Marionette Construction

But in working out marionette mechanics it is helpful to forget the fact of the two forces and to think of the downward pull of gravity as the only force operating – to consider that your function with the string is simply to control the motions that result from the pull of gravity. Gravity does the work – say- you control the work.

To simply, confne the discussion to the mechanics of marionetts of human beings. The principal elicited will apply – with modifications- to beasts, birds, mythical creatures… So, limiting the problem, we may say that the motions one trys to induce are the natural motions of the human animal.

The parts to be moved are simple levers – moved in circular tracks about fixed points or fulcrums. The purpose of our mechanical design is to confine the motions of these levers to given planes, and within certain arcs of travel. The limits for the arcs, and the slants of the panes, are found out by watching a human being move.

It is not possible to reproduce in a marionette all motions of a human figure – no is it desirable to do so. As in all the arts a simplified or abstracted presentation is often more vivid than an exact reproduction. The designer watches to see just how a wrist joint moves, for example, and the works out mechanical ways and means for suggesting that motion.

There are a great many systems of mechanical contrivances for making marionettes behave like human beings. The system described in these pages – the Püterschein system- succeeds very nicely in suggesting a number of the natural motions of the human body.

HEAD

Or small figures – 12 inches to 18 inches- the simplest means is to have and neck in one piece, fastened to the trunk by a screw-eye in the stub of the neck and a loop of wire in a shallow cup at the trunk.

“Stops” are an important part of the machine something to stop the motions at the right limits. For the horizontal “no” motion the dimensions of screw-eye and wire loop determine where the motion shall stop. The motions away from the vertical are stopped by the edges of the cup in the top of the trunk. This stops are calculated, or are found by trial and futting.

Usually the center of gravity of the head is in front of the points of support (head-strings and screw-eye) so that the head falls forward when the head-strings are slacked by tilting the front of the control down and so having the shoulder-strings take weight of the figure away from the head-stings.

The head is raised, to look up, by a string fastened at the middle of the forehead.

Sidewise “no” motions are effected by tilting the control sidewise whit the weight on the shoulder strings.

TRUNK

3 pieces: Shoulders, waist, hips. Observation shows how for the torso con backward, forward, sidewise.

The three pieces, where they join, are cut in the shape of flat cones meeting at their points. A spine-cord, running through the points, holds the pieces together snugly. The spine-cord , and the shapes of the cones, limit the bending motions backward , forward and sidewise.

The horizontal rotation of shoulders on hips -the twist of the body- is limited to the proper swing by loop of cord, fastened at both ends in the hip piece, running loosely through holes in the waist piece and through screw-eyes on the under side of the shoulder piece – the cord set to the requisite slackness.

This loop of sidestays serves also to keep shoulders and hips in plane when the figure hangs free. The run of sidestay holes and screw-eyes is on a cross-line a little forward of the spine-cord. 10

The position of the spine-cord brings up the important question of “balance”. A large part of the natural action of a figure depends upon accurate locating of all points of support from neck to ground, in a single plane perpendicular to the ground. 11

The shoulder joints are a trifle back of this plane. The points of attachment of head –strigs to head fall in the plane when the figure is hanging free. Any weights used in body or legs need to center on this plane of balance; but weights in head, hands or feet are independent of the rule – they are put in given places to produce particular motions.

ARM

The marionette arm ia a much more complicated machine than the marionette leg. Its shoulder-joint cannot be held to natural motions without an undue amount of difficult construction.

The arm and hand action of a marionette is a highly important part of its equipment for dramatic expression. The success of this arm and hand action depends almost entirely upon the proper relations, one to another, of the axis –lines of the three joints: shoulder, elbow, wrist.

When these three axes are properly related natural and convincing arm and hand motions are authentic. The diagram shows how the three axis-lines relate. 12

The arm at the shoulder swings through more extended circuits than any other lever of the body. Motion forward and inward is stopped by the chest, but motions backward are not easily controlled. It helps a little to set the hand string just barely taut so that the elbows are a little bent.

The upper arm is fastened to the shoulder by two stings, with some play between arm and body, and the axis of the hinge is at 90° to the shoulder plane. The holes in the shoulder for the two cords are on a line not quite horizontal, the front hole a little lower; and the center between the twos is a trifle back of the “plane of balance” 13-14. Using twoo cords instead of one keeps the hinge on its 90° axis when the arm is hanging down. The shoulder-joint aims to allow the motion of figure 15 and all motions between.

The axis of the elbow-joint allows motions within the limits show and no action sidewise. 16

The axis of the wrist-joint is set at an angle 60° to the axis of the elbow. The joint allows no motion sidewise. 17

The system uses the kinds of joints or hinges described in the foregoing and below-but any kind of joint will serve, so long as the device holds the motions of the parts pretty much to the one plane of rotation, and stops the swings at the right places.

LEG

The thighs are fastened to the hip-piece by two strings each, making straight hinges. The axis common to the two joints lies along the balance-plane. On the hip-piece, between the thighs, is a fin – this keeps folds of drapery from getting pinched and held in the joints. Similar fins at the elbow and knee serve the same purpose in addition to their function of holding the swing of the … plane of rotation. The thigh-joint allow the motion figure 18 and a trifle of motion sideways.

The knee-joint no siderwise motion. Fig 19. The axis of the hinge is on the balance-plane, consequently … with the axis of the thigh.

The axes of the ankle-joints cross the balance-plane at their centers, but are set slight angles off that plane. (Fig 20) They allow the feet to move as shown in Figure 21, bat permit no side-motion.

The apparatus for operating the figures from above -is one- half the problem of marionette mechanics. This part of the machinery has been worked out in a great many ways - in so many that a discussion of the various devices is beyond the scope of the pamphlet. The type of manipulator developed so far in the Puterschein experience is shown in the diagram. (Fig 23).

Virtues of a control:

Easy to make. Easy to hold in the hand.

As short and narrow as the leverages allow.

As many motions of manipulation under the control of the holding hand as possible.

As few angles, projections, crevices, as possible.

Easy and positive way to fasten strings

Easy way to adjust lengths of strings.

A glimpse at other-than-human devices is provided in figures 24 and 25.