Improvements in Toy Figures.
Year: 1892

page_text: Improvements in Toy Figures.
A communication by the firm of FLEISCHMANN AND BLOEDEL, of Fürth, in the
Empire of Germany, Export Merchants.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street, Manchester,
both in the County of Lancaster and 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, 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 toy figures such as dolls and the like, which are intended
to imitate the motion of walking, and the mechanism for producing this motion is
so arranged that, at each step, the head of the figure is also moved with it, being
in fact turned to the left or right.
This invention has also this special advantage; the internal mechanism, which
produces the above named movement, may be inserted subsequently in the completed
body of the figure, without its being necessary to take the same to pieces.
This mechanism, which is more particularly shown in Figures 1-3 of the accom-
panying sheet of illustrative drawings, and in Figure 4 in combination with a
jointed doll, is, for this object, arranged in a frame A, which is attached to the
The frame is
body of the figure by means of screws a a' and washers b b'.
introduced into the completed body of the doll by inserting, in an oblique position,
one of its ends, which is somewhat curved, into one of the holes by which the
legs are attached to the figure. The frame is then turned or worked up into the
body of the figure, and its other end is drawn out through the other hole 11, thereby
bringing the frame into an upright position, in which it is retained by means of
the screws and washers a b aforesaid. The lower ends of the frame A are connected
by means of a spindle c, on which revolve the two forked pieces d d and e e'.
These pieces d d¹ and e é are preferably made or shaped as shown in the drawing,
but simple rods or bars may be used instead. In an upwardly directed branch c¹
of the spindle c, the lower end of a vertical spindle is fitted, which bears at its
upper end the head K of the figure. This spindle carries a cross rod g g', on the
pivotal ends h h of which rest the upper ends of the forked pieces de, which are
provided with longitudinal slots p q for that purpose. By bending up the ends h
of the cross rod, the parts thus connected cannot come asunder. The upper parts
of the legs B¹ B' are attached to the lower ends of the forked pieces d'd' e e¹, by
means of cross bars i and k. The lower parts of the legs are connected by
strong india rubber bands m m', which, on the one hand, are attached to the
hooks n n' forming the continuations of the pieces d'e, and, on the other hand, to
the cross pieces o o in the lower part of the legs. The hooks n n¹ are jointed to
the forked pieces by means of rivets, and have beneath the cross bars i k a suitably
shaped recess, so that each leg may be bent against the other parts of the figure,
and the latter may be also placed in an upright sitting posture. In connecting
the legs with the cross rod g g' in the above manner, they cannot be moved
independently of one another, but always only simultaneously or alternately.
Further, at every movement of the legs, the lever 9 g' is caused to oscillate round
its vertical central axis or to twist backwards and forwards, and, accordingly, the
spindle f, together with the head of the doll, turns. The doll will thus, at each
step, make a sideways movement of its head, alternately to right and left.
head may be attached to the spindle feither in the manner shown in Figures 1-4,
or in any other suitable manner. The entire moving mechanism is only fixed in
the frame A when the latter has been first placed in the doll's body.
The

page_text: The mechanism hereinbefore described is operated by the doll, Figure 4, being
moved or drawn forward, by leading it by the arm, or in other like manner. The
heel of the advanced foot forms a supporting point on which the leg B' is turned.
This turning causes the lever g g' to be oscillated or twisted, in consequence of
which the other leg B2 is turned on the axis c and brought in front of the leg B',
so that then the heel of the leg B rests on the ground, whilst the leg B' assumes
the position previously held by the leg B2. At the same time, as hereinbefore
explained, the spindle, together with the head, is turned. The same operation is
repeated as long as. the figure is drawn or pushed forwards, that is to say, this
latter, when led by the hand, makes a step by step movement in imitation of the
motion of walking which is accompanied by an alternate movement of the head to
right and left.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is
1. A toy figure, the legs of which are attached to the lower ends of forked
pieces d de e, which turn on a spindle c¹ in the frame of the figure, and are each
connected at their upper ends with one arm of a cross rod g g' oscillating on a
vertical axis f, so that when, by the figure being pushed or drawn forward, its leg
which is then in front is moved on its supporting point, the cross rod go¹ causes
the other leg to turn on its fixed axis c, in consequence of which this leg then
moves in front of the other.
2. In combination with the parts mentioned in Claim 1, placing the head of the
figure on the revolving spindle f of the cross rod g g', so that each step of the
figure is combined with a sideways movement of the head.
Dated this 27th day of December 1892.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.