They Invented What? (No. 77)

U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,065:  Walking hand puppet.

What is claimed is:

1. A hand puppet in the figure of a land or sea animal, bird, insect or the like with body carrying appendages comprising:

          a. a body having a cavity formed therein,
          b. manually movable appendages connected with the body, said appendages having finger-receiving cavities formed therein in communication with the body cavity,
          c. means defining a hand receiving opening in said body in communication with said body cavity,
          d. an open-ended hand-receiving glove having a finger portion an a palm portion, said glove finger portion being formed to provide the appearance of hand fingers therein, said glove being attached to said body with said palm portion covering the opening defined in said body and said finger portion being remote from said appendages, and
          e. means defining an opening through said palm portion from the interior of said glove and in register with the opening defined in said body for forming an open-ended passage into and through said glove and into concealed communication with the body cavity,
          f. whereby a hand may be inserted into the glove and through the glove passage into the body cavity and the fingers may be inserted into the appendages to manipulate the appendages in simulation of body carrying movement.

2. A hand puppet in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the figure is constructed in the form of a stuffed toy.

3. A hand puppet in accordance with claim 2, wherein:

          a. the figure is constructed in the form of a stuffed toy spider,
          b. the body of the figure being the body of the spider including its head,
          c. the appendages of the figure being the arms of the spider.