US1578834A - Doll's eyes - Google Patents

Description

March 30 1926- 1,578,834 A. KONOFF,

DOLL S EYES Filed April 21, 1925 any position into which they Patented Mar. 30, 1926.

UNITED STATES ALEXANDER KON OFF, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO OVERLAND METAL NOVELTY PATENT OFFICE.

CO. INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DOLLS EYES Application filed. April 21, 1925. Serial- No. 24,781.

To a7l whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER KONOFF, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dolls Eyes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in dolls eyes, and particularly to the manner of constructing and mounting the eye balls upon their supporting rod.

An object of the invention is to provide an eye which is of simple and inexpensive construction and which may be easily connected with its .supporting rod and which when so connected will be capable of universal rotary adjustment in order to properlv accommodate itself to the eye socket in the dolls head.

A further and more detailed object is to provide an eye including an outer hemispherical shell, preferably of metal, and bearing the eye-picture on its outer surface. and a single attaching member connected between the eye shell and its carrying rod constituting the sole element of connection between said shell and rod, and further to so connect the attaching member with the shell and rod that it will provide for both a universal rotary adjustment of the shell with respect to the rod and a bodily adjustment of the eye along the length of the rod.

A still further detailed object is to so construct the parts that the eye shell will be capable of a desirably limited rotary movement upon the attaclung member and about both horizontal and vertical axes transverse to the length of the supporting rod, and the attaching member being in turn rotatably adjustable upon the supporting rod.

A further object is to so construct the parts that they will be retained against likelihood of accidental displacement from are manually adjusted.

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specifid than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of mounted at principles, constituting the invention, and the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as a part of this specification, and in which I have shown merely a preferred form of embodiment of' the inven tion:-

Fig. 1 is a front. elevational view of a portion of an eye set constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear view in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sidc elevational view of the eve seen in Fig. 2', the supporting rod being shown in transverse section.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken upon the plane of line IVIV of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane of line V'-V of F ig. 2, the attaching member being shown in full lines.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to that seen in Fig. 5 but illustratingia modified construction of the attaching member.

of the eye appearing Fig. 7 is a sectional view upon the plane of line VII-VII of Fig. 6. and

Fig. 8 is a rear view of the appearing in Figs. 6 and 7.

Referring to the drawings for describing in detail the structural parts shown therein the reference character L indicates the usual bracket member by means of which the eye set is intended to be connected with the inner surface of the forehead portion of a doll.

The reference character G indicates the eye structure cross, or supporting, rod which is rotatably the lower end of the bracket plate and which carries at its opposite ends the two eyes HH. The rod G has a pendant Weight carrying arm 1 by which the eyes are gravity controlled in-the usual manner.

The eyes are identical and a description of one will apply to both, as follows:

The hemispherical shell 2 has a notch 3 in one side therof through which projects the supporting rod G.

The attaching member 4 is arranged at the rear of the shell 2 and consists of what will be termed a main flat plate portion 5, .a pair of spring arms 6-6and a stem portion 7 The main plate portion 5 extends vertically across the rear open side of the shell 2. The spring arms 66 are formed at the upper and lower ends of this plate and curve forwardly in approximate conformity to the semispherical curvature of the interior surface of the shell. They are so made however that except for the presence of the shell they would spread apart, and thus they exert a continual friction pressure against the inner surface of the shell. a

Suitable inturnedflanges as 8-8 are provided at the rear edge of the shell in position to engage over the adjacent rear surface portions of the plate 5 for maintaining the spring arms in proper cooperative en agethe plate 5 at its opposite ends is punchedup wardly to a suitable extent so as to provide aligned pivot portions 9 for direct engagement against the flanges 8 to thereby facilitate accurate pivotal adjustment of the eye shell with respect to the supporting rod, it

being noted that the pivot points 9 are substantially in a common vertical plane with theacenter of the su porting rod in order that no appreciable ily displacement of the eyev shell will accompany rotarv adjustment of the eye shell when the shell is being fitted to its cooperative position within a dolls head; as will be readily understood by those skilled in the use of devices of this kind. r i

In addition'to adjustment of the eye shell 1 about a vertical axis transverse to the length of the supporting red, as just described, the v structure also permits of a rotary adjustment of the eye shell-aboutja horizontal axis transverse to the'supporting rod, that is that e the shell may be easilyrotated about such axis with the pivot points 9 meanwhile slidin'g'along the under or forward surface of the flanges 8. Both of these adjustments will be properly fric-tionally resisted by pressure of the spring arms 6 against the inner surface of the shell and by the resultant pressure of the pivotparts or points 9 against the flanges .8, and this frictional resistance will be ample to maintain the shell in any position to which it is manually adjusted.

he stem portion 7 of the attaching member projects laterally from the main plate portion 5 and consists of a tubular sleeve adapted totelescope over the end of the supporting rod, the plate portion 5 being preferably formed with a groove as 10 therein so asto provide for unobstructed longitu-' dinal movement of the sle'eve along the supporting rod.

The stem or sleeve is formed from sheet metal bent into tubular shape but the edges are preferably not. fixedly connected together, they may or may not have engagement with each other as suggested in my co-pending application Serial #K-1049. The sleeve is normally of less internal diameter than the external diameter of the supporting rod and must therefore be expanded when being forced onto the rod. Sufficient friction is thus generated to retain the sleeve inany position to which it is adjusted either longitudinally or rotatably upon the rod.

. The several parts of the attaching member 4 may be separately formed and connected together if desired but they are preferably all formed as a stamping from a single piece of sheet metal as illustrated in the drawings.

The opening 3 in the eye shell is sufficient ly large to accommodate all necessary adjustments of the eye shell without any inter-- ference from the supporting rod, and it will be seen that by the structure described the eye shell is capable of manual rotary adjustment in all directions with respect to its supporting rod and about the spherical center of the eye shell, and that by reason of the telescopic engagement of the stem. portion 7 upon the supporting rod the eye may be readily adjusted as an entity longitudinally of the rod.

Referring now to the modification disclosed in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, it will be seen that the structure shown therein diflers" from the structure in the previous figures only as .regards the construction of the attaching member. I main plate as 11, corresponding to the plate 5, is somewhat larger thansaid plate 5 and is provided with additional spring arms 1212, four such arms being illustrated.

These arms curve forwardly and conform 105 to and engage against the inner surface of the shell in the same manner and for the: same purpose as do the arms 6 of the previous structure, and the plate --11 is provided with raised pivot portions or points 13 thereon for engaging the flanges 8 in thesame manner as already described.

Oppositely pressed portions 14 and 15 of the plate 11 provide a socket directly upon said plate into which the end of the supporting rod G is inserted. The socket socket are suitably resilient so that when therod is forced into the socket a sufiicient In Figs. 6, 7 and 8the is normally slightly smaller than the diameterof the rod, and the parts forming theof the rod or longitudinally D in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described mv inventiongvhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An eye structure comprising 'a semispherical eye shell and an attaching member by which to connect said shell with the usual supporting rod, said attaching member comprising one portion to adjustably connect with the supporting rod and another portion providing spring fingers extending into the hollow of the eye shell and having frictional engagement against the inner surface of said shell to thereby frictionally adjustably support the eye shell and means whereby said spring fingers are held in co-operative contact with said shell.

2. An eye structure comprising a semispherical eye shell and an attaching member by which to connect said shell with the usual supporting rod, and said attaching member comprising a plate extending across the rear open side of the eye shell, means provided by said plate to frietionally adjustably engage the supporting rod affording rotatable and longitudinal adjustment of the plate with respect to the rod, a plurality of spring fingers formed upon said plate engaging the eye shell to frictionally adjustably support the eye shell, and means provided upon the eye shell and engaging Purtions of the plate to hold the spring fingers in co-operative engagement with the eye shell.

3. An eye structure comprising a semispherical eye shell and an attaching member by which to connect said shell with the usual supporting rod, and said attaching member comprising a plate extending across ,the rear open side of the eye shell, means provided by said plate to frictionally adjustably engage the supporting rod, said plate having oppositely disposed extensions curved into conformity with the inner surface of the eye shell and constituting a pair of spring fingers engaging said inner surface of the eye shell to frictionally adjustably support the eye shell, and flanges provided upon the eye shell to retain the attaching member in co-operative position.

4:. An eye structure comprising a semispherical e ve shell and an attaching memher by which to connect said shell with the usual supporting rod, and said attaching member comprising a plate extending across" the rear open side of the .eye shell, means provided by said plate to frictionally adjustably engage the supporting rod, and said plate havmg extensions at its opposite ends curved into conformity with the inner surface of the eye shell and constituting a pair of spring fin ers en aging said inner surf ce of the eye shell t d. frictienally adj ustably support the eye shell. together with flanges provided upon the eye shell and engaging said plate to retain the plate in cooperative posltion.

An eye structure comprising a semispherical eye shell and an attaching memher by which to connect said shell with the usual supporting rod, the eye shell being open at its rear side and having diametrically disposed inturned flanges at its rear edge adapted to stand one vertically below and one vertica ly above the supporting rod, the attaching member comprising a plate extending across the rear open side of the eye shell having pivotal engagement with said flanges on a vertical axis, spring fingers provided upon said plate engaging the shell to hold the plate in pivotal engagement with the flanges and to frictionallv resist the rotary adjustment of the shell oh said vertical axis and also to provide rotary frictionally resisted adjustment of the shell with respect to the plate about a horizontal axis, together with means by which the plate is adapted for adjustable connection with .the supporting rod.

6. An eye structure comprising a semispherical eye shell and an attaching memher by which to connect said shell with the usual supporting rod, the eye. shell being open at its rear side and having diametrically disposed inturned flanges at its rear edge adapted to stand one vertically below and one vertically above the supporting rod, the attaching member. comprising a plate extending across the rear open side of the eye shell having pivotal engagement with said flanges on a vertical axis, spring fingers provided upon said plate engaging the shell to hold the plate in pivotal engagement with the flanges and to frict-ionally resist the rotary adjustment of the shell on said vertical axis and also to provide rotary frictionally resisted adjustment of the shell with respect to the plate about a horizontal axis, and said plate having oppositely disposed parts providing a spring socket by which it is adapted for adjustable connection with the supporting rod.

7. An eye structure comprising a semispherical eye shell and an attaching member by which to connect said shell with the usual supporting rod, the eye shell being open at its rear side and having diamet rically disposed inturned flanges at its rear edge adapted to stand one vertically below and one verticaliy above the supporting rod, the attaching member comprising a plate extending across the rear open side of the eye shell having pivotal engagement with said flanges on a vertical axis, spring fingers provided upon said plate engaging the shell to hold the plate in pivotal engagement with the flanges and to frictionally resist the rotary adjustment of the shell on said vertical axis and also to provide rotary frictionally resisted adjustment of the shell with respect to the plate about a horizontal axis, and said plate having integral parts thereof bent to provide a spring socket by which it is adapted for adjustable connection-with the supporting rod.

8. An eye structure comprising a shell, and an attaching member by which to connect said shell with the usual supporting rod, means by which the shell is pivotally connected with said attaching member, and said last mentioned means comprising a spring finger extension of the attaching member arranged to engage the shell to frictionally resist rotary movement of the shell with respect to the attaching member.

9. An'eye structure comprising a shell, and an attaching member .by which to connect said shell with the usual supporting rod, means by which the shell is pivotally connected with said attaching member, to afford rotary adjustment of the shell about axes at right angles to each other, and Sam last mentioned means comprising a spring finger extension of the attaching member arranged to engage the shell to frictionally resist rotary movement of the shell with respect to the attaching member, about both of said axes. V 4

10. An 'eye structure comprising an eye shell having a spherical inner surface portion, an attaching member by which to adjustably connect said eye shell with the usual supporting rod, and said attaching member comprising a resiliently compressible part arranged within the eye shell and compressed by engagement with the spherical inner surface portion of said shell to therehv enable adjustment of the shell upon the attaching member and tofrictionally resist and maintain such adjustment, the shell comprising means to retain said compressible part within the shell, and said attaching member also having another portion by which it may be connected with th supporting rod. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ALEXANDER KONOFF.

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