US3911614A - Animated doll - Google Patents

Abstract

An animated toy in the form of a baby doll which has a body portion, and an arm portion and head portion both pivotally mounted to the body portion. The head is pivotable from a forwardly facing position to a position facing the side of the doll to which the pivotal arm is connected. The arm is pivotable from a lower position to a raised thumb sucking position alongside of the doll, with a thumb in registry with a mouth formed on the doll''s head. Both the arm and the head are connected to a pendulous member pivotally mounted on the inside of the doll''s body portion to simultaneously move the arm and head to the thumb sucking position relative to the body portion in response to moving the body portion from an erect position to a prone position which causes pivotal movement of the pendulous member relative to the body portion.

Description

United States Patent [191 Terzian 1 ANIMATED DOLL [75] Inventor: Rouben T. Terzian, Chicago, 111.

[73] Assignee: Marvin Glass & Associates,

Chicago, Ill.

[22] Filed: Jan. 29, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 327,326

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,586,444 5/1926 Griewank 46/119 Primary ExaminerHugh R. Chamblee Assistant Examiner-J. Q. Lever Attorney, Agent, or FirmCoffee & Sweeney ABSTRACT An animated toy in the form of a baby doll which has a body portion, and an arm portion and head portion both pivotally mounted to the body portion. The head is pivotable from a forwardly facing position to a position facing the side of the doll to which the pivotal arm is connected. The arm is pivotable from a lower position to a raised thumb sucking position alongside of the doll, with a thumb in registry with a mouth formed on the dolls head. Both the arm and the head are connected to a pendulous member pivotally mounted on the inside of the dolls body portion to simultaneously move the arm and head to the thumb sucking position relative to the body portion in response to moving the body portion from an erect position to a prone position which causes pivotal movement of the pendulous member relative to the body portion.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 2,565,603 8/1951 Fraysur 46/120 UX 2,727,334 12/1955 Ostrander 46/120 3,419,994 1/1969 Glass et 211.. 46/119 X 3,426,476 2/1969 Ayala 46/119 X US. Patent Oct. 14, 1975 ANIMATED DOLL BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an animated toy, such as a baby doll or the like, which has relatively movable parts. 1

Most animated dolls have body or torso portions with legs, arms and/or head portions pivoted to the body for movement inres'ponse to various types of actuatable devices. In most instances, the appendages of the dolls are provided with relative movement by means of mechanized apparatus mounted on or inside of the doll, particularly within the dolls body portion. Not only are such mechanized devices relatively expensive to manufacture and assemble, but they oftentimes are unreliable, short-lived and difficult to repair. This invention is directed to providing a new and improved animated toy having relative movable body parts, which movement is effected by weight means under the influence of gravity, in the form of a pendulous member mounted within the dolls body portion and operatively connected to the movable appendages of the doll for moving the same in response to movement of the pendulous member. I

The principal object, therefore, of the present invention is to provide a new and improved animated toy, such as a doll or the like, of the character described.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the doll has a body. or torso portion on which is mounted a head portion and to which is pivotally mounted at least one arm portion. The head portion is pivotable between a forwardly facing position and a position facing to the side of the doll on which the pivotal arm portion is mounted. The arm portion, likewise, is pivotable between a lower position alongside of thedolls body portionto a raised p'osition alongside of the dolls head portion,- with a thumb of the doll in registry with a mouth of the doll formed on the dolls head portion, in a thumb sucking "position. A weighted pendulous member is pivotally mounted within the dollsbody portion and is operatively connected by means which includes gear members to the pivotal head and arm portions to move the same to theirthumb sucking positions simultaneously as the doll is moved from an erect position to a prone position, with the doll lying on its back. Movement of the doll from the erect position to the prone position causes pivotal movement of the pen dulous membe'r'relative to the dolls body portion and thereby causes rotation of the gear members which in terconnect the pendulous member to the dolls arm and head portions for rotating the same.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an animated toy embodying the concepts of the present invention, in the form of a baby doll, in an erect position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the baby doll of FIG. I in a prone position with the doll lying on its back;

FIG. 3 is a broken away vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken generally through the doll in a side to side direction;

f FIG. 4 is a partial vertical section taken generally along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section taken generally along the line 55 of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the animated toy of the present invention is shaped in the form of a baby doll, generally designated 10, having a body or torso portion, generally designated 12, a head portion, generally designated 14, two leg portions, each generally designated 16, and two arm portions, each generally designated 18.

As best seen in FIG. 3, each leg portion 16 has a pivot tween the legs and the body portion. The pivot stub 20 has an enlarged portion 24 forming outwardly extending flanges which seat on the inside of the dolls body portion to hold the legs in position.

The head portion 14 of the doll is formed generally by a hollow, generally rigid shell 26 which has simulated eyes 28 (FIG. I), a simulated nose 30, and a recessed mouth 32 (FIGS. 1 and 3). A pivot boss 34 (FIG. 3) is press fit or otherwise secured within a neck aperture 36 at the base of the head shell 26. The boss 34 has an aperture 38 extending vertically therethrough'for receiving and immovably holding a rotatable pivot shaft 40 which extends downwardly into the dolls body portion 12 and terminates in a cup-type gear member 42 having a circular downwardly facing series of gear teeth 44. The shaft 40 extends down wardly through a similar boss 46 which is press fit or otherwise secured within a neck aperture 48 at the top As best seen in FIGS 3 and 5, a stop limit pin 52 formed integrally with the boss 34 extends downwardly into an arcuate slot 54 formed in the top surface of the boss 46. As seen in FIG. 5, the'slot 54 extends approxi-' mately about the shaft 40 and limits the rotational or twisting movement of the dolls head from a foris in an erect position to a side facing position as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 when the doll is in a prone position, as described hereinafter.

The dolls right arm 18, as seen in FIG. 3, has an enlarged boss 56 fixed to the inside of the shoulder portion thereof. A rotatable shaft 58 is fixed to the boss 56 and extends through an aperture 60 on the inside of the dolls arm. The shaft 58 extends freely through an aperture 61 in a boss 62 fixed to the dolls body portion 12 in the area of the dolls right shoulder. The shaft 58 terminates in a pinion gear 64 fixed thereto for rotation therewith. As with the dolls head portion 26, the arm portion 18 is caused to rotate in response to rotation of the shaft 58 through the gear 64. In this instance, the size of the gear 64 is such that the dolls arm portion 18 is pivotable between a lower position alongside of the dolls body portion, as seen in FIG. 1 when the doll is in its erect position, and a raised position alongside of stub 20 extending through apertures 22 at the trunk of. the dolls body portion 18 to define a pivot joint ber of the dolls body portion 12. The shaft 40 extends wardly facing position as shown in FIG. 1 when the doll the dolls head portion 26 when the doll is in its prone position shown in FIG. 2.

By means described below, the dolls head portion 26 and arm portion 18 are moved simultaneously to the position shown in FIG. 3 where a thumb portion 66 on the right hand portion 68 of the doll is in registry with the mouth recess 32 in a thumb sucking position as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Relative movement of the dolls appendages (i.e., head portion 26 and right arm portion 18) relative to the dolls body portion 12 is effected by weight means under the influence of gravity, in the form of a pendulous member, generally designated 70 (FIGS. 3 and 4). More particularly, the pendulous member 70 is in the form of a lever pivoted intermediate its ends on a shaft 72 journalled in a brace or bracket portion 74 formed integral with and protruding downwardly from the shoulder boss 62 within the body portion 12 of the doll. The pendulous member has a weighted mass 76 on one end thereof (the lower end when the doll is in an erect position). A gear segment 78 having an arcuate gear rack 80 is formed on the opposite end of the pendulous member. The arcuate gear rack 80 is in mesh with the arm gear 64 which, in turn, is in mesh with the head cup gear 42. Thus, pivotal movement of the dolls head portion 26 and right arm portion 18, as described above, is effected by pivotal movement of the pendulous member 70 about its pivot axis defined by shaft 72 under the influence of gravity as the dolls body positions are shifted, particularly between the erect position shown in FIG. 1 and the prone position shown in FIG. 2.

Referring specifically to FIG. 4 (which is a section through the doll shown in FIG. 3 in its prone position), the pendulous member 70 and the relative gears are shown after having been moved to effect raising of the dolls right arm 18 and pivoting the dolls head 26 to the side facing position. More particularly, the weighted mass 76 of the pendulous member has been pivoted about shaft 72 in the direction of arrow A. Consequently, the arcuate gear rack 80 has been pivoted in the direction of arrow B which, in turn, rotates the arm gear 64 in the direction of arrow C to thereby pivot the arm shaft 58 and, thus, the right arm 18. Rotation of the arm gear 64 in the direction of arrow C, in turn, causes rotation of the gear 42 for the dolls head 26 in the direction of arrow D to effect pivoting of the dolls head from the forwardly facing position to the side facing position. When the doll is moved back to its erect position, the pendulous mass 76 will move under gravity opposite the direction of arrow A to cause rotation of the gear rack 80, arm gear 64, and head gear 42 opposite the directions described above to return the dolls head 26 back to the forwardly facing position and return the dolls right arm 18 back to its lower position alongside of the dolls body portion 12.

Of course, the dolls left arm or other appendages similarly can be operatively associated with the pendulous member as described above. FIGS. 1 and 2 show that the doll may be fitted with a gown 82, including a hood portion 84 and a necktie portion 86, or other appropriate garments for aesthetic purposes.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a weight 81 is disposed on the front of the pivot boss 34 for the dolls head 26. This weight facilitates pivoting the dolls head to the position of FIG. 3 by adding additional weight means which operates under the influence of gravity to pivot the dolls head.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom as some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. An animated doll, comprisingi a torso portion;

a head rotatably mounted on top of said torso portion and including a mouth area, said head being movable relative to the torso portion in a twisting fashion between a front facing position and a side facing position;

an arm mounted on the side of said torso portion generally in a shoulder area thereof, said arm having a hand at the end thereof and being movable about a generally side-to-side axis relative to the torso portion between a lowered position and a raised position wherein said hand is generally at said mouth area when said head is in its side facing position; and

drive means including a gravity influenced pivotally mounted pendulous member operatively associated with said head and said movable arm for simultaneously moving the head from its front facing position to its side facing position while at the same time moving said movable arm from its lowered position to its raised position in response to movement of said pendulous member whenever said doll is moved from a generally vertically disposed erect position to a generally horizontally disposed prone position.

2. The animated doll of claim 1 wherein said doll hand has an inwardly extending thumb disposed for registry with said mouth area when said head is in its side facing position and said arm is in its raised position.

3. The toy of claim 1 wherein said pendulous member has a gear portion movable therewith and in mesh with a gear member operatively associated with said head

Claims (3)

1. An animated doll, comprising: a torso portion; a head rotatably mounted on top of said torso portion and including a mouth area, said head being movable relaTive to the torso portion in a twisting fashion between a front facing position and a side facing position; an arm mounted on the side of said torso portion generally in a shoulder area thereof, said arm having a hand at the end thereof and being movable about a generally side-to-side axis relative to the torso portion between a lowered position and a raised position wherein said hand is generally at said mouth area when said head is in its side facing position; and drive means including a gravity influenced pivotally mounted pendulous member operatively associated with said head and said movable arm for simultaneously moving the head from its front facing position to its side facing position while at the same time moving said movable arm from its lowered position to its raised position in response to movement of said pendulous member whenever said doll is moved from a generally vertically disposed erect position to a generally horizontally disposed prone position.

2. The animated doll of claim 1 wherein said doll hand has an inwardly extending thumb disposed for registry with said mouth area when said head is in its side facing position and said arm is in its raised position.

3. The toy of claim 1 wherein said pendulous member has a gear portion movable therewith and in mesh with a gear member operatively associated with said head and said movable arm.

Images