IMPROVEMENTS IN TEETOTUMS AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Richard Whitaker at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th
July 1869.
I, RICHARD WHITAKER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TEETOTUMS AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in
constructing and arranging the parts of teetotums.
My Invention also consists of the mechanical arrangements herein-
after described for rotating or spinning the said teetotums instead of
rotating or spinning them directly by the hand as usual.
In constructing teetotums according to my Invention I make them
of a circular disk of metal or other rigid material, the said disk being
divided into a series of divisions either plain or coloured of different
colours and marked with figures, letters, or other signs, as in ordinary
teetotums. I enclose the said disk in a circular case made by preference
of metal, the top of the case being closed by a glass cover through

page_text: which the disk may be seen. I support the teetotum disk in the case
by means of a pointed axis fixed on the hottom of the case engaging
in a cap on the disk, after the manner in which the card of a mariner's
compass is suspended. On the under side of the glass cover of the case
and at one side thereof I place a fixed pointer for indicating the position
at which the teetotum disk comes to rest, or the fixed pointer may project
from the side of the case. It is however more readily seen when
attached to the under side of the glass cover. The spinning or rotating
of the teetotum disk within the case may either be effected directly by
the fingers or by means of the mechanical arrangements herein-after
described. When the teetotum disc is spun or rotated by hand the
cap of the said disc is prolonged upwards, and passes through a holc
made in the centre of the glass. cover of the case, the projecting end
being taken hold of by the fingers to rotate the teetotum disk.
When the teetotum disk is to be spun or rotated by mechanical means
I arrange the parts in the following manner:-On the under side of
the teetotum disk a toothed wheel is affixed, the said toothed wheel
somewhat resembling an ordinary star wheel. Turning on an axis at
the bottom of the case is a lever moving in a plane parallel with the
said bottom of the case.
The inner end of the said lever is of a shape
proper to engage with the teeth of the star wheel on the disk, and
its outer end projects from and works in a slot in the edge of the case.
By so moving the projecting outer end of the lever that its inner end
engages with the star wheel on the teetotum disk, and then giving a
quick movement or impulse to the outer end of the said lever its inner
end strikes with considerable force one of the teeth of the star wheel,
and thereby causes the teetotum disk to be rapidly spun or rotated in
the case. The same motion or impulse of the lever which causes the
spinning of the disk carries the inner end of the lever out of the range
of motion of the star wheel, and thereby leaves the teetotum disk free
to rotate without obstruction. The lever which sets the teetotum
disk in motion can be used to bring the said disk to rest. The teetotum
disk may be spun or rotated to the right or left by moving the projecting
end of the lever in the proper direction. Instead of the lever and star
wheel described the disk may be rotated by means of a coiled spring
around the axis of the disk. In this arrangement the axis of the disk
is turned by hand to coil the spring upon the said axis, the return
motion being prevented by a click. By withdrawing or disengaging

page_text: this click by hand the coiled spring uncoils itself and causes the tectotum
dise to be rapidly spun or rotated. By constructing and moving
tectotums according to my Invention they are set in motion with
great facility and are free from the inconvenience of ordinary tectotums,
namely, that when the teetotum is set in motion on a surface not truly
horizontal it is liable to run off the said surface.