Improvements in Rocking Horses.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 21st Sept., 1889-Accepted, 16th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rocking Horses.
I, GEORGE COLE of the Firm of George Cole & Co. of 13 & 15 Finsbury Street
in the City of London Merchants and Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in arranging and mounting rocking horses
so as to obtain additional or novel combination of movements as ordinarily or hitherto
used.
For this purpose I mount the horse on two or more uprights or standards each of
which is rigidly fixed at its upper end to a cross bar or cross tree this latter being
mounted so as to turn freely on suspenders which at their lower ends are mounted in
bearings fixed at the underside of the horse. This suspending mechanism being all
thus placed within the body of the horse.
The uprights or standards which support the horse may be mounted and actuated
by springs as described in the specification of an invention for which George
Lundberry has received Letters Patent dated the 13 November 1886 No. 14761, or in
any other convenient manner.
If it be desired to mount and work a number of my improved horses on a shaft at
one time for show purposes as an improvement upon roundabouts then the shaft may
be actuated by steam manual or other motive power.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1888.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rocking Horses.
I GEORGE COLE of the firm of George Cole and Company of 13 & 15 Finsbury
Street in the City of London Merchants and Manufacturers 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 arranging and mounting rocking horses
so as to obtain additional or novel combinations of movements as ordinarily or hitherto
used.
For this purpose I mount the horse on two or more uprights or standards each of
which is rigidly fixed at its upper end to a cross bar or a cross tree this latter being
mounted so as to turn freely on suspenders or so as to allow suspenders to turn freely
on said crossbar or cross tree and these suspenders at their lower ends are mounted in
bearings fixed at the underside of the horse. This suspending mechanism being all
or partly thus placed within the body of the horse which is made hollow for the
purpose of receiving same.
The uprights or standards which support the horse may be mounted and actuated by
springs as described in the specification of an invention for which George Lundberry
has received Letters Patent dated the 13th November 1886 No. 14761 or in any other
convenient manner.
If it be desired to mount and work a number of my improved horses on a shaft at
one time for show purposes as an improvement upon roundabouts then the shaft may
be actuated by steain manual or other motive power. And in order that my present
invention may be easily understood and readily carried into practice I will proceed to

page_text: fully describe the same with reference to the drawings hereunto annexed in which
corresponding parts have same letters of reference.
Figure 1 is a side view of my improved rocking horse the lower parts being partly
in section.
Figure 2 is an end view of figure 1.
Figure 3 is a top view of the apparatus in figure 1 viz. of the cross tree f, tie bar h
and suspending arms g mounted upon the standards a a.
Figure 4 is a side view and Figure 5 an end view of a modification. Fig. 1A is
side view of part of suspending apparatus shewing spring stop to suspenders g.
Fig. 3 A is a top view of Fig. 1 A.
Figure 6 is a top view of the apparatus in figure 4.
Figure 7 is a side view of a modification in which a chair is substituted for the
horse.
Figure 8 is a front view of figure 7.
a a (figs. 1 & 2) are two vibrating standards or supports, (advantageously metal
tubes) mounted on cross bars the latter having their axes turning in the frame or
stand c which carries the horse and all its gear as shewn.
The bars have arms formed thereon to which suitable strong springs d are
attached the other end of each of these springs being secured to a hook e (as shown
in fig. 1) so as to be able to tighten or slacken the springs when required for the
purpose of adjustment.
A cross treef (advantageously formed of cast iron with a socket f¹ cast in the
centre of same) is mounted at the upper end of each of the supports a a by means
of the said socket/".
Upon the ends of this cross tree turn swinging arms g g respectively whose inner
sides abut against the sides of the socket f1 (fig. 2).
The tie bar or tie rod h (Fig. 1) connects or links the standards a a together.
This rod is free to turn on the pin i by which it is secured between the two lugs
or arms of the crosstree and is provided with two projecting bars h¹¹ made long
enough to prevent the arms gg swinging too high. These stops may have at
each extremity a thick band of India rubber round them or a spring attachment may
be made to tie bar h to act as a buffer to break the blow when struck by suspenders gg
and to produce a rebound as shewn in Figures 1A and 3 A. In these figures the
spring stop attachment consists of short arms ³ ³ which turn freely upon cross
tree between the double bearings of suspenders g g respectively. To the lower ends
of these arms h³ ³ is rigidly fixed cross bar and to this latter is bolted one end of
an open coil spring ² whose other end is bolted to tie bar h.
Thus upon the suspenders g g swinging in their bearings beyond a certain height
they meet with the resistance of arms in contact with spring which serves the
purpose of a gradual and noiseless stop whilst the recoil of the spring gives an impetus
to the downward movement of the suspenders gg.
On each side of the body of the horse and forming part of or rigidly fixed to same
are extensions or belly boards m which are made to resemble the lower part of a horse
cloth or the like and each of these extensions m is by means of bearing bark
pivotted or jointed at the two points g² g³ to a swinging arm g suspended upon the
ends of the crosstreef mounted upon the arms or standards a a as shewn in figures 1
and 2. The upper parts of the apparatus as shewn in fig. 1 (in which the zigzag lines
represent a portion of the side of the horse removed and parts of the apparatus
exposed to view) are thus carried into the body of the horse made hollow and con-
structed for the purpose and upon the rider mounting and inclining his body slightly
backwards and forwards the horse is made to sway to and fro on the four suspended
arms swinging on their bearings as before described and thus gradually over-
coming the resistance of the springs d d a second rocking action is obtained on the
vibrating arms or standards a a the two movements acting in conjunction and thus
helping to produce each other and the pull of the distended springs d d serving
to restore the horse to its normal position that is its position as in figure 1.

page_text: Thus an easy graceful greatly extended and safe ride is obtained by means of
this double rocking motion and novel mode of mounting and constructing the
horse.
The springs d'd giving to the weight of the rider also serves the purpose of a spring
seat.
Instead of two standards a a only one may be used. In this case a crosstree of
the desired length having the socket fis mounted as before on the single standard
and a pair of suspenders y mounted at each end of said cross tree.
In figures
and 8 an arm chair is substituted for the horse (fig. 1). In these
figures four vibrating standards or supports a are used instead of two and the chair
mounted so as to rock between them upon the bearing bar k.
It is obvious that two or more seats may take the place of the chair or a bassinette
or a boat and the like may be substituted.
For the purpose of producing a cheaper kind of rocking or hobby horse for younger
children the springs d may be dispenced with and the support or supports a a
rigidly fixed upright in a suitable frame so that only a single swinging motion is
obtained.
Figure 4 shows an example of the foregoing in which the supports a a are rigidly
fixed as above stated. In this figure the body of the horse is made to reach down to
the ends g g of the four suspenders g at which points it is pivotted or jointed to sus-
penders g as before the whole exterior being covered over with some kind of trappings
somewhat resembling the hobby horse of antiquity.
In this modification the frame or stand c is advantageously made of cast iron in one
piece so that the metal tubular supports a a have only to be dropped into sockets cast
in said frame and secured in same by nuts as shown.
In this modification the tie bar and crosstree fare made in one piece and so
mounted on the rigid arms or standards a a as shewn in figure 6.
The zigzig outline in this figure also represents a portion of the side of the
horse removed and the suspending apparatus exposed to view within the body of
the horse.
Referring to the inclined position of the vibrating standards a a (figs. 1 & 7) this
is mainly to obtain greater steadiness in the vibrating movement.
The advantages of my improved method of mounting and using hollow horses so as
to receive the swinging apparatus will be easily understood. It lessens the weight of
the horse and enables one to obtain a greater rocking motion than hitherto without
comparatively increasing the height of the horse from the ground.
The mechanism is also thus partly concealed from view and out of the way of the
rider and the ride is rendered safer, more pleasing and realistic.
These hollow horses may be made of wood, stamped sheet metal or for cheapness
and lightness of wickerwork or of any other suitable material.
Referring to figures 9 & 10 when it is desired this improved rocking horse can easily
be made to propel itself and rider by means of the frame c being mounted on three or
more wheels. On the axle o of a pair of travelling wheels is rigidly keyed or fixed
two ratchet wheels p over each of which a hollow wheel q is mounted loosely on the
axle o and on the inner side of each such hollow wheels is mounted a pawl which
gear with the ratchet teeth of each ratchet wheel and these hollow wheels or hubs g
are alternately revolved about half a turn by the flexible connections t which are
secured to the vibrating arms a above and below the axis of the arm a respectively
as shown.
The wheels are restored to their normal positions so as to take up the slack in
the flexible connections s and t respectively by means of a spring or springs (not
shown) as is well understood with pawl and ratchet arrangements for rotating purposes
of this kind.
Other suitable means of transmitting the rocking motion to the axie or axles of the
travelling wheels may be adapted if desired. These rocking horses may run on rails
or if not a steering wheel or wheels may be arranged for a second person to steer

page_text: .
such person being provided with a seat at the back or front of the framework or
carriage. Or the steering may be effected in any other suitable manner.
Having now particularly described the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed I would remark that I make no claim separately
to any of those parts for which the said Lundberry received the said Letters Patent
but I declare that what I do claim is :-
(1) An improved rocking or hobby horse, seat, bassinette, boat or the like suspended
upon one or more rocking supports controlled by springs substantially in the
manner and for the purpose hereinbefore described and represented in the accom-
panying drawings.
(2) The improved method of mounting and constructing rocking or hobby horses
in which the body of the horse is hollowed out or constructed to receive the whole or
a part of the suspending apparatus such apparatus being mounted in or upon bearings
rigidly fixed to one or more standards or supports substantially in the manner and for
the purpose set forth.
(3) The improved general arrangement and construction of hobby or rocking
horses substantially in the manner and for the purposes berein before described and
illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
(4) In conjunction with hobby or rocking horses, seats, bassinettes boats or the like
I claim crosstrees with socket and Tic bars with stops and mounted
on either fixed or vibrating arms or supports a arranged to act substantially in the
manner and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 20th day of September 1889.
GEORGE COLE.