Improvements in Climbing Toys.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 12th Oct., 1895
Improvements in Climbing Toys.
I, WILLIAM ADOLPHUS HOFFMANN, of Nos. 111 to 117, East Houston Street,
in the City of New York, in the County and State of New York, one of the United
States of America, Merchant, 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 the class of toys wherein an imitation of an animal or
insect is operated by a spring and cord, and is made to appear to climb by the
operation of the spring on its legs, the object being to afford amusement to a child..
In the accompanying drawings I have shewn my invention as illustrated by a
spider arranged to apparently climb up a web, the legs of the insect in the climbing
vibrating in a rapid and natural manner.
Figure 1 is a view showing the back of the climbing spider, and Figure 2 is a
similar view showing the underside thereof.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal, vertical, axial section of the toy, the spring-barrel and.
other mechanism being in edge or side elevation.
Figure 4 illustrates a slight modification which will be hereinafter described.
Referring to the principal views, 1 represents a frame, which may be a strip of
sheet metal bent as shewn in Figs. 2 and 3. On this frame is rotatively mounted a
circular, hollow, spring-barrel, 2, containing a coil spring, 3, arranged similar to
the spring of a watch; that is to say, the inner end of the spring secured to the
fixed stud, 4, on which the barrel rotates and the outer end of the spring is secured
to said barrel. In Fig. 2 a part of the barrel is broken away to disclose the spring.
About the spring-barrel 2, is wound a thread or cord, 5, which is passed around a
sheave, 6, and thence out through a hole at 7, in the end of the frame 1. The
sheave 6 is fixed on a crank-shaft, 8, mounted rotatively in the frame 1, and the
pin, 9, of the crank engages a slot, 10, in a plate, 11, to which the legs, 12, are
attached. Usually this plate 11 will be of sheet metal and be integral with the
legs. This plate is pivotally mounted at 13, on the frame 1, as best seen in
Fig. 3.
Now when the spring is wound up by unwinding and drawing out the thread to,
say nearly its full length, and the insect is suspended by the thread, the spring will
overcome the weight of the insect and wind up the thread on the spring-barrel, thus
causing the insect to apparently climb by taking up the string, as a spider does his
web; and to render the operation more natural in appearance the crank-pin 9
rotates rapidly and imparts rapid lateral vibrations to the legs 12 about the pivot
point 13.
The mechanism of the insect is covered by a hollow or stamped-up body and
head, 14, in imitation of the body and head of a spider, for example. This body-
portion may be of any suitable material, as thin sheet metal, for example, and it
will be secured in some manner to the frame 1. To further increase the natural
aspect of the toy an imitation of a fly, 15 in Fig 1, may be secured to the string
or thread at or near its outer end so that the spider will seem to be trying to
catch it.
It is not material as to the particular form of the body of the spider; it may
have any desired form, and so may the legs also; and they may be of any suitable
material. Preferably the thread will make one turn around the sheave 6, but the
thread may be made simply to partly embrace the sheave, like a belt, so as to
rotate it by friction as the thread is wound up on the spring-barrel.

page_text: Fig. 4 shows a construction where there are two overlapped, slotted and pivoted
plates, 11, three of the legs being on, or secured to each of these plates. The
crank-pin 9 engages the slots in both plates. This construction imparts probably
a more life-like appearance to the movements of the legs, but it is more complex
and expensive than that shown in the principal views.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim :-
1. A toy insect or animal comprising as its essentials, a frame, a spring-barrel aul
spring mounted in the frame, a thread or cord attached to and adapted to be wound
upon the spring-barrel by the unwinding of the spring, a guide ou the frame
through which the thread plays, a sheave about which the thread plays, said sheave
being secured on a crank-shaft rotatively mounted in the frame, a slotted plate
pivotally mounted on the frame, the pin on the crank-shaft engaging the slot in the
plate, and legs, simulating those of the insect or animal represented, attached to
said slotted plate, substantially as set forth.
2. In a. toy simulating a climbing insect or animal, the combination with the
body and frame, a spring-barrel and spring connected therewith, and a slotted
plate 11, pivotally mounted on the frame and carrying the legs 12, of the crank-
shaft. mounted. in the frame, the pin of the crank engaging the slot in the plate, the
sheave 6, fixed on the crank-shaft, and the thread 5, attached to and adapted to be
wound upon the spring-barrel, said thread. playing about the sheave and through a
guide in the frame, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with the frame, body and movable legs simulating, an insect
or animal, of the spring-barrel and spring carried by the frame, the thread adapted
to be wound on the spring-barrel when the spring unwinds, and means, substantially
as described, operated by the moving, thread and adapted to impart a vibrating
movement to the legs, as set forth.
4. In a toy, the combination with the device in imitation of a spider, comprising
the frame, body and movable legs, of the spring-barrel and spring carried by said
device, the thread adapted to be wound upon the spring-barrel by the unwinding
of the spring, the mechanism for vibrating the legs adapted to be operated by the
thread, and the device 15, secured to the thread and simulating a smaller insect,
substantially as set forth.
Dated this 9th day of September 1895.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Agent for the Applicant.