Mechanical costume wings

Abstract

A costume wing, and a kit for producing a costume wing, having an internal structure mechanically capable of movement to simulate the flapping or spreading of wings, and an interchangeable external decorative cover.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A costume wing comprising
 a harness configured to be worn by a user,   a hinge attached to the harness,   an elongate member attached to the hinge at a first end,   a swing arm comprising an upper end region and a lower end, the upper end region pivotally attached to a second end of the elongate member, and   an actuating cord, the actuating cord being attached to the upper end region and extending to the harness, such that the user may actuate the actuating cord and rotate the swing arm about the second end of the elongate member.   
     
     
         2 . The costume wing of  claim 1  wherein the hinge allows pivotal movement of the wing substantially orthogonal to the rotation of the swing arm. 
     
     
         3 . The costume wing of  claim 1  wherein a boom is mounted to the hinge and the elongate member to fix an angle between the hinge and the elongate member. 
     
     
         4 . The costume wing of  claim 4  wherein the boom may be mounted to the elongate member at discrete points along the boom. 
     
     
         5 . The costume wing of  claim 1  wherein a portion of the actuating cord is encased in a plastic sheath. 
     
     
         6 . The costume wing of  claim 5  wherein the plastic sheath is mounted on the elongate member. 
     
     
         7 . The costume wing of  claim 1  wherein a protective loop or rod is attached to the second end, wherein the protective loop or rod is configured to prevent engagement of the swing arm with a wing cover. 
     
     
         8 . The costume wing of  claim 3  wherein the boom has a set of holes passing through the boom at discrete points along the boom. 
     
     
         9 . The costume wing of  claim 8  wherein there are from 1 to 6 holes. 
     
     
         10 . The costume wing of  claim 8  wherein there are from 1 to 5 holes. 
     
     
         11 . The costume wing of  claim 8  wherein there are from 1 to 4 holes. 
     
     
         12 . The costume wing of  claim 1  wherein a ring configured for gripping is attached to an end of the actuating cord. 
     
     
         13 . A method of producing a costume wing comprising:
 preparing a harness,   mounting two symmetrically disposed hinges to the harness,   mounting to each hinge a boom and an elongate member at a first end, reversibly securing the boom to the elongate member at a discrete point along the boom,   pivotally attaching a swing arm to the elongate member at a second end of the elongate member, and   attaching an actuating cord to the swing arm.   
     
     
         14 . A method of displaying a fanciful costume wing comprising donning the costume wing of  claim 1  and placing a cloth covering over the costume wing. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising actuating the actuating cord in a first manner and/or to a first position comprising moving the costume wing from a position of about 90 degrees behind the user that has donned the costume wing to a position to the side of the user. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising actuating the actuation cord in a second manner and/or to a second position causing the swing arm to pivot. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the fanciful costume wing is a fairy wing. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the fanciful costume wing is an animal wing. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the fanciful costume wing is a mythological creature wing. 
     
     
         20 . A kit for producing a costume wing with interchangeable external covers, comprising the wing according to  claim 1  and one or more interchangeable external covers.