US1849304A - Movable eye for dolls and the like - Google Patents

Description

March 15, 1932. J. L. mom 1,849,304

MOVABLE EYE FOR DOLLS AND THE LIKE F'il ed Feb. 25, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l NV TOR ATTORNEYIS March 15, 1932. J UTOMY MOVABLE EYE FOR DOLLS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 25, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H INVENTOR ATTORNEYS 1 Patented Mar. 15, 1932 UNITED, STATES.

PATENT. F

JOHN L. LITOMY, OF- GLEN RIDGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-THIRD T0 JOSEPH I A..-'1AFEBNEB, on NEW YORK, N. Y., AND ONE-THIRD TO LEO J. scnnr'rznn, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

MOVABLE EYE FOR DOLLS .ANDLTHE LIKE Application filed February 25, 1931. .Serial No. 51 8, 067..

This invention relates to movable eye constructions for dolls, display figures and the like, including eyeballs which are mounted inside the head of the doll or figure to be visible through eye-openings and rotate to simulate movement of the eyes, as in opening and closing thereof.

Dolls heads are usually made of'a plastic composition which during manufacture often shrinks or expands so that the eyeopenings indifferent heads'may be different distances apart or may be located in various positions vertically of the face, or the face portions of the heads may vary in their rea lation to the other portions. Also, while in use the heads may be similarly distorted from their original shapes. Accordingly, it has been diflicult to produce movable eye devices which can be easily and quickly adjusted to accommodate such variations as occur during manufacture or to permit the eyeballs to adjust themselves relatively to the eye-openings whenthe' distortions occur while the doll is in use. -Many attempts 0 have been made to produce satisfactory movable eye constructions but such known devices have either been too complicated in structure, or required too much skilled labor for their assembly, or have been unreliable and ineffective for the purpose.

It is-very desirable to utilize glass eyeballs such as shown in Patents Nos. 1,37 3,439 and 1,433,899, dated respectively April 5, 1921, and October 31, 1922, because such eyes are more natural in appearance and are more easily made than are metal eyeballsor eyeballs of other material, some of which include a body portion and a coating such as celluloid. However, great difliculty has been experienced in mounting glass eyeballs in movable eye devices, both because ,of the danger of breakageof the eyeballs and the complicated and expensive attaching devices which have been thought necessary.

One object of my invention'is to provide a novel andimproved movableeye device of the general character described,*which shall be easily and quickly adjustable to accommodate variations in the positions of the eye sockets indiiferent heads, and shall easily nd quickly automatically adjust its lf f distortions of the head resulting in variations in the relation of the eye-sockets while the dollhead is in use. 1 e

A further object is to provide a novel and improved mounting for the'yoke whereby-the yoke may bodily move in practicallyall directions to compensate for variations in the relations of the'eye-sockets to each otherland to the other portions ofthe head, so that the eyeballs shall be freely movable even when the eye-sockets become seriously dislocated.

.Other objects areto provide such a' rnovlable eye construction including a supporting bar to be substantially rigidly mounted in the for holding the yoke, said bracket being re siliently movable in practically all directions relatively to the supporting bar and f .0011- stantlyrnaintaining a yielding pressure on the yoke to hold the'eyeball's in theirsockets,

so that the eyeballs will properly operate even when the eye-sockets are seriously dislocated from the ideal relation to each other and to the other portions of the head; to provide a noveland improved supporting bar in whichcorresponcling andj-like parts are designated throughout the several views by the same reference characters,

Figure 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view through a dolls head takenon the'line 1-.1 ofFigure 2,"and showinga movable eye mechanism embodying my invention'applied thereto. I

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional A view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1, I

v V, 7 65 head and havmgthereon a spring bracket Figure 3 is a detached side elevation of the eyeball yoke having the eyeballs attached thereto showing the manner of adjusting the eyeballs.

Figure 4 is a detached front elevation of the eyeball yoke and eyeballs.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the yoke showing another adjustment of the eyeball.

Figure 6 is a view similar to. Figure 1 showing the face portion of the'doll head and the yoke and mounting mechanism in the position resulting from a shrinking inwardly of the face of the doll.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 2 showing the position of the parts to accommodate a dislocation of the eye-sockets out of horizontal alinement. V

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 6' adjusted to a dislocation of the eye-sockets in a horizontal plane, as when shrinkage of the head has moved one eye-socket inwardly with respect to the other eye-socket.

Specifically describing the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the reference character A designates the hollow head of a doll of known construction having the usual eyesockets B in the face portion thereof. In each of the eye-sockets is arranged an eyeball 1 mounted by a mechanism C to rotate about a horizontal axis to simulate opening and closing of the eyes. Each of the eyeballs 1 includes a hollow glass body 2 having on its front portion the usual representation 3 of a pupil and an opening at its rear. Preferably lashes 10 are applied to the eyeballs in any'suitable manner. V

The eyeballs are mounted upon a yoke including two sheet metal parts 4 each having a curved arm or goose-neck 5 the extremity of which is embedded in a plastic composition molded and hardened in one eyeball. The plastic composition 6 also serves to reenforce the glass body. The two parts 4 are rigidly connected together by a pivot rod 7, and each part has a pendulum arm 8 integral with and disposed at an angle to the goose-neck 5 and carrying a counter-weight 9. -The axis of the rod 7 is preferably coincident with the axes of the eyeballs so that the eyeballs may rotate concentrically with said rod.

For mounting the yoke in the doll head, I utilize a supporting bar 11 which has a substantially rigid straight main portion 12, the rigidity ofwhich is increased by side flanges 13. This bar 11 has its portions angularly oflset as indicated at 120 and its end portions 14 disposed approximatelyparallel with the main portion '12,,as clearly shown in Figure 1 of thedrawings. The bar is preferably ened so as to be easily bent, as by notches 15 in the edges. The head A of the doll has at the top portion a seat 16 for one end of the bar, and at the chain portion a similar seat 17 for the other end of the bar, the walls of the head adjacent said parts preferably being thicker than the other portions of said body and the seats havingside walls 18 diverging therefrom to serve as guides for the ends of the bar as it is applied to the head.

Initially the bar is made with the offset portions 15 bent inwardly toward'the main portion 12 as indicated by dot and dash lines in Figure 1 so that the extremities of the bar are a distance apart less than the distance between the seats 16 and 17. ,These extremities of the bar are concave as at 19 to form sharp points 20 at their side edges, and a rib or the like 21 is stamped up from the bar at the base of the concave portion. In applying the bar, it is slipped'into the head with one extremity in each of the seats 16 and 17, after which the offset portions 120 are forced away from each other by any suitable means so as to cause thepoints 20 to penetrate thewalls of the head wherebythe bar is rigidly mounted in the head as shown by.

solid lines in Figure 1. Penetration of the points 20 is limited by the outer 'endsof the ribs 21 which serveas stops. The bar isfdisposed substantially mid-way between the eyesockets B and extends vertically of thehead.

Secured to'the-bar is a yoke supporting spring bracket 22, said spring bracket being arranged at the inner side of the bar 11,

'i. e., atthe side away from the eye-sockets,

and having at its ends ears 23 which are clamped around the main portion 12 of the bar for rigidlyse'curing the bracket to the bar. Substantially centrally of its length the Spring bracket isprovided with integral arms 24 disposed in embracing relation to the bar 11 and extending toward the inner wall of the face portion ofthedoll head. These arms have notches 25 which receive the pivotvrod 7 of the yoke, and preferably the outer end of the notches are beveled as at 26 to facilitate slipping the arms over the pivot rod. At opposite sides of the arms 24, the bracket is provided with loops 27 which extend away from the main portion 12 of the bar 11 to pro vide the necessary resiliency in the bracket, said loops expanding or contracting to exert yielding pressure on the pivot rod 7 to force the eyeballs 1 into the respective eye-sockets.

In assembling the movable eye mechanism in a doll head, the. eyeballs 1 arefirst adjusted by bending the goose-necks 5. as indiand 5, so that the eyeballs will accurately fit the respective eye-sockets. The supporting bar ll with the spring bracket 22, mount ed thereon, is then secured in the head as above described, the notches 25 of the spring bracket being slipped over the pivot rod 7. Normally this results in the central portion of the spring bracket being sprung away from the main portion 12 of the bar by extension of the loops 27 so that the yo e is yieldingly pressed to yieldingly hold the eyeballs in their sockets as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.

This action of the spring bracket compensates for variations in dilferent heads in the distances between the plane of the sup porting bar and theeye-sockets, and for variations in said distance during use of the doll, as clearly shown in Figure 6 of the drawings where it will be noted that the distance between the eye-socket and the supporting bar is less than the corresponding distance in Figure 1 of the drawings. This difference could be occasioned by shrinking of the face portion of the head inwardly. Should the eye-sockets be dislocated out of horizontal alinement, the central portion of the spring bracket may twist in the plane of the bracket by extension and contraction of the loops 27 so that the eyeballs will accurately fit the sockets as shown in Figure 7 of the drawings. If the eye-sockets should be vertically dislocated, i. e., should the eye sockets be further from the chin portion of the head than is normal, one of the loops 27 will extend and the other will contract to tions it will be observed that the spring bracket will always yieldingly hold the eyeballs in their sockets and the pivot rod 7 may freely rotate in the spring bracket so that the eyeballs may properly move in the eyesockets.

This movement of the eyeballs is usually produced by pendulous action of the arms 8 and counterweights 9 of the yoke; that is, when the head is vertically disposed the counter-weights 9 under action of gravity rotate the pivot rod to move the eyeballs into a simulation of open-eye position, such-movement being limited by engagement of the counter-weights with the inner walls of the neck portion of the doll head as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. When the doll head is disposed horizontally as in reclining position, the counter-weights 9 under action of gravity rotate the rod 7 to move the eyes.

in the sockets to simulate closing of'the eyes. For the purpose of limiting this movement and to prevent strain upon the eye-lashesat the lower edgesoflthe eye-(opening, stop arms 28 ma be provided "o'n-theygo'ose necks fi of The planes of the metal of the -armsl':

of the: goose-neck =5-are preferably transverse tively resist strains incident to swinging "of theyoke. V

i hile'I have shown ia'nd 'describedthe inventionias 'embodied in certaindetails ofconstruction it should be understood that this-is primarilyv for-illustrating the principles of the invention and that many modifications and changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore I do not desire to be limited in the construction and use of the invention except as required by the following claims when construed in the light of the prior art.

' Having thus described my invention, what i I claim is: I

'1. An eye construction for dolls including a pair of sheet metal parts each including a pendulum armand an integral goose-neck at an angle to said pendulum arm, a pivot rod rigidly'connecting said parts at the juncture of said goose-necks and said pendulum arms and disposed with its axis perpendicular to the planes of said sheet metal parts, and an eyeball fixedly securedupon the free end of each of said goose-necks.

2. The combination with a hollow doll head having eye openings, of a movable eye mechanism including a pair of eyeballs, a yoke connecting said eyeballs, and a spring support for'saidyoke having its ends rigidly connected to said head and formed with integral loops. intermediate its. ends to permit said yoke to move in all directions relative to the head so as to ensure fitting of said eyeballs in said eye-socket.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein said spring support has spaced arms formed with notches facing in the direction of said eye openings to rotatably receive said yoke'so that said yoke may yield in all directions relative to said head to ensure fitting of said eyeballs in said eye openings.

4. The combination set forth in claim 2 I wherein said yoke is mounted on said support between said loops so that said loops may extend and contract and permit said yoke to j move in all directions relative to said head to ensure accurate fitting of said eyeballs in said eye openings.

5. A movable eye mechanism for dolls comprising a support bar having intermediate.

fiao to. enter the walls of a dolls head and secure the'bar therein by bending said ofiset portions away from each other, aspring strip having its ends fixedly secured to said central pori .tion atone side thereof, said strip being formed with integral loops spaced longitudinally thereof and arms between said loops in embracing relation to said central portion of the bar, each arm being formed with a notch in its outer free edge, and an eyeball vyoke' having a pivot rod rotatablyarranged in said notches.

- JOHN L. LITOMY.

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