Mechanical Toys.
Year: 1898

page_text: Mechanical Toys.
JOHN BARLOW, 105, Annesley Street, Kirkewhite Street, Nottingham, Mechanic,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
a
My invention relates to a new method of making mechanical toys.
According to my invention I make a vehicle a four wheeled vehicle preferred, in
one way I make a four wheeled vehicle which axles and wheels revolve together,
axles resting in bearings, I prefer one part of the front axle to be formed crank
shape one crank or one throw preferred, the crank I prefer between the two wheels
which are on the same axle, and in front of the vehicle projects in
the
do, shaft or shafts and the
same way as any vehicle shafts
inner part of the shaft or shafts I prefer to work loose on a axle
or axles or other means may be found to act same, thereby allowing the outer
end or ends part or parts, to move up and down as needed, the inner part of the
shaft or shafts where it works loose on suitable bearings, as a projecting piece
or pieces projecting inwards in such a manner, so it comes in contact with the
throw of the crank, and it may work on the bearing of the crank or rest against
it, but in any case when the axle is revolving it must cause the front projecting
shaft or shafts, to move up when the crank presses the inner projecting part or
parts down, so by that one end is up and the other is down, and in some cases
the inner projecting part or parts of the shaft or shafts may only press against the
bearing of the crank, a part of the way, when it is revolving, to prevent it following
up the crank allround, I fix something for it to stop against, or other means may
be found to stop it as needed, so that when it is worked in this way, theres a slight
stop with the shaft or shafts moving up and down every time the crank bearing
leaves the inner projecting part or parts of the shaft or shafts, I prefer the shaft
or shafts to be balanced in such a manner that the inner projecting part or parts
allways follows up the bearing of the crank as needed, I prefer connected to
the front part of the shaft or shafts, a model or artificial or imitation of a frog
which may have moving joints of the legs, when moving joints are used the
legs may
be closed and let out by means of a string passing from the feet or
other suitable parts of the legs, but may be worked in other suitable ways, but
in this case the string passes through the body and then on to the vehicle and
there fastened, it is so aranged that when the frog is up in the air with shaft or
shafts coused by the crank axle when revolving, when up in the air the string
becomes slack thereby allowing the legs to drop, then when the frog
comes down the string tightens thereby causing the hind legs to close
up again as if alive, the front legs may be served the same if needed, there may
be other means found but still cause the legs to work same, I prefer also to have
a suitable rein or reins or bridle or bridles from the frog to the model or artificial
or imitation of a person of which I prefer, and which may be connected with
the hands or such, the arms of the model may work loose at shoulders, when
loose or moving joints are to be used, I prefer a piece of wire to pass through the
body from shoulder to shoulder, for the arms to swing on or the arms to be fastened

page_text: on the wire, and the wire to work as needed to allow the arms to move, and
thereby keep the rein or reins stretched as needed, but if the rein or reins are
wire or other stiff stuff, the arms would move as the rein or reins push and pull,
but in the first case when the frog is up in the air the arms are so aranged that
they drop backwards themselfs, and when the frog is droping down it pulls the
rein or reins thereby moving arms foreward again, the wire which passes from
shoulder to shoulder there may be a crank formed about the middle and the
head of the model may work loose in a suitable way so that the head may lean
foreward when the frog is down, and when the frog is up in the air, the head
falls or forced by a crank or such part, between the shoulders preferred backwards,
making it appear as if the person was looking up after the frog when jumping
This combination toys may be made differnt ways and still have the
meaning: This toy arangement is for jumping galloping and kicking. The
arangement may be worked by winding up with a spring or springs or elastic
connected with the axle or axles or other parts as needed. And there may be
a suitable handle at the back preferred to push it along with. The vehicle may
be without anything on the top, but something preferred.
Dated 23rd May 1808
same
I, JOHN BARLOW, 105, Annesley Street, Kirkwhite Street, Nottingham, Mechanic,
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 relates to the construction of that class of mechanical toys which
consists of a vehicle drawn by a horse or other animal, but is more especially
applicable to the case of a vehicle drawn by an animal which progresses by
jumping or leaping, such as a frog or a kangaroo.
Several methods have been invented whereby other actions of an animal have
been imitated in the form of a toy, such as a galloping horse, or a man who walks
along drawing a barrow, but up to the present so far as I am aware no one has
produced the action of leaping or jumping in the case of an animal drawing
a vehicle.
Moreover in some cases the action of the animal has been but an inferior
imitation of the action of a live animal, and it must be understood that though
primarily intended to show a jumping action, my invention may also be used to
give in mechanical toys other forms of intermittent action, such as galloping,
or kicking, and to produce the movement of an animal's limbs by positive means
rather than by loosely attaching limbs and leaving their action to balance or the
forces of gravity.
My invention consists in imparting to the frog or other animal an up and down
motion at the same time as I impart to the vehicle a travelling or progressive
motion, along the floor or other level surface, thus giving the appearance of a
vehicle drawn by a frog making a succession of leaps in the air.
According to one construction I take an ordinary four wheeled toy carriage of
any suitable design and provide it with a spring mechanism which shall cause the
front axle to revolve and thus cause the carriage to travel along.
I connect a frog to the carriage by means of shafts which are continued back-
wards under the body of the vehicle, and also under the spindle forming the

page_text: Iront axle, in which I construct a crank in such a manner that the part of the
shafts projecting backwards bears continuously against it.
The shafts work on a pivot in front of the carriage and consequently when the
crank revolves with the wheels, the front ends of the shafts to which the frog
is attached, have imparted to them an up and down motion due to the crank, and a
progressive motion due to the spring gear causing the road wheels to revolve.
I may arrange that the crank shall be divided and work on one side only if
required, and I may also provide stops catching the back part of the shafts so
that they leave the axle for a portion of its revolution, and thus make an interval
between each jump.
By means of reins passing from the frogs mouth to the hands of the driver, I so
arrange that this up and down motion of the frog causes the arms of the driver
to oscillate about a spindle forming their connection to the shoulders. This spindle
passes right through from one shoulder to the other, is cranked in the centre,
and works in a slot formed in a continuation of the neck of the driver, this
elongated neck and the head, forming a separate movable piece which can oscillate
backwards and forwards on a small spindle, or pivots, through the driver's collar.
The action of the reins therefore causes the driver to have the appearance of pulling
vigorously at the reins and of throwing his head backwards and forwards. Further
I provide a pin connecting the lower portion of the back legs of the frog together,
and connect them by means of a flexible string to the crank part of the front axle,
in such a manner that when the frog is in the air the legs are extended and when
on the ground the legs are doubled up ready for a spring.
It must be understood that I can also arrange for the front legs to have the
same action, and that the string is not necessarily connected to the crank axle,
but may be fixed on any part of the carriage which is nearer to the frog when it is
in the air than when it is on the ground. I may also arrange that the vehicle shall
be a two wheeled one, to rise and fall with the frog, or by the addition of a small
guide wheel that it shall travel round in a circle instead of in a straight line.
The particular nature of my improvements will be readily understood on
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same letters refer to like
parts in both the views.
Figures 1 and 2 show one arrangement of the apparatus as described above.
Fig: 1 being an elevation with one side of the carriage removed, and Fig. 2 a
plan showing the mechanism under the carriage.
Referring first to Figure 1, I have shown a spring actuating mechanism of
which 2 is the spring, wound up by means of the handle 23 (Fig. 2) and trans-
mitting power to the toothed wheel 4 by means of the ratchet wheel 3.
This power is transmitted to the axle 1, which is firmly attached to the front
pair of wheels, by means of the train of toothed wheels 5, 6, and 7, the last wheel 7
being fixed to the axle which is thus caused to revolve.
When the axle 1 revolves, it turns the crank 8, and this as will be seen bears
upon the back part of the shafts connected to the carriage by means of the
spindle or pivots 27:27.
The revolution of this crank therefore raises the other ends 11 of the shafts,
together with the frog to which they are fixed, and as the carriage travels along
at the same time owing to the friction of the wheels 9 on the road, I obtain a
motion in the frog equivalent to a long leap over the ground, and to all appearance
the frog is pulling the carriage.
In order that less motive power may be required I provide a balance weight 12
to balance a part of the weight of the frog.
In order that the imitation shall be more natural, I construct one or both pairs
of the frogs legs on a pivot as at 28, round which they can turn, joining the back
pair together by means of the wire 20 to which are attached the two flexible
strings 21, 21, which can be made of such a form as to resemble harness traces.
These strings pass through the body of the frog and out at holes in its back,
from whence they are taken under the cross bar 24 to the crank 8 to which they

page_text: are attached.
It will be seen from the drawing that when the crank is in the
position shown by full lines, the string causes the legs to double up, but when the
crank and the frog are in the position shown dotted, the legs are extended. The
same result may be obtained by fastening the string to a fixed point, such as 29,
which is nearer the frog when in the air than it is when the frog is on the ground.
In order that the movement shall be more certain than simply allowing the legs
to drop owing to their own weight, I provide them with a spring, or with a piece
of rubber arranged as shown at 26.
In the case of a two. wheeled vehicle, the crank instead of being formed in the
axle of the road wheels, would be made in the axle of one of the intermediate
toothed wheels, and the shafts fixed to the body of the vehicle so that it rose and
fell with the animal jumping.
It must be understood that the toy can be constructed with other types of motive
mechanism than the spring and train of wheels herein described and illustrated,
or without motive mechanism of any kind, being simply pulled along by a string
or otherwise, and I do not claim the exclusive use of the driving mechanism herein
described and illustrated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1
1. In mechanical toys of the character described, the use of mechanism for
imparting a jumping, galloping, or kicking action, to the draught animal in a
vehicle, substantially as herein before described, and illustrated by the accom-
panying drawings.
2. In mechanical toys of the character described, the use of mechanism for
enabling the action imparted to the draught animal, to produce a movement of
the arms and head of a driver in such a manner as to resemble the action of
vigorous driving, substantially as described herein.
3. In mechanical toys of the character described, the method of causing the
action imparted to the draught animal, to produce a positive motion of 'the limbs
of such animal more or less resembling their action in a live animal of the same
species, substantially as described herein.
4. In mechanical toys of the character described, the combination of mechanism
for imparting a jumping, galloping, or kicking action to the draught animal,
and means for producing a positive action of its limbs, with means for producing
a movement resembling driving in the arms and head of the driver, all sub-
stantially as described herein.
T: 041 dow of Wahmary
1000
SYDNEY E. PAGE,
Assoc. Memb. Inst. C.E.,
18, New Bridge Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.