US2763095A - Motorless automatic walking doll - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 18, 1956 A. F. STEARNS MOTORLESS AUTOMATIC WALKING DOLL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Feb. 16, 1951 INVENTOR Sept. 18, 1956 A. F. STEARNS MOTORLESS AUTOMATIC WALKING DOLL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Feb 16, 1951 INVENTOR United States Patent 9 'MOTORLESS AUTOMATIC WALKING DDLL Albert Frank Stearns, Bioomingtonflll.

Continuation of-application Serial No. 211,360, February '16, '1951. This application May 15, 1953, Serial No. 359,265

3 Claims. (Cl. 46-149) This invention relates to toys'of the walking type, and more specifically, to those simulating the human form, and its purpose is to produce an automatic walking doll which, when held upon its feet and pushed along, will walk in a truly lifelike manner.

This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 211, 3'60, filed February 16, 195-1, and since abandoned.

For brevity and clearness in this application, the word automatic is used to designate one without a motor, and the word automaton is used to designate one'with a motor.

To walk in a truly lifelike manner, a walking Jdoll must have 'knee joints, and to prevent accidental bending of the knees, knee locks. Soitfollows that 'a truly lifelike automatic walking doll to take a single step, must perform in the order given the following seven acts: first, unlock the knee; second, bend the knee;"third, lift the foot; fourth, move the foot forward faster, relative to the body, than the other foot is receding; "fifth, straighten the knee; sixth, lock the knee,'and seventh and last, let the foot fall to the ground.

The state of development of the prior art is well represented in .the following United States patents: Criest 1,269,056; Armpriester #1397387; Barnes 1,'774,7 85,

and the French patent of Chaix "#753,627.

The doll of Criesthad but .azsingle :automati'c act, it advanced the foot, but .not faster than the receding-foot, as in life.

Armpriester had what might be termed a two act automatic. It also lacked the accelerated forward foot movement.

Barnes, while only a one 'act automatic, was the first and only automatic to attain the accelerated forward movement of the advancing foot.

Chaix represents the highest development of the prior art to the best of the applicants knowledge. He has a five act automatic. He does not attain the accelerated forward movement of the advancing foot required to perform act four. And there is no provision in the construction to accomplish act seven.

The rocker device 7 of Criests, the crankshaft as used by Armpriester, and the differential as used by Chaix move the advancing leg in exactly the same manner. That is at the same speed, relative to the body, as the receding leg.

To attain a greater similarity to life in both appearance and performance, and to simplify the construction and cheapen the cost of manufacture, the improvements outlined in the accompanying drawings and following specifications have been made.

Of the drawings,

Fig. l is a part front elevation and part section of the doll.

Figures 2 and 3 are respectively a plan and elevation of angle bracket 6.

Figures 4 and 5 are respectively an elevation and plan of bracket 8.

" 2,763,095 Patented Sept. 18 1956 {Fig 6 is a vertical section of-the left leg of the doll.

Figures 7 and'8 are respectivelyleft-and'front elevations ofjpinio'ns, ratchets, and the drive disc assembly.

'Fig'uresi9 and 10 are respectively a section and a side elevation of bearing arm'7.

As shown in the drawings a bracket-8, Figures 4 and 5, is attached as indicated in Fig. ,6, at the front and rear in the pelvic region of a hollow body. Rigidly mounted in bracket 8 by screw 27 arebearings arms 7 and 9. Construction of bearing arm 7 is shown in Figs. 9 and i0. Bearing arm 9is of similar construction.

Rotat'a'bly mounted, -horizontally and parallel to the hip axis, in the holes in-the upper ends of these bearing arms 7 and "9, is crankshaft 1. 'Rig'idly attached at the ends of crankshaft '1 and at right angles to it, are two cranks, the crank-pin of each equipped with a roller to lessen friction, these cranks being at an angle of to each other.

At the center of crankshaft 1 is'rigidly attached a driving disc 2 carrying'two pivotally mounted pawls '11 and 12, which are shown more clearly in Figs. 7 and 8. Loosely mounted upon crankshaft 1, one on each side of disc 2, is a combination ratchet wheel and pinion, 3 on the dolls left side and 4 on the dolls right side. These parts are seen more clearly infFigs. 7 and 8. As indicated in Fig. 7, these ratchet wheels have but a single tooth or notch each.

In-"Fig. 6, upon an upward extension of the inner thigh member, forming apart of the left leg, fiss'hown gear sector 5, 'having teeth engaging pinion 3. The structure of the right leg is similar. By means of gear sector 5, pinion and ratchet 3, .pawl '11 and disc 2, a backward oscillation ofthe left leg about the hip axis rotates the crankshaft forward, that is .counterclockwiseas seenfrom the dolls left side. As -thelleft leg is advanced it rotates pinion and ratchet wheel 3 backward or clockwise, but the action of pawl '11 allows '3 to turnfreelyupon the crankshaft without interfering with theforward movement of the crankshaft. The rightleg operates in a similar manner. 'Thus, a continuous rotary motion of the crankshaft is obtained, through the medium of two gear and ratchet trains actuated by the oscillation of the legs without a motor. This has not been "accomplished before by the priorart.

Theperformance of the seven actsrequi-red for a step forward is accomplished by the simple rotation of the crank pins.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 6, pressure of the crank pin upon linkage 10 at different points from the lower curved end to the upper end controls all the acts in the proper order. Linkage 10, pivoted at 17 to angle bracket 6, which is attached to the hollow leg, and at 20 to connecting rod 24, constitutes the knee lock. When pivotal points 23, 20 and 17 are in a straight line the leg is extended and held in that position, though free to move about the hip joints. A stop pin 25 prevents the forward bending of the knee lock beyond the straight position, and spring 13 prevents accidental unlocking of the knee.

The crank pin, in its circular path, first contacts linkage 10 near its lower end. Pressure there unlocks the knee lock by deflecting the knee lock from its locked position. This bending makes it shorter, pulls upward on double bell crank 26, bends the knee and lifts the foot. The crank pin, proceeding, rolls upward along linkage 10. At a point near pivotal point 17, the pressure of the crank pin forces the leg forward, straightens the knee, locks the knee and when the pin passes beyond the upper end of linkage 10, the leg with the knee locked, is free to rotate about the hip axis until the foot meets the ground, ready to drive the right leg through a similar construction in a similar manner. This method of advancing the leg has not been used by the prior art.

The accelerated forward movement of the advancing leg is accomplished by a speed-up of the crankshaft. Gear sector has a greater radius than pinion 3, thuslobtaining a rotation of 180 at the crankshaft, for each backward movement of a leg. And the seven acts are accomplished during a rotation of the crankshaft through an arc of about 60.

Double or dual knee joints, not shown or claimed before, are used. The ends of the leg members carry at the knee engaging gears 18 and are held together by knee cap 19 and axles and 16. The double bell crank 26 provides pivotal points for attachment of connecting rods 24 and 14. This .knee is designed to conform more closely to the human knee in action and appearance.

A flexible covering 21 closes the opening at the rear of the knee and a shutter 22 closes the opening between the thigh and abdomen. I

Elements 6R, 10R, and 13R are similar to 6, 10 and 13, but relate to the right leg.

Having described my invention, I claim as new:

1. An improved automatic walking doll as described, having in combination in a hollow body and limbs; roughly conforming in shape and'proportions to the human body, a double throw crankshaft with a roller upon each crank pin and each crank rigidly attached at an end and at right angles to the crankshaft and at an angle of 180 to the other, and rigidly attached to the crankshaft at its center a driving disc carrying, pivotally attached near the periphery of said disk, on a diameter and, disposed 180 apart, one on each side, two pawls, so mounted that the free ends trail during the rotation of the crankshaft, and in juxtaposition to the drive disc, one on each side, loosely mounted upon the crankshaft, two pinions, each with an integral ratchet wheel having but a single tooth or notch; the crankshaft rotatably mounted in the pelvic region of the hollow body, horizontally disposed; in two bearing arms of similar construction, having at the upper end a cylindrical shape with a central hole for the crankshaft end, at the lower end on one side, a cylindrical boss having a centered hole extending through both bearing arms parallel to the crankshaft; to anchor them in position, the contour of the bearing arms between the ends being roughly rectilinear; secured in and extending from the inner front of the pelvic region of the body, downwardly, backwardly and upwardly, roughly in the are of a semicircle, a bracket with holes coaxial with the hip joints, the bosses'of the bearing arms being held in these holes by a screw through both bearing arms, the upper ends of the bracket, each having two tabs, laterally disposed for attachment to the body; upper leg members having gear teeth formed upon the ends, the gear upon the upper ends engaging said pinions upon the crankshaft to implement the driving of the crankshaft through the oscillatory movements of the legs, gear teeth on the lower ends of the leg member engaging similar gear teeth upon the upper calf member of the leg, thetwo leg members being joined in a double joint, held in proper relationship by a knee cap enclosing the front and sides of the knee, conforming in contour to the shape of the knee, with an axle near'the upper end of the' cap through the cap and upper leg member and an axle near the lower end of the cap and through it and the lower leg member; centrally fixed upon the axles a double bell crank with a hole below the axles for attachment to a connecting rod to control a movable foot and a hole above the axles for attachment to a knee lock composed of a straight connecting rod and a linkage attached pivotally to an angle bracket secured to' the upper inner and rear portion of the leg; the linkage being, of flat, elongated rectangular shape with a curved end, and hav-v ing disposed near the middle along the longer axis, two holes, the upper hole for pivotal attachment to said angle bracket and the lower hole for pivotal attachment to the said connecting rod joined to the bell crank.

2. An automatic walking doll as described, constituting a bipedal walking toy, having in a hollow body a crankshaft horizontally disposed parallel to the hip axis and having gear and ratchet trains to continuously drive the crank-shaft by the oscillation of the legs. I

3'. An automatic walking doll as described, constituting a bipedal walking'toy, having a hollow body and legs whose thigh and calf members have gears formed upon the ends which meet at the knees, the gears being held in mesh with each other by means of a cap pivoted to the thigh member by one pin and to the calf member by another pin, to form a double knee joint with two points of fiexure.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Men.

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