A NEW AUTOMATIC DANCING FIGURE
Year: 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM BRITAIN of Nugent House, Lambton Road Hornsey Rise in the
County of Middlesex Mechanical Toy Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature
of my Invention for A NEW AUTOMATIC DANCING FIGURE to be as follows:-
My invention consists
Firstly. Of a new combination of a disc and spindle within a model of a dancing,
or any dressed figure-a girl by preference-and a wheel, or roller, or other point
of support upon its feet, or other suitable place, in such a manner that, when the
disc is caused to revolve rapidly, the figure shall stand erect upon its feet and
perform, in a series of gyrations as if in the act of dancing.
Secondly. Of an improved method of causing the disc within the figure to
revolve, by means of a coil'd spring in a seperate case or stand.
In carrying out my invention of an automatic dancer, I proceed as follows.
I construct a light, strong, hollow dome, of any suitable material, to represent
the skirt of the figures dress, and to the base of it I secure a plate to which I fix
the legs, through one of the legs I pass a spindle, the upper end of which works in
a bearing at the top of the dome, or waist of the figure, and the lower end passing
through a bearing in the foot, and resting on the surface upon which the figure
performs, to the spindle-inside the dome-I fix a heavy disc, and accross its lower
end below the foot-I insert a pin forming a cross-head for the purpose of
actuating the disc. To the other foot-and immediately under the the centre of
gravity of the figure when it is upright-I attach a small wheel, roller, or other
point of support which bears the weight of the figure, and in combination with the
action of the spindle in the other foot produces the motion required.
To the top of the dome I secure by a screw or otherwise, the body, arms, and
head which completes the figure.
Secondly. To obain the rapid revolution of the disc, I use a stand, the upper
part of which consists of a cylindrical box containing a coil'd spring, the outer end
being fixed to the box, and the inner to a tubular arbour having a slot for about
one third of its circumference, and passing through it, is a smaller arbour having
a hook which will enter the slot when it is turned one way only. The upper end
of the amall arbour passes through a bearing in the top of the box or stand, and
has a hole and cross cut to receive the spindle and cross head beneath the foot of
the figure; the lower end of the arbour is squared to fit a key and is supported in

page_text: position by a plate screwed to the lower part of the case, on the square of the
arbour and resting on the plate I pin a ratchet wheel, and I attach to the plate a
click with a long tail-piece that passes out side the stand and forms a trigger.
The click is held against the ratchet wheel by. a spring having a catch at its free
end which when the trigger is pressed-enters a notch in the tail of the click
and retains it, leaving the coil'd spring at liberty.
I also when desirable cause the disc to revolve by means of a string acting on a
pulley fixed to the upper end of the spindle, in the waist of the figure, or on the
lower end, when the dress is long enough to conceal it..
The action is as follows.
The tail of the click being pulled out so that the click acts upon the ratchet, the
coil'd spring is wound up, and the case stood down.
The foot of the figure is then placed in position on the top of the arbour, and
held with one hand, while with the other the tail of the click is pressed and the
spring released. The sudden recoil of the spring acting through the arbour and
spindle upon the disc causes it to revolve rapidly and the cross-cut in the top of
the arbour being formed into two inclined planes the spindle is thrown out of
gear when the recoil is exausted. The figure is then placed upon its feet, and
goes through its performance until the revolutions of the disc are to slow to
support it.

page_text: I WILLIAM BRITAIN Mechanical Toy Maker of 28 Lambton Road, Islington
in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
AN. AUTOMATIC DANCING FIGURE, 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
Firstly. Of a new combination of a disc and spindle within a model of any
figure-a girl prefered-and a wheel, or roller, or other point of support upon its
feet, or other suitable place, in such a manner that, when the disc is caused* to
revolve rapidly the figure shall stand eréct upon its feet and perform-in a series
of gyrations as if in the act of dancing.
Secondly. Of an improved method of causing the said disc to revolve, by means
of a coiled spring within a seperate case or stand.
In carrying out my invention of an automatic dancer, I procedo as follows.
I construct a light, strong, hollow dome a aa a of any suitable material to
represent the skirt of the figure's dress, and to the base of it at bor c I fix the
legs. Through one of the legs d I pass a spindle e the upper end of which works
in a bearing f at the top of the dome, or waist of the figure; and the lower end
passing through a bearing in the foot g and resting upon the surface on which the
figure performs.. Near the top of the spindle-inside the dome-I fix a heavy
bell shaped disc or wheel h h h; and accross its lower end-below the foot-
I insert a pin i forming a cross head for the purpose of actuating the disc. To the
other foot at j immediately under the centre of gravity of the figure when it is
upright, I attach a small wheel, roller, or other point of support which bears the
weight of the figure; and, in combination with the action of the spindle in the
other foot produces the action required. To the top of the dome I fasten by a
screw or otherwise, the body, head, and arms; which complete the figure.
Secondly. To obtain the rapid revolution of the disc, I use a stand the upper
part of which consists of a cylindrical box m containing a coiled spring n the
outer end being fixed to the box and the inner to a tubular arbour o having a slot
for about one third of its circumference, and passing through it is a. smaller
arbour p having a hook q which will enter the slot in the arbour o when it is
turned one way only; the upper end of the arbour p passes through a bearing in
the top of the box m and has a hole and cross-cut in the top to receive the
spindle e and cross-head i (fig. 1); the lower end of the arbour p is squared to fit
a key and is supported in possition by a plate s screwed to the lower part of the
stand, on the square of the arbour and resting on the plate s I pin a ratchet
wheel t and I attach to the plates a click u, with a long tail piece that passes
outside the stand and forms the trigger v, the click u is held against the ratchet t
by a spring w having a catch at its free end which—when the trigger v is pressed-
enters a notch in the tail of the click at y and retains it, leaving the coiled spring
at liberty.

page_text: ⋅
I also, when desiaable, cause the disc to revolve by means of a string acting on a
pulley fixed to the upper end of the spindle c in the waist of the figure; or, on the
lower end when the dress is long enough to conceal it.
The action is as follows.
The trigger being placed so that the click acts upon the ratchet, the coiled spring
is wound up and the stand placed upon the table, the foot of the figure containing
the spindle is then placed in position on the top of the arbour and held with one
hand while with the other the trigger is pressed and the spring released; the
sudden recoil of the spring acting, through the arbour and spindle on the disc,
causes it to revolve rapidly and the cross-cut in the arbour being formed into two
inclined planes the spindle is thrown out of gear when the recoil is exhausted.
The figure is then placed upon its feet on the table, and goes through its
performance until the revolutions of the disc are too slow to support it.
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
++
1st The application of a revolving dise and spindle, in combination with a wheel,
or wheels, or other point of support for the purpose of producing automatically.
the action of dancing as herein described.
2nd A new combination of a coiled spring, ratchet, click, and trigger, for the
purpose of actuating the said disc as herein described: