US1902983A - Marionette control frame and cord wind-up - Google Patents

Description

Ma rch zs, 1933.

s. ADLER ET AL MARIONETTE CONTROL FRAME AND CORD WIND UP Filed March 4, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS A/flo flzo A4TYZHUVEYC March 28, 1933. s. ADLER ET AL 1,902,933

' MARIONETTE CONTROL FRAME AND CORD WIND- UP Filed March 4, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 54 y; i mm 2 I INVENTORS ATTORNEY.

become tangled.

Patented Mar. 2 8, 1933 V UNITED STATES PATENT OF CE STELLA ADLER AND CORA BARNES BLANK, or s'r. LOUIS, ivrrssounr MARIONETTE CONTROL FRAME AND conn WIND-Ur Application fi led March 4, 1932 Serial No. 596,736;

This invention pertains to marionettes, or cord controlled puppets or dolls, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a simplified form of control frame or 5 handle for manipulating the cords and to which the latter are attached.

A further object is to provide a convenient means for winding up the cords when the apparatus is not in use so that they will not A further object is to provide in combination a control frame or handle for the cords of a marionette and means associated with the handle for winding up and unwinding the cords as desired, to the end that the said cords may not become tangled in the operation of the marionette;

Still another object is to provide a simple, two-pronged or forked frame or handle for controlling three essential cords of a marionette, to-wit: a central and rearwardly disposed cord for attachment to the head of the doll,.and two lateral and forwardly disposed cords for attachment to the hands or arms and feet of the doll or puppet.

- part of the specification and wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the simplified and two-pronged or forked form ;of the control frame or handle constituting part of this invention, there being also shown 5 mounted thereupon another element of the invention in the form of a reel for winding up the cords, which are here shown as extended to the head, arms and legs of the puppet or doll under control.

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the; control frame or handle as shown in Figure 1.

I Figure 3 is an edge view of the assembly of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view in perhandle of Figures 1 and 2, with theend por tions of the prongs or forks broken off, and

spective of the form of control frame or Figure 5 is an enlarged plan view of the:

form of control frame or handle of the prep :7:

ceding figures, the end portions of the prongs or forks and a medial portion of the'handle being broken away. This view shows also another ormodified form of cord wind up.

upon, the extremities of the device being broken away. 7

Figure 6 is an edge view on an enlarged Figure 7 is a plan view on a reduced scale of the form of cord reel shown in Figures form of control handle.

Figure 8 is an under side plan view of a modified arrangement of the assemblies of Figures 1, 2, 8 and 6, the control cords in this view being shown asdepending through eyes mounted at the said under side of the control frame. This view also shows a form of spring brake for the cord reel.

Figure 9 is an edge view of the assembly of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is an edge view on an enlarged scale of the medial portion of the control handle as shown in Figures 8 and 9, showing the spring brake arrangement for the cord reel as provided in Figures 8 and 9;

Figure 11 is an edge view on an enlarged I scale of the medial portion of a control handle, provided with a modified form of cord reel assembly.

Figure 12 is atop or plan view of the structure of Figure 11.

Marionettes are generallyold, but so far as" known none of them employ the simplified control frame or handle which is here shown and claimed, nor do they employ any form of 'cord reel or wind-up. As a result the cords of these devices are easily tangled up and broken. 4 s, V

The essential points of control in a device of the kind here concerned are the head, arms and legs. This invention, therefore, comprises a frame 1 made'up of a handle 2 from the forward end of which angularlyproject two arms, prongs or forks 3." A central or head aperture 4 is pierced through the forward end of the handle, immediately-at the vthen'wound upon the reel.

junction of the prongs or forks, and leg and arm apertures 5 are pierced through the extremities of the prongs or forks 3. Three control cords, including a head cord 6 and two leg and arm cords 7 are provided. The head cord 6 is attached at one end to the head 8 of the doll 9, as shown at 10, while theends of the cords 7 are attached at each side to the legs, as shown at 11 and then at suitable spaced distances from theends to the arms, as shown at 12. The .opposite ends of the cords are then passed through the said apertures of the frame, the head cord 6 through the central aperture 4: andthe' leg and arm cords 7 through the outer apertures 5. These cords may then be converged and knotted together at a point 13 adjacent the central aperture' l, as shown in Figure 1, and the combined strands 6-7 then wound upon J 20 some form of reel or winding-up device 14,

'or the cords may be separately strung through eyes 15 mounted in the frame and As shown in Figures 1, 2, 3,6 and 7, the reel 14 comprises a common form of spool rotatably anchored by means of a pin 16 to the handle 2, and in this form ofreel a spring catch 17 is provided for locking the reel against rotation when desired, one end of the spring being seated in the handle at 18 and the other end being hooked to engage h-oles19 in the periphery of the reel.

In the use of the form of reel just referred to, it would be preferable to secure the ends of the cords to the reel at some suitable point, as shown at 20. Simple rotation of the reel would then serve to wind up or unwind the cords. In the form of reel or wind-up shown 'in'Figure 4, a slot 21 is formed longitudi- 40 nallyin the handle 2 andthe flat and notched reel stick 14a is rotatably mounted therein upon the pin 16a, the ends of the pin being anchored in the margins of the slot as shown at 22. In this form a latch 17 a is pinned at 18a to the handle and adaptedto turn out over the reel stick to prevent rotation of same, as desired. In the form of wind-up shown in Figure 5, spaced slots 146 are cut in the handle 2, one at the end thereof and the other at a spaced medial point along one side. As

here shown, the three cords are knotted at 13a to a single draw cord 6a7a, which may be then readily drawn or pulled up and wound up through the slots 14?), a button 23 being provided to hold the cord from automatically unwinding.

In Figure 7 is illustrated the application of the principle of the cord reel or wind-up 1 to a conventional form of frame 1a, there being here shown five cords indicated at 24,

1 running to five differentpoints upon the frame. Obviously, the principle'fif the wind-v up here illustrated inseveral embodiments of the invention, may be applied toany required number of cords, as mounted upon any form of frame for the operation of any style of marionette.

As thus far described, and as shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, the reels or cord wind-ups are arranged for drawing the control cords up through the frame and over the upper side thereof. However, if preferred, this arrangement may be reversed and the cords may be suspended or strung through eyes 15a mounted in the lower side of the frame 1, the cords being then run back to the reel 14 also mounted at the lower side of the frame. This reversed arrangement is fully exemplified in Figures 8 to 12 inclusive. These figures also show variant means for preventing the cord reels from'too freely unwinding, whereby the cords mightbecoine tangled. In Figures 8, 9 and 10, this is accomplished by means of a resilient brake 17a having one end pinned at 18a to the handle and the opposite end bearing frictionally at 19a upon the inner flange of the cord reel. In Figures 11 and 12, a hole 25 is formed through the handle 2, and the reel pin16b,

is loosely passed through this hole. The

spring brake 17 b is anchored at 186 to the upper side of the handle, while the free end of the brake is extended over the hole 25 and is rigidly joined to the adjacent end of the,

pin 16?) as shown at 26. The reel 14 is then loosely mounted upon the free end of the pin as extended through the handle; and is heldv rotatably in place by means of a disc or button 27 at the extremity of the pin16b. The

spring brake 17bwill normally hold the reel 14 frictionally against the handle and pre- .vent the cords from loosely or freely unwindis manipulated in the customary way, and by virtue of the angular or branching structure of the frame, it is found that the central or head aperture with cord extended down therefrom is located at just the right point.

for properly controlling the head of the doll,

while the apertures at'the extremities of the prongswith cords extended down therefrom are located at justthe right points for controlling the legs and arms. On thefother hand, the reel or wind-up devicehere prov vided affords a very handy and convenient means for winding up the cords and preventing their becoming tangled when the apparatusis not in use.

While certain forms and embodiments ofthe elements of the invention are here shown and described, and are assembled as indicated, it is understood that the "same may be varied as desired in matters of detail, not departingfrom the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a device of the kind described, a frame having three cord apertures pierced therethrough at points triangularly positioned relative to one another, three separate cords loosely strung through said apertures, and means upon the frame for drawing up said cords through said apertures.

2. In a device of the kind described, a frame having three cord apertures pierced therethrough at points triangularly positioned relative to one another, three separate cords loosely strung through said apertures, and means upon the frame for drawing up said cords through said apertures and winding the cords up.

3. In a device of the kind described, a frame including a handle portion, the structure having three cord apertures pierced therethrough at points triangularly positioned relative to one another, three separate cords loosely strung through said apertures,

and a reel mounted upon the structure to which the ends of the cord are connected.

4. In a device of the kind described, a frame having three cord apertures pierced therethrough at points triangularly positioned relative to one another, means upon the frame for winding up cords, and three cords strung down through said cord apertures and adapted to be wound up on said cord winding means.

5. In a device of the kind described, a frame having three cord apertures pierced therethrough at points triangularly positioned relative to one another, two of the said apertures being located forwardly of the third aperture, three cords strung through the said apertures, and means on the frame for winding up said cords through said apertures.

6. A marionette assembly, comprising a puppet, a frame for positioning above the puppet, the said frame being pierced with a plurality of cord apertures, cords strung down through the apertures and attached at their lower ends to the puppet, and means on the frame for winding up the said cords through said apertures.

7. A marionette assembly, comprising a puppet, a frame having a plurality of spaced cord apertures, cords strung through the apertures and connected with the puppet, and means on the frame winding up the cords through said apertures.

8. A marionette assembly, comprising a puppet, a frame having a plurality of spaced cord apertures, a cord winding up means upon the frame, and cords strung through said apertures and connected at one side of the frame to the puppet and at the other side of the frame to the winding up means.

9. In a marionette assembly, a puppet, a frame having a plurality of spaced cord apertures, cords strung through said apertures and connected to said puppet, and means for frame, cords slidably connected to the frame,

and means upon the frame for winding up the cords.

13. In a marionette assembly, a control frame, cords slidably supported fromdivergent points on the frame, and means on the frame for winding up the cords.

14. In a marionette assembly, a control frame, eyes mounted upon the frame in spaced relation, cords extended through the eyes, and means upon the frame for winding up the cords.

15. In -a marionette assembly, a control frame, cords depending from the frame and slidably connected therewith, a puppet having its extremities attached to lower depend ing ends of the cords, and means upon the frame for winding up the cords.

16. Ina marionette. assembly, a frame, cords depending from divergent points on the frame and slid-ably connected therewith at those points, the said cords being converged to a common point upon the frame and thereat again slidably connected'tothe. frame, and means u on the frame for winding up the converge cords.

17. In a marionette assembly, a frame, cords depending from divergent points on the frame and slidably connected therewith at those points, the said cords being converged to a common point upon the frame and thereat again slidably connected to the frame, means upon the frame for winding up the converged cords, and a puppet having its extremities attached to the lower depending ends of the cords.

In testimony whereof, we affix our signatures.

CORA BARNES BLANK. STELLA ADLER.

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