Improved Means of Spinning Tops or Fly-wheel Toys.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 27th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 12th Oct.,
1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means of Spinning Tops or Fly-wheel Toys.
HERBERT YOUNG DICKINSON 140 Inverness Terrace Bayswater London, W.
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
By this invention 1 avoid the usual cumbrous method in spinning, of coiling the
string around and withdrawing, each time it is desired to set the top in motion. The
barrel on which the string is coiled revolves at the end of a suitable handle and is
independent of the top. The connection between the Winder and the top is only
temporary, during the action of spinning. One end of the string being secured to
the barrel of the Winder, permits of only a few revolutions necessary to give the top
a spinning impulse, the top then disconnecting from the Winder. Attached to the
string-barrel of the Winder is a spring, which is wound by the action of withdrawing
the string, and serves to rotate the barrel in an opposite direction, so as to recoil the
string after spinning the top. I pass the string from the barrel of the top winder
through an eyelet hole in the framework to prevent entanglement. Thus it will be
seen that this automatic top winder. contains a spring, acting in the opposite direction.
to the pull of the string necessary to spin the top, which serves to rewind it. I do
not only use my automatic winder with tops spun vertically, but also in connection
with the long series of mechanical toys in which the movement is produced by a top,
partaking of the nature of a fly wheel, which spins horizontally, and transmits its
revolving force either directly or indirectly to the rim of one or more wheels in the
toy. In some cases I wind these toys by means of a length of rack, which slides
above or below and gears with a toothed wheel on the fly wheel shaft. By with-
drawing the rack sharply, or sliding it in, so as to no longer engage with the toothed
wheel, the necessary spin is given to the fly wheel. In some cases I use a large
toothed wheel, or a friction plate, in place of the rack, to produce the winding as
above described.
Dated this Twenty-seventh day of November 1888.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means of Spinning Tops or Fly-wheel Toys.
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 :-
My. Invention consists of winding up Spinning Tops or Fly-wheel Toys through
the agency of rapidly winding a hollow drum containing a coil spring-This drum
while being wound up executes its duty of imparting motion to the said Top or Fly-
wheel and immediately recovers its normal position when released through the agency
of this coil spring, and thus my contrivance is at once ready for use again.
1 construct my improved Top winder in the following manner-Inside a circular
fixed metal case I place a hollow metal drum containing a coiled spring, one end of
this spring is fixed to a pin in the centre of the first mentioned metal case, and the
other end is fixed to the hollow drum-a continuation of this hollow drum is another
drum to which is attached the end of the string which acts as the means to wind up
the spring in the hollow drum, one end of this string or other flexible material is
continued out through the outer casing through an aperture in same specially made
[D17

page_text: to allow this string to pass through, and a ring is placed at the other end to keep this
end from passing into the interior of the winder,-The string is wound round its
drum and one end is firmly secured to the drum itself as before mentioned-a hollow
tube forms the termination of these two drums before referred to, and a cut or notch
in end of same forms a means of catching on to a projection which is placed on the
spindle of the Top (which spindle is so made as to easily fit into the hollow tube) and
it will thus easily be understood that as this hollow tube revolves rapidly it carries
along with it the spindle of the Top-I cause the hollow tube to revolve rapidly by
suddenly pulling out the string which unwinds off the drum upon which it is wound
thus causing the hollow tube to revolve, at the same time the coil spring is being
wound up and when the string is let go the force of the spring again coils the string
around the drum and my improved winder is ready for use again.
To use my improved winder I place the hollow tube aforementioned over the spindle
of the Top (or fly wheel it is intended to wind up) in such a way that the mutilated
end catches on the projecting pin or spindle of the top-I then pull the string rapidly
which winds up the Top or Fly wheel and the string is rewound on the drum through
the action of the coil spring.
In order that the nature of my said improvements may be the more fully under-
stood I will now proceed to describe the several figures on the sheet of drawings
hereunto annexed all of which figures are marked with the like letters of reference
throughout.
Figure 1. is an elevation of my improved Top winder.
Figure 2. is a sectional section taken through lines x. x of Figure 1.
Figure 3. is a sectional plan taken through lines ¹x of Figure 2.
Figure 4. is a Top showing the spindle and projection which fits against mutilated
end of hollow tube.
In Figure 1. A is the outside casing H is wooden handle fixed to same, K is the
ring fixed at end of string. E is the revolving hollow tube which transmits the
motion to the top and E¹ is the notch in same that fits against the projecting pin on
spindle of Top.
In Figure 2. A is the outer casing and H is the handle as before referred to, B is
the hollow drum containing the coil spring this Drum together with the winding
drum for string marked D and the hollow tube E is all in one piece. F is a steel
coil spring one end of which is fastened to the projection C a part of case A. and the
other end is secured to the hollow revolving Drum B-D as before referred to is the
drum around which the string is wound which winds up the coil spring and so
revolves the tube E in one direction.
M is the string one end of which is secured to the drum D. and the other
terminates in a ring marked K, G is a screw cap enclosing the aforementioned parts
in casing A.
E is the hollow tube having notch E' at termination.
In Figure 3. A is the outer casing. B the hollow drum containing coil spring F
and C is the projection on casing A.
In Figure 4. P is the spindle of a Top and T is the projection on same which
catches against the notched end of hollow tube E and which is marked E¹ on
Figures 1 and 2.
S. shews a spinning Top.
As my improvements are capable of some modifications without departing from
the principle thereof I do not restrict myself to materials dimensions or to the
precise form or placement of the various parts thereof or to the class of spring
may use to rewind the string or other flexible material upon the Drum D.
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.
An improved means of winding spinning Tops or Fly-wheel Toys in which a spring

page_text: is employed to recover the winding gear to its normal position substantially as
herein before set forth in this specification and illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 26th day of Anonat 1889
0
RAYNER & CASSELL,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant