An Improved Mechanical Toy.
Year: 1896

page_text: An Improved Mechanical Toy.
ELIZABETH ADELAIDE HADLEY, of 184 St. Pauls Road Highbury London, N.
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
. The object of my invention is to provide an automaton figure that shall sketch
or write on paper or a slate placed on a board or easel in front of same.
In carrying out my invention I make one arm of the automaton moveable and in
the hand I secure a pencil. This arm. is attached to the figure by a ball and socket
or other suitable joint. To this arm is attached a vertical rod the lower end of
which slides in a guide. To this vertical rod is hinged a lever to the outer end of
which is secured the stylus or tracing pen. The motion' of the stylus is conveyed
through the. vertical rod to the arm, and consequently to the pencil held in the
hand of the automaton.
The easel to carry the paper or slate to be operated upon by the automaton is
placed in front of the figure and is hinged at its base to a base-board. Underneath
this baseboard and running longitudinally therewith is a rocking lever which is
hinged or pivoted at its centre to the baseboard. Attached to one end of this rocking
Jever is a raised desk which passes through an opening in the baseboard and stands
slightly above the surface thereof, forming a desk on which the drawing to be
copied by the automaton is fixed. To the other end of this rccking lever is attached
a piece of wire leading up through a hole made in the baseboard and taking on to a
metal tongue projecting from the back and lowermost part of the easel. The easel
is brought into contact with the point of the pencil by a spring attached to the easel
and to the baseboard. Another spring is attached to the rocking lever of sufficient
The action of the
power to overcome the pull of the spring attached to the easel.
rocking lever therefore, is that while the toy is not in use the easel is kept away
from the pencil, but when the desk end of the rocking lever is depressed by any
person operating with the stylus the easel is brought into contact with the pencil
by the first mentioned spring.
The position of the parts comprising the toy, as seen by the spectators, will be as
follows: The automaton stands on'a platform (which covers the guide and lever) in'
front of the easel with the right hand holding the pencil extended in the direction
of the paper, or slate to be operated upon. Behind the automaton is the rising and
falling desk. Projecting from the back of the platform, (on which the automaton
stands) is an arm carrying the stylus or tracing pen which is free to travel over
the space occupied by the rising and falling desk.
The operation of the toy is as follows:-The picture, portrait or template to be
copied is secured to the rising and falling desk, the operator then guides the stylus
or tracing pen over the outlines of the picture or writing, in doing which he
depresses the rising and falling desk thereby bringing the easel into contact with
the pencil held by the automaton who imitates the movement of the operator on the
paper or slate and thus produces a counterpart of that drawn by the operator.
In place of a drawing to be copied being attached to the desk, an engraved plate
may be substituted, when the point of the stylus will be guided by the sunken channel
of the engraving.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1896.

page_text: I, ELIZABETH ADELAIDE HADLEY of 184 St. Paul's Road Highbury London N..
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:-
The object of my invention is to provide an automaton figure that will sketch or
write on paper or a slate placed on a board or easel in front of the same.
In carrying out my invention I make one arm of the automaton moveable and
in the hand I secure a pencil. This arm is attached to the figure by a ball and socket
or other suitable joint. To this arun is attached a vertical rod the lower end of which
slides in a guide. To this vertical rod is hinged a lever to the outer end of which
is secured the stylus or tracing pen. The motion of the stylus is conveyed through
the vertical rod to the arm and consequently to the pencil held in the hand of
the automaton.
The easel to carry the paper or slate to be operated upon by the automaton is
placed in front of the figure and is hinged at its base to a baseboard. Underneath
this baseboard and running longitudinally therewith is a rocking lever which is
hinged or pivotted at its centre to the baseboard. Attached to one end of this
rocking lever is a desk which passes through an opening in the baseboard and
stands slightly above the surface thereof forming a desk on which the drawing to
be copied by the automaton is fixed. To the other end of this rocking lever is
attached a
piece of wire leading up through a hole made in the baseboard and
taking on to a tongue projecting from the back and lowermost part of the easel.
The easel is brought into contact with the point of the pencil by a spring attached
to the easel and to the base board. Another spring is attached to the rocking lever
of sufficient power to overcome the pull of the spring attached to the easel. The
action of the rocking lever therefore is that while the toy is not in use the easel is
kept away from the pencil but when the desk end of the rocking lever is depressed
by any person operating with the stylus the easel is brought into contact with the
pencil by the first mentioned spring. The position of the parts comprising the toy
as seen by the spectators will be as follows. The automaton stands on a platform
which covers the guide and lever in front of the easel with the right hand holding
the pencil extended in the direction of the paper or slate to be operated upon.
Behind the automaton is the rising and falling desk. Projecting from the back of the
platform on which the automaton stands is an arm carrying the stylus or tracing
pen which is free to travel over the space occupied by the rising and falling desk.
The operation of the toy is as follows. The picture portrait or template to be copied
is secured to the rising and falling desk, the operator then guides the stylus or
tracing pen over the outlines of the picture or writing in doing which he depresses
the rising & falling desk thereby bringing the easel into contact with the pencil
held by the automaton who imitates the movement of the operator on the paper or
slate and thus produces a counterpart of that drawn by the operator. In place of
a drawing to be copied being attached to the desk an engraved plate may be
substituted when the point of the stylus will be guided by the sunken channel of the
engraving.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the toy Fig. 1 is a longitudinal
section, Fig. 2 is a plan with the body of the automaton removed but indicated by a
dotted line and Fig. 3 is a transverse section. In Fig. 2 the rocking lever K is
shown in dotted lines.
In all the figures like letters apply to like parts.

page_text: B is the pencil.
C is the ball and socket joint.
D is the vertical rod.
E is the
guide.
F is the lever.
G is the
stylus attached to the lever F.
H is the easel.
J is the baseboard.
K is the rocking lever pivotted to baseboard.
L is the rising and falling desk.
M is the wire attaching rocking lever to tongue N.
N is the tongue projecting from easel.
O is the spring bringing easel up to the pencil.
P is the spring keeping easel away from the pencil.
I do not wish it to be understood that I confine myself exactly to the above
mentioned drawings of the parts as various obvious modifications may be made
without departing from the general principal of my invention.
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 :-
In a mechanical toy for the objects set forth
1. The combination of the moving arm A with the vertical rod D and the lever F
hinged to the vertical rod D.
2. The combination of the rocking lever K with the desk L and the easel H with.
the springs and attachments M. N. O. P. or their equivalents.
3. The general arrangement and combination of the parts shown and described.
for the objects and purposes set forth.
Dated this 21st day of November 1896.
ELIZABETH ADELAIDE HADLEY..