A New Toy or Ornament.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Nov., 1892-Accepted, 3rd Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New Toy or Ornament.
1. CHARLES ETIENNE THIERRY, of Finsbury House 134 Finsbury Square
London, Importer of French Goods (a communication to me by Fritz Watzlawik
of Berlin in the Empire of Germany) do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
According to this invention I form a new toy or ornament of a figure say of a
bird cut out of cardboard or any other suitable material as for example tin plate
mica aluminium or celluloid with its wings outstretched and a portion of the wings
extending forwards in front of the beak. On the portions of the wings which are
in front of the beak I secure balance weights so that the portions in front of the
beak balance or approximately so the portions in rear of the beak. The bird can
then be placed with the point of its beak resting say on a branch and being
balanced by the weights and the weights coming into a position slightly below the
level of the beak will stand out in any horizontal or inclined plane in which the
weights may tend to keep it and will remain without movement in that plane
apparently floating in the air and unsupported except by the very extremity
of the beak resting on the flower. Butterflies or the like may be formed in the
same way or other figures say for example a man having his arms extended over
his head might be balanced about the top of the head or a cap upon it the weights
being secured to the portions of the arms which are above the head.
The invention is applicable especially to Christmas and birthday cards and
advertisement and menu cards lamp shades and fire screens and the like.
Dated this 1st day of March 1892.
CHAS. E. THIERRY.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New Toy or Ornament.
1, CHARLES ETIENNE THIERRY, of Finsbury House, 134 Finsbury Square,
London, Importer of French Goods, (a communication to ine by Fritz Watzlawik,
of Berlin, in the Empire of Germany,) 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:-
According to this invention I form a new toy or ornament of a figure say of
a bird cut out of cardboard or any other suitable material, as for example tin plate,
mica, aluminium, or celluloid, with its wings outstretched and a portion of the
wings extending forwards in front of the beak. On the portions of the wings
which are in front of the beak I secure balance weights so that the portions in
front of the beak balance or approximately so the portions in rear of the beak.
Instead of fixing weights to the wings I can produce the same effect by either
elongating or enlarging the parts beyond the point of support or by making the
parts in front of this point of thicker material than the rest of the figure. The
bird can then be placed with the point of its beak resting say on a flower and
being balanced by the weights and the weights coming into a position slightly below
the level of the beak will stand out in any horizontal or inclined plane in which
the weights may tend to keep it and will remain without movement in that plane
apparently floating in the air and unsupported except by the very extremity of the
beak resting on the flower. Butterflies or the like may be formed in the same
way, or other figures, say for example a man having his arms extended over his

page_text: head might be balanced about the top of the head or a cap upon it the weights
being secured to the portions of the arms which are above the head.
In all cases the centre of gravity of the article is below the point of support.
The invention is applicable especially to Christmas and birthday cards, and
advertisements, and menu cards, lamp shades, and fire screens, and the like.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure is a perspective view of a toy made in accordance with the invention
that has been communicated to me, and represents a butterfly resting on a flower.
Figure 2 is a section on the line -y Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an end elevation of the butterfly.
A is the butterfly having its head B resting on the flower C and having the
weights D D secured to its wings so that the butterfly appears to be hovering in a
slightly inclined plane.
In Figure I the dotted lines show the wings in such a position that the weights D D
may be dispensed with. If the ends of the wings are male of thicker material
than the body it is obvious that the wings need not be made to extend so far in
front of the point of support C.
Figure 4 shows a bird having its beak E resting on any suitable support and
having weights F F secured to its wings so that it appears to be hovering in a
horizontal plane.
Figure 5 is a section on the line. Figure 4.
Figure 6 represents a plan view of a man apparently floating in a horizontal
plane but having the end of his cap G resting on any suitable support and holding
in his hands two weights H H.
Figure 7 is a section on the line "y" Figure 6.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. A toy or ornament formed of a figure cut from card or thin sheet material
which is made to balance about a projecting point slightly above its centre of
gravity substantially as described.
2. A toy or ornament formed of a figure cut from card or thin sheet material
which is made to balance about a projecting point slightly above its centre of
gravity approximately in a horizontal plane by attaching weights to it substantially
as described.
Dated this 21st day of November 1892.