. IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR AMUSING AND EXERCISING CHILDREN, AND ASSISTING THEM IN LEARNING TO WALK
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Harper Pritchard, of the Parish of Saint
Luke's, in the County of Middlesex, Japanner, for the Invention of "AN
. IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR AMUSING AND EXERCISING CHILDREN, AND ASSISTING
THEM IN LEARNING TO WALK."
Sealed the 2nd January 1861, and dated the 9th July 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Harper Pritchard
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 9th July 1860.
I, WILLIAM HARPER PRITCHARD, of the Parish of Saint Luke's, in the
County of Middlesex, Japanner, do hereby declare the nature of the said.
Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR AMUSING AND EXERCISING CHILDREN,
AND ASSISTING THEM IN LEARNING TO WALK," to be as follows:-
For the purposes named I make use of a light framing provided with a
bearing or bearings supporting a vertical axis, so arranged as to revolve freely
therein in one direction only, such direction corresponding with that in which
a child or children using the apparatus while learning to walk would move
forward, in a circular path, but not allowing a retrograde movement. To the
vertical axis named is or are attached one or more horizontal bars or levers.
projecting at each side of the axis, such bar or bars being provided at one end
with a belt to encompass the waist, or with other suitable arrangement whereby

page_text: a child may be attached and supported, and having at the opposite side of the
axis an adjustable weight to counterbalance the weight of the child. Or
otherwise a small chair containing another child seated therein, may be used
instead of the weight referred to. Otherwise the apparatus may be used
entirely with a chair or chairs containing a child or children, and may be
caused to revolve by being pushed round, or by self-acting means derived
from a weight or other source of power. This apparatus differs from other
rotating machines that have been constructed for similar purposes,-
Firstly, in being constructed with a light stand capable of being taken to
picces and thereby rendered portable.
Secondly, in having a central adjusting screw for adjusting the height of the
bar or bars whereby the child or children is or are supported.
Thirdly, in being provided with an adjustable balance weight to counterpoise
the weight of the child.
Fourthly, in the use of a ratchet wheel or other equivalent arrangement for
preventing a backward movement.
Fifthly, in the attachment of the chair or chairs (when chairs are used) by
means of eyes or loops to slide on the bar, as also, in some cases, in the use of
a central pin to enable the chair to be turned for the purpose of causing the
child seated therein to face in either direction, as desired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Harper Pritchard in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 9th January 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HARPER PRITOHARD, of the Parish of Saint Luke's, in the County of Middlesex,
Japanner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the s
said William Harper Pritchard, Her special licence that I, the said William
Harper Pritchard, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Harper Pritchard, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great

page_text: Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR AMUSING AND EXERCISING CHILDREN, AND
ASSISTING THEM IN LEARNING TO WALE," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Harper Pritchard, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Harper Pritchard, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
For the purposes named I make use of a light framing provided with a
bearing or bearings supporting a vertical axis so arranged as to revolve freely
therein in one direction only, such direction corresponding with that in which
a child or children using the apparatus while learning to walk would move
forward, in a circular path, but not allowing a retrograde movement. To the
vertical axis named is or are attached one or more horizontal bars or levers
projecting at each side of the axis, such bar or bars being provided at one end
with a belt to encompass the waist, or with other suitable arrangement whereby
a child may be attached and supported, and having at the opposite side of the
axis an adjustable weight to counterbalance the weight of the child. Or
otherwise a small chair containing another child seated therein, may be used
instead of the weight referred to. Otherwise the apparatus may be used
entirely with a chair or chairs containing a child or children, and may be
caused to revolve by being pushed round, or by self-acting means derived from
a weight or other source of power. This apparatus differs from other rotating
machines that have been constructed for similar purposes,―
Firstly, in being constructed with a light stand capable of being taken to
pieces and thereby rendered portable.
Secondly, in having a central adjusting screw for adjusting the height of the
bar or bars whereby the child or children is or are supported.
Thirdly, in being provided with an adjustable balance weight to counterpoise
the weight of the child.
Fourthly, in the use of a ratchet wheel or other equivalent arrangement for
preventing a backward movement.
Fifthly, in the attachment of the chair or chairs (when chairs are used) by
means of eyes or loops to slide on the bar, as also, in some cases, in the use of

page_text: a central pin to enable the chair to be turned for the purpose of causing the
child seated therein to face in either direction, as desired.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The manner in which my said Invention may be carried into effect will be
fully understood by aid of the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, Fig. 1 whereof
represents an elevation of the apparatus in readiness for use in assisting
a child in learning to walk; Fig. 2 a plan of the same, and Fig. 3 a vertical
section, to an enlarged scale, of the central part of the apparatus.
a represents the framing of the apparatus, consisting, in this instance, of
eight light metallic legs arranged around and supporting a central tube b, to
which they are attached by screws, as shewn, or other suitable means. The
tube b', which is free to rise and fall without revolving within the tube b, acts
as a bearing for the spindle c, which is free to revolve within it in one direction,
but is prevented from revolving in the contrary direction by means of a
click d, taking into ratchet teeth formed upon or attached to the tube 61.
The spindle c carries the horizontal bare having at one end the padded ring f
for supporting the child, formed with a hinge g in order to enable the one
half of the ring to be moved into the position shewn in dotted lines on Fig. 2,
for the purpose of placing the child within it, after which it is closed around
the waist of the child, and secured from opening by a sliding loop h kept
forward by an india-rubber or other spring, or by other convenient and suitable
means. The weight i, acting as a counterbalance to the weight or downward
pressure of the child, may be moved for that purpose along the bar e, and fixed
at any distance from the central spindle as required. The tube b' carrying
the spindle c rests upon and may be raised, as required, by the screw ; passing
through a nut formed in or attached to the lower part of the tube b.
Fig. 4 represents the apparatus with the bar e and central spindle of the
foregoing Figures removed, and another bar e carrying at one end the chair f¹
for containing a child, and having at the other the adjustable balance weight ¹
substituted therefor. Or otherwise a second chair for containing a child
may be used instead of the weight. In this Figure the central spindle c
is free to revolve in either direction, and has attached to it the two gut
or other bandsk and k³, passing over pullies and P, carried
attached to the tube b', as shewn. These bands are wound upon
in contrary directions, so that the effect of unwinding one of them from, will
be to wind the other on, the spindle. Hence it will be understood that by
attaching a weight m to the band k', the gradual descent of the weight, by
unwinding the band k therefrom, will cause the spindle to revolve, and thus
by brackets
the spindles c'

page_text: to slowly carry round the chair, at the same time winding the band k
upon the
spindle until the weight has reached the limit of its descent, when it can be
unhooked from the band k¹ and hooked upon the band k, which will then in
turn be drawn down, and cause the spindle to revolve and carry round the
chair f in the contrary direction.
Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a vertical and transverse section, to an
enlarged scale, of the central part of this arrangement. The chair f¹ is fitted
upon a central pin n, whereon it may be turned half round so as to enable the
child to be at all times seated with its face corresponding with the direction of
the motion of the chair.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same may be performed, I wish it to be under-
stood that I do not limit myself to the precise details herein set forth, as the
same may be variously modified without departing from the distinctive character
of my Invention; but that I claim, the construction of machinery or apparatus
for the purposes referred to, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Harper Pritchard, have hereto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
W. HARPER (L.s.) PRITCHARD.
Witness,
FRANCIS WISE, C.E.,
Patent Agent,
22, Buckingham St., Adelphi.