An Improved Locomotive Toy.
Year: 1897

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Locomotive Toy.
I, REGINALD HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co., of 18, Buckingham
Street, Strand, W.C., London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, a communication to me from abroad by David P. Clark and Israel
D. Boyer trading as Clark & Boyer, Manufacturers, of Dayton, State of Ohio,
United States of America, 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 toys of which the following is a specification. The
object of the invention is to provide a locomotive toy which shall be free from the
objections inherent in spring driven toys, which shall be simple in construction,
cheap in manufacture, easy to operate and not liable to get out of order. It
consists of a four wheeled truck and a heavy inertia wheel, the latter being fixed
to a shaft which has its sole bearings on the peripheries of the four
running wheels of the truck, so that any motion imparted to the inertia wheel will
be transmitted through its shaft to the four running wheels of the truck causing
the truck to move over the floor; or, vice versa, any motion given to the truck
will be transmitted through its four running wheels to the shaft of the inertia
wheels. The annexed drawings fully illustrate the invention, and of which Fig. 1
is a side elevation of the toy complete. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of a modified con-
struction. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the frame alone. Fig. 6 is an end elevation
of the same. Fig. 7 is a plan of the same. Fig. 8 is a view of one of the axles
with the two wheels in section. Fig. 9 is an elevation and plan of the locking draft
rod. The same reference characters indicate the same parts in the several views of
the drawings.
The frame F is shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. It is a single piece of cast iron
having two notches bb on the under edge of each side. These notches form
bearings for the ends of the axles. In the centre of the upper edge of each end is
a depression d, there is also a vertical groove g in the outer face of each end of
the frame. The wheels upon one of the axles are closer together than those upon
the other axles, sufficiently so to enable the two pairs of wheels to overlap when
they are mounted in the frame. It is immaterial whether the wheels be loose or
tight on their axles so long as they are prevented from moving inwards on their
axles. The various parts are assembled as follows:-The axles with their wheels
upon them are placed in position on the floor and the frame let down upon them,
the notches bb of the frame slipping over the ends of the axles outside the wheels.
By suitable manipulation the rod R is then slipped over one end of the frame under
the two axles and over the other end of the frame. The hooks are then turned down-
ward and gravity keeps them so, the rod lying in the two grooves d d in the frame
and serving to lock all the parts of the truck together. By turning the hooks
upward the rod may be easily removed again and the whole truck taken to pieces.
The motor consists of a top which is shown in position on the truck in Figs. 1,
2 and 3. It consists essentially of two heavy rimmed wheels fixed to a spindle,
near its ends, and having an open handle loosely mounted on the spindle between

page_text: them. The live top, or motor, as we may now call it is laid with the two projecting
ends of the shaft resting in the angles formed by the peripheries of the two pairs
of over lapping running wheels of the truck. Thus the whole weight of the top
comes upon the peripheries of the four running wheels and the motion of its spindle
is communicated by friction to the running wheels which thus become driving
wheels and cause the truck to move over the floor. It will be noticed that between
the axles the frame is arched upwardly so as to come opposite the ends of the top
spindle as it lies in the angles of the running wheels thereby confining the spindle
against endwise motion. When run down the motor may be removed, fresh velocity
imparted to it and then replaced on the truck as at first. The motor may be
recharged in another way, namely by pushing or pulling the truck over the Hoor,
the motion of the running wheels imparting velocity to the motor in this case.
When the pushing or pulling ceases the truck will continue to advance until the
motor is again run down. Or directly after pushing the truck the motor may be
removed by taking hold of the handle. When thus removed, it may be set upon
its end on the floor when it will spin as a top. Instead of lifting the top out it may
be caused to spin on the floor by simply upsetting the vehicle. The relation of the
truck and the motor being of a reciprocal nature either may be used as the motor.
As represented in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, W W are the wheels of the top, S its spindle,
Hits handle, s the string to spin it by. A train of cars or other toys may be
hitched to one of the hooks R and the motor will pull them like a locomotive. Or
the toy may be pulled over the floor by a string attached to one of the hooks R.
In either case the rod will be pulled so that one of the hooks will enter one of the
grooves g in the end of the frame as shown at the left hand end in Figs. 1 and 3.
These grooves are to prevent the rod from turning over as it might otherwise
occasionally do in case the strain of pulling should come upwardly on the hooks.
We prefer to use the top for a motor and to have it removable from the truck
because this gives a greater variety of ways of using the toy. A single wheel will
do, however, and it may be confined to the truck by making flanges ff to project
over the ends of its shaft, as shown in Fig. 4. If desired a hole may be made
through the axle S to permit the attachment of the string to impart velocity to
the wheel. With a single wheel it is desirable to make some minor changes in the
construction, as, for instance, substituting the two rods R R for the single rod R,
and making different provision for attaching cars or other toys. The construction
of the toy may be varied considerably without departing from the spirit of the
invention. For instance a top with two wheels is not necessary; a one wheeled
top would do but two wheels are preferred because it makes a more symmetrical
construction and distributes the weight more uniformly. Again, it is not
necessary that the two pairs of running wheels should overlap each other for if the
shaft of the inertia wheel be large enough in diameter the adjacent wheels may lie
in the same plane.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In a toy vehicle, the combination of one or more axles each having a pair of
running wheels located near its outer ends and so arranged that they cannot move
inwardly on the axle, a frame to pass outside of the running wheels and having
notches on its under side to pass over the projecting ends of the axles and form
bearings therefor, a rod passing longitudinally along the vehicle, between the
wheels and under the axles, and having its ends supported on the transverse
members of the frame, means to prevent said rod from becoming accidentally dis-
placed, the whole construction being such that the rod prevents the frame from
lifting off of the axles, while the frame confines both wheels and axles against
endwise motion, substantially as specified.
2. In a toy vehicle, one or more axles with their running wheels, a frame having
notches on its under side to fit over the axles and form bearings therefor, a rod

page_text: passing longitudinally along the vehicle between the wheels and under the axles
and having its ends supported by the frame, means to prevent said rod from being
accidentally displaced, all in combination substantially in the manner and for the
purposes specified.
3. In a toy wagon, two pairs of wheels with their axles, a frame having on the
under side thereof four notches to fit over the axles and form bearings therefor, a
rod passing longitudinally along the wagon, below the wheels and below the axles
and over the transverse member of the frame at either end of the wagon, notches
in said transverse end pieces of the frame to receive the said rod and and prevent it
from moving laterally, the ends of the rod bent downwardly, all in combination
substantially in the manner and for the purposes specified.
4. In a toy wagon, two axles each having a pair of wheels thereon a frame
having on its under side four notches to fit over the axles and form bearings
therefor, a rod passing longitudinally along the wagon, between the wheels and
under the axles, the two ends of the rod resting on the transverse members of the
frame at either end of the wagon, means to prevent said rod from accidentally
coming out of place, all in combination substantially in the manner and for the
purposes specified.
5. In a locomotive toy, four running wheels arranged in two pairs near together
and in such manner that the adjacent wheels form an angle in which a shaft may
lie, an inertia wheel fixed to a shaft said shaft lying in the angle formed by the
adjacent pairs of running wheels, the whole in combination and arranged to
operate substantially in the manner and for the purposes specified.
6. A locomotive toy consisting of a vehicle having four running wheels arranged
in two pairs near together and in such manner that the adjacent wheels form an
angle in which a shaft may lie, an inertia wheel fixed to a shaft and independent
of the vehicle, on the shaft of the inertia wheel a handle loosely mounted to enable
the wheel to be held in the hand while velocity is imparted thereto and also to
enable the live wheel to be placed upon the vehicle with its shaft resting in the
angles formed by the four running wheels, the inertia wheel then acting as a motor
and causing the vehicle to move ahead, substantially as specified.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1907