Aug. 14, 196 D. COHN KNEE JOINT STRUCTURE FOR WALKING DOLLS Filed Aug. 24, 19 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. A4i/2 (2//y A772A/Ay
Aug. 14, 196 D. COHN KNEE JOINT STRUCTURE FOR WALKING DOLLS Filed Aug. 24, 19 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. A4i/2 O2// A772%)
United States Patent Office Patented Aug. 14, 196 KNEE JONT STRUCTURE FORWALKING DOLLS David Coha, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Model Plastic Corporation, White Plains, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 24, 19, Serial No.,338 8 Claims. (Cl. 46-149) This invention relates to a knee joint structure for walking type dolls. In so-called walking dolls, the doll legs are intercon nected so that if the doll is moved ahead on a supporting surface, alternating the motion from one leg to the other, the legs will be projected forwardly in alternation to simulate Walking. In dolls of this type, it is desirable also to so construct the legs that the members thereof, namely the thighs and legs proper, may be articulated so as to relatively move the same between walking and sitting postures. For this purpose the thigh and leg mem thers are formed at the knee with a ball and socket joint and are themselves interconnected by resilient means such as a link and a tensioning element which function to permit the manual articulation of the leg and thigh members between the walking and sitting postures and to resiliently hold the members at such postures. ever, for the walking operation it is essential that the leg members (the thighs and the legs proper) be held in linearly positive or rigid walking posture, the said resilient interconnection between the leg members being insuffi cient to accomplish this purpose. It is further desirable that the knee joint and the described mechanism be so constructed that the manual articulation of the leg mem bers between the walking and sitting postures be carried out smoothly. It is also essential that the leg and thigh members be held during their movements and in both their postures in resistance against relative twisting or torsional action of said members. A prime object of my present invention centers about the provision of an improved knee joint structure for a walking type doll in which there is made possible the resilient manual articulation of the leg members at the knee joint between a walking posture and a sitting posture and in which the leg and thigh members may be held rigidly or positively in the walking posture, in normal resistance against relative movement or articulation. A further prime object of the invention relates to an improved knee joint structure of this character described in which movement for articulating the leg and thigh members from the positively held walking position to the resiliently held sitting position may be accomplished. by a smooth and unhindered manipulation...." A still further object of the invention pertains to such an improved knee joint structure in which the referred to movements and manipulation may be carried out while the leg and thigh members are held against relative twisting or torsional action or motion. The overall object of the invention resides in the pro vision of an improved knee joint structure in which the foregoing objects are achieved by means of few and sim ple parts which are subject to economic manufacture and assembly and facile use and operation. The present invention comprises an improvement to the knee joint structure for walking dolls disclosed in my 70 copending application Serial No. 48,793 filed February 2, 19. :. 0 2 3 4 0 60 6 2 To the accomplishment of the above stated objects and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, my in vention relates to the knee joint structure for walking dolls as sought to be defined in the appended claims taken together with the following specification and the accorn panying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a view of a so-called walking type of doll to which the structure of the present invention is applied; Fig. 2 is a vertical elevational view shown on an en larged scale taken in medial cross-section of the leg men bers (the thigh and the leg member proper) of Such a walking doll and showing the leg members in their walk ing posture; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 and showing the leg members in a sitting posture; Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the parts shown in Fig. 2 with the parts of the thigh member shown in cross-section in the plane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. is a view taken in cross-section in the plane of the line - of Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is a view taken in cross-section in the plane of the line 6-6 of Fig. 2. - Referring now more in detail to the drawings and hav ing reference first to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the principles of the invention are shown applied to a walk ing doll D provided with the leg members comprising the upper leg members or thighs 10 and the lower leg mem bers (the legs proper) 12, Fig. 1 showing the posture of the doll in the walking operation. The present invention is particularly directed as aforesaid to the knee joint structure generally indicated as 14 connecting the thigh members 10 and the leg members 12 of the doll. The knee joint itself is formed by the hollow thigh member 10 terminating in a socket 16 and by the hollow leg member 12 terminating in a ball 18 fitting the socket 6, the ball and socket defining the knee joint proper. The thigh members 10 may be molded in one piece in the form depicted in the drawings and the leg members 2 may be molded in two sections 12 and 12 which are then united longitudinally along the line of joint 19, the customary plastic materials being employed for molding these parts into rigid shapes. The mechanism for permitting the manual articulation of the leg and thigh members at the knee joint between a walking posture and a sitting posture and acting to resiliently hold the same at such postures comprises a rigid link preferably formed from sheet metal am chored at its bottom hook end 22 to the leg member 2 as by being pivotally connected to a pin or rod 24 ex tending transversely through the ball portion 18 of the leg member 2, the said rod being held in opposed bosses 26, 26 (see Fig. 4) formed integrally with the leg member i2b. The link extends upwardly from its anchored end 22 and protrudes into the thigh member 16. The lower end of the link member is confined within an angularly shaped groove or slit 28 formed in the leg member (see particularly Figs. 2 and 6), the width of the groove being just sufficient to accommodate the thick ness (and the movement) of the rigid link 23. A ten sioning element such as the tension spring is anchored at its upper end 32 to the thigh member 10 as by being attached to a cross-pin or rod 34 affixed to bosses 36, 36 molded integrally with the thigh member 10, the said tension spring, being attached at its other end 38 to the upper end of the link. The link and the tensioning spring define the mechanism for permitting the resilient manual articulation of the leg and thigh members between their walking and sitting postures and act to resiliently hold these members at both their walk ing and sitting postures as will be readily evident from an inspection of Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. The combined action of the link and the tension
spring for holding the thigh and leg members in their different postures or positions is a resilient one as above indicated. In the sitting posture of the thigh and leg parts the link and the spring assume a toggle ac tive position (with reference to the ball and socket parts 18 and 16), as clearly depicted in Fig. 3 and thereby, the thigh member 10 and the leg. member 12 are adequately held in a sitting position. In the walking posture of the leg members the thigh member 10 and leg member 12 are resiliently held by the link and spring in an, alined straight or walking posture, but it is essential that the leg members in their walking posture be held in a linearly positive or "rigid condition, the resilient inter connection between the leg members being insufficient to accomplish this purpose. Mechanism is therefore pro vided functioning to hold the leg and thigh members rigidly, or positively in their walking postures; in normal resistance against relative movement, or articulation. Such mechanism comprises a clutch element 42 mounted in one of the leg members. arranged in the path of movement of the link, said clutch element being adapted to engage and hold the link when the leg and thigh members are moved to a walking posture and to disengage and release the link when the leg and thigh members are moved toward a sitting posture. It will be noted from Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings that the link and spring are moved within the leg and thigh members as the latter are articulated, the link member being moved interiorly with reference to the leg mem bers from the direct tensioned, condition shown in Fig. 2 to the toggle active position shown in Fig. 3. The clutch element 42 which may simply consist of resilient clip fixedly mounted in a seat 44 formed in a boss or pro tuberance 46 (molded integrally with the leg part 12) and which is held in the seat by means of wall parts 48, 48 (which are the walls that define the slit 28) is arranged to lie in the path of this movement of the link., whereby when the leg members are moved to their walking posi tion the spring jaws of the clip 42 engage the link and seat themselves in an opening or slot 0 formed in the link and thus lock the link in position sufficiently for positively holding the leg and thigh members in their walking posture, as will be clear from an inspection of Figs. 2 and 6 of the drawings. When the leg members are articulated to their sitting position a pull is exerted on the link. to effect its disengagement and release from the clutch element 42, the parts being then freely movable to the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. It will be noted that the ball 18 of the knee joint is smoothi and continuous over the surface engaged by the similarly continuous edge of the socket 16 of the joint and thereby the movement for articulating the leg and thigh members from the positively held walking position to the resiliently held sitting position is accomplished smoothly and uninterruptedly. The clutch element 42 alone and its mating cooperation with the link is re lied upon to maintain the leg parts in their positive walk ing posture. - Mechanism is also provided for normally holding the leg and thigh members in all of their positions in re sistance against relative twisting or torsional action. Such mechanism preferably comprises an element fixed to the thigh member 10 through which the link extends in non-rotatable relation thereto. This element specifically comprises a slotted plate 2 secured in the bosses 4, 4 preferably molded integrally with the thigh member 10, the link extending through the slot 6 of said plate in non-rotatable relation to said plate as is best shown in Figs. 2 and of the drawings. ; :...... " It will be observed that the main objects of the inven tion are achieved by means of a very few and simple parts, which are subject to seconomic manufacture and facile assembling of the leg parts comprising, such simple parts as the clutch element 42 designed to cooperate in its functioning with the link., and the slotted plate 2.."; O 3 0. 80 6 4 also designed to cooperate in its functioning with the link. The manner of making, assembling and using the im proved knee joint structure for walking dolls of the present invention and the several advantages secured thereby in manufacture and use will in the main be fully apparent from the above detailed description. It will be further apparent that other changes may be made in the structure and in the relation between the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention defined in the following claims. I claim: - O 1. A ball and socket knee joint for a walking type doll ing s posture and a sitting posture and acting to resiliently hold the same at such postures, said, means comprising a link anchored interiorly to one of said members and protrud ing into the other of said members and a tensioning truding end of the link, the link being movable within the leg and thigh members as the latter are articulated, and mechanism for positively holding the leg and thigh mem bers in the walking posture comprising a clutch element mounted in one of said members arranged in the path of movement of said link, said clutch element being adapted to engage and hold the link when the leg and thigh mem bers are moved to a walking posture and to disengage and release the link when the leg and thigh members are moved towards a sitting posture.. 2. A ball and socket knee joint for a walking type doll fitting the socket, the bail and socket defining the knee hold the same at such postures, said means comprising a link anchored interiorly to the leg member and pro truding into the thigh member and a tensioning element anchored interiorly at one to the thigh member and at tached at the other end to the protruding end of the link, the link being movable within the leg and thigh members as the latter are articulated, and mechanism for posi tively holding the leg and thigh members in the walking posture comprising a clutch element mounted in one of said members arranged in the path of movement of said link, said clutch element being adapted to engage and hold the link when the leg and thigh members are moved to a walking posture and to disengage and release the link when the leg and thigh members are moved towards a sitting posture. 3. The ball and socket knee joint of claim 2 in which the clutch element is fixedly mounted in the leg member at the knee joint. 4. A ball and socket knee joint for a walking type doll hold the same at such postures, said, means comprising a link anchored interiorly to one of said members and pro truding into the other, of said members and a tensioning truding end of the link, the link and tensioning element being movable between two positions within the leg and thigh; members as, the latter are articulated, and assuming a toggle active position when the leg and thigh members
s: assume the sitting posture, and mechanism for positively holding the leg and thigh members in the walking posture comprising a clutch element mounted in one of said mem bers arranged in the path of movement of said link, said clutch element being adapted to engage and hold the link when the leg and thigh members are moved to a walking posture and to disengage and release the link when the leg and thigh members are moved towards a sitting posture.. A ball and socket knee joint for a walking type doll 10 hold the same at such postures, said means comprising a link anchored interiorly to one of said members and pro truding into the other of said members and a tensioning truding end of the link, the link being movable within the leg and thigh members as the latter are articulated, Imechanism for positively holding the leg and thigh mem bers in the walking posture comprising a clutch element mounted in one of said members arranged in the path of movement of said link, said clutch element being adapted to engage and hold the link when the leg and thigh members are moved to a walking posture and to dis engage and release the link when the leg and thigh mem bers are moved towards a sitting posture, and mechanism for normally holding the leg and thigh members in re sistance against relatively twisting action of said mem bers. 6. A ball and socket knee joint for a walking type doll joint, means for permitting the manual articulation of the leg and thigh members at the knee joint between a walking posture and a sitting posture and acting to resil 2 3 6 iently hold the same at such postures, said means compris ing a link anchored interiorly to the leg member and pro truding into the thigh member and a tensioning element anchored interiorly at one end to the thigh member and attached at the other end to the protruding end of the link, the link being movable within the leg and thigh mem bers as the latter are articulated, mechanism for posi tively holding the leg and thigh members in the walking posture comprising a clutch element mounted in one of said members arranged in the path of movement of said link, said clutch element being adapted to engage and hold the link when the leg and thigh members are moved to a walking posture and to disengage and release the link when the leg and thigh members are moved towards a sit ting posture, and mechanism for normally holding the leg and thigh members in resistance against relatively twist ing action of said members. - 7. The ball and socket joint of claim 6 in which said last mentioned mechanism comprises an element fixed to said thigh member through which the link extends in non rotatable relation thereto. 8. The ball and socket joint of claim 7 in which said element comprises a slotted plate, the link extending through said plate in non-rotatable relation thereto. References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 807,473 Kolar ---------------- Dec. 19, 190 982,096 Schoenhut ------------ Jan. 17, 1911 1,077,60 Ryan ----------------- Nov. 4, 1913 1,46,422 Cabana -------------- May 22, 1923 1,6,09 Gans ------------------ Oct. 6, 192 1,89,70 Gans ---------------- June 22, 1926 1,64,933 Heyman --------------- Jan. 3, 1928 2,39,42 Katz ------------------ Oct. 3, 1944 2,618,896. Herzog ---------------- Nov. 2, 192 FOREIGN PATENTS 61,96 Germany ------------- Apr. 2, 1892 282,69 Switzerland ------------ Aug. 16, 192. 1,017,137 France --------------- Sept. 10, 192