Improvements in Sleeping Dolls.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Jan., 1891-Accepted, 28th Mar., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Sleeping Dolls.
I, FRANZ SCHMIDT, of Georgenthal, in the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and
German Empire, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to sleeping dolls, that is to say to dolls which automatically
close their eyes when laid in a recumbent position.
In such dolls as at present usually made, both the upper and the lower eyelids
close at about the saine speed and to about equal extents, thus differing from the
natural action in a human eye where the upper eyelid closes at a greater speed and
to a greater extent than the lower eyelid, and the eyelids meet below the horizontal
axis of the eyes.
These improvements have for their object to simulate the natural action and
position of the eyelids in closing and in the closed position, and I will describe in
what manner this is effected with reference to the accompanying drawing.
The mechanism which I employ is attached to the wire framework a which
carries the eyes at one end and at the other end is secured to the back of the doll's
head in the manner shewn at d or by other convenient means. The wire frame-
work also carries the wires cc which are bent at their outer ends so as to form the
pivots for the eyelids gh.
The motion of the swinging lead weight i is employed in the usual manner to
secure the motion of the eyelids, but its motions are transmitted to the eyelids by
differently arranged devices to those heretofore employed.
The lead weight is hinged or pivoted at the point k and it is connected by means of
the rod or links with the levers mn on the upper and the lower eyelid respectively
of each eye. The lever m of the upper eyelid is considerably shorter than, and
may be suitably one fourth of the length of, the lever n of the lower eyelid. All
the rods are attached to the swinging weight i as near as practicable at the same
point, or equidistant from the pivot k.
When the doll having these improvements, is laid on its back, the weight i falls
towards the back of its head e, and the levers are consequently pulled backwards
in such a manner as to close the eyelids completely over the pupils o.
Because of the hereinbefore described arrangement and particularly because of
the unequal lengths of the eyelid levers m n, the upper eyelids are closed quickly
and the lower ones slowly, which is the object sought to be attained.
A portion of the doll's face is indicated at p, and 9 indicates a removable portion
of the head through which the mechanism may be inserted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In an apparatus for closing the eyes of a sleeping doll, the combination and
arrangement of a swinging weight, unequal levers for closing the upper and the
lower eyelids respectively, and links connecting the unequal levers with the weight;
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and as illustrated by
the accompanying drawings.
2. In an apparatus for closing the eyes of sleeping dolls, the combination with
each upper eyelid of a short lever, and with each lower eyelid of a longer lever,

page_text: both levers being simultaneously operated to close and open the eyes, substantially
as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of January A.D. 1891
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicant.