Puppet having sliding face panels defining a mouth opening

A puppet which can be operated by single hand finger manipulation is derived from a single piece of flat sheet stock. The puppet, which presents the appearance of the face of a person or animal, or an object or symbol, is comprised of slidably interactive upper and lower face panels and a rearwardly disposed V-shaped hinge. An elongated slot in the lower face panel creates a mouth portion that can be opened and closed with manipulation of the face panels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention concerns puppets useful for entertainment, instructional and 
demonstration purposes, and more particularly relates to puppets operable 
by a single hand and easily mastered by children. 
There are many different kinds of puppets designed to produce entertaining 
movements based upon the manipulative efforts of the operator. U.S. Pat. 
No. 4,555,236 describes a puppet which may be deployed from a flattened 
storage state to a functional state enabling single hand operation. The 
advantage of the flattened storage state is that the puppet may be 
included within a book or multi-media kit whose subject content is related 
to the appearance of the puppet. 
However, the puppet of U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,236, even in its flattened 
state, is of an appreciable thickness caused by six layers of stiff paper 
or cardboard sheet stock. Also, a certain amount of cost is involved in 
the fabrication and assembly of three separate components that comprise 
the puppet. 
A desirable feature of a puppet for use by children, teachers and 
instructors is the ability to control facial expression, and the 
associated provision of a movable mouth adapted to mimic speech and 
capable of grasping objects. Such features have not heretofore been 
available in a puppet deployable from a flat precursor structure and 
easily operable by a single hand. 
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a puppet 
adapted for single hand manipulation. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a puppet as in the 
foregoing object having controllable facial expression and a movable 
mouth. 
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a puppet of 
the aforesaid nature which can be easily deployed from a flat precursor 
structure representing the storage state of the puppet. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a puppet of the 
aforesaid nature of simple, durable construction amenable to low cost 
manufacture. 
These objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will be 
apparent from the following description. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The above and other beneficial objects and advantages are accomplished in 
accordance with the present invention by a puppet comprised of a single 
piece of substantially rigid sheet stock cut and folded so as to have 
upper and lower flat face panels which in combination represent a familiar 
subject such as the face of a person or animal, or an object or symbol, 
each panel having upper, lower and side extremities, and front and rear 
surfaces. The panels have a common vertical axis, and are adapted to slide 
in abutment upon each other in substantially coplanar relationship. 
A V-shaped hinge is formed by upper and lower arm panels emergent from an 
apex fold line. The panels of the hinge extend to distal extremities which 
join by way of second and third fold lines with the upper and lower face 
panels, respectively. Finger engaging means are associated with the upper 
arm panel. 
An upwardly opening elongated slotted aperture is disposed within the lower 
face panel. The aperture has a straight lower extremity which constitutes 
the third fold line. 
The aforementioned features are configured such that the face panels can be 
manipulated to cause the upper face panel to slidably occlude portions of 
said slotted aperture, thereby presenting the illusion of a movable mouth. 
In preferred embodiments of the invention, the finger engaging means is 
disposed upon the upwardly directed surface of the upper arm panel, and is 
comprised of interlocking tabs emergent from the side extremities of the 
upper arm panel. The lower arm panel preferably permits same torsional 
movement, thereby permitting controlled tilting of the lower face panel 
for producing variations in facial expression and configuration of the 
mouth opening. The face panels have a contoured perimeter presenting the 
appearance of a recognizable familiar subject, and the front surfaces of 
the panels preferably carry indicia to augment such appearance. In 
preferred embodiments, the lower face panel is adapted to be disposed 
behind the upper face panel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIGS. 1-6, an embodiment of the puppet of the present 
invention is shown comprised of upper and lower flat face panels 10 and 
11, respectively, joined by V-shaped hinge 12. 
Said upper and lower face panels, in combination represent the face of a 
monkey, as shown most clearly in FIG. 3. Upper face panel 10 may be 
characterized as having upper and lower extremities 13 and 14, 
respectively, side extremities 15, and front and rear surfaces 16 and 17, 
respectively. Said extremities 13, 14 and 15 in combination define a 
boundary perimeter 18. Lower face panel 11 may be characterized as having 
upper and lower extremities 19 and 20, respectively, side extremities 21, 
and front and rear surfaces 22 and 23, respectively. Said extremities 19, 
20 and 21 in combination define a contoured boundary perimeter 24. Said 
face panels are disposed so as to have a common vertical axis 25, and are 
adapted to slide in abutment upon each other in substantially coplanar 
relationship. Upper panel 10 is disposed in front of lower panel 11. An 
elongated slotted aperture 40 of generally rectangular contour, having 
lower extremity 41 and open upper extremity 43 is disposed within lower 
face panel 11. The side edges 44 of aperture 40 are equally spaced about 
and parallel to axis 25. 
Hinge 12 is comprised of upper and lower arm panels 26 and 27, 
respectively, emergent from apex fold line 28. Said upper and lower arm 
panels extend to distal extremities 29 and 30, respectively, which join by 
way of second and third fold lines 31 and 32, respectively, with said 
upper and lower face panels. Third fold line 32 constitutes the lower 
extremity 41 of aperture 40. Second fold line 31 merges with lower 
extremity 14 of upper face panel 10. Apex fold line 28 is disposed 
rearwardly of said face panels and parallel thereto, and is 
perpendicularly oriented to axis 25. 
Finger engaging means 33 is associated with the upper surface 34 of upper 
arm panel 26. Said finger engaging means is formed from opposed tabs 35 
having oppositely directed slits 36 configured to interengage. As shown 
most clearly in FIG. 6, said tabs are continuous integral extensions of 
upper arm panel 26, having been derived from a base sheet stock 37 by 
cutting, and folding along fourth and fifth fold lines 38 and 39, 
respectively. 
As drawn in FIG. 1, finger manipulation enables the two face panels to 
slidably interact. The slotted aperture 40 represents a mouth of 
rectangular contour, as best shown in FIG. 3. By tilting lower arm panel 
27, the mouth may be caused to have a non-rectangular appearance. 
Base sheet stock 37 represents the precursor structure from which the 
puppet is derived. Said sheet stock may be comprised of cardboard, 
plastic, or materials of equivalent rigidity and capable of being folded. 
Instructions may be printed upon the sheet stock to facilitate cutting and 
folding operations. It is to be noted that the rear surface of the sheet 
stock also translates to the rear surfaces of the upper and lower face 
panels. Accordingly, the sheet stock may contain instructional indicia on 
one surface and decorative indicia on the opposite, front surface. In 
still further embodiments, the base sheet stock may be capable of folding 
in either of two directions, thereby permitting the possibility of 
creating two different reversible puppet appearances. 
In the embodiment of FIG. 7, having the appearance of a clown, front panel 
10 is shown positioned behind lower panel 11. In this embodiment, axis 25 
is substantially a line of symmetry that bisects both the precursor sheet 
stock and the functionally assembled puppet. If made as a reversible 
puppet, one surface of the sheet stock may be imprinted with a smiling 
clown, and the reverse surface may be imprinted with a frowning clown. 
While particular examples of the present invention have been shown and 
described, it is apparent that changes and modifications may be made 
therein without departing from the invention in its broadest aspects. The 
aim of the appended claims, therefore, is to cover all such changes and 
modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.