An Improved Aerial Toy.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 19th June, 1891-Accepted, 15th Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Aerial Toy.
I HERBERT YOUNG DICKINSON 56 Gray's Inn Road London Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
I fasten an ordinary parachute where its strings meet, to a box which I prefer
in the shape of a ball composed of two hemispheres hinged together and having a
spring inside to throw them open. This ball-box is of a suitable size to contain
the parachute. I provide a spring catch inside the ball for the purpose of keeping
it closed when required. I attach a string or wire to the spring catch, passing it
through a hole in the ball to a suitable length outside (about two feet) and
terminating in a little knob or knot so that this end of the string or wire can be
held in the operator's hand without slipping through it. The spring catch above
alluded to inside the ball is brought into position for holding the two halves of the
ball together by the weight of the whole toy when supported by the string or
wire, but if there is no pull on the string the spring catch will cease to hold the
ball closed and it will fly open.
I fix a piece of paper or other material close to
the knob or knot in the string, similar to the tail of a kite. To operate the toy,
the parachute is folded up and place in the ball which is then closed and supported
by the operator holding the end of string so as to bring the spring catch into play
to keep the ball closed. The operator then swings the ball several times around,
as if using a sling, and when sufficient momentum is obtained the whole thing is
released flying up into the air, the spring catch being still kept closed by the pull
exerted on the tail owing to the resistance of the air. When the toy has reached
about its highest point, the pull exerted on the spring catch is reduced and the ball
opens allowing the parachute to unfold and the whole toy descends slowly to the
ground. I do not bind myself to the method above described of releasing spring
catch but in some cases use a sticky wax to allow the ball or box to open at the
proper time.
Dated this 22nd day of September 1890.
HERBERT YOUNG DICKINSON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Aerial Toy.
I, HERBERT YOUNG DICKINSON of 56 Gray's Inn Road London Engineer,
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 :-
My invention relates to a new or improved aerial toy intended to serve as an
out-door source of amusement for children.
In carrying my invention into practice, I provide a hollow spherical box composed
of two equal hollow hemispheres hinged together, and capable of being closed by
means of a spring catch to which one end of a cord is fixed. The other end of
this cord passes through a perforation formed in the hemisphere to which the catch
is fixed in front of the latter. A hook is fixed inside the same hemisphere and
serves to attach thereto one end of a cord, the other extremity of which is fixed to
the strings or cords of a parachute folded into a small compass and enclosed normally
in the spherical box aforesaid. A spring is attached to one of the hemispheres and
has a tendency to keep them apart when open. And in order that my invention

page_text: may be more fully understood I have shown the same in the accompanying
drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a view of the open box and
Fig. 2 is a cross section of the box closed with the parachute removed therefrom.
Fig. 3 shows the toy descending with its parachute open.
My new or improved toy consists of a spherical box composed of two
hollow hemispheres H H hinged together at h. A blade or strip is
fixed to the inner wall of the periphery H₁ its free end carrying a small
hook which engages, when the two hollow hemis, neres are closed under
the piece p soldered on the inner edge of the hemi ere H. To the ring
or hook m soldered to the inner periphery of the her here H₁ is fixed a
cord the free end of which is attached to the cords of a parachute P as clearly
shown in Fig. 3. A spring s is fixed at one end to the inner periphery of the
hemisphere H', its other end bearing against that of the hemisphere H. Close to
the hook the cord d passes through a hole formed in the strip its inner end
being tied into a knot, while its free end passes through a perforation formed in the
hemisphere H', and is furnished with a tail t. The action of the catch is such
that when the two hollow hemispheres are closed, and the hook i engages with the
piece it is held in such a position by the weight of the spherical box as the
player is holding the cord d in his hand, but when this cord is released, the blade
ceases to be pressed against the periphery of the hemisphere to which it is attached,
and the hook i releases the piece p, owing to the resiliency of the blade . The toy
is used after the manner of a catapult or sling. The player holding the cord d in
his hand, places the parachute inside the box, closes the same and swings the ball
several times round and finally releases the same, the box or ball ascending in the
air to a considerable height, and during its ascent and passage through the air, the
resistance which the tail piece t offers to the atmosphere, keeps the string d tight,
and the box closed. When however the toy has reached its full height and becomes
temporarily almost motionless, the stress upon the string d is removed and the
blade recedes, and the box opens and its two halves are held apart by the springs,
so that the parachute now becomes inflated through the agency of the box dragging
it down, against the air and thus the toy assumes the position shewn in Fig. 3, and
it slowly descends again to the ground.
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.) A new or improved aerial toy, having the form of a spherical box or ball
which when propelled up in the air after, the manner of a sling, is automatically
opened through the release of a catch when the pressure on same is removed, which
exposes a parachute attached thereto, and contained therein to the resistance of the
atmosphere causing the inflation of the said parachute, and allowing the whole
toy to slowly descend to the ground substantially as herein before described and for
the purpose set forth.
(2.) A. new or improved aerial toy having the form of a spherical box or ball
which contains a parachute attached thereto, such box or ball being provided with
a string d for projecting the same into the air, one end of which is attached to the
spring blade b and the other end is provided with a tail piece t designed to offer
the required amount of resistance to the atmosphere to retain spring blade closed
during ascent of toy.
Dated this 10th dow of June 1901
RAYNER & CASSELL,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.