AN IMPROVED MECHANICAL TOY OR APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A GAME
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Morgan Richards at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th October 1883. Communicated
to him from abroad by James D O'Donoghue, of Brooklyn in the County of
Kings and State of New York, United States of America.
JOHN MORGAN RICHARDS, of Great Russell Street in the County of Middlesex,
"AN IMPROVED MECHANICAL TOY OR APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A GAME "
[com-
municated to him from abroad by James D O'Donoghue, of Brooklyn in the
County of Kings and State of New York, United States of America]
This Invention relates to an improved toy race course consisting of figures
riding on horses or bicycles or toy figures of any description attached to
independent arms which are mounted on a common axis and set in motion around
a circular track by a ball rolling down an inclined plane the apparatus being so
constructed that first one and then another figures goes ahead thereby affording
considerable amusement to children.
The apparatus is mounted on a base of rectangular or other form supported
upon suitable feet, and has a circular platform connected with the base by bows or
arches through which the figures pass around above the circular track which is
formed by a slot between the outer edge of platform, and the inner edge of the
base. Beneath the base and firmly attached thereto there is a cross bar from
which rises an upright or pivot that passes up to the top of the circular inclined
track. Around this upright there is an open spiral or helical wire the ends of
which are attached to the upright and outside thereof there is a second helix or
open spiral wire having the same number of convolutions, but of considerably
larger diameter. These two helices form a circular inclined track down which the
ball can roll.
The outer helix is fastened at the lower end to the platform and at the upper
end to a disc which has a central hole through which the upright passes and a
gallery around the outside. This gallery may be at the upper end of a cylindrical
or other shaped case or tower in the centre of the platform to enclose the
cylindrical inclined track. There is an opening in the disc through which the
ball is introduced to run down the tracks formed by the helices.
There are any convenient number of horsemen, bicycle riders and such like, and
these are supported at the ends of radial arms preferably of wire, each of which

page_text: has an eye or loop encircling the upright and a vertical rod which extends to the
top of the inclined track where there is an eye freely embracing the upper part of
the upright.
These arms are so arranged that the respective figures will swing clear of each
other, the figures on the one arm swinging between the other arins, so that the
figures may move one ahead of the other and be free to describe almost a complete
circle. Upon the respective vertical rods, there are projections preferably in the
form of bends or zigzags in the wires and of a more or less irregular form. These
rods being between the spirals or helices are acted upon by the ball as it rolls down
the inclined plane formed by such helices.
I place a bell beneath the platform in such position that when the ball emerges
from the helices it strikes the bell and signals that the race is finished and
I provide a trough or receptacle to receive the descending ball after it has struck
the bell to prevent it from rolling away.
If the vertical rods were straight there might be a nearly uniform movement of
all the toys as the ball runs down, but by introducing the zigzags or projections
into such wires, the movements are accelerated and the period of rotation changed,
so that there is no positive relative movement of the toy figures.