IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN GYMNASTIC PERFORMANCES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Farini, now resident at Marseilles, in
the Empire of France, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS TO
BE EMPLOYED IN GYMNASTIC PERFORMANCES."
Sealed the 25th November 1870, and dated the 30th May 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Farini at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 30th May 1870.
I, WILLIAM FARINI, now resident at Marseilles, in the Empire of
France, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVED APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN GYMNASTIC PERFORMANCES," to be as
follows:-
:-
This Invention consists of two parts, first, of novel apparatus for pro-
jecting a gymnast through the air to any desired height, the parts
being so constructed and adapted that they are easily fitted up, speedily
adjusted for use, efficient in their action, springs being used as the
motive power, and convenient for separation and packing; and second;
of a novel combination and arrangement of bars and platform for

page_text: suspension in the air on to which a gymnast projected from the first
part can hold or alight, and there perform gymnastic feats of the higher
class, the said platform being constructed in a new manner.
The projecting apparatus constituting the first part of my Invention,
is provided with a strong stationary supporting and guiding frame,
within which a movable platform is fitted. This platform is furnished
with hooks or their equivalents round its lateral edges. The said hooks
or their equivalents are provided for the purpose of receiving or securing
india-rubber or other springs to the movable platform, the other ends
or parts of such springs being attached to the upper part of the stationary
frame. A long stem passes downwards through the stationary guiding
frame and also through the movable platform, to which latter it can
be secured by a detent as hereafter mentioned. On the top of the
said stem the platform on which the gymnast stands when being pro-
jected upwards is fixed. When it is desired to adjust the apparatus
for use the movable platform is lowered and the springs thereby put in
tension, or, for convenience, it may be lowered by itself and the springs
afterwards distended and hooked on or fastened one by one. When
lowered a lever or detent secured to the movable platform enters a notch
in the stem and connects these parts together. Another trigger
detent secures the stem to the stationary frame. The apparatus in this
state is ready for use. To release the movable platform, the stem, and
the standing platform, and allow the springs to raise the whole rapidly,
until the movable platform comes into contact with the under surface
of the upper part of the stationary frame, it is simply necessary for the
gymnast or an attendant to unlock the trigger detent by a cord or lever.
The upper surface of the movable platform, and under surface of the
upper part of the stationary frame, or one of them, are or is covered with
rubber to deaden the impact. When the movable platform detent rises
sufficiently high to come into contact with the trigger detent then the
former is released and the stem and standing platform fall quickly,
and, if desired, disappear from the audience under a stage or other
covering.
The bars and platform constituting the second part of my Invention
are suspended by wires or ropes. The bars form a parallelogram and
are placed over the platform at some distance therefrom. Wires or
ropes pass downwards from the bars to the platform so as to support
the latter. The platform is constructed of timber planks or boards to

page_text: avoid weakening them, they are tied together by any desired number
of metallic cross rods, and supported on transverse rods which are
secured to the under surfaces of the planks, hinge-like, by clips and
bolts or their equivalents.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Farini in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 29th November 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
FARINI, now resident at Marseilles, in the Empire of France, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Farini, Her special licence that I,
the said William Farini, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said William Farini, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE
EMPLOYED IN GYMNASTIC PERFORMANCES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Farini, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Farini, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet

page_text: of illustrative Drawings, and to the figures and letters of reference
marked thereon, that is to say
This Invention consists of two parts, first of novel apparatus for pro-
jecting a gymnast or gymnasts, or other objects through the air, to any
desired height, springs being used as the motive power, the parts being 5
so constructed and adapted that they are easily fitted up, speedily
adjusted for use, efficient in their action, and convenient for separation
and packing, and second, of a novel combination and arrangement of
bars and platform for suspension in the air, on to which a gymnast
projected from the first part can hold or alight and their perform 1
gymnastic feats of the higher class, the said platform being constructed
in a new manner.
The projecting apparatus constituting the first part or my Invention
is provided with a strong stationary supporting and guiding frame
within which a movable platform is fitted. This platform is furnished 1
with hooks or their equivalents round its lateral edges. The said hooks
or their equivalents are provided for the purpose of receiving or securing
india-rubber or other springs to the movable platform, the other ends
or parts of such springs being attached to the upper part of the stationary
frame. A long stem passes downwards through the stationary guiding 2
frame and also through the movable platform, to which latter it can be
secured by a detent as hereafter mentioned. On the top of the said
stem the platform on which the gymnast stands when being projected
upwards is fixed. When it is desired to adjust the apparatus for use
the movable platform is lowered, and the springs thereby put in tension, 2
or for convenience it may be lowered by itself and the springs afterwards
distended and hooked on or fastened one by one. When lowered a
lever or detent secured to the movable platform enters a notch in the
stem and connects these parts together. Another detent called the
trigger detent secures the stem to the stationary frame. The apparatus 3
in this state is ready for use. To release the movable platform, the
stem, and the standing platform, and allow the springs to raise the
whole rapidly until the movable platform comes into contact with
the under surface of the upper part of the stationary frame, it is simply
necessary for the gymnast or an attendant to unlock the trigger detent 3
by a cord or lever. The upper surface of the movable platform and
under surface of the upper part of the stationary frame or one of them
are or is covered with rubber to deaden the impact. When the movable

page_text: platform detent rises sufficiently high to come into contact with the
trigger detent then the former is released and the stem and standing
platform fall quickly, and, if desired, disappear from the audience
under a stage or other covering.
The bars and platform constituting the second part of my Invention
are suspended by wires or ropes. The bars form a parallelogram and
are placed over the platform at some distance therefrom.
Wires or
ropes pass downwards from the bars to the platform, so as to support
the latter. The platform is constructed of timber planks or boards; to
avoid weakening them they are tied together by any desired number
of metallic cross rods, and supported on transverse rods which are secured
to the under surfaces of the planks, hinge like, by clips and bolts or
their equivalents.
That the construction and action of my said improvements may be
clearly seen and understood, I will now refer to the principal parts,
premising that like letters indicate the same parts in all the views.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE FIRST PART.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view, Fig. 2 a plan, Fig. 3 a side elevation,
Fig. 4 a vertical section of certain portions shewing the springs in
tension, and Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8, detached parts drawn to a larger
scale.
a denotes the supporting frame by which the apparatus is secured
to a firm foundation here marked b. c, the guiding frame connected
to a and b and thereby made to serve for supporting a diagonal
pieces for steadying c; c, stationary platform secured to the under
side of the top part of a. The under surface of e may be provided
with an india-rubber or other clastic coating if desired. f, movable
platform fitted with elastic impact surfaces of india-rubber or other
elastic gum, or other convenient elastic substance or appliances at g
and with hooks (see Fig. 8) or their mechanical equivalents to which
the motor, preferably vulcanized india-rubber springs, i are connected
at their lower ends. The springs i may be constructed of metal in
a spiral form or of other materials in other forms, but they do not
answer so well as caoutchouc or elastic gum in the form shewn. They,
the springs, are connected at their upper ends to the hooks j, or their
mechanical equivalents fixed in a or e; k, gymnast's platform with long
stem 7, the latter being by preference made of cast steel. The said

page_text: stem has two notches or recesses formed therein, the lower one to
receive the detent m, which is free to move on the pivot n (see Fig. 5),
and the top one to receive the trigger detent o (see Fig. 7) which can
be turned on the centre p. q is a coiled spring to secure the trigger
detent o in its notch in the stem l. In Figs. 1 and 3 the apparatus
is shewn at rest, out of use, but in Fig. 4 the parts are delineated in the
position they occupy, when the apparatus is ready for use, that is, for
the purpose of projecting a gymnast or other weight through the air.
To effect the adjustment of the apparatus it is necessary to lower the
movable platform f, and with it the gymnast's platform k, and stem 1,
into the positions shewn in Fig. 4 and to insert the detent m, and trigger
detent o, into their respective notches, also as shewn in Fig. 4. The
most convenient mode of lowering the movable platform f, and parts k
and is to detach the springs i, and after the detent m and trigger
detent o have been carefully adjusted in their notches to attach the
springs i one after the other between e and f. The springs may be
detached either from a or e, or from f. It will be obvious that instead
of disconnecting the springs the part f may be forced down and the
springs i put in tension, this, however, is far from convenient in practice.
The adjustment having been effected by the operations described, the
artist who may desire to be projected or elevated takes his or her stand
on the platform k, an attendant then pulls the cord r, attached to o,
or the artist depresses the lever 8, say by foot pressure, and releases the
trigger detent o from k, and allows k, l, and f to be raised by the
resilience of the springs with great rapidity, the artist or object is thereby
projected through the air to the desired height or position. At the
instant the movable platform f comes into contact with the stationary
platform e the detent m comes into contact with o, and m is thereby
withdrawn from the stem 1, which latter with the gymnast's platform k
descends by its own gravity quickly out of sight. If desired, one or
more springs could be attached to to increase the rate of descent.
The lower end of 7 has a hole through it to receive a pin to prevent the
momentum imparted by the springs i from carrying it through e, and
the under surface of % is fitted with india-rubber, or other elastic material,
marked t, to deaden the impact when k and fall. It will be obvious
that the size and number of the springs must be proportioned to the
weight to be raised and to the distance to which it is to be thrown. In
practice I have found that Hodges patent india-rubber springs called
accumulators, of natural size, 1 foot and 3 inches long by half an

page_text: inch in diameter, when stretched to the length of four feet are sufficient
to project a weight of 80 pounds, 25 feet upwards, or thirty feet at a
low angle.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE SECOND PART.
Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the pendant bars and platform, on which
gymnastic feats are performed, and Figs. 10 and 11 respectively,
end and side elevations of a portion of the platform drawn to a larger
scale. Here also like letters indicate the same parts.
A, suspending ropes or wires; B, guys; C, trapeze; D, bars disposed in
the form of a parallelogram; E, platform. This is composed of carefully
selected sound timber boards, tied together and strengthened by trans-
verse through rods e', and supported under the ends by hinge like bolts e³
and clips e³.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and particu-
larized the same by details which answer well in practice, I claim,―
First. The projecting apparatus constructed and operating substantially
as described.
Second. The combination and arrangement of bars and platform
substantially as described.
And third. The construction of the suspended platform substantially
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Farini, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
In the presence of
VERNON FOSTER,
123, Chancery Lane,
London.
WILLIAM FARINI. (L.S.)