Improvements in or Applicable to what are known as Mechanical Toys.
Year: 1888

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Applicable to what are known as Mechanical
Toys.
I, JAMES GRIEVE LORRAIN, of Norfolk House, Norfolk Street, London, W.C.,
Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in or applicable to what are known as
mechanical toys that is to say toys in which figures or models of animals machines or
the like are worked or driven by means of a wound up spring or weight acting
generally through the medium of suitable transmitting and regulating mechanisın.
A drawback existing in such toys is that they require to be wound up by hand at
intervals.
My invention is designed to overcome this drawback and in principle it consists
in causing the said spring or weight to be periodically wound up automatically by
means of an electromotor of any convenient type fed by any convenient source or
reservoir of electrical energy & called periodically into play by any convenient circuit
closing device.
It is evident that the principle of my invention may be carried into effect in a
variety of ways and with a great variety of devices and structural details which need
not be referred to here.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Applicable to what are known as Mechanical
Toys.
I, JAMES GRIEVE LORRAIN, of Norfolk House, Norfolk Street, London, W.C.,
Consulting Engineer, 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 or applicable to what are known as
mechanical toys that is to say toys in which parts or figures or the like are set
and maintained in motion by means of a spring or weight motor so as to produce
various optical or acoustic or other amusing effects.
A drawback existing in such toys is that the springs or weights of the notors
driving them require to be wound up by hand at intervals.
My invention is designed to overcome this drawback and it consists essentially
in the employment of an electromotor of any convenient type for the purpose of
automatically winding up the spring or weight motor periodically the said electro-
motor being fed by any convenient source or reservoir of electrical energy and
called periodically into action by a suitable circuit closing device actuated by any
convenient part of the mechanism.
For convenience I shall hereinafter refer to the spring and weight motor as the
"mechanical motor" and to the circuit closing device as the "contact.'
"
In the drawing annexed hereto I show diagrammatically the essential features of
my invention. represents the toy mechanism which may consist for example of
the moving parts of an automaton or of a number of figures such as those of animals
or persons or of representations or models of moving machinery or the rotating druin
or other moving part of a musical box or other musical instrument capable of being
actuated by a spring or weight or of the box of a kaleidoscope or of the wheel
of a zoetrope or indeed any movable part or parts of toys together with the levers
wheels or other mechanical devices which support or actuate them: and it is to be
understood that in using the term toy mechanism 1 include all the movable parts of a
mechanical toy with the exception of the mechanical motor which drives it. The
mechanical motor consisting of a wound up spring or weight together with the spring
barrel or weight-pulley and cord or other similar or equivalent necessary mechanical
details is diagrammatically represented by the circle W the said mechanical motor
actuating the toy mechanism in any of the usual well known ways such for example
as by gearing or by a transmitting belt or the like. X diagrammatically represents
the electromotor together with its detent or brake or other equivalent device for
limiting or controlling its movement in the case where such limiting or controlling
device exists as well as the necessary transmitting device or devices for transmitting
the motion of the said clectromotor to the mechanical motor. The function of this
electromotor is to wind up the spring or weight of the mechanical motor periodically
so as to keep the said spring or weight wound to a sufficient tension to enable it to

page_text: drive the toy mechanism. The said electromotor may be of any convenient type
such for example as a rotary or oscillatory or reciprocating electromotor. Z represents
diagrammatically the source or reservoir of electrical energy serving to feed the
electromotor and cause the said electromotor to move and so wind up the spring or
weight of the mechanical motor when the circuit is closed and the current passes.
The said source or reservoir of electrical energy may be of any convenient type such
for example as a primary or secondary battery or a dynamo- or magneto-electric
machine or a lead from a central electric supply system. Y represents the contact
whose function is periodically to close the circuit from the source or reservoir of
electrical energy through the electromotor and maintain such circuit closed for a
sufficient length of time to enable the electromotor to wind up the spring or weight
as the case may be of the mechanical motor to the extent desired. The contact is
conveniently mounted on any spindle or arbor driven by the mechanical motor and is
so arranged as to complete the circuit whenever the spring or weight requires
rewinding.
The toy mechanism and the mechanical motors referred to are well known and in
general use and therefore need not be further referred to here.
In practice I find it convenient to employ the form of electromotor and detent as
well as the transmitting devices for transmitting the motion of the said electromotor
to the mechanical motor set forth in the Complete Specification accompanying my
Letters Patent No. 10,785 of the year 1887 and if we assume the spring described
in the said specification as driving a mechanical clock mechanism to be driving a
toy mechanism the said specification will describe the means which I have found most
convenient for carrying my present invention into effect.
In most cases I find an ordinary Leclanché battery to be the most convenient source
of electrical energy for feeding the electromotor but in the case where the toy does
not require to be frequently moved about and is conveniently situated with respect to
a central electric supply system a lead from the mains of the said system is very
convenient.
The form of contact or circuit closing device described in the Complete Specification
accompanying my Letters Patent No. 10,785 of the year 1887 and illustrated in
figures 14 and 15 of the drawings thereof is that which I find the most convenient
in practice it being understood of course that the frequency with which it closes the
electric circuit depends inter alia upon the resistance to be overcome by the electro-
motor in winding up the mechanical motor and the amount to which the said
mechanical motor requires to be wound up.
I desire to be understood that I do not limit myself to the types of mechanical
toys which I have referred to as illustrations as the variety of such toys to which my
invention is applicable is very great. Nor do I limit myself to any particular type of
electromotor or contact or source or reservoir of electrical energy but 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 improvement in what are known as mechanical toys consisting in the com-
bination with the toy mechanism and mechanical motor of an electromotor a contact
and a source or reservoir of electrical energy substantially as set forth.
2. The improvement applicable to what are known as mechanical toys consisting in
an electromotor serving to periodically wind up the mechanical motor the said electro-
motor being fed by a source or reservoir of electrical energy and called periodically
into play by a contact substantially as set forth.
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