Improvements in Mechanical Dolls-houses or like Toys.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Aug., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 2nd May, 1890-Accepted, 7th June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanical Dolls-houses or like Toys.
We FREDERICK HENRY AYRES of 111 Aldersgate Street in the City of London,
Manufacturer, and WALTER STRANDERS of 11 Despard Road Highgate, in the
County of Middlesex, Designer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in dollshouses and toys and is
designed to render such toys more amusing to children.
In carrying out my invention I arrange the front (say) of a dollshouse much as
usual, or convenient, in elevation with feasible door, or doors, and windows with
interior, or exterior blinds. The door on being opened displays a person, or object
blocking the entrance, the blinds being drawn up display a portion of a room and
figures of childre. or other objects at the windows. These figures change on change
of position of the blinds by their being lowered and re-raised and so on for a suc-
cession of operations.
The changes are substantially simultaneous and timed to accord with the opening
of the door and raising of the blinds and these changes can be attained by pulling
one string or moving one operating part which communicates motion to the parts by
strings, bands, tapes or like equivalent movement acting on drums, rollers, wheels or
cams carrying the successively displayed figures. Projections on one drum, or roller
operated by a moving arm or part give step by step motion to certain of the figures
and their true stoppages correctly in assigned positions or "squaring" of the drums
may be effected by ordinary or suitable squaring motions.
The
opening of the door may by a simple rocking or bell crank lever arrange-
ment place a representation of a servant or hostess or other figure in the
opening.
The elevation may be that of any suitablo building of a zoological show or other
agreeable design.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanical Dolls-houses or like Toys.
We FREDERICK HENRY AYRES of 111 Aldersgate Street in the City of London,
Manufacturer, and WALTER STRANDERS of 11 Despard Road, Highgate, in the
County of Middlesex, Designer, 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 has reference to improvements in dollshouses and toys and is
designed to render such toys more amusing to children.
In carrying out our invention we arrange the front (say) of a dollshouse much as
usual, or convenient, in elevation with feasible door, or doors, and windows with
interior or exterior blinds. The door on being opened displays a person, or object,
blocking the entrance, the blinds being drawn up display a portion of a room and
figures of children or other objects at the windows. These figures change on change
of positions of the blinds by their being lowered and re-raised and so on for a suc-
cession of operations.
The changes are substantially simultaneous and timed to accord with the opening

page_text: of the door, and raising of the blinds, and these changes can be attained by pulling
one string or moving one operating part which communicates motion to the parts by
strings, bands, tapes or like equivalent movement, acting on drums, rollers, wheels or
cams carrying the successively displayed figures. Projections on one drum, or roller,
operated by a moving arm or part give step by step motion to certain of the figures
and their true stoppages correctly in assigned positions, or
" squaring "of the drums
may be effected by ordinary or suitable squaring motions.
The opening of the door may by a simple rocking or bell crank lever arrangement
place a representation of a servant or hostess or other figure in the opening.
The elevation may be that of any suitable building of a zoological show or other
agreeable design.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a front view of the left hand half of the front of a dollshouse arranged to
carry out our invention.
Fig. 2 is a rear view of the whole of the front of the house.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section of a portion of the front of the house, shewing the
mode of operating the door, and the figure that is drawn into the opening.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line A-B (Fig. 1) looking towards the left-
hand.
Fig. 5 shews a similar view to Fig. 2, but with portions of the framing removed so
as to more clearly shew the shape and operation of the rising and falling blind frame f,
to which are also attached the figures that appear at the windows. In this Figure
the blind frame is shewn raised instead of in the lowered position as in Fig. 2;
the door also appears open and a figure attending the call.
Fig. 6 shews a modification to be referred to.
a represents the front wall of the house, ba portico, c the front-door which opens on
hinges here shewn as being on the right hand side thereof. d d d are windows pre-
ferably glazed and provided with curtains which are conveniently kept in place by
being cemented to the cross bars e, e¹. Between these cross bars and the rear of the
front of the house slides the blind frame f, which is also provided with projecting
pieces fffff, on which are mounted figures to taste; whilst the blind is
drawn up these figures appear at the windows as shewn in Fig. 1. f is a cord
attached to this sliding blind frame, and passes up over the pulley 7, pulley f³,
pulley and pulley f10, out through the wall of the house over the pulley " to the
knob and is drawn upon and secured to the catch f₁s to keep the blind drawn up
as in Fig. 1. On drawing upon the cord f, the cord c' attached to the door at
and passing over the pulleys c³, f and down to the junction c¹ with the cord c, is
also drawn upon, and this cord pulls open the door con its hinges c. c³ is a coiled
spring which has a tendency to keep the door c closed. g is a figure, which may be
that of an attendant or otherwise; mounted on a sliding block g₁ running between
guides g², g. This figure is connected to a cord g' which is formed elastic, and con-
nected to the floor of the front of the house at 9, and which passes round the
pulleys gº, 97, 9³, out through the wall of the house to the knob g', so that it can be
drawn upon to pull the figure g opposite the opening of the door, the elastic portion
of the cord causing the return of the figure when the knob g' is released. To avoid
friction the floor underneath the block g¹ on which the figure 9 runs may be formed
of a piece of glass cemented to the framing. h h indicate bell pulls which may com-
municate by cords with bells suspended inside the dollshouse or otherwise, and by
which much amusement to children may be afforded, especially in the nature of run-
a-way rings etcetera.
In some cases it is desirable not only to make the figures that appear and disappear
at the windows rise and fall but also to effect variety in their appearance. This may
be effected in various ways but we have indicated its attainment by attaching the
cord that operates the blind frame to another cord i (Fig. 6) connected to the
loop of a rod or wire that passes down through the piece, and is connected to a
spring k below. This rod runs in staples or supports jj, and is drawn up by the

page_text: cord until the stop j³ on it meets the bottom of the piece j lifting it a short distance
and at the same time raising the pawl k' which is kept engaged with the pegs 1 of
the wheel by means of the spring 2. The rising of this pawl ¹, by its engaging one
of the pegs, turns the wheel on its centre 12 and momentarily disengages the
squaring motion m.
This squaring motion consists of a little roller m³, on a sliding rod m, which
runs in the two supports m³, m², and is kept pressed against the pegs of the
wheel by the spring m³. n is a band frictionally engaged with the wheels / and o.
Or the wheels could be formed as pin-wheels with corresponding openings in the
band n, or otherwise. As these wheels and o rotate they bring up one of a series of
figures p which are mounted on projections therefrom, so that one or other of these
figures will successively appear at the windows. Or the figures may be mounted on
small blocks attached to the band n and travel round therewith. f is the cord
operating as in Fig. 2 to raise and lower the blind frame f
The whole of the mechanism forming the front of the house may be boxed in by
means of the removable or other back board indicated by q in Fig. 4, so as to prevent
destructive interference by children.
Instead of representing a dollshouse as indicated there may be a series of dens
representing a zoological exhibition, aviary shewing birds, and various other modifi-
cations of the design without affecting the nature of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
The herein before described improvements in dollshouses and other like toys so as
to render the same more amusing to children by making the blinds, doors,
figures and the like operable by mechanism substantially as and for the purposes
herein before set forth.
Dated the 2nd dane of Mov 1800
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.