GB2193651A - Live action toy footballer - Google Patents

Abstract

A hand held, trigger operated, puppet-type toy which simulates the human action of kicking a football. Taking the form of a model footballer, the puppet is attached to a pistol grip handle 2. Three trigger-operated control lines 10, 18, 18 passing from the handle to the hip joint 7, knee joint 8 and ankle joint 9 of one leg, and to each of the arms 18 and 19, cause the simultaneous movement of both arms and one leg. This leg is jointed in three places 7, 8, 9 to produce a kicking action whilst the other, semi-mobile, leg is jointed only at 7 and 9 to provide rigidity when the puppet is being used on the floor or table wherever the operator is playing. A spring 13 is attached to a further control line 15 which runs to the front of the ankle. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Uve action footballer Live action footballer is a hand held, trigger operated, puppet type toy.

Referring to the drawing. It consists of a model footballer (1) attached to a pistol grip type handle (2). The trigger (3) in the handle operates one moveable leg (4) and both arms (5). It has one semi mobile leg (6) hinge jointed at the hip (7) and ankle (9) only. This is to keep the model footballer erect on the floor or table wherever the operator is playing.

The moveable leg which will be referred to as the action leg (4) is designed to reproduce as near as possible, the actual movement of a persons leg when kicking a ball. To do this the action leg (4) is hinge jointed at the hip (7) the knee (8), and the ankle (9). A control line (10) attached to the trigger (3) at point (12) runs through the handle (2) to the front of the hip joint (7). It then runs down the front of the thigh which is drilled to accommodate the control line (10) to the front of the knee joint (8). Here the line runs from the front of the knee to the back of the ankle joint (9). This is achieved by means of a groove in the sides of the lower leg or calf.

The grooves, one on each side of the calf prevent fouling or chaffing of the control line (10) enters the heel of the foot and is fixed or anchored at point (11). When the trigger (3) is operated, the action leg (4) is brought forward, the knee joint straightens out and the foot is extended reproducing as near as possible a true kick. The action leg is brought back to the pre kick position by means of a spring (13) housed in the body (14) of the model footballer. One end of the spring is anchored just below the neck by a pin. Attached to the other end of the spring is a control line (15). This control line runs through the back of the hip joint (7) through a drilling to the back of the knee joint (8). From here it runs to the front of the ankle (9) by means of a groove already explained. Control line (15) enters the foot at the front of the ankle and is anchored at point (16).When the trigger (3) is pulled to produce a kick it also operates two control lines (18) to the arms of the model footballer. These control lines attached at (20) on the trigger run through the handle (2) to the body (14). Here they pass through drilled holes to the shoulders (17) and are anchored in the arms (5) at point (19). The control lines (18) are loose fitting, allowing gravity to bring the arms (5) to the sides of the body. When the trigger is pulled, the slack in the control lines (18) is taken up and the arms (5) of the model footballer are raised up and outward to shoulder height. To hide unsightly control lines and workings, the model footballer wears a tracksuit (not shown in drawing).

KEY TO DRAWING 1. Model footballer.

2. Pistol grip handle.

3. Trigger.

4. Action leg.

5. Arms.

6. Semi mobile leg.

7. Hip joint.

8. Knee joint.

9. Ankle joint.

10. Control line to operate kick, and raise arms.

11. Anchor point for 10 at heel.

12. Anchor point for 10 at trigger.

13. Return spring.

14. Body of footballer.

15. Control line spring to point 16.

16. Anchor point for 15.

17. Shoulders of footballer.

18. Control lines to arms.

19. Anchor point for 18 at arms 5.

20. Anchor point for 18 at trigger 3.

21. Anchor pin for return spring.

1. A toy comprising a model footballer attached to a pistol grip type handle. A trigger in the handle to operate the moveable arms and one fully moveable leg by means of control lines.

2. A toy as in Claim 1 with one leg jointed at the hip, knee and ankle able to move from a backward position to a forward position producing a kicking action.

3. A toy as in Claim 1 with arms that move outwards and upwards.

4. A toy as in Claim 1 with a two function trigger housed in the handle. Function 1 is to operate the fully jointed leg of the footballer as in Claim 2. Function 2 is to operate the arms of the model footballer as in Claim 3 by means of control lines.

5. A toy as in Claims 1, 2, 3 and 4, with one leg jointed at hip and ankle only to enable the toy to be kept upright whilst the moveable leg as in Claim 2 is being operated.

6. A toy as in Claim 1 with a return spring housed in the body of the model footballer to return the moveable leg to the backward position by means of a control line.

7. A toy as in Claim 1 with control lines running from the trigger as in Claim 4 to the moveable leg as in Claim 2 and arms as in Claim 3, to the return spring as in Claim 6.

8. A toy substantially as described herein with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (8)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Uve action footballer Live action footballer is a hand held, trigger operated, puppet type toy. Referring to the drawing. It consists of a model footballer (1) attached to a pistol grip type handle (2). The trigger (3) in the handle operates one moveable leg (4) and both arms (5). It has one semi mobile leg (6) hinge jointed at the hip (7) and ankle (9) only. This is to keep the model footballer erect on the floor or table wherever the operator is playing. The moveable leg which will be referred to as the action leg (4) is designed to reproduce as near as possible, the actual movement of a persons leg when kicking a ball. To do this the action leg (4) is hinge jointed at the hip (7) the knee (8), and the ankle (9). A control line (10) attached to the trigger (3) at point (12) runs through the handle (2) to the front of the hip joint (7). It then runs down the front of the thigh which is drilled to accommodate the control line (10) to the front of the knee joint (8). Here the line runs from the front of the knee to the back of the ankle joint (9). This is achieved by means of a groove in the sides of the lower leg or calf. The grooves, one on each side of the calf prevent fouling or chaffing of the control line (10) enters the heel of the foot and is fixed or anchored at point (11). When the trigger (3) is operated, the action leg (4) is brought forward, the knee joint straightens out and the foot is extended reproducing as near as possible a true kick. The action leg is brought back to the pre kick position by means of a spring (13) housed in the body (14) of the model footballer. One end of the spring is anchored just below the neck by a pin. Attached to the other end of the spring is a control line (15). This control line runs through the back of the hip joint (7) through a drilling to the back of the knee joint (8). From here it runs to the front of the ankle (9) by means of a groove already explained. Control line (15) enters the foot at the front of the ankle and is anchored at point (16).When the trigger (3) is pulled to produce a kick it also operates two control lines (18) to the arms of the model footballer. These control lines attached at (20) on the trigger run through the handle (2) to the body (14). Here they pass through drilled holes to the shoulders (17) and are anchored in the arms (5) at point (19). The control lines (18) are loose fitting, allowing gravity to bring the arms (5) to the sides of the body. When the trigger is pulled, the slack in the control lines (18) is taken up and the arms (5) of the model footballer are raised up and outward to shoulder height. To hide unsightly control lines and workings, the model footballer wears a tracksuit (not shown in drawing). KEY TO DRAWING

1. Model footballer.

2. Pistol grip handle.

3. Trigger.

4. Action leg.

5. Arms.

6. Semi mobile leg.

7. Hip joint.

8. A toy substantially as described herein with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

8. Knee joint.

9. Ankle joint.

10. Control line to operate kick, and raise arms.

11. Anchor point for 10 at heel.

12. Anchor point for 10 at trigger.

13. Return spring.

14. Body of footballer.

15. Control line spring to point 16.

16. Anchor point for 15.

17. Shoulders of footballer.

18. Control lines to arms.

19. Anchor point for 18 at arms 5.

20. Anchor point for 18 at trigger 3.

21. Anchor pin for return spring.

1. A toy comprising a model footballer attached to a pistol grip type handle. A trigger in the handle to operate the moveable arms and one fully moveable leg by means of control lines.

2. A toy as in Claim 1 with one leg jointed at the hip, knee and ankle able to move from a backward position to a forward position producing a kicking action.

3. A toy as in Claim 1 with arms that move outwards and upwards.

4. A toy as in Claim 1 with a two function trigger housed in the handle. Function 1 is to operate the fully jointed leg of the footballer as in Claim 2. Function 2 is to operate the arms of the model footballer as in Claim 3 by means of control lines.

5. A toy as in Claims 1, 2, 3 and 4, with one leg jointed at hip and ankle only to enable the toy to be kept upright whilst the moveable leg as in Claim 2 is being operated.

6. A toy as in Claim 1 with a return spring housed in the body of the model footballer to return the moveable leg to the backward position by means of a control line.

7. A toy as in Claim 1 with control lines running from the trigger as in Claim 4 to the moveable leg as in Claim 2 and arms as in Claim 3, to the return spring as in Claim 6.