US2624155A - Toy figure manipulating means - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 6, 1953 s. c. BoYcE TOY FIGURE MANIPULATING MEANS Filed Nov. 10, 1949 B te Sfan/e C 8014 64 Patented Jan. 6, i953 Nl TED STATES Parent OFFICE 2,624,155 I T! FIGURE MANIPULATING MEANS Stanley Charles Boyce, Toronto,?0ntario, Canada Application November 10, 1949, Serial No/126,485

1 This inventionre'lates to the animation of toy figures and the principal object of the invention is to enable a'doll, animal or other figure capableoi being manipulated to walk and move in anxextremely life-like manner, and to enable the animated figure to lead the person causing its manipulation without any apparent means of actuation "therebetween. V

A further important object is to provide a device for manipulating the toy figure, which device will beexceedingly inexpensive and can be readily andquickly attached to any figure capable of having its legs moved with respect to its body.

Theprincipal feature of the invention consists in providing a pair of longitudinally rigid operators with"means at each end thereof to afiord a swivel connection with the feet of a figure to be animated and the feet of a person wishing to manipulate the figure, to enable movement of the manipulators feet to be transferred into corresponding walking movements of the figure in lead of the manipulator.

A further important feature consists in forming the longitudinal rigid operators to provide a cross-over scissor-like arrangement to enable a four-footed figure to be ianipulated with the correct walking action.

Referring to'the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a perspective view of a figure being animated in accordance with this invention.

Figure -2 is a perspective view on a reduced scale of a dog being manipulated with a pair of cross-over operators to provide the correct walking action.

Figure 3 is an elevational view of a toy horse having operators connected thereto for causing its manipulation.-

Figure 4 isane Jarged plan view of a modified form of the operators to provide the cross-over action for manipulating a four-footed toy figure.

Figure 5 is an enlargeddetail of one method of fastening the flexible foot connectors tothe rigid operators Figure 6 a detail of an alternative form of iastening-meansshowing the means of connecting, the rigid. operators to the feet as simply an elastic stapled thereto;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a kangaroo having the legs connected for manipulation by a single operator rod.

In playing withhis toy figures it is theparticular desire of a child to impart to them life'- like'movementsandexpressions, and' it is the objector this invention to provide a means 'en- 4 Claims. (01. 45- -1 25) abling the life-like-anima'tion of any of his toy figures which have limbs movable relative the body, and-further, to enable the manipulation of" the toy to be easily carried out that the child himseli may actuate-its movements to follow precisely his own.-

Referring to Figure Lin which the operation of a .doll as one-embodiment of my invention is illustrated, '1 show the doll figure I provided with legs 2 which are movahlerel-ative the body portion on the pivot -3.'-

Extending between the-feet oi the doll 4 and the feet 5 of the person manipulating the doll are the longitudinally rigid operators 6 which maybe wire,'wood or the like and of any design of sufiicient rigidity to transfer the movement of the operators feet to the feet of the doll.

The connection between the operators 5 and the doll comprise the bands 1 encircling the dolls ankles and connected to the operators for movement relative thereto by any suitable means, for instance,- by the clamps 8 of Figure 5 or the staple 9 of Figure 6. Preferably these bands comprise elastic bands which can be quickly slipped over the feetoi the doll into position. Whether the actual connection between thesebands I and the operators is a swivel connection, is immaterial, provided the bands themselves are of suificierit flexibility to afford a swivel movement of the operators relative the legs in the-Walking action.

The bands It, which afford the means of'securing the operators 6 to the feet of the person manipulating the doll, are similar to the bands l,prefe'rably simply elastic bands "clamped or stapled to the operators, as 'shownin Figuresfi and 6 The staple connection is an extremely simple one enabling the hands to be readily changed if they should break.

Supporting the doll in an upright position during the walking action is the guide rod H formed with the work end it engaging under the arms 13 0f the doll figure. This guide rod is a simple'guideand support means that can be'conveniently gripped by the person-manipulatingthe-figure,v but it will be understood-that a harness or any other suitable support means may be used-as desired.

InFig'ur'e 2 the-dog I4 is made to walkwith opposite front "and rear 'legs 'mov-ing, simultaneously..- In this case'the operators are :formed with an elongated S-like'extension IE to provide the "cross-over arrangement illustrated; andva ring I6 encircling both operators at their point of cross-over and loose thereon holds the operators in relative position while permitting longitudinal sliding motion therebetween as the dog is walked. Again these operators are provided with bands 1 and I respectively, fitting the legs of the doll and the toes of the operator.

The dogs legs may simply be flexible or they may be rigid and pivoted to his body, although in the case of a four-footed animal the need of a guide or support may not be required. I show a leash I! attached to the dogs collar I 8, giving a more realistic eiTect and by making the leash longitudinally rigid giving further control to the dogs movements.

Figure 3 illustrates my invention applied toa horse, but in this case the operators [9 simply include spaced bands 1, and the legs at each side of the animal are operated simultaneously with the legs 20 and 2| at one side being shown advanced relative the other side.

Figure 4 illustrates an alternative form of cross-over operators 22, aifording a scissor-like action, permitting relative longitudinal movement. In this case the operators are formed from relatively broad strips having extensions 23 bent laterally and twisted as at 24, the one being formed with a slot 25 to receive the other to maintain them in relative position while permitting longitudinal movement. Again these operators carry suitable means for affording a connection with the feet of the animal to be manipulated in the form of the bands 1.

Actually, while I have found these bands to be the simplest connecting means usable for all different types of figures, it will be understood that any other type of connection affording some relative movement between the feet being manipulated and the operators may be used, and where the toy figure is specifically constructed for use with our invention it may itself incorporate the means for affording a connection with the operators, such as snap fastener elements or the like.

While my invention is simple, nevertheless I am able to create a more life-like walking action than has heretofore been possible, and I am able to make my figures lead the manipulator with connection between his feet and the legs of the figure being almost inconspicuous, so that the control of the figure is not apparent.

Further, the construction and arrangement of my device enables the figure to be manipulated so simply that even the smallest walking child can impart walking action to his toys.

With the bands 1 and I0 elastic they automatically adjust to any size foot and to any size of leg on the figure being animated. However, other'equivalent connector means may be employed and may be connected to other than the foot or toe of the person manipulating the figure or t other than the ankle of the figure as illustrated without departing from the scope of my invention.

In certain toy figures the legs may be interconnected for simultaneous movement upon operation of the connector. The toy kangaroo of Figure 7 is of this type whereby the pivotal legs 26 are connected by a pin 21 to provide a simultaneous hopping movement in which case a single operator 28 is sufficient to enable the kangaroo to lead the person causing its manipulation, the operator 28 being swivelly connected to the pin 2! and to the persons foot by the elastic band 28. Other modifications of interlinked leg movements may of course also be employed as desired within the concepts of the I have envisaged.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Means for manipulating a four-footed figure to be animated, comprising a. pair of longitudinal- 1y rigid rod-like operators having cross-over extension portions, means confining said extension portions in cross-over relation while permitting relative longitudinal movement therebetween, connectors carried by said cross-over extensions whereby each operator extension is loosely connectable to opposing front and rear legs of the figure to be manipulated, and connectors carried by said operators removed from said cross-over extensions whereby said operators are loosely connectable with the toes of a person to manipulate said figure, and guide means adapted to engage and support the body of the figure to be said first-mentioned connectors comprising horizontal elastic loops flexibly connected to said operators on opposite sides of the realistic toy figure animation loops flexibly connected to said operators remote from the cross-over of said extension portions and adapted to encircle the manipulators toes.

2. A device It. The combination with a walking figure to be animated, of means for imparting life-like animapoint remote from said position removed from the figure.

4. The combination with a walking figure to be animated, of means for imparting life-like animation to said figure from a point remote from said in a detachable swivel connection,

5 the manipuiators height supporting said figure above said operators and extending to a manipulators position removed from the figure.

STANLEY CHARLES BOYCE.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Goye Dec. 23, 1879 Number Re. 9,003

Number 10 Number Name Date King Sept. 11, 1877 Rutz Sept. 19, 1911 Williamson Oct. 12, 1920 Lawrence Nov. 25, 1941 Donovan June 12, 1945 Valenti Aug. 14, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Nov. 17, 1934

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