Articulated limb toy figure

A toy figure includes a hollow body having coupling openings formed in its upper side walls and bottom wall, the openings having inwardly tapered conical faces with peripherally spaced longitudinal channels. A magnet slab housed in the body is sandwiched by yoke plates which closely confront each opening. A coupling member having a circular base section with a ribbed conical face engages each opening and includes an inner portion of magnetic material engaged by the yoke plates to releasably retain the coupling members in the openings. An arm is attached to each coupling member for angular movement about an axis perpendicular to the axis of the coupling member base section.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to improvements on articulated 
structures and it relates particularly to an improved angularly adjustable 
arm structure. 
In articulated structures such as dolls, mannequins, toy robots, and the 
like it is desirable to permit the easy and convenient universal angular 
adjustment of arms forming parts of the structure. The arms may be any 
limb or appendage such as arms, legs, or any similar components. The 
adjustment should be universal and reliable, and the desired position 
should be secure and easily modified without the use of tools. To this end 
many angular adjustable joints have been available and proposed but leave 
much to be desired for the present purpose. They are often complex and 
expensive, difficult and inconvenient to manipulate, unreliable and 
awkward and possess many other drawbacks and disadvantages. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved 
articulated structure. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved angularly 
adjustable arm joint for limbs of dolls, mannequins, toy robots and the 
like. 
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved 
angularly adjustable joint coupling a limb to a body of a doll, mannequin, 
toy device, or the like. 
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved 
angularly adjustable coupling joint which is easily and conveniently 
operated and is releasably fixed in selected preset positions. 
Still a further object of the present inventions to provide an improved 
articulated structure of the above nature which is rugged, inexpensive, 
highly reliable and of great versatility and adaptability. 
The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent 
from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the 
accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments thereof. 
A structure in accordance with the present invention includes a body member 
having a socket or opening formed therein and a permanent magnet device 
located in the body member proximate the opening or socket to establish a 
magnetic field in the opening or socket, a plug member engaging the 
opening or socket and having a magnetic piece confronting the magnet to 
releasably retain the plug in the opening or socket and an arm coupled to 
the plug externally of the body member. 
In the preferred form of the subject improved structure the plug and 
opening have confronting circular faces with regularly spaced separably 
axially relatively movable mating recesses and projections inhibiting the 
relative rotation of the plug and opening. The permanent magnet device 
includes a permanent magnet sandwiched between the opposite arms of a 
magnetic yoke terminating in opposite end poles confronting and proximate 
the opening. A limb simulating arm is adjustably angularly coupled to the 
plug. The improved structure is simple, inexpensive and rugged, easy and 
convenient to operate, highly reliable and of great versatility and 
adaptability.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings, particularly FIGS. 1 to 4 thereof, which 
illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reference 
numeral 10 generally designates a device employing the improved structure 
and shown, by way of example, as a toy robot, it being understood that it 
may be otherwise shaped and dimensioned. The device 10 includes a thin 
hollow body member 11, having vertical opposite parallel side walls 12 and 
horizontal parallel top and bottom rectangular walls 13 and 14 
respectively. 
Housed in body member 11 and proximately spaced from the top, bottom, and 
side walls thereof is a rectangular permanent magnet 16 located medially 
between the body member front and rear walls. A pair of rectangular plates 
17 of magnetic material sandwiched magnet 16, overlaying its front and 
rear faces, the borders of plates 17 projecting beyond the corresponding 
edges of magnet 16 into close proximity to the body member top, bottom, 
and side walls and defining respective pair of opposite magnetic poles. 
A circular opening 18 is medially formed in each side wall 12 directly 
below top wall 13 and a pair of similar openings is formed in bottom wall 
14 proximate side walls 12. Each opening 18 has an inwardly tapered 
conical face 19 having formed therein regularly peripherally spaced 
longitudinally extending channels 20 of arcuate transverse cross section 
separated by longitudinal extending ridges 21. 
A limb coupling member 22 separably engages each opening 18 at a respective 
preselected angle about the axis of the opening. Specifically, each 
coupling member 22 includes a circular base 23 somewhat longer than the 
depth of opening 18 and having a conical peripheral face 24 complementing 
opening peripheral face 19 including longitudinal ridges 26 spaced by 
longitudinal channels 27. Base 23 slidably nests in opening 18 with ridges 
26 longitudinally slidably engaging valleys or channels 20, the base inner 
end projecting inwardly of the inner end of opening 18. A circular well is 
formed in the inside face of each base 23 and a disc 28 of ferromagnetic 
material nests in each of the wells and is suitably secured therein. 
Integrally formed with each base 23 and extending axially outwardly 
therefrom is a short cylindrical post 29 terminating at its outer end in a 
diametrically extending axle or pin 30. 
A limb member 32 is swingably supported by each coupling member 22 and 
includes a tubular arm 33 terminating at its outer end in a hand, claw or 
the like and at its inner end in a hollow spherical housing 34, member 32 
being formed of a pair of longitudinally extending similarly shaped 
sections suitably mutually joined Integrally formed with the opposing 
sections of housing 34 are a pair of opposing coaxial cylindrical bearing 
sockets 36 which snugly angularly adjustably engage respective opposite 
ends of axle 30. An arcuate slot 37 formed in the outer end section of 
housing 34 slidably engages post 29 to permit the swinging of arm 32 about 
axle 30. 
In the assembled condition of device 10 coupling member base 24 snugly nest 
in respective openings 19 at preselected angles with ridges 26 engaging 
opening channels 20. Bases 24 are separably firmly retained in respective 
openings 19 under the attracting magnetic influence of yoke sandwiched 
magnet 16 on magnetic discs 28. The angle of each axle 30 may be adjusted 
by retracting the respective coupling member base 24 from related opening 
19, rotating the coupling member to the desired angle and reinserting it 
into opening 19. Moreover each limb 32 may be angularly adjusted or swung 
about its support axle 30. 
Referring now to FIGS. 5 to 7 of the drawing which illustrate another 
embodiment of the present invention, the reference numeral 40 designates 
the modified toy structure which includes a spherically shaped hollow body 
member 41 housing a permanent magnet member 42. Body member 41 includes 
opposite vertical side walls 43 having arcuate outside faces 44 and flat 
vertical inside faces 46 and a flat horizontal bottom wall 47 suitably 
secured to the bottoms of walls 43. 
Formed in each of side walls 43 are centrally located coupling openings 48, 
each of which includes an inner small diameter axial bore 49 having a 
cylindrical face, an intermediate larger diameter bore 50 coaxial with and 
delineated from bore 49 by a flat annular shoulder 51 and a tapered 
conical outer bore 52. Formed in annular shoulder 51 are a plurality of 
regularly spaced radially extending arcuate groves or channels 53. 
Separably engaging each coupling opening 48 is a coupling member 54 
including a circular base section 56 separably nesting in intermediate 
bore 50 and resting on shoulder 51. Base section 56 has regularly spaced 
radial ribs or ridges 57 formed in its inside end face and separably 
nesting in groves 53 in the coupling member coupling opening engaged 
position. Projecting coaxially inwardly from each base member 56 is a 
cylindrical projection 58 slidably engaging bore 49 and having a stepped 
axial well formed therein firmly and engaged by the shank 59 and enlarged, 
rounded, flat head 60 of a button formed of a magnetic material. A flat 
bracket member 61 projects medially axially outwardly from and is 
integrally formed with base section 56. 
Magnet member 42 includes a permanent magnet slob 63 sandwiched between 
rectangular yoke plates 64 of magnetic material projecting beyond magnet 
slab 63. The end faces of plates 64 proximate respective coupling openings 
define magnetic poles which magnetically attract button heads 60 and 
strongly releasably retain the coupling members 48 in their coupling 
opening engaged positions, the respective coupling members being prevented 
from rotation from their preselected angular adjustment by the engagement 
between mutually registering groves 53 and ridges 57. 
Journalled to each of the brackets 61 of the side wall mounted coupling 
members 54 by means of a pivot pin 65 is a bifurcated knuckle 66 swingably 
embracing a respective bracket 61. An arm 67 extends from knuckle 66 and 
terminates in a hand section 68. Leg members 69 include arms 70 formed at 
their bottoms with foot members 71 and terminate at their tops in 
bifurcated knuckle sections 72 pivot pin connected and embracing 
respective brackets 61 of the bottom coupled coupling members 54 in the 
manner of arms 67. 
Alternatively, the legs 69 may be replaced by another device, for example a 
pair of longitudinally extending parallel pontoons joined by a raised 
bridge member 74 having mounted thereon a pair of coupling pins 76 
laterally spaced the distance between the bottom wall coupling openings. 
Each coupling pin 76 is similar in structure to coupling member 54 without 
the base section 54 and bracket 6! and may be separably coupled to the 
bottom wall coupling openings. 
An antenna member 80 is detachably centrally mounted atop body member 41 
and includes a curved cross piece 81 complementing the top face of body 
member 41 and a pair of elongated antenna members 82 upwardly rearwardly 
inclined from opposite ends of cross piece 81 and separably engages a 
coupling opening 84 formed in the top of the body member. 
While there have been described and illustrated preferred embodiments of 
the present invention, numerous alterations, omissions, and additions may 
be made without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the shapes 
and functions of the various limbs and other members as well as the shape 
of the body member and other members may be modified to achieve different 
end products. Thus, if the members are so designed and shaped, a 
refrigerator or other product may be modified to an airplane or another 
appliance by removing some elements and replacing them with different 
shaped elements.