A Toy Parachute.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 29th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 10th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 17th Oct:, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Toy Parachute.
1, JOHN WILLIAM BARTON of No. 6, Hunslet Lane, Leeds in the County of
York, Decorative Artist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
=:
A parachute, arranged and manufactured for throwing by hand, or shooting from
a bow, high up into the air, and from the manner of its construction meeting with
little more resistance than an arrow with a weight at the point. When it attains
its altitude it opens (by reason of the weight which is at the point or top being
caused to shift, with considerable force to nearly the bottom of the shaft) and float
gracefully to the earth.
The shape of the parachute is made round, square or star-pointed or any shape
that may be suggested.
A ball with a hole through center or a ring, such ball or ring is made of wood,
metal, or any other suitable material, and the size according to the weight required,
which is governed by the size of the parachute. Loosely attached to the ball or
These arms 3, 4 or
ring are arms of wood or metal, or small splints of bamboo.
more in number, are attached at equal distances round the outside of ball or ring
(with string, wire or anything suitable) in such a manner that they can hang down
round the shaft (said shaft to be hereinafter mentioned).
Strings are attached at equal distances, round edge of top or cover and the other
ends of the strings are fastened to the ends of the arins which are made as light and
strong as possible so as to make a stiff termination to the strings, without materially
increasing the weight of ballast.
A "shaft" or arrow (in length about the same as the diameter of the cover or
top) is passed through the hole in the ball or ring, and suspended from its point by
The ball or ring can be made to
a string from the center of the inside of cover.
slide freely up or down the shaft. Near the bottom of the shaft is fasten'd one end
of a spring, the other end of which spring is attached to the underneath part of the
ball or ring. The ball or ring constitutes the ballast and is kept near the bottom of
the shaft by the spring.
:
When the ball or ring is pulled to the top of the shaft, and held by the hand or
a small spring wire catch, it remains at the top till liberated, when liberated it flies
to the bottom of shaft with force according to the strength of the spring used.
Attached to the center of outside of top or cover is a piece of elastic of sufficient
length to stretch (after the cover or top, is closed down over the ball or ring) many
times round it keeping the ballast at the top inside the cover, and binding it all
closely to the shaft (so that it meets with as little resistance as possible while going
wound round and round till the end is at the
up through the air). The elastic
bottom of the shaft and is held by the hand or thumb till thrown or shot up.
When it leaves the hand the elastic unwinds by contracting (and while unwinding
gives time for the parachute to reach a good distance up) and unwound liberates
the ball or ring, which constitutes the ballast" which is pull'd down to the bottom
of the shaft. The arms which have laid down close to the shaft reverse while
going down, and in reversing, open the parachute.
It is not absolutely necessary to have the arms (or stiff terminuses to the strings)
5 and when the ballast is a wooden ball of light material, with only strings attached
in sliding down the shaft after being liberated, has the effect of opening the parachute
though not so quickly as by the reversal of the arms, or stiff attachments to strings.
The cover is of any suitable material, shape is any shape that may be suggested,
and I do not restrict myself to any precise details of shape, material or dimensions,
!..

page_text: but I claim every alteration of which it is capable without departing from the main
characteristics of my invention.
T
31
י
J. W. BARTON.
A Toy Parachute.
I, JOHN WILLIAM BARTON of No. 6, Hunslet Lane, Leeds in the County of
York, Decorative. Artist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
The parachute is arranged and manufactured so that it can be sent up into. the.
áir either by being thrown from the hand or shot from a bow.
It is made round square or "star pointed" (as shewn in accompanying drawing)
or any shape, that may be suggested.
A ball with a hole through the center or a ring, such ball or ring is made of wood
metal or any suitable material and in size according to the weight required' such
weight being governed by the size of the parachute. Loosely attached to the ball
or ring are arms of wood metal or bamboo. These arms 3, 4 or more are attached
at equal distances round the outside of the ball or ring (by means of string thread
fine wire or anything suitable) in such a manner as to fall down round shaft whether
straight up or reversed, and are important in opening parachute quickly. Letter.H.
Figure 1. on accompanying drawing represents one of these arms.
Strings are attached at equal distances round edge of top or cover
" and the
other end of strings are fasten'd to the end of arms (or when arms are dispensed
with. and not used) at equal distances round the ball or ring said arms are made as
light as possible but strong material to make as little addition to the weight as
possible.
A.shaft or arrow (described in accompanying drawing) Figure 1. Letter D.
(in length about the same as the diameter of cover or top) is passed through the
hole in the ball, or through the ring and suspended from its point by a string to the
inside center of cover.
The ball or ring can be made to slide freely up or down the shaft (till it is held
down by having one end of india rubber or other spring attached underneath it, and
the other end of said spring fasten'd to near bottom of said shaft). This spring
attachment is described in the accompanying drawing Figure 1. Letters F. and G.
To describe this more fully,
If the shaft is held firmly in the land and the ball or ring forced to the top of
shaft and then the ball or ring let go, said- ball or ring flies to the bottom with great
force or a force according to strength of spring used, but when this takes place by
the ball or ring being liberated in the air, the spring acts equally in pulling the
shaft. up as in pulling the "ballast," to the bottom of shaft. It is instantaneous,
the shaft partially lifts off the cover then the ball striking with force to where it is
stopp'd near the bottom, with a jerk which pulls the middle of cover down, by the
string attached to it, and which suspends shaft.
An elastic spring is attached to middle of cover outside (Figure 2. Letter J. on
drawing), and when the ball or ring (which is the ballast) is pull'd to top of shaft
and the cover or top, closed down over it, the elastic spring is wound round, the
"catch
is pushed in so that the ball or ring can slide down, when. liberated.
The elastic is wound round the cover and down over the shaft, to below where
bottom of shaft spring is fasten'd.
23
21
The weight which is at the top is kept so by the elastic binding, as long as it is
held by the hand or thumb. The, instant it leaves the hand, after being thrown or
shot up,, the elastic which is stretched round parachute contracts while it is ascending,
liberating the weight or ballast at the top, which being acted on by the shaft

page_text: spring" brings the weight with force to the bottom. Opening the parachute, and
causing it to descend in its proper position. It is not absolutely necessary to have
the arms (or stiff pieces to terminate the strings) and I reserve to myself to use my
own discretion by making them either with or without the arms, as when the ballast
is a wooden ball of light material with only strings attached, in sliding down the
shaft it has the effect of opening the parachute though not so quickly as by the
reversal of the arms, or stiff attachments to strings.
The following has reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1. Letter A. represents the top or cover of the inside of parachute.
Figure 2. Letter B. represents outside of same.
Figure 3. Letter C. represents the parachute with ball or ring at the top of shaft
with strings and all its appurtenances inside and the elastic binding it close to the
shaft ready for throwing up.
Letter D. represents the shaft.
Letter E. the string from center by which the shaft is suspended.
Letter F. the ball or ring which is made to slide up or down the shaft.
Letter G. represents the spring attached to near the bottom of shaft by one end,
and the other end fastened to the ball or ring (which constitutes the ballast).
Letter H. represents one of the arms of which there are 4 required (if arms are
used) for a cover "star pointed" as represented by Figure 1. A.
Letter J. on Figure 2. is the piece of elastic to stretch round parachute which
keeps it as close and small as possible and at the same time keeps the ball or ring
(which is the ballast) to the top of the shaft till liberated.
Letter K. represents the "catch" (only required where the parachute is made
large, and a very strong spring used) to hold the ball or ring while adjusting.
The dotted circle in center of Figure 1. Letter A. and Figure 2. Letter B.
represents pieces of material for strengthening the middle of cover to enable it the
better to resist the force with which the shaft is forced upwards the instant the ball
or ring is liberated.
The cover or top of the parachute is made of silk, cotton, paper strengthen'd in
the center with cotton-cloth or any suitable material.
I do not restrict myself to any precise details of shape, material or dimensions.
but I claim every alteration of which it is capable without departing from the main
characteristics of my invention.
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-
1. The parachute as hereinbefore described with reference to accompanying
drawings.
2. The shaft suspended by a string from center of cover as bereinbefore described.
3. The ball or ring (or ballast) working on the shaft as herein before described.
4. The arms attached to ball (terminating strings attached to outside edge of
cover of parachute) as hereinbefore described.
5. The method of closing and binding up parachute (as herein fully described
and represented by Figure 3. of accompanying drawing).
6. The elastic fastened on outside of top or cover particularly described and
represented in Figure 2. of accompanying drawings.
7. The spring attached to ball or ring and bottom of shaft as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the drawings accompanying this Specification.
Dated this 9th day of September 1891.
J. W. BARTON.