Improvements in or relating to the production of animated kinematographic cartoons and puppets for use therefor

摘要

512,722. Toy animals and puppets. SHORTER. E. A. March 11, 1938, No. 7617. [Class 132 (iii)] [Also in Group XX] A puppet for use in making cartoon kinematograph films comprises a trunk, head, and limbs, all forming units capable of disconnection, the limbs consisting of tubes or rods made flexible at the joint positions by soft metal connections, and being provided with hands, and with feet upon which the puppet may stand without additional support; the head may comprise a mechanical framework covered with plastic material and adjustable to vary the facial expression. As shown in Fig. 2. blocks 10, 11, of aluminium &c. are connected by a soft metal wire or rod 12 extending to form a neck 13. The limbs comprise flexible light-weight metal wire or rod 15, 16, surrounded by rigid tubular sheaths 15a, 16a and are formed with ferrules detachably insertible in the blocks 10, 11, and in hands and feet. The block 11 has two sets of holes so that the legs may be inserted from below or from the front, in accordance with the desired attitude of the puppet. The head may be a cast, or may be plastic material 1, Fig. 1, housing a framework supported on a socket 19 for the neck and comprising spring-pressed ball- and-socket joints or spring or weight influenced members holding the plastic material in variable positions. As shown, the socket 19 carries a stem 20 on which are mounted a spring 4 and arms 23, 25, carrying cheek plates 24 and a plate 26. The plate 26 is provided with spring-pressed sockets 2 for holding the nose and chin, and with a hole 6 to house a stud or press-button fastening 5 behind each of alternative mouth plates, Fig. 4. The stem 20 may also carry an arm 21 on which are pivoted arms 21a supporting the ears. Eyeballs 7 may be carried by hinges or ball-andsocket joints or rods 7a slidable in holes behind the eye sockets, and eyebrows 8 and a moustache may be integrally formed on the head or may be pivoted on pins 8a alternatively, in the case of caricatured animals, the eyebrows may be outlined on the lower edge of an adjustable cap.