Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
  • A63H3/00—Dolls
  • A63H3/02—Dolls made of fabrics or stuffed
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
  • A63H9/00—Special methods or compositions for the manufacture of dolls, toy animals, toy figures, or parts thereof

Definitions

• the present invention re- lates (a) to a method for producing three dimensional facia features on a soft cloth doll and (b) to the doll produced by the method.
• the method also has applicability for making three dimensional features in cloth other than dolls.
• U.S. Patent No. 1,916,811 (1933) is an example of applique.
• a variation uses pieces of polyester fiberfill and bat ⁇ ting glued to a sheet of non-stretch muslin to form gross features (e.g. a forehead, nose, mouth and cheeks) .
• the muslin and the soft material are covered by a sheet of stretch polyester, and the fiberfill and batting creates gross features.
• Long stitches can also be pulled completely through the head to provide indentations for the eyes.
• Use of stitches extending through the head is disclosed in Sanders, U.S. Patent No. 2,483,325 (1949) and Beach, U.S. Patent No. 1,442,761 (1923).
• the faces are interesting, but the features are not sharp and life-like because the mate ⁇ rials used to form the features cannot be properly confined. Therefore, when the head cover is tightened, the features flatten.
• the head is also formed by filling with a soft material an approximately spherical or ellipsoidal enclosure of shear material. The cloth is stitched and tucked into the filling material in such a way as to form three dimensional features. This method is dis ⁇ cussed in Foster, Foster Children Soft Sculpture Dolls, (1982) . The effects can be life-like, but the stitches are visible to the unaided eye and are aesthetic distractions. If the material is shear, the head and face has little me- chanical durability and can easily be damaged by rough handling. The features formed are less clearly defined if thicker materials are used.
• a feature such as an ear is formed by stitching an outline in front and rear cloth pieces, which also holds the cloth together. Material is stuffed within the outline between the front and rear pieces to form a pro ⁇ truding feature. The method is usually unsatisfactory be ⁇ cause the stitches are visible.
• the present invention relies on several new methods for creating well defined cavities into which material can be added to create facial features.
• the face is formed with two pieces of cloth, one of stretch fabric and the other which does not stretch, and the rest of the head is formed of a third piece of cloth such that the two face pieces and the rear piece form a spherical or ellipsoidal head that is filled with soft material.
• the methods form features without showing stitching on the doll face.
• an adhesive holds the two face pieces together.
• the adhesive is placed in the desired out ⁇ line of the facial feature to create a separate cavity. If part of the feature is open between the two face pieces, soft material can be inserted into the cavity through the open region between the front and rear face pieces. If the fea- ture has no opening, an opening is made in the rear face piece to allow the soft material to be pushed into the cavity outlined by the adhesive.
• the exemplary embodiment of this method uses a fuser thread of polyamide or similar substance as an adhesive. The thread is laid out in the defined shape between the two sheets of the face. When heat is applied, the thread fuses the two sheets together along the pattern to create the cavity for stuffing.
• the fusing holds the two sheets together in a strong manner that is not damaged from rough handling. If the fusing thread is used to define the nose, the strength is enhanced because of strong anchoring in the eyes and mouth areas 7 around the nose that limits the movement of the fabric adjacent the fused outline.
• the present invention uses two new methods to create a three dimensional mouth that also looks embroidered or which is covered by embroidery.
• This embroidered look is obtained with a stitch similar to a satin stitch but is raised and greatly projected from the surface of the cloth.
• the outline of the lip is first determined and then using needle and thread, the needle first passes through the fabric toward the outside at the outline of the lip and then the needle is located at the vertically opposite side of the outline of the lip and passed through the fabric toward the inside sheet. The needle is then pulled back through the fabric. Then the needle point is placed adjacent to the thread that has just passed to the inside. Now the needle for a second time passes through the fabric toward the out ⁇ side so as to repeat the process.
• the lips are outlined using stitches as in the trapunto technique.
• the special satin or embroidery stitch is applied over the projecting lips. These stitches cover the stitches that created the outline of the lips.
• the remaining areas between the front and rear pieces are filled with some soft material.
• the two face pieces are integrated with a back piece to form the head, which is filled with soft material.
• An additional, stiffer piece of canvas-like material can be inserted into the head for rigidity. Long stitches pass from the eye location through the soft material and through the back piece of fabric that forms the back of the head. When these stitches are tightened, the eye locations are pulled back to create a natural indentation.
• the stitching itself can be used to form the highlights of the eye such as a reflection or the pupil itself.
• the remaining decoration of the eye is paint ⁇ ed.
• Improved eyes which simplify assembly of the head and enhance the mechanical stability of the face can be achieved by adding heat fusible material such as polyamide in the shape of a disk. Such disks are placed on the rear piece of fabric in a position corresponding to the location of the eye. The front sheet then covers the heat fusible disk, and the disk is melted by heating the fabric with an iron. When the adhesive cools and sets, the front and rear pieces of fabric are held together at the eye region.
• an inset feature one then encircles each of the eyes between the rear sheet and the front sheet of fabric, with a relatively thick piece or cord of cotton, synthetic or other material.
• the ends of the cord are sewn together, and the area that the adhesive holds together traps the cord.
• the cord causes the front piece of fabric, which can stretch, to bulge, but the adhesive recesses the area inside the outline of the cord.
• the protrusion corresponds to the boney structure around the eye socket, and the inset structure corresponds to the eye itself.
• a batting module may be provided with a central cut-out having space for the eyes, nose and any other features.
• sheet polyamide can be used of the approximate size of the front and rear piece of fabric.
• the sheet of polyamide or other fuser material has cut-outs where soft stuffing can be added.
• a sheet of polyamide could have cut-outs for the eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks, eyebrows, chin and any other part where there is to be filling added.
• the sheet polyamide can be cut with very fine patterns so that eye details, for example, could be shown.
• the sheet polyamide is laid on the rear piece of material, the front piece of mate- rial is then laid over the sheet polyamide and the material is fused. After fusing areas where there is no polyamide are filled with soft material.
• FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the front and rear pieces of fabric in one embodiment of the present invention with fuser thread used to form outlines of the mouth and nose.
• FIG. 2 is an front view showing one embodiment of the present invention.
• FIGS. 3 and 4 are both cross sectional views taken through plane 3-3 in FIG. 2. Cavities formed by the fuser thread of the exemplary embodiment, which are empty in FIG. 3 , are filled in FIG. 4.
• FIG. 5 is a front view of the face in one embodiment of the present invention in which the nose and mouth features are filled and some filling is added to the forehead and chin.
• FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the face of FIG. 5 taken through plane 6-6 in FIG. 5.
• FIGS. 7 and 8 are side, sectional views of the head show- ing the two filled face pieces attached to the rear head piece, and the entire cavity filled with soft material.
• FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 7 but shows how the eye lo ⁇ cations are intented by long threads.
• FIG. 9 is a front view showing an alternative method for forming the lips on the doll of the present invention.
• FIG. 10 is a rear view of the alternative method for forming the lips on the doll of the present invention.
• FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken through plane 11-11 i FIG. 9 showing how the lips can be filled to protrude natu rally.
• FIG. 12 is a front, perspective view of a decorated dol made using the method of the present invention.
• FIG. 13 is an exploded view of the front and rear piece of fabric with fuser threads used to form outlines of th mouth and nose and the structures forming inset eyes in this invention.
• FIGS. 14 and 17 are front views of the doll face of the alternative embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 14 shows the face with the parts to make the inset feature, and
• FIG. 17 only shows the adhesive disks.
• FIGS. 16 and 17 are cross-sectional views of the doll face of this invention.
• FIG. 16 is taken through plane 16—16 in FIG. 15, and
• FIG. 17 is taken through plane 17—17 in FIG. 14.
• FIG. 18 is a front view showing the detail of the struc ⁇ ture that forms the inset feature, which is placed around the fused area.
• FIG. 19 is a sectional view of the face of the- present invention incorporated into a doll's head.
• FIG. 20 is an exploded view of the front and rear pieces of fabric in another embodiment of the present invention with a sheet of polyamide having cut-outs to form outlines for features of the face.
• FIG. 21 is an exploded view of the front and rear pieces of fabric similar to FIG. 13 but with a module of soft filler material or batting around the fuser threads used to form feature outlines.
• the present method uses two pieces of fabric for forming the face of the doll.
• the first, front piece 10, and the second, rear piece 12 may be of any type of cloth depending on the color and texture objectives of the maker.
• feature protrude more if the front piece 10, which will be the outside, visible piece (FIG. 12) is stretch fabric while the rear or inner cloth 12 does not stretch.
• the facial structure is more mechanically stable if the inner cloth is non-stretch.
• Both sheets 10 and 12 are elliptical or oval.
• the nose and mouth are formed in a similar fashion.
• the construction of the nose is discussed first.
• the two sheets of fabric 10 and 12, which are approximately the same size, are placed over each other.
• a desired outline shape for the nose is chosen, and a short piece of fuser thread 15 is made to conform to the desired outline and placed between sheets 10 and 12 at a desired location for the nose, generally near the center of the sheets (FIG. 2) .
• Fuser thread 15 is formed of a polyamide or similar substance, which can be made to conform to any desired shape when it is placed on rear sheet 12. When front piece is placed over the rear sheet and fuser thread, the thread can be heated using a clothing iron or other similar device.
• fuser thread melts and flows into and around the cloth fibers to create a fine fused seam 17 (FIGS. 3 and 4) .
• another piece of fuser thread 19 can form the outline of the mouth (FIG. 2) , and it can then form hidden, fine fused seams 21 (FIGS. 3 and 4) after it is melted in a similar fashion.
• a fuser thread is used because it is easily controlled for adjusting the shape of the features. Only when the feature is in the exact desired shape is heat applied and the final attaching finished. Adhesives that are not set by heating can also be used. Care should be taken so that they are strong and water resistant.
• Fuser thread 15, which forms the nose is placed in a pattern with an opening at the top (FIGS. 1 and 2) .
• the cavity 24 (FIGS. 3 and 4) formed between the, front and rear pieces as outlined by the fuser thread 15 is filled with soft material through the opening at the top of the nose. This makes the nose natural in that cavity 24 flows into forehead space 30 (FIGS. 7 and 8) , which is also between pieces 10 and 12 and which can also be filled with material to make the forehead. Cheeks (not shown) can be formed to the sides of the nose in a similar fashion.
• a small horizontal (FIG. 2) or vertical slit 23 can be cut into rear piece 12 within th outline of the nose feature formed by fuser thread 15.
• Onc slit 23 is formed, pocket or cavity 24, which is forme within the outline of seam 17 is filled with soft material such as down 26.
• fille cavity 24 becomes the nose 28 (FIG. 8).
• front piece 10 should be of a stretc material, but it is best if rear piece 12 does not stretch so it exerts proper force on filling 26.
• mouth 32 is formed similarly in that soft filling material 34 (FIG. 4) is in ⁇ serted through slit 38 into cavity 36 between seams 21 made by fuser thread 19 (see also FIGS. 6, 7 and 8).
• the eyes are next created either by embroidering eye designs or painting the designs at the desired location.
• Realistic eyes 40 and 41 (FIG. 12) have a white portion 42 and are colored light at iris 43 and dark at pupil 44. Each also has a lighter reflection highlight 45 (FIG. 12) , which gives an aesthetic and natural look to each eye. Stitches through the eyes also strengthens the face and helps to hold the front and rear pieces 10 and 12 together. Dark stitching can go through or form pupil 44, and light stitching can be used to create highlights 45.
• the eyes can be formed as follows.
• a small area 64 of an adhesive is placed in the desired lo ⁇ cation on rear sheet 12 (FIG. 15) .
• the present invention contemplates using a disk of fuser material such as polyamide or similar substance.
• the top sheet of stretchable material 10 is placed over fabric 12 and disk 64.
• heat is applied to the back of sheet of fabric 12 or to the top of sheet 10 (e.g. with an iron) , the fusing material melts, and when it cools, it holds region 67 together (FIG. 16) .
• the outside pe ⁇ ripheries of the lower half of the face pieces 10 and 12 are stitched together forming a pocket.
• Soft material such as down or fiberfill, fills this large pocket so that a chin, cheeks and forehead naturally appear (FIG. 19) .
• the eyes add mechanical strength to the upper portion of the face and trap the filling that forms the forehead and cheeks.
• the back head piece 48 (FIG. 19) is attached to completed face.
• the bottom periphery of back head piece 48 is attached to the previously sewn-together front and rear pieces 10 and 12 so that a head cavity 54 is formed.
• prior art dolls there is a tendency for the facial features to "drift" relative to each other when the head is stuffed.
• a piece of thick, elongated fabric is made to surround the feature, the eyes in this case.
• a thick, elongated piece of material 60 is placed in a desired pattern around region 67.
• Ring 66 is one such pattern.
• the thick, elongated material may be a rope or cord and may be of cotton, hemp or synthetic materi ⁇ al.
• the ends of member 60 are sewn together at 62 to form ring 66.
• the ring causes top sheet 10 of stretch fabric to bulge above disk 64.
• the rear sheet 12 which does not stretch, supports the ring so that the bulge extends primari ⁇ ly from the front sheet.
• ring 66 protrudes outward making it appear as if it were the skeletal structure surrounding an eye.
• the inset portion 68 corre- sponds to the way in which the eye is inset from the protrud ⁇ ing skeletal structure of the face.
• a ring-like member that would be similar to member 60 in its sewn-together ring shape 66 of FIGS. 17 and 18.
• the adhesive disk would be placed in the ring between the two sheets 10 and 12. Fusing next takes place, but in this modification, fusing is made more diffi ⁇ cult.
• the face is now in a condition to be finished and incor- porated into the doll head.
• the face is held together at both eyes, the nose and the mouth.
• the outside peripheries of the lower half of the face pieces 10 and ' 12 are now stitched together forming a pocket.
• Soft material such as down or fiberfill, fills this large pocket so that a chin, cheeks and forehead naturally appear (FIG. 5) .
• the top peripheries of the front and rear pieces 10 and 12 are then stitched, and the face is completed.
• Either the first or second principal embodiments can be modified slightly with a new embodiment shown in FIG. 21.
• Eye disks 64, thread 15 for the nose and thread 19 fuse front piece 10 to rear piece 12.
• a batting module 90 of soft filler material is placed on rear sheet 12 by pulling the edges of front piece 10 through opening 92 in the batting.
• the nose, or other features are filled before inserting the batting module.
• Pieces 10 and 12 are then sewn together.
• Figure 21 shows a flat, oval batting module
• certain areas such as the cheeks could be made somewhat thicker by cutting an irregularly shaped module. Portions of this module may extend beyond the periphery of the inner and outer pieces 10 and 12, and are folded into the inner and outer pieces before sewing the periphery.
• FIG. 21 would be useful in production because the batting modules could be prepared by machine and automatically or manually positioned in the proper location. Automation could also be enhanced by use of the embodiment shown in FIG. 20.
• polyamide thread define the features, cut-outs in a sheet of polyamide are used. The sheet upon fusing holds the front and rear pieces together, but the cut-outs, where there is no fuser material, can be filled.
• the periphery of the sheet of polyamide fuser material can also seal the periphery of the front and rear pieces of fabric 10 and 12 to eliminate the final sewing of the periphery.
• the face module Even if the face module is completed without stuffing, it can be filled easily at a factory or sold as a kit to a hobbiest who can then use the face module and fill the cut-out areas by making small slits in the rear piece of fabrics at the cut-outs.
• Front piece 10 is pref ⁇ erably of stretch material; rear piece 12 does not stretch.
• Polyamide or other heat fusible material is available in sheet form, usually on a backing sheet of paper or plastic where it can be peeled off. Openings for the skeleton 72 around eyes 72, eyebrows 78, nose 80, mouth 82, chin 86, cheeks 88 and other facial features 84 are cut-out of the sheet. If the embodiment of FIG. 20 is used in a manufactur ⁇ ing situation, the cut-out areas can give repeatability to the doll faces. Each one can be identical.
• the shape of each feature can be modified to some degree so that each doll face differs slightly from each other. If the method is used by hobbiests, the sheet of fuser material can have suggesting openings, at which the hobbiest can cut, but she is also free to use considerable latitude to modify the features by not following the suggested patterns.
• small slits may be cut into rear sheet 12 at the opening in the fuser material for stuffing of soft material into the cavities.
• fuser material also attaches at the periphery of the front and rear sheets 10 and 12 together. Sewing does not have to take place after the features are created.
• eye ring 60 It is also possible to use this method with the eye ring 60. Also, other types of slightly harder material then the soft filler material can be placed within or extending be ⁇ tween the openings in the fuser sheet. Whereas ring 60 creates the skeletal structure surrounding the eye, material of different softnesses and configurations may be used to create the other facial features.
• the back head piece 48 (FIG. 5) is made of a single piece of material cut into an oval or elliptical shape. Normally, back head piece 48 will be slightly smaller than front and rear pieces 10 and 12 for a smooth chin formation.
• the bottom periphery of the back head piece 48 is sewn to the bottom periphery of the previously sewn together front and rear piece 10 and 12 so that a head cavity 54 is formed.
• An elliptically shaped piece of embroidery canvas 52 or other rigid yet flexible material is placed in cavity 50 for internal mechanical support for the face. Cavity 50 is then filled with soft material 54 to fill the head. Finally, the rest of the periphery is sewn to complete the head.
• the face is now held together at at least four places, the two eyes, the nose, and the mouth. In FIG. 20, the face is also held together at the edges.
• the outside periphery of the lower half of the face piece 10 and 12 are now stitched together in all embodiments except FIG. 20 to form a pocket which is opened at the top but joined at the nose, mouth and eye sockets.
• Soft material such as down, fills this large pocket so that a chin, cheeks and forehead naturally appear (FIG. 6) .
• the top periphery of the front and rear piece 10 and 12 are then stitched thus completing the face.
• the face is next integrated into the head.
• the back head piece 48 (FIGS. 7 and 8) is made of a single piece of materi- al cut into an oval or elliptical piece shape. Normally, back head piece 48 will be slightly smaller than front and rear pieces 10 and 12 for a smooth chin formation.
• the bottom periphery of the back head piece 48 is sewn to the bottom periphery of the previously sewn together front and rear piece 10 and 12 so that a head cavity 50 is formed (FIG. 7) .
• a elliptically shaped piece of embroidery canvas 52 or other rigid yet flexible material is placed in cavity 50.
• Canvas piece 52 generates internal mechanical support for the face, which counters the tendency of such faces to flatten and to lose their life-like and highly contoured appearance.
• Cavity 50 is then filled with soft material 54 such as down, cotton or synthetic fiberfill until head cavity 50 is filled to the desired firmness. Lastly, head cavity 50 is closed by finishing the stitching along the top portion of the periphery of the back head piece 48 and the front and rear pieces 10 and 12 (FIG. 8) . Much of the stitching of the back piece 48 to the front and rear face pieces 10 and 12 takes place with head cavity 50 inside-out so that the stitches and the seam allowances are hidden within the dolls head.
• soft material 54 such as down, cotton or synthetic fiberfill
• Stitches 46 which help form highlights 45 or pupils 44 (FIG. 12) in eyes 40 and 41 extend through back head piece 48 (FIG. 8) and are pulled tight to make eyes 40 and 41 indent (FIG. 8) .
• the first exemplary embodiment used fuser threads or other adhesives to avoid having stitching on the surface, which would produce aesthetic degradation.
• the second and third embodiments form the mouth in an aesthetically appeal- ing way without the use of a fuser thread or other adhesive.
• FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 disclose embodiments using an embroidery-like technique for lip definition and projection ⁇
• the first embodiment which uses fuser threads 15 and 19 for both the nose and mouth, both are placed as desired for fusing simultaneously.
• Formation of the upper lip 60 in the second embodiment is as follows. Long, special satin stitches 64 (FIG. 9) extend vertically across and cover front piece 10 at the upper lip 60 in the following manner. Although one would most likely start in either the left corner 66 or right corner 67 (FIG. 9) , the following discussion will start at location 70 be ⁇ cause of the long stitches there. As a result, the cross-section of FIG. 11 is taken at that location.
• the thread is first passed from the inside (FIG. 10) through rear piece 12 and front piece 10 at location 70 along the upper outline 61 of lip 60.
• the thread is then brought vertically down to a second location 72 slightly above center-line 62 where the thread is then passed from front to back throug front piece 10 and rear piece 12 (FIG.
• One end of the thread passes through the fabric along the top outline 61 of upper lip 60, and the other end of the stitc is passed through the fabric slightly above generally hori ⁇ zontal center line 62.
• Center line 62 can also curve to show a smile or frown.
• lower lip 59 is then made using the same special stain stitch techniques and following outline 63 and a line slightly below center line 62.
• slits 82 and 83 are made in the rear piece of fabric 12 (FIG. 11) , and cavities 85 and 86 (FIG. 11) are filled with soft filler material 88. Adjusting the tension of long stitches 64 that form the lips 59 and 60 changes the fullness of the lips.
• Lips 59 and 60 are shown to be separate. It is possible to eliminate center line 62 and pass long stitches 64 direct- ly from outline 61 of upper lip to outline 63 of lower lip, but this creates merely a protruding mouth without separate lips and is not as realistic.
• FIG. 10 also can be used to illustrate the third embodi ⁇ ment.
• the outline of the lips is formed by using simple running stitches.
• FIG. 10 would show how the front and rear pieces of fabric 10 and 12 look after the initial outlining. The space within the outline is filled, leaving protruding lips.
• satin stitches similar to those in FIG. 9 or embroidery is made over the protruding lips and covering the outline stitches. This method creates lips that greatly protrude, and the satin stitches hide the running stitches to yield a pleasing appearance.
• the doll head is completed as described, it can be decorated by further painting eye lashes 90 and eyebrows 91
• FIG. 12 A wig 92 or a hat normally is added to the head.
• Wig 92 covers the seams that attach back head piece 48 to front and rear pieces 10 and 12. The head is then attached to the rest of the doll body 93.

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• 1985
  • 1985-05-14 WO PCT/US1985/000872 patent/WO1985005323A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1985-05-14 EP EP19850902789 patent/EP0182866B1/de not_active Expired
  • 1985-05-14 DE DE8585902789T patent/DE3583729D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1985-05-14 AU AU44059/85A patent/AU4405985A/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (2)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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