Dancing walking doll

Claim 2

In a walking doll having head, arm and leg members extending from the torso, and drive means oscillating within the torso and coupled to the leg members for oscillating them relative to the torso, the improvement comprising: arm-bearing means for pivotally mounting at least a first of said arm members on said torso; linking means coupled to said drive means for movement by said drive means as it oscillates within said torso; and means for coupling said linking means to said first arm member to pivot it whereby to pivot said arm member as the leg members oscillate.

Claim 3

The improvement described in claim 1 including: head-bearing means for pivotally supporting said head on said torso; and means for coupling said linking means to said head to pivot it.

Claim 4

The improvement desCribed in claim 1 wherein: said drive means comprises a housing pivotally mounted on said torso and means for oscillating said housing relative to said torso; and said linking means comprises a member pivotally mounted on said torso and coupled to said housing of said drive means.

Claim 5

The improvement described in claim 1 wherein: said drive means includes a motor constructed to operate in predetermined forward and reverse directions; and said drive means includes means for pivoting said legs at the same rate as the oscillation of said torso and in a predetermined phase relationship when said motor operates in said forward direction, to cause forward doll walking; and including reversing switch means for operating said motor in said reverse direction.

Claim 6

The improvement described in claim 4 wherein: said drive means includes means for substantially altering the phase relationship from a reverse of said predetermined forward phase relationship, when said motor operates in said reverse direction, to prevent substantial backward walking of said doll.

Claim 7

The improvement described in claim 4 wherein: said drive means includes first transmission means for coupling said motor to said torso to pivot said drive unit relative to said torso, and second transmission means for coupling said motor to said legs to pivot them; and at least one of said transmission means includes substantially more backlash than the other, to provide a substantial change of phase relationship between torso and leg pivoting when said motor operates in said reverse direction from the relationship that would exist with zero backlash.

Claim 8

The improvement described in claim 1 wherein: said arm bearing means is constructed to pivotally support both of said arm members for pivoting about a substantially vertical axis when said doll is upright; said drive means is constructed to operate in a dancing mode wherein said doll substantially steps in place; and said means for coupling is connected to both of said arm members to pivot them in unison so that one pivots back while the other pivots forward, whereby to simulate a go-go dancer when said drive means operates in said dancing mode.

Claim 9

The improvement described in claim 1 wherein: said arm-bearing means comprises means for pivotally supporting both of said arm members on said torso; said linking means comprises a member pivotally mounted on said torso and having an end portion coupled to said drive means; and said means for coupling comprises a crossmember having opposite end portions coupled to said arm members, and a portion between said end portions which is coupled to said member which is pivotally mounted on said torso.

Claim 10

A dual mode figure toy having a walking mode and a dancing mode, comprising: a substantially upright torso; a pair of legs depending from said torso to support it on the ground; means for shifting the weight of said torso from one leg to the other; means for cyclically pivoting said legs in back and forth motion in predetermined phase relation to said weight-shifting means; and means for selectively altering the phase relationship between shifting of the weight of said torso between said legs and pivoting of said legs, between a first mode wherein each leg moves in substantially only one direction of pivoting during the period when the weight of said torso is on that leg, and a second mode wherein each leg pivots both back and forth during the period when the weight of said torso is on that leg.

Claim 11

A dual mode figure toy having a walking mode and a dancing mode, comprising: a substantially upright torso; a pair of legs depending from said torso to support it on the ground; means for shifting the weight of said torso from one leg to the other; means for cyclically pivoting said legs in back and forth motion in predetermined phase relation to said weight-shifting means; and means for selectively altering the phase relationship between shifting of the weight of said torso between said legs and pivoting of said legs, between a first mode wherein each leg moves in substantially only one direction of pivoting during the period when the weight of said torso is on that leg, and a second mode wherein each leg pivots both back and forth during the period when the weight of said torso is on that leg.

Claim 12

The figure toy described in claim 9 including: a motor; and wherein said means for shifting and said means for pivoting comprise first and second transmission means coupled to said motor, one of said transmission means having substantially more backlash than the other; and said means for selectively altering the phase relationship comprise means for reversing said motor.

Claim 13

A doll comprising: a torso, head, and pivoted arm and leg members extending from said torso; drive means for oscillating said torso from side to side relative to said legs while pivoting said legs alternately in a fore-and-aft direction; means pivotally mounting said arm members on said torso; means coupling said drive means to said arms to pivot them relative to said torso; said drive means including means coupled to said legs and torso for pivoting said legs in a predetermined phase relationship with respect to oscillations of said torso to cause said doll to walk forward; and manually operable switch means for altering said phase relationship so that said doll does not substantially walk forward, whereby to cause said doll to dance.

Claim 14

A doll comprising: a torso, head, and pivoted arm and leg members extending from said torso; drive means for oscillating said torso from side to side relative to said legs while pivoting said legs alternately in a fore-and-aft direction; means pivotally mounting said arm members on said torso; means coupling said drive means to said arms to pivot them relative to said torso; said drive means including means coupled to said legs and torso for pivoting said legs in a predetermined phase relationship with respect to oscillations of said torso to cause said doll to walk forward; and manually operable switch means for altering said phase relationship so that said doll does not substantially walk forward, whereby to cause said doll to dance.

Claim 15

The doll described in claim 11 wherein: said drive means comprises a housing pivotally mounted within said torso and means for oscillating said housing about its axis of pivoting; and said means for coupling comprises a crank member pivotally mounted on said torso and having a first end coupled to said housing of said drive means and a second end, and a crossmember having opposite ends coupled to said arm members and a portion between said opposite ends which is coupled to said second end of said crank member.

Claim 16

The doll described in claim 11 wherein: said drive means includes an electrically energizable motor for running in forward and reverse directions; and said switch means comprises means for connecting said motor to a current source to energize it selectively to run in said forward and reverse directions.

Claim 17

The doll described in claim 13 wherein: said means coupled to said legs and torso comprises first and second transmission means coupled to said legs and torso, respectively, one of said transmission means having substantially more backlash than the other.

Claim 18

A self-propellable, self-supportable toy figure comprising: a torso having a pair of legs appended thereto; first means coupled to said toy figure for cyclically shifting from side to side a major portion of the supported weight of said doll alternately between one and the other of said pair of legs; and second means coupled to said toy figure for causing each of said pair of legs to cyclically more with respect to said torso in alternate forward and backward stepping motions with respect to said torso; said second means being constructed to phase the cyclical motions of said legs relative to said cyclic shifting of weight between said legs, so that each leg normally supports said major portion of the weight of said doll during substantial portions of both the forward and reverse stepping motions of each leg to cause the said legs during their motion to intermittently push against each other and to twist and turn said toy figure, thereby causing said toy figure to execute dancing motions.

Claim 19

A self-propellable, self-supportable toy figure comprising: a torso having a pair of legs appended thereto; first means coupled to said toy figure for cyclically shifting from side to side a major portion of the supported weight of said doll alternately between one and the other of said pair of legs; and second means coupled to said toy figure for causing each of said pair of legs to cyclically more with respect to said torso in alternate forward and backward stepping motions with respect to said torso; said second means being constructed to phase the cyclical motions of said legs relative to said cyclic shifting of weight between said legs, so that each leg normally supports said major portion of the weight of said doll during substantial portions of both the forward and reverse stepping motions of each leg to cause the said legs during their motion to intermittently push against each other and to twist and turn said toy figure, thereby causing said toy figure to execute dancing motions.

Claim 20

The toy figure described in claim 15 wherein: said first means include apparatus for pivotally swinging said torso from side to side with respect to said legs.

Claim 21

The toy figure described in claim 16 wherein: said second means includes clutch means for temporarily interrupting the cyclical movements of said legs.

Claim 22

The toy figure described in claim 15 including: third means coupled to said toy figure for cyclically rocking the figure''s head; and fourth means coupled to said toy figure for cyclically swinging the figure''s arms, the cyclical movements of said third and fourth means interacting dynamically in the motions of said toy figure with the cyclical movements of said first and second means to further enhance the unpredictability of the dancing motions of said toy figure.

Claim 23

The toy figure described in claim 15 including: manually actuable mode switching means for altering the phasing between said first and second means so that thereafter each leg is normally free of weight during a predetermined one of said forward and backward motions of said leg, whereby said toy figure is thereafter propElled in a predetermined backward or forward walking motion.