Improvements in or connected with Cradles, Bassinettes, Cots, and like Swinging Articles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 4th May, 1894-Accepted, 21st July, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Cradles, Bassinettes, Cots, and
like Swinging Articles.
We GEORGE HAMLET WEBB, Schoolmaster, and HARRY MORETON WALKER,
Schoolmaster, both of Highworth Grammar School, Wiltshire, 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 :-
Our invention relates to improvements in or connected with cradles, bassinettes,
cots and the like, and has for its object to provide means whereby such cradles,
bassinettes, cots or the like can be automatically rocked or swung for any desired
length of time.
And in order that our said invention may be the more readily understood, we have
shewn same upon the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings, wherein :-
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a cradle with our rocking or swinging means applied
thereto.
Fig. 2 being an end view thereof with some of the parts removed, to more clearly
shew the invention, whilst
°
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cradle and rocking or swinging mechanism.
Referring to the drawings, wherein like letters of reference indicate corre-
sponding parts throughout the several figures, I have shewn therein a cradle a,
designed to enter and work
provided at each end with a projecting fixed spindle
in a bearing b¹, provided at the upper part of each of two standards b. By this
arrangement, the cradle a can rock or swing freely above the ground.
The said standards may be fixed to the base by providing holes in same
through which the screw-threaded ends of the standards are passed, and then
secured by means of nuts b², (Fig. 1) or they may be provided at their ends with
perforated plates, by means of which they can be screwed down to the said base g
(Fig. 3).
or
To one side of the cradle, near the bottom thereof, I fix a curved metal strip c
provided with a number of perforations c¹ near one extremity, through any of
which perforations the end of a pin d', projecting laterally from a rod
shaft d, is passed and secured therein by means of a nut, or in any other suitable
manner, in such a way that the said pin d¹ can turn freely in the perforation.
I provide a number of these perforations c', for the purpose of enabling the rod
or shaft d to be connected to the said curved strip c at any desired point along its
length. The rod or shaft d is pivoted at its other end to a toothed-wheel e near
its outer periphery, which toothed-wheel gears with a spur-wheel e¹ which may be
mounted upon a shaft e driven by any suitable electric or other motor, or clock-
work or any other suitable mechanism may be employed to rotate the wheel e and
give the necessary to-and-fro movement to the shaft or rod d.
The mechanism for imparting motion to the said shaft or rod d, especially if
clock-work or similar mechanism is employed, will preferably be contained in a
box f fixed to the base 9, and suitable form of brake or catch may he employed
to stop the mechanism when required.
any
Our invention may be applied to swings by imparting a half-rotary motion to the
horizontal rod from which depend the ropes or rods supporting the seat, and it can
also be applied equally well to see-saws.
The invention is moreover applicable to toys, such as dolls cradles, bassinettes,
swings, or other oscillating or swinging articles.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
1. The improvements in or connected with cradles, bassinettes, cots, and the
like, comprising standards fixed to a suitable base and having bearings in their
upper parts in which work fixed spindles projecting from the ends of the cradle or
the like substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated.
2. The improvements in or connected with cradles, bassinettes, cots, and the
like, comprising means for rocking or swinging same, consisting of a perforated
curved metal or other strip fixed to the cradle or the like, to which strip is
pivotally and removably connected, a rod or shaft pivoted to a toothed or other
disc rotated by any suitable motive power, substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated.
Dated this 4th day of May 1894.
HUGHES & YOUNG,
12, Basinghall Street, London, Agents for the Applicants.