Figure toy

Aug. 12, 1947.

L. E. HANSEN

FIGURE .TOY

Filed Nov. 23, 1945

2,425,429

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Patented Aug. 12, 1947

2,425,429

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,425,429

FIGURE TOY

Louis E. Hansen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Application November 23, 1945, Serial No. 630,180

Claims.

My invention appertains to animated toys made up to resemble an insect or animal and has particular reference to a toy in the figure of a grasshopper.

Primarily the aim of the invention is the provision of a novel and entertaining toy adapted to rest upon a supporting surface and having a resiliently projected plunger arranged to be manually released for forcibly contacting the supporting surface in order to cause the toy to jump or leap in simulation of life-like action.

Preferably the toy is in the form of a grasshopper and the invention has as a further object the provision of a plunger mechanism in which the motivating agent is supplied by an elastic element applied in a simple and effective manner to outwardly project the plunger with a force sufficient to raise the toy bodily from a supporting surface.

A further object resides in the novel means for limiting outward movement of the plunger, and still another object resides in the provision of detent means for constraining the plunger against the action of the elastic element and providing for its release by a trip device.

These and other objects are attained by the selected form of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the figure toy partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a cross section on line 2—2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3—3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side view of the toy.

Fig. 5 is a perspective detail of the toy viewed from its under side and showing the assembly of the mechanism to better advantage.

In carrying out the invention I provide a body, generally denoted at 7, made up in the figure of a grasshopper of which the legs 8 support it upon a surface such as that of a. floor or table and for this purpose are made rigid as by constructing them integrally with the body.

The body is a hollow member and is formed of a mouldable material, such as a plastic substance, to supply a chamber 9 which extends upwardly from the bottom surface 10 so as to provide an opening opposite to and in close proximity to the sustaining surface upon which the toy is placed. The chamber is preferably of a rectangular cross section as will be best discernible from an inspection of Fig. 3. It is defined by the side walls 11 and the partitioning walls f 2 and i 3.

The chamber accommodates a plunger 14 of a like configuration thereto which fits entirely within the same and has a substantial transverse opening 15. The plunger is loosely arranged in the chamber for downward projection to contact the surface which supports the body, and it is spaced slightly from the partitioning walls 12 and (Cl. 46—145) i 3 in order that it may be tilted in said chamber in a plane longitudinally of the body 7, as shown in Fig. 1. This tilting movement is utilized to retain the plunger in set position within the 5 chamber and to this end there is formed at the lower end of the rear wall 13 an inwardly projecting lip 16 which is engaged by the outer face of the bottom member 17 of the plunger. The lip forms a detent for latching engagement with 10 the plunger and it will be readily understandable that in order to retain the plunger in the chamber it is only necessary to urge its lower end rearwardly into seating engagement with said lip. To aid in making the engagement it is desirable 15 to provide an inwardly and upwardly sloping face at the inner end of the front wall for engagement with the top frontal corner 19 of the plunger whereby to shift the plunger rearwardly as it is being pressed into the chamber against the action 2Q of the tensioning agent.

The tensioning agent is an elastic band 20 having companion strands encompassing the opposite sides and the top of the plunger with end loops 21 fitted over prongs 22 longitudinally dis25 posed on the side walls ί i at the mouth of the chamber. The elastic element is tensioned by pressing the plunger in the chamber.

To limit outward travel of the plunger there is supplied a bridge or stop piece 23 extending 3Q transversely through the body 7 and disposed in the aperture 15 of the plunger so as to abut the top member 24 thereof.

The ends of the stop piece are supplied with slots 25 to permit the elastic element to pass 35 therethrough and these bifurcated ends are lodged in openings 26 immediately above the prongs 22, the openings being formed in the side walls il. This interfitting connection not only enables the stop piece to prevent the loop ends 4Q of the elastic element from becoming inadvertently detached from the prongs, but also functions to provide a structure in which the strands of the elastic element retain the stop piece in place.

From the preceding description it will be clear that the structure provides a plunger which is adapted to be pressed into the chamber by hand and retained therein against the force of the elastic element by means of the lip in order that ₅₀ when released it will be projected outwardly to cause the body to have a jumping action.

The release of the plunger is preferably achieved by a hand lever 27 pivoted at 28 on the side of the body and supplied with an arm 55 S9 curved downwardly and operable in an aperture 30 in the wall 13 for disengaging the plunger from the lip i6. To release the plunger it is only necessary to put one’s finger on the lever and press it down.

It will be manifest that the invention provides

2,425,429 a novel and entertaining toy which can be made at low cost using a plastic material for all parts with the exception, of course, of the elastic agent; and that the structure provides for ready assembly of the parts. The invention is obviously not restricted to a figure toy in the form of a grasshopper, and such changes in structure and form may be resorted to as come within the subjoined claims.