US3576087A - Walking doll including device for attaching a limb to a limb mounting member - Google Patents

Abstract

Means for attaching a limb of a toy figure such as a doll to a limb-mounting member connected to the torso, designed for installation in the limb in a preset condition ready for association with the mounting member and adjustment to a locking condition, the attached limb being movable between a plurality of positions in each of which it is releasably retained.

Description

United States- Patent [72] Inventors Robert Gardel 11 Riverside Drive, New York, N.Y. 10023; Egon Gorsky, 165 E. 46th St., Brooklyn,

N.Y. 11203 [21] Appl. No. 772,570 [22] Filed Nov. 1, 1968 Division of Ser. No. 626,601, Mar. 28, 1967, Pat. No. 3,421,258. [45] Patented Apr. 27, 1971 [54] WALKING DOLL INCLUDING DEVICE FOR A'I'IACHING A LIMB TO A LIMB MOUNTING MEMBER 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs. [52] US. Cl 46/161, 46/150 [5 1] Int. Cl A63h 3/20 [50] FieldofSear-ch 46/173, 161, 149, 150

[ 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,799,970 7/1957 Baggott 46/173X 3,098,318 7/1963 Gardel 46/173 FOREIGN PATENTS 640,104 12/1936 Germany 46/173 Primary Examiner-F. Barry Shay Attorney-Seymour A. Scholnick ABSTRACT: Means for attaching a limb of a toy figure such as a doll to a limb-mounting member connected to the torso, designed for installation in the limb in a preset condition ready for association with the mounting member and adjustment to a locking condition, the attached limb being movable between a plurality of positions in each of which it is releasably retained.

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sum 2 or 2 BNVENTORS Roben Gardgf Eg n G-orcky M MA Viv-6C2 ATTORNEYS WALKING DOLL INCLUDING DEVICE FOR A'I'IACIIING A LIMB TO A LIMB MOUNTING MEMBER This application is a division of application Ser. No. 626,601, filed Mar. 28, 1967, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,421,258.

The attachment means is shown in connection with the walking doll mechanism of the cited application, a practical embodiment of the invention being shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

P10. 1 represents a vertical fore-and-aft section of a doll body containing the mechanism;

FIG. 2 represents an exploded view of the mechanism alone, with the addition of the upper part of one leg;

FIG. 3 represents a detail vertical section through the upper part of a leg and the attaching means therefor;

FIG. 4 represents an elevation of the parts shown in H0. 3;

H0. 5 represents a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the connection between the leg and the leg-mounting means.

Referring to the drawings, the doll in which the mechanism is illustratively installed includes a torso T, a head H and legs L. The neck portion N of the head is intended to be mounted in or attached to the neck opening 0 of the torso in any suitable or customary manner, constituting no part of the inventron.

The mechanism for imparting a walking motion to the figure is fully described and claimed in application Ser. No. 626,601 and is designated here generally by the numeral 10. 1t is fixed within the torso T by means of a bracket 12 which is connected through a plate 14 and motor bracket 16 to a downwardly extending leg bracket 18, in the form of an inverted channel having depending parallel flanges 20 each of which is perforated near its front end to receive a transverse axle 22, and each flange being provided, near its rear end, with a short vertical slot 24 adapted to receive a rocker bar 26, said bar being arranged to pass loosely through a hole 28 in an intermediate flange 30 located midway between the flanges 20.

Each leg-mounting means includes a boxlike element 32 comprising outer and inner parallel strips 34, 36, respectively, provided near the front with properly aligned holes 38, 40 to journal the element 32 on an end of the axle 22, and provided near the rear end with a hole 42 in the outer strip 34 and a vertical slot M in the inner strip 36 to receive an end of the rocker bar 26. Each strip 34 also has, near its center, a tapered slot 46, a pair of oppositely disposed indentations 48 in its inner surface and three small lugs 50 on its outer surface. The bar 26 fits loosely enough in the hole 42 to permit rocking movement within the limits determined by the height of slots 24 and/or 44.

The attachment of each leg to its mounting means is shown in detail in F108. 3, 4, and 5. The upper end of the leg is turned inward and provided with an opening, lying in a vertical plane and bounded by an annular flange 52. A dished washer 54 is inserted in the opening with its periphery resting against the inner surface of the flange, and a strong spring 56 exerts its expansion force between the washer 54 and the enlarged head 58 on the inner end of the locking piece 60. A cap 62, provided with a somewhat diamond-shaped central slot 64 and three indentations 66, fits over the leg opening with its periphery overlying the outside of the flange 52, and the enlarged outer end of the locking piece 60, having shoulders 68 on its stem, is passed through the slot 64 and turned so that the shoulders will catch on the sides of the slot (FIG. 4). With the leg in this condition, the end of the piece 60 is passed through the slot 46 in the mounting means, is turned 90 to bring the barbs 70 into register with the indentations 48 and is then when the leg is forcibly turned to sitting position or the like.

The invention is described with particular reference to dolls but the mechanism can readily be installed, with or without special adaptation, in other figures, such as those of animals, which are otherwise capable of taking steps.

We claim:

1. ln combination with a figure toy having a torso, a limbmounting member connected to the torso and a limb, said limb-mounting member having a tapered slot provided therein, said limb having an opening bounded by an annular flange providing an inner surface inside said limb and an outer surface outside said limb, means for attaching said limb to said limb mounting member, comprising:

a dished washer mounted inside said limb, said dished washer being provided with an aperture and having a peripheral portion resting against said inner surface of said annular flange, said dished washer having a convex surface facing inwardly toward the inside of said limb and away from said opening;

a cap fitted over said limb opening and having a peripheral portion overlying said outer surface of said annular flange, said cap being provided with a substantially diamond-shaped central slot;

a substantially flat locking piece having a first enlarged head mounted inside said limb and an elongated stern extending through the aperture in said dished washer and the slot in said cap, said stem having a pair of shoulders adapted to engage said cap outside said limb in a first position of said stem and to pass through said diamondshaped slot in a second position of said stem, said locking piece including a second enlarged head adjacent said shoulders, said second head having at least one barb extending inwardly toward said cap, said barb lying in the same plane as said shoulders and terminating just short of said cap when said shoulders are in engagement therewith, said second enlarged head being adapted to pass through said tapered slot in said limb-mounting member when said second enlarged head is in a first orientation and to bring said barb into alignment with said limb-mounting member at the edge of said tapered slot when said second head is rotated to a second orientation, said limb-mounting member being provided with at least one indentation on said inner surface at said edge of said tapered slot; and

a spring encompassing said locking piece inside said leg and including a first end bearing against said first enlarged head and a second end bearing against said convex surface of said dished washer for exerting an expansion force between said dished washer and said first enlarged head to bring the free end of said barb into engagement with said indentation on said limb-mounting member at said edge of said tapered slot.

2. A combination as stated in claim 1 including detents on said cap and said limb-mounting member for retaining said limb in a predetermined position.

3. A combination as stated in claim 1 including a second barb on said second enlarged head and a second indentation on said mounting member engageable by said second barb for locking said locking piece against unwanted rotation.

Claims (3)

1. In combination with a figure toy having a torso, a limbmounting member connected to the torso and a limb, said limbmounting member having a tapered slot provided therein, said limb having an opening bounded by an annular flange providing an inner surface inside said limb and an outer surface outside said limb, means for attaching said limb to said limb mounting member, comprising: a dished washer mounted inside said limb, said dished washer being provided with an aperture and having a peripheral portion resting against said inner surface of said annular flange, said dished washer having a convex surface facing inwardly toward the inside of said limb and away from said opening; a cap fitted over said limb opening and having a peripheral portion overlying said outer surface of said annular flange, said cap being provided with a substantially diamond-shaped central slot; a substantially flat locking piece having a first enlarged head mounted inside said limb and an elongated stem extending through the aperture in said dished washer and the slot in said cap, said stem having a pair of shoulders adapted to engage said cap outside said limb in a first position of said stem and to pass through said diamond-shaped slot in a second position of said stem, said locking piece including a second enlarged head adjacent said shoulders, said second head having at least one barb extending inwardly toward said cap, said barb lying in the same plane as said shoulders and terminating just short of said cap when said shoulders are in engagement therewith, said second enlarged head being adapted to pass through said tapered slot in said limb-mounting member when said second enlarged head is in a first orientation and to bring said barb into alignment with said limb-mounting member at the edge of said tapered slot when said second head is rotated 90* to a second orientation, said limb-mounting member being provided with at least one indentation on said inner surface at said edge of said tapered slot; and a spring encompassing said locking piece inside said leg and including a first end bearing against said first enlarged head and a second end bearing against said convex surface of said dished washer for exerting an expansion force between said dished washer and said first enlarged head to bring the free end of said barb into engagement with said indentation on said limb-mounting member at said edge of said tapered slot.

2. A combination as stated in claim 1 including detents on said cap and said limb-mounting member for reTaining said limb in a predetermined position.

3. A combination as stated in claim 1 including a second barb on said second enlarged head and a second indentation on said mounting member engageable by said second barb for locking said locking piece against unwanted rotation.

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