SIDE-STEPPING DOLL

• US 3,660,931 A
• Filed: 09/22/1970
• Issued: 05/09/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Egon Gorsky, Robert Gardel
• Original Assignee: Egon Gorsky, Robert Gardel
• Inventors: Gardel, Robert, Gorsky, Egon
• Primary Examiner(s): Shay, F. Barry
• Application Number:
  US05/074,346
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 46/149,150,136,247,120
• US Class Current: 446/355
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 11/18 Figure toys which perform a realistic walking motion

Abstract

A doll having animated torso, leg, arm and head movement. The torso follows a side to side pivoting movement, with the center of the pivoting taking place at the bottom of the torso. The arms move in unison from side to side. The head oscillates back and forth along with the movement of the torso and arms. The legs propel the doll from side to side, first moving a predetermined number of steps to one side, then reversing the direction and moving the same number of steps to the other side.

Claims

1. An animated doll comprising a torso, a pair of arms, a head, a pair of legs vertically depending from said torso, with at least one of said legs being individually pivotally mounted in said torso, said one of said legs being adapted to pivot in a plane generally parallel to the plane of the legs, and drive means within said torso, said drive means having means associated therewith and connected to said torso for reciprocating said torso and other leg from side to side relative to said one leg, with the other of said legs being lifted when the torso is reciprocated to the side away from said other of said legs, and said pivotally mounted leg being moved relative to said torso and other leg in the direction of said other of said legs when the torso is reciprocated to the side away from said pivotally mounted leg.

2. The animated doll of claim 1 wherein both of said legs are individually pivotally mounted with respect to said torso, with said doll further including means for rigidly securing one of said legs while said other leg is pivotable with respect to said torso, with said rigidly secured leg being lifted when the center of gravity of said torso is placed over the pivotally mounted leg, and said pivotally mounted leg being moved in the direction of said rigidly secured leg when the center of gravity of said torso is over said rigidly secured leg.

3. The animated doll of claim 2 wherein each of said legs is mounted on a bracket that is pivotally mounted to said torso, each of said brackets having a bar projecting vertically upward therefrom, said means for rigidly securing a leg comprising cam means mounted in said torso, said cam means adapted to alternately contact the bar associated with each of said legs, said leg which is rigidly secured being held in its rigid condition by the contacting of said cam means with said bar.

4. The animated doll of claim 3 wherein said cam means is rotatably mounted within said torso, whereby the rotation of said cam means brings the cam means into alternate engagement with said bars.

5. The animated doll of claim 1 wherein the means for reciprocating said torso comprises a plate, said plate having a slot formed therein, said drive means having means associated therewith for reciprocating said plate from side to side, with the reciprocation of said plate acting to move said torso from side to side.

6. The animated doll of claim 5 wherein said means to reciprocate said plate comprises cam means mounted on said drive means and in said slot.

7. The animated doll of claim 6 wherein said cam means comprises a disc, said drive means including a drive shaft, said disc being eccentrically mounted on said drive shaft, whereby the rotation of said drive shaft will rotate said disc in said slot and reciprocate said plate.

8. The animated doll of claim 1, and further including means cooperating with said drive means to swing said arms from side to side.

9. The animated doll of claim 8 wherein said means to swing said arm from side to side comprise a pair of shoulder members, said shoulder members being pivotally mounted on a fixed bracket, said arms being dependent from said shoulder members, a second member being pivotally mounted to said shoulder members, and means for reciprocating said second member whereby said shoulder members will pivot around their mounting on said fixed bracket, thereby swinging said arms.

10. The animated doll of claim 9 wherein said means for reciprocating said second member comprises a plate, said plate being linked to said second member, said means for reciprocating said torso comprising means for pivotally reciprocating said plate in order to reciprocate said second member and said torso.

11. The animated doll of claim 10, and further including locking means, said locking means adapted to be releasably secured to said second member in order to prevent the swinging of said arms when said plate is pivotally reciprocated, with the reciprocation of said plate still causing the reciprocation of said torso.

12. The animated doll of claim 1, and further including means cooperating with said drive means to pivot said head from side to side.

13. The animated doll of claim 12 wherein said means for pivoting said head comprises a vertically extending plate, a shaft having a rod projecting therefrom, said rod being received within said head, means for raising and lowering said plate, with the raising and lowering of said plate causing the rotation of said shaft, said head being pivotally mounted, with the rotation of said shaft in a first direction causing said rod to pivot said head to the right, and with the rotation of said shaft in a second direction causing said rod to pivot said head to the left.

14. The animated doll of claim 13 wherein the means for raising and lowering said vertically extending plate comprises cam means rotatably mounted on said drive means, said cam means being received in an opening in said plate.

15. An animated doll comprising a torso, a pair of arms, a head, a pair of legs vertically depending from said torso, both of said legs being individually pivotally mounted in said torso, with said legs being adapted to pivot in a plane generally parallel to the plane of the legs, drive means within said torso, said drive means having means associated therewith for reciprocating said torso from side to side relative to one of the legs by shifting the center of gravity of said torso, means for rigidly securing said legs relative to said torso to prevent the pivotal movement thereof, said securing means acting alternately on said legs whereby one of said legs remains pivotally mounted while the other of said legs is rigidly secured, said rigidly secured leg being lifted when the center of gravity of said torso is over said pivotally mounted leg, and said pivotally mounted leg sliding toward said rigidly secured leg when the center of gravity of said torso is over said rigidly secured leg.

16. The animated doll of claim 15 wherein said securing means comprises rotatably mounted cam means with the rotation of said cam means alternately serving to rigidly secure said legs.

17. The animated doll of claim 15 wherein the means for reciprocating said torso comprises a pivotally mounted plate, said drive means including a shaft, cam means secured to said shaft, said cam means pivotally reciprocating said plate, with the movement of said plate serving to shift the weight of said torso from side to side, in order to shift the center of gravity from being over the pivotally mounted leg to being over the rigidly secured leg.