US2277762A - Animated doll - Google Patents

Description

J. v. `|R EN|Us ANIMATEnDoLL Filed Nov. 1e.' 1939 March 31, 1942.

Patented Mar. 31, 1942 armar ANIIWATEDl DOLL Joseph V. Irenius, Brooklyn, N. Y., assigner to Cecilia E. Bowers, Arlington, Va.

I8 Claims.

This invention relates to dolls and more particularly to animated dolls which simulate infants by kicking, waving their arms and crying when placed in a supine position and becoming instantly quiet and still upon being picked up.

It is a gener-a1 object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved doll of the type described.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide novel actuating mechanism for the arms and legs of a doll. l

Another object of the invention consists in improving the mounting and arrangement of the sounding or crying mechanism whereby it may be actuated either by changing the position of the doll or by a spring motor Within the same.

An important feature of the doll of the present invention comprises the mounting of a clockwork motor' within the hollow body of thel same, providing parallel shafts extending from this motor, which serve solely to journal the arms and the' legs separately to the doll, and inl pro'- viding 'simplified mechanism for independently actuating the arms' and legs -from the motor.

Another important feature consists in the provision of a rocker frame pivoted on an axis di'sposed. longitudinally ofthe doll to cooperate with forked levers on. the arms and legs, which levers face each other on each side of the doll so that the arm and leg on each side are operated in opposition and the arms and legs respectively move alternately.

Another important feature of the present invention consists the arrangement of a removable body portion, preferably :a stomach and chest section upon the underside of which is mounted a weight-actuated sounding device, the' construction being such that the weight may move from one position: to another under the action of gravity when the doll is moved to thus produce crying sounds, and which may also be operated by the clockwork mechanism which is provided to move' the arms and legs of the doll.

Other and further features and objects of the' invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of the accompanying drawing and following specification,A wherein is disclosed a single exemplary embodiment, with the' understanding that such modifications may be made therein as fall within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section through the body portion of a doll constructed according to the present invention, showing all of the operating mechanism in elevation;

Figure 2 is a fore and aft vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the rocker frame showing its cooperation with the bifurcated levers for moving the arms and legs;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section on line 4 4 of Figure 1, illustrating the mounting of the legs on the motor frame; and

Figure 5 is a central section on line 5--5 of Figure 4.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide a doll simulating an infant which is capable of moving its arms and legs and emitting crying sounds when placed in one position and of remaining still and quiet when placed in -another position. In accordance with the present invention, improved mechanism for carrying out certain of the movements and for producing the sound is provided which is much simpler, cheaper, sturdier, and lighter in weight.

In general, the invention comprises a doll of customary form, simulating an infant, and having movable arms and legs. The hollow body houses a suitable motor, preferably clockwork, and improved mechanism, including a rocker frame, is provided for causing the arms to wave alternately and the legs to kick alternately, the arm and leg on each side moving in opposition. Combined with this mechanism is a simple lever for multiplying the throw of a cam on a shaft of the motor which engages with a weight actuated sounding device to cause the same to sound intermittently :at a much slower rate than the arm movement.

This invention constitutes improvements intended to simplify the construction and reduce the cost of the doll shown in the copending application of Mrs. Cecilia E. Bowers for Animated toy, Serial No. 168,284, led October 9, 1937. That application discloses a doll, the body of which contains a spring motorV adapted to oscillate` the arms and legs and actuate a crying w mechanism, the motor being under the control of a stop or brake means which prevents the operation of the motor except when the doll is placed in a supine position. The present invention includes improvements and reiinements in the mechanism for producing the results of that application.

In the drawing there is shown at il) the hollow body portion of a doll, the whole of which is preferably constructed to simulate a very young infant by appropriate contour, coloring, dressing and the like. The body is formed of any suitable material capable of being molded to the hollow shape shown which includes the neck portion I I, the openings I2 for the arms and the openings I3 for the legs. A suitable head, a portion of which is shown at I4 fits over the tapered neck portion and is secured to the body by a spring or elastic in the conventional manner.

The hollow body, which is intended to house a suitable motor M, is provided with a removable section I5 normally closing a large opening I6 preferably in the front wall of the body. This section may be removably secured in position by any suitable means. As shown, the upper end of the section is provided with a tongue I1 which fits beneath the wall of the body above the opening. The edges of the opening are sulficiently tapered so that the section I5 will not fall inside and it only remains to provide a suitable fastening near the bottom to secure it in position.

The removable section I5 carries on its under surface a sounding or crying device I8 of well known form, including a bellows attached to the section I5 and closed at its outer end by a weighted member I9 in which the sounding reed is mounted. A bail 2U secured to the weighted portion by engaging a peripheral groove therein extends up and has its ends pivoted in ears 2I on the under surface of the removable body section. This bail guides the weight in its movement so that the bellows can be of very soft exible material. With this construction if the doll is placed on its back the weight moves toward the back of the doll extending the bellows.v

Any movement of the doll beyond the vertical then permits the weight to return to its forward position as shown, collapsing the bellows, forcing the air out through the reed and sounding the same. This type of construction is used in crying dolls.

A motor M for operating the various portions of the doll is arranged to be mounted within and spaced from the walls of the hollow body. It is built up about a pair of spaced parallel side plates or frame members 22 and 23 which are rigidly connected by the spacers 24 and 25 appropriately secured to the side plates.

The overall length of the motor is considerably greater than the vertical height of the opening I6 which does not extend upwardly much further than about mid-height of the arm openings. In order to install the motor the upper end is inserted through the opening I6, extended up into the neck portion and then the lower end swung into position. To secure the motor in position there is extended across the neck section the transverse rod 21 molded into the material of the doll and adapted to cooperate with the notches 28 in the upper ends of the side plates 22 and 23 as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2. The lower end of the motor is adapted to be attached to the body in the following manner. A suitable pressed metal post 39 of channel section is molded into the rear wall of the body and extends forwardly to be received beneath the spacer 25 and closely between the side Plates to which it is attached by bolts, screws or other suitable fastenings. The motor is thus supported from the neck and the rear of the body in a rigid position and centrally of the hollow portion thereof.

Coaxial with the arm openings I2 is a rod or shaft 3| mounted in the motor frame and having lateral extensions which are received with a working t in tubular bushings 32 in the portions 33 of the arms 34 which extend through the arm openings I2. These bushings or tubes 32 have radial end flanges 35 spaced inwardly from the ends of the arm portions 33 a sufficient distance to accommodate the ends 31 of the U-shaped locking wire which bear on the inner faces of the ilanges. Such a wire is passed through openings in the side plates of the motor frame and its ends serve to prevent the arms from being withdrawn. The wire may be pivoted about its central portion 38, in the side plates, to release the arms and may be clamped in arm holding position by means of a lug 39 secured to the side plate 22 by means of a bolt 40.

The construction for mounting the legs is quite similar to that described for the arms and is shown in detail in Figures 4 and 5. It comprises a shaft 42 mounted in the side plates of the motor at the lower end thereof and forming journals for the sleeves 43 mounted in the inner extensions 44 of the legs 45. These sleeves 43 have radial end flanges 4I formed integral therewith and spaced from the inner ends of the leg sections as shown in Figure 4. They cooperate to hold the legs in position with flanges 46 on plate 41 slidably mounted by means of screw and slot 48 to an inclined portion 49 of the spacer 25. When the screw is loosened the plate 41 can be lifted and the legs released for withdrawal.

A slight modification of the leg and arm mounting construction just described might include the rigid fixing of the mounting shaft in one arm or leg and the journalling of the other thereon. In this case the shaft would oscillate in the bearings in the motor side plates.

The motor shown is the clock work type and includes the spring 50 having its inner end attached to the main shaft 5I journalled in the side frames of the motor. The outer end of the spring is secured in a cage 52 attached tc a sleeve, not shown, surrounding a portion of the shaft 5I and passing through the motor frame plate 22. This sleeve is securely attached to large gear 53 outside of plate 22 and meshes with a smaller or Winding gear 54 attached to shaft 55, the end of which extends out through an opening in the side of the doll and is formed into a key 56 for winding the spring. The outer radial surface of the cage is punched into ratchet teeth which are engaged by a spring pawl 51 to prevent unwinding of the spring. The construction just described insures the key remaining stationary when the motor is running.

The main shaft 5I mounts the large gear 58 considerably inside of the motor frame plate 23. This gear meshes with a pinion on shaft 59 which has fixed thereto a gear 6I] meshing with pinion 6I on shaft 62. This shaft carries the gear B3 driving the pinion B4 on shaft 65 which also carries gear 66 meshing with a pinion, not shown, on shaft 61 mounting the brake drum 68 and carrying a centrifugal governor housed within the cup 69.

The mechanism just described is a more or less conventional clock work and includes a governor for maintaining the speed as nearly uniser/,762 3 tact with the drum when the doll is in a. vertical position. as shown in Figure 2., but which weight drops back when the doll -is placed` supine, releases the brake from the brake drum andA permits the operation of the clock mechanism. This control insures that the doll will perform only when lying on its back. and will stop immediately upon being lifted to a vertical position as by being heldr in a childs arms, thereby simulating the actions of aspoiled infant who cries and kicks when lying down and ceases immediately upon being picked up and held.

The arms and legs of the doll are arranged to be moved by the motor in a manner simulating the waving and kicking of the arms and legs of an infant when in a supine position. Motion about their shafts is imparted to the armsv and legs from a rocker frame l5 conveniently formed of bent wire to the shape best shown in Figures 1 and 3 and including upper and lower cross members 'I6 and TI, respectively, having central pivots 'I8v and 79 which are journalled in suitable holes in the spacers 2li and 25 for the main side plates f the motor. In order that the cross members 'IS and 1l' carrying these pivots may not interfere with the frame, the side plates are notched as at 89 and 8|.

The upper portion of the rocker frame is narrow, to pass between the inner ends ofthe arm members, but widens out below them by means of off-set portions 82. On one side member 93 of the frame is securedA a curved wire 84 forming with the frame wire a yoke slot for coop-l eration with the eccentric pin 85 on the disc 86 mounted on shaft 59 driven directly from the main gear on the spring shaft and thus having a relatively slow speed. It will be seen that, when the motor is in operation, the rotation of the eccentric pin 85 will cause it to alternately engage the upper and lower elements 93 and SQ of the scotch yoke and rock the frame about its pivots '18', 19.

Each arm and leg is equipped with means to cooperate with the rocker frame to transmit the motion thereof to these limbs. As shown, each arm has its at inner end recessed to receive a lever 99, suitably attached thereto, extending radial to its mounting shaft 3i and being notched or bifurcated as at 9| to take over the off-set 82 on the rocker frame. Likewise each leg has its inner face notched to receive the portion 92- of a lever 93 fitted with off-set 913 so that its bifurcated end 95' engages near the outer end of the cross member Tl at the lower end of the rocker frame. By thus engaging the rocker frame with the legs at greater lateral distances from their pivots than the distances from the points of engagement of said rocker frame with the arm levers to their pivots, less motion is imparted to the legs than to the arms.

It will be noticed that the arm levers point downwardly and the leg levers upwardly to cooperate with the rocker frame and thus when the frame rocks so that one of the side members thereof moves toward the rear of the doll the corresponding arm moves downwardly or rearwardly while the corresponding leg kicks forwardly. The legs move in opposition to each other as do the arms.

In order that the crying mechanism may be h actuated from the motor, but not necessarily in synchronism with the motions of the arms and legs, the main shaft of the motor is provided with a multi-lobed cam 91 located between the frame member 23 and the main gear 58. Preferably this cam has three sharply defined lobes as seen inv Figure 2 which cooperate with and impart considerable movement to the cam follower lever 98' which is conveniently pivoted at its upper enden the cross portion 38" ofv the wire which locks the` arms in position. This lever 98' is appropriately shaped as shownin Figure 2 to miss the various portions of the mechanism and to have its lower end 99 engage beneath the weight I9 so as to fully collapse the bellows attached thereto when' any cam lobe lifts it to its maximum extent.

Since there are preferably' 4three cam lobes the cam itself may bel substantially triangular and thus permit the follower to drop sufli'ciently far between lobes to allow the weight to extend the bellows to its maximum4 when the doll is lying on its back. The cam by being positioned relatively close to the pivot point of its follower causes considerable multiplication of its throw so that the lower end 99 of the follower moves through such a: long path that a prolonged cry issues from the mechanism at relatively widely spaced intervals for the cam being mounted on the spring shaft moves more slowly than any other part of the mechanism.

Whenever the motor runs down and its main shaft stops so that a cam lobe does not hold the follower elevated to its maximum position, the doll can be manually caused to cry by periodically' inverting it and permitting the weight to actuate the crying mechanism.l

The parts of the whole operating mechanism illustrated areA all comparatively simple in construction and light in weight so that the doll cank be made cheaply and not have too much weight for small children to handle. Because of the relative simplicity of the various parts, the construction cost is low and the resultant product sturdy to withstand the severe handling it may receive from exuberant children.

Having thus described the invention, what is. claimed as new and desired to be secured` by Letters Patent is:

l. In a doll of thev type described, in combination, a body, a head7 arm'sand legs, a spring motor fitted in said" body, a frame for said motor, means iournalling the arms and legs each for independent movement, a lever on each limb and. extending within said body, a single rocker pivoted to said motor frame,.means to oscillate said single rocker from said motor, and means to drive each lever from said rocker. v

2. In a doll of the type described, in combination, a body, a head, arms and legs, a spring motor fitted in said body, a frame for said motor, means journalling the arms and legs each for independent movement about an axis transverse to said body, a lever on each limb and extending within said body, a rocker pivoted to said motor frame about an axis extending longitudinally of said body, means to oscillate said rocker from said motor, and means to move each lever from said rocker.

3. In a doll of the type described, in combination, a body, a head, arms' and legs, a spring motor fitted in said body, a frame for said motor, means journalling the arms and legs each for independent movement about an axis transverse to said body, a lever on each limb and extending within said body, a rocker pivoted to said motor frame about an axis extending longitudinally of said body, means to oscillate said rocker from said motor, and means to move each lever from said rocker, the arm levers being directed oppositely to the leg levers, whereby the leg and arm on each side of the doll move in opposition.

4. In a doll of the type described, in combination, a body, a head, arms and legs, a spring motor fitted in said body, a frame for said motor, means journalling the arms and legs each for independent movement, a lever on each limb and extending within said body, a single rocker pivoted to said motor frame, means to oscillate said rocker from said motor, means to move each lever from said single rocker, a sounding element mounted on said body, a cam rotated by said motor, and means interposed between said cam and element to multiply the movement of the cam and apply the same to said element whereby the sounding element is actuated only during movement of the limbs.

5. In a doll of the type described, in combination, a hollow body, a head, separate arms and legs, a spring motor fitted in said body, a frame for said motor, means pivoting the arms and legs to said frame for independent movement each about a substantially transverse axis, a single rocker pivoted on said frame, means driven by said motor to oscillate said rocker, and a lever on each leg and arm engaging with said single rocker to actuate the legs and arms therefrom.

6. In a doll of the type described, in combination, a hollow body, a head, separate arms and legs, a spring motor fitted in said body, a frame for said motor, means pivoting the arms and legs to said frame for independent movement each about a substantially transverse aXis, a single rocker pivoted on said frame, a crank pin on said motor, a slotted yoke on said rocker engaging said pin to operate the rocker, and means to drive the arms and legs from different portions of said single rocker.

'7. In a doll of the type described, in combination, a hollow body, a clockwork housed therein, a cam rotatable by said clockwork, said body having a removable portion, a crying mechanism carried by said removable portion, said mechanism being positioned for operation from said cam when the portion is in position on said body.

8. In a doll having a motor therein, a stop for said motor, doll-position actuated means to release said stop, a crying mechanism in said doll, a weight to cock said mechanism for operation, said mechanism being so positioned in said doll that the weight cocks the same when the doll is positioned to release said stop, and means on said motor to periodically lift the weight to actuate said mechanism.

9. In a doll having a motor therein, a stop for said motor, doll-position actuated means to release said stop, a crying mechanism in said doll, a weight to cock said mechanism for operation, said mechanism being so positioned in said doll that the weight cocks the same when the doll is positioned to release said stop, and means on said motor to periodically lift the weight to actuate said mechanism, said weight being capable of alone actuating said mechanism whenever the position of the doll is changed sufficiently to permit gravity movement of the weight.

10. In a doll of the type described, in combination, a hollow body, separate arms and legs, a spring motor mounted in said body, a frame for said motor comprising parallel side plates extending longitudinally and fore and aft in said body, one of said arms having a shaft projecting therein and extending through bearings in said plates, a bushing sleeve in said other arm journalled on said shaft, means to prevent withdrawal of said arms from said body, and means driven by said motor to oscillate said arms about the axis of said shaft.

1l. In a doll of the type described, in combination, a hollow body, separate arms and legs, a spring motor mounted in said body, a frame for said motor comprising parallel side plates extending longitudinally and fore and aft in said body, one of said arms having a shaft Xed therein and extending through bearings in said plates, a bushing sleeve in said other arm journalled on said shaft, means to prevent withdrawal of said arms, a forked lever extending from each arm substantially parallel to said plates, a rocker engaged by said levers, and means to oscillate said rocker from said motor.

12. In a doll of the type described, in combination, a hollow body, separate arms and legs, a spring motor mounted in said body, a frame for said motor comprising parallel side plates extending longitudinally and fore and aft in said body, a pair of shafts mounted in said plates and extending outwardly therefrom, a bushing sleeve mounted in each arm and leg, said sleeves being journalled on the respective shaft extensions, means on said motor to prevent withdrawal of said arms and legs, and means to actuate said arms and legs about the axes of their shafts from said motor.

13. In a doll of the type described, in combination, a hollow body, a crying mechanism therein of the type actuated by a weight upon change of doll position, clockwork mechanism in said body, means on said clockwork to repeatedly raise said weight against the action of gravity when the doll is placed in a supine position, and means to stop said mechanism when the doll is in an upright position.

14. In a doll of the type described, in combination, a body, a motor fitted within said body and having a plurality of parallel shafts extending transversely of said body, arms independently journalled on one of said shafts, legs independently journalled on another of said shafts, and a single rocker oscillated by said motor to actuate all of said arms and legs independently.

15. In a doll of the type described, in combination, a hollow body having a removable section, a motor fixed in and to said body and removable through the opening formed on removal of said section, a crying mechanism mounted on the underside of said section, and means driven by said motor to cooperate with said mechanism to actuate the same.

16. In a doll of the type described, in combination, a hollow body having a removable section, a motor in said body removable through the opening formed on removal of Said section, a crying mechanism mounted on the underside of said section and having a weight for actuating the same upon movement thereof, and means driven by said motor to intermittently lift the weight and release it to return by gravity.

17. In a doll of the type described, in combination, a hollow body. a spring motor in said body, a crying mechanism mounted within said body and having a weight for actuating the same upon movement thereof, a cam on a shaft of said motor, a lever fulcrumed at one end and engaged by said cam intermediate its ends, the free end of said lever being positioned to lift said weight and release the same to return by gravity when the doll is positioned with the weight above said lever.

18. In a doll of the type described, in combination, a hollow body having openings therein for articulated arms and legs, said body having a large opening extending from between the arm openings nearly to the leg openings, a motor for actuating the arms and legs and having a length 5 greater than that of said large opening, a transverse rod in said body above said large opening,

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