THE MAGNET TOY, TO FACILITATE THE TEACHING OF CHILDREN TO SPELL, READ, AND CYPHER IN ANY TONGUE, WITH EASE TO THE TEACHER, PLEASURE TO THE LEARNER, AND PROPORTIONATE EXPEDITION
Year: 1810

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WHITMORE, of Dudmaston, in the County of Salop, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Gracious Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Fourteenth day of August, in the fiftieth year of His reign,
and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and ten, did, for
Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William
Whitmore, His special licence, that I, the said William Whitmore, my exors,
admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Whitmore, my exors,
admñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England
and Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention denominated
"THE MAGNET TOY, TO FACILITATE THE TEACHING OF CHILDREN TO SPELL, READ,
AND CYPHER IN ANY TONGUE, WITH EASE TO THE TEACHER, PLEASURE TO THE
LEARNER, AND PROPORTIONATE EXPEDITION;" in which said Letters Patent there
is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said William Whitmore, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled in His Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within two calendar months next and immediately

page_text: after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,.
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Whitmore, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is described and
ascertained in the plans hereunto annexed, and the following explanation,
that is to say:-
A, B, C, D, in plan 1, represent the upper surface of a box intended to
contain and conceal part of the mechanism or movements by which the objects
of the toy are attained. This mechanism may be so contrived as to produce
its effects either by means of strings and pullies, cog wheels and pinions, or
other suitable gear, or varied mechanical appendage, the obvious principles of
which will be more particularly illustrated and ascertained by the explanation
of the annexed plans; as the peculiar value of the toy turns chiefly upon
the suitable application of a magnet, it might have been on account of
its mechanism designated "the mechanic magnetic toy." It is alike capable
of being further denominated "an invention to facilitate the teaching of
children to spell and read, and also to learn the first rudiments of cyphering
and of music." Upon the upper surface A, B, C, D, of the box above alluded
to is described on E as a centre, a circle, the moveable semicircular part of
which, intended to be next the teacher, is somewhat like the plate of a dial,
and may have depicted upon it either the letters of the alphabet, numerals,
types, symbols, or musical notes, according to the views of the teacher,
although the alphabet alone be shewn in the Diagram annexed (plan 1). The
circle is somewhat elevated above A, B, C, D, (see plan 1), although such
elevation be by no means essential. To the centre E is adapted a moveable
index (3), which serves as a pointer to the dial, and indicates particular letters
or symbols; for instance, the letter C, as seen through the opening at the
termination of the index; on this index the feet of an animal, as of a horse,
are supposed to stand, as is exhibited in plan 1; the figure it is obvious may
be varied at the pleasure of the manufacturer; it may represent almost any
suitable object, animate or inanimate, and although the form of a horse be
chosen in preference in the Diagram, yet any animal, or the human form
may be equally adaptable, or the figure of a reptile, insect, fish, bird, or other
captivating, whimsical, or attractive device. The internal part of the figure, as of
the horse, &c. is hollow (see section, plan 2), with a view to conceal certain other
motive mechanism, by ineans of which the head of the horse is made to descend
upon another concentric, &c. exterior, semicircular, inclined rim (marked 4),

page_text: divided into compartments corresponding to the letters, symbols, &c. of the
interior semicircle described on the circular surface (1). The exterior demi-
circular inclined rim (4) is intended to support the loose duplicates of the letters,
symbols, &c. The perspective view, plate 1, exhibits the horse so constructed
as to revolve on its hind feet, and its head is not merely contrived to descend at
pleasure, or to nod, but also to have a side motion. These motions are, according
to circumstances, indicative of assent or of dissent. A magnet is disposed in the
mouth of the horse, or (adapting the mechanism of the figure accordingly)
it may be placed in the hand, arm, leg, foot, or other part of the body, so that
when the magnet is brought into contact with any of the moveable duplicates
of types, symbols, &c. laid on the exterior semicircular rim (4), and to each
of which types, symbols, &c. is attached a slip of iron or steel by which the
duplicate adheres to the magnet, on pulling the proper string or moving other
suitable mechanism the head of the horse is raised, bearing away and depositing
the duplicate at pleasure, as at letter P, on the flat semicircular rim (marked 6).
The exterior rims 4 and 6 may be moveable, only the latter is flat, and the
former inclines towards that portion of the interior circle marked 1, on which
the alphabet, &c. are disposed. Thus letters, numbers, symbols, &c. may be
taken up from 4, and be borne off and deposited on 6 successively, in such
manner as to form words, sentences, combinations of numbers, musical bars,
hieroglyphics, or whatever else imagination may suggest, at the pleasure of the
teacher or director; with such view is the toy constructed. The reason why
the external semicircular rim (4) is inclined, and its complementary semicircle
rim (6) horizontal, is, that when the duplicate brought by the magnet in the
mouth of the horse from the former to the latter rim, touches such rim,
it can only, from the sloping form of the end of the magnet, touch the latter
rim (6) in an continuous line, while from the obliquity of the face of the
magnet its superficies touches in every part the steel portion of the duplicates
placed on the inclined rim (4).
Plans 2 and 3 explain different methods by which the interior mechanism
may be adjusted. In the former (plan 2), 3 is the index (as in perspective
view, plan 1), on which the horse is placed; the head of this figure moves
upon a centre (9), and is balanced by a weight (10) concealed within the
body. A string, as at (11), may be conducted through or concealed by the
leg, or otherwise passing within or under the belly, and being so attached
to the head as that, when pulled or otherwise moved, the head descends;
on the retraction of the string, the weight (10) will raise the head to
its primitive position. On the centre of the box is an axis to which

page_text: the index (3) is attached; to the lower end of the same axis is fixed a
pulley (H), round which a line (15) is passed (see section, plan 2), the
two ends being brought through the side of the box, as at 17, so that by
pulling one of the strings, &c., permitting the other to return, the axis
partially revolved, giving of course motion to the index, &c., string 11 is
conducted through the axis, and passing under a staple or pulley fixed in
the bottom of the box (at 12), is brought through the side of the box
(at 18). Plan 2 also explains the action of the magnet; 4 is here
a section of the inclined semicircle supporting the duplicate 6; on the
opposite side is the flat semicircle on which the horse deposits it. At 19
a duplicate is shewn adhering to the magnet in the horse's mouth, having
been taken up by the magnet descending, as expressed by the dotted arch,
exactly upon the slip of iron or steel affixed to the duplicate (19). When the
figure revolves to the opposite side (6), the under part of the duplicate (19)
strikes the upright part (21) of the semicircle (6), and as the head of the
figure is here brought lower than it would be on the opposite side, the magnet
slides from the slip of iron fixed upon the duplicate, which duplicate of con-
sequence falls npon the horizontal surface 6, because in this motion the
magnet approaches the centre of the circle (as is shewn by the dotted line),
and the duplicate cannot follow it as it strikes the upright part of 6, they
must therefore separate.
Plan 3 presents another mode of communicating the motions. Here 3 is
again the index supposed to support the horse; the axis 23, upon which it
revolves, is furnished with a cog wheel (24), being turned by a pinion (25),
fixed to an axis (26). The end of this axis is square, and has a key (28)
fitted to it. By turning this key the horse is caused to revolve so as readily
to point out any of the duplicates; the motion for the horse's head is performed
as in the former instance by a string connected with a wire (29) passing the
centre of the axis; this wire passes a hole in the lever (30), extending across
the box and moving on a centre at the opposite end. The wire has a knob at
its lower end, and which will not pass through the hole in the lever, so that
when this is pressed down by placing the finger on the extremity (30), the
head of the horse is caused to descend, as before described. 31 is a similar
lever, which acts upon a tube enclosed within the axis (23), having the
wire (29) passing through it. To the upper end of this tube a string is to
be attached at 32, which may be conducted through the body of the horse to
perform any motion the fancy of the operator may suggest; such as shaking
the head sideways, &c. By additional tubes and levers any motion may be

page_text: communicated to the figure on the index. It should be noticed that the
tubes must be prevented from turning round within each other, as in that case
the strings at the top of them would become entangled, and, of course, they
could not be made to act with the proper effect. The levers should be placed
in the box in such a manner as not to interfere with the motion of the handle,
or the wheels and springs should be affixed to the box for the purpose of
raising the levers when necessary.
T
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Second day of October, in the
year of our Lord 1810, the aforesaid William Whitmore came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stampt according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.