Improvements in Detonating Toys.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 10th D.c., 1895-Accepted, 11th Jan.,
1896
VODIT MIM DI BUIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by JAMES SAMUEL TOBITT, of 19, Crown Street,
in the City of Cincinnati, County of Hamilton and State of Ohio, United
States of America, Coal Merchant.]
Improvements in Detonating Toys.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 comprises a detonating-toy, which consists of two separate and
distinct members to wit, a projectile to which motion is to be imparted, and a
device for exploding a percussion-wafer, or other suitable fulminate, to cause the
flight of said projectile. Usually, but not always, this projectile is a ball of any
appropriate size and material, and is provided with a chamber or bore for the
reception of the fulminating-device, while the exploder is a handled implement
having a plug or projection capable of entering said chamber.
Therefore, when a percussion wafer or pellet is placed within the chambered-
ball, and the plug is inserted within said chamber, and the butt end of the exploder
struck on a solid object, the end wafer will be ignited, and the resultant force will
be sufficient to impel the projectile several hundred feet into the air.
But this construction may be exactly reversed, in which case the chamber will
be located at one end of the handle, and the firing-plug project from the ball, as
hereinafter more fully described.
Referring to the annexed drawing
Figure 1 is an elevation showing the different members of my detonating-toy
separated from each other.
Figure 2 shows said toy in condition for being fired off, the ball being shown in
section, and
Figures 3 and 4 show two modifications of my said invention.
The projectile of my toy usually takes the shape of a ball A, of any suitable size
and material, although wood is preferred, for various reasons, but if made of wood,
the ball must have a metal tube B fitted within it to form a chamber capable of
receiving one or more percussion-wafers or pellets C. These wafers or pellets are
small discs coated with any suitable fulminate that will afford sufficient impelling
force without being too expensive for common use. Therefore, the wafers or
caps used with the well-known toy-pistols, will be especially adapted for projecting
said ball.
The firing-plug D projects from a hammer-shaped implement having a butt E,
and wooden handle F, although these three parts D, E, F, may be a single,
integral casting, if preferred.
In using this form of my toy, the pellet C is inserted within the chamber B, of
the ball, and the latter is then placed on plug D of the exploding implement, in
the manner seen in Figure 2, the firing-plug Ď being snugly, but not very tightly,
fitted in said chamber. The implement D, E, F, is now grasped by hand, and its
butt E struck upon some solid object with considerable force, the result being that
the plug D expledes the wafer C, throwing the ball high into the air, the distance
being determined by the weight of the projectile and the power of the fulminate.
In the modification of my invention, seen in Figure 3, the above-described

page_text: construction is exactly reversed, the firing-plug being a stem a, projecting from the
ball A, and the tube or chamber B', being integral with a metallic handle b.
Furthermore, the dotted lines a', in this illustration, indicate wings or vanes that
may be so applied to the ball A as to impart to it a gyratory motion.
In another modification, seen in Figure 4, a shaft G has a head H at one end,
and an india-rubber hemisphere I, at the other end, the head H, having a tube B",
fitted within it.
This projection is to be fired in a practically horizontal position on the
implement D, E, F, so as to cause the yielding cup I to strike against a wall and
be retained there until intentionally detached; but in some cases this hemisphere
may be omitted and an arrow or lance-head substituted for it, in which construction,
said projectile could be used for firing at wickets, targets and the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A detonating-toy consisting of a chambered projectile, adapted to receive a
percussion wafer, and an exploding-device having a firing plug that traverses said
chamber and ignites the wafer, in the manner described, and for the purpose
stated.
: ..
2. A detonating-toy consisting of the projectile A, having a tube B fitted within
it, which tube is adapted to receive a percussion wafer; and a hammer shaped
exploding-device DE F, the plug of which, D, is adapted to traverse said tube
and ignite the wafer, in the manner described, and for the purpose stated.
Dated this 10th day of December 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.