Puppet theater apparatus

Claim 1

IN PUPPET APPARATUS OF THE KIND ADAPTED TO BE MOVABLE ALONG TRACKWAYS FORMED IN A STAGE AND MANIPULATED FROM BENEATH THE STAGE; SUPPORT MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE PUPPET APPARATUS ON THE STAGE, SAID SUPPORT MEANS COMPRISING A PLATFORM MEMBER SLIDABLE WITHIN SAID TRACKWAYS AND A VERTICALLY EXTENDING SUPPORT SHAFT CONNECTABLE TO THE PLATFORM MEMBER AT A FIXED AXIAL POSITION ON SAID SUPPORT SHAFT; A PUPPET SUPPORTED ON AN UPPER END OF SAID SUPORT SHAFT AND HAVING COMPONENT PARTS CONNECTED TOGETHER IN ARTICULATED CONNECTIONS WHEREBY THE PARTS ARE MOVABLE TO SIMULATE VARIOUS MOVEMENT OF CORRESPONDING PARTS OF THE HUMAN BODY, SAID PUPPET COMPRISING A LOWER TORSO RIGIDLY AFFIXED TO SAID SUPPORT SHAFT, AN UPPER TORSO JOINED TO SAID LOWER TORSO IN A FLEXIBLE CONNECTION INCLUDING SPACED PARALLEL LIKE COIL SPRINGS AND FORMED WITH A SOCKET IN THE UPPER END THEREOF, A NECK ROTATABLE WITHIN SAID SOCKET, AND A HEAD SUPPORTED ON SAID NECK; AND CONTROL MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID PLATFORM MEMBER AND CONNECTED TO THE COMPONENT PARTS OF THE PUPPET FOR SELECTIVELY MOVING DESIRED PARTS OF THE PUPPET, SAID CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING A ROD RIGIDLY CONNECTED AT AN UPPER END TO SAID NECK FOR TURNING THE HEAD BY ROTATING THE NECK WITHIN SAID SOCKET, SAID ROD EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID UPPER AND LOWER TORSOS AND SAID SUPPORT SHAFT AND INCLUDING A UNIVERSAL JOINT IN THE PORTION OF THE ROD ALIGNED WITH THE FLEXIBLE CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID TORSOS.