ÅN IMPROVED TOY FOR IMITATING THE NOTES OF SINGING BIRDS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William James Schlesinger, of Finsbury Street,
in the County of Middlesex, Merchant, for the Invention of "ÅN
IMPROVED TOY FOR IMITATING THE NOTES OF SINGING BIRDS."-A com-
munication from abroad by Alfred Henry. Cramp, of New York,
United States of America.
--
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred James
Schlesinger at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 12th August 1878.
I, WILLIAM JAMES SCHLESINGER, of Finsbury Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVED TOY FOR. INITATING THE NOTES OF SINGING BIRDS,” a
communication, to be as follows:—
My said Invention relates to a novel and simple apparatus, which is
designed to imitate the notes of song birds, and which, when properly
constructed and used, will emit sounds very closely resembling the
same. The said apparatus therefore forms an amusing toy, which

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Henry Schlesinger in the Great Seal Patent
Office on 12th February 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
JAMES SCHLESINGER, of Finsbury Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did,' for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William James Schlesinger, Her-
special licence, that I, the said William James Schlesinger, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,' the said
William James Schlesinger, 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 Britain and Ireland, the Channel- Islands, and Isle-
of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED TOY FOR IMITATING THE NOTES OF
SixGING BIRDS," a communication to me from abroad by Alfred Henry
Oramp, of New York, United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William James Schlesinger, 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 James Schlesinger, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
My said Invention relates to a novel and simple apparatus, which is

page_text: designed to imitate the notes of song birds, and which, when properly
constructed and used, will emit sounds very closely resembling the same.
The said apparatus therefore forms an amusing toy, which will afford
great entertainement to children and others, and which is free from the
objectionable features accompanying many other toys which depend
for the amusement they afford upon the production of sound. Moreover
the said apparatus may be advantageously employed in teaching young
constructed and used, will emit sounds very closely resembling the same.
The said apparatus therefore forms an amusing toy, which will afford
great entertainement to children and others, and which is free from the
objectionable features accompanying many other toys which depend
for the amusement they afford upon the production of sound. Moreover
the said apparatus may be advantageously employed in teaching young
birds to sing.
The said Invention is based upon the principle of producing sound by
the motion through the atmosphere of a body formed with [cavities or
apertures in which the air acts with more or less force according to the
speed with which the body moves.
The manner in which my said apparatus is constructed and used will
be understood from the following description, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1 is an external side view of 1
my improved toy, and Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line x, x,
Figure 1. Like letters indicate the same parts in both Figures.
The said apparatus is a hollow body, preferably oval or elliptical in
longitudinal section. I prefer that it should have nearly the size and
shape of a common walnut. It may be formed of tin or other suitable 2
metal or material, and may have its exterior plain or ornamented in any
appropriate manner. This hollow body is divided longitudinally into
two chambers or cavities a, b, as shewn in Figure 2, each of which
communicates with the external atmosphere by a slot or aperture formed
in the elliptical shell of the apparatus. It will be seen that the par- 2
tition c, which separates the two chambers a, b, is not fixed centrally
within the hollow body, but nearer to one side than the other, so that
the chamber a is larger than the chamber b, and the slot or aperture d
of the large chamber a is larger than the slot or aperture e of the other
chamber. The result of this peculiar construction when the apparatus 3
is used, as herein-after described, is a variety in the sound emitted by
the apparatus, producing a very natural and pleasing effect, which could
not be otherwire obtained.

page_text: When constructed as above described, and as shewn in the Drawing,
the sounds produced by the said apparatus will somewhat resemble the
song of the American mocking bird, but by varying the shape and size
thereof the notes of other birds may be obtained.
The said apparatus is attached by a ring or eyef to one end of a cord,
whose other end is provided with a suitable button or loop, whereby the
said cord may be securely and conveniently held in the hand. When
the said apparatus is used the said cord is held by its button or loop,
and is then whirled around the hand.
The action of the air impinging upon the slots or apertures in the
chambers or cavities a, b, of the apparatus produces sounds which closely
resemble the notes of a bird, and these notes may be made loud or soft
as desired by moving the said apparatus more or less rapidly around
the hand. As the apparatus is thus whirled around it rotates on its
longitudinal axis, thereby presenting both slots in rapid alternation to
the action of the air with the result above specified.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim, the improved toy consisting of
a hollow body or shell, which is divided into compartments or chambers
of different sizes communicating with the external atmosphere by alots
or apertures, and which is attached to a cord or string, and operated or
used as herein set forth aud for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William James Schlesinger, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
WILLIAM J. SCHLESINGER. (L.S.)
Witness,
H. J. NOONE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.