An Improved Optical Toy.
Year: 1898

page_text: An Improved Optical Toy.
I, HENRY BASSETT, 27, Reform Street, West Bromwich, School Teacher, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
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This invention consists in an improvement in a toy such as that described in
Specification No. 22,469, A.D., 1896, with which colour effects are produced by
spinning, with a doubled cord, or thread, a piece of metal, or wood, or cardboard,
or other suitable material, on which are placed vari-coloured devices of suitable
shapes cut from sheets of cardboard, or thin metal, papier-mache, celluloid, or
the like. In this improved optical toy the vari-coloured pieces move or revolve
round different centres or pivots instead of having only one common centre.
piece of wire is bent to form the pivots and a connection or bridge between them,
and the cord or thread is secured to this wire mid-way between the parts forming
the pivots.
A
Very beautiful optical effects are produced when the toy is spinning by the
coloured devices moving to different positions, and any colour used can come to
the middle of the toy, which would not be possible if all the coloured pieces
revolved round one common centre.
The ever-varying colour effects of this improved toy give most pleasing and
instructive illustrations of the persistence of vision and the mechanical com-
binations of colours.
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1 Jon of Tonuom 1808
I, HENRY BASSETT, 27, Reform Street, West Bromwich, School Teacher, 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 follow-
ing statement:-
This invention consists of vari-coloured devices mounted on a wire frame, each
coloured device being free to revolve on its own axis, so that part of one device
may overlap part of the other device. Alternate rotary motion is communicated
to the toy by the twisting and untwisting of doubled cords, or strings, or elastic
cords. The rotary motion causes the various colours to combine thus producing
various other colours and tints. Every reversal of the rotary motion throws the
coloured devices to a different position which causes fresh colour combinations.
077

page_text: The ever-varying optical effects of this novel arrangement of rotating and vari-
coloured devices afford both amusement and instruction in the mechanical com-
binations of colours.
I will now describe this invention with reference to the accompanying drawings
in which Figure 1, is a side elevation partly in section, and Figure 2, is a plan of
one method of carrying out this invention. In Figures and 2 b, b, are the
coloured devices of any desirable shape which are free to revolve on the sides of
the wire frame c. The ends of this wire frame are looped or soldered together
at c; the two ends of the wire frame may be thus joined at any other point. The
cords d, d, d, which communicate the rotary motion are looped to the centre of
the wire frame. a is a disc or other shaped piece through which the wire of the
frame is passed before joining its ends. The devices b, b, and the disc a are cut
out of sheets of card-board, metal, papier-mache, celluloid or other suitable
material. If desired two or more coloured devices can be placed together on one
side of the wire frame, or one may be placed on both sides of the piece a.
hole e may be strengthened by a metal eyelet.
The
Figure 3, is a section and Figure 4, is a plan of a modification of this toy in
which b, b, are the coloured devices and c the wire frame. These coloured devices
may have perforations f.f.f.f so that the colours of one device may be seen
through the perforations of the other.
Figures 5 and 6 show how the wire c may be secured to the piece a, by bending
the ends outward or inward; a separate piece of wire y, can be attached to the
piece a to receive a doubled cord.
Figure 7, is a plan of a disc a and an arrangement of wire to carry three coloured
devices. The ends of the wire are secured at c¹ as in Figures 5, or 6. c2 shows
where a separate piece of wire is secured to the other piece c.
In Figures 5, 6, and 7, the coloured devices and the cords can be placed on the
wire frame as in Figures 1 and 2.
To put the toy into operation the cords are held one in each hand and the whole
is given a rotary motion to twist or wind up the cords; if the two ends are then
pulled away from each other the cords unwind and then re-wind in the opposite
direction thus giving alternate rotary motion to the toy.
The novelty of this invention consists in placing coloured pieces to revolve
round two or more axes so that part of one coloured piece may overlap part of
another piece.
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. The combination of coloured devices mounted on the sides of a wire frame
constructed to act substantially in the manner hereinbefore set forth.
2. The wire frames with central loops to receive cords used for the purpose as
herein before described.
3. The improved optical toy constructed as described and illustrated in the
annexed drawings.