An Improved Toy Top.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Jan., 1897-Accepted,. 6th Mar.,
1897
An Improved Toy Top.
1, ERNST PAUL LEHMANN of No. 6 Plauer Strasse, Brandenburg-on-the-Havel
in the German Empire, Manufacturer, 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 an improved toy-top of that kind, which is turned
without the aid of a whip or a cord or thread, simply by holding the handle of the
top with one hand and rubbing the body of the top against any convenient rough
surface, as for instance the sleeve of the coat, whereby the stem, rigidly secured to
the said body of the top, will loosely turn within the handle and assume a fast
rotary motion and continue to turn, when the top is put down.
To make my said invention better understood, I will describe the same with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a central vertical section through a toy-top constructed according to
this invention.
Figure 2 is a side view of the same, and
Figure 3 a plan.
The body A of the toy-top may be of any convenient shape, and it may be solid.
or hollow, in making it hollow and of two halves connected by a bayonet-joint or
simply fitting one over another, or providing it with a proper door, it may serve
to contain sweets or the like to be sold along with the top. To the said body A
a stem B is centrally and rigidly secured, the said stem B, may enter or traverse
the said body A, or it may be soldered, screwed or otherwise secured to the same.
The point a of the top may be pressed out of the metal or other material of the
body A, or it may equally be secured to the same in line with the said stem B.
On the said stem B, a sleeve or handle C, is loosely mounted, the said stem being
guided within the end plates of said sleeve or handle C. I prefer to give the said
sleeve or handle a triangular cross section, for the purpose of better holding the
same, as the top is being turned, but the said sleeve or handle might as well be of
any other shape, and it may be open-sided, if desired.
To spin the top, take the handle C between two fingers and rub the body A
quickly against any rough surface, in one direction only, and the body A, and
stem B, of the top will assume a fast rotary motion, while the handle C, provides
the bearings for the rotary stem. Now, on putting the top down on its point a, the
top will continue to turn a while, as if rotary motion had been imparted to it by a
cord, as usual.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A toy-top having an axial stem rigidly secured to its body, and a handle or
sleeve loosely mounted on the stem, the said stem being guided by the end or
cross-plates of the handle, substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. A toy-top having an axial stem rigidly secured to its hollow body which
is arranged to serve as a receptacle for sweets and the like, a handle or sleeve

page_text: loosely mounted on said stem, and guides or bearings carried by the said handle or
sleeve, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 14th day of January 1897.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.