Hobby or Rocking Horses.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 21st Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 27th Jan., 1888
Hobby or Rocking Horses.
I FREDERICK HENRY AYRES of 111 Aldersgate Street in the City of London,
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In mechanical horses or velocipede horses, hobby horses and rocking horses the
model of the animal is made rigid as a whole and the natural appearance of the
animal is consequently not well maintained especially when in the case of mechanical
or velocipede horses the line of travel is a deviation from a straight one by the
turning of the guiding wheel.
According to my invention I so support the head and neck or part thereof that
it is free to turn independently of the rest of the animal so as to enhance the
realistic appearance when turning a velocipede horse or riding a hobby horse.
This I effect in a velocipede horse by mounting the moveable part of the animal
on the axis of the steering arms so that the head partakes of the change of direction
of the wheels, or in a hobby horse the head is hinged or centred to turn as drawn
on by the rein at either side and springs may be employed to cause the head
when not otherwise controlled to return to and remain normally central and in line
with the body.
Dated the 19th date of Anvil 1007
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Mechanical Horses or Velocipede Horses and
Hobby or Rocking Horses.
1 FREDERICK HENRY AYRES of 111 Aldersgate Street in the City of London
Manufacturer 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 :-
In mechanical horses or velocipede horses, hobby horses and rocking horses the
model of the animal is made rigid as a whole and the natural appearance of the
animal is consequently not well maintained especially when in the case of mechanical
or velocipede horses the line of travel is a deviation from a straight one by the
turning of the guiding wheel.
According to my invention I so support the head and neck or part thereof
that it is free to turn independently of the rest of the animal so as to enhance
the realistic appearance when turning a velocipede horse or riding a hobby horse.
This I effect in a velocipede horse by mounting the moveable part of the animal
on the axis of the steering arms so that the head partakes of the change of direction
of the wheel, or in a hobby horse the head is hinged or centred to turn as drawn
on by the rein at either side and springs may be employed to cause the head
when not otherwise controlled to return to and remain normally central and in
line with the body.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews the invention applied to a tricycle horse a being the movable
head attached to or supported to turn with the axis b on which are affixed the
guiding arms cc and which axis forms one with the fork d the arms of which carry
the journals for the axis e of the wheel fand the cranks and treadles gg, hh for
rotating said wheel. i is the body of the horse on which the axis b is socketted
and on the flanged plate 61 of which the said body is supported. j is the saddle
on which the rider is mounted conveniently for his feet to rest on the treadles.
k is one of the pair of trailing wheels supported by its axis 1 in journals carried
by the framing of the legs and a strengthening tie bar m. The reins a¹ may be
held or not at pleasure. a² is a flap to cover the junction between head and body.
The broken lines indicate the position of the head a fork and fore wheel when
inclined to the left hand of the rider, the full lines their position when pointed
straight in front.
Figure 2 shews a modification of the invention adapted to the case of a rocking
or hobby horse of the kind known as the American hobby or rocking horse and
which formed the subject of Letters Patent No. 395 dated 29th January 1880.
a is the head which is centred on a stem or axis 6 and socketted into the body i.
This stem is screwed into the head a, and its other end held in the body i by
the head bl.

page_text: Figure 3 shews an upper side view of the neck part of the body i shewing the
spring o and its recess. Figure 4 an underside view of the bottom of the head
portion of the neck a shewing the projection 9, and when these two faces are placed
together the projection q enters between the coils of the spring o at about the point o¹.
Figure 5 shews a part of the neck of the horse and the curtain or flap a².
The head a is capable of swinging to one side or the other left or right by pulling
on the left or right rein a¹ as the rider sits in the saddle; and supports his body
partly by the stirrups n but normally the position of the head will be straight in line
with the body owing to the operation of a spring o which is inserted in a recess p in
the upper face of the neck part of the body where the division of body and head is
made engaging a stop piece q which correspondingly projects from the under face of the
head and neck portion a and enters between the middle convolutions of the spiral
spring o at o. Any inclination of the head a to left or to right by the stop 9 puts
one half of the spring o into compression and the other half into tension and causes
the head a when released to return to the central position and so on.
The operation of the swinging of the body i supported on the framer on the
suspending irons s hinged to the standard frame t it is unnecessary to describe as the
same is already generally well understood.
By the foregoing arrangements the horses heads are made to turn in whichever
direction the riders desire to go in the case of locomotive or velocipede horses and the
heads can be turned about from side to side as the rider oscillates in the case of
hobby or rocking horses greatly enhancing the realism of imitation of nature and the
enjoyment to children without making the junction of the relatively movable parts
noticeable to detract from the ornamental appearance of the toy.
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. In a mechanical horse, velocipede horse, hobby horse, or rocking horse the
construction of a head or head and neck and body parts with capability of the
head part being turned at an angle relatively to the body part as set forth.
2. In a mechanical, hobby or rocking horse the construction of the head or head
and neck and body parts with capability of the head part being turned relatively to
the body part in combination with a spring or springs to aid in the return
movements as set forth.
1907
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.