US2713748A

US2713748A - Acrobatic figure toy

Info

Publication number: US2713748A
Application number: US328411A
Authority: US
Inventors: Marvin I Glass
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1952-12-29
Filing date: 1952-12-29
Publication date: 1955-07-26
Anticipated expiration: 1972-07-26

Description

July 26, 1955 M. GLASS ACROBATIC FIGURE TOY INVENTOR. Marv/n! Glass BY K445 ATTORNEY Filed Dec. 29, 1952 United States Patent ACRDBATIC FIGURE TOY Marvin I. Glass, Chicago, Ill.

Application December 29, 1952, Serial No. 328,411

2 Claims. (Cl. 46-133) This invention relates to toys and more particularly to a toy which may be manually manipulated to perform acrobatics and the like.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a toy which may be manipulated by the hands to perform acrobatics and assume various positions on a supporting bar.

Another object of this invention is to provide a toy figure supported on a bar, which bar is manually manip ulated to cause the supported figure to move in simulation of an acrobat performing on a bar.

Another object is to provide a toy of the foregoing character which is counterweighted so that the weight above the bar is slightly less than the weight below the bar to permit the toy to be operated smoothly and properly.

Another object of this invention is to provide a toy which is very simple and inexpensive to manufacture and which has great play value by virtue of the fact that it may be easily manipulated by a child to cause the toy character to perform various acrobatic motions.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a front view of the toy and showing in dotted lines a manipulated position of same,

Fig. 2 is a side view and showing in dotted lines various manipulated positions,

Fig. 3 is a side view in another position,

Fig. 4 is a side view partly in cross section of same, and

Fig. 5 is a view of the toy with the supporting bar held in a vertical position.

Generally, the toy comprises a toy figure generally indicated at which is secured to and suspended from cross bar 12, which cross bar is held and manipulated by the hands to cause the toy figure to perform various acrobatics on said bar. More specifically, the toy figure generally indicated at 10 comprises an upper hollow body portion 14 formed of two half sections jointed together. The half sections when joined together provide two circular shoulder openings or sockets and a circular top opening 22. The upper body portion 14 is widest at the shoulder portion and tapers inwardly as at 24 and then outwardly as at 26 to provide a waist portion 28.

Fixedly secured to the bar 12 as at 16 are the hands 18 of a pair of upper limb members or arm 30 each somewhat L shaped and each having cylindrical terminating stubs 32 which are positioned and secured within the annular sockets or openings 20. The two arms are joined together by a cross member 34 extending inside the hollow body portion, which is securely fixed at its opposite ends to the inner ends of the stubs 32.

A head 36 has an annular depending neck portion 38, which passes through the opening 22. The neck portion has a transverse opening 40 through which the cross member 34 extends and whereby said head is secured to said body. It will be noted that the transverse open- 't-" atentecl July 26, 1955 "ice ing 40 is larger than the circumference of the cross member 34 and the opening 22 is larger than the neck 38 to permit the head to rock back and forth as well as move sidewise.

Secured to the body 14 at the waist 28 and extending downwardly therefrom is a flexible cloth member 42 which in the representation shown forms the trousers of the figure. Secured to the lower portions of the cloth trousers are a pair of legs 44 having weighted feet 46.

The bar 12 has one end upturned as at 13 at right angles to the bar. A handle member 48 is secured to one end of the cross bar 12 and another handle 50 is secured to the other longitudinal end of the cross bar. The handle 50 may be slotted at its end and pushed in adjacent the upturned end and may be closed by means of a plug which when securely fastened as by glue or otherwise locks said handle on the end of the cross bar and forms the other handle portion. Mounted on the upturned end 13 of the bar is a circular metal weight 52 which forms a counterweight. The counterweight is positioned from the vertical plane of the suspended figure when same is suspended. The counterweight is slightly less than the weight of the suspended figure and its purpose is to distribute the weight above and below the bar so that when the toy is held in the hands and rotated the rotation will be uniform thus facilitating the operation of the toy.

When the handles 4% and 50 are engaged and the cross bar 12 is twirled or rotated in either direction the arms or upper limbs 30 are rotated therewith. The stubs 32 of the arms will rotate in the sockets 20 with respect to said body 14. Rotating of the bar 12 will therefore cause the suspended arms to rotate therewith and thereby move said arms from a suspended position to any position above, below or forwardly or rearWardly of the bar. By elevating the arms above the bar (dotted lines Fig. l), the head 36, body 14 and the rest of the figure are correspondingly moved with respect to the bar, and various acrobatic positions are assumed by the figure with respect to the cross bar, simulating that of a person moving about on a horizontal gymnastic bar. Since the lower portion of the figure, represented by the flexible cloth portion is weighted down by the legs and feet it will swing freely and move with respect to the upper portion of the body. Since the top of the head 36 is spaced slightly from the cross bar 12 the body 14 as well as the head 36 moves around said cross bar, that is, moves under and above said cross bar 12. As the cross bar is manipulated the head 36 will rock back and forth as well as sidewise, thus providing additional interest for the toy.

The dotted line position of Fig. 1 shows the momentary position of the figure when same has been manipulated to position the arms above the bar. The cloth 42 and feet 46 will immediately drop either in front or to the rear of the body 14 by virtue of the flexibility of the cloth 42 and the weight of the feet 46 and will cause the body 14 to rotate correspondingly. Fig. 3 shows the figure positioned rearwardly of the bar with the legs draped over the bar. Fig. 5 shows the toy manipulated with the bar held in a vertical position.

By virtue of the construction, the body 14 is free to rotate with respect to the stationary arms and correspondingly the head on the body moves and rotates with said body. The flexible portion 42 and weighted feet 46 in a measure control the rotation of the body and add to the unusual acrobatic positions of the figure.

It will be understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a portable manually suspended acrobatic toy t comprising a bar having a pair of handle members secured to the opposite ends thereof and by which said bar is manually supported and manipulated, a counterweight extending above said bar, a toy figure supported below said bar, said toy figure having a pair of arms fixedly secured to said bar to rotate therewith, a body member having means for receiving the inner ends of said arms, said body member being rotatable with respect to said arms, a head member secured to the top of said body member, a lower portion formed of a flexible cloth secured to said body portion, and weighted feet members secured to the lower end of said cloth member, said counterweight being positioned approximately 180 with respect to said figure and so constructed and arranged that the weight of the counterweight is slightly less than the weight of said figure.

2. In a portable manually suspended acrobatic toy of the character described comprising a bar having handle engaging ends at the opposite ends thereof and by which said bar is manually supported and manipulated, a

counterweight member positioned above said bar, a toy figure secured to said bar below the top thereof, said toy figure having a pair of arm members fixedly secured to said bar, said arm members having socket engaging ends, a hollow body portion having sockets to receive said socket engaging ends, a transverse connecting member within said body and secured to the opposite ends of said socket engaging ends, a head having a depending neck, said neck having a transverse opening whereby said head is secured to said transverse connecting member, a cloth lower body portion secured to said body, and a pair of feet members secured to the lower end of said cloth body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES iATENTS 2,113,839 Hedges Apr. 12, 1938 2,256,666 Chojmik Sept. 23, 194! FOREIGN PATENTS 267,724 Germany 1913