Certain Improvements in and connected with Spinning Tops.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Apr., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 27th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 26th Mar., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Certain Improvements in and connected with Spinning Tops.
We, ARTHUR GRAFTON HERBERT, of Dean Street, in the City of Birmingham,
Manufacturer, and FRANCIS ROBERT BAKER, of Hillside, Kenilworth, in the
County of Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows;-
This invention consists in constructing spinning tops and appliances for
spinning the same as herein described so that when one top has been set
spinning a second top can be spun on the top of the first top and a third top on
the second top and so on thereby forming an entertaining and amusing toy owing
to the difficulty in making three or more tops spin one above the other.
A spinning top constructed according to this invention consists of a weighted
wheel or disc with a central spindle and on the top of the spindle there is formed or
fixed a small metal or other cup having a central recess or circular depression
the centre of which coincides with the axis of the top so that when this top is
spinning another similar top which is also spinning can by the appliance herein-
after described be lifted up and placed with the lower end of its spindle in the
central recess in the cup of the first top so that the two tops will spin together.
A third top can be similarly spun on the top of the second top and so on.
In spinning the tops the string or cotton has to be wound round that part of
the spindle which is between the disc or wheel part of the top and the cup there
being a hole or peg in the spindle as usual for holding the cotton or string.
This part of the top has to be held by a handle which forms a part of this
invention and is at one end made of about the proper thickness to fit in between
the underside of the cup and the boss of the disc or wheel of the top this part
of the handle being made with a side slot to admit the top spindle and having
also a cross slot at right angles for the string to pass through so that after the
top has been set spinning by pulling the string in the usual way it will slide
out of the cross slot in the handle. In order to lift the top which is spinning onto
the top of another top I employ a small metal fork which is of the proper size
to lift the top when the fork is placed in position under the cup.
1
11007

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Certain Improvements in and connected with Spinning Tops.
We, ARTHUR GRAFTON HERBERT, of Dean Street, in the City of Birmingham,
Manufacturer, and FRANCIS ROBERT BAKER, of Hillside, Kenilworth, in the
County of Warwick, Engineer, 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:-
This invention consists in constructing spinning tops as herein described so
that when one top has been set spinning a second top can be spun on the top of
the first top and a third top on the second top and so on thereby forming an
entertaining and amusing toy owing to the difficulty in making three or more
tops spin one above the other.
We will describe this invention by referring to the accompanying drawings
on which Fig. 1 is a side elevation (partly in section) and Fig. 2 is a plan of a
spinning top constructed according to this invention; Fig. 3 is an elevation
(partly in section) of two of our spinning tops one spinning on the top of the
other; Fig. 4 shews a fork which we use in combination with the said tops for
lifting one top whilst spinning on to another of the said tops; Fig. shews
another of our spinning tops which by the fork shewn in Fig. 4 is being lifted
on to the top of the two tops shewn in Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a side elevation and
Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of a spinning appliance suitable for use with
the said tops but which forms no part of our invention; Fig. 8 is an
inverted plan shewing how the top is held by the said spinning appliance and
Fig. 9 shews the said spinning appliance with the top released and falling away
spinning.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
A spinning top constructed according to this invention consists of a weighted
wheel or disc A with a central spindle B and on the top of the spindle there is
formed or fixed a small metal or other cup b¹ having a central recess or circular
depression 62 the centre of which coincides with the axis of the top so that when
this top is spinning another similar top which is also spinning can by the fork C
hereinafter described be lifted up and placed with the lower end of its spindle B
in the central recess 62 in the cup b¹ of the first top so that the two tops will
spin together one above the other as shewn in Fig. 3. A third top shewn in
Fig. 5 can be similarly spun on the top of the second top and so on.
In order to lift the top which is spinning on to the top of another top we
employ the small metal fork C (see Figs. 4 and 5) which, between the prongs c¹²,
is of the proper size to engage with the neck 63 which we form in the spindle B
under the cup 61 and thus enable the top to be lifted while spinning.
It will be evident that various well known means may be employed for spinning
the tops above described but what we find to answer best is the spinning appliance
shewn in Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 but to which we make no claim, as part of this
invention. This spinning appliance consists of a hollow body D containing a
clock spring E and having a central tubular holder F projecting through the
same round which the spring E is coiled and to which the inner end of the
spring E is fixed, the outer end of the spring E being fixed to the hollow
body D. The holder F can move endwise in the hollow body D and
has an inclined tooth f1 formed at its lower end and there is a similar
inclined tooth d projecting from the bottom of the hollow body D but inclined
in the opposite direction to the tooth f¹.
In using the said spinning appliance the upper part of the top spindle B is
inserted in the bottom end of the tubular holder F so that the tooth f¹ engages

page_text: with one of the arms a¹ of the wheel or disc part A of the top. The top and
holder F are then turned round so as to wind the spring E round the holder F
and the recoil of the spring is prevented by one of the arms a catching against
the tooth d of the body D. By pressing on the top of the holder F the latter
with the top A is pushed down so that as soon as the arm a¹ is below the tooth d¹
the top A is by the recoil of the spring E and holder F spun round and falls away
spinning as shewn in Fig. 9.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. A spinning top consisting of a weighted wheel or disc and a central spindle
fixed thereto said spindle having a small central cup at its top end in which
another top can be spun and also having a neck below said cup by which with a
fork such as C the top can be lifted whilst spinning, substantially as described.
2. A spinning top consisting of the weighted wheel or disc A and the central
spindle B fixed thereto said spindle having the cup b¹ formed at its upper end
and the neck below said cup for the purposes and substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 26th day of January 1898.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY.
Agent for the Applicants.