US2641864A

US2641864A - Walking figure toy

Info

Publication number: US2641864A
Application number: US21959A
Authority: US
Inventors: Villemejane Jacques
Original assignee: CIE DU CELLULOID PETITEOLLIN O
Current assignee: CIE DU CELLULOID PETITEOLLIN O; DU CELLULOID PETITEOLLIN-OYONNITHE Cie
Priority date: 1947-05-05
Filing date: 1948-04-19
Publication date: 1953-06-16
Anticipated expiration: 1970-06-16
Also published as: FR1004514A; BE483490A; FR57310E

Description

June 16, 1953 J. VILLEMEJANE WALKING FIGURE TOY 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 19, 1948 Fig.2

Fig. 1

. ZZZ/U ell/601 VILLEMEJ'ANE FIGURE TOY 4 Sheet -s 2 Filed April 19, 1948 June 16, 1953 J. VILLEMEJANE WALKING FIGURE TOY 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 19, 1948 June 16, 1953 J. VILLEMEJANE WALKING FIGURE TOY 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 19. 1948 FIG. 19

. yl/blizzz Patented June 16, 1953 one-lialf to'Gompa'gnie du'Celluloid' Petitcollin- Oyonnithe, Paris, France, =a corporation of 7 France Ap lication A fi1l19, 194s, SerialNo; 21,95 'In"France May .5, 7194 7 1 This invention relates toan' animated-toy, doll orautomaton onftwo feet, of the" type inwhich ""a double "oscillating movementin opposite'directionsabout a common axis bymeansof ia-motor "operates the two feetthrough a plurality of links and a crankshaft having crank; pins opposed by "-180" for -alternately moving each'leg. 7

One object of the invention is to"provide an animatedtoyboth feet of which will constantly remain in contactwiththe surfacesuppOrting the toy during the alternate'moveinentgof:the two'feet. g v

' Another object is to 'obtaina movement or the arms of the toy or doll connected with the'rnovement-of the feet, and @1150 a rotation of the head anda movement'of the lower jaw.

Another object is to obtain bending of the knees and'al'so of'the-elbows. V v

-A"sti1l furtherobject is "to obtain'a turning movement of the feet 'on'the supporting surface. With these objects in view and others which fore-arm,

connection of'the arms with their; oscillating Figure 14 shows means'for moving the lower. 7

jawof the head,

."Figure15 is a' 'plan viewfrom below of afoot :provided'for a'turning movement controlledby --Will=appear hereafter, the feet of the "animated toy I are providedwith rollers which rest "onithe "supporting surface and enable each foot,by the oscillating movement of arodytoa'dva nce alter- .natelywhile the otherfoot rests 'onsai'd surface without sliding, thus securing a steady walk of the animated toy'asboth feet" arealwaysin-con v second rod forces the-other foot'torema'inincon- *tact with thesupporting surface;

'Inthe accompanying drawings which illustrate diagrammatically, by'wayof example, various the arm ofthe'toy, I Figure 16 is-a longitudinal View of the 'foot y partly in section, the fore rollers being in the straight position, v

Figure 17 is a plan view from"below of a-foot =having= a guided turningmovement,

Figure '18 is an axial' section of --a "device for "regulating the" speed'of the motor,

Figure 19*is a general view ofa-toy operated =as in Figure 15.

Referring to Figures 1- and 2, the rods "I attached to 'eaoh "fo0t"2 pivot at their upper ends :orra pin 3 fixed to the body of the toy representing an animated figure or to the motor l 'of any "type, which is shown'in Figure 2 -=as --a-spr-ingoperatedmotor. "The rod l isformedwithan elongated slot 4 intd-which is engaged acrank pin- 5 of a crankshaft sf the other crank pin 'of which is opposed by 180 to the former :crank generally comprise' a simplespiral spring. "According to thelinvention, eachfoOt-Z bears, by ineansofa spindle fl, one or =morero11ers 8 -which may be hidden within the soles of the feet; generally under the heel.

"embodiments of F the invention, the oontours of I the "animated'toy being outlined around the mechanism: V

Figure l'is-a side view and Ffigure 2 a'front 'view of themechanism'comp'rised of oscillating -rods,

Figures 3 and 41ajre side and frontviews, vrespectively, of an embodiment having two rods for each foot,

When the motor turnsjthe orankpiri 5 moves the rod I '-forward, :1 the latterpivoting "about the pin 3. Theroller 8 rolls; on the bearingsurface the fOot- Z moving forward; while' -the other foot Figures 5 and fi are'side fland front views, re-

spectively, of a modified'form'for bending the knees,

Figure '7 shows a detail view 'ofajmodi'fied form of the crank pins operating the rods,

Figure 8 shows amodified form or the .sole of Figure 11"representsfa modified form "of. 'the rests on the bearing surface owing to theweight -or "the'toy, without sliding, thus allowing the -'bo'dy-ef the-toy}to'-move forward. Whenthefirst "foot =2 has ceased advancing, the ether foot is "themselves, but in 'general it is preferred tohave a niechanismi'distinct from the "body that "sur- "roundsit. v

'Lateralstea-diness is perfect as therods v I are of the same length and both feet? are always in contact with 't'hebearing surface. Proper' longitudinal steadiness is "due 'to "the broad area f formed bythe two feetjenabling .the .toy to" make L big steps without'anypther' fulcrum.

The rollers 8 and the soles may be coated with rubber or any other material so as to afford good adherence and compensate for unevenness of the bearing surface.

Turning to Figs. 3 and 4 illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, the body of the toy figure carries a power unit I, say a clockwork that transmits its energy through a gearwork to a horizontal crank shaft 6 the crank pins of which control respectively the upper ends of two connecting links Id arranged longitudinally of each leg of the toy figure. Said links that are provided each with a longitudinal slot 12 are guided by a common elongated horizontal pivot ll engaging the two slots I2. Said connecting links or rods are associated in each leg with a substantially parallel link or rod I pivotally secured through its upper ends to a pivot 3 rigid with the toy body while the lower ends of the rods i, ii! of each leg are pivotally secured respectively at i3 and at M with a foot member 2.

It is thus apparent that the elongated pivot ll forms a bearing member through which the body and driving unit are held in stable equilibrium conditions on the two leg links ID that are always at an angle with one another; each driving link I8 when urged forwardly b the crankshaft constrains the correspondin foot 2 to slide or roll over the ground through the I reduced contact surface provided by the roller 8 carried by the rear pivoting axis 54 thereon while the front of said foot is raised. The friction between said forwardly projected foot and the ground is much less than that exerted by the other foot 2 bearing throughout its length on the ground. When one foot 2 has thus advanced by one step, the forward movement of the whole toy constrains it to bear in its turn on the ground throughout its length and at this moment the f driving link Iii, that is then to the rear, raises the rear foot 2 which is gradually urged forwards. These combined movements stimulate a human gait without requiring any external bearing points.

If bending of the knees be desired, the two rods l and Ill (Figures 5 and 6) may be pivoted to the knee instead of being pivoted to the foot. The rod in is connected to the knee by the spindle I3, and the rod I pivots on a spindle l5 carried 5 by the knee, the leg being integral with the foot. The roller 8 is supported at the forward portion of the foot by a spindle 9.

The rollers may be provided with a free or unidirectional wheel (not shown in Figures 5 and 6, but such as shown in Figure 16). The foot is thus better held on the bearing surface during forward walking and cannot slide backwards.

The crankshaft 6 (Figure '7) may be made movable sidewise of the body along its axis. In such case, the crank pins 5, instead of being at right angles, are inclined to the axis of the crankshaft. It follows that by displacement along the axis, the crank pins being. moved from the position in full lines to the position'in dotted lines, the rods l or [9 are raised by variable and unequal lengths of the crank pins, and the two feet are given different displacements which cause the toy to turn at will on a larger or shorter radius in either direction.

If it be desired to cause the animated toy to dance or pivot on its own body, a rotatable roller I6 (Figure 8) is provided at the center of the sole. Said roller is operated by the motor by oscillation of the arm I8.

means of any gearing of variable length, constituted by a stem I! having a Cardan joint or ball joint or by a Bowden cable. It is thus possible to cause the toy to turn and pivot on one foot or successively on either foot.

Movement of the arms I8 of the toy (Figures 9 and 10) may be obtained by attaching the arms to either of rods I. It may be obtained by means of a second crankshaft [9 (Figure 10) connected with the arm I8 and supported on the motor 1. The crankshaft I9 engages a second slot 20 in the rod l0, so that the crank pin 2| reciprocates on the axis of the crankshaft [9.

In the case of Figure 11, the crankshaft 19 rotates a tube 22 guided within an outer tube 23. The inner tube 22 rotates the arm l8 of the toy, so that oscillation of the crankshaft I 9 causes Oscillation may be made resilient by connecting the crankshaft [9 with the arm IS through a spring or a rubber strip 24, provided at its other end with a cup 25 carrying along by friction another cup 26, borne by the arm l8. Such resilient connection allows the position of the arm to be modified in respect of the body of the toy independently of the oscillation of the arm.

If it be desired to obtain a movement of the fore-arm irrespective of the movement of the whole arm, the above-described mechanism of the arm, instead of being connected to the arm l8 itself, may be connected to a' rod 21 (Figure 12) integral with the arm. Another rod 28 oscillating about a pin 29 is pivoted by a pin 30 to a rod 3| which is pivoted to the rod 21 of the arm. During oscillation of the rod 21, the fore-arm will thus oscillate in respect of the arm 18.

Movement of the head may be obtained by means of a lever 32 (Figure 13) operated by one of the rods operating the legs. Said lever 32 pivots about the axis of a stem 33 integral with the head of the toy. The head may be guided by means of co-aXial cylinders 34, 35 which form the neck of the doll. The head will thus turn to the right and the left.

Movement of the lower jaw (Figure 14) may be obtained, to imitate a person talking, b means of a stem 36 operated by a crankshaft 37, the crank pin 38 of which engages a slot in the rod ID or the rod I.

In the case of Figures 15,116 and 19, the foot 2 of the toy bears two pairs of rollers 40, 4| each pair being mounted on a common spindle. The forward pair 4! is provided with a free or unidirectional wheel formed, for example, of an eccentric segment 42 (Figure 16) which allows the rollers 4| to turn freely when moving forward but prevent them from turning backward. This device thus enables the foot to advance rapidly without being liable to slide backwards.

The forward pair of rollers i3! 'is adapted to be given an angle variable with the direction in which the foot advances. To this purpose, their common spindle is integral with. a lever 43 con nected, to any suitable gearing, shown, for example, as a Bowden cable M. The latter may be, more particularly, connected to the operating mechanism of the arm I8 (Figure 19) such as described hereabove, so that the movement of the arm gives the pleasant result of causing the toy to turn. The change of angle of the rollers 4| may also be effected by telecontrol.

According to Figure 17, the rear rollers 2-2 have their spindle perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the foot. The two forward rollers 4 l are mounted on two separate spindles which converge rearwardly, preferably towards a point 45 situated on the common axis of the rear rollers 4%. The foot 2 of the toy leans against a rim 46 formed on the table or other surface on which the toy walks. The foot is preferably provided with a ball 41 for facilitating its sliding in respect of the rim 46.

The foot placed forward being raised at its fore part and leaning against the curved rim 4B, imparts turning movement to the toy, while the foot placed at the rear resting on the supporting surface advances on its fore rollers 4-1 and pivots about the point 45.

If it be desired to vary the speed of the toy, the speed of its motor may be modrfiedby any suitable means. For example, the arm E8 or any part of its mechanism, such as the stem 21 (Figure 19) may be connected to a lever 45 resting on a plate 49 integral with the shaft 50 of the motor (such as 7 shown in Figures 1 and 2). By drawing the end of the lever 48 away from the plate 39 to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 18, the speed of the motor is increased since the friction on plate 42 is released, and consequently the toy will walk faster. But as the masses are thrown further away from their shaft, due to the increase of centrifugal force, and as they carry the plate 49 to the left, the plate is again brought into contact with the lever 48, which causes slackening of the motor, until a steady position is attained. If the motor should be given a lower speed, or even stopped, the lever will be pressed more strongly against plate 29.

In all the devices described the motor ma be an electric motor to which current may be supplied by contacts placed below the feet. The toy may also bear accumulators or primary cells, pref erably in its feet so as to increase steadiness. A clockwork may also be employed. The toy may be operated by telecontrol efiected by contacts or by radio-transmission. The different mechanisms may be varied or combined with other devices without departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A walking doll which comprises, in combination, a body, two feet, the rear part of the sole of each of these feet being arranged to oppose less friction than the front part thereof to longitudinal running on the floor, two rods journalled to said feet about respective transverse axes located in the rear portions of said feet, said rods extend ing upwardly and being both pivoted to said body about a common transverse pivot axis, two rods pivoted to said feet about respective transverse axes located ahead of the above mentioned axes,

6 of said feet about a transverse axis forming the rear end of the sole of each of said feet, two rods journalled to said feet about the axes of said rollers respectively, said rods extending upwardly and being both pivoted to said body about a common transverse axis, two rods pivoted to said feet about respective transverse axes located ahead of the axes of said rollers, said last mentioned rods extending upwardly, a transverse spindle carried by said body parallel to said pivot axis and located ahead thereof, the two last mentioned rods being provided with longitudinal guiding slots, respectively, said transverse spindle slidsaid last mentioned rods extending upwardly,a

2. A walking doll which comprises, in combina- 7 tion, a body, two feet, the front part at the sole of each of these feet being frictionally slidable on the floor, at least one roller journalled in each ably engaging said slots, a crankshaft journalled in said body about a transverse line located above said transverse spindle and having crank pins at to each other, said crank pins being journalled in the upper parts of the two second mentioned rods respectively, and motor means carried by said body for rotating said crankshaft.

3. A walking doll according to claim 2 in which said crank pins are oblique with respect to said crankshaft and said crankshaft is slidable transversely with respect to said body for adjustment therein.

4. A walking doll according to claim 2 further including arms movable with respect to said body and operatively connected with the two second mentioned rods, respectively.

5. A walking roll according to claim 2 in which each foot includestwo rollers journalled therein about the same transverse axis, to form the rear end of the sole of said foot, said two rollers being located respectively on either side of the longitudinal axis of said foot, each foot further including, in the front part thereof, two rollers journalled therein about respective axes oblique with respect to said longitudinal axis and converging toward the intersection of said longitudi nal axis with the common axis of rotation of the two first mentioned rollers, said two front rollers forming the front end of the sole of the foot.

6. A walking doll according to claim 2 in which each foot includes two rollers journalled therein about the same transverse axis, to form the rear end of the sole of said foot, said two rollers being located respectively on either side of the longitudinal axis of said foot, each foot further including, in the front part thereof, two rollers journalled therein about respective axes oblique with respect to said longitudinal axis and converging toward the intersection of said longitudinal axis with the common axis of rotation of the twofirst mentioned rollers, said two front rollers forming the front end of the sole of the foot, and a ball journalled in said foot and projecting from the outer side of the front thereof.

JACQUES JANE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,209,920 Young Dec. 26, 1916 1,687,675 Lehmann Oct. 16, 1928 2,155,002 Villeme ane Apr. 18, 1939 2,243,043 Walter May 20, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 17,002 Great Britain Aug. 22, 1905 587,872 Germany Nov. 9, 1933 664,173 Germany Aug. 22, 1938