IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINNING-TOPS to be as follows:-
Year: 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM HAMILTON HALL of No 72 Denmark Villas, West Brighton in the
county of Sussex, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of the said invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINNING-TOPS to be as follows:-
"
The object and principle of the said invention is to enable the spinner of a
top to apply concurrently the force of both hands to the spinuing without
materially disturbing the position of the top and at the same time to minimise the
loss of power by friction in the act of spinning so as to supply at once a handy
and more powerful means for the spinning of tops. In order to effect this, the
said invention consists of a doubled tape or string connected with the spindle of
the top at its doubled end in the manner hereinafter mentioned and wound round
the said spindle. The top is then spun by the two ends of the said tape or string
being taken one in each hand and pulled in opposite directions, the said tape or
string when the top is spun disconnecting itself automatically from the said spindle.
The said tape or string may be connected with the said spindle by having the top
of such spindle flattened and for a string it may be also grooved the said tape or
string being then doubled over the said spindle top and the two parts brought
together and wound as before mentioned and in this case the said spindle may be
lengthy which is best suited for a string so that the same may be wound spirally,
or short which is best suited for a tape so that the same may be wound horizontally
with coils covering one another. Or the said tape or string may be connected by
having two short pins fixed through the said spindle (the same being in this case
short) so that they project on either side thereof the said tape or string being then
attached at its central or doubled part to a cross bar; the said cross-bar is placed
lengthwise with the spindle so that the ends of the said cross bar engage with the
said projections the taid tape or string being then wound between such projections.
Or the said tape or string may be connected with the said spindle so as to automa-
tically disconnect itself when the said top is spun by any other suitable means.
And the said spindle may have upon it two discs of suitable size and at a suitable
distance apart to guide and assist the even winding of the said tape or string and
the effectiveness thereof when pulled as aforesaid, the said tape or string being
wound between the said discs. And the said discs may each be slotted with a slot
curving gradually from the periphery thereof to the said spindle in a direction
corresponding with the direction in which the top revolves when spun and the

page_text: said tape or string being attached to a cross bar as aforesaid may be then connected
with the said spindle by placing the ends of the said cross bar in the said slots.
And if a lengthy spindle is used as aforesaid the same may have a loose collar
working thereon with an eye or runner on each side of the said collar the said tape
or string being then led through the said eyes or runners and the collar slipped on
the spindle and the said tape or string connected with the said spindle in the
manner first before mentioned or other suitable manner; the said tape or string is
wound by turning the said spindle within the said collar. And the said spindle
may be threaded with a screw thread the said collar working thereon with a corre-
sponding thread. And if a short spindle is used it may be disconnected altogether
from the said top and the said tape or string may be attached thereto permanently
at the central part of the said tape or string and the same may have an outer case
or covering fitted loosely on the said spindle with outlets on each side for the said
tape or string similar in some respects to the principle of an ordinary tape measure
the said tape or string being wound by turning the said spindle and the said
spindle being connected with the said top so as to automatically become disengaged
when the said top is spun by any known suitable means.
Dated this 18th day of March 1884.

page_text: I WILLIAM HAMILTON HALL of N° 72 Denmark Villas, West Brighton, in the
County of Sussex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINNING TOPS and in what manner the same is to bo
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
"
The object and principle of the said Invention is to enable the spinner of a top
to apply concurrently the force of both hands to the spinning without materially
disturbing the position of the top and at the same time to minimise the loss of
power by friction in the act of spinning so as to supply at once a handy and more
powerful means for the spinning of tops. In order to effect this the said Invention
consists of a doubled tape or string connected with the spindle of the top at its
doubled end in the manner hereinafter mentioned and wound round the said
spindle. The top is then spun by the two ends of the said tape or string being
taken one in each band and pulled in opposite directions the said tape or string
when the top is spun disconnecting itself automatically from the said spindle. The
said tape or string may be connected with the said spindle by having the top of
such spindle flattened and for a string it may be also grooved the said tape or string
being then doubled over the said spindle top and the two parts brought together
and wound as before mentioned and in this case the said spindle may be lengthy
which is best suited for a string so that the same may be wound spirally, or short
which is best suited for a tape so that the same may be wound horizontally
with coils covering one another. Or the said tape or string may be connected by
having two short pins fixed through the said spindle (the same being in this case
short) so that they project on either side thereof the said tape or string being then
attached at its central or doubled part to a crossbar the said crossbar is placed
lengthwise with the spindle so that the ends of the said crossbar engage with the
said projections the said tape or string being then wound between such projections.
Or the said tape or string may be connected with the said spindle so as to
automatically disconnect itself when the said top is spun by any other suitable
means. And the said spindle may have upon it two discs of suitable size and at a
suitable distance apart to guide and assist the even winding of the said tape or
string and the effectiveness thereof when pulled as aforesaid the said tape or string
being wound between the said discs. And the said discs may each be slotted with
a slot curving gradually from the periphery thereof to the said spindle in a direction
corresponding with the direction in which the top revolves when spun and the said
tape or string being attached to a crossbar as aforesaid may be then connected with
the said spindle by placing the ends of the said crossbar in the said slots. And if
a lengthy spindle is used as aforesaid the same may have a loose collar working
thereon with an eye or runner on each side of the said collar the said tape or string
being then led through the said eyes or runners and the collar slipped on the
spindle and the said tape or string connected with the said spindle in the manner
first before mentioned or other suitable manner; the said tape or string is wound
by turning the said spindle within the said collar. And the said spindle may be
threaded with a screw thread the said collar working thereon with a corresponding
thread And if a short spindle is used it may be disconnected altogether from the
said top and the said tape or string may be attached thereto permanently at the
central part of the said tape or string and the same may have an outer case or
covering fitted loosely on the said spindle with outlets on each side for the said tape
or string similar in some respects to the principle of an ordinary tape measure

page_text: the said tape or string being wound by turning the said spindle and the said
spindle being connected with the said top so as to automatically become disengaged
when the said top is spun by suitable means such as the following.
The said spindle being continued for a short distance below the said case or
covering may have a short pin fixed through the lower portion thereof so as to
project on either side and the said top may be fitted with a short vertical tube or
hollow continuation of the said spindle to receive the said lower portion of the
spindle and having a spirally curved slot on each side thereof to receive the
projections of the said pin or the said top may be fitted with two wire hooks
elevated above the said tube or hollow continuation of the spindle to engage the
projections of the said pin or other suitable means.
And when the means for spinning the said top are disconnected therefrom as
aforesaid the spinning motion of the said top may be accelerated by the use of
toothed wheels or friction wheels in combination with the said means in any known
way.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describo
the same by reference to the accompanying drawing which represents views of
spinning tops with means of spinning the same according to my improvements and
in the several figures of which similar letters represent similar or corresponding
parts.
I will first describe my improvements as applied to tops to be spun by means of
a tape wound on a short spindle revolving in an outer case.
Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of the tape with the spindle and outer
casing before winding; figure 2 is an elevation and figure 3, a horizontal section
shewing the tape wound on the spindle within the outer casing; figure 4 is an
elevation, and figure 5 a plan, of a spinning top constructed to be spun by the said
tape.
a is a short spindle turning in a casing b, the spindle a extending below the
bottom of the casing band being provided with a pin c; d is the tape which passes
through slits in each side of the casing at e and through a slit in the spindle a each
end of the tape being provided with a ring f, or the centre of the tape may be
permanently fixed to the spindle a. By holding the casing b and turning the
spindle a, the tape d will be wound double on the spindle a, as shewn in figures 2
and 3; g is a top of ordinary construction fitted with a short tube (forming the
hollow continuation of the spindle a) and with two wire hooks i, as clearly shewn
in the detached enlarged views at figures 6 and 7.
To spin the top the lower end of the spindle a (on which spindle the tape has
been wound as shewn in figures 2 and 3) is passed down the tube h the pin c
engaging in the hooks, as shewn in the elevation at figure 8 and sectional plan at
figure 9; the rings f of the tape & being then taken one in each hand (see figure 8)
and pulled in opposite directions the top will be spun by the rotation of the
spindle a the pin c, of which will automatically disengage itself from the hooks
when the tape has been pulled out to its full extent.
Figures 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 are similar views to those shewn at figures 4, 5,
6, 7, 8 and 9 the only difference being that instead of the hooks i, i the hollow
spindle his formed with two curved slots i for receiving the pin c.
Instead of the tape d, being connected to a spindle revolving in an outer casing
as hereinbefore described it may be connected to a cross bar or pin c without a
casing as shewn in elevation and plan at figures 16 and 17 the said pin or cross
bar being sewn as shewn or otherwise suitably attached to the tape d in the centre
of its length. The spindle of the top in this case is provided with two discs j, as
shewn in the elevations at figures 18 and 19 and plans at figures 20 and 21. The
tape d is doubled by bringing its ends together and the projecting ends of the cross
bar or pins c, are then placed either in the slots kc, of the, discs j, figures 10 and 21,
or between the discs and against the pins or stops, figures 18 and, 20, the top
being then turned the tape will be wound on the spindle of the top between the
discs ; as shown in the elevation at figure 22 and the part sectional plan at figure 23,

page_text: The top can then be spun by pulling the ends of the tape in opposite directions as
herein before described.
When a string is employed to spin the top the top is preferably formed with a
long spindle as shewn in elevation at figure 24 and is spun by means of a loose
collar and string as shewn in the detached enlarged views at figures 25, 26 and 27,
the string & passes loosely through an eye or runner m one on each side of the
collar n, the top of the spindle h of the top being formed with a notch o as clearly
shewn in the detached enlarged view at figure 28. To spin the top the collar n is
slipped over the spindle h of the top the middle of the string resting in the
notch o; then by loosely holding the collar n, and turning the spindle of the top
the string d, will be doubly wound on the spindle h, as clearly shewn in figures 28
and 29; the ends of the string d, being then pulled in opposite directions the top
will be spun, the collar n, (with the string) automatically disengaging itself from
the spindle h.
The spindle h, may be screw threaded the collar n, being cut with a corresponding
screw thread to work thereon.
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
(1). A spinning top provided with a spindle with a short tubular end having
curved slots such as , or hooks such as i, for receiving and retaining projections
on a spindle on which the doubled tape is wound as and for the purposes herein-
before described and represented in figures 1 to 15 of the accompanying drawing.
(2). The use in combination with a spinning top of a doubled tape wound hori-
zontally with coils covering one another and when wound the two ends being
pulled in opposite directions whereby to spin the top.
(3). The device for winding the doubled tape and for spinning the top such
device consisting of a casing in which revolves a spindle through the slot of which
passes the double tape which is wound in such a manner that the different turns
coincide as hereinbefore described and represented in figures 1, 2, 3, 8 and 14 of the
accompanying drawing.
(4). A spinning top the spindle of which is provided with discs such as j, j, either
slotted or provided with pins or projections adapted to receive the projecting ends
of a bar or pin fixed to the middle of the winding tape as and for the purposes
herein before described and represented in figures 16, 17, 22 and 23 of the
accompanying drawing.
(5). The arrangement of device for winding a doubled string on and for
spinning a top such device consisting of a collar n, adapted to turn on the spindle
of the top and provided with eyes m, through which the string is passed as
herein before described and represented in figures 25 to 29 of the accompanying
drawing.
(6). Forming a notch at the upper end of the spindle of a spinning top for
receiving the middle of the winding string and for effecting the double winding
of the string as hereinbefore described and represented in figures 24 to 29 of the
accompanying drawing.
T
1002
G. F. REDFERN,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agent for the Applicant.