Improved.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 9th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 18th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Toy.
I, RICHARD ALMA PARKIN of 21 Rockley Street, in the City of Liverpool in the
County of Lancaster, Watchmaker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
:
This invention has for its object a dancing figure which shall have a vast number
of different gymnastic motions all worked with apparently little or slight manipula-
tion. The figure is preferably that of a man cut out from flat material, the legs being
pivoted to the body and the arms also pivoted to the body but with washers between
the body and the arms so as to leave room for the legs to pass between the arms
and the body. The arms have two broad hands with a stout bar connecting the
same and two strings are passed through two holes wide apart in the hands and
through two holes in the gallows or frame hereafter described supporting the figure.
These strings when the figure is suspended vertically therefrom are crossed but when
the figure is standing vertically over them they are not crossed. The result is that
whenever there is any tension on these strings they have a tendency to become
straight and thus to force the figure to turn a somersault. The arms being longer
than the legs and being placed out wide so as to allow the legs to pass through, a
vast variety of contortions can be exhibited.
The frame or gallows consists of two vertical bars supported by a cross-piece near
the centre. This cross-piece is again supported by a stand.
The mode of operating is as follows:-The hand is placed round the two free
ends of the two vertical frame pieces. By very gently pressing these frames a
tension is put on the strings and the figure at once commences to jerk about or turn
somersaults.
I believe that no figure of this nature has ever been made before with a stand so
that it could stand of itself, or with washers as above described, and so arranged that
the great variety of contortions shown by this figure can be produced.
Dated this 31st day of October 1889.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Toy.
I, RICHARD ALMA PARKIN, of 21, Rockley Street in the City-of-Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Watchmaker, 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 has for its object a dancing figure, which shall have a vast number
of different gymnastic motions, all worked with apparently little or slight mani-

page_text: connecting the same and two strings bare passed through two holes wide apart in
the hands a², and through two holes in the gallows or frame hereafter described sup-
porting the figure. These strings b, when the figure is suspended vertically therefrom,
are crossed (see Figure 3) but when the figure is standing vertically over them they
are not crossed. The result is that whenever there is any tension on these strings,
they have a tendency to become straight, and thus to force the figure to turn a
somersault. The arms being of sufficient length to let the legs clear the bar B and
being placed out wide so as to allow the legs to pass through, a vast variety of
contortions can be exhibited.
The frame or gallows consists of two vertical bars C, supported by a cross-piece C
near the centre. This cross-piece is again supported by a stand D.
The mode of operating is as follows:
The hand is placed round the two free ends c of the two vertical frame pieces C.
By very gently pressing these frames, a tension is put on the strings b and the figure
at once commences to jerk about or turn somersaults.
I believe that no figure of this nature has ever been made before with a stand, so
that it could stand of itself, or with washers such as c, as above described, and
so arranged that the great variety of contortions shown by this figure can be
produced.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. An improved toy, consisting of an acrobatic figure having loosely pivoted limbs
and attached by a normally twisted string to two uprights which are supported
at a point below their middles by a suitable cross piece in such manner that on
pressing their lower ends towards one another their upper ends tend to separate
and so untwist the string, and actuate the figure, the whole being mounted on a
stand or base so as to be capable of maintaining its erect position without extraneous
support, substantially as described, and shown.
2. In a toy, such as described, an acrobatic figure consisting of the combination
of a body of flat material, legs loosely pivoted to and normally depending there-
from, arms loosely pivoted to said body, and washers or distance pieces placed
between said arms and body, in such a manner that there is room for the legs to
pass, the arms, body, and legs being so proportioned as regards length that the
legs shall be capable of passing between the arms and the bar, substantially as
described and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 6th day of December 1889.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.