US191092A - Improvement in toy skating-rinks - Google Patents

Description

No.19 1,09Z.

S. E. BACHMANN. TOY SKATING RINKS.

Patented May 22, 18721 ILFETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, ,D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT @rrroa.

SOPHIE E. BAGHMANN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN TOY SKATlNG-RlNK S.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 191,092, dated May 22, 1877; application filer January 2, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SOPHIE E. BACHMANN, of the city of New York, in the county of New York, and the State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Toy Skating- Riuk; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The invention relates to a toy skating-rink, consisting of a box having its top formed of paper or other thin material, representing ice, on which diminutive figures representing skaters, and weighted by means of iron shoes, are moved about by the attraction of a magnet held in the hand and applied beneath the paper. I

A rectangular box of suitable material, provided with a lid, a portion of which being removed, is covered with a lamina or plate of mica, (isinglass,) a sheet of silk, or other suit.- able material. Tissue-paper is pasted or glued over this lamina to approach more n arly the appearance of ice. Small figures or puppets are provided with feet of iron of sufficient weight to cause them to retain an upright position. These represent the skaters. ln the rear portion of the rectangular box is an aperture, through which the hand of the exhibitor may pass. A small bar or horseshoe magnet held in the hand, and passed to and fro across the under surface of the ice, immediately beneath any desired figure, causes the figure upon the ice to move about at the will of the exhibitor.

The advantages of this form of toy over the greater number of contrivances known as mechanical toys are obvious. In the skating-rink the motions of the skating figures may be infinitely varied, while in the former there is a fixed unvarying motion, of which a child soon tires. New figures may, from time to time, be added or substituted, and, by this means, provide a continually varied, and, consequently, much more lasting amusement.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a front elevation, with part in section; and Fig. 2, a plan of my toy skating-rink.

The rink is formed by covering an open box, A, with thin paper P, or any other suitable material to represent ice, and providing a door, hand-hole, or opening, F, through which to insert the hand for the purpose of applying a horseshoe-magnet, M, to the under side of the paper, as shown in Fig. l, to cause the desired movement of the figures 0. A railing, R, having an ornamental arch, H,

is applied around the edge of the ice-field P,

and a border, X, of different color or material from the paper, may be employed, as shown in Fig. 2. The figures O are weighted, and also shod with blocks of iron at, or other metal susceptible of magnetic attraction, and are thus adapted to maintain an erect posit-ion. When the magnet M is applied with itspoles in close proximity to the under surface of tie paper or ice field P, and moved about in various directions, according to the will of the operator, the attraction between it and the iron feet a of the figures under which it passes causes the latter to slide over the surface in directions corresponding to the movements of the magnet, and thus imitate the gliding movements of skaters.

What I claim is- A toy skating-rink consisting of a box or frame, A, having a paper top or cover, P, and provided with a side opening or hand-hole,

for insertion and application of the magnet v to cause the gliding movements of the figures, as shown and described.

SOPHIE E. BAOHMANN. Witnesses:

G. BARRY WALL, W. H. GREEN.

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