Chattering teeth, sometimes called chattery teeth, are a

wind-up toy A wind-up toy is an automaton toy powered by a clockwork motor. Background Automata built for the sake of art, amusement, and simulation have been described since antiquity, in cases such as Heron of Alexandria designing clockwork birds during ...

invented by

Eddy Goldfarb A. Eddy Goldfarb (born Adolph Goldfarb; September 5, 1921) is an American toy inventor. The creator of over 800 toys, he is best known for inventing Yakity Yak Talking Teeth, Battling Tops, KerPlunk, Stompers, and Vac-U-Form. He is the subj ...

. Originally named "Yakity Yak Talking Teeth", Goldfarb and Marvin Glass sold it to novelty company H. Fishlove & Co. who released it in 1949. Chattering teeth are a pair of mechanized teeth that, after being wound up at the back, clatter together. Reproductions are today sold at novelty stores. While some chattering teeth are equipped with walking feet, many models are not. Goldfarb's original design was awarded from the

U.S. Patent Office The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an agency in the U.S. Department of Commerce that serves as the national patent office and trademark registration authority for the United States. The USPTO's headquarters are in Alexan ...

. H. Fishlove & Co., now a division of Fun, Inc. — a manufacturer of magic trick and novelty items — still produces chattering teeth based on Goldfarb's specifications. Chattering teeth are also commonly seen in toy shops in cartoons.

References

External links

Pressman Toy – Inventor Profile: Eddy Goldfarb
(Web archive as of February 19, 2012) 1940s toys Novelty items Mechanical toys {{toy-stub