Improvements in Automatically Propelled Toy Carriages or Vehicles.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Dec., 1890-Accepted, 31st Jan., 1991
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatically Propelled Toy Carriages or
Vehicles.
I, MARSHALL ARTHUR WIER, of 3 Palace Grove, Upper Norwood, in the
County of Surrey Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates more especially to that kind of toy carriage or vehicle
which is propelled by a heavy fly wheel set in rapid rotation after the manner of a
top or gyroscope by means of a string, a spring or otherwise, but parts of the said
invention are also applicable to toy carriages set in motion by clockwork or other
automatic means. The invention consists partly of certain mechanical arrangements
whereby the direction of motion of such a toy carriage or vehicle is reversed
automatically when it strikes against a wall or other obstacle, and partly of devices
(applicable more especially in cases where the toy carriage is constructed so as to
represent a locomotive for example) for producing in such carriage an imitation of
the noise by the exhaust steam escaping up the chimney of a locomotive or of the
noise made by a steam whistle.
For carrying out the first part of my invention arrange the propelling and
reversing mechanism on a board or base plate mounted on wheels one or more pairs
of which are connected to the fly wheel shaft or other source of propelling power
by toothed or other suitable gearing provided with a reversing mechanism whereby
the driving wheels of the carriage are caused to rotate in either direction while the
fly wheel or other propelling instrument continues to revolve in one direction.
A long rod extends the full length of the board or base plate and to a short distance
beyond at each end where it may terminate in buffer discs or otherwise as may
be preferred. This rod slides longitudinally, to a limited extent, in either direction
in guides on the board or base place, and is connected at some part of its length with
the aforesaid reversing gear.
It will now be understood that if, as the carriage is being propelled by its
actuating mechanism, the buffer, on one end of the aforesaid rod, strikes an
obstacle such as the wall of a room for example, the said rod is pushed backwards
relatively to the carriage and in its motion acts on the reversing gear so as to cause
the actuating mechanism to reverse the direction of rotation of the driving wheels,
consequently the direction of motion of the carriage until the buffer on the opposite
end of the reversing rod strikes against another obstacle so as to move the reversing
gear back to its first position and thereby to reverse the direction of the carriage
again and so on continuously so long as the actuating power is sufficient to propel
the carriage.
Means are provided for holding the reversing gear out of action altogether while
the propelling fly wheel is being spun and for putting it in gear afterwards and a
spring and toggle levers act on the sliding rod to hold the reversing gear securely
in one position or the other while the carriage is travelling in either direction.
For carrying out the second part of my invention that is to say for producing
an imitation of the puffing of the exhaust steam up the chimney, and the blowing
of the whistle, I employ the following means: The actuating fly wheel or any other
wheel, set in rapid rotation, is milled or cut into teeth on one side or other suitable
part of its surface and a hollow box the rim of which is made of thin elastic
material such as parchment for example is placed opposite the milling or toothing.
The box is connected to a lever or other movable part actuated by an eccentric or
cam on one of the axles of the carriage so that at each revolution of this axle the
edge or rim of the box is brought periodically in contact with the milled or toothed
ΓΟ
071

page_text: part on the revolving fly or other wheel which causes the said edge to vibrate
rapidly and to emit a sound somewhat resembling that produced by the exhaust of
a real engine when the wheel revolves at a high speed, and to emit a sound some-
what resembling that produced by the whistle when the speed of the wheel is
comparatively low.
.
M. A. WIER.
W. H. Beck,
Per S. E. Gunyon,
115, Cannon Street, London., E.C., Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatically Propelled Toy Carriages or
Vehicles.
:
I, MARSHALL ARTHUR WIER, formerly of 3 Palace, Grove, Upper Norwood,
in the County of Surrey, at present residing at "Fairview," Grove Lane, Spring
Grove, Kingston-on-Thames, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, 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 accompanying two sheets of drawings and to the letters
and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
This invention relates more especially to that kind of toy carriage or vehicle
which is propelled by the momentum of a heavy fly wheel set in rapid rotation
after the manner of a top or gyroscope by means of a string, a spring, or otherwise,
but parts of the said invention are also applicable to toy carriages set in motion by
clockwork or other automatic means. The invention consists partly of certain
mechanical arrangements whereby the direction of motion of such a toy carriage
or vehicle is reversed automatically when it strikes against a wall or other obstacle,
and partly of devices (applicable more especially in cases where the toy carriage is
constructed so as to represent a locomotive for example) for producing in such
carriage an imitation of the noise made by the exhaust steam escaping up the
chimney of a locomotive, or of the noise made by a steam whistle.
In the drawings hereto annexed,
Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of an automatically propelled toy
carriage arranged in the form of a locomotive and having my improvements applied
thereto.
Figure 2 is a plan of same with the covering, which represents the smoke box,
boiler and firebox of the locomotive, removed, and
Figure 3 is a partial section on line X X of Figures 1 and 2.
For carrying out the first part of my invention, I arrange the propelling and
reversing mechanism on a board or base plate A mounted on wheels B B¹. C is
the heavy propelling disc or flywheel carried by the spindle or axis D mounted in
bearings E E fixed to the aforesaid base plate A. This disc or flywheel can be
spun or set in rapid rotation by means of a piece of string wound round the barrel F
on its axis in the same manner as a top or gyroscope, or by means of a coiled
spring liberated by releasing mechanism in a manner similar to that employed in
some kinds of spinning or humming tops. On the axis D of the flywheel C are
secured two toothed wheels G and H. I is a vertical spindle or axis carried at its
lower end in a fixed bearing J and guided at its upper end by a slot K in the top
of the standard E' carrying one of the bearings E of the axis D of the flywheel C.
L is a toothed wheel fixed on the upper end of the axis I and adapted to gear
with either of the wheels G or H on the axis of the flywheel according to the
position of the upper end of the spindle I. M is a toothed wheel fixed near
the lower end of the vertical axis I and gearing, into a toothed wheel N fixed on the
axle O of the driving wheels B of the carriage. Q is a rod extending the full

page_text: length of the base plate A and to a short distance beyond at each end, where it
may terminate in buffer discs R or otherwise as may be preferred. This rod Q
is adapted to slide longitudinally to a limited extent in either direction in guides S
on the base plate A and has a slot formed in it through which the vertical
spindle I passes. When the rod Q is moved as far to the left in the drawing as
it will go, the end of the aforesaid slot in the rod Q will have pushed the upper
part of the vertical axis I to the left, to the end of the slot K so as to bring
the wheel L into gear with the wheel G on the axis D so that when the flywheel C
is revolving it moves the carriage by means of the wheels G L M and N in one
direction; but when the rod Q is moved as far as to the right in the drawing as
it will go, the end of the aforesaid slot in the rod Q will have pushed the upper
part of the vertical spindle I to the right, to the other end of the slot K so as to
bring the wheel L into gear with the wheel H on the axis D, and the revolution
of the flywheel C will then move the carriage by means of the wheels H L M
and N in the opposite direction. In order to hold the rod Q securely in either
position, so as to keep the wheel L in gear either with the wheel G or H, as the
case may be, the two links T T are pin jointed at one end to the rod Q. A
slot U is made in each link which takes over a guide screw or stud V fixed in
the base plate A. A spiral spring W is connected at each end to the outer
ends of the links T T and tends to draw the said ends towards each other
whenever the ends of the links that are pin-jointed to the rod Q pass to either
side of the right line joining the guides V, and to hold them in either of the
two angular positions shown respectively in full lines and dotted lines in the plan
Figure 2, forcing the rod Q to its furthest limit in either direction.
When
X is a lever arm or handle (shown separately in Figure 2) turning on a
fulcrum at X', and having a notch X2 at one end thereof which engages with the
spindle I so as to move the same into the vertical position, and to hold it in that
position, with the wheel L out of gear with both the wheels G and H, when it is
desired to wind up the string on the barrel F and to spin the flywheel C.
the flywheel is set in motion the arm or handle X is turned on its fulcrum, with-
drawing the notch X2 from the vertical spindle I which is then free to be moved
by the rod Q so as to put the wheel L'in gear with either the wheel G or H
according to the direction in which it is desired that the carriage shall travel. The
notch X2, in the end of the lever X, may be so shaped that, as it is withdrawn
from the spindle I, one of its sides shall move the said spindle so that the wheel L
is put in gear with one of the wheels G or H, thereby avoiding the necessity of
moving the rod Q by hand in order to effect that connection.
It will now be understood that if the carriage be put in motion, on the floor for
example, by spinning the flywheel C and putting the wheel L in gear with one of
the wheels G or H, when one of the buffers R strikes against a wall or other
obstacle the rod Q is forced backward with reference to the carriage, shifting the
wheel L out of gear with one of the wheels G or H, as the case may be, on the
axis D, and putting it in gear with the other, whereby the direction of motion of
the carriage is reversed, and when the other buffer R strikes the opposite wall,
or other obstacle, the rod Q is forced in the opposite direction with reference
to the carriage, the wheel I is changed back to the other wheel on the axis D,
and the direction of motion of the carriage is again reversed, and so on repeatedly
although the flywheel continues to revolve in one direction.
Figure 4 is an underside view of a toy locomotive or other carriage propelled
by a spring instead of by the momentum of a heavy flywheel as in Figures 1, 2
and 3, and having a modified form of the reversing mechanism above described.
A is the board or base plate to which the mechanism is connected, B B are the
propelling or driving wheels fixed on the axle O revolving in the fixed bracket
pieces O and free to slide endwise therein. G and H are toothed pinions fixed
on the axle O and adapted to gear with the toothed wheel L. fixed on the spindle I'
turning in the fixed bracket J and socket J', which latter is free to rotate in the
cross bar A¹ fixed to the base plate A. C¹ is the spiral spring for imparting rotary

page_text: motion to the toothed wheel L. The said spring is fixed at one end to the
spindle I¹ and at the other end to the socket J. The latter is provided with a
crank handle J2, and a ratchet wheel J³ the teeth of which engage with a pawl J*
which prevents the said ratchet wheel J³ and socket J' from turning backwards.
QQ are sliding rods similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2, connected together
by cross bars Q. T is a bell crank lever turning on a fulcrum at T*. One
arm of this bell crank lever is jointed to one of the sliding rods Q and the other
arm to the sleeve 02 surrounding the axle O between the pinions and H. It is
obvious that one sliding rod Q alone is absolutely necessary, namely that to which
one arm of the bell crank lever T is jointed, but it is preferred to employ two for
the sake of uniformity of appearance.
It will now be understood that on turning the crank handle J2 in the direction of
the arrow marked on the ratchet wheel J³, the wheels B B being meantime
prevented from revolving by being pressed against the floor for example, or by
sliding the axle O into such position as will bring both pinions G and H into gear
with the wheel L, the spring C¹ will be wound up or put into a state of tension
circumferentially which tends to turn the wheel L, the ratchet wheel J³ and pawl.J4
preventing it from turning backwards without acting on the wheel L.
If now the
wheels B B are liberated, the wheel L will be rotated by the spring C¹ unwinding
itself and the wheels B B will be rotated in one direction or other according as the
pinion G or H only has been left in gear with the wheel L. When one of the
buffers R strikes against the wall or other obstacle the rods are forced backward
with reference to the carriage, turning the lever T on its axis, and taking one
pinion G or H, as the case may be, out of gear with the wheel and putting the
other in gear therewith, whereby the direction of motion of the carriage is reversed
as before described.
A spiral spring W may be connected to one arm of the lever T to draw and hold
the same in position each time such arm passes to either side of the right line
joining the fulcrum of such lever and the point of attachment of the said spring to
the base plate A in a manner similar to that described in reference to the action of
the spring Won the links T T in Figure 2.
For carrying out the second part of my invention that is to say for producing an
imitation of the puffing of the exhaust steam up the chimney, and the blowing of the
whistle of a locomotive, I employ the following means (see Figures 1 and 2). The
fly wheel C, or any other wheel set in rapid rotation, is milled or cut into teeth on
one side, and a hollow box Y, the rim of which is made of thin elastic material such
as parchment for example, is placed opposite the said milling or toothing. The
box is fixed to one arm of a lever Z pivotted to the base plate A. The end of
the other arm of the lever Z rests on an eccentric or cam Z' fixed on the axle of the
wheels B¹. At each revolution of these wheels the eccentric or cam Z¹ operates
the lever Z and brings the edge of the box Y periodically in contact with the milled
or toothed part on the revolving flywheel, which causes the said edge to vibrate
rapidly and to emit a sound somewhat resembling that produced by the exhaust of
a real engine, when the milled or toothed wheel C revolves at a high speed, and to
emit a sound somewhat resembling that produced by the steam whistle when the
speed of the flywheel is comparatively low.
A
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
First In a toy carriage or vehicle propelled by the momentum of a rapidly
rotating flywheel, the use of reversing gear actuated automatically by a sliding
buffer rod or other equivalent instrument which, on being struck against an
obstacle by the motion of the carriage, acts directly upon the toothed wheel L
so as to take it out of gear with one of the toothed wheels G or H on the fly-
wheel shaft D and to put it in gear with the other of such wheels, whereby the
direction of motion of the carriage or vehicle is reversed, although the propelling

page_text: flywheel continues to revolve in one and the same direction, substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings
hereto annexed.
Second In a toy carriage or vehicle, propelled by a spring, the use of reversing
gear actuated automatically by a sliding buffer rod or other equivalent instrument
which, on being struck against an obstacle by the motion of the carriage, acts
upon the toothed wheels G H on the axle of the driving wheels so as to slide
one of such wheels out of gear with the spring actuated toothed wheel L and the
other into gear therewith, whereby the direction of motion of the carriage or
vehicle is reversed, although the propelling spring continues to turn in one and
the same direction, substantially as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in
Figure 4 of the drawings hereto annexed.
Third In automatically propelled toy carriages or vehicles, the notched lever X
for taking and holding the propelling mechanism out of gear with the driving
axle while the propelling instrument is being wound up or spun substantially as
hereinbefore described, and illustrated in the drawings hereto annexed.
Fourth In automatically propelled toy carriages or vehicles, provided with
reversing gear, the use of the toggle levers or links T T', as in Figure 1, or of
the lever T as in Figure 4, and spring W in combination with the rod Q, or other
equivalent reversing instrument, for the purpose of holding or retaining the
driving mechanisin in gear in either the forward or backward position substantially
as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in Figures 2 and 4 of the drawings hereto
annexed.
Fifth In automatically propelled toy carriages or vehicles, the devices for
producing an imitation of the puffing noise caused by the exhaust steam escaping
up the chimney of a locomotive, or of the sound of the steam whistle, consisting
of a milled or toothed surface formed on a rapidly rotating wheel, and a hollow
box the thin edge of which is brought in contact, either continuously or periodically,
with the aforesaid rapidly revolving milled or toothed surface, substantially as
herein before described, and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings hereto
annexed.
Dated this 2nd day of December 1890.