GB1256430A - An improved walking doll - Google Patents

Abstract

1,256,430. Walking doll. E. CECCON. 16 May, 1969 [28 May, 1968; 25 Feb., 1969], No. 24968/69. Heading A6S. The mechanism for a walking doll consists of a three arm lever 11 pivoted about a pin 9, the axis of which is parallel to the walking direction of the doll, the upper lever arm or effort arm being caused by a driving means, e.g. an electric motor 4, to swing about a vertical axis A-A passing through the pivot axis of said lever, while the other two arms of the lever are symmetrically inclined but in opposite direction with respect to the effort arm so as to project outwards and downwards as the axis of the effort arm is vertical, each of said lower arms being fixedly connected to a supporting member 13, preferably conical, on which is frictionally hinged a concentric connecting device 16 made integral with the upper part of each leg 3. The inner end of each supporting member 13 projects outwards with an annular flange 15 constituting a bearing surface for a similar flange 17, forming part of the connecting device 16, and which is pressed against flange 15 by means of a spring 18 to provide the said friction effect. A spring-disengageable locking means is also provided and comprises a recess 19 arranged in one of the flanges and a projection 20 in the other, which locking means is associated with the spring 18 and becomes operative as the doll stands up. The foot 3a of the leg comprises a plate 24 to which a parallel, identically shaped plate 25 is connected in a spaced relationship by means of a plurality of pins 26 sliding in guide holes provided in the upper plate and set substantially at right angles to said plates which are spaced apart from each other by means of springs 27. The mechanism causes the legs of the doll to swing up and down in such a manner that as one of the legs moves upward, the whole weight of the doll acts on the foot of the other leg now resting on the floor at a point which constitutes the pivot point about which the doll is caused to rotate so as to put the raised leg forward. The upper part of the doll as well as the legs is bent backwards according to a curved line, the most forward part of which is the part of the doll trunk wherein the walking mechanism is located so that as the weight of the doll rests on the floor, the centre of gravity of the doll is vertically over the forward part of the foot on the floor.