Figures and other Toy Objects.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Apr., 1889
Specification Accepted, 1st June, 1889
Figures and other Toy Objects.
I GEORGE COLE of the firm of George Cole and Company of 13 and 15
Finsbury Street in the City of London Merchant and 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in musical spinning tops for actuating
mechanical toy figures and other toy objects or effigies and consists in so constructing
arranging and mounting such tops that when brought in contact with some
working part of such toy figure object or effigy such contact serves to automatically
and intermittently change the chords notes or tunes which the top is capable of
playing (while at the same time the contact serves to impart various movements
grotesque or otherwise to the toy figures objects or effigies) as hereinafter explained
and illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
And in order that my present invention may be easily understood and readily
carried into practice I will proceed to fully describe same with reference to the
drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 is a vertical section through the centre of the top.
Figure 2 is an underside view of the parts (as hereinafter explained) on line x-x
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a local section on line 1-1 Figure 1.
Figure 4 shows my improved top applied to actuate direct a dancing figure.
Figure 5 shows a side view of Figure 4.
Figure 6, 7 and 8 show other applications of the top.
a is the body of the top which spins upon the fixed spike b attached thereto.
A frictional disc or table c (or it may be other than flat shaped if desired) is
mounted on the hollow stem or tube d which at its outer end d¹ serves to receive the
handle when spinning the top and at its lower end receives and rigidly holds the
rode which latter passes freely through the note plate f and terminates inside
the top at the point below the bearing 9 which serves to steady and hold this
rod e and the spring in their proper positions.

page_text: The note plate is constructed in any ordinary or suitable manner (such as a
reed plate as is well understood by toy makers) and the rod e passes freely through
same and through the slotted disc i-this rod e is half round and fits a corresponding
hole in the slotted plate or disc i which is thus revolved by the rod e against the
note plate against which the disc is normally pressed by the spring and clawj;
and this disc i having one or more slots or openings formed therein serves to open or
close the notes f¹ in the note plate above it according to the tune or chords which
are arranged to be played-in the case shown in Figures 1 and 2 there are three such
slots m arranged so as to play a chord of three notes (in the note plate f) at once
these reeds or notes f¹ showing through the openings m in the slotted disc i
(Figure 2).
nnare vanes to retard the revolution of the slotted disc i when the latter is
momentarily set free by depressing the spring has hereinafter described.
Figure 3 shows a local section on line 1-1 Figure 1 of an arrangement I have
found suitable of a baffle plate at the air outlet holes to prevent back currents
being sent back through the top while spinning and playing.
The operation is as follows:-
The top is
spun on a suitable surface (advantageously a china cup to retain said
top in position) by means of a piece of string wound round the neck o and a spike
or handle inserted at d¹ in the tube d after which the handle is removed as is well
understood.
The feet, legs, arms, or other part or parts of a toy figure object or effigy or
some working part of the mechanism for actuating such toys is then brought in
contact with the surface or disc c and this contact periodically causes the depression
of the table c and with it the shaft de and spring h thus momentarily freeing the
slotted disc i which is retarded slightly with the assistance of the vanes n n causing
the disc to change its position with regard to the note platef and so the tune chord
or note is changed automatically while the top is spinning.
Figure 4 shows the application of this tune or chord changing top to a dancing
figure the feet of which come in direct contact with the disc c of such
top and thereby depress and retard slightly the spindle or shaft de and so inter-
mittently cause the slotted disc to slowly change the notes while at the same time
causing grotesque movements as of dancing to be given to the figure or effigy.
Figure 5 simply shows a side view of this figure to show the method of mounting
same as is now well known and understood.
Figure 6 shows another well known method of actuating toy figures or objects in
this case the motion being transmitted to the toy figure object group or such like
by means of a ball or weight suspended by a flexible connection to a pendulum to
oscillate same (or to a crank arm to revolve same) such movements being utilised in
any desired manner as is well understood to actuate toy figures and objects.
Figures 7 and 8 show my improved musical top applied to and acting in
conjunction with an effigy of a drummer the action of the drumsticks have the like
effect on the chord or tune changing mechanism of the top as previously described
with reference to the feet of the dancing figure shown at Figures 4 and 5-the
hands of the drummer being made to turn freely at the wrist.
The table or disc c is advantageously perforated with holes and corrugated ribbed
or otherwise roughened or instead it may be partly made of bristles or such like
flexible material so as to he retarded by some working part of the toy figure object
or effigy.
It will be obvious that my improved chord note or tune changing top may be
applied in a variety of ways to serve as a motor to actuate toy figures objects or
effigies as desired.
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
1 claim is :-
1. The combination of a mechanical toy with a choral or the like tune changing top

page_text: in which the tune changing is automatically produced by contact of some working
part of said toy with a friction disc or surface on a loose spindle turning freely and
terminating inside of the top such spindle revolving therewith a slotted disc held in
contact with a note plate secured to the body of the top substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
2. In musical tune changing tops for actuating mechanical figures or other toy
objects I claim the combination of the loose spindle or shaft de with the frictional
disc or surface c with which latter some working part of such toy figure or object
is brought in contact substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.
3. The improved musical mechanical toy in which the tune or musical chord is auto-
matically changed substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
Dated this 26th day of April 1889.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.