Improvements in Swimming or Floating Toys.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Dec., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 17th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 1st Feb. 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Swimming or Floating Toys.
A communication from abroad by LEONHARD UEBELACKER, of Nürnberg, in the
Empire of Germany, Toy Manufacturer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both
in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention represented in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings has
for its object to replace the usual forces for propelling, floating or swimming toys
(such as fishes, aquatic birds, ships, etcetera, which hitherto has only been done by
means of more or less complicated mechanical appliances, such as springs, magnetism,
electricity, steam, etcetera) by a driving power, the production and action of which on
the toy to be driven proceed in a most original and simple manner.
At the back part of the swimming figure A, which can be made of any suitable
material, is fixed, in the manner shown in Figure 1, a small piece of camphor k by
means of a clamp spring f, so attached that, on placing the figure A in the basin prepared
for it, the camphor is submerged or partly submerged in the water.
According to a well known property of camphor, a strong evaporation and simul-
taneous dissolution of the camphor take place on the surface of the block k, during
which the piece of camphor k, in spite of the constant diminution of size, is pressed
against the hinder part a of the figure A, and thus held firmly by means of the
spring. The camphor fumes developed exert, against the surrounding body of
water, a pressure in an opposite sense to the surfaces a, in consequence of which or
the reaction produced, the toy is driven forwards and continues in motion as long as
the camphor is unevaporated or until the water is impregnated with camphor solution
to a certain degree. If this limit be reached, the water or camphor solution must
be poured away, the walls of the basin cleaned, and the latter again filled
with fresh water for the continuance or repetition of the original entertaining
process.
The course described by the toy is equidistant from the sides of the basin
(Figure 2).
Dated this 7th day of December 1889
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Swimming or Floating Toys.
A communication from abroad by LEONHARD UEBELACKER, of Nürnberg, in the
Empire of Germany, Toy Manufacturer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both
in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, 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 :-
This invention represented in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings accompanying the
Provisional Specification showing a sample ready for use, has for its object to replace
the usual forces for propelling, floating or swimming toys (such as fishes, aquatic
D

page_text: birds, ships, etcetera, which hitherto has only been done by means of more or less
complicated mechanical appliances such as springs, magnetism, electricity, steam,
etcetera) by a driving power, the production and action of which on the toy to be
driven proceed in a most original and simple manner.
At the back part of the swimming figure A, which can be made of any "suitable
material, is fixed, in the manner shown in Figure 1, a small piece of camphor by
means of a clamp spring f, so attached that, on placing the figure A in the basin
prepared for it, the camphor is submerged or partly submerged in the water.
According to a well known property of camphor, a strong evaporation and simul
taneous dissolution of the camphor take place on the surface of the block k,. during
which the piece of camphor k, in spite of the constant diminution of size, is pressed
against the hinder part a of the figure A, and thus held firmly by means of the
spring f. The camphor fumes developed exert, against the surrounding body of
water, a pressure in an opposite sense to the surfaces a, in consequence of which or
the reaction produced, the toy is driven forwards and continues in motion as long
as the camphor is unevaporated or until the water is impregnated with camphor
solution to a certain degree. If this limit be reached, the water or camphor
solution must be poured away, the walls of the basin cleaned, and the latter again
filled with fresh water for the continuance or repetition of the original entertaining
process.
The course described by the toy is equidistant from the sides of the basin
(Figure 2).
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the 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 :-
The combination with a swimming or floating toy, of a piece of camphor k attached
at the hinder part of the same for the purpose of generating a forward movement of
the toy by means of the pressure exerted on the surrounding water by the evaporation
of camphor.
Dated this 16th day of December 1889.
WM. P. THOMPSON & CO.,
Agents for the Applicant.