Improvements in Toys.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1899-Accepted, 1st Apr.,
1899
Improvements in Toys.
I, ERNST PAUL LEHMANN, of No. 6, Plauerstrasse, Brandenburg on the Havel,
Prussia, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature. of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:
J.I
!
My invention relates to improvements in toys, and the object of my invention
is, first, to provide an automatic steering mechanism, which; as the toy "is
moving on, either by a driving mechanism of its own, or by any other pulling
or pushing means, alternately changes the direction of the toy. Another part
of my invention has reference to mechanism for imparting motion to certain parts
of the toy.
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In the accompanying drawings, the improvements of my invention are illus
trated as applied to an animal figure, such as a seal, for which any other figure,
animal or human, may however he substituted. Figure 1 is a side elevation of
the, steering mechanism represented in one of its extreme positions; and Figure 2
a plan of the same, only one half of the body or casing of the animal figure
being shown; Figure 3 is a view corresponding to Figure 1; and Figure 4 a
plan corresponding to Figure 2, the latter two figures representing the steering
mechanism in the opposite extreme position. '
..:
Figure 5 is a side view of the toy showing how its fins or arms are moved by
a rotary axle having its ends bent at an angle. Figures 6, 7 and 8 illustraté
three different positions of the said rotary axle and one of the fins worked by
the same.
T
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Referring to Figures 1 to 4, a is the body or casing of the toy figure, which;
conveniently, contains suitable driving-mechanism such as a spring-driven train
of wheels, as usually employed to impart motion to toys; the driving mechanism
forms no part of this invention, and the toy may receive motion by a cord, rod
or other driving means.
case,
A rotary axle b, which may form the axis of the spring-barrel d if such is
employed, carries a disc c having a cam, tooth, pin or stud" f. projecting from
it. A lever pivoted as at h, to the frame i, or other convenient fixed part, is
placed at the side of such disc, and has a projecting pin or lug which is engaged
by the cam. pin or tooth f. as the disc turns. The said lever g is connected
in this
hy a rod k to the steering nart m of the toy. which,
is formed by the animal's tail pivoted to the body a, as at n. the
lower side of said tail being provided with rollers o to facilitate the rolling
motion of the toy on the ground. The said lever g is further provided with a
spring serving to return the said lever into its normal position, the free end
of said spring being connected to the body a, or any other fixed part of the toy.
To steady the motions of lever g, the same may be provided with a slot q engaged
by a pin r.
It will be seen that as the disc c is turned along with its axle b. the tooth
or pin f will engage the projecting lug 1 of lever g. and carry said lever up
into the position shown in Figure 3. The rod k, thereby, will draw the steering

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part m from the position shown in Figure 2 into the other extreme position
shown in Figure 4, and the motion of the toy will change accordingly. The
spring p, during the upward movement of the lever g, will be stretched. When
the tooth or cam f of the disc c has slipped past the lug 7 of lever g, the
latter will, for some time, remain in its raised position, as shown in Figure 3,
on account of the lug riding on the circumference of disc c, which prevents
the lever from being suddenly returned into its normal position. The said disc c
is provided with part of its periphery cut away, as shown in Figure 1, and when
the said portions of its periphery, during the rotation of the disc, comes below
the lug, the latter will lose its hold on the periphery and the spring p will
then immediately return the lever g into the position shown in Figure 1,
whereby the steering part m will again be thrown into the position shown in
Figure 2, and the toy will again change its course.
Instead of providing only one cam, pin or stud f, on the periphery of the
disc c, two or more such cams might be arranged at a suitable distance from
each other, and each of them followed by a clipped or reduced portions of the
periphery of the disc. By this means the toy may be caused to change its course
several times during one rotation of the axle b.
"
The spring p to return the lever might be replaced by a suspended weight.
The same steering mechanism, instead of being applied to an animal or human
figure, may be applied to a carriage or the like, and a fore-carriage steered in
the manner described, may serve to alternately change the direction of the
course.
a
As the body a of the toy moves on, rolling on its wheel or wheels, and
rollers o, the axle u, of said wheel or wheels t, will be rotated, and by its bent
ends e, fins or arms 10 of the toy figure may be caused to flap or beat. To
obtain a motion of this kind; the bent ends of the axle u are guided within
lug or lugs secured to the lower side of the fins w, and the said fins arms
or wings, are pivotally connected to the body a of the toy, as at Y, the said
pivot-point y being eccentrically arranged with reference to the driving axle u
The fins or arms w may consist of two separate members, as shown, pivoted to
each other, or they may consist of a single piece, or even of more than two pieces
connected to each other.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In a movable toy, a steering mechanism consisting of a rotary disc having
a cam or cams and a corresponding number of clipped or reduced parts on its
periphery, a lever engaged by the said cam or cams and riding on the unclipped
periphery of said disc, a rod connecting said lever to the steering part of the
toy and a spring or weight to return said rod and lever into its normal position,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. In a movable toy a rotary axle, the bent ends of which are guided in a
lug or lugs secured to fins, arms or wings pivoted to the body of the toy eccen-
trically to the rotating axle, substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. A movable toy, substantially as described and represented in the drawings.
Dated this 27th day of Fahruary 1900
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.