US2455430A - Animated toy - Google Patents

Description

' Dec. 7, 194 8. UCK AUPT 2,455,430

ANIMATED TOY Filed April 6, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTROR Cl-Q/STOPHEE Zack/mun Dec. 7, 1948. c. LUCKHAUPT 2,455,430

ANIMATED TOY Filed A ril's. 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR CHES PHEE ZUC/(HHUPT -Y', I

VYW

Patented Dec. 7, 1948 UNITED S TATES PATETN T OFFICE ANIMATED 'TUY Christopher Luckhaupt, Jamaica, N. Y.

Application April .6, 1946, Serial No. 660,217

1 Claim. 1 My present invention relates to animated toys. "More particularly, the invention is directed to 'toys comprising objects simulating humans and/or other-animals, being-selected as typical. 'Su'c'h animated object is mounted on a hollow "base, the legs, and neck, or other elements of such animated object being articulated, as by forming such articulated elements individually of hollow parts arranged in serial relation and strings of limited stretchability passing through such articulated hollow parts, and respective strings at their one ends being fixed, the other ends of such strings being secured to a block of wood or like rigid elemelnt disposed laterally within an open-bottomed hollow base, a resilient element, preferably sponge rubber, being interposed wit'hin'the hollow base between its closed top and the upper face of such block, the block being held in displaceable relation to the sides and to the top of the hollow base by a sheet of resilient material secured at its edge portions to the hollow base at mutually spaced locations, whereby upon exerting pressure upon such re- '-s'ilient material at variant locations and with Variant degree, such 'object'is subjected to animation, in variant natural or unnatural action.

Further features and objects of the invention will'be more fully understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

'F-ig. 1 is a front elevational view of an animated toy constructed pursuant to the invention,

showing a giraffe as the animated object, this view illustrates such object in a normal pose.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a central vertical sectional view,somewhat diagramma'tic, ofl 'igs. l and '2.

Fig. 4 :is a perspective-view of Figs. 1 and 2, showing the obfiiect in -an animated pose.

.5 is a detail sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. '7 i's' a detail bottom perspective view o'f'the hollow baseassembly of the toy shown in Figs.

:1, 2,, 23 and 4.

Fig. I8 is a detail side perspective view, indieating one manner of fixedly tying the upper ends of thestrin'gs, namely at the upper terminus of the neck element,'the head of the object being isecured'inposition by means'of a socket making -.a frictional fit over the upper terminus of the thus-serving to: conceal the tied fixed ends or the strings.

1 5259 a front elevationalwiew "of another generally an object preferably'simulat'ing a live object typified by a giraffe. ll designates the hollow base, shown-as rectangular inflonfiguration, which is closed at its top Ila and substantially open at its bottom llb.

Such simulated object [0, as shown, comprises a body portion I2, which as appears from Fig. 3

. is provided. at appropriately spaced locations in its lower portions with perforations I3 appropriate forarticulated connection with the legs I 4. Such .perforationsl3 communicate with the enlarged recess l5 which is disposed centrally'of the body l2 and which 'extendsfrorn the zone of attachment of the't'ail 'l 6 and ends at'a location toward the frontoftthe body. :At the frontal portion of such recess l5 lead the perforations I! which end at the lower end of the articulated neck l8. Since the illustrated object has four legs-the perforations l3 are four in number and correspondingly the number of perforations H may be the. same.

As shown, the legs I4 and the neck I 8 are articulated by the provision of individual longitudinalIy extending centrally perforated elements. In the instance of the illustrated 'giraffefigure, the lowermost perforated element 14a of each leg is of hoof formation, the lowerface ofxwhich engages the upper face Ila-of the hollow base, the remaining elements of each 'leg being of-general elongated formation, their mutually engagin'g faces being "preferably of 'ball and socket formations, to facilitate mutually relative displacement of the respective elements of each leg, in sim'ilitude to natural articulation or movement in weird manner, as may be selectively desired, as appears .morefully hereinafter.

The articulated neck I8 is shown comprising four articulatable elements each having four longitudinally extending perforations. The num.-

ber of perforations in each articulated element of the neck maybe :fromone "to four, as preferred.

lowing manner.

member 23.

then tied, as above indicated and as illustrated. in Fig. 8. The head 26 is placed in fixed relation ,as desired in an unnaturalv position,-,

being fixed relative to the upper terminus |8a of the neck I8. Such fixing of the upper ends of the strings may be had by tying the two strings to one another and the other two strings to one another. These strings continue from the neck elements through the respective perforations l1, I! of the body l2, then through the perforations |3, |3, and thence through the perforations of the elements of the respective legs The strings that pass through the perforationsof the'articulated elements of the front legs are designated l3. The remaining two strings, designated 20, extend through the perforations, designated Ha,- of the upper portion of the body l2, then through the recess l5 and thence through the perforations of the elements of the hind legs Ma.

The lower ends of the strings |,9,- |3, 2|], 20, as

also appears from Fig. 3, extend through suitable perforations in the top of cured to the block 2|, as at its upper face. Such block may be of wood. In the instance where the hollow base is rectangular, as shown, the block 2| is of corresponding configuration but of lesser dimensions whereby the block is freely displaceable relative to the lateral walls of the base Interposed between the upper face of the block 2| and the inner face of the top Ha of the base is a mass 22 of soft rubber, such as sponge rubber, shown as a block member of rectangular configuration which is dimensioned so as to substantially fill the upper portion of the hollow base, said block member having vertical perforations 22a aligned with the perforations in the base top for passage therethrough of the respective strings l9, I9, 20, 20, such arrangement preventing undue wear on the strings.

The block 2| is disposed within the hollow base I to afford displacement in variant direction and extent as by securement at its lower face to a flexible member, such as a sheet 23 of flexible rubber, shown in Fig. '7, of polygonal configuration, in this instance of quadrilateral formation, its four apices 23a being individually secured to the bottom of the base as by means of tacks 24, or the like; the securement of the flexible rubber '23 to the block 2| is shown by means of a nail 25, passing centrally through the rubber sheet 23.

The parts of the toy are assembled in the fol- The strings |9, I9, 28, 20 are first secured at their lower ends to the block 2| at mutually spaced locations, then respectively threaded through the perforations 22a of the rubber member 22, then through the respective leg elements of the object, thence through the recess 5 of the body 2 of the object, the'tail |6 being removed to afford such manipulation; the furthe! manipulation of the strings l9, I9, is through the recess l1, l1, and the stringsifl, 2|] through the perforations Ha, Ha of the body, and finally through the perforations of the elements of the neck member It, the length of each string being ample to extend beyond the upper terminus |8a of the neck l8. The yieldable member 23, at-

tached to the block 2 is then secured to the bottom face of the base The strings are then drawn taut to a proper extent to effect partial compression of the rubber member 22; i, e. by the block 2| and also to tension inwardly the resilient The upper ends of the strings are with the upper terminus lBa of the neck as by frictional engagement therewith and may be placed in position simulating a natural pose, or dependent upon the vagaries of the user. The tail I6 is shown as a single element, the inner end being tapered to form a friction fit with the exterior opening of the recess l5. If desired, the tail may be formed of articulated elements, similarly perforated as illustrated with respect to the articulated elements of the legs and the neck through which perforations a string passes, one end of which is secured to the block 2| and the other end to the terminus of the tail.

Upon assembly of the respective parts of the simulating object, its antics are effected by the user by variantly compressing the compressible element 23 in degree and location or locations,

the base and arese- T being fixed thereat.

causing relative less tautness of the respective strings passing through the articulated parts. Fig. 4 illustrates an animated position of the illustrated giraffe, it being understood that any number of natural and unnatural movements of the respective parts of the object are available by selectively varying the location or locations and degree of pressure applied to the rubber member 23. In such operation the sponge rubber, or equivalent resilient material 22, undergoes varying extent of compression of the respective portions of its mass, effecting variant degrees of partial release of tautness of the respective strings, enhancing the prantics of the animated figure. Such enhanced action is attained by coordination of the solid block 2| and by the flexible member 23 with the sponge rubber member 22, the rubber memoer 23, upon release of pressure exerted by the user, serving also to return the block 2| to or toward its normal position, this imparting variant release of pressure upon variant portions of the sponge rubber member 22.

It will be observed that the provision of securement of the block 2| to the flexible member 23 affords positioning the block 2| normally wholly within the hollow base thus enabling the toy when non-operated to be stably placed upon a table or like support.

In like manner, two or more simulated objects may be embodied in the toy. Thus,-as illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, an object 30 simulating a woman and an object 3| simulating a man may serve as the animated objects, and as shown may be positioned to face one another, to simulate folk dancing, etc. The articulated elements of the woman, as shown, comprise the legs and arms, viz. each two in number, and similarly with respect to the articulated elements of the man. In such arrangement, as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 10, with respect to the male figure 3|, two strings pass through perforations of one leg. thence through the vertical recess 34 in the body 3| a. of the figure, the end of one string 32 being fixedly secured at the upper terminus of the neck 3 lb, the other string 32a continuing at the upper end of the recess 34 through the perforations of the articulated elements of one arm, its one end The opposite ends of the strings 32, 32a are secured to the block 2|, which is coordinated with the sponge rubber member 22 and the block 2| yieldably held under tension by an individual flexible member 23, similarly as described hereinabove with reference to the embodiment of Figs. 1 through 7. Similar assembly is carried out withrespect to the strings 33, 33a, respectively having one end fixedly secured to the terminus of the neck of the male figure and at the terminus of the other arm, the opposite ends of such strings 33, 33a, being fixed to the block 2|, similarly as above. Fig. 11 illustrates such individual assembly of these parts for the-respective figures 30, 3|, in which instance the hollow base Il may have an oval configuration.

Fig. 12 illustrates, on somewhat reduced scale, a hollow base 40, shown of oval configuration, in which is enclosed a single sponge rubber member 4|, also of oval configuration of lesser dimensions than the oval interior of the base 40, a block of wood 42, also of oval configuration of corresponding dimensions as the block 42, and a single flexible member 43, of polygonal configuration, secured at its center by a nail 44 to the center of the block 42, and at its apices 43a to the bottom rim of the hollow base 4|.

I claim:

A toy comprising a figure having a plurality of articulated engaging elements provided with communicating perforations; a hollow base sup porting said figure on its top, said base having perforations in its top communicating with the element perforations and having an open bottom; a block of non-yielding material having lesser horizontal dimension than the interior of the base whereby it is displaceable and tiltable therein; a member of flexible material secured at its periphery adjacent the open bottom of said base; means for attaching said flexible member centrally to said block of non-yielding material; an elastic member of sponge rubber interposed between said block and the inner face of the top of said base; said member having vertical perforations aligned with the perforations of the top of the base and having horizontal dimensions such that it substantially fills the base; and string means having one end thereof secured to said block and extending through the perforations oi. said sponge rubber member and of the top of said base and thence through the perforations of the articulated elements and having its other end fixedly secured to an upper portion of said figure, said sponge rubber member normally tensioning said string means, and said block being operative to vary the tension of said string means.

CHRISTOPHER LUCKHAUPT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,421,279 Marty May 27, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 459,788 Belgium Sept. 29, 1945

Images