US3729865A

US3729865A - Stuffed, jointed doll with mirror face

Info

Publication number: US3729865A
Application number: US00112753A
Authority: US
Inventors: G Naunheim
Original assignee: ME CO ST LOUIS
Current assignee: ME CO ST LOUIS
Priority date: 1971-02-04
Filing date: 1971-02-04
Publication date: 1973-05-01
Anticipated expiration: 1990-05-01

Abstract

A doll or doll-like container, particularly of the rag doll type, having a mirrored face and jointed appendages, the joints for the appendages being formed by gaps in the filler at location of the joints.

Description

United States Patent [191 Naunheim 1451 May 1, 1973 1 STUFFED, JOINTED DOLL WITH MIRROR FACE [75] Inventor: Geraldine R. Naunheim, St. Louis,

[73] Assignee: Mi aniiiany, St. Louis, Mo.

[22] Filed: Feb. 4, 1971 [21] App1.No.: 112,753

[52] US. Cl. ..46/1l6, 46/159, 46/164, 35/58 [51] Int. Cl. ..A63h 3/02, A63h 3/36 [58] Field of Search ..46/156, 164, 116,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,237,937 3/1966 Hoppe ..46/135 R X 1,667,60r- 4/1928 Romano ..46/135 R 2,665,040 1/1954 Reid ..35/58 X 2,170,971 8/1939 Lodewick et a1. ..35/58 X 1,754,558 4/1930 1vey ..46/159 1,379,013 5/1921 Goss ..46/159 936,344 10/1909 Myers.... ..35/58 D190,789 6/1961 Levis ..D86/10 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 22,825 1908 Great Britain ..46/156 Primary Examiner-F. Barry Shay Attorney-John .1. Henschke, Jr.

[ ABSTRACT A doll or doll-like container, particularly of the rag doll type, having a mirrored face and jointed appendages, the joints for the appendages being formed by gaps in the filler at location of the joints.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures Patented May 1, 1973 l/VVE/V 0/? GERALD/NE R; NA UIVHEIM STUFFED, JOINTEI) DOLL WITH MIRROR FACE This invention relates to dolls and particularly to rag dolls.

Dolls having a body formed of flexible or pliable sheet material such as cloth or the like and filled with a resilient material are generally known as rag dolls. Suitable body surface materials include cotton, muslin, nylon, silk, polyesters and other woven or non-woven fabrics as well as synthetic sheet materials including polyvinyl acetate or butyrate, cellulose acetate and the like. The body is most conveniently formed from two blanks of the body surface material having the general configuration of the doll. One blank is superposed above the other and the blanks joined together at their periphery to form a body cavity. The cavity thus formed is filled with sufficient resilient material to provide a doll having a firm yet pleasant feel or hand". Suitable body fillers include absorbent cotton, shredded, cloth, expanded resilient material and the like. Rag dolls of the conventional type are uniformly filled with stuffing material with no line of demarkation between the appendages and the torso nor along the length of the appendages. This substantially uniform distribution of filler renders the conventional rag doll somewhat rigid and completely unable to assume amusing life-like postures. Conventional dolls including rag dolls are completed by providing them with suitable facial indicia and any other desired external decorative markings.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel doll having advantages over the prior art.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and novel doll having a unique and very pleasing facial portion.

A further object of this invention is to provide a jointed rag doll of simple construction.

In accordancewith this invention these and other objects are accomplished, generally speaking, by providing a doll with a mirror face and a rag doll body having joints formed by substantial elimination of filler material at the junctures between the torso and the appendages and at selected points along the appendages, as at the knees, elbows, ankles and wrists.

Because of the mirror face, dolls of this invention have a very unusual and heretofore unrealized appeal to children. A child peering into the face of the present doll sees its own face reflected and is not confronted with a rigid, assembly-line physiognomy. This, together with the ability of the present dolls to assume life-like positions, immediately endears the doll to the child.

The term mirror is used herein in its usual sense -to designate a looking glass, speculum, or any glass or solid polished or smooth substance that forms images by the reflection of rays of light. The mirror can be formed of any suitable material such as metallized glass, metallized plastic, smooth surfaced metals including steel, stainless steel, chromium-placed metals, silver, gold and the like. The mirror forming the facial area is preferably circular but can assume any geometrical configuration. Although the mirror is preferably planar, it can also be concave, convex or otherwise modified to provide novel and amusing reflective effects. In addition, the mirror 'can be tinted with any desirable pigment or dye. Any conventional fastening means such as rivets, adhesives and the like can be employed to affix the mirror to the head of the doll.

or filler but are separated from one another by areas substantially devoid of filler. In other words, the joints are formed primarily of the front and rear body surfaces and render the doll amazingly flexible and maneuverable.

In a modification of the present invention, all or any portion of the body or torso of the doll can be empty and devoid of filler. The torso is then provided with a closeable opening, preferably pos'teriorly oriented, and forms a container for personal items such as pajamas, hair curlers, cosmetics, and-the like. When so modified, it is preferred to insert a reinforcing sheet or means within the body of the doll to supply sufficient rigidity to the structure. Portions of the appendages can be modified in like manner to provide storage compartments for elongate objects such as nail files, combs,

knitting needles and the like. When so modified, the' subject matter of the present invention serves a dual function: (1) as a doll and (2) as a purse, clutch bag or overnight case. The term doll is used herein to encompass any such modification.

The invention and the manner in which it accomplishes its objects will be more readily understood from the following description of a specific embodiment thereof when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a doll in accordance with the present invention, and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line "-11 OF FIG. 1.

As. shown in the drawing, the doll is provided with a body 1, head 2, upper arms 3, forearms'4, upper IegsS and lower legs 6. These portions of the doll are filled with a suitable filler or stuffing material such as absorbent cotton or the like which extends substantially throughout the doll and is interrupted only by paired rows of stitching 7 which form the borders of areas 8 substantially devoid of the filler material. This is particularly well shown in FIG. 2 in which the filler material is designated as 9 and the body covering as 10. With reference to FIG. 2'it will be noted that the rows of stitching 7 join the front and back sections of body covering 10 together and that the two thicknesses of the body covering are in contact or substantial contact throughout area 8. Each of the areas 8 shown in the drawing are formed in the same general mannenWhile two rows of stitching are shown in this preferred embodiment to delineate areas 8, it will be readily appreciated that equivalent results can be achieved by zig-zag or other stitching across the areas, adhesives, heat sealing or other suitable means of joining the front and rear body covering. Areas or sections 8, consisting primarily of two thicknesses of cloth or the like, impart flexibility and freedom of motion to the doll at the natural anotomical locations of the joints. The stitching or other means joining the front and rear portions of the body covering extends transversely and is preferably in a plane substantially parallel to the frontal plane of the doll. Novel effects can be realized, however, by having one or more of jointed areas 8 extending from the front to the rear portion of the doll in a plane forming an acute or right angle with the frontal plane of the doll.

Also, as shown in the drawing, the doll of the present invention is provided with a substantially planar mirror 11 substantially covering the normal facial area of the doll. In this embodiment, the mirror is circular in shape, formed of polished stainless steel and secured to the body covering of the facial area with an epoxy-type adhesive. As indicated hereinbefore, however, any suitable fastening means can be employed to secure the mirror to the doll. Also, the face can be formed of any suitable type of mirror, but is preferably non-breakable or shatterproof.

Although the invention is described with respect to specific modifications, the details thereof are not to be construed as limitations except to the extent indicated in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A doll representing a person and comprising a head provided with a mirror face, body, appendages, a flexible surface material, a filler material, and joints between the body and appendages and in the appendages, said filler material stuffing the head, body and appendages and absent at the joints.

2. A doll in accordance with claim 1 in which a portion thereof is devoid of filler material and is provided with reinforcing means and a closeable opening.

3. A rag doll representing a person and comprising a front cloth covering and a rear cloth covering conforming to the shape of the doll, a head portion provided with a mirror face, a body portion, upper arms, forearms, upper legs, lower legs and filler material, the front and rear cloth coverings being joined together at their peripheries, the filler material separating the front and rear cloth coverings within the head portion, body portion, upper arms, forearms, upper legs and lower legs, the front and rear cloth coverings being in substantially flat contact with one another at the junctures between: (1) the body portion and the upper arms, (2) the body portion and the upper legs, (3) the upper arms and the forearms, and (4) the upper legs and the lower legs.

4. A doll in accordance with claim 3 in which a portion thereof is devoid of filler material and is provided with reinforcing means and a closeable opening.