US1567942A - Articulative sound-producing device for dolls, etc. - Google Patents

Description

' L. J. GRUBMAN ARTICULATIVE SOUND PRODUCING DEVICE FOR DOLLS, ETC

2 sheets+sheetg 1- Filed Dec. 20, l922- Dec. 29, 1925- L. J. GR UBMAN ARTICULA'YTIVE'ISOUND PRODUCING DEVICE FOR DOLLS, ETC

Filed Dec. 20, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Illllifilllllliiltl'ilr vA d I IIIIIIII; lilllilill IIIIIIIA MUN NU Patented Dec. 29, 1925.

BATE-Mr ouster. 4

UNITED LEO J. GBUBMAN, OF NEW YOR Y.,

WARE.

efifil ill lt B ME E: A S GNMENTS, 1 voIoEs, mconromvrnn, or NEWARK, HEW ERSE qngzonnaaon on mine,

amm tarmn o I 1 ionUc G DEVICE. ma ooms. ETC.

Applieation filed December 20, 1922. Serial No. 607,931.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that'I', Leo J. GRUBMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Bronx, county of; Bronx, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Articulative S ound-Producin'g Devices for- Dolls, Etc ofwhich the following is a specification sufficient to enable those conversant with the art to which the invention appertains to utilize the same.

My improvements relate to the type of soundproducing devices designated priniarily for'incorporation in toys, and espe cially dolls, etc., in, which the production of articulatory syllabical sounds in imitation of the human voice is the object to be attained, substantially in the manner set forth inmy concurrent applicationsfor patents on the same subject, Serial No. 542,884, filed March 11th, 1922, and Serial'No. 601, 725, filed November 16th, 1922; As in both of the said concurrent applications, the main object of my present invention is the production of simple, substantial, compact, self-contained mechanism of the character designated, which is gravity-automatic in operation in that the use of springs is obviated, as well as the necessity for extraneous. pressure for sound production, the specific object of this inventionbei'ng-the variation, regulation, and perfection of the syllabized expression, and the facilitation of operation." To this end the invention consists in the specific combination, arrangement and construction of parts and appurtenances herein described and claimed'distinctive features being the means provided for modifying sound emission, and for avoiding retardant inflation of the air compression chamber, all as hereinafter fully set forth. v

I herein exemplify in the accompanying drawings a practical and preferred embodi ment of the essential features of my invention, without, however, limiting myself to the identical form and construction of parts shown, because changes may be made: in minor details with the attainment of like results, and without departing from the spirit and intent of my invention in this respect.

tion taken upon plane of line Fig. 3,

illustrating the position of the parts when the air compression chamber is inflated;

Fig. 5, is acentral vertical sectionalelevation takenupon plane of line 55, Fig. 2, showing the position of the parts just prior to the collapse of the air compression chamber; i

Fig. 6, is a View of the inner side of the movable headofthe compression chamber;

Fig. 7, is an elevation ofthe outer face of the movable head of the compression chamber;

Fig. 8, is a central section of said movable head of the compression chamber, taken upon plane of line 88, Fig. 7

Fig. 9, is a View like unto Fig. 5, showing the compression chamber fully collapsed;

Fig. 10, is an external elevation, on an enlarged scale, ofthe nasal aperture throttle valve;

Fig. 11, is a central longitudinal section thereof, i

Fig. 12, is a transverse section, taken upon plane of 1212, showing thenasal aperture open;

Fig. 13, is a like view showing the nasal aperture, closed;

Fig.1t, is a diagrammatic View illustrating the position of the sounding device as related to the doll body in which it is enclosed.

The operative parts of my sound producing device are, as heretofore, enclosed in a rigid casing, consisting, in the preferred form shown herein, of a cylindrical shell 0, closed at one each of what is designated for convenience of description asthe basic disc '0, a'nd at the other extremity by an inter- Fig. 3, an elevation of the closed end parts, and to afford fixed external dimensions, in such manner as to render the device, considered in a unitary sense, self-contained, and without protuberant parts other than the head of the nasal throttle valve as hereinafter set forth. Thus it is obvious that the shell or casing c, 0, 0 might be other than cylindrical in shape extraneous with substantially like results, although the form shown herein is preferable, on account of its simplicity, compactness, and cheapness of structure.

The head plate 0 of the casing is intersticed, or formed with one or more apertures 0 for communication with the atmosphere, but such apertures 0 may be formed elsewhere in the casing, if desired. As shown herein, a series of these air ports or perforations 0 are located in the head plate 0 of the casing as indicated more particular in Figs. 2, 4-, 5 and 9, of the drawings, provision thus being made for the free inlet and outlet of air, and the emission of sound vibrations emanating from the interior of the device, as hereinafter set forth.

The wind chest or sound emission pipe a, which also functions as a guide and lateral support for the free ormovable head I), of the bellows B, which, in this construction, constitutes the air compression chamber, is likewise preferably, but not necessarily, of cylindrical form, and positioned centrally as related to said bellows and the casing, it being fixedly secured to and between the base plate 0, and the head plate 0 as shown more particularly in Figs. 5%, 5, and 9, of the drawings. Thus, it may consist of a tube (1, held in place at one extremity by being seated in a depression 0', in the base plate 0', and at the other extremity by the inner medial edge 0, of the head plate 0 fitting in an annular groove a, (Figs. 4, 5, 9, 10, and 11) formed for the purpose in the periph eral surface of said wind pipe a, adjacent to the end thereof, the extreme outer edge of the tube being peaned or bent over the outer surface of said head plate 0 thereby looking the said wind pipe (2, securely in place.

This extremity of the throat or wind pipe (1, is closed by the nasal valve J, the hollow cylindrical portion '25, of which extends into the wind pipe 0, as shown more particularly in Figs. 9 and 11, of the drawings, fitting snugly therein so as to make an air tight joint therewith. The other extremity of said wind pipe (1-, is closed and held in position by the aforesaid depression 0, in the basic disc 0.

.Vithin, and adjacent to this end of the wind pipe a, is positioned a reed r, or equivalent sound producing element, the side of the tube in proximity thereto. and betweenit and the inner side of the basic disc 0, being formed with one or more apertures as a through which communication is established with the interior of the bellows B, so as to afford adequate means for the admission of air to, and its expulsion from, the air compression chamber of said bellows B, according to circumstances, as for instance for the inflation or deflation of said bellows B, always effected through said wind pipe a.

Air is admitted to or ejected from the wind chest at, through the medium of the primary or nasal aperture a and the secondary or aspirate aperture a both of which communicate under certain conditions, with the space 0*, between the intersticed head plate 0 of the casing and the resonator or sound intensifying partition P, which latter is rigidly positioned within the casing and is related to said head plate 0, as shown more particularly in Figs. 4, 5 and 9, of the drawings.

Said resonance partition P, is preferably of concave form on the side thereof opposed to the intersticed head plate 0 of the casing, as shown in the drawings, so as to concentrate and align the sound waves or vibrations emanating from the wind chest a, in a manner essentially parabolic, although I do not limit myself in this respect, since the main function of said partition P, is to definitely limit the sound productive area of the device and separate it from the rest of the interior of the casing, it having been found that otherwise the collapse of the bellows B, causes the movable head I), thereof to attenuate the sound vibrations by enlarging the area between it and the perforated head 0 thus interfering materially with and modifying the sound production in such manner that the second syllable produced is less distinct than the first.

The said resonator partition P, is formed with a central opening 19, for the accommodation of the wind chest at, and it may be affixed to the casing in any suitable manner, preferably by the method set forth in my last named concurrent application Serial No. (.=i,'i'25, which also describes the means here in shown for effecting the permanent attachment of other portions of the device, said details of construction forming no part of my present invention.

in this connection it may be stated that the lll'lPlOVGIIlBlliT-S herein sought to be covered relate especially to the means for controlling the intake and outlet of air to and from the device in such manner that complete inflation of the air compression chamber is assured, and also whereby the device may be adjusted to pronounce syllabically either the words papa or ma-ma, as desired.

it is to be understood that the difference in the pronunciation of these two words consists, in the case of ma-ma, in the production of a preliminary nasal sound before vowel A; whereas the absence ofsuch preliminary nasal sound results in the articulationof the syllabical' sound pa-pa. The usualmethod heretofore followedin sound devices simulating the word"ma-ma has been to produce a soundfinside. a, Chamber otherwise closed except for two sound-emitting openings, one of which (the first or preliminary opening.) as related syllabical annunciation) is smaller, than, the other, and haslb'een constantly open, eventhough the larger opening be closed temporarily, Thus the nasal sound of the letter M is first heard omitted through the, smaller opening before the larger opening is uncovered by its co-operating valve, and then at the, moment the. larger opening uncovered the vowel A follows the consonant M thereby producing. the syllable .ma. The omission of the smaller opening results in the of the syllable, pa.

A distinctive feature of my present invention consists in the provision of means whereby the smaller or. preliminary nasal opening a may be. closed or opened at will, so that a doll equipped with my improved voice device maylbe set to ejaculate either papa or mama, as desired,by the simple expedient of! turning'the nasal valve N, in one direction or the other. a

It is obvious that various well known mechanical expedients may be resorted to for thus covering or uncovering the nasal opening (1 andI do not limit myself to the form of valve disclosedhereinwhich, however, is well adapted to the purpose in that it is simple in structure, and also functions as a closure for this extremity of the throat pipe a. As shown in the accompanying drawings, said valve consists of a hollow cylindrical stem portion n, extending into the throat tube a, beyond the nasal aperture a thereof, and formedwith an opening a, corresponding to said nasal opening a and which may be brought into coincidence therewith, as illustrated in Fig.12, or out of coincidence therewith, as in Fig. 13, of the drawings, the extent of rotat-ive movement of the valve inleither direction being limited by aboss or projection (4 inturned on the throat tube a, and protruding into a segmental slot a formedffor the purpose in said cylindrical portion a, of the valve N, as shown more particularly in Figs. 11, 12 and 13 of the drawings, by reference to which it will be seen that the ends of the slot 173, whencontacting with the boss. a", of the tube a, act as stops to limit movement of the valve in eitherdirection. Incidentally the protrusion of the boss (0*, into the transverse segmental slot 12?, prevents the slipping out or removal of the said cylindrical portion a, of the valve N, from the throat tube a, thereby securing said valveN, in position.

The outer end-of the cylindrical portion n,

pronunciation of the valvev N, is formed with prongs n 12 which project through the disk of the button a", which latter constitutes the handle or linger piece by means of which the valve N, may be manipulated,said button 72%, being intended to protrude, through the back of the doll D, as indicated in Fig. 14, and to be utilized anddisguised-as a possible fastening for a part of the doll clothing, said Fig. l}, also showing in. dotted lines the preferred position of the voice device within the body ofthe doll.

In order to prevent possibility of leakage of air through the disc at, around the prongs a, a, I insert a sealing plug m in the outer extremity ofthe cylindrical port-ion n, of the nasal valve N, as shown more particularly. in Figs. 9 and 11, of the drawings.

An important requirement. to insure perfect operation of a device. of this character where a bellows B, is usedas the air compression chamber, is the complete inflation of said bellows before the start of the retractile, or compressive movement ofitsweighted movable head Z), otherwise the latter may move a considerable portion of its collapsion stroke without perceptibly compressing the air in the bellows, causing partial or complete failure in the pronunciation of the first syllable or its consonant, andv resulting in the sounds ama or apa, or only. the last syllable of either word. Or, to/indicate the trouble in difierent language, the imperfect inflation of the bellows may cause the completion of the expansion stroke of the weighted head b, to create a partial vacuum or tension within the bellows that has to be overcome before actual compression of air is attained, thus impairing initiative sound production as above stated.

I obviate this difiiculty, in my construction of apparatus herein set forth, by providing the movable head 12, of the bellows B, with one or ,more auxiliary air inlet openings 6, b the first, 5, being positioned to coincide with the throat opening a, when the said movable head I), is, at the completion of its expansion stroke, as in Fig. 4:, of the drawings, so as to insure an adequate supply of intake air through the throat pipe a; or an inlet port 6 may be made in the said movable head 6, communicating directly with the interior of the bellows B, when said inlet port 6 is uncovered by the automatic opening of its closure flap. 6*, as also shown in said Fig. 4;, of the drawings, Fig. 9, of the latter showing said flap 6-",

as closed by internal pressure during the compression stroke of the movable head. Z). It is to be noted that in both instances the air inlets b, 12?, are valve controlled inthat. the neck of themovable head I), in one case. acts as the valve to open and close the aperr tune if, in the throat tube. a, and in this respect being-the equi qalent. of. the flap, valve 6 provided for the direct port 6 latter, it is to. be noted, insures an ingof air to the bellows B, even after the inlet a, in the throat tube a, is closed by the neck of the movable member, and up to and during the completion of the expansive stroke of said movable head of the bellows, so that all. tendency of rarefication or" air within the bellows is obviated in a positive manner, the valve 6 closing automatically at the inception of the retractile or collapsestroke of the movable head Z2.

\Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. In an articulating device, an air chamber, a gravity movable air expelling member in said chamber, a sound producing reed through which the air is expelled, relatively fixed means with which said member coaots to control the emission of sound simulating the pronunciation of vowel; let ters and additional means adapted to cooperate with said fixed means for independently controlling the emission of sound in relatively different volume from that normally emitted through said first-named means for simulating the pronunciation of consonant letters.

2. In an articulating device, an air chamber, a member movable in said chamber for expelling air therefrom, a sound producing reed through which the air is expelled, a relatively fixed part guiding said member and having means with which said member coacts to control the emission of sound simulating? the pronunciation of vowel let ters, said part also having additional sound emitting means, and a manually operable element adapted to cooperate with said lastnamed sound emitting means for independently controlling the emission of sound therefrom in relatively ditlerent volume from that emitted through said first-named means for simulating the pronunciation of consonant letters.

3. In an articulating device an air compression chamber, a wind chest communieating therewith and with the atmosphere, said wind chest being formed with a preliminary nasal throat aperture of relatively small area and with a second throat aperture of larger size, means for opening and closing said preliminary nasal throat aperture in the wind chest, consisting of a rotative valve having a cylindrical stem portion fitting in the end of the wind chest and formed with a port for coincidence with said nasal throat aperture in said wind chest, means for limiting the rotative movement of said valve, a sound producing element positioned in said wind chest, and means for inflating and deflating said air compression chamber.

l. In an articulating device, a casing, having an air receiving chamber therein,

sound producing and emitting means including a lixed part extending axially through said casing and having spaced sound emission openings of relatively dilierent size, a member movable upon said part for expelling air from said chamber through the sound producing means and said member having means to coact with one 01 said openin gs and control the emission of sound therethrough, and means accessible from the exterior of said casing for opening or closing communication between the other of said emission openings and the atmosphere to thereby independently control the emission of sound through the latter opening.

5. In an articulating device, sound producing and emitting means including a fixed tubular part having spaced sound emission openings of relatively different area, a bellows provided with a gravity movable head guided by said tubular part and adapted to expel air through the sound producing means, said head being provided with a part to intermittently interrupt the emission of sound from one of said openings, and means independently operable from the exterior of said tubular part to open or close the other of said sound emission openings and thereby independently control the emission of sound through said latter opening.

6. In a sound producing device, a cylindrical air chamber, a gravity movable air expelling member in said chamber, sound producing and emitting means including a tubular part extending axially through said chamber and having spaced openings in its wall of relatively different area, said expelling member coacting with the latter opening in said tubular part to control the emission of sound therethrough, and a manually adjustable valve member associated with said tubular part and adapted to open or close the smaller opening thereof to independently control the emission of sound therethrough.

7. In an articulating device, a casing having an air receiving chamber therein, sound producing and emitting means including a tubular member positioned axially through said casing and opening at one of its ends through one end of said casing, said member being provided in its wall with longitudinally spaced sound emission openings, a movable member in said casing for expellingair from said chamber through the sound producing and emitting means, and a manually adjustable valve element mounted in the open end of said tubular member for the purpose of opening or closing one of said sound emission openings to thereby optionally control the character of the emitted sounds.

8. In an articulating device, a casing having heads on its opposite ends and an air receiving chamber enclosed within said casing,sound producing' means, a gravity movable inen'iber in "the casing "expelling air from said chamber tl'irough the sound producing means, and means mounted between and supported by the "casing heads for controlling theemission of the sounds including relatively adjustable parts for the purpose of simulatingthe sounding of either one of two difl'erent words during the air expelling movement of saidmember.

9. In a sound producing device, a cylindrical casing, sound producing means within said casing, means for expelling air under pressure. from said casing through the sound producing means, and sound emission controlling means positioned in the major axial line of said casing and including a manually adjustable part optionally operable to vary the volume and audible impression of the emitted sound.

10. In a sound producing device, a cylindrical casing, sound producing means within said casing, means for expelling air under pressure from said casing through the sound.

producing means,-and sound emission controlling means positioned in the major axial line of said casing and including an axially rotatable part optionally operable to vary the volume and audible impression of the emitted sound.

11. In an articulative sound producing device, a casing, an air chamber enclosed thereby, a member longitudinally movable in the casing for expelling air from said chamber, a sound producing reed through which the air is expelled, and normal emission means and optional emission means coaxially related to said movable air expelling member for optionally effecting the emission of sound in phonetic simulation of different word syllables.

12. In an articulative sound producing device, a casing, a bellows enclosed within said casing having a longitudinally movable head for expelling air from the bellows chamber, a sound producing reed through which the air is expelled, and sound emission control ling means positioned in the line of axial movement of said bellows head and includ ing an emission and a rotatably-adjustable .part coacting with said opening and optionally operable to effect the emission of sound in phonetic simulation of different word syllables.

13. In an articulative sound producing device, a casing, an air chamber enclosed thereby, a member longitudinally movable in the casing for expelling air from said chamber, a sound producing reed through which the air is expelled, manually controllable means coaxially related to said movable air expelling member for optionally effecting the emission of sound in phonetic simulation of different word syllables, said means including an orificed guide element for said expelling member, a sound emission control element coacting with one of the orifices of said guide element, and means for adjusting one of said elcn'ients with respect to the other to thereby optionally effect the emission of sound in phonetic'simulation of different word syllables.

ll. In an articulative sound producing device, a casing, a bellows enclosed within said casing having a longitudinally movable head for expelling air from the bellows chamber, a sound producing reed through which the air is expelled, and sound emission controlling means positioned in the lineofaxial movement ofsaid bellows head,

said means including an orificed guide memmovable member in the casing for expelling air from said chamber through the sound producing means, and means for controlling the emission of the sound including a sound receiving chamber positioned axially of said casing and having spaced sound emission openings in its wall, said air expelling member having means to co-operate with one of said openings and control the emission of sound therethrough, and manually adjustable means accessible from the exterior of the casing to open or close the other sound emission opening and thereby independently control the emission of sound through the latter opening.

16. In an articulating device, a bellows having a gravity movable head, a fixed guide for the movable bellows head having a passage communicating at one of its ends with the interior of the bellows and provided with spaced emission openings at its other end communicating with the atmosphere, sound producing means through which air is expelled by the bellows into said passage, means carried by the movable bellows head for controlling the emission ofsound through one of said openings in its air expelling movement upon said guide,

. and separate means for independently controlling the emission of sound through the other of said openings.

17. In an articulating device, a casing, an air receiving chamber enclosed by said casing, a fixed guide member extending axially through the casing and said chamber, a gravity movable air expelling member supported and guided by said member, said member having a passage therethrough associated with communicating at one of its ends with said chamber and communicating at longitudinally spaced points near its opposite end with the atmosphere, sound producing means through which air is expelled from said chamber into said passage, means can ried by said gravity movable member for controlling the emission of sound through one of the latter openings in'the air expelling movement of said member, and ad justable means associated with said member for independently controlling the emission of sound through the other of said openings. 7

18. In a sound producing device, a be]- lows having a gravity movable head; a fixed guide for said head having a sound emission and air admitting passage therethrough communicating at one of its ends with the interior of the bellows and at its other end with the atmosphere, 7 sound producing means through which. the air is expelled in the deflation movement of the bellows head, said bellows head having an apertured part controlling the omission of sound through said passage, and the aperture thereof being adapted to register with the outlet of said passage at the end of the reverse movement of said bellows head whereby the interior of: the bellows is in communication with the atmosphere to thereby eiiect the complete inflation of the bellows chamber.

LEO J. GRUBMAN.

Images