US1442761A

US1442761A - Utilitarian toy and doll

Info

Publication number: US1442761A
Application number: US565880A
Authority: US
Inventors: Beach Mally Peabody
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1922-06-05
Filing date: 1922-06-05
Publication date: 1923-01-16
Anticipated expiration: 1940-01-16

Description

Jan. 16, 1923.,

M., P. BEACH. UTILITARIAN TOY AND DOLL 3 SHEETS-SHEET l- FILED JUNE 5. 1922 AITOR/VEV J an. 16, 1923.

M. P. BEACH UTILITARIAN TOY AND DOLL.

3 SHhETS SHEU FILED JUNE 5. 1922.

A TTOR/VEY Jan. 16, 1923.

P. BEACH UTILJTARIAN TOY AND DOLL.

3 SHEETS-SHEEI 3.

FILED JUNE 5 1921.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 16, 1923.

UNITED STATES IALLY PELBODY BEACH, OF BIDGEFIELD, CONNECTICUT.

UTILI'I'ABIAN TOY AND DOLL.

Application filed June 5,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MALLY PEABODY BEACH, citizen of the United States, and resident of Ridgefield, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, ha've invented certain new and useful Utilitarian Toys and Dolls, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to utilitarian toys and dolls. The particular object of this invention is, however, to produce permanently modeled and durable dolls and toys in aform attractive as such and in a form calculated to interest children in their baths; the dolls and toys for use in washing and scrubbing the human body, if so desired, and being in any event highly resilient, washable and wringable.

lhis invention may be embodied ina wide variety of designs and sizes; and it is preferred to make the casing distenders or fillings of sponge rubber rather than of natural sponge or other cellular material and with relatively broad sides; to make the washable cloth casings with corresponding broad sides. one of which, at least, is free from such protuberancesas would render it ohjectionable as a scrubbing surface, and another portion of which is provided with one or more resilient protuberances of a shape particularly characteristic of a natural object. I have found that by making the edges of the distenders transversely rounded from broad side tobroad side the washable cloth casings made of initially fiat close-meshed fabric in a plurality of parts seamed together may be assembled with the highly resilient distenders without producing unsightly wrinkles.

To give efficient durability to the casings, their component flat portions are in the main overstitched around their cut edges to keep them from raveling, and the overstitched margins are united by seaming inside the lines of the superposed overstitched seams which afford a resistance to disruption of the seamed unions of the overstitched margins when the completed article is wrung to squeeze water out of it.

In some forms of the invention as herein shown. the trunk portion of the article is practically the only effective scrubbing part of it. because of the relatively reduced crosssectional dimensions of other portions of it, such cross-sectionally reduced portions form- 1922. Serial no. 565,880.

ing feet, or the like. neck and head or other parts desirable for givin to the completed articles the appearance 0 a human being or of an animal.

The doll heads may be provided with facially featured faces, or may be made without such features, as preferred; but an important feature of this invention relates to the production of novel, flexible doll faces which are strikingly suggestive of faces of living human beings.

This invention is, in part, and to an important extent, based on my discovery that sponge rubber is a distinctly artistic modeling medium in that it may be easily ,and variously shaped by constrictive pressure and heldin any desired shape or shapes by permanently constrictive stitches and stitched seams adjacent which the rubber and the superposed envelope material swell out in curves that effect a graceful and corresponding contour of the flexible textile fabric casing enclosing it. S onge rubber is peculiarly adapted as a filling for these toy and doll shaped articles because first of its flesh-like consistency and secondly because of its instant action as a mechanical spring for restoring the articles to normal shape when they are relieved of deforming pressure. The so modeled rubber filling imparts a constant distension and pressure on the'fabric casing fitted over the modeled sponge rubber.

I am aware that flexible, fabric casings of doll and toy shape have been filled or stuffed with rags and with such fibers as cotton, tow, wool and kapok. The ordinary fiber used generally for stufiing textile fabric doll bodies is kapok. Kapok is a waterproof fiber, and unless specially treated causes discoloration of the fabric casings. However, sponge rubber, which is not fibrous, but on the contrary is a cellular material. differs from such fillings as have been made from ragsand from fibers in the following important particulars. Sponge rubber is usable in good sized pieces of approximately the size desired in given articles, especially for the body trunk and head forming members. It may, therefore, be readily handled and bodily positioned, and in this respect secures a smoothness of contour difficult to obtain by stuflin the casings with ra s or fibers. Rags and bers are not general y of a sanitary character. Sponge rubber is a distinctly sanitary product. Bag and fiber fillings become compacted and when wet tend to remain compacted and reqtiliire a long time in which to dry out, if t ey become soaked, and they are not readily and thoroughly dried. Sponge rubber fillings can not become permanently compacted except where they are subjected to intended restriction. They are freely wringable for squeezing water out of them, and act mechanically as a vigorous spring for instantly restoring the articles to normal shape when relieved of any deforming pressure, and they can be dried out comparatively speedily. Bag and fiber fillings have no practical efficient resiliency for quickly restoring a deformed encased article to shape, and do not give any approximate approximation of life to the casings. On the contrary, a distinguishing characteristic of embodiments of this invention is a new and unexpected and remarkable life-like appearance of the articles due to the rubber fillings imparting to the articles the seeming reality of real flesh and muscles under the casings, with a soft and uniform feeling of flesh-like character. The sponge rubber sponges which are preferably used in the manufacture of articles containing this invention, are oval in plan, of some body thickness, and have rounded edges, their sides being approximately flat. The rounded edges give pleasing rounded edge contours to the edge portions of the flexible, fabric casings, which are washable, wringable and dryable together with the rubber, whereby the toys or dolls may be kept clean.

The flat broad walls of the sponge keep the corresponding broad sides of the casings more or less flat and prevent them from crumpling up in the hand after the manner of ordinary wash-cloths; and such fillings give to the completed articles a mass or body which is easily gripable for bathing or other purposes; and this is true concerning the articles when and if the casings are made of velvet or plush for use as brushes for silk hats and other delicate surfaces. The protuberant members of the articles are so positioned as to leave one of the broader sides of the article without protuberances. and thus better adapted for a scrubbing or brushin surface. the protuberances being confine to the edges or one of the broader sides of the article, and giving distinguishing body features or shapes to the articles. As the articles are very soft they maybe used as pillows for babies. the smoother side bein placed next to the face. When dry the artic es are useful as dolls and toys. The sponge rubber body trunk-forming members may have integral rubber skins coverin the cells and constituting waterproof fil ings having all the characteristics of deskinned rubber sponges, except the capacity of bolding water. Masses of rags and fiber fillings are incapable of holding water in substantial quantities. On the other hand, the cellular sponge rubber filling absorbs large quantities of water which may be squeezed outward through the water absorbin casing for forcing soap off the casing. I the articles are filled with the skinned rubber sponges they dry more quickly than do the articles in which the skinless rubber sponges, such as herein shown, are used. But. on the whole, the deskinned rubber sponges are preferable, generally speaking.

By means of the casings the life of the cellular sponge is greatly prolonged, and the casings prevent children from getting access to the sponge and hiring off and swallowing bits of it. The water absorbing, flexible fabric or wash-cloth used for the casings is sufiiciently close-fibered to effectively cover the sponge material and prevent access to it. The casings also serve as filters to exclude foreign matter from the pores of the sponge. As a practical matter, it would be extremely diflicult to stuff any one of the casings herein shown with either rags or fibers so as to obtain the smoothness and evenness of contours herein shown, for rag and fiber fillings tend to bunch up, and are not a unitary mass of homogenous cellular formation as 18 the case with the body trunk portions of the typical examples herein illustrated as embodiments of this invention. One or more complete rubber sponges may be used in making these articles, and constitute the body shaping and casing distender, while smaller portions of sponge are used for stuffing the protuberances, but the entire distender may be made in one piece. Of course, it is possible to compress and to some extent mold portions of the article and to give the compressed portions a cross-sectional round shape by tying a string around the portion to be compressed; but such compression or restriction and consequent cross-sectional rounding of compressed portions is incapable of producing the molding effects herein obtained by the described constrictive stitches and seams whereby superposed portions of the highly resilient distender and of the relatively inelastic casings are molded to represent corresponding contours of animate objects and the superposed portions are held attached one to another by the constrictive stitches or seaming of pliable thread. yarn or the like which passes either completely through the superposed parts of the casing and filling from side to side of a toy or doll article, or through the casing material into and out of the filling. whereby the constrictive or permanent molded shape-effecting stitches also serve to hold the casing or envelope and the filling from displacement. one-relatively to the other. The action of the highly resilient sponge rubber filling mechanically as a spring for instant restoration of itself and of its casing to normal shape when they are released from deforming pressure enhances both the utility and attractiveness of toy and doll articles embodying this invention. The best cloth knownto me for the casings is terry cloth, otherwise known as Turkish toweling, applied with its pile outwards. Such cloth casings are peculiarly yieldable to the pressure of the confined sponge rubber distenders or fillers which fit snugly or closely in the casings, whereby the sponge rubber exerts a continuous outward pressure on the casing.

Not only does the sponge rubber have a peculiar flesh-like consistency but, in fact, the Turkish toweling casings with the pile outwards have, in featured doll faces, ,a striking suggestiveness of human skin. The combination of the sponge rubber and such casings produces a surprisinglyli fe-like appearance in dolls and toys containing the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof and illustrating the principle of the invention in some of its wide range of forms, and in the best modes of construction now known to me, although it is obvious that the modes of construction may be widely varied,

Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively plan views of the flexible, soap and water absorbing fabric back and intermediate member of a human faced, two pocket casing, and

Fig. 3 is a front view of a flexible, soa and water absorbing, textile fabric or clotii face mask which, when united with the members shown in Figs. 1 and 2, forms a two pocket, composite bath sponge casing, one pocket being back of the other and both pockets being back of the sponge rubber distender and its front face mask. This Fig. 3 shows eye-slits with eyelid representations; eyebrow representations; and a mouth slit with lip representations, but it does not show any nose projection or structure.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a resilient face mask distender of sponge rubber, having an integral skin which covers the exterior cells of the distender. The view also shows, on one broad side of the distender, a pair of eyeball strips; a tooth and tongue strip; and forehead, cheek and chin defining protuberances of deskinned sponge rubber.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view at line 5-5 of Fig. 4 and particularly illustrates the twopocket, composite bath sponge of human face shape. the neck portion being of deskinned sponge rubber.

Fig. 6 is a front view of the completed head or composite bath sponge.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view at line 77 of Fig. 6 and illustrates constructional features of the two-pocket. composite bath sponge in a form for use on a hand.

Figs. 8 and 9 respectively show a front side and an edge view of an armless dollshaped, casing distender of sponge rubber, the head and body having an integral rubher skin; the neck being of deskinned spon e rubber and the two ankle forming mem rs being rubber tube sections.

Fig. 8 is a transverse section at line 8 of Fig. 8 to show the tubular structure of the ankle-forming members.

Fig. 10 is a front view of a skirted, dollshaped article embodying the invention but having a featureless face mask and the head being covered with one form of head gear.

F 1g. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the dolls shown in Figs. 10 and 13 at line 11-11 of Fig. 10 and shows the arrangement of the body casing and arms.

Fig. 12 is a side view of a bifurcated casin distender of deskinned sponge rubber, ot erwise similar to the distenders illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9.

Fig. 13 is a view of a two-armed doll similar to the figure shown in Fig. 10, but bifurcated, and comprising a trunk distender such as shown in Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a back plan view of the doll shown in Fig. 10.

Figs. 15 and 16 and 17 are respectively a side view of a one-armed doll, a front edge view of what is shown in Fig. 15 and a reverse armless side view of the doll shown in Figs. 15 and 16.

Figs. 18 and 19 are respectively a. side elevation and a top plan view of a duck-shaped figure embodying this invention, and

Fig. 20 is a. belly plan view of the duck. the head and a portion of the neck being broken ofi".

Fig. 21 is an elevation of a one piece modeled sponge rubber distender having an integral skin on its neck portion and an integral skin on its foot portions, the skin stiffening such portions.

Referring to the drawings, each article illustrated comprises one or more sponge rubber casing-distending fillings A and 9 oval in plan view having opposed relatively broad sides and transversely rounded edges. ()ne of the broad sides of distender A and 9 is indicated by a and the other side of distender A by a. The casings are generally indicated by B, and are made of closely woven wash-cloth material such as Turkish towelin-g.

In Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive. the invention is shown embodied in a doll head mitt. which may be either a separate article of manufacture constructed to be used on the hand, or which may be the head of a doll. In this embodiment of the invention. 1 and 2 are pocket-forming sides and 3 a face mask having eyebrow representations 4 preferably of stitching; eyeslits 5. eyelash representations 6, preferably of stitching;

a mouth slit 7 and lips 8, preferably of stitching. These parts 1, 2 and 3 form component members of a two-pocket casing. They are cut out of,the oods and consequently have raw edges. 0 prevent these edges, when they are stitched together into casing form, from ravelling and giving awa under strains of use, they are overstitc ed at .r, and the seams which unite the edges of these component parts are made within the line of the overstitching which reinforces the cut edges and affords a resistance to the tearing out of the stitches b which the constituent pieces are united. This overstitching of cut edges is employed in makin up the different styles of casings herein referred to. The face-mask is shown of larger dimension than either of the ieces 1 or 2, which are of the same size.- T e tip and side edges of the pieces 1, 2 and 3, when superposed, are cured together, forming a front pocket in which an oval sponge rubber casing distender 9 for the head is located, and a back pocket forming a hand space into which the hand of a user may be inserted for flexing the distender and facemask either for purposes of utility or for varying the expression of the face for purposes of amusement.

The casing distenders of sponge rubber may or ma not have an exterior skin 10. The back side of the distender 9 is indicated by 11 and on its opposed front side a there is secured an eyeball strip of white fabric having a woven, embroidered, stitched or printed pair of spaced apart eyeballs 12 each having a pupil 13. The strip is indicated by 14. Below the eyeball strip, there is secured to this side of the distender a tooth and tongue strip 14" of any light colored fabric havin vertical spaced apart tooth edge defining llnes 15 that are stitched or otherwise formed on the strip. These vertical tooth defining lines are horizontally intersected by a tongue tip line 16 of red color, and which is formed by a line of stitching, but which may be printed if desired. These two strips are secured in place at 17 by stitching, but they may be cemented in place. Above the eyeball strip there is secured a sponge rubber forehead defining protuberance 18, and cheek defining protuberance's 19 of sponge rubber are secured to the distender under the eyeball strip and above the tooth and tongue strip, below which a chin defin ing protuberance 20 of sponge rubber is secured to the distender. The seaming by which the members 1, 2, and 3 are secured together at their tips and sides is indicated by :12, leaving the under ends of the twopocket structure open. The distender 9, provided with the strips and protuberances mentioned, is inserted in the front pocket back of the face mask 3 which, as shown, is not in the illustrated form of the invention provided with any protulwrant nose portion, but preferably by insertion of an instrument through the mouth slit of the fare-mask the proper portion of the latter is stretched forwardly to form the nose casing )ortion 21, and sponge rubber is then inserted upwardly throu h the mouth slit back of the stretched noseorming portion and modeled into desired shape and size manually, whereupon constrictive stitches (I are formed by sewing back and forth through the nose casing portion 21 and the filling 9 thereof and down into the distender ll, to shape and anchor the nose structure in 'ihn'c. Some of the constrictive stitches d extend wholly throu h the disender l) and the pocket piece 2. T e edges of the eyeball slits are spread apart to expose the underlying eyeballs and oval seams of constrictive stitches d, are formed around the eyelashes ('1 at each eyeslit, these constrictive stitches 0" extending through the face mask, the distender 9 and the intermediate pocket-forming member 2. The constrictive stitching not only unites the superposed portions through which the threads pass, but forms about and below each eye a. recess such as frequently observed in humans. When the eyeballs are embroidered, he threads used is cominonl of different colors, and if of silk or other lustrous material effects a very natural ap caring eye, of any desired color. bimilar y, constrictive stitching d is made in seam form around the upper and lower lips 8, this seamin givin a certain modeled condition to the ips an holding the lips apart for exposure of the teeth and tongue tip representations. Of course, other constrictive stitching may be used, but I have found in practice that the constrictive stitching thus far described is sufiicient to hold the face-mask properl in anchored, modeled position over the w ole front of the distender 9, including the protuberances 18, 19 and 20, which, of course, ma be varied in area, size and shape.

referably, the casing is provided with one or more ear-forming extensions 22 made of superposed pieces of the goods and stitched together at their outward edges, but hollow and accessible at 23 from the hand space 24 formed between the intermediate member 2 and the back member 1 of the casing. The ears shown have openings. one wall of which is stitched to a margin of the intermediate piece 2 and the other wall of which is stitched to a margin of the back member 1. Thus, a thumb and finger of the user may be inserted in the ears to waggle them for purposes of amusement. The upper portion of the hand space extends above and outwardly of the upward portion of the distender 9 forming a finger-receiving space 28, whereby the upper portion of the pocket may be manipulated by the finger tips. These features of the construction may be greatly varied. The lower front ortion 25 of the distender forms a chin w ich overhangs the lower end margin of the face-mask which at 25 is confined and drawn rearwardly over the chin-forming corner of the distender b a stitched seam 26 that also closes the ront pocket in which the distender 9 and the parts carried by it are confined. The entrance into the under end of the hand-space is indicated by 27. Thus, this human featured doll head mitt structure may be used on ones hand if desired, but if it. is desired to use this head structure as the head of a doll, then the stitched seam 26, instead of completely closing the entrance into the front pocket, may be left open for reception of a neck a of the doll body.

In Figs. 8,8, 9 and 12, the doll body comprises the distender 9, the neck a*, a larger size trunk distender A, the front surface of which is indicated by a and the back surface of which is indicated by a, and stiffened ankle-forming projections a of tubular rubber, these ankle-stiffening means being shown inserted at a in the lower end of the trunk distender A.

Assuming that the body distender shown in Fig. 8 has its head formed as indicated in Figs. 1 to 7 it is obvious that the hand of a user may be inserted into the hand space for manipulation of the face. The rest of the doll body may be dressed in any desired style. The distender A may be either nonbifurcated, for skirted dolls, or bifurcated, for trousered (16115. The doll necks a are shown of sponge rubber, and in forming the feet s onge rubber is moulded manually aroun the ankle stifleners or tubular portions a (Fig. 15) and covered with shoeforming projections b of the casing.

The skirted doll shown in Fig. 10 is made on a doll body substantially like that shown in Fig. 8, the component parts being substantially the same; but its distender head 9 is differently shaped. Its face-mask is unfeatured. The casing for this and the other doll-shaped and duck-shaped figures shown in the drawings is generally indicated by B. The front wall of the casing is indicated by b and the head-gear of the doll-shaped figures is indicated by b. The sleeves or sleeve of the casing material are indicated by 6 These sleeves are filled with sponge rubber b. The open pores of the sponge rubber are indicated by In each of the doll-shaped figures and in the duck-shaped figures the main body distender A is an oval spongesuch as already described. It is compressively molded in part by the contour of the chamber enclosg it.

The bifurcated doll figure shown in Fig. 13 is made from a doll bod such as shown in Fig. 12, its distender hea being differently shaped and positioned, while the doll body down into the rubber of the trunk body distender A. See also Fig. 14 where the constrictive seaming d is shown carried over the shoulders and down the back of the arms. Thus the filled sleeves are united to the body and their filling is held compressively in its molded condition in part by the shape of the chamber of the sleeve and in part by the constrictive stitches, and the ends of the sleeves are also united to the casing and stitched down into the rubber distender by constrictive stitches cl whereby the ends of the sleeves seem to disappear in imaginary pockets containing imaginary hands.

lVhere the shoe-forming rojections b of the casing join the main b0 y of the casing, as in Figs. 10, 14, 15, 16 and 17, the rubber filling and stiffening means are molded in part by constrictive stitching d which draws the top of the shoe indicating structure inwardly as at d in Fig. 16 so that the feet extend from and are overhung by the wider portion of the structure above the ankles. In the structure shown in Fig. 13. constrictive stitching d contracts the shoe structure both at its upper end and at a point corresponding approximately to the ankle joint. r

While in the doll shown in Figs.- 10 and 13 there are two arms which come down on the front side of the body, 'thus leaving the back broad side of the body substantially flat and the face-mask is more or less towards the front side of the body, it will be observed that in the doll shown in Figs. 15,16 and 17 the face-mask faces in the direction of an edge of the structure, while there is a single arm coming down on one of the broad sides. Hereby is illustrated the wide possible variation of design of structures embodying the invention, and in all of the dollshaped figures the head of the article is maintained in a desired position in part by constrictive stitching 6' through the neck portion of the article from side to side, this constrictive stitching also passing through all the casing and head-gear portions and the intermediate rubber filling.

Referring to the toy-shaped (luck figure illustrated in Figs. 18, 19 and 20, it suffices to state that the main trunk casing B is applied upon one of the oval sponge distenders A and provided with a tail-formin casing extension 5 and with a neck an head-forming extension b. These casing throng extensions are filled with sponge rubber, and at the junction of the tail casing extension with the trunk casing B a transverse seam of constrictive stitching d unites the under and to sides of the tail casing and passes ii its filling to hold the tail portion in modeled form and also by compressing the opposed top and bottom walls of the distended casin member towards each other to keep the tail permanently lifted, as in Fig. 18, above the belly side of the article. At the same time, the tail is flexible, but the constrictive stitching has the effect of maintainin the tail casing in its desired position. The neck and head casing b is filled with sponge rubber and is perfectly flexible, but in order to prevent the neck and head from straightening out deformedly and to keep it in a curved and lifted position, normally, the neck and head casing portion b is given a certain amount of stiffening and resistance against dropping down into a deformed position by the constrictive stitching d through the upper and under walls of the casing and the intermediate distender A at and adjacent the base of the neck. This constrictive stitching operates to hold the upper portion of the neck casing material against what may be called deforming gravitation. And such also is the effect of the constrictive stitching d at the tail. The tail and neck constrictive seams d and d respectively extend transversely of the article. Again, the duck eyes are formed and the head is in part shaped by transverse constrictive stitching d transversely through the head portion of the casing and intermediate filling. The exterior visible bends of the thread or yarn used for effecting these stitchings also produce the visible e as shown in the drawings. The duck bill is indicated by surface seams d formed in the bill end of the casing. On the back, the folded wing portions of the duck casing and underlying rubber are molded in part and united each by a seam of constrictive stitches (Z through the back of the casin and through the casing Walls into the rub er.

The main head distender 9 and the main body distender A are initially molded in well known rubber sponge form by their manufacturers and the entire filling of the various shapes of articles embodying this invention may be similarly molded in one piece of sponge rubber; and subsequently encased in water-absorbing fabric and modeled in various desired contours by various constrictive stitches uniting superposed portions of the casin and filling to keep the modeled portions rom relative displacement.

Articles embodying this invention are devoid of metallic or other hard members which might hurt the users, and are of :1

size and weight which permit them to be used by small children.

The casings may be of various colors and patterns and be embroidered or stitched for ornamentation, as desired. The ankles and feet of the doll-shaped figures may be disposed at any desired angle. In Figs. 15 and 17 they indicate a walking figure; in other doll-shaped figures, a standing figure. By anchoring the arm or arm ends by the constrictive stitching, durability of the article is increased and a modeled efi'ect obtained at the arm ends.

The pocket mitt-like casing described in connection with Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, is a species of head-gear. Other species of head-gear are indicated in the other dollshaped figures, and in each of them the head-gear and the face-mask 3 together form a chambered extension of the article for a highly elastic filling such as described. a

The resilient casing distenders of sponge rubber may be molded in one piece, if preferred, but in such cases it is preferred to leave portions of the integral skin on such parts as are to be stiffened; for example, on the neck a and feet forming protuberances F, as in Fig. 21. I am informed that an integral rubber skin always initially covers the pores of molded rubber sponge and that this skin is subsequently ground oil when it is desired to expose the pores.

Closely woven cloth like Turkish toweling, for example, possesses a considerable degree of elasticity which strikingly facilitates the full distension of the casings by the snugly fitting, highly elastic sponge rubber distenders or fillers. Some closely woven fabrics would, if used for the casings, give a stiff and objectionable appearance to the articles.

hat I claim is:

1. In an article of the kind described, an absorbent, closely woven casing in the shape of a natural object and a compressible, elastic sponge, casing distending filling" within the casing, said filling being modeled in part by constrictive stitching normally to conform to approximately the size and shape of the interior of the casing, such stitching being through a wall of the casing and a thereto opposed portion of the filling for holding the superposed modeled portions from relative displacement.

2. In an article of the kind described, an absorbent, closely woven casing in the shape of a natural object and a compressible, elastic sponge. casing distending filling within the casing, said fillin being modeled in part by constrictive stitching normally to conform to approximately the size and shape of the interior of the casing, such stitching being through a wall of the casing and a thereto opposed portion of the filling for holding the superposed modeled portions from relative displacement and for stifi'ening them. 1

3. In an article of the kind described, an absorbent, closely woven casing in the shape of a natural object and a compressible, elastic sponge, casing distending filling within the casing, said filling comprising a main body portion having 0 posed broad sides and an edge curved in t e peripheral direction and also in the transverse direction from one broad side to the other, whereby the main body portion is devoid of angular corners and the casing is fitted in an unwrinkled condition on such portion; the filling being modeled in part by constrictive stitching normally to conform to approximately the size and shape of the interior of the casing and the stitching passing through superposed portions of a casing wall and of the fillin to hold the same together against relative isplacement.

4. In an article of the kind described, an absorbent, closely woven casing in the shape of a natural object and a compressible, elastic sponge, casing distending filling within the casing. said filling comprising a main body portion having opposed broad sides and an edge curved in the peripheral direction and also in the transverse direction from one broad side to the other, whereby the main body portion is devoid of angular corners and the casing is fitted in an unwrinkled condition on such portion; the filling being modeled in part by constrictive stitching normally to conform to approximately the size and shape of the interior of the casing and the stitching passing through superposed portions of a casing wall and of the filling to hold the same together against relative displacement; the casing having a hollow protuberant portion provided with filling modeled in part by constrictive stitching which unites the filling and a superposed portion of its casing.

5. In an article of the kind described, an absorbent, closely woven casing and a compressible elastic sponge, casing distending filling within the casing, said filling comprising a front broad surface and the casing comprising two pockets, one back of the other, one pocket containing the filling and the other pocket forming a hand space back of said filling; the front casing wall being formed with open eye-slits, an open mouth slit and a nose-forming protuberant portion, and the front side of the pocketed filling being provided with flexible eyeballs visible through the eye-slits and with a flexible tooth-indicating strip visible through the mouth slit, and the nose-forming pro'tu berant portion being provided with filling; the fillings being modeled in part by con stricti *e stitching uniting the casing material and filling material normally to cons form to approximately the size and shape of the interior of the casin and to prevent relative displacement of t e modeled and united parts.

6. In an article of the kind described, an absorbent, closely woven casing and a compressible elastic sponge, casing distending filling within the casing, said filling comprising a front broad surface and the casing comprising two pockets, one back of the other, one pocket containing the filling and the other cket forming a hand space back of said filing; the front casing wall being formed with open-eye-slits, lips and a noseforming protuberant portion; and the front side of the pocketed filling being provided with flexible eyeballs visiblevthrough the eye-slits, and the nose-forming protuberant portion being provided with filling; the fillings being modeled in part by constrictive stitching uniting the casing material and filling material normally to conform to approximately the size and shape of the. interior of the casing and to prevent relative displacement of the modeled and united parts; the casings being provided with a hollow portion accessible from the hand space pocket and extending beyond an edge of the main filling,

7. In an article of the kind described, an absorbent, closely woven casing in the shape of a natural object and a compressible, elastic sponge, casing distending filling within the casing, said filling being modeled in part by constrictive stitching normally to conform to approximately the size and shape of the interior of the casing, such stitching being through a wall of the casing and a thereto opposed portion of the filling for holding the superposed modeled portions from relative displacement, and the casing comprising a plurality of cut edge parts marginally over-stitched and united together by seaming within the line of the over-stitching.

8. In an article of the kind described, an absorbent, closely woven casing in the shape of a doll and a compressible, elastic sponge, casing distending filling within the casing, said filling being modeled in part by constrictive stitching normally to conform to approximately the size and shape of the interior of the casing, such stitching being through a wall of the casing and a thereto opposed portion of the filling for holding the superposed modeled portions from relative displacement, the casing comprising a sleeve-forming member and a filling therefor. and the end of the arm so formed being anchored to the casing and the thereto opposed casing filling by constrictive stitching.

9. In an article of the kind described, an absorbent, closely woven casing in the shape of a doll and a compressible, elastic sponge, casing distending filling within the casing, said filling being modeled in part by conv shape strictive stitching normally to conform to approximately the size and shape of themterior of the casing, such stitching being, througha wall of the casing and a thereto opposed portion of the filling for holding the superposed modeled portions fror n relative displacement, the casing comprlslng a face-mask-forming member and a head-gear forming a filling-receivin chamber for the head of the doll and a fil ing in such chamber, and .the head com rismg an encased neck portion stiflened y the constrictive stitching.

10. In an article of the kind descnbed, an absorbent closely woven casin n the shape of a natural object, and within the casing a compressible, elastic rubber sponge,

casing distending filling having an integral rubber skin, said filling bemg modeled in part by constrictive stitching normally to conform to approximately the size and shape of the interior of the, casing, such stitchin being through a wall of the cas ng and a tl ereto opposed portion of the filling for holding the superposed modeled portions from relative displacement.

11. In an article of the kind descr1bed, an absorbent, cldsely woven casing in the of a natural object and havin a hollow foot-forming protuberance an a compressible, elastic sponge, cas ng distending filling within the casing, sa d fillm being modeled in part by constrictlye stitc mg normally to conform to approximately the size and shape of the interior of the casing, such stitchin being through a wall of the casing and a hereto opposed portion of the filling for holding the superposed modeled portions from relative displacement, and filling in the foot-forming protuberance and constrictive stitching through the same and its filling for stiffening the foot portion of the article.

12. In an article of the kind described,

an absorbent, closely woven casing having a pocket and an open hand space receiving chamber, the casing pocket being in the shape of a natural object and a compressible, elastic s on'ge, casing distending filling within sai pocket, said filling being modeled in part by constrictive stitching normally to conform to approximately the size and shape of the interior of the casing, such stitching being through a wall of the casing and a thereto opposed portion of the filling for holdin the superposed modeled portions from re ative displacement.

13. In an article of the kind described, an absorbent, closely woven elastic casing in the shape of a natural object and a compressible elastic rubber sponge in the shape of a natural object snugly fitting the chamber of the casing, the casing and "filling having superpose portions mo ded into desired shape -byconstrictive stitches.

14. A utilitarian toy comprising a compressible, elastic rubber sponge shaped to simulate a natural object, a porous covering for certain portions of said sponge, said covering simulating the natural superficial appearance of the corresponding certain portions of said object, said sponge having an uncovered portion thereon on which the original skin of the sponge is retained in and for the purposes speclfied.

15. A utilitarian toy comprising a compressible, elastic rubber s onge in the form of an animate object having a portion with its exterior pores exposed so as to absorb water, said sponge having a portion of relatively small cross section to correspond with the similar portion of the animate object and with the original skin of the sponge thereon to stifi'en the same.

Signed at Ridgefield, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut this first day of June A. D. 1922.

MALLY PEABODY BEACH.