Doll wherein head connects to a support member, thereby locking on body and limbs
United States Patent 1191 Beck 1 1 Apr. 1,1975  
 [ DOLL WHEREIN HEAD CONNECTS TO A SUPPORT MEMBER THEREBY LOCKING ON BODY AND LlMBS [75] Inventor: Hans Beck, Kreutles, Germany [73] Assignee: Georg Brandstatter, Zirndorf,  
 Germany 22 Filed: Feb. 2, 1973 21 App]. No.: 328,891  
 2,752,726 7/1956 Calverly 46/22 2,884,739 5/1959 Ketcham 46/163 3,225,489 12/1965 Ryan 46/22 X 3,234,689 2/1966 Ryan t 46/173 X 3,277,602 10/1966 Speers et a1. 46/173 X 3,590,516 7/1971 Dunn 46/22 Primary E.\&#39;aminerF. Barry Shay Attorney, Agent, or FirmHane, Baxley &amp; Spiecens [57] ABSTRACT The specification describes a toy figure comprising a body, a head, and arms. The head and the arms are adapted to be plugged into holes in the body. Legs can be set at different angles to the body about respective axes. The body comprises a loosely inserted support part, the support part having bearing means for the legs, locking members for the arms and a detent. The head is provided with a plug pin adapted for cooperation with the detent.  
 6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures DOLL WHEREIN HEAD CONNECTS TO A SUPPORT MEMBER THERIEBY LOCKING ON BODY AND LIIMBS BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 1. Field to which invention relates The invention relates to toy figures with a head which can be plugged into openings in the body and arms which can be plugged in and like the legs can be moved angularly about a respective axis.  
  Such figures which can be fitted together by plugging in are advantageous both for the manufacturer and also for the user because on the one hand they allow the mass production of different types of figures by modification of the respective individual elements fitted together instead of the expense of offering a whole series of types which are produced so as to be different. On the other hand, this construction of the figure satisfies the wishes of the child at play as regards taking the figures apart. In this respect it is to be emphasized that taking apart does not lead to destruction of the toy figure owing to the fixing together of the different parts with plug connections and instead makes possible fitting together of the toy figure as often as required.  
  However, the requirements raised as regards a toy figure are not exhausted as regards the ability of the toy figure to be taken apart and simple fitting together again. In contrast to plug-in constructional sets, in the case of which the function of the elements to be fitted together is of primary importance, in the present case the appearance of the figures is of particular importance, that is to say they should, despite their plugged together construction, not have the appearance of a machine, and instead should have the appearance of a model of a human person. It follows from this that the shape of the body and the members should, despite the simplicity required, be in accordance with the figure represented as regards shape and proportions and should also be able to carry out typical movements and be able to assume certain positions. Furthermore, the connection joints should not be visible even in the case of the finished figure and should not project from the external shape of the figure parts.  
 SUMMARY OF INVENTION This aim is achieved in accordance with the invention in that in the body which is open downwards a support part is inserted in a removable manner and has bearing means for the legs, stop members for the arms and a detent for a plug-in pin arranged on the head. This support part accepts all limbs and, like the connecting parts between it and the various body parts, remains covered by the downwardly open body or trunk, which surrounds the support part. This body is formed by a preferably integral hollow body, whose cross-section corresponds with the contours of the figure. Using a profiled construction of the surface it is possible to endow the body simultaneously with the appearance of a figure carrying a certain article of clothing, that is to say a suit, a smock and the like. The opening in the lower part of the body is so large or the enveloping surfaces so cut away that the leg piece or pieces can be swung out of the standing position into the sitting position.  
  In accordance with a further feature of the invention each locking member consists of a downwardly opening fork, whose two limbs fit around a bearing pin of the arm, at whose inner end a broadened out bearing head is arranged. In this respect the free ends of the fork limbs are bent slightly towards the center of the recess, whose limits they form. The bearing pins must therefore be pressed into this recess on plugging them in. This fitting around of the holding piece with respect to the arm pin allows in the case of suitable dimensioning of the interfitting parts, for the arms to be swung and nevertheless be held in an oblique position with respect to the body axis.  
  The toy figure in accordance with the invention is furthermore characterised in that the two bearings for the legs are arranged in downwardly extending resilient lugs of the support part, which within the body lie against the side flanks of the latter and in that on the inner casing of the body guide surfaces are provided for the resilient lugs of the support part. In these bearings, which in the simplest case consist of a circular recess in the support part and pin-like shoulders or projections on the outer side surfaces of the legs, the legs can be swung in relation to the longitudinal axis of the figure in the direction of walking. Conveniently in this respect the two outer sides, adjacent to the resilient lugs fitting over them of the support part, are provided with a flat recess for these lugs so that the figure is not made unnaturally broad adjacent to the position at which the leg joins the body and instead the body placed over the leg has at its lower edges the distance, usual in the case of articles of clothing, from the leg section of the figure.  
  Both legs can form a unit. In this embodiment the toy figure can have two basic positions, that is to say the standing position with legs in the longitudinal axis of the body and parallel to each other, and the sitting position displaced by and all intermediate positions. If the figure in accordance with. the invention is so constructed that between the two legs a further longitudinal position is provided, which is arranged with the same axis to the ones arranged on the outside, the legs can also be arranged as an angular setting to each other and thus the number of positions which the body can assume are increased considerably.  
  A locking of the legs in the standing or sitting position is achieved in accordance with the invention owing to the feature that the support part has an abutment for swinging movement of the legs and which in the case of the standing position of the figure fits into a recess on the rear side of the legs, and when the figure is sitting lies against a part, continuing the upper side of the leg piece, of this recess. The abutment is made integrally if both legs form a unit, while in the case of another embodiment it consists of two lug-shaped parts.  
  In accordance with a further feature of the invention the head which can be plugged into the body is made flat at the top and has a detent for a wig or hat or the like which can be plugged into position so that on exchanging the hair and head the figure can be given various different appearances and also by additional attributes as for example a crown worn on the head or a helmet, cap etc. for certain persons to represent a charac ter in a fairy story, a craftsman and other further characters in a symbolic manner.  
  In order to ensure natural movement of these parts there is the feature in accordance with the invention that between the head and the body there is an abutment for limiting the rotary movement of the head which ensures that the face part of the head cannot look backwards over the shoulder. Furthermore, the  
 size of the figure parts is so dimensioned that between the head and the body typical articles of apparel typical for imitating a certain character, such as a priests robe or a train can be attached.  
  The same purpose, that is to say providing for many possibilities of variation of the figure, can be served in accordance with the invention which provides for a construction of the hands, which consist of a half-shellshaped part which is approximately U-shaped in crosssection and whose limbs or figures are constructed in accordance with the natural differences in length between the four fingers and the thumb and whose limb ends are bent inwards slightly towards each other so that an open, partly encircling position of the hand is formed. This converging form of the hand limbs or fingers makes it possible, in accordance with the purpose of play, to add to the figure typical articles such as tools or the like, which can easily be pressed into the hand and snap into place and held. It also makes it possible for one figure to grip the other and to carry articles suitable for carrying.  
 LIST OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF DRAWINGS Further features, details and advantages of the invention will be gathered from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawings.  
 FIG. 1 is a front view of the figure partly in section.  
  FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section through the leg section taken on line llll of FIG. 1.  
  FIG. 3 is a cross-section adjacent to the holding part of the figure taken on line IIlIlI of FIG. 1.  
 DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The trunk of the toy figure has an elongate support or holding member 1 with a plate 2 running transversely in relation to the longitudinal axis of the body and also branches 3, 4, extending toward the head, for the attachment of the head and also branches 5, 6 for receiving the arms. The extension, extending beyond the plate 2, of the branches 5, 6 in a downward direction forms the resilient tongues or lugs 7, 8 to provide a bearing for the legs. The parts mentioned preferably form a unit and are completed by the abutment 9, also molded on, for stopping swinging of the legs from the dot-dash line position in FIG. 2 to the full line position of FIG. 2. Tongues 7,8 in conjunction with abutments 9 and recesses in the legs constitute limit means limiting the pivotal movements of the legs as is more fully explained hereinafter. The branches 5, 6 form the locking members for the arms 10, 11 and comprise for this purpose an upwardly open fork 12 with the branches 14, 14, which fit around the bearing pins 15, 16 of the arms l0, 11. The ends, adjacent to the middle of the figure, of the bearing pins 15, 16 adjoin broadened out bearing heads 17, 18.  
  At the free end of the arms 10, 11 of the figure the hands 19, 20 are arranged and preferably molded on. These hands have a thumb member 22 which is short and partly fits around the recess 21, and a member 23 on the finger side. The free ends of the members 22 and 23 have a distance between them which is less than the breadth of the recess 21 so that an article which is pressed into the hand in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the arm is held fast in it and can be removed again, however, on the exertion of a slight pressure.  
  The branches 3, 4 of the support member 1 are provided with detents 24, 25 for receiving the neck piece or part 27 connected with the head 26. For assembly of the figure the shoulder 28, which is approximately triangular in cross-section, of the neck piece 27 is slid along the wedge surfaces of the detents 24, 25 in the direction of the leg until the projecting parts of the shoulder 28 snap into position and are held in this position so that they cannot be too readily pulled out.  
  The head 26, provided with a face, and the neck part 27 and its shoulder 28 are preferably made integral. The hollow spherical head 26 is flat at the top and comprises approximately at the same level as the margin of the hair an encircling detent means 29, on which a wig 30, providing with a cooperating detent means, can be fitted. It is also possible to place the hat or the like on the head and fix it in position with the detent means.  
  The support member 1 and the bearings molded on it for the branches are surrounded by the body 31, whose collar-like shoulder 32 covers the transitional parts between the head 26 and the support part 1 and its shoulder parts 33, 34, the bearing pins 17, 18 of the arms 10, 11. The rear coat part 35 of the body 31 is made longer than its front casing part 36 so that the respective lower edges end at a short distance from the seat surface or the upper surface of the leg when the figure is in the sitting position. Lateral extensions 37, 38 of the body 31 cover the bearings of the legs 39, 40.  
  These bearings are formed by recesses or sockets 7 8&#39; in the lugs or tongues 7, 8 forming the extension of the branches 5, 6 of the support member 1. Pins 41, 42 arranged on the outer sides of the legs fit into these recesses or sockets and adjacent to the pins 41, 42 the outer sides of the legs are provided with flat surfaces 43, 44, which lie against the resilient lugs 7, 8 of the support member 1. The legs 39, can be arranged to form a unit with the feet 45, 46 molded on them. The leg piece is provided on its rear side with a recess 47 extending approximately over the whole width. This recess 47 is extended over part of the upper side of the leg piece and serves for receiving the abutment 9 molded on the support member 1.  
  For limiting rotary movement of the head 26 l provide an approximately semi-circular groove 50 adjacent to the collar-shaped shoulder 32. Into this groove 50 there extends a radial extension 51 of the neckpiece 27 which can be rotated in the hole 52. Since the radial extension 51 beneath the head is arranged on the face side of the head and the groove 50 terminates approximately in the shoulder line, there is no possibility of the head being turned backwards, though it can be turned to the side.  
 I claim:  
 1. A toy figure comprising:  
  an elongate support member, a head member having a neck portion, two arms, two legs, joined at the upper ends thereof, and means for cooperating with said support member and head to connect said head, arms and support member,  
 said support member having a pair of first bearing means for pivotally receiving the legs at the joined ends thereof, a pair of second bearing means, each for pivotally receiving one of said arms and locking means for releasably locking the neck portion of said head member,  
 said legs having pins at the joined ends thereof, said pins being engaged with said first bearing means for pivoting the legs about an axis transverse of the lengthwise axis of the support member,  
 each of said arms having at one end thereof pivot means releasably engageable with the respective second bearing means,  
 said head member being insertable with its neck portion into said locking means of the support member for releasably locking therein, and  
 said means for connecting said head, arms and support member comprising a hollow body member which is open at one end and closed by an end wall at the other end, said end wall including an opening for passage of said neck portion, the body member being fittable upon the support member, the end wall of the body member in the fitted position thereof locking the arms to the support member and the head member in its locked position locking the body member to the support member.  
  2. The toy figure according to claim 1 wherein said support member comprises two transversely spaced branches extending from the support member parallel to the lengthwise axis thereof, each of said branches having a recess, said recesses constituting the first bearing means, the joined ends of the legs being disposed between said branches and said pins on the legs being journalled in said recesses.  
  3. The toy figure according to claim 1 wherein said support member comprises a pair of upwardly open forked branches extending from the support member, the pivot means on each of said arms mounting on its free end an enlarged head portion, each pivot means being journalled in a slot defined by the respective forked branch and is axially retained in the slot by. its head portion, said slots constituting said second bearing means.  
 4. The toy figure according to claim 1 wherein said locking means on the support member comprises two transversely spaced flexible branches extending from the support member parallel to its lengthwise axis, said flexible branches having each a protrusion on the sides facing each other, and wherein said neck portion of the head member comprises a peripheral protrusion intermediate its length, the cross sectional outline of the protrusion on the neck portion being wider than the distance between protrusions on said flexible branches in a released position thereof whereby upon forcing the neck portion protrusions past the protrusions on the flexible branches the branches will snap back into their relaxed position, thus releasably locking the neck portion to the support member.  
  5. The toy figure according to claim 4 wherein a further protrusion on the neck portion engages a circumferentially elongate recess in the rim of the opening in the end wall of the body member thereby limiting rotation of the head member relative to the body member.  
  6. The toy figure according to claim 1 wherein the top of said head member is flattened and includes a detent, and a head covering is secured in said detent.