An Automatic Rower for Toy Boats.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Jan,, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 9th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 16th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Automatic Rower for Toy Boats.
HERBERT YOUNG DICKINSON 140 Inverness Terrace Bayswater London, W.
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
I fix a shaft, having one or more cranks, lengthways inside the boat, near the
bottom. The manikins or figures I use are hinged to the seats of the boat so that
their bodies may move in the direction from bow to stern. The leg joint to the body
is a little above the seat hinge. The leg has another joint at the knee, both these
joints being of the nature of a hinge and capable of moving freely in the same plane
as the body moves. The feet are hinged to the footboard of the boat. The crank is
connected by a rod to the figure near the knee joint, which as the shaft revolves,
causes the legs to straighten and bend in turn, which transmits a backward and
forward motion to the body of the figure. The arms of the figure are jointed at the
shoulder, so as to be capable of moving freely. The oars are hinged to the sides of
the boat, and connected with the hands of the figure. The blades of the oars are at
an angle of about 45 degrees with the water, which causes them to slightly feather the
water on the backward stroke, and to take a deeper hold in the water when pulled
forward by the figures or manikins. I use an elastic band connected with the shaft,
with a handle outside the boat for winding; or any other suitable mechanism for
causing the shaft to revolve. I do not bind myself to use any particular number of
figures in the boat, and in some cases, make one figure pull two oars. In other cases
I fix a figure in the stern, facing the other figures, which I cause to go through the
movements of a cockswain by the mechanism above described.
Dated this 15th day of January 1889
HERBERT YOUNG DICKINSON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Automatic Rower for Toy Boats.
I, HERBERT YOUNG DICKINSON, of 140 Inverness Terrace, Bayswater, London,
Gentleman, 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 affix to a toy boat a figure or figures representing
men that when set in motion by means of simple mechanisin described hereafter shall
cause the boat to progress on the surface of water just as in the case of an ordinary
rowing boat propelled by men with oars. This result is obtained by the following
means:-I fix a shaft having one or more cranks lengthways inside the boat near the
bottom. The manikins or figures I use are hinged to the seats of the boat so their
bodies may move freely in the direction from how to stern. The leg joint to the body
is a little above the seat bingo. The leg has another joint at the knee, both these
joints being of the nature of a hinge and capable of moving freely in the same plane
as the body moves. The feet are hinged to the footboard of the boat. The crank is
connected by a rod to the figure near the knee joint, which as the shaft revolves
causes the legs to straighten and bend in turn, which transmits a backward and
forward motion to the figure. The arms of the figure are jointed at the shoulder
so as to be capable of moving freely. The oars are hinged to the sides of the
boat and connected with the hands of the figure. I use an elastic band connected
with the shaft with a handle outside the boat for winding, or any other suitable
mechanism for causing the shaft to revolve.

page_text: In order that the mechanism of my invention may be more easily understood I
annex the accompanying drawing which represents a longitudinal elevation of the
apparatus taken within the boat.
A is the body of the manikin or figure, B is the hinge which connects the body
with the sent. is the crank which revolves, and D is the rod which connects the
crank with the leg of the figure. E is the elastic band which is twisted up by means
of the handle F placed outside the boat. The foot of the manikin is hinged to a
footboard G which crosses the boat for that purpose.
When the handle F is wound round it causes the elastic band to twist up, and
the handle being fitted with an ordinary ratchet and consequently incapable of
being turned backwards, the elastic band in untwisting causes the shaft and crank
to which it is attached to revolve until the elastic band has become untwisted. The
revolving of the crank C has the effect of drawing up and down the connecting
rod 1) which is attached to the leg of the figure, and thus alternately straightening and
bending the leg which in turn imparts a backward and forward motion to the body of
the figure or manikin as before mentioned. The position of the manikin or figure and
the other parts of the mechanism when the connecting rod has been drawn down by
the crank is shewn by dotted lines, and this will more fully explain the changes of
attitude and position alluded to.
The oars are adjusted so that the blades of them incline at an angle of about
forty five degrees with the surface of the water which causes them to slightly feather
the water on the backward stroke, and to take a deeper hold in the water when pulled
forward by the figure or manikin.
.
I do not bind myself to use any particular number of figures in the boat, and in
some cases make one figuro pull two oars.
In other cases I fix a figure in the stern facing the other figures, which I cause to
go through the movements of a coxswain by the mechanism above described.
As my invention is capable of various modifications without departing from the
principle thereof I do not restrict myself to materials dimensions or the exact form or
placement of the several parts thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
÷-
An improved automatic rowing figure for Toy boats constructed substantially with
the combination of parts hereinbefore described and set forth in this specification and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 7th day of October 1880
RAYNER & CASSELL,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.