned adjacent a rst leg aperture 88:1 and a second corner 90:1 positioned adjacent a second leg aperture 92a. The rocker assembly 28:1 also includes a lever 94:1 which is ah'ixed to intermediate portion 70:1 of post 62:1 below sleeve 186 and which is provided with a recessed portion 1188 engaged by an end 96:1 of a push rod 98a forming part of the torsion drive means 32:1 for pivoting rocker assembly 2811 slightly in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 7, when push rod 98a is moved in the direction of arrow 100:1. The end 96:1 of push rod 98:1 may be caged between a pair of semi-circular shelves 102:1, 104:1 which are provided in lower torso portion 172. The rocker assembly 28:1 is returned to the position shown in FIG- URE 7, after being pushed by push rod 98a, by a return spring 106:1 having a crook 108:1 passing through an aperture 110:1, provided in post 62:1 and an end 112:1 affixed to shelf 104:1. Thus, the return spring 10611 also forms part of the torsion drive means 32:1.

The push rod 98:1 may be reciprocally mounted in the housing 114 forming the tongue of the cart 116 described in connection with FIGURE 1. Push rod 98:1 co-acts with spring 106:1 to rock rocker assembly 28:1. oscillating upper torso portion 170 and lower plate means 84:1 through post 62:1. This oscillation is translated into oscillation of arm and leg actuators 137a, 138:1 and 14011, 142:1, respectively, which, together With sleeve 186 and upper plate means 74a constitute the connecting means 30:1. The actuators 137:1, 138:1, 140:1 and 142:1 each includes a shaft 144:1 rotatably mounted in arm openings 78a, 80:1 and leg openings y88:1, 92:1, respectively. Each shaft 144:1 includes an inner end 146a which carries a cam 14861 and an outer end 150:1 which carries a non-circular connector 152:1. Each cam 148:1 is provided with a substantially V-shaped pocket 154:1 in which an associated plate corner 76:1, 80a, 86:1 and 90a is seated, whereby swinging of lower plate means 84:1 will rotate the shafts 14411: in leg openings 88:1 and 92a through their associated cams 148:1. Oscillation of upper torso portion while sleeve 186 and upper plate means 74:1 remain stationary, by virtue of the securement of sleeve 186 to lower torso portion 172, results in oscillation of arm connectors 152:1 through their associated cams 14811 and shafts 144:1. The arms and legs of the rst embodiment of the present invention may be connected to their associated actuators 137a, 138:1, 14011 and 142:1 by engaging the inserts 162 shown in FIGURE 5 with the appropriate connectors 152:1 so that oscillation of connectors 152:1 results in the swinging of the toys arms and legs while its upper torso portion 170 oscillates in simulation of a walking action.

While the particular ligure toys herein shown and described in detail are fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that they are merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a figure toy having a torso and appendage means, animating means for moving said appendage means, comprising:

a rocker assembly mounted in said ligure toy;

means connecting said rocker assembly to said appendage means for oscillating said appendage means when said rocker assembly is rocked;

torsion drive means operatively associated with said rocker assembly for imparting rocking action thereto, whereby said rocker assembly oscillates said appendage means;

said rocker assembly including a post rotatably mounted in said torso and plate means carried by said post and wherein said drive means includes push-rod means reciprocally mounted in said igure toy in operative association with said plate means.

2. A combination as stated in claim 1 wherein said appendage means comprises a head and wherein said connecting means comprises an extension of said post.

3. A combination as stated in claim 1 wherein said appendage means comprises limbs and wherein said connecting means comprises limb-actuator means connected to each limb, each limb-actuator means including cam means engaging said plate means for rotation thereby when said rocker assembly is rocked.

4. A combination as stated in claim 3 wherein said ligure toy is a doll, wherein said limbs comprise a pair of arms and a pair of legs on said doll and wherein said appendage means includes a dolls head aixed to said post for rotation thereby.

5. A combination as stated in claim 3 wherein said torso includes a pair of arm openings and a pair of leg openings and wherein said limb-actuator means each also includes a shaft rotatably mounted in an associated one of said arm and leg openings, said shaft having an inner end to which said cam means is aflixed and an outer end to which an associated one of said arms and legs is nonrotatably connected, said cam means including a V- shaped pocket receiving a corner of said plate means.

6. A combination as stated in claim 3 wherein said drive means includes spring means having one end connected to said post and another end connected to said torso for biasing said post to a predetermined angular position, said push rod means pivoting said post in one direction and said spring means pivoting said post in a reverse direction to return said post to said predetermined angular position.

7. A combination as stated in claim 6 wherein said drive means includes cart means having rotatable wheel means, a tongue and means connecting said tongue to said figure toy, said push rod means also being reciprocally mounted in said tongue, said drive means also including eccentric connecting means connecting said push rod means to said wheel means in such a manner that rotary motion thereof is converted to linear motion of said push rod means.

8. A combination as stated in claim 7 wherein said lwheel means comprises a pair of wheels, wherein said eccentric connecting means includes an off-centre shaft connecting said wheels together and wherein said cart includes a strut engageable with a playing surface when said cart is tipped to elevate said gure toy.

9. In combination with a figure toy having a torso and appendage means, animating means for moving said appendage means, comprising:

a rocker assembly mounted in said figure toy;

means connecting said rocker assembly to said appendage means for oscillating said appendage means when said rocker assembly is rocked; and

torsion drive means operatively associated with said rocker assembly yfor imparting rocking action thereto, whereby said rocker assembly oscillates said appendage means,

said torso including an upper torso portion and a lower torso portion, said rocker assembly including a post having an end connected to said upper torso portion for oscillating said upper torso portion when said rocker assembly is rocked, said combination including a sleeve aixed to said lower torso portion, said post being rotatably mounted in said sleeve and having another end disposed in said lower torso portion below said sleeve, said rocker assembly also including lower plate means aixed to said other end of said post, said appendage means comprising legis connected to said lower plate means in such a manner that rocking of lsaid lower platemeans swings said legs.

v 10. `A combination as stated in claim 9 including upper plate means aixed to said sleeve, a pair of arms carried by said `upper torso portion and means connecting said arms to said upper plate means so that oscillation of said torso causes swinging of said arms.

11. In a ligure toy having a torso and plural appendage means pivotally mounted thereon;

vsaid appendage means being nonrotatably carried ,by rotatable shaft means extending into said torso and having peripherally notched cam means at their inner ends;

a rocker assembly includingy a post rotatably mounted in said torso on an axis generally perpendicular to the axes of said shaft means, laterally directedi generally vertical and substantially coplanar plate means secured to said post on opposite sides thereof with their lower edge portions extending into cam notches of said cam means, said lower edge portions engaging both sides of said notches whereby pivotal motion of said plural appendages, in both directions, is coordinated by said rocker assembly with substantially no lost motion upon change of direction.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,996,838 8/1961 Beebe 46-149 2,835,075 5/1958 Weih 46--149 2,786,304 3/1957 Baggott 46-119 3,118,247 l/l964 Allen 46-110 3,147,566 9/1964 Liu Hong Ong 46-149 F. BARRY SHAY, Primary Examiner

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