US1444389A - Walking toy - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 6, 4923. 4,444,389.

B. E. ROSSLING.

WALKING TOY.

FILED Aue.2 4.192o.

lm/@zzr Barnard E Roesslng Per @MM/M 'his f,

bear, walking on tworlegs.

Patented il?1 eb.. 6, i923.

FRANCIS J. MANEELEY, OF PI IIDADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

j. WALKNG TOY.

Application tiled August 24, 1920. Serial No. 405,685.

To all @07mm t may concern.'

Be it known that l, BERNARD E. RonssLiNe, a citizen ont the' United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania., certain new and useful improvements in Vialking Toys, of which the following is a specication.

This device is designed to simulate the movements ot a living creature, especially a The ligure is held by its upper part, the head, shoulder or front paw, and, as it moves along the hind legs will simulate the movements of the legs of the animal. The bear has its joints somewhat similar to the human leg; it is a plantigrade; and on account or the caricatureA of human movement presented by a bear walking on its hind legs, the'movements of the walking figure are very natural and at the same time comical.

F ig. l is a side view ot' the toy. .F ig. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanical structure of the saine. Fig. 3 is a detail view ot' the parts forming the hip j oint. Fig. et is a view of a modified hip joint construction. F ig. 5 shows the skeleton ot' the hip piece, shoulder and connecting rod.

The toy has a stued body and head and vforelegs, which are kept in position by a rod 3 extending from the hip piece 5 to the shoulder piece l, consisting of a cross bar that has its ends extending close to the cover at the shoulders 2, and which is secured to the upright piece 3, which fixes the position oiA the shoulders 2 and the forelegs 4f and gives a suicient rigidity to the body oi. the toy to enable the child playing with it to make it walk by taking hold of the arm or shoulder.

The hip piece 5 is of rigid material. lt is provided with the extension 6, which may be of a yielding` material, it desired, and enables the toy to take a sitting position as will be described below. The extension 6, projects downward trom the main part oil the hip piece sufficient to cause the body of the toy to sit erectly, the body being supported by the extension 6, and the back of the upper leg portion, 9. rlhese latter are connected at the edges oi these bevelled upper rods to the edge oi' the downwardly projecting bevelled portion ot' the hip portion. The centre of gravity of the body when the toy is seat-ed lies between this extension 6, and the joint between the upper leg portion and the have invented hip piece but much nearer the latter. `This permits the body, when the toy is seated to be rocked forward, until it is stopped by the Contact ot the front incline of the down- `Yardly projecting bevelled part of the hip piece. The rod 3 can be screwed into the hip piece 5. lt' this rod be of metal, and the piece 5 and bar l oi wood the connection between them can be very simply and cheaply made. j

`The hind leg pieces 9 and 8 that form the upper and lower portions of the legs respectively are made substantially rigid, so as to keep them firm and give proper support to the operating devices connecting them to each other and to the hip piece 5. The hind tiet should be made also rigid, so that the full effect oit walking' be given, as the rolling action in these feet forms a part of the operation otthe device. l

The joint between the hip piece 5 and the upper hind leg (piece 9) of the toy is a leaf hinge having one leaf attached to one of these parts and pressing against but free from the other. ills shown the leaf l0 is secured to the inclined top 14 et the upper piece 9 ot the hind leg, and the spring l2 pushes outward the leal" ll into Contact with the under side lil of the piece 5. The inclined top 141 of the upper portion 9 olf the hind leg and the inclined portion 13 oi' the hip piece 5 are so arranged that the spring will litt slightly the piece 9 if free but can be compressed readily by the slight friction oi the toot on the ground. The inclined lower end l5 of the piece 9 and the inclined upper end of the piece 8 are arranged to allow the bending at the knee. These two parts are connected by the spiral springs 16, that tend. to hold the two pieces 9 and 8 in alignment.

The coveringupon the toy can be made to simulate the hairy skin oie a bear and be stuffed out to take the bears shape. This cover can also serve to limit the movements oil. the parts. For instance, the forward movement ot the part 9 is limited by the portion et the cover between the extension and the part 9, and a possible reversed bendat the knees is prevented by the portion of the cover covering their back portions. A. somewhat like result can be obtainec by the covering and rear portion of the knees. This cover fits tightly upon the thigh pieces 9 and the shin pieces 8. i

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will then throw the other leg slightly for-` ward inclining the thigh more forward and letting the lower leg and foot drop a little, thus advancing the leg and giving a close semblance to the waddle of a bear. The

otherleg isheld meanwhile back by the fric- 'tion of the foot on the ground. As the toy is moved further forward, the weight of the toy will bring the lifted foot to the ground and the springs 16 will straighten the legs. The `springs can be made so that they will bend under the weight of the lower leg and foot but yet straighten the leg when the leg is under the body (as above described) and this will relieve the other leg of thekbody weight, which will havel compressed its hip spring considerably and throw the leg for ward. This action will be re )cated and an excellent simulation of the waddling walk of a bear will be produced. lhen the toy is to sit the projection and the lower side of the parts 9will rest on the supporting surface.

l claim at the knees and l. The combination in a walking toy of a hip piece, an upright rod secured to the hip piece, a shoulder piece substantially at right angles to said upright rod and secured to sa1ne,leg pieces jointed to said hip piece and having springs operating at said hip portions and said knees, and a cover, provided with stuiing at the body portions filling out the shape of' the toy and covering the leg portions, but fitting tight to the leg portions on either side of each joint and limiting the amount of turning permitted at each joint, said cover having stuffed front leg portions at the ends of the shoulder pieces. i

2. rlhe combination in a walking toy with a verticaljrod and shoulder piece substantially at right angles with said rod, of a hip piece secured to said vertical rod and having two projections, one of which is bevelled and has a horizontal edge, upper andlower leg pieces jointed and springing at the knees, the upper ends of each'upper leg piece being bevelled, said'upper leg pieces being jointed along the edge of the bevel to the lower edge of the downwardly projecting bevelled portion of the hip piece.

ln testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

BERNARD E. ROESSLING.

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