U.S. patent number 3,599,363 [Application Number 04/780,154] was granted by the patent office on 1971-08-17 for environmental space suit toy.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Mattel, Inc.. Invention is credited to Albert R. Baginski, David T. Okada, Edwin O. Stastny.
United States Patent |
3,599,363 |
Baginski , et al. |
August 17, 1971 |
ENVIRONMENTAL SPACE SUIT TOY
Abstract
A toy comprising an astronaut figure, a space capsule around the
upper portion of the figure, pneumatically operated tools mounted
on the capsule, an air pump, and tubes for coupling the pump to the
tools, the tubes passing through the capsule to provide the
appearance that the astronaut figure is controlling tool operation.
One grasping tool has jaws operated by a bellows that is expanded
by air pressure. Another tool includes a thrust element mounted on
the inner turn of a spirally wound band, the spiral expanding
lengthwise when pressured air is applied to it.
Inventors: |
Baginski; Albert R. (Torrance,
CA), Okada; David T. (Hermosa Beach, CA), Stastny; Edwin
O. (Santa Ana, CA) |
Assignee: |
Mattel, Inc. (Hawthrone,
CA)
|
Family
ID: |
25118796 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/780,154 |
Filed: |
November 29, 1968 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
446/197 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H
3/52 (20130101); A63H 3/48 (20130101); A63H
30/06 (20130101); A63H 13/04 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63H
13/04 (20060101); A63H 13/00 (20060101); A63H
3/52 (20060101); A63H 30/00 (20060101); A63H
3/00 (20060101); A63H 30/06 (20060101); A63H
3/48 (20060101); A63h 033/30 () |
Field of
Search: |
;46/8,39,53,55,44,89,87,178,188 ;128/184 ;92/92,180 ;3/1.2
;73/368.4,368.7,410 ;116/65 ;294/106,16X,111,115 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Peshock; Robert
Claims
What I claim is:
1. A toy for use with a doll figure comprising:
a capsule for encompassing at least a portion of said figure;
a tool assembly including a movable tool element and pneumatically
powered operating means for operating said tool element;
means for mounting said tool assembly on the outside of said
capsule; and
air conduit means extending from said capsule to said tool assembly
to power said operating means, whereby to simulate remote tool
operation by said doll figure.
2. The toy described in claim 1 including:
air pump means; and wherein
said air conduit means extends from said capsule to said air pump
means.
3. The toy described in claim 1 wherein:
said means for mounting comprises a pivotable joint for rotating
said tool to face in a plurality of directions.
4. The toy described in claim 1 wherein:
said pneumatically powered operating means comprises a
pneumatically expandable manner; and
said tool comprises a pair of jaw members, at least a first of said
jaw members pivotally mounted for movement against and away from
the other jaw member, said first jaw member disposed against to
said pneumatically expandable member for movement by it.
5. The toy described in claim 1 wherein:
said means for operating said toy comprises a band of flexible
material formed in a spiral; and
said tool element is mounted on a portion of said band near the
inside of said spiral.
6. A toy comprising:
a tool frame;
pneumatically expandable flexible bellows device mounted on said
tool frame;
a pair of rigid clamping members separately pivotally mounted on
said tool frame on spaced pivots, each having a portion between
said pivots disposed adjacent to and engageable by said bellows
device for movement thereby to pivot the clamping members; and
spring means biasing said clamping members to closed position and
air supply means connected to said expandable bellows device.
7. A toy comprising:
a frame;
a band of resilient material formed in a closely wound spiral,
having an outer spiral portion mounted on said frame;
a thrust element mounted on an inner spiral portion of said band;
and
means for applying pressured air to an inner portion of said
spiral.
8. The toy described in claim 7 wherein:
said thrust element includes a plug portion disposed in
substantially sealing cooperation with the inner turn of said
spiral.
9. The toy described in claim 7 including:
a housing, including means for supporting it on the ground; and
wherein
said thrust element comprises a digging tool; and
said frame is mounted on said housing for pointing with a downward
component, to thrust said digging tool against the ground.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to movable toys.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The entertainment provided by toys can depend upon the degree with
which they simulate real or imagined "Adult World" apparatus. For
example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,346,989 for Pneumatic Space Capsule by
Ryan et al. describes a capsule with arm members that simulate
protective arm coverings which would receive the arms of an
astronaut in a protective capsule. In the case of action toys,
particularly those simulating futuristic or space apparatus, the
entertainment value can be further enhanced by novel modes of
operation.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a novel and
entertaining action toy.
Another object is to provide a novel and entertaining action
apparatus for toys.
Still another object is to provide a simple pneumatically powered
thrusting apparatus.
In accordance with the present invention, an action space toy is
provided which includes a capsule for holding an astronaut figure,
and tools mounted on the capsule for simulated control by the
figure. One tool has a claw that can be opened and closed, while
another tool has a a space which can be rapidly thrust forward
while it rotates. Each tool is pneumatically operated, and receives
air pressure pulses from a tube that extends from the space capsule
to the tool, to provide the appearance of control by the figure in
the capsule. The tubes further extend to air pumps that can be
operated by a child to create air pulses that power the tools.
The jaws of the claw tool are pivotally mounted, with ends engaged
by a bellows-type cylinder that expands in response to air pulses.
The thrusting tool is mounted on the inner turn of a spirally wound
band of resilient material, whose outer turn is held by a tool
frame. Air pulses applied to the inside of the spiral cause the
inner turns to thrust forward and rotate. The thrusting tool is
useful not only in toys, but in other applications where a
pneumatically operated thrusting apparatus is required.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy constructed in accordance
with the invention;
FIG. 2 is a side elevation view, partially in section, of the toy
described in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;
and
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
As shown in FIG. 1, the toy 10 comprises a transparent
environmental space capsule 12 which surrounds the upper portion of
an astronaut doll figure 14. A pair of tools 16 and 18 are mounted
on the space capsule, and a pair of hand pumps 20 and 22 are
provided to operate the tools 16 and 18, respectively. The pumps 20
and 22 are connected by tubes 24 and 26, respectively, to the tools
16 and 18. Each tube extends through a portion of the space capsule
12 to provide the appearance that the tools are operated by the
astronaut figure 14, and also to better support the tubes for
strength and neatness.
The tool 16 is a clamping or claw tool which includes two clamping
members or jaws 28 and 30 that can open and close to grasp objects.
The jaws are pivotally mounted on a tool frame 32 that is mounted
on the capsule 12 in a manner that permits it to face in a wide
variety of directions. The other tool 18 may be considered to be a
thrusting tool, which has a spadelike thrusting element 34 that can
be thrust forward while it rotates. A supporting thrusting tool
frame 36 is also mounted on the capsule 12 in a manner that permits
it to thrust out the element 34 in a wide variety of
directions.
As also shown in FIG. 2, the astronaut figure 14 has legs 38 for
supporting itself and the capsule 12, and pads 40 on its shoes for
stability. A simulated tool control panel 42 is provided in the
capsule, and arms 44 on the figure extend to the panel to indicate
operation of the tools by manipulation of panel knobs. A control
panel is not necessary, however, to provide the simulated astronaut
control of the tools. The air tube 26, which couples the pump 22 to
the thrusting tool 18, extends through apertures 46 and 48 in the
capsule, so that it appears that the thrusting tool is controlled
and powered from the space capsule by the portion 27 of the tube.
Corresponding capsule apertures are provided for the other tube 24.
Instead of actually projecting through the capsules, however,
portions of the tubes could be tied to the outside of the
capsule.
As shown in FIG. 4, the jaws 28 and 30 each have an outer jaw
portion 50, 52 with serrations, an inner operating end portion 54,
56, and a pivot member 58, 60. The pivot members 58 and 60 are
pivotally engaged with bearing slots 62 and 64 on the clamping tool
frame 32. The jaws are also pivotally joined together, at a bearing
66 located at the extreme inner ends of the portions 54 and 56.
When the bearing point 66 is moved forward in the direction of
arrow 68, both jaws are swung open to the positions 28A ad 30A. A
torsion spring 70, which is looped about the bearing axis 66 and
has ends engaged with the jaws, biases the tool to a closed
configuration.
The clamping tool is operated by an expandable chamber member 72 of
a bellowslike construction. The chamber member, which may be
constructed of soft rubber or the like, has an inner end 74
abutting the tool frame. Its opposite end 76 is connected by a rod
78 to the bearing 66 to which the jaws are pivotally joined. When
pressured air is received through the tube 24 to expand the chamber
member, the bearing 66 is moved forward and the jaws open. When
pressure is removed, the chamber member tends to collapse and the
jaws close. The spring 70 increases the closing speed to provide a
more positive action. The maximum angle of jaw opening is limited
by the large-faced end 76 of the chamber member. The end 76 abuts
the inner ends 54 and 56 of the jaws when the clamp is opened wide,
to prevent further opening.
The thrusting tool 18, which is shown in greater detail in FIG. 3,
includes an operating mechanism 80 in the form of a spirally wound
band of resilient material such as Mylar. The spiral has several
turns, such as nine, and tends to assume a compressed configuration
only as long as the width of the band. However, when pressurized
air is admitted through tube 26 to the inside of the spiral
mechanism, the mechanism expands to the elongated configuration
shown in FIG. 3. In additional to a thrusting motion, the thrusting
element 34 makes several rotations as it moves out or back in.
The operating mechanism 80 has an outer turn 82 fastened to the
tool frame 36, at a position about a passageway 84 in the frame
that connects to the air tube 26. The inner turn 86 of the
mechanism is connected to the thrusting element 34. When
pressurized air is delivered through the tube 26, the inner turn 86
and its element 34 are thrust forward. In order to reduce air
leakage, the band of resilient material is wound into a tight
spiral, so the turns are in contact or nearly so even in the
elongated configuration. In addition, the thrusting element 34 has
a plug 87 which plugs the inside of the inner spiral turn to
further reduce air leakage, in addition to serving as the means for
attaching the thrusting element to the spiral.
The frames of the clamping and thrusting tools 16 and 18 have
couplings 88 and 90 for positioning them in a wide range of
directions. For example, the thrusting tool 18 has a connecting
member 92 with a ball joint 94 at its end that is engaged with a
socket 96 on the capsule. A limit plate 98 on the capsule has a
horizontal slot 100 that permits pivoting the tool to the rear and
forward, but not up and down. However, the thrusting tool can be
rotated about the axis 102 of the ball joint, which allows it to
point in a wide range of directions. The thrusting element 34 can
represent a digging tool, and it is desirable to allow it to be
directed with a downward component so it hits the ground when
operated. The coupling 88 of the clamping tool is constructed in a
similar manner to allow the tool to face in a wide range of
directions.
The thrusting mechanism of the thrusting tool is useful not only in
toys but in a variety of applications where a simple pneumatically
operated thrusting and rotating mechanism is useful. Among the
applications are output devices for pneumatic logic circuits, and a
wide range of applications where cylinder-enclosed pistons or
bellows have been used. The spiral band has low mass ad and moves
out and back very quickly. A variety of materials such as Mylar and
spring steel can be used for constructing the spiral member, and a
wide variety of thrusting elements can be mounted thereon for
thrusting motion.
Although particular embodiments of the invention have been
described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that
modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in
the art, and consequently, it is intended that the claims be
interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents.
* * * * *