A New Mechanical Toy.
Year: 1894

page_text: 1
Date of Application, 12th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Oct., 1894-Accepted, 10th Nov., 1894
A New Mechanical Toy.
I, ABRAHAM MARTIN of Burgundy Villas, Pagoda Avenue, Richmond, in the
County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My invention relates to a new mechanical toy wherein eccentric gyratory
movements of infinite variety are imparted to figures or objects set in motion by
the revolution of a spindle, the invention residing essentially in the invisible means
by which frictional connection is maintained between the figures or objects and the
driving spindle, and in the means by which the great variety of the movements are
produced by the mere revolution of the spindle.
The frictional connection is maintained by magnetic attraction, the spindle being
magnetized and the objects or the parts thereof which are actuated by frictional
contact therewith are made of pieces of iron wire which may be straight or bent to
an infinite variety of shapes and in the form of closed or open geometrical or
irregular curvilinear or angular figures, the magnetic attraction being sufficient to
maintain the driving connection between the spindle and even the end of the wire
so that the spindle may drive either against the inside or the outside circumference
or pass from one to the other without loss of driving contact.
The spindle would usually be mounted to rotate in bearings and be provided or
geared with a fly wheel to store power imparted by hand through the medium of a
string, a spring or a rack and pinion motion.
The driving part of the spindle would project slightly through a smooth supporting
surface or table upon which the wires would rest whilst receiving eccentric gyratory
movements depending on the configuration of the wires. These wires may form the
bases of diminutive human or other figures made of paper or other light material
which would thus appear to receive a waltzing movement.
Two or more magnetic driving spindles may be combined in one case in order to
cause a great number of figures to partake in mazy evolutions at one time.
Dated this 12th day of April 1894.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New Mechanical Toy.
I ABRAHAM MARTIN, of Burgundy Villas, Pagoda Avenue, Richmond in the
35 County of Surrey, Engineer 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:-
My invention relates to a new mechanical toy comprising figures or objects to
which eccentric gyratory or other movements of infinite variety are imparted by the

page_text: revolution of a vertical spindle, the invention residing particularly in the means by
which the figures or objects are held in driving connection with the spindle and by
which the variety of the movements is produced.
"
The driving connection between the spindle and the figures or objects to which
motion is to be imparted is maintained by magnetic attraction, the spindle being
magnetized and the parts of the figures or objects which are to be held in contact
therewith being made of magnetizable material, so as to be influenced by the
magnetic properties of the spindle. These magnetizable parts, which for con-
venience I designate "armatures may be made of iron wire bent to various regular
or irregular curvilinear or angular forms by which the movements imparted to the
figures or objects are determined. As the magnetic attraction will maintain the
driving connection of the spindle, even with the end of the wire, the armatures may
be of such form as to allow of the transfer of the driving contact from the external
to the internal circumference of the armature, and vice-versa, so as to produce
frequent reversals of the motion imparted by the spindle without loss of driving
contact.
The armatures may form the bases of diminutive human or other figures, made
of paper or other suitable material. The spindle would usually be mounted to
rotate in bearings and be provided or geared with a fly wheel to store power and
regulate the rotary motion imparted through the medium of a string, a rack and
pinion motion, or from a spring barrel,. and the driving part of the spindle would
project slightly through a smooth non-magnetizable surface or table upon which
the figures would be supported while performing their eccentric gyratory or other
evolutions.
A number of similar magnetic driving spindles may be combined in one case or
project through the same supporting surface, in order to cause a great number of
figures to partake in mazy evolutions at one time, and the spindle or spindles may
be combined with a musical box, or other automatic musical instrument, and be
driven by the same power, so that the motions of the figures will be accompanied by.
appropriate music.
The accompanying drawing illustrates the invention by way of example, but it
will be understood that the invention is in no way limited to the examples
illustrated, but extends to all combinations of a magnetized driving spindle, or any
number of such spindles, with magnetizable armatures adapted to be driven by
contact with the spindle or spindles.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a toy having but one magnetic driving spindle,
and Figure 2 is a plan shewing an armature in contact with the spindle.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section, shewing the spindle driving mechanism.
Figure 4 is a plan shewing a number of spindles driven by one spring barrel.
Figures 5, 6, and 7, shew examples of different forms of armatures.
The same letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the figures.
In Figure 1, a is a permanently magnetized steel spindle mounted to revolve in
bearings b, c, in a box or casing d through the top d' of which the upper end of the
spindle slightly projects. Upon the spindle is mounted a fly wheel e, which,
together with the spindle a, may be caused to rapidly revolve in the bearings b, c,
by being spun with a string in the manner of a top, or by means of a quadrant
rack which is pivoted at 7 in the casing and caused to gear with pinion g on the
spindle, by means of a handle / jointed to the quadrant and passing through the
side of the casing. The motion of the quadrant is sufficient to carry it clear of
the pinion, so that by first putting the quadrant into gear and then imparting a
rapid motion to it about its pivot, the spindle may be set in motion at a high
velocity and will continue, after the quadrant has passed out of gear with the
pinion, to revolve for a considerable time by virtue of the energy stored up in the
fly wheel.
i is an armature of iron wire, beut, say, to the form shewn in Figure 2, which
when placed on the top d' of the casing and brought into contact with the revolving

page_text: magnetic spindle a will be caused to revolve alternately in the right and left handed
direction as the contact of the spindle therewith becomes transferred to and from
the outer and inner circumference of the ring by the passage of the spindle through
the gap in the armature. Upon this armature as a base, may be supported in a
clip fixed to the armature any representation of a dancing or other figure k which
partakes in the evolutions imparted to the armature.
With this
The armature has been supposed to be of the "mutilated" cruciform shape shewn in
Figure 2, the gap giving passage to the spindle so as to allow it to make driving
contact alternately with the inner and outer periphery of the armature.
form of armature, it will be evident that to and fro motion will be imparted to the
figure successively in the direction of each of the arms of the cruciform figure, but
any other regular or irregular form of armature may be adopted. For instance, the
armature may be of straight, circular, triangular, square, or other angular or
curvilinear form, either closed or open ("mutilated") or of any combination of such
forms, and may be plain or sinuous, as shewn in Figure 5, the motion imparted to
the figure being varied accordingly, it being, however, desirable to avoid sharp
internal angles so that the armature shall not touch the circumference of the spindle
at more points than one at a time.
Figure 6 illustrates the representation of a boat supported upon an armature
base of ellipical form by the contact with which of a magnetic spindle, a to and
fro motion is imparted to the figure. By suitably arranging two or more spindles
in relation to one another, an armature of sufficient length may pass into contact
with successive spindles and receive a continuous progressive motion.
In Figure 4, a are a number of magnetized spindles, each provided with a
pinion g, arranged in a circle and driven by a common spur or friction wheel / which
may be on the circumference of a spring barrel, or may be driven by spur gear
from a spring barrel arranged in any convenient manner, and which may also
actuate the pin drum of a musical box.
It will be evident that the spindle or spindles need not be permanently magnetized,
but may be magnetized by induction and may be driven by an electric motor
instead of by hand or spring power. It will also be evident that the driving
surface, instead of being formed by the upper end of the spindle itself, may be
formed by a small magnetized boss or hub on the end of the spindle, and that, under
the term spindle, as herein used, is included any such boss or hub acting as the
equivalent of the spindle itself for the purpose of actuating figures and the like, as
herein described.
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. In a mechanical toy, the combination, with a magnetic or magnetized spindle
mounted to rotate in bearings, of an armature or driven part adapted to be held by
magnetic attraction in driving contact with the spindle, so as to receive motion
therefrom, as specified.
2. In a mechanical toy, the combination, with a magnetic or magnetized
spindle mounted to rotate in bearings, of an armature or driven part adapted to be
held by magnetic attraction in driving contact with the spindle, so as to receive
motion therefrom, a support for the armature or driven part through which the
spindle projects, and a figure or object carried by the armature or driven part, to
which eccentric movements, depending on the form of the armature, are imparted
by the revolution of the spindle, as specified.
3. In a mechanical toy, a magnetic or magnetized spindle mounted vertically to
revolve in bearings and provided with a fly-wheel, in combination with a quadrant
rack and pinion gear for imparting motion to the spindle and fly-wheel, as and for
the purpose specified.
4. In a mechanical toy, the combination of one or more vertical magnetic spindles

page_text: adapted to actuate by driving contact armatures carrying figures or objects to
which eccentric motions are to be imparted, as described, with a spring motor
barrel, as specified.
Dated this 1st day of October 1894.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.