Articulable shoulder puppet

Abstract

A mechanism for a soft sculpture puppet by which its movable components can be operated while the puppet is perched on a puppeteer's shoulder including a support beam designed to rest on the shoulder of a puppeteer, a rigid control shaft attached to the beam and extending down the back to the vicinity of the waist of the puppeteer, a forward stabilizer affixed to the support beam and extending down the front of the puppeteer's shoulder which, together with the control shaft, secure the puppet on the shoulder, and control mechanisms operable from the end of the control shaft in the vicinity of the waist to selectively move the movable components of the puppet.

1 . A structure for a shoulder-sitting puppet, comprising: 
 a beam member adapted to rest on a puppeteer's shoulder;    a rigid, hollow control shaft having a first end and a second end and secured at its first end to, and depending from, said beam member whereby said shaft extends along the back to the vicinity of the waist of a puppeteer when said beam member rests on a puppeteer's shoulder;    a forward stabilizer secured to, and depending from, said beam member at a location spaced apart from said control shaft whereby said forward stabilizer extends down the front of the shoulder of a puppeteer when said body member rests on the puppeteer's shoulder and said control shaft extends along the back of the puppeteer's shoulder;    at least one movable puppet component attached to said beam member;    a control mechanism extending from the second end of said control shaft to said at least one movable puppet component and operative from the second end of said control shaft to selectively move said movable puppet component.    
   
   
       2 . The structure for a shoulder-sitting puppet of  claim 1  wherein said control shaft is between  18  inches and  30  inches long.  
   
   
       3 . The structure for a shoulder-sitting puppet of  claim 1  wherein there are at least two movable puppet components and said control mechanism extends to both whereby each movable puppet component is independently selectively movable by said control mechanism.  
   
   
       4 . The structure for a shoulder-sitting puppet of  claim 3  wherein said control shaft has a longitudinal axis and said control mechanism includes rotation of said control shaft about its longitudinal axis to move one of said movable puppet components.  
   
   
       5 . The structure for a shoulder-sitting puppet of  claim 3  wherein said control mechanism includes mechanical actuators disposed at the second end of said control shaft and control cords that extend from said actuators through said control shaft to said movable puppet components.  
   
   
       6 . The structure for a shoulder-sitting puppet of  claim 3  wherein said control mechanism includes: 
 mechanical actuators disposed at the distal end of said control shaft;    a source of electrical power;    electric motors disposed to operate said movable puppet component;    wires that extend from said electrical power source through said control shaft to said motors and wherein said actuators connect and disconnect said source of electric power to and from said motors.    
   
   
       7 . The structure for a shoulder-sitting puppet of  claim 4  wherein said control mechanism includes a spool drive between said control shaft and one of said movable puppet components which movable puppet component is made to move by rotating said control shaft about its longitudinal axis.  
   
   
       8 . The structure for a shoulder-sitting puppet of  claim 1  wherein there are three movable components attached to said beam member including a tail structure that can move up and down, a neck member that can move from side to side and a mouth structure that can open and close.  
   
   
       9 . The structure for a shoulder-sitting puppet of  claim 8  wherein said control mechanism includes: 
 a first control cord that extends from the second end of said control shaft to said tail structure and is operative when pulled to raise said tail structure and operative when released to allow said tail structure to fall;    a pair of second control cords that extends from the second end of said control shaft to said mouth structure and are operative when pulled to cause said mouth structure to open; and    a spool drive operatively disposed between said control shaft and said neck member whereby rotation of said control shaft in one direction about its longitudinal axis causes said neck member to move to one side and rotation in the opposite direction causes said neck member to move to the other side.    
   
   
       10 . The structure for a shoulder-sitting puppet of  claim 8  wherein said mouth structure includes spring means urging said mouth structure closed.  
   
   
       11 . The structure for a shoulder-sitting puppet of  claim 1  wherein said forward stabilizer is further describes as a U-shaped member having a cross bar with two extending legs and wherein said cross bar is affixed to said beam member.  
   
   
       12 . The structure for a shoulder-sitting puppet of  claim 11  wherein said legs are between 6 inches and 9 inches long.