IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO SPINNING- TOPS TO BE USED EITHER AS TOYS OR FOR TESTING AND EXERCISING THE HUMAN " LUNGS
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th February 1883 Communicated
to him from abroad by Charles Milton Kimball of Toledo, Ohio, United
States of America.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO SPINNING-
TOPS TO BE USED EITHER AS TOYS OR FOR TESTING AND EXERCISING THE HUMAN
"
LUNGS [A coinmunication to him from abroad by Charles Milton Kimball of
Toledo, Ohio, United States of America]
This invention has for its object to provide an improved toy adapted to subserve
also a useful purpose as a lung testing or exercising apparatus. To this end the
said invention consists, as a whole, in a top adapted to be rotated by the pressure
of air or other fluid or vapor, a support or step for the spindle of the top, and one
or more ports or passages in a structure or base supporting the step, said passages
being adapted to direct jets of air or other fluid, as vapor or gas, against the top so
as to rotate the latter, as I will now proceed to describe.
In carrying the said invention, into practice I provide a top composed of a
suitable spindle and a wheel affixed to the spindle. The wheel may have oblique
blades or may have a flat under surface or may be otherwise constructed, so that
it will be rotated by fluid pressure against either of its sides. I also provide a
concaved recessed step to support the lower end of the top spindle and prevent the
top from moving away laterally while rotating. The step is on the top of a
chamber There are ports or small orifices in the top of the said chamber so located
with relation to the step that they will direct jets of air or other fluid from the
chamber against the side of the wheel of the top, thereby rotating the same.
Before the top acquires sufficient momentum to enable it to stand, the upper end
of its spindle may be supported by a removable device said device being preferably
a looped wire adapted to enclose the spindle. When the top is properly running
this support should be removed, and the top may be kept continously running by
continuous or intermittent jets of fluid through the ports

page_text: In case the top has a short spindle the supporting device will not be required.
When the top has a flat under surface the ports should be formed, so that the jets
of fluid will be inclined and thus strike the top obliquely and rotate it. To this
end the ports are formed by cutting the top of the chamber so as to form tongues
and bending said tongues downwardly, thereby forming the ports, the tongues
forming inclined surfaces which give the requisite inclination to the jets of fluid.
The top is preferably operated by air blown from the lungs, a flexible tube being
provided through which the operator can blow into the chamber. The lungs are
thus usefully exercised. If desired the chamber may contain water, and steam
may be generated therefrom to operate the top.
I do not limit myself to any particular number of ports, as one or more may be
employed. If desired, the ports may be arranged to direct the fluid downwardly
upon the wheel of the top instead of upwardly.