| 1. | A frame for weaving pliant rods including pipe cleaners to create a weaved piece from which a user may form a plurality of threedimensional toy figures, the frame comprising: a first elongated member having two opposing side surfaces and a plurality of pliant rod holes traversing the elongated member from one side surface to the other side surface, the plurality of holes each being adapted to receive a pliant rod therethrough and being disposed substantially linearly across the length of the elongated member so that a warp weave may be defined for creating the weaved piece when one pliant rod is thread through each of the plurality of holes; and two sides projecting from the member and being spaced apart from each other, each side having a means for retaining an end of a pliant rod so that at least one pliant rod may be suspended between the two sides to define a woof weave base for the threading of pliant rods through the warp weave to form the weaved piece. |
| 2. | The frame of claim 1, in which the member has two ends, and the two sides comprise two lateral bars projecting outwardly from one surface of the elongated member, wherein one lateral bar projects from one end of the first elongated member and the other lateral bar projects from the other end of the member, and each of the lateral bars has a pliant rod hole passing therethrough for holding an end of the at least one pliant rod defining the woof weave base. |
| 3. | A toy for making playthings comprising the frame of claim 1 and further comprising a plurality of pliant rods for creating the weaved piece, the rods each being sufficiently flexible to be bent upon application of manual force and sufficiently stiff to remain substantially in place once bent so that freestanding threedimensional toy figures may be created with the toy. |
| 4. | The toy of claim 3, in which the elongated member has a length that is about sixty to ninetyfive percent of the rod length. |
| 5. | The toy of claim 4, in which each of the lateral bars has a length that is about sixty to ninetyfive percent of the rod length, and further comprising a second elongated member coupled to the lateral bars and orientated substantially parallel to the first elongated member. |
| 6. | The toy of claim 5, in which the second elongated member has a plurality of pliant rod holes passing therethrough substantially coaxially aligned with the plurality of pliant rod holes traversing the first elongated member. |
| 7. | The toy of claim 5, in which each one of the two lateral bars has a plurality of pliant rod holes passing therethrough, the pliant rod holes of one lateral bar being substantially coaxially aligned with the pliant rod holes of the other bar. |
| 8. | The toy of claim 7, in which the pliant rods comprise pipe cleaners, and each elongated member is about twenty to thirty centimeters in length and has from about fifteen to thirty pliant rod holes. |
| 9. | The toy of claim 8, in which each lateral bar is about twenty to thirty centimeters in length and has from about fifteen to thirty pliant rod holes. |
| 10. | A device for weaving pliant rods including pipe cleaners to create a weaved piece from which one may form a plurality of toy figures, the device comprising: four side bars comprising a first pair and a second pair of substantially parallel side bars, wherein at least one of the side bars of the first pair has a plurality of pliant rod holes passing therethrough to define a first warp bar, wherein when one pliant rod is thread through each of the plurality of holes of the first warp bar, a warp weave is defined for creating the weaved piece; and each one of the side bars of the second pair has at least one pliant rod hole passing therethrough, so that at least one pliant rod may be retained by the second pair of side bars along the length of the first warp bar to define a woof weave base for the threading of pliant rods through the warp weave to form the weaved piece, wherein the device has an exterior surface that is substantially smooth. |
| 11. | The device of claim 10, in which the substantially smooth exterior surface comprises each one of the four side bars being substantially free of projecting teeth. |
| 12. | A toy for making playthings comprising the device of claim 10 and a plurality of pipe cleaners. |
| 13. | The toy of claim 12, in which all four side bars have a plurality of pliant rod holes passing therethrough, the holes of the two side bars defining the first pair of substantially parallel side bars being coaxially aligned, and the holes of the two side bars defining the second pair of substantially parallel side bars being coaxially aligned. |
| 14. | The toy of claim 13, in which each side bar is about twenty to thirty centimeters in length and has from about fifteen to thirty pliant rod holes. |
| 15. | The toy of claim 12, in which each pliant rod hole has a chamfered opening. |
| 16. | A method of making a freestanding threedimensional toy figure, the method comprising the steps of : providing a weaving device according to claim 1 and a plurality of pliant rods, the pliant rods being sufficiently flexible to be bent upon application of manual force and sufficiently stiff to remain substantially in place once bent; threading a pliant rod through each one of the plurality of pliant rod holes traversing the first elongated member to define a warp weave, and securing a pliant rod hole to the lateral bars so it is suspended between the bars along the length of the elongated member, wherein the step of threading and the step of securing are performed such that the pliant rod hole secured to the lateral bars is weaved through the warp weave to define a woof weave starting point; weaving pliant rods through the warp weave at substantially right angles to the rods forming the warp weave to define a woof weave, such that the warp weave and the woof weave form a weaved piece; removing the weaved piece from the weaving device; bending the rods forming the weaved piece to create the freestanding three dimensional toy figure. |
| 17. | The method of claim 16, in which the step of providing comprises providing a frame according to claim 10 and a plurality of pipe cleaners, the step of removing the weaved piece provides a weaved piece having free, unweaved pipe cleaner ends, and the step of bending comprises folding the weaved piece adjacent its midpoint and twisting or twisting the free ends of the pipe cleaners. |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a toy weaving device that may be used to make toy figures and playthings from pipe cleaners (or other like pliant rods) and a method of making toy figures.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is important for children to have playthings which are both safe and fun for them to use. Since a child may spend much time playing during his or her developmental years, another significant consideration in making toys is that they aid in developing the child's intellect and creativity. Creative leisure activities are indeed beneficial for people of all ages. It is also helpful for toys to be sturdy, that is, unlikely to break or crack when dropped or handled roughly, and which are simple and inexpensive to make, thus minimizing their cost.
Weaving devices intended for use by children as playthings have been known.
For example, weaving toys are described in the following patents: U. S. Pat. No.
2,136,552, titled"Hand Loom,"issued to Page on Nov. 15,1938; U. S. Pat. No.
2,527,333, titled"Toy Handweaving Device,"issued to Raizen on Oct. 24,1950; U. S.
Pat. No. 2,601,715, titled"Weaving Device,"issued to Simonds on July 1,1952; and U. S. Pat. No. 3,294,124, titled"Adjustable Weaving Loom,"issued to Berger on Dec.
27,1966.
Each of the weaving frames described in the foregoing patents involve toothed- frame devices, that is, they involve rectangular or square frames with upwardly projecting teeth or projections around which fabric is placed for weaving. The frames
disclosed in the Page and Raizen patents show holes in the sides of the frame, and the frame shown in the Berger patent has holes in its bottom. In each case, however, the holes are used in conjunction with fastener means to adjust the size of the frame and not for the weaving function for which only the teeth or projections are used, making the teeth essential features for using the devices. These frames present disadvantages because the teeth on the frames could present a risk of injury to a small child and additionally, they present fragile points that could break or otherwise become damaged with rough handling.
Moreover, each of the frames described in the foregoing patents are designed for weaving fabric or yarn into cloth or rectangular pads. (See, e. g., Raizen'333 pat., col. 4, lines 42-50; Berger'124 pat., col. 1, line 45; Page'552 pat., page 2, col. 3, line 3). Thus, the user is limited with these toys to making pads of material, such as weaved pot holders or other pieces of cloth. Accordingly, the extent to which the toy may aid in developing a one's creativity is constrained. None of the foregoing patents describe a device or method for making toys or toy figures.
Other weaving devices are described in U. S. Pat. No. 2,601,222, titled"Toy Bead Loom,"issued to Wehrli on June 17,1952, and U. S. Pat. No. 3,879,823, titled "Weaving Apparatus and Method of Using and Resulting Toy,"issued to Lamb on Apr. 29,1975. With the device described in the Wehrli patent, beaded items such as necklaces and belts may be made. Again, this patent does not disclose a device or method for making toy figures. Also, in Wehrli, a needle is used to weave beads onto a weaving apparatus which could be difficult for small children to handle, and the weaving apparatus is more complicated, e. g., it has more parts, than the toothed- frames of the previously-described patents. The frame described in the Lamb patent may be used to make toys. In Lamb, the material being weaved is a continuous piece
of yarn or string which is wrapped around axles disposed in a parallel orientation relative to each other. In Lamb, after the yarn is wound around the dowel members, it is severed, i. e., with use of a knife or razor blade (see Lamb'823 pat., col. 6, lines 11- 12). Naturally the need to use a knife or razor blade in conjunction with a child's plaything presents disadvantages.
Thus, it would be advantageous to have a weaving device and method that is simple to use, sturdy, safe in terms of the possible risks of injury it may present to children, and flexible in terms of the items that may be created with the toy to aid in developing one's creativity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Applicant has discovered that pliant rods, such as tufted rods commonly known as pipe cleaners, may be weaved together to create pieces from which various toys and figures may be formed, drawing upon the user's creativity. A weaving device for forming the weaved pieces may take many forms but essentially comprises an elongated member having two opposing side surfaces and a plurality of holes traversing the member from one side surface to the other side surface, the plurality of holes being disposed substantially linearly across the length of the member. When one pliant rod is thread through each of the plurality of holes, a warp weave may be defined for creating the weaved piece. The elongated member may also have laterally-disposed holes for initiating or creating a woof weave relative to the warp weave. Two lateral bars may project outwardly from one side surface of the elongated member, with the lateral bars being spaced apart from each other so that at least one pliant rod may be suspended between the two lateral bars along the length of the elongated member. In this way, a starting point is provided to help the user weave pliant rods into the warp weave to form the weaved piece. In another embodiment, the device comprises four
side bars, e. g., two pairs of substantially parallel side bars, to define a substantially square or rectangular frame, and a plurality of pliant rod holes pass through each of the bars. A method for making toys from pliant rods (e. g., pipe cleaners) comprises using the device to form the weaved piece, removing the weaved piece from the device, and bending and twisting the piece to form toys.
The instant invention thus provides a weaving device that is simple, sturdy, safe, and imaginative, e. g., it provides a plaything which may draw on the user's creativity and thus potentially may help develop the user's intellect. Further advantages may appear more fully upon considering the description given below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of the invention, an exemplary embodiment is described below, considered together with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1A shows a frontal, perspective view of one embodiment of the inventive weaving device; FIG. 1B shows the view and embodiment of FIG. 1A with pliant rods forming a weaved piece with use of the device; FIG. 2 shows a perspective, cut-away view of an inventive weaving device looking at a side of the device with pliant rods in the process of being weaved; FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the inventive weaving device; FIG. 3B shows the view and embodiment of FIG. 3A in use with pliant rods secured on the device; FIG. 4A shows a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of the inventive weaving device; FIG. 4B shows a top plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 4A ;
FIG. 4C shows a cross-sectional side view of the embodiment of FIG. 4A taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 4A; and FIGS. 5A-5M show steps for using the weaving device to make a plurality of different toys and toy figures and exemplary toys made using these steps.
It is to be understood that these drawings are for the purposes of illustrating the concepts of the invention and are not to scale.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The weaving device and toy of this invention may take many forms. One embodiment is shown in FIG. 1A which, as with the other embodiments, may be used to weave pliant rods (advantageously pipe cleaners), into a weaved piece. A child or adult user may then configure the weaved piece into any number of toy figures, applying the user's creativity. Referring to FIG. 1A, the device comprises a first elongated member 12 having two ends 14a, 14b and two opposing side surfaces 16a, 16b. The member 12 has a plurality of holes 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d, 18e, etc., traversing its width from one side surface 16a to the other side surface 16b, and the plurality of holes are disposed substantially linearly across the length of the elongated member (e. g., in FIG. 1A between the two ends 14a, 14b). The size of the holes in terms of their diameter will depend upon the size of the pliant rods being weaved. For example, when tufted pliant rods commonly known as"pipe cleaners"are used (as preferred), the diameter of each hole advantageously is about one-fifth to two-fifths of a centimeter. However, other pliant rods also may be used of various sizes. The holes in the device are thus referred to herein as"pliant rod holes,"the term"pliant rod hole" meaning a hole that has a diameter to allow for the passing of at least one pliant rod therethrough.
Looking still at FIG. 1A, two lateral bars 20a, 20b may project outward from one side surface (e. g., 16a) of the first elongated member. The bars 20a, 20b, are spaced apart from each other so that at least one pliant rod (e. g., 40, FIGS. 1B, 2), may be suspended between the two lateral bars along the length of the elongated member, e. g., substantially parallel to the member. The particular pliant rod 40 suspended between the lateral bars 20a, 20b adjacent or closest to the elongated member will be referred to herein as the woof weave base 40 or the woof base, which is the starting point for the threading of pliant rods horizontally relative to the elongated member.
Advantageously, one lateral bar 20a projects from one end 14a of the elongated member, and the other lateral bar 20b projects from the other end of the member 14b, although the lateral bars also may be disposed inward of the ends or even movable relative to the ends, the important consideration being that they be spaced apart so that at least one pliant rod defining the woof base (e. g., 40, FIGS. 1B, 2), may be held along the length of the member. Each of the lateral bars may have a pliant rod hole 28a, 28b, passing therethrough for holding an end of the woof base 40, which is preferred. However, other means for holding the woof base to the lateral bars (not shown) may be used, e. g., clips or frame pieces about which the ends of the woof base may be twisted. The lateral bars may terminate at tips 21a, 21b (FIG. 1A), shortly after the woof base holes 28a, 28b, in the lateral bars, or they may extend lengthwise further away from the elongated member, as shown in FIGS. 3A-4B, discussed further below.
The tips 21a, 21b, if used, need not be curved as shown in FIG. 1A, and may take many forms with the curved tips being shown for illustrative purposes. For example, it should be understood that the tips 21a, 21b, may be joined and the corners 14a, 14b rounded to define a substantially circular frame.
FIG. 1B shows the view and embodiment of FIG. 1A with pliant rods forming a weaved piece 50 with use of the weaving device. The weaved piece 50 is formed of warp threads, e. g., 32a, 32b, 32c, etc., running lengthwise, i. e., vertically relative to the elongated member, and woof threads, e. g., 42a, 42b, 42c, etc., running breadthwise, i. e., horizontally relative to the elongated member and at substantially right angles to the warp threads. The warp threads together define the warp weave of the piece 50, and the woof threads define a woof weave.
Referring still to FIG. 1B, the use of the device is shown. In use, one pliant rod may be thread through each of the plurality of holes 18a, 18b, etc., of the elongated member to form the warp weave. The pliant rod 40 defining the woof weave base or starting point is held between the lateral bars 20a, 20b. The order in which those steps are performed is not critical and is a matter of user preference. The warp weave rods 32a, 32b, may be inserted into the elongated member before the woof base 40 is attached to the lateral bars (in which case the base 40 is weaved through the warp weave rods), or else the woof base may be attached to the lateral bars first, before the rods 32a, 32b, 32c defining the warp weave are inserted into the member 12. In any case, once the warp weave and the woof base are formed, the additional rods 42a, 42b, 42c, defining the woof weave may be successively inserted into the warp weave and pushed up against the elongated member, following arrows"P"of FIG. 1B, to tighten the weave and form the weaved piece 50. Naturally, the order in which the warp and woof weaves are formed is a matter of user preference and may be altered depending on what the user finds most comfortable.
FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an inventive weaving device looking at a side of the device (e. g., facing lateral bar 20b), with pliant rods in the process of being weaved on the device, further demonstrating use and benefits of the device. In FIG. 2
and also in the remaining figures (discussed below), like character references are used to refer to like features as shown in FIGS. lA-1B. FIG. 2 shows a cut-away view with use of curved lines such that this view may reflect a number of different embodiments depending on the type of lateral bars 20a, 20b being used. The rods 32a, 32c, 32e, etc., are shown with hatching to designate different alternating colors, which is preferred for making colorful toys and figures. Once the pliant rods are weaved through the holes in the member 12, each of their free ends (e. g., 33a, 33b, 33c) may be bent against a side surface 16b of the member, as shown. The device is thus advantageously sized smaller than the pliant rods so that the ends of the rods can be held on the device by bending free ends (33a, 33b, etc.), against the device as illustrated. Although the rods are pliant, they preferably should have little resilience so that once they are thread through and then bent against the member, they will stay in place, i. e., remain fixed on the device. This way, the rods may be secured onto the device to enable the user to perform the weaving function and yet, each of the parts of the device 10 may have substantially smooth outer surfaces, free of any projecting teeth or pins as used in previous weaving devices.
FIGS. 3A-3B show an alternative embodiment of the weaving device, with FIG. 3A showing the device alone, and FIG. 3B showing the device in use, e. g., with pliant rods forming a warp weave and three rods of the woof weave. In this embodiment, the lateral bars 20a, 20b, extend lengthwise away from the first elongated member 12. Advantageously, the device can be provided to the user with pliant rods where many (if not most) of the rods each have a predetermined rod length that is substantially uniform from rod to rod (hereinafter referred to as the"rod length").
Optionally, in this version the lateral bars have a length that is about sixty to ninety-five
percent of the rod length (as discussed above, the device should be sized smaller than the rods).
Looking still at FIGS. 3A-3B, the two lateral bars 20a, 20b may each have a plurality of pliant rod holes passing therethrough, the pliant rod holes of one lateral bar (e. g., 41 a, 41 b, 41 c, 41 d) being substantially coaxially aligned with the pliant rod holes of the other bar (e. g., 43a, 43b, 43c, 43d). That way, each of the rods forming the woof weave can be held in place by the lateral bars as the weaved piece is being formed by inserting the free ends of the rods through corresponding holes in the lateral bars (e. g., 41a and 43a, 41b and 43b, etc.), as illustrated in FIG. 3B. A second elongated member 22 may be coupled to the lateral bars and orientated substantially parallel to the first elongated member. The second elongated member 22 can help to hold the lateral bars in place with a fixed distance between them, and it also can help in holding the pliant rods being weaved at a predetermined orientation relative to the first elongated member, e. g., free ends of the pliant rods forming the warp weave may be rested against this member, as shown in FIG. 3B. Advantageously both the first and second elongated members also have a length that is about sixty to ninety-five percent of the rod length so the device is sized smaller than the rods.
Referring now to FIG. 4A, the second elongated member can have the same size and shape as the first elongated member, and also have a plurality of pliant rod holes passing therethrough (e. g., 27a, 27b, 27c, 27d, etc.), substantially coaxially aligned with the plurality of pliant rod holes traversing the first elongated member (e. g., 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d, etc.). This way, again, as the rods forming the warp weave are inserted in the device, they can be secured in place at both ends. As can be seen, with this embodiment, the device can be said to have four side bars comprising two pairs of substantially parallel side bars to define a substantially square or rectangular
frame (e. g., the elongated members define one pair of side bars, and the lateral bars define the other pair). One or more buttresses 25a, 25b, 25c, 25d may be placed in the corners of the device for support. As may be seen from the shaded openings in this figure (and also in more detail in FIG. 4C), each pliant rod hole may have a chamfered opening 27a, 27b, 27c, etc., that is, the holes have a larger diameter at the surface of the member or bar in which the hole is disposed, and a smaller diameter near the center of the member or bar. In this way, the pliant rods may be easily thread into the holes, and yet the smaller diameters at the center of the holes may serve to firmly hold the rods in place.
Referring to FIGS. 4B-4C, there are shown preferred dimensions for the device when pipe cleaners are used for the pliant rods, following the embodiment of FIG. 4A.
In FIG. 4B, the pliant rod holes are hidden from view but are shown with dashed lines.
Pipe cleaners as known are generally about thirty centimeters in length. Pipe cleaners generally comprise tufted wires, and although the tufts may give the rods width of up to one-half a centimeter or more, the tufts are very flexible and will fold into the pliant rod holes. The wires themselves are relatively narrow, e. g., about one-tenth of a centimeter. Thus, the pliant rod holes are preferably about one to two-fifths of a centimeter in diameter and spaced apart by about three-fifths to four-fifths of a centimeter (i. e. distance"S"of FIG. 4B). Both the length L and width W of the weaving device 10 (FIG. 4B), in that case are preferably from about 20-28 centimeters and more preferably from about 24-26 centimeters. An advantageous thickness"T" for the device is about 1/2 to one centimeter.
Applicant has found that it may be advantageous to alter the dimensions based upon the intended users. For example, for devices intended for use by younger children, it may help to have larger pliant rod holes with larger spacings between them,
and also, in that case it may help to have a greater thickness for the frame to maintain its sturdiness. Also, naturally, the size and spacings used for the pliant rod holes may have an impact upon the number of holes that may fit along the length of the members or side bars. However, applicant has found that fifteen to thirty pliant rod holes work well, and more preferably twenty to twenty-five pliant rod holes may be used, and that devices for both younger and older children may be formed with the range of dimensions discussed above.
FIG. 4C shows a cross-sectional side view of the embodiment of FIG. 4A taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 4A, which shows with more detail the chamfered or beveled opening for the pliant rod holes. Advantageously, the height of the device H is about one and one-half to two centimeters. The chamfered or beveled opening to the pliant rod hole may in that case be at its widest point up to about one centimeter in diameter, e. g., distance"B,"while the center of the hole"C"may have a diameter of about one- fifth of a centimeter. It bears reiterating that each of these dimensions are provided for exemplary purposes only with regard to a preferred embodiment of the device to be used with pipe cleaners of about thirty centimeters in length.
FIGS. 5A-5M show steps for using the weaving device to perform the inventive method of making a plurality of different toys and toy figures. Basically, the weaving device is first used to form the pliant rods into a weaved piece 50, as previously described and as shown in FIGS. 5A-5C. The woof weave base 40 may be secured into the device and held by the lateral bars (FIG. 5A). Pliant rods 32a, 32b, 32c, etc., then may be successively inserted into the holes of the first elongated member 12, above and below the woof base 40, as shown in FIG. 5A, and secured onto the frame by bending the free ends (e. g., FIG. 2). As previoiusly discussed, the warp weave pieces can be inserted before the woof weave is begun; the order in which
the rods are weaved is not important to the method. However, following one preferred approach, once the warp weave is provided (FIG. 5B), crosswise threads, e. g., 42a, 42b, 42c, etc., then may be successively inserted into the warp weave (i. e., horizontally orientated relative to the first elongated member), to ultimately form the weaved piece (FIG. 5C). However, other types of weaving steps may be performed, as are known. Also, as previously discussed, the order in which the various rods are woven to form the weaved piece is a matter of user preference and may be altered depending on what the particular user finds most comfortable.
Once the weaved piece 50 is made, it can be removed from the frame, for example, by pushing the weaved piece from the frame following the arrow R in FIG.
5D. It may be necessary to first straighten out any free ends that have been bent against the surface of the members or bars (e. g., as shown in FIG. 2). Also, depending on the user, one may prefer to manually remove the pliant rods from the pliant rod holes and lift the piece from the weaving device. Generally, once removed, the piece 50 will have free ends 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d, etc. The pliant rods forming the weaved piece may be bentto create the toy figure. For example, in FIG. 5E, the piece is first bent adjacent its midpoint (i. e., it is basically folded over in half) (arrow"M"of FIG.
5E). Following the arrows"T"in FIG. 5E, the free ends from the rods defining the warp weave may be twisted to form legs for a toy figure, and free ends from the rods defining the woof weave may be either bent under the piece or twisted to form a nose and a tail for a toy figure, i. e., a pig. The resultant toy figure is shown in FIG. 5F.
Pliant rods or pipe cleaners of various lengths may be twisted around the legs, nose, or tail to add various features or designs to the toy figure, as shown in FIG. 5G.
Naturally, other decorative items may also be added, such as, for example, beads, pom- poms, bows, yarn, or ribbon. FIGS. 5H-I show that when the weaved piece is
basically bent in half, it may form a chair for a child's doll or stuffed animal. Another simple figure that may be made is a crab, shown in FIG. 5J, or a turtle, shown in FIG.
5K. Many other figures may be made, drawing on the user's creativity. Also, more than one weaved piece may be joined together to form a larger figure. For example, FIGS. 5L and 5M show toy dinosaur and dragon figures, respectively, made with pipe cleaners and weaved pieces formed with the inventive device.
It is understood that the embodiments described herein are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art may make variations and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, although the invention is described with reference to pipe cleaners that are now generally available, it may be used with other pliant rods of various sizes and shapes, with the frame adjusted or adjustable relative to the size of the pliant rods. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.