Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Aug., 1896-Accepted, 10th Oct.. 1895
1, ERNST PAUL LEHMANN, of No. 6, Plauerstrasse, Brandenburg on the Havel;.
Prussia in the Empire of Gormany, 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 :-
My invention relates to a toy having the form of an air-ship, comprising a balloon-
of globular or any other shape, or any other suitable means for aerial navigation,.
and a boat, basket, platform or other suitable stand suspended thereto, with n
hunian or other figure placed within said boat or on said stand. The balloon or
air-ship proper, however, is uot adapted to rise by the means usually employed in.
abrial navigation, namely, by gas or mechanical power, but is adapted to perform.
a motion of ascent and descent along a cord or thread, strap or chain passing
through the said balloon or main body of the ship. The mechanical means for
causing the toy to rise or move down along the cord or cords form no part of this
invention, as they may be varied and I am aware that mechanical means are known
which perform such lifting and lowering motion. My invention consists in applying
a lifting and lowering mechanism of suitable kind to a toy air ship having a boat,
basket or stand and a figure placed therein or thereon, to which figure, motion is.
imparted through the means of the cord, thread, strap or chain along which the toy
rises or descends.
To make my invention well understood, I have illustrated the same in the
accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a central vertical section through the toy, and Figure 2 a sectional
elevation of the same, seen at right angles to Figure 1;"
Figure 3 is a side view of the toy in a reduced scale.
A is n hollow body of globular, oblong, pear-shaped or any other suitable form.
To the said body A, a boat, basket, platform or stand B, is suspended by wires C,
or any other suitable menne which suspension I prefer to make a rigid one. Inside
the body A, of the toy mechanism, such as D, is arranged to make the toy ascend
ur descend along cords, threads, straps or chains E, one of which passes out of the
body A, ceutrally upwards, the other in the opposite direction, the free inward end
of each of said cords being attached to rolls d of tapering shape, said rolls d of
different size being mounted on a common shaft. The effect of this mechanism is
this, that while one of the two cords E is wound on to its roll d, the other, cord is
being wound off, and consequently, if the one or other cord is being pulled at its
outward end, the toy will rise or descend, one cord being shortened by being wound
ou, the other cord being lengthened by being wound off its roll.
As before stated, mechanism which performs such rising and descending motion
by the aid of two cords or a single cord has been employed before, and I do not
claim as my invention any special construction of said mechanism, which may be
varied as desired. The construction illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 is only a
specimen of mechanian serving to perform the said motion.
The cord which passes down through the boat is wound round a roller F turning
in bearings provided in a casing or other suitable standards. The axis of said
roller extends towards or into the figure G and has a crank engaging with a
connecting-rod H, and said connecting rod, being reciprocated by the crank,
imparts motion to the arm of said figure G, or to both its arms mounted on a
common shaft. The hands of said figure may carry flags or any other signals or

page_text: objects and it will be easily understood, that, while the toy is passing up or down
along the cord, the arms of said figure will be swung with more or less speed, as
the motion of the toy along the cord is more or less fast. Of course, the revolutions
of the roller and its crank-shaft may be utilized to produce any other motions of
the figure, and by suitable connections of the moving parts, both arms and
hinged legs, and neck of the figure may be caused to describe motions of varying
. kind. Also the figure G may be any other one than a human figure.
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 toy-air-ship having a boat, basket, platform or stand carried by the balloon
or body of the ship and provided with means to be raised and lowered along a
cord, thread strap or chain, or cords, threads, straps or chains, by pulling one or
the other of the outside ends of said cord or cords, threads, straps or chains,
substantially as described.
2. A toy-air-ship, having a boat, basket, platform or stand carried by the
balloon or body of the ship, a figure of any suitable kind carried by the said boat,
basket, platform or stand, a cord, thread, strap or chain, or cords, threads, straps
or chains passing through the toy and causing, by being pulled, a rising or
descending motion of the toy, said cord, thread, strap or chain being arranged to
impart motion to the figure, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 21st day of August 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.