US2669064A - Animated doll - Google Patents

Description

H. P. STEWART Feb. 16, 1954 ANIMATED DOLL.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 30. 1948 INVENTOR. HENRY F? STEWART FIGS.

A T TORNEY- Feb. 16, 1954 j STEWART 2,669,064

ANIMATED DOLL Filed Dec. '50, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HE NRY P. STEWART M F/K A TTORNEY.

of a yoke arrangement which is connected by rods I4 and I5 to one end of a crosspiece I6 extending through cord 2 in fore and aft alignment with head I. When arm 5 is moved down into the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3, shaft I is turned and the elements connected to it operate to tilt the dolls head into the position shown in dotted lines. As soon as arm 5 is released, the head will be returned to normal; position because of the resiliency of rubber cord 2. As will be referred to below, another reason for using cord 2 and the yoke arrangement is that the head may also be turned or tilted sideways without having these different movements interfere with one another.

Head I may be turned from right to left and vice versa in the following manner: Left arm I! is connected to one end of a shaft I8 similar to shaft 1 connected to right arm 5. A flexible wire cable I9 is suitably fastened at one end to shaft I8 and is curved up through cutout 3' (Fig. l) to the top of block 3 where it is embedded axially of the rubber cord 2 (Fig. 3). When arm I! is pushed down in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. 4, cable I9 is twisted as shaft I8 turns and this twisting motion is im mediately transmitted to the cables other end which turns head I of the doll to the left. When arm I1 is raised the head will be turned in the opposite direction. Figs. 3 and 4 show that the elements controlling the nodding or forward tilting of the head will not be disturbed by the turning movement because crosspiece I3 is free to" pass through loop I2.

Head I and stuffing I are held in place by strings fastened to the yoke arrangement. Strings 26 and 21 are respectively fastened to opposite ends of crosspieces I6 and 36. These strings pass around the outside surface of the "stuffing. String 39 is fastened to opposite ends of crosspiece 35 and passed through stuffing I' and head I and tied in a knot 39' on top of the head. This knot may be conveniently concealed by hair or a hat (not shown) I have found that a certain type of cable similar to Bowden wire and comprising at least two servings of oppositely directed helically wound wire surrounding a core of straight wire strands, commonly used in radio receivers to connect apparatus such as tuning knobs or levers with movable elements, is particularly suited for cable I9. The outstanding characteristic of this cable is that when one end of the cable is turned a corresponding turning movement is immediately repeated at the other end and this is so even though one end of the cable may be deflected 90 more with respect to the other end.

Two knobs 23 and 2I (Figs. 2 and 3) project from the rear of body portion 4 of the doll. The knobs are respectively mounted on shafts 22, 23 extending through supporting block 3. Knob 20 controls the clapping motion of the arms and knob 21 the shaking or sideswaytiltof the head.

Shaft 22 of knob 20 is fastened by a screw 24 to a movable member 25 centrally-mounted on the front of supporting block 3. Rubber segments 28 and 29 respectively," connect opposite ends of member 25 to arms 5and I'l. As best seen in Fig. '7 one end ofsegm'ent 29 is fastened to the inside of arm IT at 30 and the other end to member 25. When knob 20 is turned back and forth as indicated by the arrows, Fig. 6, member 25 is swung from its normal horizontal position towards the vertical and in so doing segments 28 and 29 pull arms 5 and. I1 towards 4 one another as shown in dotted lines, Figs. 5 and 6. When the knob is turned in the opposite direction the segments push the arms away from one another. By turning knob 20 back and forth rapidly a clapping motion is made with the hands of the doll. By providing sutable joints at the wrists and elbows of the arms this motion may be given added realism. Because segments 28, 29 are elastic they are able to control the clapping movement without interfering with the up and down movement of the arms used to turn and tilt the head forward.

Knob 2| which controls the shaking or side tilt of head I is mounted along with crossbar 3| on shaft 23. Wires 32 and 33 are fastened to either end of bar 3! and pass up through supporting block 3'and are respectively connected to two rubber strips 34, 35 which are in turn connected to crosspiece 36 that passes through cord 2 at right angles to crosspiece I6. As best seen in Fig. 8, when knob 2| is turned back and forth in the direction indicated by the arrows, head I will be alternately tilted from one side to the other as shown in dotted lines. Rubber strips 34, 35 similar to segments 28, 29 provide resilient and flexible connections in the means for swaying the head from side to side so that the nodding and turning movements imparted to the head by the arms are not interfered with.

Shoulders3l. 38 (Fig. 2) may be suitably attached to block 3 and provide supporting means for the clothes and body stufling (not shown) as Well as keeping the latter out of the moving parts connected to the arms. This is particularly necessary when the unit is inserted in a soft exterior doll. The shoulders are not necessary when the unit is enclosed in a dollhaving a hard exterior.

Figs. 9-14 show an embodiment of my doll in which the movement of cord 2 is accomplished by pressure plates rather than crosspieces extending through the cord. The operation and movement of the arms and knobs is the same as above described and will not be repeated.

The shaking or side sway of head I (Figs. 9-11) is accomplished in the following manner: On either side of cord 2, approximately at the points where crosspiece 36 passed through in the previously described embodiment, pressure plates 40 and M which are shaped to conform to the contour of the cord are supported by legs 42', 43. These legs are secured to two cylinders 44 each rotatable about its shaft 45, which is secured to opposite sides of block 3 by a pin 46. Washers 41 hold shafts 45 away from the surface of the sup porting block and permit cylinders 44 to turn freely. Horizontal rods 48, 49 extend from the backs of pressure plates 40, 4| and the rods free ends are connected to rubber strips 34, 35 in the same manner as is crosspiece 36 (Fig. 8). Therefore, when knob 2I is operated pressure plates 40, 4| are pivoted about shafts 45 and press against cord 2 tilting it to the left or right, depending in which direction knob 2I is'turned. As seen from Fig. 11 when rubber strip 34 is pulled down plate M will push the upper portion of the cord to the left. When strip 35 is pulled down plate 40 tilts the cord to the right.

The nodding motion or forward tilt is imparted to the dolls head by means of a pressure plate 50 mounted in the back of cord 2 at the point where-crosspiece I6 passed through in the previously described embodiment. Plate 50 is pivotally supported, similar to plates 40, M, on legs 5|, 52 fastened to rotatable cylinders 54. A semi,-

circular ring '5 6 is a'lso fastened to cylinders 54 and a wire, 55!; withadoopiiltis; connected to the front. of the ring similar to, wire 9 shown. in. Fig. 3.. Link, a is connected to wire. 51 and arm. as shown. in Fig. 3; when arm 5 moved, down, plate 50' through the mechanism, just explained, presses'against the cord. andttilts it forward, and downwardly; as mdieatesby the. arrow and; dotted lines 132' I "Ihepressure lates just-described ma be. substifiuted inLtlie embodi'rnentjfirst,describedfon the crosspiece passing through the cord to control side tilting of the head, or for the crosspiece controlling forward tilting of the head, or may, as shown in Fig. 14, be substituted for both these crosspieces to control both movements of the head.

Although all the enumerated movements of the head and arms are carried out by separate means and these means are connected to one another, they are free to operate independently and do not interfere with one another because of the flexible connections, and the sliding mechanism for tilting the head as pointed out in the drawings and the related descriptions.

From the above, it will be apparent that my doll will be inexpensive and easy to manufacture because the parts are easily obtained, cheap and need no careful fitting when being assembled. The parts may comprise stampings which are soldered or riveted to one another.

While I have shown and described preferred embodiments of my invention it is to be understood that the foregoing will suggest other modifications to those skilled in the art and I intend to limit myself only by what is set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A doll comprising a body, a head movable into at least three different positions, flexible rubber supporting means for the head, two arms extending from the body, each of said arms connected respectively to one end of two rotatable shafts, a flexible cable connecting the other end of one of said shafts to the rubber supporting means whereby the head is turned when one of said arms is moved up and down, a rod connecting the free end of said other shaft and said supporting means whereby the head is tilted forward when said other arm is moved down, a mounting connected to said rubber supporting means, a first knob projecting from the body, a crossbar connected to said knob, rubber strips connected between the free ends of said crossbar and opposite sides of said supporting means whereby the head is swayed from side to side when the knob is turned back and forth, a second knob projecting from the body, a member pivotally mounted on said mounting means, and rubber segments connected between the free ends of said member and each of said arms whereby the arms are moved towards and away from one another when said knob is turned back and forth.

2. The device according to claim 1, and a pair of pivotally mounted plates adjacent two sides of said flexible rubber supporting means and connected to said rubber strips.

3. A doll comprising a body, a head including a face mounted in normal erect position on the body and movable into different positions, a supporting structure insertable within the dolls body, a flexible rubber cord projecting from said structure, said head mounted on one end of said cord, two arms extending from the body, a pivotal connection between each of said arms and said supportingstruetiire; first names-cs1 emsssreee omsspiece whereby when thearm is mes/ear down thehead is tilted forward; a shaft extending from tlie-"secondi arm; a; flexiblewir'e cable hav end. fastened to said sliaftand meet-hen the free end or t eeord wher'eby when. said moved up and down the dollshe'a from" one sideto the other; a second erosspi-eee passi rr tin-rough Sal-id corea. 1 g a. angles to the first crosspieee, two operating-i knobs mounted on said supporting structure; and ar tending through-the bedyorthe dtll, two strips of rubber respectively fastened to either end or said seeorid cros'spiece, connections from one of said knobs to said rubber strips whereby when the knob is turned back and forth the head is tilted from one side to the other, a movable member mounted on the side of said supporting structure opposite from that of the second knob and connected at its center to the knob, and two rubber segments respectively connecting the ends of said member to each of the arms whereby when the second knob is turned back and forth the arms are moved towards and away from one another. v

4. A doll comprising a body, a head mounted in normal position on the body and movable into diiferent positions, a supporting structure insert--v able within the dolls body, a flexible rubber cord projecting from said structure with the head mounted on one end thereof, two arms extending from the body and pivotally connected to said structure, a pressure plate mounted adjacent-the cord just below the back of said head, two legs fastened to pivoting means on said supporting structure and supporting said plate, a semi-circular rod fastened to said pivotin means, connecting means between a first arm and the front of said semi-circular rod whereby when the arm is moved down the head is tilted forward, connecting means between the second arm and said rubber cord, a flexible wire cable included in said last mentioned means, one end of said cable fastened to said second arm and the other end to the free end of the cord whereby when said arm is moved up and down the dolls head is turned from one side to the other, a pair of pressure plates mounted adjacent the cord on either side of the head, supporting legs fastened to pivoting means on said supporting structure and supporting said plates, 9. horizontal rod extending from back of each of said pressure plates, two operating knob-s mounted on said supporting structure and extending through the body of the doll, two strips of rubber respectively fastened to either free end of said horizontal rods, connections from one of said knobs to said rubber strips whereby when the knob is turned back and forth the head is tilted from one side to the other, a movable member mounted on the side of said supporting structure opposite from that of the second knob and connected at its center to the knob, and two rubber segments respectively connecting the ends of said member to each of the arms whereby when the second knob is turned back and forth the arms are moved towards and away from one another.

5. A doll comprising a body, a movable head, a supporting structure disposed within the said body, a resilient member mounting said head on said structure, two arms pivotally connected to the body, a pivotally mounted plate adjacent a d ca portion of said resilient member, legs extending from said plate and connected to pivoting means on said supporting structure, a rod fastened to said pivoting means, a wire and link connection between one of said arms and said rod whereby when said one arm is moved down the plate bears against the resilient member whereby the head is tilted forward, a knob projecting from the body, apair of pivotally mounted plates adjacent two sides of said resilient member, a rod extending from the back of each of said plates, and means including two rubber strips fastened to the free ends of said rods to connect said knob to said last mentioned plates whereby turning of the kilcilob will cause the head to sway from side t s e. i

H. P. STEWART.

. 8 References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Haveis May 9, 1899 Lizzi Mar. 2, 1920 Michel Nov. 23, 1926 Heideklang Jan. 13, 1931 Morley Aug. 18, 1931 Williams Aug. 16, 1932 Marsh Nov. 22, 1938 Rothschild June 30, 1942

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