US3090157A - Figure toy - Google Patents

Description

May 21, 1963 LQHR FIGURE TOY Filed Oct. 18, 1961 x l mz m0 W M w R BY MM HITOIP/VKYS Patented May 23, 1953 3,090,157 FIGURE TOY Raymond J. Lohr, Erie, Pa., assignor to Louis Marx & gompany, Inc, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New ork Filed Oct. 18, 1961, Ser. No. 147,421 16 Claims. (Cl. 46-157) This invention relates to figure toys, and more particularly to a figure toy with frictional joints for easy assembly in different postures.

Figure toys are already known in which the body, limbs, and head are made of flat carboard, which parts may be assembled or disassembled. The general object of the present invention is to improve such come-apart figure toys. A more particular object is to make the same with parts which are three-dimensional. For example, the legs are made with feet of large area and substantially flat bottoms, such that the figure can stand erect on two feet.

Another object is to make the parts out of a molded plastics material, thus giving the same an attractive finish and appearance, and making possible the use of different colors. A further object is to use a somewhat flexible and frictional plastic, such as polyethylene, in which case simple projecting pins are received in holes to provide joints which are frictional so that the parts hold together, and remain in any desired adjusted position. Moreover, the parts are somewhat flexible and therefore virtually indestructible.

Other objects are to make the position of the head (as well as the limbs) adjustable, and in the case of animal toys, to make the tail and/or the ears adjustable.

In accordance with a further feature and object of the invention, the limbs may be used to help hold the head on the body, and to help conceal its jointed connection; the limbs may be used to help hold the tail on the body; and the body itself may be made of two differently colored detachable parts which fit together in edge-to-edge relation with the aid of tongues and sockets. A further object is to provide an auxiliary base making possible grotesque or acrobatic postures, and also permitting wall mounting.

To accomplish the foregoing objects, and other objects which will hereinafter appear, my invention resides in the figure toy elements and their relation one to another as are hereinafter more particularly described in the following specification. The specification is accompanied by a drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a figure toy embodying features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken approximately in the plane of the stepped line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken approximately in the plane of the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation showing the three-dimensional large area feet of the toy;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another toy embodying features of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section taken approximately in the plane of the line 66 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a vertical elevation showing how the toy may be mounted on an upright surface or wall.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to FIG. 1, the come-apart figure toy comprises a body 12, a head 14, and limbs 16, 18, 20 and 22, all separately molded out of a somewhat soft frictional plastics material. The body has pins 24 and 26 molded integrally therewith and projecting horizontally therefrom, and the limbs have holes dimensioned to fit frictionally over the pins. Referring to FIG. 4, the pins 26 are molded integrally with body 12, and the limbs 20 and 22 are simply slid over the pins, the latter having rounded ends for improved appearance.

When using a somewhat flexible plastics material, such as polyethylene, it is a simple matter to enlarge the ends of the pins slightly, because the molded parts are removable from the mold, despite a slight undercut. For the same reason of yieldability the holes in the limbs may expand somewhat as the limbs are pushed over the pins, and thus they are held on the body by a slight degree of snap fit, instead of relying altogether on friction, although even that is considerable and will serve the present purpose.

In FIG. 4 it should be noted that the feet 28 are quite Wide in transverse direction. The feet are enlarged and preferably have substantially fiat bottoms, such that the figure can stand erect on two feet alone, this being indicated in FIG. 4, in which feet 28 are resting on a table or like surface 30.

The head 14 (FIG. 1) has a neck 32 which is offset sideways about half the thickness of the body, as is indicated at 34 in FIG. 2.. The neck terminates in a nearly circular portion 36 having a hole at 38. The construction is much like that exposed in FIG. 5 where one limb 82 of an animal toy has been removed to expose the lower end of the neck 96. Reverting to FIGS. 2 and 3, the body is thinned toward one side, as shown at 40, to about half thickness, and has a short pin 44 on one side to receive limb 16, and it has a longer pin 24 on the other side to receive both the circular neck portion 36 and the limb 18.

The curved area which receives the rounded or circular lower end 36 of the neck is preferably defined by a marginal portion or rim 46, and this may be thick enough to provide some clearance for movement of the neck, independently of the limb, as is clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The molded material of the body may also be built up to greater thickness on the opposite side, as shown at 48, to provide a washer-like bearing surface against which the limb 16 rotates. In FIG. 1 it will be seen that the upper ends 5% of the rim shown at 4 6 in FIG. 2, are divergent upwardly and provide stop means to limit the angular motion or adjustment of the head 14.

The particular toy shown in FIG. 1 represents the Donald Duck character of Walt Disney. To better represent a sailors uniform the upper part 52 of the body may be blue, and the lower part 54 may be white, in which case it is convenient to mold the body in two separate parts which may be detachably connected in edge-to-edge relation. In the present case the upper part 52 has depending tongues 56 which are enlarged at their lower ends. The body part as has mating open-sided sockets which rereceive the tongues 56, preferably by moving one part of the body sideward into the other until they are in flush relation. The plastics material is frictional enough for the parts to remain in assembled relation. However, for a more rugged construction the body may be made in one piece. This frictional nature of the material makes it possible to turn the head and limbs to any desired position or angle, and the parts remain in adjusted position.

It is desirable to increase the stability of the toy when setting the parts in grotesque or acrobatic positions, as for example, leaning back horizontally on one leg, or other such comical positions. For this purpose I provide a base 69 of relatively large area. This is molded integrally with an upstanding pin 62. The feet 28 are molded with upright holes 64-, indicated in FIG. 4 as well as FIG. 1. Either hole 64 receives the pin 62 with a frictional fit, and the figure then may be turned to almost any desired position without falling over.

Moreover, the base 60' may, if desired, be provided with a hole 66 (FIG. 1) near its periphery. This may be used to receive a thumb tack or nail by means of which the base may be applied to a wall or other upright surface. The figure is readily applied to the base by means of the pin 62 and either hole 64, in which case the figure may be hung on and project from the wall. This is illustrated in FIG. 7 which shows base 6% applied to wall 63 by means of a suitable fastener 7t). It is evident that the figure may be given one or another position producing a comical effect, as though falling.

Another toy embodying features of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. and 6 of the drawing. In this case the figure represents Pluto, a dog character of Walt Disney, and again it comprises a body '72 with forelegs 74 received on pins 76, and hind legs 78 received on pins 80. Again the limbs 74 and 78 are preferably enlarged in transverse directions at the feet 82-, and have substantially flat bottoms, so that the figure readily stands without the aid of an auxiliary base. However, here again at least some, and preferably all of the feet 82, are provided with upright holes indicated at 84 to frictionally receive the pin 62 of the base 60 shown in FIGS. 1 and 7. In this way the dog may be made to stand on one leg in any one of many comical postures. Also, the figure may be made to project from a wall, as though falling, by simply hanging the base on a wall, as previously described in connection with FIG. 7.

The animal toy shows several additional features. One is the provision of a tail 86 which is pivoted in rather simple fashion for adjustment. For this purpose the inner end of the tail is given a nearly circular configuration, shown at 88, and this is received in a mating socket cut through the body 72. The socket is open-sided, and the tail is assembled by simply pushing it sideways into position. It is there held against escape because the upper ends of the hind legs 78 overlap the tail portion 83, as shown in 'FIGS. 5 and 6, and thus the legs hold the tail against sideward movement out of the socket. The circular inner end of the tail is preferably thickened somewhat, as shown in FIG. 6, to provide the equivalent of bearing washers at 8 8.

The anirnal toy of FIG. 5 also has movable ears W. These have holes at their inner ends, and the head 92 has pins 94 molded integrally with the head. These pins receive the ears, and the joint is frictional, as previously described, so that the ears remain at any desired angle. Thus in FIG. 5 one ear points forward, and the other rearward.

As was described in connection with FIG. 1, the head 92 is preferably formed integral with a neck 96, and this may be sidewardly offset somewhat, say, half the thickness of the body 72. The body is thinned toward one side to about half thickness, as shown at 98, thereby providing a socket for the lower end of neck 96. This is preferably enlarged and made circular in shape, as shown at 1%. The part 100 has a hole to receive the pin 76, and the body is preferably molded with an arcuate thickened portion or rim 102 to complete the nesting or housing of the circular part 109.

It will be understood that, as before, the pin on the remote side, as viewed in the drawing, is a short pin which receives the remote foreleg 74 (corresponding to the parts 44 and 16 in FIG. 3), and the pin 76, shown in FIG. 5, is a longer pin which first receives the neck and then receives the nearer foreleg 74'. In FIG. 5 the latter is shown separated from pin 76, but when pushed in position it conceals the lower end of the neck, and also conceals the arcuate rim 102, much as the upper end of arm 18 in FIG. 1 conceals the neck construction there used. The opposite side of body 72 may have a circular slightly thickened area around the short pin, to act as a bearing surface for leg 74.

In all casesthe pins 76, 8t} and 94 may, if desired, be slightly undercut, that is, slightly tapered from their outer ends toward their inner ends, thereby more securely holding the limbs and ears. and receiving the same with a slight degree of snap fit. The holes are preferably tapered to facilitate molding, and the taper may be made such as to better fit the pins, or may be made opposite to facilitate the assembly operation.

It will be understood that additional figures may be made, for example, the Disney Mickey Mouse and Bambi, etc. The pins which receive the limbs may be of uniform dimension, and the inner end of the neck and tail, as well as the holes in the feet, all may be of uniform dimension, so that many of the parts may be interchangeable. In this way a child with an assortment of these figures may produce highly comical effects by interchanging the different parts, so as to use the head of one with the body of another, and so forth.

It has been mentioned that the parts are preferably molded of a yieldable material such as polyethylene, which has the advantage of being somewhat soft and relatively unbreakable, and which provides friction and a tight fit at the joints, etc. However, other plastics may be used, an example being high-impact polystyrene.

To increase stability it is preferred to use the base shown, but a soft rubber suction cup may be used instead of a simple large area base. Also, a small magnet may be embedded in one or more of the feet, so that the toy will adhere to a ferrous surface.

It is believed that the construction and method of use, as well as the advantages of my improved come-apart figure toy, will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description. It will also be apparent that while I have shown and described the invention in several preferred forms, changes may be made in the structures shown without departing from the scope of the invention, as sought to be defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A come-apart figure toy comprising a body and head and limbs, all separately molded out of a somewhat soft frictional plastic material, said body having pins molded integrally therewith and projecting therefrom, said limbs having holes dimensioned to fit frictionally over said pins, the head having a neck which terminates in a portion with a hole, said body having a short pin to receive a limb on one side and a long pin to receive the neck and a limb at the other side.

2. A come-apart figure toy comprising a body and head and limbs, all separately molded out of a somewhat soft frictional plastic material, said body having pins molded integrally therewith and projecting therefrom, said limbs having holes dimensioned to fit frictionally over said pins, at least two limbs simulating legs and having enlarged feet with substantially flat bottoms such that the figure can stand erect on said feet, the head having a neck which terminates in a portion with a hole, said body having a short pin to receive a limb on one side and a longer pin to receive the neck and a limb at the other side.

3. A come-apart figure toy comprising a body and head and limbs, all separately molded out of a somewhat soft frictional plastic material, said body having pins molded integrally therewith and projecting therefrom, said limbs having holes dimensioned to fit frictionally over said pins, at least two limbs simulating legs and having enlarged feet with substantially flat bottoms such that the figure can stand erect on said feet, a base of large area having an upright pin, said feet having an upright hole dimensioned to receive said pin with a frictional fit, whereby the figure with the aid of the base is stable in acrobatic postures, the head having a neck which terminates in a portion with a hole, said body having a short pin to receive a limb on one side and a longer pin to receive the neck and a limb at the other side.

4. A come-apart figure toy comprising a body and head and limbs, all separately molded out of a somewhat soft frictional polyethylene plastic, said body having pins molded integrally therewith and projecting horizontally therefrom, said limbs having holes dimensioned to fit frictionally over said pins, at least two limbs simulating legs and having enlarged feet with large area substantially flat bottoms such that the figure can stand erect on said feet, the head having a neck which is offset sideways about half the thickness of the body and which terminates in a portion with a hole, said body being thinned toward one side to about half thickness and having a short pin to receive a limb on that side and a longer pin to receive the neck and a limb at the other side.

5. A come-apart figure toy comprising a body and head and limbs, all separately molded out of a somewhat soft frictional polyethylene plastic, said body having pins molded integrally therewith and projecting horizontally therefrom, said limbs having holes dimensioned to fit frictionally over said pins, at least two limbs simulating legs and having enlarged feet with large area substantially flat bottoms such that the figure can stand erect on said feet, a base of large area having an upright pin, said feet having an upright hole dimensioned to receive said pin with a frictional fit, whereby the figure with the aid of the base is stable in acrobatic postures, the head having a neck which is offset sideways about half the thickness of the body and which terminates in a portion with a hole, said body being thinned toward one side to about half thickness and having a short pin to receive a limb on that side and a longer pin to receive the neck and a limb at the other side.

6. A figure toy as defined in claim 1 in which the toy has ears with holes and in which the head has pins which fn'ctionally receive the ear-s.

7. A figure toy as defined in claim 2 in which the toy has ears with holes and in which the head has pins which frictionally receive the ears.

8. A figure toy as defined in claim 1 in which the toy has a tail with a nearly circular inner end, and in which the body has a mating socket to receive the inner end of the tail, and in which the limbs of the toy overlap the inner end of the tail to hold it against sideward movement out of the socket.

9. A figure toy as defined in claim 2 in which the toy has a tail with a nearly circular inner end, and in which the body has a mating socket to receive the inner end of the tail, and in which the limbs of the toy overlap the inner end of the tail to hold it against sideward movement out of the socket.

10. A figure toy as defined in claim 1 in which the body is made up of two parts which fit together in edge to edge relation, one of said parts having tongues with enlarged ends, and the other of said parts having sockets mating with said tongues.

11. A figure toy as defined in claim 2 in which the body is made up of two parts which fit together in edge to edge relation, one of said parts having tongues with enlarged ends, and the other of said parts having sockets mating with said tongues.

12. A figure toy as defined in claim 3 in which the large area base has a hole to receive a thumb tack or nail whereby the figure may be hung on and seemingly project from an upright surface.

13. A figure toy as defined in claim 5 in which the large area base has a hole to receive a thumb tack or nail whereby the figure may be hung on and seemingly project from an upright surface.

14. A come-apart figure toy comprising a body and head and limbs, all separately molded out of a somewhat soft frictional plastic material, said body having pins molded integrally therewith and projecting horizontally therefrom, said limbs having holes dimensioned to fit frictionally over said pins, the head having a neck which is offset sideways about half the thickness of the body and which terminates in a portion with a hole, said body being thinned toward one side to about half thickness and having a short pin to receive a limb on that side and aonger pin to receive the neck and a limb at the other s1 e.

15. A come-apart figure toy comprising a thin fiat body and head and limbs, all separately molded out of a somewhat soft frictional plastic material, said body having pins molded integrally therewith and projecting horizontally sideward therefrom, and said limbs having holes dimensioned to fit frictionally over said pins, at least two limbs simulating legs and having enlarged feet with substantially fiat bottoms of substantial area such that the figure can stand erect on said feet, a tail with a nearly circular inner end, said body having a mating socket which is open at the sides and toward the rear to receive the aforesaid inner end of the tail, the limbs of the toy at the sides of the body overlapping the inner end of the tail to hold it against sideward movement out of the socket.

16. A come-apart figure toy comprising a thin flat body and head and limbs, all separately molded out of a some what soft friction-a1 plastic material, said body having pins molded integrally therewith and projecting horizontally sideward therefrom, and said limbs having holes dimensioned to fit frictionally over said pins, at least two limbs simulating legs and having enlarged feet with substantially flat bottoms of substantial area such that the figure can stand erect on said feet, said fiat body being made of two flat parts which fit together in edge to edge relation, one of said parts having tongues with enlarged ends, and the other of said parts having sockets mating with said tongues, said sockets being open at the sides.

References ited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 246,867 Cooke Sept. 13, 1881 FOREIGN PATENTS 521,404 France Mar. 5, 1921 35,744 Holland June 15, 1935 413,955 Italy Aug. 18, 1946

Claims (1)

1. A COME-APART FIGURE TOY COMPRISING A BODY AND HEAD AND LIMBS, ALL SEPARATELY MOLDED OUT OF A SOMEWHAT SOFT FRICTIONAL PLASTIC MATERIAL, SAID BODY HAVING PINS MOLDED INTERGRALLY THEREWITH AND PROJECTING THEREFROM, SAID LIMBS HAVING HOLES DIMENSIONED TO FIT FRICTIONALLY OVER SAID PINS, THE HEAD HAVING A NECK WHICH TERMINATES IN A PORTION WITH A HOLE, SAID BODY HAVING A SHORT PIN TO RECEIVE A LIMB ON ONE SIDE AND A LONG PIN TO RECEIVE THE NECK AND A LIMB AT THE OTHER SIDE.

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