ACTION STAGE FOR DANCING DOLL

• US 3,643,374 A
• Filed: 12/08/1970
• Issued: 02/22/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donald H. Stephens, Ferenc Fekete, Gregory M. Gunther, Ronald R. Liedtke
• Original Assignee: Donald H. Stephens, Ferenc Fekete, Gregory M. Gunther, Ronald R. Liedtke
• Inventors: Gunther, Gregory M., Fekete, Ferenc, Liedtke, Ronald R., Stephens, Donald H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Louis G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lever, Jr., J. Q.
• Application Number:
  US05/096,032
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 46/139,138,137,136,119,121,140,144,161,245,247
• US Class Current: 446/358
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 13/12 Gymnastic or acrobatic toy figures

Abstract

A stage for use with a doll that can flex at the waist, to make the doll perform an entertaining dance, including a pair of foot holders for engaging the feet of the doll. One of the foot holders is stationary while the other is vertically oscillated by an electric motor to cause the doll to sway at the waist. A child can operate a manual speed control to increase the oscillation speed past the natural frequency of oscillation of the doll at the waist, to make the doll'"'"''"'"'s swinging change from a large moderately slow movement to a rapid small movement.

Claims

1. A toy comprising:

a first leg-receiving member constructed to releaseably receive and hold a first leg of a doll;

a second leg-receiving member constructed to releaseably receive and hold a second leg of said doll;

means for oscillating said first leg-receiving member; and

a doll having upper and lower body portions that are resiliently joined to permit the doll to resiliently and freely vibrate at a natural period of oscillation at the waist, said doll having legs releasably positioned in said leg-receiving members.

2. The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein:

said means for oscillating is constructed to perform oscillations at a rate higher than the natural period of oscillation of said doll at its waist.

3. The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein:

said first leg-receiving member includes a substantially vertically extending elongated portion with a substantially C-shaped cross-sectional part for encompassing the lower portion of a said leg, and a platform portion for supporting the bottom surface of the doll leg.

4. A toy comprising:

a housing;

first and second foot-holding members for holding the feet of a doll;

means for raising and lowering said first foot-holding member with respect to said second foot-holding member, whereby to Cause an upper doll body to pivot from side to side; and

a doll with a resilient waist portion permitting free vibration of the doll body at said waist portion, at approximately a predetermined natural frequency of oscillation of the upper body portion with respect to the lower body portion; and

said means for raising and lowering said first foot-holding member is constructed to raise and lower it at a maximum rate which exceeds said predetermined natural frequency of oscillation.

5. The apparatus described in claim 4 wherein:

said means for raising and lowering said first foot-holding member has a manually adjustable portion for varying its speed.

6. The apparatus described in claim 4 wherein:

said doll has poseable arms for holding objects, whereby to enable a change of frequency of oscillation by mounting objects thereon.

7. The apparatus described in claim 4:

wherein said doll has a resilient waist portion constructed to allow pivoting of its upper body portion back and forth as well as from side to side, and having a leg which can be bent and posed at the knee, whereby to enable a change of manner of dancing.