improvements in Toys.
Year: 1899

page_text: FREDERICK DAVID ASHWORTH, 17, Kensington Road, Chorlton cum Hardy,
Manchester, Accountant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be a
follows;-
To the end of a small straight handle is attached a spiral coil made of wire.
This coil is narrow at the point of its attachment and gradually widens out
until a diameter of about three inches is attained. The spiral coil will have
from 15 to 20 turns or complete circles in it.
To keep the spiral coil rigid two wire or metal stays will be attached to the
handle, then run up each side, outside the coil and then be attached to the
top of the coil. The stays will be opposite.
The top of the coil may either be of metal or of wire coiled horizontally until
the centre is reached.
Inside the spiral coil and at the top, against one side a small cage will be
fixed.
Inside the coil and loose is a small ball, which may be made of solid india
rubber or other material. This ball will be of such a size as will always cause
it to be inside the spiral coil and when at rest will lie near the handle of the toy
when held vertical.
Method of use. By holding the toy vertical and imparting to it a swift circular
movement the ball commences to rotate and by centrifugal force will climb up
inside the coil until the cage is reached, when it will enter or fall down to the
bottom of the spiral coil. The ball appears to climb up the wire until it reaches
the cage.
Dated this Twenty-fourth day of April 1899.
FREDERICK DAVID ASHWORTH.
improvements in Toys.
I, FREDERICK DAVID ASHWORTH, of 17, Kensington Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Accountant, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement; -
This invention relates to an improved form of toy in which a ball is caused
to rise or climb upwards over a spiral wire by a rapid rotary motion applied
thereto by the hand or wrist.

page_text: It consists essentially of a cage of inverted cone shape formed of coils of spiral
wire attached at the apex to a suitable handle enclosing a loose ball and having
a small receptacle to receive the ball at the top.
It will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1. Side elevation of the toy.
Fig. 2. Sectional plan of same.
Fig. 3. Side elevation of the side strips E and top D detached.
Fig. 4. Extended blank of the side strips and top.
The cage A to contain the ball B is constructed of a spiral coil of wire a
gradually increasing in diameter from the lower end to the upper with each
succeeding coil. The lower coil is rather larger than the ball B and the distance
of the coils apart is about equal to half the diameter of the ball B, the diameter
at the top being about three to four inches. The cage may have from 15 to
20 coils a of wire.
To the lower and narrower end of the coiled wire cage A is attached a sniall
straight handle C by which the toy can be held in the hand and by which by
a movement of the wrist a rapid circular or rotary movement may be imparted
to it.
The top of the cage A I prefer to make of a disc or sheet of metal or it may
be made of a number of coils of wire in the same or a horizontal plane.
One or more preferably two metal side strips or stays E extend from the top
D) and are fastened to the handle to keep the spiral coil rigid. These are preferably
made in one piece with the top D as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 or they may be
attached thereto by rivets solder or otherwise. The coils a may at intervals also
be connected or attached to the side stays E if desired.
Inside the cage A and preferably attached to or forming part of the top Dis
a small receptacle or cage F for the ball B.
The ball B may be made of rubber vulcanite glass earthenware wood or other
material and is of such a size as to fit between the coils of the spiral and when
at rest and the toy is held vertical it will lie upon the top of the handle or in
the smaller coil.
The object of the toy is by a movement of the wrist to cause the ball to
climb up the wire coils a and to reach the receptacle Fat the top.
In use the toy is held vertically in the hand by the handle and a rapid
circular or rotary movement imparted to it. This causes the ball to rotate and
by the centrifugal force or action set up will climb up inside the coil until
the receptacle or cage F is reached.
The ball appears to climb up the wire until the receptacle F is reached and
when the motion ceases it runs back again.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. An improved toy constructed with a cage of inverted cone shape formed
of a coil of spiral wire with a loose ball inside by imparting a rapid circular
or rotary movement to which the ball is caused by centrifugal force or action to
ascend the spirals substantially as described.
2. An improved toy constructed substantially
as described and shown.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.