US742250A - Toy. - Google Patents

Description

No. 742,250. PATBNTED OCT. 27, 1903.

L a. SPENCER,

TOY. APPLIOATIOE FILED MAY 22, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

Patented October 27, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

LILLY o. SPENCER, on NEW YoEK, N. Y.

TOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 742,250, dated October 27, 1903.

Application filed May 22, 1902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, LILLY O.SPENoEE, acitizen of the United States,residingin NewYork, borough of Manhattan, county and State of New York, have made a new and useful Invention in Toys, of which the following is a specification. 1

My invention is directed to an improvement in that type of toys which are so 0011- structed as to be moved in curves over plane surfaces in such manner, for instance, as to simulate the dancing of human beings or the movement of animals, birds, fish, or the like; and it has for its objects, first, to devise a toy of this nature which will move in graceful curves and with little effort on the part.

of the manipulator, and, second, to devise a toy which shall be so moved over a plane sur-' face as to simulate with the greatest nioety the graceful movements of persons well accustomed to dancing.

My invention will be fully understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevational view of a toy simulating the image of a girl or Woman, the lower portion of the figure being broken away to illustrate the interior structure and the mode of operation whereby graceful movements are obtained. Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating more clearly the manner of manipulating the invention and as applied to three images supported upon a level board andupon the supposition that there is a moving ball, such as that illustrated in Fig. 1, under each of the images: v 7

Referring now to the drawings in detail and first to Fig. 1, 2 represents a hollow body, preferably of conical formand open at its lower end, made usually of pasteboard or of such material as is sufficiently light and rigid to accomplish the result sought. To the upper end of this hollow body is secured in the present instance a body simulating that of a girl or woman having a dress of the usual material and decorated or clothed as the taste of the maker may suggest. The body of the girl or woman may be secured to the part 2 in any preferred manner, and the dresses may be attached thereto much as dolls dresses are secured to well-known forms of dolls, it being only essential that the ma- Serial No. 108,502. (No model.)

terial of the skirt shall be so light and of such length as not to interfere with the movement of the entire -structure. 3 is a ball, preferably of steel, or it may be of marble, wood,

or such material as possesses the desired weight and the proper diameter, the proportions illustrated in Fig. 1 being such as will give good results. When the doll or image is ready for use, it is simply placed upon the level surface of a board 1, as shown in Fig. 2, with the ball free to move entirely within the open inner end of the hollow body 2 and in such'manner as to give movement thereto only by lateral pressure against the inner surface of said hollow body; The movements are effected by gradually inclining the board either laterally or longitudinally or in both directions at the same time, thereby causing 7o the ball 3 to give either a rotary motion to the doll or image or a lineal motion or a combined motion, dependent upon the peculiar double movement of the board.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated three images A, B, and O, in which the hollow cone-shaped body 2 only is used and the faces or images painted thereon. It is to be understood that my invention may be applicable to many forms of images, animals, or devices and still come within the scope of my claims hereinafter made, the essential novelty resting in the peculiar movement by giving either lineal or rotary motion to the image by the agency of a spherical body resting against the inner surface of a hollow body in such manner that the body is moved either in lineal or rotary direction solely through the lateral pressure of the spherical body.

I am aware of United States patent to P. H. 0 Hillard, No. 481,948, of September 6, 1892, for an improvement in toys, and I make no claim hereinafter broad enough to include anything disclosed in that patent, said inventionbeing directed to a toy in which the image is sup- 5 ported wholly by a ball or' balls, and I distinctly disclaim the application of any such principle, the generic feature of my invention lying, as hereinbefore pointed out, in utilizing the lateral pressure of a spherical body within and against the inner surface of a hollow body in such manner as to give to said hollow body either lineal or rotary motion, or a combined motion approximating either, de-

pendent upon the tilting position of the surface which supports the image.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat- 5 ent of the United States, is-- 1. A toy having a hollow body and a ball located wholly within the same and adapted to contact mechanically only against the inside surface thereof and in such manner as IO to move the latter by lateral or side pressure only.

2. A toy consisting of a hollow body open at its lowerend; in combination'with a detachable or removable ball located in the lower 15 end of said hollow body and adapted to move 20 wholly within the lower end of said hollow body and adapted to move therein so as to transmit movement thereto by lateral orside pressure only.

4. A toy having a hollow body open at its lower end and adapted to rest with its entire weight upon a substantial plane or level surface; in combination with a ball of the required weight and diameter located wholly within the hollow body and adapted when the surface is tilted to give motion to the toy by lateral or side pressure only and in any desired direction.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, this 22d day of April, 1902.

LILLY O. SPENCER. Witnesses:

JOHN II. IIAZELTON, GEO. II. MOORE.

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