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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
ZENAS ALBERT CURTIS, OF CHANNING, TEXAS.
TOY.Specification of Letters Patent.
Patented March 20, 1906.
Application filed March 30, 1905. Serial No. 252,825.
To all-whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, ZENAS ALBERT CURTIS,
a citizen of the United States, residing at
Channing, in the county of Hartley and
5 State of Texas, have invented certain new
and useful Improvements in Toys; and I do
declare the following to be a full, clear, and
exact description of the invention, such as
will enable others skilled in the art to which
io it appertains to make and use the same, ref-
erence being had to the accompanying draw-
ings, and to the figures of reference marked
thereon, which form a part of this specifica-
tion.
[5 My invention relates to the class of toys,
but more particularly to whirligigs, and has
for its object to provide a device of this class
which comprises a rotatable platform carry-
ing figures.
20 A further object of my invention is to pro-
vide a device of this class having a novel and
simple means for rotating the platform.
With these objects in view my invention
consists in the novel construction of the de-
25 vice, and more particularly in the means for
operating and rotating the revoluble plat-
form.
My invention also consists in the novel con-
struction employed for causing the platform
30 to rotate always in the same direction, which
is preferably in the direction of the hands of a
watch.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is an elevation of the device. Fig. 2
35 is a view, partly in section, showing construc-
tion of device. Fig. 3 is a top plan view.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of ratchet-and-
pawl arrangement, and Fig. 5 is a detail view
of end of revolving operating-shaft.
40 Like numerals of reference indicate the
same parts throughout the several figures, in
which-
1 indicates the whirligig, which comprises
the base 2, uprights 3, and cross-piece 4.
45 5 indicates a vertical shaft which enters
the base 1 and rests upon a metal plate 6, so
as to revolve without friction. Said shaft
passes through the cross-piece 4, which sup-
ports shaft in its vertical position. Keyed
50 to said shaft is a disk 7, upon the under side of
which a pawl 8 is carried. Secured on the
shaft 5 is a smaller disk 9, and 10 indicates a
post which carries a large disk or platform
11, upon which figures are secured, as shown
55 in Fig. 1, a small figure representing Santa
Claus in a sleigh, blowing a horn and driv-ing two deer, and a figure of a house, to
which Santa Claus is driving. It is my in-
tention to put a small musical device in the
horn that will sound when the device is ro- 6o
tating. A series of ratchet - teeth 12 are
formed on the head of the post 10, construct-
ed to be engaged by the pawl 8 on the'disk 7,
as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.
13 indicates a bar loosely carried on the 65
shaft 5, and 14 indicates a cord which is
passed through the upper end of said shaft
and fastened to the bar 13 at each end thereof
Having thus fully described my invention,
its operation is as follows: In order to set the 70
machine in motion, the bar 13 is spun so as to
wind the cord 14 around the shaft 5, as shown
in Fig. 2. The fingers of the hand are then
placed on the bar 13 on both sides of the
shaft 5, and a downward pressure is exerted 75
on said bar. This tends to unwind the cord
and in so doing imparts a rotary motion to
the shaft 5. The disk 7 and pawl 8 are also
revolved, the pawl engaging the ratchet-teeth
12 on the head of the post 10, causing said 8o
post and platform 11 to rotate. As the cord
is unwound from the shaft 5 the continued
rotation of said shaft reversely winds up the
cord. The bar 13 is again depressed, which
rotates the shaft 5 in the opposite direction. 85
In this instance, however, the pawl 8 simply
slips over the ratchet-teeth on the post, al-
lowing the disk or platform to continue to ro-
tate in the same direction it originally had.
However, on the following rotation of the 90
shaft 5 the pawl 8 engages the teeth on the
post and rotates said post and platform.
Thus the platform and figures continue to
rotate in the same direction, the rotating im-
pulse being given at every other rotation of 95
the shaft 5.
Having thus fully described my invention,
I do not wish to be understood as limiting
myself to the exact construction as herein
set forth, as various slight changes may be io
made therein which would fall within the
limit and scope of my invention, and I con-
sider myself clearly entitled to all such
changes and modifications.
What I claim as my invention, and desire 1o5
to secure by Letters Patent of the United
States, is-
1. In a toy, the combination of a rotatable
platform, a rotatable shaft, a cord on said
shaft, a bar connected to said cord and car- i ic
ried on said shaft, a series of ratchet-teeth as-
sociated with said rotatable platform, and aNo. 815,410.
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Curtis, Zenas Albert. Toy., patent, March 20, 1906; [Washington D.C.]. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth513076/m1/3/: accessed June 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.