Abstract:
The toy action figure has a pair of arms mounted for movement in a wing-like manner and one leg mounted for rocking movement relative to the figure&#39;s other leg. An actuating mechanism contained within the hollow torso transmits the rocking leg movement to the arms so that the wind-like movement is achieved. The actuating mechanism includes an arcuate gear rack associated with each of the arms and said one leg, there being several idler gears so that two of the idler are engaged with the two arcuate racks for the arms and the remaining idler gear is engaged with the gear rack for the one leg. The idler gear for one of the arms is additionally engaged with the idler gear for the other arm and also with the idler gear for the one leg.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to toy figures having movable limbs, and pertains more particularly to an action figure in which the manual rocking of one leg in a direction toward the other leg produces a wing-like movement of both arms about generally horizontal axes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a toy action figure which can be readily manipulated by children of virtually all ages. In this regard, an aim of our invention is to enable the child to press one leg toward the other leg, and by way of an actuating mechanism contained in the torso of the figure, the arms are caused to move up and down, that is, toward and away from the torso, in a wing-like fashion. 
     Another object is to provide an action figure that will be quite rugged, being capable of withstanding rough handling. More specifically, an aim of the invention is to provide a series or train of gears within the torso that remain enmeshed with each other throughout the entire manipulation of the leg employed for actuating the mechanism, the gears also remaining engaged throughout the resulting arm movement. Also, it is within the scope of our invention to have the entire actuating mechanism, the leg which produces the arm movement, and the arms themselves all return to an initial or unactuated position after the child has released the pressure he or she has applied to the leg that causes the arms to move. 
     Yet another object of the invention is to provide an action figure that can be miniaturized. In this way, there can be a substantial savings of material costs, and yet the novelty provided by our action figure is preserved. Stated somewhat differently, the toy action figure can be fabricated so that it is quite small and occupies but little space when being used or stored. 
     Still further, the invention has for an object the providing of a figure that can assume the form of a well-known comic character, particularly as far as its limb movements are concerned, so that the action figure will continue to possess a high degree of interest for the child. 
     Briefly, our invention contemplates a toy action figure comprising a hollow torso to which is mounted a leg which is manually rocked toward the other leg. An actuating mechanism within the torso transmits and converts the rocking motion to both arms so that the arms are simultaneously moved from a position relatively close to the torso to a position spaced farther from the torso. Stated somewhat differently, the manual rocking of the particular leg selected for manipulation is converted, as far as its motion is concerned, to a wing-like arm movement, doing so through an actuating mechanism within the torso that includes a plurality or series of gears. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a toy action figure exemplifying our invention, the view depicting the figure in an unactuated condition; 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevational view but with the right leg pressed toward the left leg to produce a wing-like upward movement of the arms from the position shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged front elevational view corresponding to FIG. 1, portions of the legs and arms having been shown in section and the chest of the figure removed so as to expose to view the actuating mechanism contained within the hollow torso; 
     FIG. 4 is a view like FIG. 3 but with the leg and arms pictured in the positions into which they are actuated by the manual movement of the right leg; 
     FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken in the direction of line 5--5 of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a substantial portion of the actuating mechanism in the torso, the view being taken in the general direction of irregular line 6--6 of FIG. 3, and 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the actuating mechanism disassociated from the torso. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The toy action figure selected to illustrate our invention has been indicated generally by the reference numeral 10. The action FIG. 10 includes a head 12 and a hollow upper torso 14. 
     At this time attention is directed to right and left shoulder ball cups or sockets 16 and 18, these sockets 16, 18 being integral with the hollow torso 14, as can be readily appreciated from FIGS. 3 and 4. Each socket 16 and 18 is formed with a vertical slot 20. More will be said presently concerning the role played by the shoulder sockets 16, 18 and the vertical slots 20 formed therein. The action FIG. 10 is also provided with a lower torso 22 having sidewalls 24, 26 and a base or bottom panel 28. 
     The toy action FIG. 10 also has a right arm 30 and a left arm 32. The arms 30, 32 are each provided with an arm mounting unit 34 which includes a flange 36, a cylindrical sleeve 38 and a ball member 40, the member 40, more precisely being a portion or segment of a ball. Extending inwardly from each ball member 40 is a flat shank 42 that is movable in the slot 20 with which it is associated. 
     Referring now to an actuating mechanism for the arms 30, 32, the actuating mechanism having been denoted generally by the reference numeral 44, it is to be observed that mechanism 44 is comprised of a gear segment or arcuate rack 46 which is integral with the flat shank 42 for the right arm 30, and a similar gear segment or arcuate rack 48 integral with the flat shank 42 associated with the left arm 32. Although the principal function of the gear segments or arcuate racks 46 and 48 is to transmit motion to the arms 30 and 32, the gear segments or arcuate racks 46 and 48 additionally serve to retain the ball members 40 in a nested relation with their shoulder sockets 16 and 18. 
     The actuating mechanism 44 additionally includes a plurality of idler gears or pinions 50, 52 and 54, each being mounted on a shaft 56 suitably journaled for rotation in molded portions of the upper torso 14. From FIG. 7, it can be perceived that the gear 50 is relatively long and that the gears 52 and 54 are relatively short. As the description progresses, it will become apparent that the relatively short gear 54 is in mesh with one end portion of the relatively long gear 50, whereas the short gear 52 is in mesh with the opposite end portion of the relatively long gear 50. 
     Still further, the actuating mechanism 44 includes a transmission link 58 having a gear segment or arcuate rack 60 integral therewith. The transmission link 58 has a downwardly extending shank 62 formed with a rounded lower end 64 that rocks on the base or bottom panel 28. 
     The toy action FIG. 10 has a right leg 66 and a left leg 68. There is a mounting unit 70 for the right leg 66 that includes a sleeve 72, a circumferential groove 74 and a head 76. In the illustrated instance, the head 76 is press fitted into a socket 78 formed in the upper end portion of a leg insert 80 that extends downwardly in a leg cavity 82 within the right leg 66. It will be observed from FIGS. 3 and 4 that the sleeve 72 extends laterally outwardly through an aperture 84 formed in the right sidewall 24. The manner in which the leg 66 is attached to the leg mounting unit 70 is not critical; however, the attachment must be rigid enough so that a rocking movement of the right leg 66 will, in turn, rock the transmission link 58 about its lower rounded end 64, the lower rounded end 64 bearing against the upper surface of the base or bottom panel 28. 
     A mounting unit indicated generally by the reference numeral 86 has a flange 88, a sleeve 90, and a still larger sleeve 92, the larger sleeve 92 being integral with the upper end of a clip 94 that extends downwardly in a cavity 96 provided in the left leg 68. The mounting of the left leg 68 is somewhat less important than the way in which the right leg 66 is mounted. In both instances, though, it is highly desirable that the legs 66 and 68 be pivotal forwardly and rearwardly relative to the torso 14. As far as the right leg 66 is concerned, however, it is important that it be capable of being rocked so as to transmit such rocking action to the transmission link 58. 
     In order to return the actuating mechanism 44 to its unactuated condition, as illustrated in FIG. 3, there is a hairpin spring 100 having several intermediate turns or convolutions 102 and leg portions 104 and 106, the leg portion 104 having an offset end 108 and the leg portion 106 similarly having an offset end 110. The offset end 108 is received in a notch 112 formed in one edge of the transmission link 58, whereas the offset end 110 is received in a socket 114 formed in a portion of the hollow torso 14. 
     As far as the general operation of our toy action FIG. 10 is concerned, the child only needs to manipulate the right leg 66, pressing the right leg 66 closer to the left leg 68. The unactuated relation of the right leg 66 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, whereas the actuated relationship of the right leg 66 appears in FIGS. 2 and 4. 
     Describing the operation in more detail, it should be appreciated that the transmission link 58 is rocked about its lower end 64 when the right leg 66 is pressed toward the left leg 68. It is of importance to recognize that the rocking of the right leg 66 in a direction toward the left leg 68 is instrumental in causing the transmission link 58 to swing through an angle from the position in which it appears in FIG. 3 to that in which it appears in FIG. 4. Inasmuch as the gear segment or arcuate rack 60 is engaged or in mesh with the relatively short idler gear 54, it follows that the gear 54 is rotated so as to transmit rotary movement to the relatively long gear 50. Since the relatively long gear 50 is in mesh with the gear segment or arcuate rack 46 associated with the right arm 30, this gear segment 46 is caused to move from the position thereof shown in FIG. 3 to that shown in FIG. 4. At the same time, owing to the fact that the relatively long gear 50 is in mesh with the relatively short gear 52, the relatively short gear 52 is rotated. Being engaged with the gear segment or arcuate rack 48 associated with the left arm 32, the relatively short gear 52 moves the gear segment 48 from the position illustrated in FIG. 3 to that shown in FIG. 4. 
     Whereas the various rotational directions of the gears 46, 48, 50, 52, 54 and 60 constituting the gear train can be understood, it is believed, from FIGS. 3 and 4, nonetheless, resort to FIG. 7 should make the gear rotation even more readily understandable. The gear relationship depicted in FIG. 7, it will be recognized, corresponds to that shown in FIG. 3. It perhaps would also be helpful, as far as fully comprehending the relationship of the various gears is concerned, to look at FIGS. 5 and 6, as well. FIG. 5 should make it clear that the relatively long gear 50 is engaged with the relatively short gear 52, whereas FIG. 6 should make it clear that the relatively short gear 54 is engaged with the relatively long gear 50. FIG. 6 additionally shows that the relatively long gear 50 is engaged with the gear segment or arcuate rack 46 associated with the right arm 30. 
     What should be appreciated, however, is that the actuation of the gear segments or arcuate racks 46, 48, inasmuch as each is integrally carried at the inner end of the flat shank 42 and inasmuch as one flat shank 42 is integral with the ball member 40 for the right arm 30 and the other is integral with the ball member 40 for the left arm 32, causes the ball members 40 to be pivoted or swung about the laterally spaced horizontal axes provided by the ball and socket-like joints 16, 18. Since the arms 30, 32 are constrained for rotation about laterally spaced horizontal axes provided by the interfitting of the ball members 40 in the shoulder ball cups or sockets 16 and 18, it follows that the arms 30, 32 are raised from the lower positions in which they appear in FIGS. 1 and 3 to the more elevated positions in which they appear in FIGS. 2 and 4. This movement can be succinctly described as being a wing-like motion. It should be noted, though, that only one leg, this being the right leg 66, is manipulated to produce the simultaneous wing-like motion of both arms 30 and 32. 
     When the right leg 66 is released, that is, when the child no longer presses the right leg 66 in the direction of the left leg 68, the hairpin spring 100 acts in a direction to return the transmission link 58 back to the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 3. In other words, the pressing of the right leg 66 toward the left leg 68 causes the spring leg portions 104, 106 to flex and assume a lesser angle with respect to each other, as can be readily perceived from FIG. 4. This stores spring energy that is employed to return the transmission link 58 to the angular position illustrated in FIG. 3. Of course, since the gear segment or arcuate rack 60 is engaged with the relatively short idler gear 54, such angular movement causes a reverse rotation of the idler gear 54 with the consequence that the idler gears 50 and 52 are reversely rotated so as to return the arms 30 and 32 to their initial or unactuated positions appearing in FIG. 3.