Pneumatic space capsule

Oct. 17, 1967

3,346,989

J. W. RYAN ETAL

PNEUMATIC SPACE CAPSULE Filed Nov. 14, 1966

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United States Patent Office 3,346,989 ____________________________________________________________Patented Oct. 17, 1967 ¹ 2

3,346,989 PNEUMATIC SPACE CAPSULE John W. Ryan, Bel Air, Cecil F. Adickes, Jr., Woodland Hills, and Jacob De Gelder, Torrance, Calif., assignors to Mattel, Inc., Hawthorne, Calif., a corporation of California

Filed Nov. 14,1966, Ser. No. 594,176

Claims. (CI. 46—44)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A rigid hollow casing having two hinged halves with opposed notches in their edges so that a doll may be placed in the casing with its legs extending through the openings defined by the notches when the casing is closed. A pair of flexible, hollow, resilient arm members extending from the casing and communicating with a bladder chamber in the casing, and pump means connected to the bladder chamber to apply air pressure in the arm members to cause them to change shape or position.

The present invention relates to a new and useful pneumatic space capsule toy and more particularly to such a. toy in combination with a doll simulating an astronaut in a space suit.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a new and useful pneumatic space capsule toy.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a toy including a housing means which simulates a space capsule and which has hollow, simulated, spacesuited arms connected thereto and to air supply means for admitting air under pressure to the arms for changing the shape thereof.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a toy of the type described which may be quickly and easily mounted on a doll by engaging apertures provided in the bottom wall of the toy around the legs of the doll.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a simulated space capsule toy which includes simulated, space-suited arms in the form of inflatable bellows which are formed with a preset shape simulating human arms bent at the elbows and which are inflatable to an extended position by air under pressure which is supplied to the simulated arms through a pump and conduit means connected to the space capsule toy.

According to the present invention, a pneumatic space capsule toy is provided in combination with a doll having a head, a torso, a pair of arms and a pair, of legs. Each of the legs includes an upper portion and a lower portion.

The toy includes a housing means having an encompassing side wall and a bottom wall. The bottom wall is provided with a pair of apertures for receiving each of the doll’s legs to connect the housing means to the doll in such a manner that the upper portions of the legs, the torso, the arms and the head are housed in the housing means while the lower portions of the legs extend below the bottom wall outside of the housing means. The doll’s arms may be folded down along the torso out of sight when the doll is inside the housing means.

. A pair of hollow, simulated arms are connected to the side wall. Each simulated arm is made out of a bellowstype diaphragm having a preset shape simulating human arms bent at the elbows. The accordion pleated structure of the arms simulates an astronaut’s space suit. Each simulated arm has a first end which is closed by a simnlated human hand and a second, open end which is connected to the housing means in fluid communication with a bladder forming an air chamber in the housing means. An air pump is connected to this chamber through a suitable flexible conduit means so that the arms may be actuated from a remote location. When air under 5 pressure is supplied to the arms from the pump, the arms extend to an open position where they are straight.

The doll may be provided with feet in which permanent magnets are embedded for connecting the doll to a magnetizable, simulated space sled. The sled has a cord attached thereto for pulling it over a suitable surface with the doll and pneumatic space capsule combination in position thereon.

The space capsule toy may be provided with windows at its upper end through which the doll’s head is visible 15 when the doll is in position inside the housing means.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with fur20 ther objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like elements in the several views.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a pneumatic space capsule toy of the present invention showing the space capsule portion thereof in an open position;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, elevational view of the 30 toy of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3—3 of FIG. 2;

FIGURE 4 is a partial, cross-sectional view taken along line 4—4 of FIG. 2; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged, partial cross-sectional view taken along line 5—5 of FIG. 3.

Referring again to the drawings, a pneumatic space capsule toy, generally designated 10, includes a space man doll 12, a housing means 14 and a simulated space sled 40 16.

The doll 12 includes a head 18, a torso 20, a pair of arms 22, 24 and a pair of legs 26, 28. The legs 26, 28 each includes an upper portion 30 and a lower portion 32. Each lower portion 32 is provided with a simulated 45 boot 34 in which a permanent magnet 36 is embedded for adhering the doll 12 to the sled 16, which may be made from a magnetizable material. The sled 16 may be pulled over a suitable surface 38 (FIG. 1) by a cord 40 which is attached to the sled 16, as shown in FIG. 50 2. The doll 12 may be of a pliable type which is maintained in bent positions by an armature means 42 having a soft wire core 44 and a rigid portion 46.

The housing means 14 includes a front housing half 48 and a rear housing half 50 which are joined together 55 by hinge means 52 including a hinge pin 54. The housing halves 48 and 50 may be opened to the position shown in FIG. 1 for placing the housing means 14 on the doll 12 in such a manner that the head 18 is disposed within the upper portion 56 of the housing means ⁶⁰ 14 and the lower portions 32 of the legs 26, 28 extend below a bottom wall 58 through aperture means 60 provided therein. The bottom wall 58 includes a first semicircular wall half 62 which closes the lower end 64 of the housing half 50. A second semi-circular bottom wall half 66 closes the lower end 68 of the housing half 48 and is provided with aperture means 70 which match the aperture means 60.

The upper portion 56 includes a domed top portion

72 which is connected to an intermediate portion 74 of the housing means 14 by a plurality of simulated window panes 76 for exposing the doll head 18 to view. A pair

3,346,989 of simulated hooks 78 are affixed to the top 72, together with a simulated lamp 80.

When the front housing half 48 and the rear housing half 50 are closed, as shown in FIG. 3, an encompassing side wall 82 is formed for enclosing the upper leg portions 30, the torso 20 the doll’s arms 22, 24 and the head 18 in the housing means 14. A pair of hollow, simulated clothing means or space-suited arms 84, 86 have open ends 88 affixed to the side wall 82 in fluid communication with an air chamber 89 formed inside the front housing half : 48 by a flexible bladder 90 and the side wall 82. The arms 84, 86 each include a closed end 92 formed by a mittened hand-and-wrist simulating member 94. The arms 84, 86 each includes an upper arm portion 96 which is preferably molded in the shape of a bellows-type diaphragm having accordion pleats 98 which are preset in such a manner that the arms 84, 86 are bent inwardly toward each other bringing the ends 92 together. When air under pressure is supplied to the arms 84, 86 through the air chamber 89, the arms 84, 86 will be extended to the broken line position shown in FIG. 3. Air under pressure may be supplied to the chamber 89 by an air pump 100 which is connected to the chamber 89 by a flexible conduit 102 which, in turn, may be of sufficient length to operate the arms 84, 86 from a remote location by actuating the pump 100. The pump 100 includes a hand grip 104 which may be grasped by a user of the toy 10 for actuating the pump 100. . . ,

The front housing half 48 is provided with an air inlet 106 communicating with the. air chamber 89 and receiving the end 108 of conduit 102. The other end 110 of conduit 102 is; connected to the discharge end 112 of the pump 100. A simulated pressurizing valve 114 and a simulated lamp 116 are provided on the front housing half 48 together with simulated inspection ports 118. Another simulated inspection port 120 is also provided on the front housing half 48 on the top portion 72.

While, the particular pneumatic space capsule toy herein shown and described in detail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention and that no limitations arc intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims.