IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF AUTOMATIC TOY FIGURES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
AUTOMATIC TOY FIGURES."-A communication from abroad by Enoch Rice
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 20th December 1862.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
AUTOMATIC TOY FIGURES," to be as follows:-
'This Invention relates to the construction and peculiar arrangement of
double excentric cams, joints in connection with vertical or upright levers and
pedal supports, whereby through the medium of suitable clock mechanism
reciprocating and alternating movements may be given to the pedal extremities

page_text: of a figure, and the figure will be propelled along by a stepping movement.
In order that the clock movement may operate silently, the usual scape wheel
and pallets are dispensed with, and the motion is regulated by an endless
screw and a By wheel. The power is applied to the stepping mechanism,
from a shaft of the clock movement, both ends of which shaft carry an excentric
cam. These cams give the motion to the walking or stepping mechanism, which
consists of a boot or leg and two vertical oscillating sliding levers. These parts
are in duplicate in a two-legged figure, and placed at opposite sides of the
mechanism. The levers have circular holes or openings made in them at the
knee or hip joint, in which openings the cams are fitted so as to turn freely.
These cams are so arranged or placed on their shaft that they will partly lap
over each other and be in opposite positions with regard to the shaft, so that
the motion of the supporting lever, and the stepping or walking lever to which
the boot or leg is attached, are alternately changing their positions. The boot
or leg is retained in proper vertical position so that it may always be brought
down square or horizontally on the floor, in consequence of being attached at
its lower end to the walking lever by a pivot, and having a vertical. slot in its
upper end in which a pin attached excentrically to the outer cam is fitted and
works.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 20th June 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special license that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter. during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of

page_text: Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF AUTOMATIC Toy
FIGURES," being a communication from abroad upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention as communicated to me from abroad is to
impart to toy figures a natural walking or stepping movement in lieu of that
heretofore obtained by the use of wheels or rollers. This object is effected by
the employment of a peculiar arrangement of double excentric cam joints in con-
nection with vertical or upright levers and pedal supports, whereby through
the medium of suitable clock mechanism such reciprocating, and alternating
movements may be given to the pedal extremities of the figure as will ensure
the propulsion of the figure along a tolerably even surface.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents the Invention as applied
to the propulsion of a female figure, the lower part of the figure being in
section, to shew the construction of the mechanism in side elevation; Fig. 2
shews the mechanism detached and in end elevation; Fig. 3 is an outside view of
the stepping mechanism; Fig. 4 is an inside view of the stepping mechanism;
and Fig. 5, a detached view of a portion of the driving shaft, showing the
cams at one end of it. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in the several Figures.
In the application of power to operate the walking figure a simple clock
movement is used, consisting of a main spring A, and a series of cog wheels B,
and pinions C, arranged so as to run a considerable length of time at one
winding, and in order that the movement may operate silently the usual scape
wheel and pallets are dispensed with, and the motion is regulated by an end-
less screw a and a fly wheel b, the screw being put in motion by the cog
wheel B', shown in Fig. 1. The power is applied to the stepping mechanism
from a shaft.c of the clock movement.
placed two excentric cams d, d', shown
.
On both ends of the shaft c there are
more particularly in Figs. 2 and 5.

page_text: These cams give the motion to the walking or stepping mechanism, which con-
sists of a boot or leg D and two vertical oscillating sliding levers E, F. In a
two-legged figure, as shewn in the Drawing, these parts are in duplicate and
placed at opposite sides of the mechanism, as shown in Fig. 2. The levers
E, F, have circular holes or openings e made in them at the knee or hip joint,
in which openings the cams d, d³, are fitted, so as to turn freely. These cams
are so arranged or placed on the shaft c that they will partly lap over each
other and be in opposite positions with regard to the shaft c, so that the motion
of the supporting lever E and the stepping or walking lever F to which the
boot or leg D is attached, are alternately changing their position, i, e, when the
boot or leg G and stepping or walking lever F are being raised, moved
forward, and set down, the supporting lever E will be stationary and resting
on the floor. The boot or leg D is retained in proper vertical position, so that
it may always be brought down square or horizontally on the floor, in con-
sequence of being attached at its lower end to the lever F by a pivot e*, and
having a vertical slot f in its upper end, in which a pin 9 attached excentri-
cally to the cam d¹ is fitted and works, and in consequence of thus keeping the
bottom of the boot or leg D parallel with the floor the levers E, F, while
operating, and which have a tendency to rock the figure back and forth, will
be prevented from upsetting the figure by their movement.
The principal object of this Invention is its application to toys for amuse-
ment of children. It is particularly adapted for dolls, and also for quadrupeds
of various kinds, such as the elephant, camel, horse, ox, sheep, dogs, &c., to
give them locomotion which is life-like in appearance. The power and motion
being stored up and contained within the figure may also be applied, so as to
perform other automatic graceful motions which will contribute greatly to the
amusement of children and not a little to adults.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of improvements in the
manufacture of automatic toy figures, and explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent I claim,-
1st, the double excentric cams or cam joints d, d', in connection with the
levers E, F, which give alternate reciprocating movements to the pedal
extremities for walking figures, in the manner substantially as set forth.
2nd, the automatic stepping movement consisting of the shaft c, canis d, d',
levers E, F, and boot or leg D, in combination with the clock movement,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3rd, the manner of retaining the boot or leg D in a vertical position during
the movement of the lever F, to wit, by attaching the lower end of the boot

page_text: to the lower end of lever F by a pivot e*, and having the excentric pin g of
cam & fitting and working in a vertical slot f in the upper part of the boot or
shoe, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfréd Vincent Newton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)