US3053008A - Hugging doll - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 11, 1962 M. PELUNIS HUGGING DOLL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001;. 9, 1961 Sept. 11, 1962 L. M. PELUNIS 3,053,008

HUGGING DOLL Filed Oct. 9, 1961 2 Sheec.sSheet 2 FIG. 3

I NVENTOR. (627% PAZ 0/146 United States Patent Office 3,053,088 Patented Sept. 11, 1962 3,053,608 HUGGWG DQLL Lee M. Pelunis, 154 Bay Blvd, Atlantic Beach, N.Y. Filed Oct. 9, 1961, Ser. No. 143,653 6 Claims. (Cl. 46-119) This invention relates to the class of dolls and more particularly to a doll provided with articulated limbs and having means for causing movement of the arms upon squeezing of the body of the doll.

Dolls, as well as many other toys, have increased play value when they are provided with means for causing movement of parts thereof. In the case of dolls, there have been produced various devices for articulating the limbs to the body and for causing movement of the head, legs, or arms. However, in the past in order to achieve movement of the legs or arms, various complicated linkages and/or complex mechanisms were required. It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a relatively simple device which can be installed in the body of a doll which can be used for causing movement of the arms of the doll in a realistic manner.

When a live human baby is picked up from a cradle, the instinct of the baby is to hug the person picking the baby up. The arms of the baby will move from a normal rest position to a position where they are extended in front of the baby to hug the person picking up the baby. When the baby is lifted, pressure is applied on the babys body especially in the chest and back area. When a child is playing with a doll, it will normally pick up the doll much in the same manner as a baby is picked up. The present invention contemplates the incorporation within the body of a doll of a mechanism whereby when the doll is picked up by the child grasping the chest and back of the doll, the body will be somewhat depressed or distorted and such action will cause the mechanism to move the arms of the doll forwardly simulating the hugging action of a live baby.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for causing motion of the arms of a doll to simulate a hugging action of a live baby, which mechanism is extremely simple in construction, having a minimum number of moving parts, and which can be conveniently installed in practically any size doll.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of a mechanism for moving the arms of a doll to simulate a hugging action which may be molded for the most part out of any readily available synthetic plastic material, which includes a leaf spring for positioning within the arms of the doll so that the arms of the doll may be moved separately and distinctly from the hugging action and independently from each other should the child playing with the doll so desire, and which mechanism is extremely light in weight, thereby not adding any appreciable amount of weight to the doll.

An illustrative embodiment of the doll comprising the present invention has a hollow deformable body provided with a pair of hollow arms movable secured thereto. An actuating mechanism is provided for moving the arms to simulate a hugging action and includes a front and rear member in the body with the front member being pivotally connected to the rear member. A leaf spring is pivotally connected to the rear member at spaced locations. The spring is provided with ends which extend into the arms of the doll and has a bowed portion between the pivotal locations which is adapted to be engaged by the front member so that upon compressing the hollow deformable body of the doll, the front member is pivoted towards the rear member pressing the bowed center portion towards the rear member so as to pivot the ends of the spring and hence pivot the arms towards each other in a hugging action.

Still further objects and features of this invention reside in the provision of a doll having arms movable to simulate a hugging action which is simple in construction and employs a mechanism which is inexpensive to produce thereby permitting wide use and incorporation in various existing types of dolls, and which is very strong and durable.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this hugging doll, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a doll constructed in accordance with the concepts of the present invention having the actuating mechanism mounted therewithin, the actuating mechanism being shown in phantom lines, the hugging position of the arms of the doll also being shown in phantom lines;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view in an enlarged scale of the actuating mechanism;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional View through the doll taken along the plane of line 33 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the doll taken along the plane of line 44 in FIG. 3.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, an illustrative embodiment of the doll in accordance with the present invention is designated by reference numeral 10. This doll 10 has a hollow body 12 which is depressible and deformable. The body 12 has a chest section 14 integrally formed with a back section 16 and when the chest section is pressed towards the back section, an actuating mechanism 18 is operated. The doll 10 has a pair of arms 20 and 22 articulated thereto and arranged for pivotal motion. The arms are also hollow and jointed at 24 to the body 12. The doll may be provided with a head and legs which may be conventionally articulated to the doll body 12.

The actuating mechanism, which is seen best in FIG. 2, includes a back member 26 which is arcuately contoured so that it may be conveniently disposed in the body 12 of the doll 10 with the back member 26 conforming generally to the contours of the back 16. The back member 26 is preferably integrally molded and includes a pair of forwardly extending lugs 28 and 30 attached to the bottom of the back member 26. Extending between the lugs 28 and St is a shaft 32 on which the front member 34 is rotatably mounted. The front member 34 has a portion 36 of reduced dimensions which extends between the lugs 28 and 30 and rotatably engages the shaft 32. The front member 34 has a convex outer surface 38 and a concave inner surface 40 and is provided with .a fiange 42 at the uppermost part thereof. The front member 34 is adapted to pivot from a position where the flange 42 is widely spaced from the rear member 26 to a position wherein the flange 42 immediately underlies the plate 44 which is integrally formed with the rear member 26. The rear member has the cross sectional shape generally of FIG. 3, being provided with arcuate wing portions 46 and 48 spaced from the upper plate 44. The Wing portions 46 and 48 extend beyond the main portion of the rear member 26 and together with the rear member 26, and the plate 44 from a channel 51 for receiving a leaf spring 52. A pair of pivot pins 54 and 56 are preferably integrally formed with and extend between the plate 44 and the wing portions 46 and 48. Of course, the pins 54 and 56 may be constructed as to separate from the rear member 26 and secured in place by any suitable means.

The leaf spring 52 has two arcuate end portions 55 and 57 which are snugly received in the arms 20 and 22. Centrally disposed of the end portions 55, 57 is a bowed portion 60 which engages the concave inner surface 40 of the front member 34 beneath the flange 42 normally holding the front member 34 away from the rear member 26. The leaf spring 52 further is pivoted about each of the pivot pins 54 and 56. Hence, when the bowed portion 60 is depressed by pushing the front member 34- towards the rear member 26 the end portions 55 and 57 of the spring 52 are pivoted forwardly from the position as shown in the dotted lines in FIG. 3 to the position as shown in the phantom lines in FIG. 3. This causes the arms 20 and 22 to pivot forwardly simulating the hugging action of a live baby.

The wings 46 and 48 and the plate 44- are so arranged that even when the end portions 55 and 57 are pivoted forwardly as shown in the phantom lines of FIG. 3, the bight portions 70 and 72 of the spring 52 will be guarded by the Wing portion 46 and 48 and the plate 44 so that the spring does not contact the inner surface of the body 12 at any time assuring a longer life for the doll and assuring that there will be a normal hugging action for the arms independent of where the body is grasped just so long as the front member 34 is pressed towards the rear member 26 depressing the bowed portion 60 of the spring 52.

A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention herein.

What I claim is:

1. An actuating mechanism for the arms of a doll comprising a rear member, said rear member having spaced lugs at the lowermost end thereof, a front member pivotally connected to said spaced lugs, said rear member having a pair of spaced wing portions, spring means pivoted to said wing portions, said spring means having diverging arcuate ends extending beyond said wing portions and a bowed center portion extending forwardly of said rear member, said front member being engageahle with said bowed center portion so that upon pivoting said front member toward said rear member said bowed center portion is pressed toward said rear member pivoting said ends of said spring means towards each other.

2. In a doll having a hollow body and provided with hollow arms articulated to said body for movement relative thereto, an actuation mechanism for moving said arms simulating a hugging action upon squeezing of said body, said actuation mechanism comprising a pair of members disposed in said body and pivoted to each other, a leaf spring pivoted to one of said members at two spaced locations remote from where said members are pivoted to each other, said spring having spaced ends outwardly of said locations and a bowed central portion between said locations, said ends being disposed in and engaging said arms, the other of said members engaging said bowed portion so that upon movement of said members towards each other when said body is squeezed, said arms will be moved to simulate a hugging action, said one member having wing portions forming guards for said spring to prevent said spring from engaging the bodv of the doll.

3. In a doll having a flexible hollow body and provided with movable hollow arms articulated to said body for movement relative thereto, an actuation mechanism for moving said arms towards each other to simulate a hugging action upon squeezing of said body, said actuation mechanism comprising a rear member and a front memher disposed in said body and shaped to conform to the front and rear parts of said body, said rear member having a pair of divergent wings, movable arm actuating members pivotally mounted at the ends of said wings, said arm actuating members extending into said hollow arms, a spring-loaded member connected at its ends to said arm actuating member and normally maintaining said from member and said rear member in spaced apart relation and said arm actuating members extending outwardly from said wings, said front member being pivoted at its lower end to the lower end of said rear member, the upper portion of said front member engaging the central portion of said spring loaded member, said front member being movable toward said rear member to move the central portion of said spring-loaded member towards said rear member moving said ends of said spring-loaded member rearwardly and outwardly of the pivotal mounts of said arm actuating members so that said arm actuating members are pivoted inwardly to cause said hollow arms to simulate a hugging action.

4. In a doll having a flexible hollow body and pro vided with movable hollow arms articulated to said body for movement relative thereto, an actuation mechanism for moving said arms toward each other to simulate a hugging action upon squeezing of said body, said actuation mechanism comprising a rear member and a front member disposed in said body and shaped to conform to the front and rear parts of said body, said rear member having a pair of divergent wings, movable arm actuating members pivotally mounted at the ends of said wings, said arm actuating members extending into said hollow arms, a spring-loaded member connected to said arm actuating members and normally maintaining said front member and said rear member in spaced apart relation and said arm actuating members extending outwardly from said wings, said front member being pivoted at its lower end to the lower end of said rear member, the upper portion of said front member engaging said springloaded member, said front member being movable toward said rear member to pivot said arm actuating members inwardly causing said hollow arms to simulate a hugging action.

5. An actuating mechanism comprising a rear member, said rear member having a pair of spaced wing portions, 21 front member pivotally connected to said rear member, spring pressed means piv ted to Said wing portions, said spring pressed means having diverging ends extending beyond said wing portions and a forwardly extending center portion, said front member being engageable with said center portion so that upon pivoting said front member toward said rear member said center portion is pressed toward said rear member pivoting said ends of said spring means towards each other.

6. In a doll having a hollow body and provided with hollow arms articulated to said body for movement relative thereto, an actuation mechanism for moving said arms simulating a hugging action upon squeezing of said body, said actuation mechanism comprising a pair of members disposed in said body and mo-vably connected to each other, spring pressed means pivoted to one of said members at two spaced locations remote from where said members are connected to each other, said spring pressed means having spaced ends outwardly of said locations and a central portion between said locations, said ends being disposed in and engaging said arms, the other of said members engaging said central portion so that upon movement of said members towards each other when said body is squeezed said arms will be moved to simulate a hugging action.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,332,732 Lizzi Mar. 2, 1920 1,691,443 Lloyd Nov. 13, 1928 2,614,365 Musselwhiteet al. Oct. 21, 1952

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