Manufacturing Process For Dolls, Puppets, Plush Animals, Consisting In The Use Of Two Fabrics Adherent One To The Other

Abstract

Improved construction for children's toys such as dolls, animals and the like incorporating selectively located gripping areas on the surface of displaceable body elements thereof that are releasably engageable with grip receptor surfaces on the body portion thereof to permit selective body element displacement and releasable maintenance of displaced positioning thereof.

Parent Case Text

This is a continuation of copending U.S. Application Ser. No. 883,878, filed Dec. 10, 1969, now abandoned.

Description

One is acquainted with the traditional manufacture of dolls, puppets or plush animals; in order to give them an appearance of life or to modify their postures (for example to make them raise and lower their arms, or sit) one must provide either a system of ball-and-socket joints, washer joints or the like, or a metal framework bracing the interior of the body and of the limbs in some way, assuming, through deformation, the desired posture and, by doing this, to give it a little animation, more especially as far as the arms are concerned. As for the paws or the legs, there is the fact that one can put the toy into a sitting position, but it is still necessary (in the case of a deformable joint, that is to say comprising an internal framework) to manage to bend the paws or legs well at a right angle in order to obtain a satisfactory sitting position.

The operation of these internal joints is, all the same, rather difficult for relatively young children, lacking a little of the strength necessary to bend the framework, and especially of the sense of balance which is indispensable in order to succeed in making the toy bide in practice and at once.

The operation of ball-and-socket joints or disc joints is easier, but it has a result limited to the single movement from bottom to top or top to bottom, without lateral diversion. Moreover, in the long run, the play assisting, they end up by becoming slack and no longer bide, as it were, and the raised arm drops down, the sitting bear or baby doll falls over on its back or falls forwards.

Besides, none of those traditional joints give sufficient prehensile strength to the arm to allow them to hold an object, for example; a feeding bottle, a small box, a rattle, a spoon, etc.---, as children like to have their toy do. This is due, in the first place, to the fact that the extremities of the paws or arms do not remain united.

In the same way, the balance in the sitting position would be greatly facilitated if the end of the arms and the end of the paws (or the hands and the end of the feet in the case of small figures having a human appearance) were connected together in the way, moreover, in which a baby holds itself. This is where the proposed method comes in.

It is based upon the utilization of the closure system, very well-known in other respects, composed of two fabrics and based upon the principle of the fastening strength of hundreds of small hooks woven into a fabric and bedding themselves into another fabric, a very supple fabric in the style of "astrakhan" or "knop wools."

A simple pressure brings about the introduction of the hooks which dig into the "astrakhan" or "knop" fabric and thus hold the two fabrics firmly.

Contrariwise, an adequate pull extracts the hooks from the "astrakhan" or "knop" and thus frees the two fabrics.

In accordance with the proposed process, one can manufacture an animal, puppet or baby doll in fabric, fur or any other material, and this in a conventional manner.

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a doll made in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a magnified view of the right hand palm and fingers or left foot sole and toes;

FIG. 3 is a magnified view of the left hand palm and fingers or right foot sole and toes.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the doll illustrated in FIG. 1 with the left and right hands thereof fastened together.

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the doll illustrated in FIG. 1 in sitting position with the right hand and foot and left hand and foot thereof fastened together.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the doll illustrated in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of the doll in a standing position having a second preferred embodiment;

FIG. 8 is an elevational view of the doll illustrated in FIG. 7 in a selected position.

FIG. 9 is an elevational view of the doll illustrated in FIG. 8 in another selected position.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 one fixes to the left limb, for example, the "hook" fabric to which one will have added any shape and colour beneficial to the aesthetics of the toy, a "claw" if it is a question of an animal, a palm or finger if it is a question of a small figure having a human appearance. One fixes, opposite, to the right limb the receiving "astrakhan" or "knop" fabric. The uniting of the two limbs will have the effect of putting the two fabrics in contact, a simple pressure, even very light, and the limbs will remain closely united FIG. 4 by the closure system described. One will equally be able to provide the ends of the lower limbs with the same elements as the upper limbs by arranging them suitably, and the same principle will operate between upper limbs and lower limbs, which will have the effect of giving any desired posture to the toy, which, as a result, will be very easily seated, especially if its balance has been studied in terms of the system used, FIGS. 5 and 6.

Equally, and this is perhaps even more important and even simpler, one will be able to manufacture, in a conventional manner, an animal, doll or puppet, all or part of which will be composed of or covered with a fabric which fulfils the same conditions as the "astrakhan" or "knop" fabric. That is to say, a teaseled fabric of synthetic fibres into which the "hook" fabric (elements of which of adequate shapes will have been arranged at the desired places) will hook itself with the same effectiveness, FIG. 7.

Everything is therefore permitted; from the moment when the claws or the fingers and/or the palms or the soles of the feet have been put into place, and, we recall, solely composed of a "hook" fabric, one can, in terms of their suppleness, make the toys assume all the positions imaginable, since thenceforth the adherence is no longer a function of sole designated or limited places, but is general; that is to say, over all the surfaces of the fabric with which the toy will have been composed or covered, FIGS. 8 and 9.

A toy will therefore be able to be constructed very economically, without having to incorporate therein costly joint systems, since, both esthetically and practically, the proposed method fulfils the same role as the systems known until now, but whilst permitting a simplicity of manufacture and a certain economy in production costs.

This system is, moreover, very attractive and even fascinating for the child, who, for hours on end, without difficulty and effort will manipulate his toy, the system of which is in itself a game.

Toys manufactured in accordance with the proposed method are, by that very fact, characterized new industrial products.

Claims

What I claim is:

1. A children's toy construction comprising;

a body portion having displaceable body elements extending therefrom,

said extending body elements including hands and feet,

first fastening means of a hooked material secured to said hands and feet and defining thereon first limited fastening areas,

second fastening means of an astrakhan or knop style fabric continuously secured to substantially all of the remaining surfaces of said body portion and body elements and defining thereon second fastening areas of substantially unlimited extent whereby by the bedding of said hooked material into said fabric each of said feet and hands can be secured to said body portion and body elements at an infinite number of locations and the noticeability of said second fastening means as a result of the continuous nature thereof is minimized.

2. A children's toy construction comprising

a body portion having displaceable arm and legs members extending therefrom,

first fastening means of a hooked material secured to the extremity of at least one of said members and defining thereon a first limited fastening area,

second fastening means of an astrakhan or knop style fabric continuously secured to substantially all of the remaining surfaces of said body portion and arm and leg members and defining thereon a second fastening area of substantially unlimited extent whereby by the bedding of said hooked material into said fabric the extremity of at least said one member can be secured to said body portion and arm and leg members at an infinite number of locations and the noticeability of said second fastening means as a result of the continuous nature thereof will be minimized.

3. A children's toy constructed according to claim 2 wherein said body portion comprises a stuffed fabric.