Mechanical toy figures

A toy figure comprising:

• a lower torso;
• an upper torso rotatably attached to the lower torso;
• two arms rotatably attached to the upper torso;
• a spring having a first end connected with the upper torso and a second end connected with the lower torso, the spring being positioned to bias the upper torso toward a first position with respect to the lower torso;
• a drive gear connected with the lower torso;
• at least one driven gear disposed within the upper torso, connected with at least one of the two arms and engaged with the drive gear such that release of the upper torso from a second position with respect to the lower torso spaced from the first position permits the spring to bias the upper torso to rotate about the lower torso toward the first position and drive the driven gear about the drive gear so that the at least one of the two arms rotates about the upper torso;
• and
• a motion-damping mechanism having a first end connected with the lower torso and a second end connected with the upper torso so as to retard rotation of the upper torso about the lower torso and thereby retard rotation of the at least one of the arms about the upper torso.

A toy figure comprising:

• a lower torso;
• an upper torso rotatably attached to the lower torso;
• two arms rotatably attached to the upper torso;
• biasing means for rotating the upper torso with respect to the lower torso from a second position with respect to the lower torso to a first position with respect to the lower torso;
• means for rotating the arms with respect to the upper torso as the upper torso rotates about the lower torso;
• and
• means for retarding rotation of the upper torso with respect to the lower torso;
• wherein releasing the upper torso from the second position with respect to the lower torso causes the biasing means to rotate the upper torso about the lower torso toward the first position and simultaneously rotates the arms about the upper torso, the rotations being retarded by the means for retarding.