IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICAL TOYs
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Sept., 1887
Complete Left, 6th June, 1888
Complete Accepted, 20th July, 1888
I GEORGE COLE of No. 13 & 15 Finsbury Street in the city of London Merchant &
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
MECHANICAL TOYs to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in combination of mechanical Toys in which
a horizontal wheel or disc mounted in a suitable frame is made to rotate by the
revolving of an ordinary spinning top by the former being so placed over the cup or
hollowed out space in which the top is spun that the spike or other part of the
circumference of the latter is automatically brought into contact with said disc causing
it to revolve.

page_text: Improvements in Mechanical Toys.
1 GEORGE COLE of 13 and 15 Finsbury Street in the city of London Merchant and
Manufacturer 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in the combination and mechanism of
mechanical toys in which a horizontal wheel or disc mounted in a suitable frame is
made to rotate by the revolving of an ordinary spinning top by the former being so
placed over the cup or hollowed out space in which the top is spun that the spike or
other part of the circumference of the latter is automatically brought into contact with
said disc causing it to revolve.
And in order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into
practice I will proceed to describe the drawings hereto annexed.
Figure 1 shows an elevation and Figure 2 a plan of suitable mechanism to be
employed in combination with mechanical toys for actuating the same in accordance
with my invention.
In the specification of Letters Patent granted to me dated 29th October 1885
No. 13,049 for "Improvements in combination and mechanism for actuating
mechanical automaton toy figures or other toy objects" no intermediate mechanism
between the top and the toy actuated thereby was described except that which formed
part of the rotating top itself.
Now the object of my present improvements is to cause a free rotating top to
transmit its motion to intermediate mechanism suitably arranged for actuating
mechanical toys of various descriptions.
For this purpose in carrying out my invention motion is transmitted from the
spike or lower part of the top a rotating on the hollow base plate or cup 6 by
frictional contact with the periphery of the disc or wheel c fixed on the crank axis c¹
(supported in suitable bearings) transmits motion either by means of the crank and
connecting rod c³ or by a pulley toothed or ratchet wheel c³ to a mechanical toy or
toys as may be required.
The top a spinning upon the comparatively frictionless base b (the latter being
slightly hollowed out) from its weight alone strives to remain at the deepest point of
the cup or hollow base b. The disc or wheel c is placed in such a position that its rim
or periphery is over this deepest point of the base or cup b.
Now when the top spun upon this base plate the side of the spike or point in the
top's endeavour to remain at this lowest point comes in contact with the periphery of
the disc or wheel which is thereby set in motion by frictional contact therewith.

page_text: The spike of the top or some part of the disc or wheel c may be roughed or coated
with some suitable substance to create an extra amount of friction when necessary to
set in motion a set of pulleys or a train of wheels or levers.
If the top a is made of conical form from top to point and the disc c adjustable upon
its axis c¹ (or the driving apparatus movable) the speed of the disc c may be varied
by actuating it from larger or smaller parts of the top's circumference but it is
most advantageous to transmit the motion from the point nearest to the centre of
gravity.
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 improved arrangement and combination of mechanism for actuating
mechanical toys by transmitting motion from the spike or lower part of a top
rotating in a cup or hollow base to the periphery of a disc or wheel to give motion by
means of a crank pulley ratchet or toothed wheel to mechanical toys of various
descriptions substantially in the manner hereinbefore described and represented in the
drawings hereto annexed.