Improvements in Mechanical Toys.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 24th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 23rd Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanical Toys.
I CORNELIS FREDERIK ALEXANDER RÖELL of the Lyric Club, Leicester
Square, in the County of Middlesex, a Jonkheer of the Kingdom of Holland do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My invention relates to improvements in mechanical toys and has for its object.
to obtain an inexpensive device in which representations of human figures or other
objects will have the appearance of rapid movement as if competing in a race.
For this purpose I employ a suitable framework preferably of wire upon a branch
or branches of which I mount for example two or more human figures the lower
limbs of which are pin jointed thereto and beneath these figures I arrange a circular
track or platform which is mounted upon an axis of motion with capability of
rotation and carries the vertical posts of a fence or other presumably fixed objects
whilst the longitudinal bars of the fence are carried by the frame and I provide
some simple means for rotating this track or platform.
Fixed centrally upon the circular track or platform is a vertical cylinder or
cylindrical frame around which I mount a panoramic view or picture to form a back-
ground.
By these means if the circular track or platform is rotated in a direction opposite
to that of the direction of motion of the running figures the panorama will also be
caused to travel in the same direction and the figures although fixed will have the
appearance of rapid movement and in order to heighten this effect employ pro-
jections upon the circular track to catch the feet of the figures and move the lower
limbs as if in the act of running.
In lieu of the running figures I may employ other objects such as horses or boats
and similarly move them.
When employing horses I pin joint the whip arm of the rider to its body and 1
also pin joint the head and legs of the horse to its body and I connect all these
moveable parts in such manner that as the projections of the circular track or
platform encounter the feet of the horse they will all be moved so that the rider
will whip the horse and the head and limbs of the latter will move as in the act of
galloping.
Dated this 24th day of January 1891.
WHITE & WOODINGTON, .
27, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanical Toys.
I, CORNELIS FREDERIK ALEXANDER RÖELL of the Lyric Club Leicester
Square in the County of Middlesex a Jonkheer of the Kingdom of Holland 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 improvements in mechanical toys and has for its object
to obtain an inexpensive device in which representatious of human figures
objects will have the appearance of rapid movement as if competing in a race.
or other
For this purpose I employ a suitable framework preferably of wire upon a branch
or branches of which I mount for example two or more human figures the lower
limbs of which are pin jointed thereto and beneath these figures I arrange a circular
7

page_text: track or platform which is mounted upon an axis of motion with capability of
rotation and carries the vertical posts of a fence or other presumably fixed objects
whilst the longitudinal bars of the fence are carried by the frame and I provide
some simple means for rotating this track or platform.
Fixed centrally upon the circular track or platform is a vertical cylinder or
cylindrical frame around which I mount a panoramic view or picture to form a
background.
By these means if the circular track or platform is rotated in a direction opposite
to that of the direction of motion of the running figures the panorama will also be
caused to travel in the same direction and the figures although fixed will have the
appearance of rapid movement and in order to heighten this effect 1 employ
projections upon the circular track to catch the feet of the figures and move the
lower limbs as if in the act of running.
In lieu of the running figures I may employ other objects such as horses or boats
and similarly move them.
When employing horses I pinjoint the whip arm of the rider to its body and I
also pinjoint the head and legs of the horse to its body and I connect all these
moveable parts in such manner that as the projections of the circular track or plat-
form encounter the feet of the horse they will all be moved so that the rider will
whip the horse and the head and limbs of the latter will move as in the act of
galloping.
And in order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings more fully
to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure is a front elevation of a inechanical toy constructed according to my
invention and depicting two human figures engaged in a race.
Figure 2 is a plan thereof.
Figure 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a front elevation of a similar device depicting two ridden horses
engaged in a race and
Figure 5 is a plan thereof.
In the several figures like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.
Referring to Figures 1 to 3 a represents the base or foundation of the toy
which consists of a circular box open at the top and a represents a skeleton wire
frame which is fixed to and rises vertically the required distance from the base or
foundation a and then connects by several horizontal armis with a central boss a
which is supported by a central vertical post as at its lower end fixed in a strap.or
plate a extending across the bottom of the box a and at its lower ends turned up
and fixed to the sides thereof.
Projecting horizontally from the central boss a² is a horizontal arm upon the
end of which are fixed two depending supports to each of which is fixed a human
figure the lower limbs of which are pinjointed thereto at * and together at /*!
and beneath these figures is arranged a circular track or platform which is
mounted upon an axis of motion formed by the vertical post a³ as hereinafter more
fully described with capability of rotation and carries the vertical posts c* of a
fence or other presumably fixed object whilst the horizontal bars a* of the fence
are carried by the vertical posts of the skeleton frame a'.
Fixed centrally upon the circular track or platform is a vertical cylindrical
frame around which is mounted a panoramic view or picture c² to form the back-
ground to the running figures and centrally of the cylinder is fixed a 'tubular
shaft which fits loosely upon with capability of revolution around the central
vertical post a³ and at its lower end takes a bearing upon the strap or plate a so
that the track and cylinder c' are adapted to revolve around the axis a³.
Within the box or case a and supported at one end by a bracket a
** but at the
other end in a bearing tt carried by the box a is a shaft furnished at the exterior

page_text: of the box a with a crank handle d' by which it may be rotated and upon the inner
end of this shaft d is fixed a grooved wheel d² provided with a rim formed by an
india rubber band * stretched around its circumference, and the rim d* of this
wheel drums in frictional contact with a horizontal plate e extending across the
vertical cylinder c' and thus as the crank handle dis rotated communicates the
requisite rotary motion to the track e and vertical cylinder e
By these means if the circular track or platform c is rotated in a direction
opposite to that of the direction of motion of the running figures the panorama c²
will also be caused to travel in the same direction and the figures although fixed
with relation to the frame a' will have the appearance of rapid movement and in
order to heighten this effect projections are employed upon the circular track c
and catch the feet of the figures and move the lower limbs as if in the act of
running.
The example given at Figures 4 and 5 is substantially the same as that herein-
before described except that horses are substituted for the human figures and the
method of mounting and communicating motion to the limbs thereof is somewhat
elaborated.
In lieu of supporting the horses by means of depending supports 6' as hereinbefore
described with respect to the human figures they are in this example supported upon
arms a projecting horizontally from posts a fixed to the horizontal bars a* of the
fence and also to the base or box a.
The legs of each horse bare piujointed to its body at 6** and the whip arm 66
of the rider is pinjointed to the body at 5* whilst the head 6 of the horse is pin-
jointed to its neck at * and the legs are connected together by a rod b' eccentrically
pinjointed to the front and hind legs the head is similarly eccentrically
connected by a rod 8 with the front leg 6 whilst the whip arm of the rider is
also similarly connected with the front leg 64 and thus by reason of the peculiar
connection of these moveable parts as the projections of the circular track or plat-
form encounter the feet of the horses the legs will be moved so that the riders
will whip the horses and the head and limbs of the latter will be moved as in the
act of galloping that position being shown by the full lines whilst the normal position
of the parts is shown by the dotted lines.
It will be understood that in lieu of the running figures or horses other objects.
such as boats may be employed and they or parts thereof may be similarly moved.
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. In a mechanical toy the combination of a fixed base or foundation, a cylindrical
panorama adapted to be rotated a track or platform for racing human or other
figures or objects and means for rotating the panorama in a direction opposite to
the direction of motion of the figures substantially as herein shown and described
and for the purpose stated.
2. In a mechanical toy the combination of a base or foundation, a cylindrical
panorama adapted to be rotated several racing human or other figures or objects
supported from a fixed part of the apparatus and means for rotating the panorama
in a direction opposite to the apparent direction of motion of the figures substantially
as herein shown and described.
3. In a mechanical toy the combination of a base or foundation, a cylindrical
panorama adapted to be rotated an annular track or path surrounding the panorama
and fixed to rotate therewith means for rotating the panorama, several racing figures
or objects suspended over the track and a number of projections upon the track for
engaging and moving the figures or objects or parts thereof, a presumably fixed
object or objects such as a number of upright posts of a fence carried by the
track and several horizontal bars of a fence carried by a fixed part of the apparatus
substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
4. In a mechanical toy a ridden horse having its legs or its legs and head pin-

page_text: jointed to its body and a system of rods or bars eccentrically connected to such
jointed parts for coupling them together substantially as herein shown and described
and for the purpose stated.
5. In a mechanical toy the combination of a horse having its legs or its legs and
head pinjointed to its body, a figure mounted upon the horse and having its whip
arm or other parts pinjointed to its body and a system of rods or bars eccentrically
connected to such jointed parts for coupling them together substantially as herein
shown and described and for the purpose stated.
Dated this 24th day of October 1891.
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
27, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.