Improvements in and relating to Automatic Cradles.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Automatic Cradles.
I, GIAMBATTISTA DENEGRI, of San Pietro di Rovereto, Zoagli, Chiavari, in
the Kingdom of Italy, Sea Captain, 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 a cradle the rocking movements of which are produced
by a clockwork actuated by a spring.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 represents a side view of the improved cradle,
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same;
Figures 3 and 4 are details of the clockwork.
The ordinary cradle A with its feet B B' forming an arc of a circle is placed
upon a wooden plate C which terminates at the front end of the cradle in a wooden
box D containing the whole mechanism which constitutes the clockwork E. A
plate F forms a rigid connection between the two feet B B¹. Each of these feet
is traversed by a pivot G which is prolonged into an opening in the plate C where
it terminates in a pin H. The pivots G are placed so that, while preventing the
cradle from being displaced relatively to the plate C, they enable it to make the
rocking movement.
To the foot B is fixed a wooden shaft K which, extending to the front, traverses
the side of the box D and passes into the interior, where it carries at its end an
arm L at a right angle to it. This arm is made of wood, but the extremity which
is fixed to the shaft K consists of iron; at the other extremity it is articulated to
the connecting rod M serving to transform the rotary movement of the clockwork
into an alternating movement of the arm L, which thus by means of the shaft K
imparts a rocking movement to the cradle.
The clockwork may be of the ordinary kind; but in order to render its move-
ment as silent as possible I employ a governor of special form. To the extremity
of the cranked shaft a is fixed a wooden disc b covered at its circumference with
cloth, Figure 4. This disc turns a wooden shaft d to which are secured feathers e
of fowls or other birds which extend radially so as to constitute the governor. At
the part where the shaft d is in contact with the disc bit is provided with points f
which serve to ensure the transmission. Moreover, the shaft d is pushed with a
certain force against the circumference of the disc b, for its pivot g is carried by a
movable support formed of a wooden rod h having at its end a spring k which is
passed into the holder m. When, for rapidly reducing the tension of the spring of
the clockwork, the operation of the governor is to be stopped it is sufficient to
remove the shaft d from the circumference of the disc b, which is obtained by
moving the spring k from the holder m to the holder n.
Upon the box D enclosing the mechanism is placed a handle P and below the
plate C a roller Q, which serve for enabling the automatic cradle to be easily
displaced.
When the spring of the clockwork has once been wound up or put in tension it
will be sufficient to push the cradle with the hand in order to give it the automatic
rocking movement, in like manner if this movement is to be discontinued it will be
enough to stop the cradle for a moment by hand.
It is evident that if the cradle is suspended by two supports, or if it possesses
high feet, the clockwork causing the automatic rocking movement may be readily
arranged below.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inveu-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
is
1. A cradle to which a rocking movement is imparted by a clockwork with a
spring, enclosed in a box forming part of the plate upon which the cradle
proper
placed.
2. In a clockwork designed for imparting movement to an automatic cradle the
employment of a governor formed of a wooden shaft having feathers of fowls
arranged radially and provided at one extremity with points in contact with the
circumference covered with cloth of a wooden disc fixed at the extremity of the
cranked shaft of the clockwork.
3. In a cradle which is suspended or has high feet the employment of a clock-
work placed below for causing the automatic rocking movement.
Dated this 30th day of June 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.