IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR METHOD OF WORKING HOBBY-HORSES AND OTHER FIGURES OF ANIMALS TO ADDIDITTO EXPLOYED THEREIN "
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Abraham Waddington, of Bradford, in the County of
York, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR
METHOD OF WORKING HOBBY-HORSES AND OTHER FIGURES OF ANIMALS TO
ADDIDITTO EXPLOYED THEREIN "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Abraham Waddington at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th December 1880.
ABRAHAM WADDINGTON, of Bradford, in the County of York, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR METHOD OF WORKING HOBBY HORSES AND
OTHER FIGURES OF ANIMALS TO BE USED ON ROUNDABOUTS, AND IN APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN."
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for giving
the hobby horses or other figures of animals a circular lifting and falling movement
so as to resemble a galloping and jumping action.
For this purpose I employ an ordinary circular tramway, on which revolves
when in action a series of platforms which are connected together, forming an
endless train to run upon and around the tramway; each platform is fitted with
bearers in which works a shaft, and on which are secured a pair of wheels which
run upon the tramway, but I may fit to each platform two shafts having wheels.
To propel the platforms round the tramway I employ either horses or a steam
engine similar in construction to a portable steam engine, and the engine is placed
in the centre of the circular tramway. The engine actuates a frame composed of
radial spars secured to rods and cross spars, and the ends of the spars are connected
to the platforms; the frame is worked by a toothed ring wheel which is driven by
a pinion receiving motion from the crank shaft of the engine.
On the tramway wheel shaft of each platform are fixed two pullies which
actuate through straps or ropes other pullies secured on shafts fitted near each end
of each platform, the pullies actuate the shafts and pinions secured on the ends of
the shaft. I may employ instead of pulleys and straps or ropes, chain wheels and
link chains. The pinions actuate spur wheels which work on studs secured in the
tops of brackets which are bolted to boards fixed at each end of the platforms.

page_text: The spur wheels have bosses cast near the outer circumference through which
pass the rounded ends of a square shaft, and the spur wheels in revolving cause
rotatory action to be given to the square shaft.
On the square shaft at each end of the platform and to each platform are secured
three, four, or more brackets having square openings, through which are passed
square rods; the tops of these rods are passed in the bodies of the hobby horses or
other figures of animals, and the horses or animals rest and are secured to plates
secured on the square rods, and the bottom parts of these rods pass through the
boards secured on the top of the platform, and the rods work in movable oscil-
lating guides to allow for the different angles the rods take in the revolving of the
spur wheels; I also employ gearing to actuate the rods so as to work the hobby
horses in a perpendicular position.
The shafts of the tramway wheels in revolving actuate the pullies or chain
wheels, giving motion to the straps, cords, or link chains, and which actuate the
pullies or chain wheels fitted on the shafts which are near the end of each platform,
and which shaft gives motion to the pinions fitted at each end of each shaft giving
action to the spur wheels working on the studs, and which give a rotatory motion
to the square shaft on which are secured the brackets having square rods, and on
which are mounted the hobby horses or other figures of animals, giving them a
circular lifting and falling motion, and whichs gives a galloping or jumping
movement or action to the hobby horses or other figures of animals.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Abraham Waddington in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th June 1881.
ABRAHAM WADDINGTON, of Bradford, in the County of York, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR METHOD OF WORKING HOBBY HORSES AND
OTHER FIGURES OF ANIMALS TO BE USED ON ROUNDABOUTS, AND IN APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN."
The said Invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for giving
hobby horses or other figures of animals on roundabouts a circular lifting and falling
movement, so as to resemble a galloping and jumping action.
For this purpose I employ an ordinary circular tramway, on which revolve when
in action a series of platforms connected together and forming an endless train to
run upon and around the tramway; each platform is fitted with bearers, in which
works a shaft, and on which are secured a pair of wheels which run upon the
tramway, but I may fit to each platform two shafts and four wheels.
To propel the platforms round the tramway I employ either horses or a steam
engine similar in construction to a portable steam engine, and the engine is placed
in the centre of the circular tramway. The engine actuates a frame composed of
radial spars which are secured to rods and cross spars, and the ends of the spars
are connected to the platforms; the frame is worked by a toothed ring wheel driven
by a pinion receiving motion from the crank shaft of the engine.
On the tramway wheel shaft of each platform is fitted a chain wheel, which by
means of a link chain actuates another chain wheel fitted across the platform and
on a shaft working in bearings secured under the framework; on the ends of this
shaft are secured pinions which actuate spur wheels working on studs secured in
bearings bolted to the underside of the framework. The spur wheels have bosses
cast near the outer circumference, through which pass the rounded ends of a square
shaft, and in the centre of the shaft is secured a square rod fixed to a square shaft
having rounded ends which work in brackets secured on the top of a rocking
frame, and the rocking frame is secured on the tops of brackets having curved
bottom bearing parts placed loosely on the top of the tramway wheel shaft. The
spur wheels in revolving actuate the shaft working in the bosses near the outer
circumference of the wheels, so as to give a pitching, lifting, and falling motion to
the rod secured in the centre of the shaft, and which gives a similar motion to the
rocking platform, and an up and down motion to the hobby horses or animals which
are secured on the tops of square rods, and are by preference welded to the square
shaft working in the bearers secured on the top of the rocking frame, and to give
a circular motion from one set of horses to the other a connecting rod is employed,
which is secured to the centre square shaft of the driving side of the platform, and
secured at the other end to the centre square rod of the centre horse. The action
of the rocking platform gives a pulling in and out action to the square rods on
which are fixed the horses or animals, and the connecting rod gives the required
galloping or jumping action.
Or I may fit on the tramway wheel shaft a pinion which actuates a spur wheel
fitted on a crank shaft which works in bearings secured on the outside of the
frame work of the platform. The spur wheel actuates a crank to which is connected
a connecting rod, and which actuates a rod or lever working on a stud fitted in a
support secured on the top of the platform; the rod or lever actuates another lever
connected to a short lever working on a stud secured in a bearer bolted on the
underside of a rocking platform, on which are mounted the hobby horses or
animals; the connecting rod and levers give the up and down or rocking motion to

page_text: the platform, and the platform is secured on the tops of brackets working on the
tramway wheel shaft. To the rod or lever connected to the connecting rod is fitted
another and shorter connecting rod, which is connected to a lever or rod secured on
the square rod, having the rods on which are fixed the horses or animals giving
the circular motion to the horses, and to give the motion from one set of horses
to the other, another connecting rod is employed which is secured to a dropping
down lever or rod connected to the shaft on which the rods of the other horses or
animals are fixed. The connecting rods give the pitching or jumping action.
Or I may employ chain wheels secured at each end of the tramway wheel shaft
which actuate link chains working larger chain wheels secured on shafts fitted in
bearings secured on the top of the platform frame, and at each end bosses are cast
at a required distance for the required stroke on the chain wheels, in which are
secured shafts and on which are passed bosses formed on square rods on which are
secured the horses or animals; the lower part of the rods working near the chain
wheels are guided in and out between friction rollers fitted in bearers secured to
brackets bolted on the underside of the frame work. The revolving of the chain to
wheels gives a circular lifting and falling motion to the square rods producing the
galloping or jumping movement or action to the hobby horses or other figures of
animals. The bearers which carry the chain wheels work in slides, and are
actuated by set screws to regulate and keep the link chains in working position.
But in order to enable my improvements to be better understood, I will proceed
to describe the same by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1
represents a side elevation of apparatus for giving to the hobby horses or other
figures of animals a circular lifting and falling movement, so as to resemble a
galloping and jumping action; Figure 2, plan of the same; Figure 3 represents a
portion of a plan of a roundabout, shewing positions of the platforms and the
circular track or railway; Figure 4 represents a side elevation of another method
of working the hobby horses or other figures of animals, and Figure 5, plan of the
same; Figure 6 represents another method of working the hobby horses or animals,
and Figure 7 plan of the same.
Similar letters of reference are employed to represent similar parts. A is the
ordinary circular track or railway, in which work tramway wheels B secured and
fitted on shafts C, working in bearers secured to platforms D, which are connected
together so as to form an endless train running upon and around the track or
railway. On the shaft C of each platform is fitted a chain wheel E, which by
means of a link chain F actuates another chain wheel G, which works a shaft H;
the shaft H works in bearings I bolted to the underside of the framework J of the
platform; on the ends of the shaft H are secured pinions K which actuate spur
wheels L, working on studs secured in bearings M, bolted to the framework; the
spur wheels have a shaft O fitted out of the centre of the wheel forming the throw
of the stroke given; the shaft O is made square and with rounded ends which
work in bosses or cast pieces N of the spur wheels L; in the centre of the shaft O
is secured or forged an upright square rod P, fixed to the centre of a square shaft Q
having rounded ends which work in bearers R, secured on the end of the rocking
platform S, secured on the tops of the brackets T, which work on the top of the
shaft C; the square shaft Q is made with three forged upright square rods U, on
which are secured the hobby horses V or figures of other animals; the other end of
the platform S is also fitted with bearers R in which work the rounded ends of a
square shaft Q, made with three upright square rods U on which are secured the
other hobby horses V, and to give a circular motion from one set of horses to the
other, a connecting rod W is secured to the centre square rod on which is secured
the centre horse, and the other end to the centre square rod of the other centre
horse; the action of the platform gives a lifting and lowering movement to the
horses V, and the connecting rod W gives the galloping or jumping action.
Or I fit on the shaft C a pinion X which actuates a spur wheel Y secured on a
crank shaft Z which actuates a crank A¹, to which is fitted a connecting rod B',
which gives motion to a lever or rod C₁, working on a stud fixed in a bracket D¹;

page_text: on the other end of the stud is fitted a lever E¹ connected to a short lever Fl
which works on a stud secured in a bearer G' bolted to the underside of the
rocking platform S; this motion gives the lifting and lowering or rocking motion
to the platform and consequently to the hobby horses; the horses are secured on
square rods formed on square shafts having rounded ends which work in bearings,
as hereinbefore described, and a connecting rod W is also secured to the centre
square rods of each centre horse to give the galloping or jumping action; the
horses are also actuated by a second connecting rod S' which works on a stud
secured to the rod C₁; the connecting rod S¹ is connected to hanging down levers P
secured or formed on square shafts or rods Q having rounded ends working in the
bearings R.
Or I fit on and at each end of the shaft C chain wheels E, which, by means of
the link chains F, actuate other larger chain wheels H' having bosses I¹ in which
work the rounded ends J' of square shafts K', to which are fitted or secured square
rods L' on which are mounted the hobby horses; the bottom parts M¹ of the
rods L' work between friction rollers N' which work on studs secured in bearers
cast or fixed on the brackets O' secured under the framework; the bearings P¹ of
the chain wheels work in guides formed on plates Q' secured on the top of the
framework, and the bearings P¹ are adjusted in position by set screws R₁ to keep
the link chain always in working position.
=
Having thus described my improvements, and the best means I am acquainted
with for carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do
not confine myself to the precise details shewn and described, as these may be
varied without departing from the peculiar character of the Invention, but what I
do claim is,
Firstly. The improved roundabout having hobby horses or other figures of animals
constructed and arranged in such a manner that they receive a circular lifting and
falling action or motion to resemble the movement of horses or animals galloping
or jumping, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly. The general arrangements, construction, and employment of apparatus
or machinery for giving the required circular lifting and falling movement to hobby
horses or other figures of animals, substantially as herein described and illustrated
in the Drawing annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Abraham Waddington, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
WALTER JAS. TURNER, C.E.,
Patent Agent,
Bradford.
ABRAHAM WADDINGTON. (L.S.)