June 10, 1930. w. o. YANcEY FIGURE DOLL Filed Jan. 27, 1930 ZSheets-Sheet .1
June 10, 1930. w. o. .YANCEY 1,762,374
A FIGURE DOLL Filed Jan. 27, 19:50 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 10, 1930 WILLIAM 0. YANGEY, OIE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS FIGURE DQLL Application filed January 27, 1930. Serial No. 423,633.
This invention relates to improvements in dolls and more particularly to dolls heads having a sectional rotative face portion capa ble of being adjusted to reproduce different facial expressions or contortions.
The invention is applicable to all kinds of dolls or figures of persons, animals, or birds, whether they be life-like or comic, and has for its object the provision of a novel toy calculated to afford amusement to both old and young.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1. is a general view of the figure of a comic policeman as illustrative of the invention.
Figure 2, a view in side elevation of the head with the facial segments removed.
Figure 3 is a view of the head in vertical section through the head with parts assembled.
Figures dand 5 are views in side elevation of the central facial segments in different positions.
Figure 6 and 7 are views of the outer facial segments, and
Figures 8 and 9 are views in front elevation of the rotative segments showing the manner in which the facial expression can be changed.
The novel feature of the invention being confined to the head, the formation of the body of the figure is not of importance. As a preferable construction, however, the head is pivoted to the body so that it can be turned from side to side. Thus, as shown in Figure 2, the body 1 of the figure without the outer garments may be of wood and having a neck portion 1 with a fiat top surface upon which the head is pivotally mounted.
The head is made up of a relatively stationary shell orcasing 2, substantially semispherical in shape and forming the top, back and sides, that is, the hair-bearing portions of the head, leaving a large open space in front for the facial area extending from the top of the forehead to the neck and from ear to ear. Theshell 2 may be made in any suitable manner or material, as for instance a thin metal shell pressed or moulded to the contour of the skull and painted to simulate the hair. At the base of the shell is anintegral fiat plate 2 which bears on the top of the body and pivotally connected therewith as by a pin and socket connection. Thecars 3, 3 may be made integral with the shell be ing pressed from the metal in their proper location along the forward edges of the shell. The face of the head, or the several facial. features in different states of repose, consists of a globe or spherical body 4 r-otative about a horizontal axis passing through theshell 2 in region of the ears and divided symmetrically into three independently rotatable segments, as by parallel planes intersecting the sphere at right angles to its axis. More specifically, the parallel planes of intersection are located on opposite sides of what would be the equator of the sphere, thus forming a central segment 4t, the surface of which includes the portion of the face between the eyes and occupied by the nose and mouth and chin, and twoouter segments 49,4" somewhat less than semi-spherical in shape, their surfaces including the eyes, cheeks and adjacent portions of the face. The segmentedsphere 4; may be made of any suitable material, either hollow or solid, and with the facial features painted on the surface or impressed in relief and painted. For the purpose of illustration, however, thesegments are shown as made of solid wood, with the facial fea tures painted thereon.
As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the central segment P is divided circumferentially into quadrants, each bearing the representation of a nose, mouth and chin of a different contour in a state of repose. Elmilarlythe surface of the outer segment-s 4", l aredivided into quadrants, each depicting the eyes, cheeks, eye-brows of their respective sides of the face in different states of repose.
The face-formingsphere 4 is mounted on a pin 5 passing through its axis, the ends of the pin being fixed at the sides of thehead casing 2 approximately at the center of theears 3, 3 which, as shown in Figure 3, projectfrom the sides of the head and lie close to the ends of the outer facial segments 49, e which are preferably flattened somewhat at their poles. In order to conceal the area of the sphere not exposed in the facial area, the
I the segments, the different groups of facial elements depicted thereon are brought into register With each other to form a complete face. Many combinations are manifestly possible and many different faces, varying greatly in expression or facial contortion, may be produced on the face of the figure. In the present disclosure the combinations are confined to changes in expression in the same face, but it is also possible to make complete changes in color or racial characteristics as Well as expression.
I claim as my invention:
1. A dolls head comprising a relatively stationary shell, a spherical member rotative in said shell and having a portion of its surface forming the facial area of said head, said spherical body being divided symmetrically into a plurality of segments each bearing groups of facial features at intervals about its circumference and adapted to be brought into register With one another within the facial area.
2. A dolls head comprising a relatively stationary hollow shell forming the hairbearing areas of the head, and having a front opening corresponding to the facial area; a rotative sphere mounted in the frame and having 'a predetermined portion of its surface exposed in the facial opening of said shell, said sphere being divided symmetrical ly into a plurality of independently rotative segments each bearing groups of facial features in different states of repose adapted to be variously combined in registering relation Within the facial area to form faces of difiering expression or contortion.
3. A dolls head comprising a hollow casing simulating the hair-bearing portion of the head and the ears and having an opening corresponding to the facial area thereof, a sphere mounted in said casing and rotative about a horizontal axis passing transversely through the head in the region of the ears, said sphere being divided symmetrically into a plurality of segments, the surface of each segment being divided circumferentially into sectors each bearing the groups of a facial feature in different states of repose, said spherical segments being rotative independently of each other to bring different groups of facial features into register Within the facial opening of said casing.
4. A dolls head comprising a hollow casing simulating the hair-bearing portion of the head and ears and having an opening corresponding to the facial area thereof, a sphere mounted in said casing and rotative upon a horizontal axle mounted transversely of said casingin the region of the ears, said sphere being divided symmetrically into a central and outer segment as by parallel planes perpendicular to said axis, the surfaces of said segments bearing groups of facial features in different states of repose and spaced apart circumferentially at equal intervals, said spherical segments being rotative independently of each other to bring different groups of facial segments into register Within the facial opening of said casing.
Signed at Chicago, Ill, this 2&th day of January, 1930.
\VILLIAM O. YANCEY.