US3273283A - Articulated head and limbs for dolls and toy animals - Google Patents

Articulated head and limbs for dolls and toy animals Download PDF

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US3273283A
US3273283A US332070A US33207063A US3273283A US 3273283 A US3273283 A US 3273283A US 332070 A US332070 A US 332070A US 33207063 A US33207063 A US 33207063A US 3273283 A US3273283 A US 3273283A
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cut out
mounting plate
leaf spring
out member
secured
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US332070A
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Wolf Tobin
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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
    • A63H3/00—Dolls
    • A63H3/36—Details; Accessories
    • A63H3/46—Connections for limbs
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T403/00—Joints and connections
    • Y10T403/45—Flexibly connected rigid members

Definitions

  • This invention relates to amusement devices and more particularly, to toys having articulated members, such as heads and/ or limbs or the like.
  • a patentably novel resilient joint for connecting heads and/or limbs and the like of dolls and toy animals which permits the head and limbs to vibrate freely upon movement of the toy to impart a lifelike action not common to toys having rigidly fixed members.
  • the above advantages are accomplished by securing a first body member to a first mounting plate and a second body member to a second mounting plate.
  • the two said mounting plates are both connected to a fiat, planarshaped leaf spring member, having a major and minor axis, capable of performing normal spring movement under tension in a plane normal to the plane of the spring, said spring also being capable of undergoing rotation about the major axis thereof by torsional movement or rotation of said spring.
  • a doll head for example, is capable of undergoing a bobbing or nodding motion and is also capable of turning by means of one and the same spring member.
  • FIGURE 1 is a view in section of a doll utilizing a joint in accordance with the present invention.
  • FIGURE 2 is a view in elevation of a portion of a joint as shown in FIGURE 1.
  • FIGURE 3 is a side view of a second embodiment of the joint in accordance with the present invention.
  • FIGURES l and 2 there is shown a portion of a doll having a body 1, the body portion having secured thereto a head member 2 and arms 3 and 4, wherein the head member may be turned about an axis through the neck and the arms may be turned about an axis through the shoulders.
  • the head member 2 and arms 3 and 4 are secured to the body portion by means of joints 15, 16 and 17, respectively.
  • the joints 15, 16 and 17 comprise mounting plates 8 and 9, respectively, which may be simple metal stampings, each said mounting plate including a notched open- 3,273,283 Patented Sept. 20, 1966 ing 18 or 19, said notches being indicated as 20 and 21.
  • the openings 18 and 19 are formed by providing cut out members 13 or 14, respectively, affixed to said mounting plates by means of a small portion thereof which remains integral with the portion of the mounting plate forming one side of the opening 18 or 19.
  • the cut out members 13 and 14 and the leaf spring 5 form aligned apertures 6 and 7 therein. at the regions thereof remote from the junction of the cut outs and the mounting plates.
  • the parts of the cut out members having a part thereof containing the apertures 6 and 7, are substantially normal to the plane of the mounting plates.
  • These notches include an additional apertured portion to accommodate movement of the leaf spring 5 in the direction of the minor axis thereof.
  • a twisting force applied to the head or arms acts over a relatively short length of the leaf spring (the distance between the mounting plates) to afford a relatively rigid wrench for the mounting plates 9.
  • holes 6 need not be used but, in place thereof, a spot welding technique or the like can be utilized to bond the leaf spring 5 to the cut outs 13 and 14.
  • the leaf spring extends through the aperture formed in the mounting plates 13 and 14, the mounting plates being positioned with respect to each other so that the cut out portions 13 and 14 are remote from each other, the mounting plates being substantially parallel to each other.
  • Mounting plate 8 of joint 15 is rigidly affixed to the head member 2, and mounting plates 9 of joints 16 and 17 are rigidly affixed to the arm 3 and the arm 4 by means of cement, rivets, bonds, spot welding, screws or the like or by molding the mounting plate into the arms or head if the arms or head are rotational molded.
  • the second mounting plate of each joint is held against the molded seat of the body portion 1 by a tension (to be described later) but is not rigidly fastened thereto.
  • the non-rigid fastening of the mounting plate to the body member provides the additional advantage of a free safety clutch protecting the leaf spring 5. In this manner, if the nonrigidly secured mounting plate is free to turn before a torque applied to the leaf spring becomes excessive, the leaf spring cannot be damaged by excessive twisting.
  • Band books 10 and 12 are positioned through the apertures 7 of the leaf spring 5 and the cut out members 13 which are positioned within the body member 1, the band hooks 12 being placed under a tension exerted in a direction inwardly of the body member 1 by a connecting band, rubber or spring 11.
  • the connecting band 11 passes through the band hook 10, thereby providing an inward tension to the head joint 15.
  • the resiliency of leaf spring 5 can be controlled by varying the stiffness thereof to provide different bobbing or nodding rates. The above can be accomplished by changes in thickness or other dimension or material of the leaf spring or by varying the spring length as, for example, by predetermined relative positioning of the mounting plates relative to the leaf spring.
  • FIGURE 3 there is shown a second embodiment of a joint in accordance with the present invention. It will be noted that this embodiment is substantially the same as the joint of FIGURES 1 and 2, except that the cut out members 13 and 14 of mounting plates 8 and 9 are positioned on opposite sides of the leaf spring 5.
  • a joint comprising a first generally planar mounting plate defining a cut out opening therein, a cut out member integral with said mounting plate a portion of said out out member being substantially normal to the plane of said mounting plate and a leaf spring secured to said portion of said out out member, said leaf spring extending through said cut out opening of said mounting plate, a second generally planar mounting plate defining a second cut out opening therein, a second cut out member integral with said second mounting plate, a portion of said second cut out member being substantially coplanar with said first mentioned cut out member portion, said leaf spring extending through said second cut out opening, said leaf spring being secured to said portion of said second cut out member.
  • a joint comprising a first generally planar mounting plate defining a out out opening therein, a cut out member integral with said mounting plate, a portion of said out out member being substantially normal to the plane of said mounting plate and a resilient leaf spring secured to said portion of said cut out member, an aperture defined by said resilient leaf spring and said out out member, said resilient leaf spring extending through said out out opening of said mounting plate, a second generally planar mounting plate defining a second cut out opening therein, a second cut out member integral with said second mounting plate, a portion of said second cut out member being substantially coplanar with said first mentioned cut out member portion, said resilient leaf spring extending through said second cut out opening, said resilient leaf spring being secured to said portion of said second cut out member.
  • a joint for a toy which includes a first generally planar mounting plate defining a cut out opening therein,
  • a toy including a body member defining an aperture, tensioning means secured within said body member and an articulation comprising a first generally planar mounting plate defining a cut out opening therein, a cut out member integral with said mounting plate, a portion of said out out member being substantially normal to the plane of said mounting plate and a leaf spring secured to said portion of said out out member, said leaf spring extending through said cut out opening of said mounting plate, said articulation further including a second generally planar mounting plate defining a second cut out opening therein, a second cut out member integral with said second mounting plate, a portion of said second cut out member being substantially coplanar with said first mentioned cut out member portion, said leaf spring extending through said second cut out opening, said leaf spring being secured to said portion of said second cut out member.

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Description

Sept. 20, 1966 ART I CULATED T. WOLF HEAD AND LIMBS FOR DOLLS AND TOY ANIMALS Filed Dec. 20, 1963 H9. 2 Fly. 3
19 E i E E INVENTOR Tab/n Wa/f BY W ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,273,283 ARTICULATED HEAD AND LIMBS FOR DOLLS AND TOY ANIMALS Tobin Wolf, 447 Essex Ave., Bloomfield, NJ. Filed Dec. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 332,070 7 Claims. (Cl. 46161) This invention relates to amusement devices and more particularly, to toys having articulated members, such as heads and/ or limbs or the like.
The prior art has proposed numerous toys of the aforementioned type; however, each such device has been deficient in some manner due to failure of such toys to accurately simulate actual lifelike movements of the corresponding live counterparts thereof. Prior art toys have also been highly fragile and therefore were unable to sustain the harsh treatment thereto of children for a sustained period of time.
In accordance with the present invention, the above mentioned deficiencies are substantially eliminated by the use of a patentably novel resilient joint for connecting heads and/or limbs and the like of dolls and toy animals which permits the head and limbs to vibrate freely upon movement of the toy to impart a lifelike action not common to toys having rigidly fixed members. The above advantages are accomplished by securing a first body member to a first mounting plate and a second body member to a second mounting plate. The two said mounting plates are both connected to a fiat, planarshaped leaf spring member, having a major and minor axis, capable of performing normal spring movement under tension in a plane normal to the plane of the spring, said spring also being capable of undergoing rotation about the major axis thereof by torsional movement or rotation of said spring. In this manner, a doll head, for example, is capable of undergoing a bobbing or nodding motion and is also capable of turning by means of one and the same spring member.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an articulated toy which simulates the lifelike movements of corresponding live counterparts.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an articulated toy having limbs and/or a head capable of free vibration in various combinations of positions.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide an articulated toy composed of low cost durable parts.
It is a yet further object of this invention to provide an articulated toy which can be easily assembled.
The above objects and yet further objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of two preferred specific embodiments, which are provided by way of example and not limitation, and from the accompanying drawing, wherein:
FIGURE 1 is a view in section of a doll utilizing a joint in accordance with the present invention.
FIGURE 2 is a view in elevation of a portion of a joint as shown in FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 3 is a side view of a second embodiment of the joint in accordance with the present invention.
Referring first to FIGURES l and 2, there is shown a portion of a doll having a body 1, the body portion having secured thereto a head member 2 and arms 3 and 4, wherein the head member may be turned about an axis through the neck and the arms may be turned about an axis through the shoulders. The head member 2 and arms 3 and 4 are secured to the body portion by means of joints 15, 16 and 17, respectively.
The joints 15, 16 and 17 comprise mounting plates 8 and 9, respectively, which may be simple metal stampings, each said mounting plate including a notched open- 3,273,283 Patented Sept. 20, 1966 ing 18 or 19, said notches being indicated as 20 and 21. The openings 18 and 19 are formed by providing cut out members 13 or 14, respectively, affixed to said mounting plates by means of a small portion thereof which remains integral with the portion of the mounting plate forming one side of the opening 18 or 19.
The cut out members 13 and 14 and the leaf spring 5 form aligned apertures 6 and 7 therein. at the regions thereof remote from the junction of the cut outs and the mounting plates.
The parts of the cut out members having a part thereof containing the apertures 6 and 7, are substantially normal to the plane of the mounting plates.
The notches of the mounting plates of points 15, 16 and 17, formed by the cut outs 13 and 14, loosely surround the edge of a leaf spring 5. These notches include an additional apertured portion to accommodate movement of the leaf spring 5 in the direction of the minor axis thereof. By means of these notches, a twisting force applied to the head or arms acts over a relatively short length of the leaf spring (the distance between the mounting plates) to afford a relatively rigid wrench for the mounting plates 9.
The leaf spring member 5, which includes a portion of apertures 6 and 7 aligned with the portion of apertures 6 and 7 of the cut outs 13 and 14, is secured to the said cut outs through said apertures 6 by means of rivets, or the like positioned therein. Alternatively, holes 6 need not be used but, in place thereof, a spot welding technique or the like can be utilized to bond the leaf spring 5 to the cut outs 13 and 14. The leaf spring extends through the aperture formed in the mounting plates 13 and 14, the mounting plates being positioned with respect to each other so that the cut out portions 13 and 14 are remote from each other, the mounting plates being substantially parallel to each other.
Mounting plate 8 of joint 15 is rigidly affixed to the head member 2, and mounting plates 9 of joints 16 and 17 are rigidly affixed to the arm 3 and the arm 4 by means of cement, rivets, bonds, spot welding, screws or the like or by molding the mounting plate into the arms or head if the arms or head are rotational molded. The second mounting plate of each joint is held against the molded seat of the body portion 1 by a tension (to be described later) but is not rigidly fastened thereto. The non-rigid fastening of the mounting plate to the body member provides the additional advantage of a free safety clutch protecting the leaf spring 5. In this manner, if the nonrigidly secured mounting plate is free to turn before a torque applied to the leaf spring becomes excessive, the leaf spring cannot be damaged by excessive twisting.
Band books 10 and 12 are positioned through the apertures 7 of the leaf spring 5 and the cut out members 13 which are positioned within the body member 1, the band hooks 12 being placed under a tension exerted in a direction inwardly of the body member 1 by a connecting band, rubber or spring 11. The connecting band 11 passes through the band hook 10, thereby providing an inward tension to the head joint 15.
The resiliency of leaf spring 5 can be controlled by varying the stiffness thereof to provide different bobbing or nodding rates. The above can be accomplished by changes in thickness or other dimension or material of the leaf spring or by varying the spring length as, for example, by predetermined relative positioning of the mounting plates relative to the leaf spring.
Referring now to FIGURE 3, there is shown a second embodiment of a joint in accordance with the present invention. It will be noted that this embodiment is substantially the same as the joint of FIGURES 1 and 2, except that the cut out members 13 and 14 of mounting plates 8 and 9 are positioned on opposite sides of the leaf spring 5.
Though the invention has been described with respect to two preferred embodiments, many other changes and variations will immediately become obvious to those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. It is therefore the intention that the claims be interpreted as broadly as possible in view of the prior art to include such changes and variations.
What is claimed is:
1. A joint comprising a first generally planar mounting plate defining a cut out opening therein, a cut out member integral with said mounting plate a portion of said out out member being substantially normal to the plane of said mounting plate and a leaf spring secured to said portion of said out out member, said leaf spring extending through said cut out opening of said mounting plate, a second generally planar mounting plate defining a second cut out opening therein, a second cut out member integral with said second mounting plate, a portion of said second cut out member being substantially coplanar with said first mentioned cut out member portion, said leaf spring extending through said second cut out opening, said leaf spring being secured to said portion of said second cut out member.
2. A joint as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cut out members extend in opposite directions from their respecive mounting plates.
3. A joint comprising a first generally planar mounting plate defining a out out opening therein, a cut out member integral with said mounting plate, a portion of said out out member being substantially normal to the plane of said mounting plate and a resilient leaf spring secured to said portion of said cut out member, an aperture defined by said resilient leaf spring and said out out member, said resilient leaf spring extending through said out out opening of said mounting plate, a second generally planar mounting plate defining a second cut out opening therein, a second cut out member integral with said second mounting plate, a portion of said second cut out member being substantially coplanar with said first mentioned cut out member portion, said resilient leaf spring extending through said second cut out opening, said resilient leaf spring being secured to said portion of said second cut out member.
4. A joint as set forth in claim 3, wherein said cut out members extend in opposite directions from their respective mounting plates.
5. A joint for a toy which includes a first generally planar mounting plate defining a cut out opening therein,
a cut out member integral with said mounting plate, a
portion of said out out member being substantially normal to the plane of said mounting plate and a leaf spring secured to said portion of said cut out member, said leaf spring extending through said cut out opening of said mounting plate, a generally planar second mounting plate defining a second cut out opening therein, a second cut out member integral With said second mounting plate, a portion of said second cut out member being substantially coplanar with said first mentioned cut out member portion, said leaf spring extending through said second cut out opening, said leaf spring being secured to said portion of said second cut out member, an aperture defined by said leaf spring and one of said cut out member portions, a toy body member and tension means positioned within said body applied at said aperture, for providing a frictional abutting contact between said body and the mounting plate associated with said one cut out member portion.
6. A toy including a body member defining an aperture, tensioning means secured within said body member and an articulation comprising a first generally planar mounting plate defining a cut out opening therein, a cut out member integral with said mounting plate, a portion of said out out member being substantially normal to the plane of said mounting plate and a leaf spring secured to said portion of said out out member, said leaf spring extending through said cut out opening of said mounting plate, said articulation further including a second generally planar mounting plate defining a second cut out opening therein, a second cut out member integral with said second mounting plate, a portion of said second cut out member being substantially coplanar with said first mentioned cut out member portion, said leaf spring extending through said second cut out opening, said leaf spring being secured to said portion of said second cut out member.
7. A toy as set forth in claim 6, wherein said out out members extend in opposite directions from their respective mounting plates.
References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 548,831 10/1895 Kerngood. 1,322,733 11/1919 Cone 46-17 1,597,600 8/1926 Kallus 46161 1,777,731 10/ 1930 Pavelka -11 1,939,677 12/1933 Epstein 46l73 2,824,409 2/1958 Brodrib 46-163 X RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.
F. B. SHAY, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

  1. 6. A TOY INCLUDING A BODY MEMBER DEFINING AN APERTURE, TENSIONING MEANS SECURED WITHIN SAID BODY MEMBER AND AN ARTICULATION COMPRISING A FIRST GENERALLY PLANAR MOUNTING PLATE DEFINING A CUT OUT OPENING THEREIN, A CUT OUT MEMBER INTEGRAL WITH SAID MOUNTING PLATE, A PORTION OF SAID CUT OUT MEMBER BEING SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE PLANE OF SAID MOUNTING PLATE AND A LEAF SECURED TO SAID PORTION OF SAID CUT OUT MEMBER, SAID LEAF SPRING EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CUT OUT OPENING OF SAID MOUNTING PLATE, SAID ARTICULATION FURTHER INCLUDING A SECOND GENERALLY PLANAR MOUNTING PLATE DEFINING A SECOND CUT OUT OPENING THEREIN, A SECOND CUT OUT MEMBER INTEGRAL WITH SAID SECOND MOUNTING PLATE, A PORTION OF SAID SECOND CUT OUT MEMBER BEING SUBSTANTIALLY COPLANAR WITH SAID FIRST MENTIONED CUT OUT MEMBER PORTION, SAID LEAF SPRING EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SECOND CUT OUT OPENING, SAID LEAF SPRING BEING SECURED TO SAID PORTION OF SAID SECOND CUT OUT MEMBER.
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Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4656768A (en) * 1982-02-08 1987-04-14 Thigpen James C Wind driven sign
US4832648A (en) * 1987-12-09 1989-05-23 Those Characters From Cleveland, Inc. Stuffed figure toy useable as a book cover
US5378190A (en) * 1993-05-17 1995-01-03 Young; Pamela L. Articulated soft sculpture and method of manufacture
WO2001008775A1 (en) 1999-08-03 2001-02-08 Mattel, Inc. Improved doll fabrication

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US548831A (en) * 1895-10-29 Stud for clasps
US1322733A (en) * 1919-11-25 Ralph boy cone
US1597600A (en) * 1925-12-31 1926-08-24 Joseph L Kallus Doll
US1777731A (en) * 1929-05-27 1930-10-07 Pavelka Anton Push-pin
US1939677A (en) * 1932-05-04 1933-12-19 Bernard E Fleischaker Limb joint for dolls and the like
US2824409A (en) * 1956-02-20 1958-02-25 William A Brodrib Leaping animal toy

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US548831A (en) * 1895-10-29 Stud for clasps
US1322733A (en) * 1919-11-25 Ralph boy cone
US1597600A (en) * 1925-12-31 1926-08-24 Joseph L Kallus Doll
US1777731A (en) * 1929-05-27 1930-10-07 Pavelka Anton Push-pin
US1939677A (en) * 1932-05-04 1933-12-19 Bernard E Fleischaker Limb joint for dolls and the like
US2824409A (en) * 1956-02-20 1958-02-25 William A Brodrib Leaping animal toy

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4656768A (en) * 1982-02-08 1987-04-14 Thigpen James C Wind driven sign
US4832648A (en) * 1987-12-09 1989-05-23 Those Characters From Cleveland, Inc. Stuffed figure toy useable as a book cover
US5378190A (en) * 1993-05-17 1995-01-03 Young; Pamela L. Articulated soft sculpture and method of manufacture
WO2001008775A1 (en) 1999-08-03 2001-02-08 Mattel, Inc. Improved doll fabrication

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