A New and Improved Toy Switchback or Gravity Man or Horse Race.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 2nd July, 1890-Accepted, 2nd Aug., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New and Improved Toy Switchback or Gravity Man or
Horse Race.
I, THOMAS BAILEY Junior, of 1 Hampshire Terrace, Southsea, in the County of
Hants, Slate Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to a toy man or horse race constructed on the switchback or
gravity principle, the horses or men being weighted or counterbalanced so as to
partake of a galloping or rocking motion as they run down the track.
According to this invention, I solder or otherwise fix the hind legs of each horse
or the legs of the men to a weighted frame which I hang on the spindle carrying
two wheels of rather large diameter. The weight on the frame is just sufficient to
counterbalance the weight of the horse or man and to keep the same in proper
position upright.
The switchback or gravity track is formed in sections of sheet tin, wood, cardboard,
or other material with longitudinal ribs or divisions dividing the track into any
number of equal spaces according to the number of horses or men to prevent their
fouling each other as they descend. The track is carried on a suitable framing
provided with a canopy and with a tilting table, on which all the horses or men are
placed and started simultaneously by tilting the table. At the termination of the
track is placed a contracted section, on to which only one of the horses or men can
This last section is pivoted as a tilting table and secured by a spring trigger
placed beneath the track. The weight of any one of the horses or men is sufficient
to release this trigger, thereby tilting the last section and preventing the other horses
or men from passing onto the same, and at the same time the end of the trigger rod
strikes against and explodes an ordinary percussion or paper cap, previously placed in.
its path.
pass.
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CASTLE SMITH,
Per F. W. Golby,
Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New and Improved Toy Switchback or Gravity Man or
Horse Race.
1, THOMAS BAILEY, Junior, of 1 Hampshire Terrace, Southsea, in the County of
Hants, Slate Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be perforined, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
2
This invention relates to a toy man or horse race constructed on the switchback or
gravity principle, the horses or men being weighted or counterbalanced so as to
partake of a galloping or rocking motion as they run down on the track.
and
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shews an elevation of a gravity track
constructed in accordance with my invention; Figure 2 is a pian of Figure 1;
Figure 3 shews enlarged plan and end views of one of the sections of the track.
Figure 4 shews in side elevation an enlarged view of a counterbalanced toy horse-

page_text: with the figure of a man on his back, to run on the gravity track, and Figure 5 is a
front elevation of the lower part of Figure 4.
According to this invention 1 solder or otherwise fix the hind legs of each horse,
or the legs of the men where such are used alone, to a weighted frame B which I
hang loose on the spindle A, to which are rigidly affixed two wheels of rather large
diameter. The weight D on the frame B is just sufficient to counterbalance the
weight of the horse, or man, or both and to keep the same in proper position upright
as shewn in Figure 4. The figure of the man there shown is pivoted at the shoulder
at a, so that the rider's body rocks oppositely to the motion of the horse.
The track may be a gravity one as shewn in Figure 1, or it may be made vertically
wavy or undulating on the switchback principle. It is formed in sections E of shect
tin, wood, cardboard, or other suitable material with longitudinal ribs or divisions F
dividing the track into any suitable number of equal spaces (three are shewn in the
drawings) according to the number of toy horses or men used in the race, the ribs or
divisions F preventing the horses or men from fouling each other as they run down
or along the track.
The upper end of the track is carried by a suitable framing G provided with a
canopy H, and having a tilting table J rigidly affixed to a transverse rod K pivoted
to the sides of the frame G. The rod K is provided with a crank handle L. The
tilting table J is provided with ribs or divisions F corresponding with those on the
track, and all the men or horses are placed in position on this tilting table between
the ribs or divisions F and simultaneously started by rotating the crank handle L thus
tilting the table.
Each section E of the track is furnished with one or more hinged or folding frames
or pair of legs M of heights varying according to the position in the track which it
is intended that the section shall occupy. The adjacent sections of the track are
held together by means of pins e fitting into tubes f; each section being furnished
with pins at one end and with tubes at the other, or their equivalents, see
Figure 3.
The last section of the track is carried on a suitable frame and pivoted as a tilting
table. It is provided with a transverse barrier N to stop the borses or men, and with
a post and flag O forming a counterbalance whereby this last section is normally kept
in the position shewn by the full lines in Figure 1. As soon as any one of the
horses or men passes on to the last section the additional weight overbalances the
tilting table into the position shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 1. By this
movement of the tilting table, the other horses or men are prevented from passing on
to the last track, so that there is no doubt as to the winner of the toy race, and at the
same time the post and flag O are raised indicating that the race is finished.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
(1) A toy switchback or gravity race track made up of sections longitudinally
divided by ribs F and held together by pins and tubes, or equivalent means, supported
by frames or legs M, with a tilting table at each end of the track substantially as and
for the purpose herein before set forth and illustrated.
(2) In a toy switchback or gravity race track, the use of a starting tilting table
such as J supported on a transverse rod K pivoted to the frame G, the said tilting
table being actuated by turning the crank L by hand, and a similar tilting table at
the termination of the track counterbalanced and actuated by the weight of a toy
horse or man, or both substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated and for
the purpose stated.
(3) For use on a toy switchback or gravity race track, the counterbalanced horse
or man or both, loosely supported on the axletree A to which two wheels Care
rigidly affixed, whereby the figure partakes of a galloping or rocking motion as it

page_text: runs on its wheels substantially as described and illustrated and for the purpose
stated.
(4) The apparatus herein described for my improved toy switchback or gravity
man or horse race.
Dated this 2nd day of July 1890.
CASTLE SMITH,
Per F. W. Golby,
"Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.