An Improved Toy Motor.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 3rd May, 1894-Accepted, 9th June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Toy Motor.
I MARTHA COLE trading as M. Cole & Co. at 31ª Spital Square in the Liberty
of Norton Folgate in the County of Middlesex Toy Manufacturer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:—
This invention relates to Improvements in Toy Motors in which I employ a fly
or heavy wheel or spinning top and a spindle loosely mounted in a suitable frame
for holding the said wheel or top in position for spinning same. The usual method
of spinning this description of top or wheel is by the use of a handle having a
spindle made fast in one end of it. This handle is held in the hand in an upright
position and the cord or string having been first wound round the pulley or winder
furnished to the top or wheel the latter is held in position for spinning by the end
of the said spindle being passed into a socket or hole in the centre of the top or
wheel which has to be held thus until the string has been withdrawn. But this
method of spinning the top requires for its proper performance a considerable
amount of skill and care as (1) the handle must be kept upright & (2) the top
held in position without much pressure being put upon it & (3) it is essential that
the handle be withdrawn from the top the instant that the string has been drawn
off the pulley otherwise the friction becomes too great for the top or wheel to spin
properly. The object of my present invention is to obviate all this and greatly
simplify the spinning of the top which I do by mounting the said spindle in a
vertical position loosely in a frame in such a manner that it is capable of being
moved up and down in same. To spin the top or wheel, the string or cord
being previously wound round its pulley, I have simply to raise the said spindle
somewhat in the frame to permit of the top being placed under it and then to lower
it till its end is well in the socket of the top when this is held by said spindle in
the proper position for spinning. I have now only to withdraw the string rapidly
from the pulley with one hand keeping the other on the framework to prevent this
from moving and the top or wheel is set spinning. In this manner a great impetus
may be given to the top or wheel without any skill being required. In order to
further reduce the friction the spindle may be mounted so that it may be taken out
of the frame or freed from all contact with the top or wheel as soon as this has
been set spinning. This arrangement will render the top or wheel a powerful
and simple motor for actuating mechanical toys of various descriptions. For this
purpose the spindle may be utilized to transmit motion to the toys by means of a
flexible connection furnished to it for transmitting the tops motion to said spindle which
may be provided with cranks, an endless screw or other well known gear for trans-
mitting its motion to some working part of a toy. Motion may also be imparted direct
from the spinning top or wheel by means of a balanced lever or levers mounted as is
now well understood so that one end of such lever or levers comes in contact with some
part of the spinning top the other being connected with some working part of the toy.
If desired the string can be made self-winding instead of being wound round the
pulley of the top or wheel by hand. In this case the pulley or winder is
transferred from the top or wheel to the loose spindle and gear is furnished at the
lower end of the latter for locking same in gear furnished to the top or wheel for
the purpose of the latter being carried round by the spindle. The spindle is auto-
matically raised out of the said gear of the top or wheel by means of a coil spring
inserted in such gear. A second loose spindle is vertically mounted parallel to the
first. To this also a pulley is furnished having a spring attachment to take up the

page_text: slack of the cord or string wound round the pulley of the first spindle when the said
cord is unwound in the act of setting the top or wheel in motion.
Dated this 2nd day of August 1893.
MARTHA COLE.
COMIDDIN DI MIFICATION.
An Improved Toy Motor.
I MARTHA COLE trading as M. Cole & Co. of 31ª Spital Square in the Liberty
of Norton Folgate in the County of Middlesex Toy Manufacturer 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 :-
in same.
This invention relates to Improvements in Toy Motors in which I employ a fly
or heavy wheel or spinning top and a spindle mounted in a suitable frame for
holding said wheel or top in position for spinning same.
The usual method of
spinning this description of top or wheel is by the use of a handle having a spindle
made fast in one end of it. This handle is held by the hand in an upright position
and the cord or string having been first wound round the pulley or winder furnished
to the top or wheel the latter is held in position for spinning by the end of the said
spindle being passed into a socket or hole in the centre of the top or wheel which
has to be held thus until the string has been withdrawn. But this method of
spinning the top requires for its proper performance a considerable amount of skill
and care as :-(1) the handle must be kept upright and (2) the top held in position
without much pressure being put upon it and (3) it is essential that the handle be
withdrawn from the top the instant that the string has been drawn off the pulley
otherwise the friction becomes too great for the top or wheel to spin properly.
The object of my present invention is to obviate all this and to simplify the
spinning of the top which I do by mounting the said spindle in a vertical position
loosely in a frame in such a manner that it is capable of being moved up and down
To spin the top or wheel the string or cord being previously wound
round its pulley I bave simply to raise the said spindle somewhat in the frame to
permit of the top being placed under it and then to lower said spindle till its end
is well in the socket of the top when this is thus held by the said spindle in the
proper position for spinning. I have now only to withdraw the string rapidly from
the pulley with one hand, keeping the other on the framework to prevent this from
moving and the top or wheel is set spinning. In this manner a great impetus
may be given to the top or wheel without any skill being required. In order to
further reduce the triction the spindle may be mounted so that it may be taken out
of the frame or entirely freed from further contact with the top or wheel by means
of a coil or other spring used to raise the said spindle as soon as the top has been
set spinning. This arrangement will render the top or wheel a powerful and
simple motor for actuating mechanical toys of various descriptions.
purpose the spindle may be utilized to transmit motion to the toys by means of a
Hexible connection furnished thereto for transmitting the tops motion to said
spindle which may be provided with cranks, an endless screw, or other well known
gear for transmitting its motion to some working part of a toy. Motion may also
be imparted direct from the spinning top or wheel by means of a balanced or
weighted lever or levers mounted (as is now well understood in connection with toy
motors of this description) so that one end of such lever or levers comes into
contact with some part of the spinning top the other being connected with some
working part of the toy. If desired the string can be made self-winding instead of
"being wound round the pulley of the top or wheel by hand. In this case the
pulley or winder is transferred from the top or wheel to the loose spindle and gear
furnished at the lower end of the latter for locking same into gear furnished to the
top or wheel for the purpose of the latter being carried round by the spindle.
For this

page_text: The spindle is automatically raised out of the said gear of the top or wheel by
ineans of a coil spring provided for the purpose of locking or unlocking same and
a second pulley is provided with a spring attachment to take up the slack of the
cord or string wound round the first pulley when this is, unwound in the act of
setting the top or wheel in motion.
"
And in order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into practice I will proceed to describe the drawings hereto annexed in illustration.
of same in which similar letters of reference represent similar parts.
game.
Fig. 3 shows another method of transmitting the tops motion by means of a worm;
and worm wheel.
Fig. 4 is a modification of Fig. 3 an escapement taking the place of the worm and.
worm wheel.
Fig. 5 a view showing a method of winding the cord or string automatically.
C is a spindle loosely mounted in frame. A B is a spinning top or heavy wheel
with string or cord wound round its pulley ready for spinning in cup A¹ which is
constructed with an inner rim to prevent the top from leaving same and to minimise
the friction. D is a coil spring with a bearing against the frame A and a knob or
shoulder to the spindle. This spring is required for the purpose of raising the loose
spindle out of contact with the top or wheel when this has been set spinning.
To spin the top pressure is put upon the spindle through its knob by which means
the end of the spindle is made to enter the socket B' of the top thus holding this
in position for spinning whilst the string E is rapidly drawn off the pulley, as soon
as this is done the pressure is to be instantly taken off the spindle to free the
same from contact with the spinning top and to reduce the friction. Or the
spring D may be dispensed with altogether by mounting the spindle C (Fig. 1) so.
that it can be taken out of the framework as soon as the string has been rapidly
withdrawn by the act of spinning Fig. 2. F is a weighted or balanced lever so that
its lower end falls upon the table B₁ of the top B. This lever F is hinged to
the frame A and has its upper end connected with a jointed figure such as a dancing
When the top is spinning lever F comes into contact with projections B³ on
table B¹ which causes the lever to be knocked up and down and so actuates the-
mechanical figure.
man.
Fig. 3 in direct rotary motion is transmitted by means of flexible connections C*
and worm C¹ mounted on spindle C of this figure in connection with worm
wheel H.
Fig. 4 the up and down movement (already described) transmitted to lever F
is here caused to actuate escapement K to obtain rotary motion indirectly from
the top.
Fig. 5. L is a loose bearing for putting pressure upon spindle C.
In this figure,
in which the string E is automatically wound, the pulley C is transferred from
the spinning top to the spindle C and a second pulley M mounted on the frame A.
The string or cord E after being wound several times round pulley C' is passed
over pulley M and secured to coil spring E'. C is a ratchet wheel made fast to
spindle C and C a disc also secured to spindle C and having a catch C' locking
into the teeth of ratchet wheel C to prevent a backward movement of spindle C
which is provided with clutch C. Upon pressing bearing L clutch C' clutches.
that of B' of the top B when by sharply pulling string E and quickly releasing
same and removing the pressure from bearing L the top B is set spinning and freed
from contact with spindle C whilst the string E is immediately rewound round.
pulley C8 by the backward movement of the coil spring El after the distention of
same caused by pulling string E in the act of spinning the top. The Fig. 5 may

page_text: I
be modified as follows. The shaft or spindle C may be a tube or made hollow and
the spring D inserted in the upper part thereof the upper end of the spring abutting
against a cap furnished to the tube and its lower end abutting against a loose
rod inserted in the tube. This loose rod forming a second bearing to the top or
wheel the spike of the latter is extended upward to reach said bearing. By this
modification the advantage is obtained of the top or wheel being always held in an
upright position ready for spinning.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
A spindle or shaft loosely mounted in a frame and combined and arranged
substantially as and for the purpose described in the foregoing Specification and
represented in the accompanying drawings.
D
0
1004
MARTHA COLE.