IMPROVEMENTS IN TOY FIGURES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Iu-
vention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TOY FIGURES."-A communication from abroad
by Louis Schmetzer, of Chicago, in the United States of America, but at
present residing at Rothenburg, in the Kingdom of Bavaria.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th June 1876.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TOY FIGURES."
This Invention, relates to improvements on the jointed toy figures, for which
Letters Patent were granted to me, as a communication from the present Inventor,
and bearing date the 8th September 1875, No. 3156, the object being to impart
more naturalness to the figures than they have hitherto received, and to make them
susceptible of a greater variety of changes of position.
The head, body, and limbs of the jointed figures were connected together by
interlocking square pins, but the joinings-up of the parts were all in sight, and
detracted greatly from the naturalness of the composite figures.
It is now proposed to clothe the wooden body, which is shaped at the waist with
a short garment or surcoat composed of two pieces of velvet, silk, or other material
connected together at their upper and lower edges, but open at the sides to allow
both of the attachment of the arms and legs in any possible position, and also the
connection of other figures with the body to form acrobatic groups. A waist band
will serve to secure the garment to the body. This body, both at the hips and
shoulders, is provided with parallel grooves, as well as pegs, to give increased
facilities for varying the positions of the arms and legs.
Instead of the flat fronted head formerly used, it is now proposed to mould upon
a pegged wooden piece a natural head in papier machè or other plastic material,
giving it any desired expression of humour.
The arms and legs, instead of being made in single pieces, as heretofore, it is
proposed to construct of two pieces, which will be jointed together in the same
ID:

page_text: manner as the bead and limbs are jointed to the body. To hide these joints the
limbs are partially clothed with sleeve or trowser pieces of velvet, silk, or other
suitable fabric, which will extend beyond the portion of the limb to which the
put
trowser or sleeve pieces are permanently attached Thus, when the figure
together, a toy more closely resembling the acrobat of real life will be produced.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
December 1876.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TOY FIGURES." A
communication from abroad by Louis Schmetzer, of Chicago, in the United States
of America, but at present residing at Rothenburg, in the Kingdom of Bavaria.
This Invention relates to improvements on the jointed toy figures, for which
Letters Patent were granted to me, as a communication from the present Inventor,
and bearing_date the Eighth September One thousand eight hundred and
.seventy-five, No. 3156, the object being to impart more naturalness to the figures
than they have hitherto received, and to make them susceptible of a greater variety
of changes of position.
The head, body, and links of the jointed figures were connected together by
interlocking square pins, but the joinings-up of the parts were all in sight, and
detracted greatly from the naturalness of the composite figures.
It is now proposed to clothe the wooden body, which is shaped at the waist with
a short garment or surcoat composed of two pieces of velvet, silk, or other material
connected together near their upper and lower edges, but open at the sides to allow
both of the attachment of the arms and legs in any possible position, and also the
A waistband
construction of other figures with the body to form acrobatic groups.
will serve to secure the garment to the body. This body is rounded off, both at the
hips and shoulders, and at these parts is provided with parallel grooves, in addition
to the square attaching pegs to give increased facilities for varying the positions of
the arms and legs.
Instead of the flat fronted head formerly used, it is now proposed to mould upon
a pegged wooden piece a natural head in papier machè or other plastic material,
giving it any desired expression of humour.
The arms and legs, instead of being made in single pieces, as heretofore, it is
proposed to construct of two pieces, which will be jointed together in the same
manner as the head and limbs are jointed to the body. To hide these joints, the
limbs are partially clothed with sleeve or trowser pieces of velvet, silk, or other
suitable fabric, which will extend beyond the portion of the limb to which the
trowser or sleeve pieces are permanently attached. Thus, when the figure is put
together, a toy more closely resembling the acrobat of real life will be produced.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 shows in elevation a figure prepared
according to this Invention.
Fig. 2 represents in front view, and Fig. 3 in side or edge view, the improved
form of body detached.
Fig. 4 shows the moulded head detached, and Fig. 5 shows the jointed leg
detached.
The block forming the body A (see Fig. 2) is shaped at the waist to permit of
the surcoat or other garment fitting thereto, as shewn at Fig. 1, and at the
shoulders a and hips b, which project from the body, the block is rounded and
formed with parallel grooves to receive respectively the square pegs which form the
upper terminations to the limbs.
The body, besides these parallel grooves, is provided with square pegs c, c, c, as

page_text: described in the Specification of the before-mentioned Patent, to provide for the
attachment respectively of the head of the pendent arms, and the legs when in a
vertical or supporting position.
When, however, an arm (as shewn in Fig. 1) or leg is required to be elevated
it will be attached to the body by inserting its pegs in the grooved portion a
or b, as the case may be, of the block A.
To provide for the concealment of the unsightly joints a surcoat B is placed
over the body of the figure. This garment is open at the sides from the shoulders
to near the bottom of the skirt, and it is tightened on the body by means of a
waistband or sash F. It will therefore allow of the leg being inserted to the dotted
position of Fig. 2 without the derangement of the skirt.
At the shoulders the garment is made sufficiently broad to hide the junction of
the arms with the body, and as the garment is open from the waist to the shoulder
to facilitate the attachment of the arms to the body, trimming may be conveniently
applied to the edges to effect the concealment of this joining.
A frill or other trimming is also applied to the neck to hide the joining of the
head and body, and as there will usually be, in acrobatic figures, pegs at the top
of the moulded head, as shown at d, Fig. 4, a cap G is provided to cover those pegs
when not in use.
D are short sleeves used to cover the joints of the arm; and E, short leggings
to cover the joints of the legs.
By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that all the joints of the limbs are now
hidden fron sight, and that by the additional joints introduced at the knees and
elbows, and by the double means of attachment at the shoulders and hips the
natural and varied attitudes of an acrobatic figure can be closely imitated.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in Toy
Figures, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the
above in part recited Letters Patent I claim, the application to peg-jointed figures
of the means above set forth, whereby their naturalness is enhanced, and their
susceptibility of receiving changes of attitude is increased.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fourteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.