Untitled record

Application filed. February 14, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, James H. Bowen, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of Philadelphia, and 5 State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Toy Money-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a specification thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which— io Figure 1 is a partial side elevation and vertical section of the toy money-box embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view of a portion thereof, some of the parts being in different position.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

My invention consists, of a toy money-box of the figure of a dog or other animal or being haviug a movable head and an opening mouth, 20 all so disposed that when a quick rearward motion is imparted to the head the mouth opens and the coin, previously placed on the head of the figure, leaves its seat by inertia, and is caught by the mouth and thus directed 25 into the body of the figure.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the figure of au animal—in tbe present case of a dog—consisting of a hollow body, B, a sliding head, C, whose neck D, properly guided with30 in the body, is adapted to move in and out of the same, and a movable tail, E, for imparting the inward or rear motion to the head, the parts being preferably cast metal.

The animal has a movable mouth formed by 35 hinging the lower jaw, C', to the head, and to the rear of said jaw is attached one end of a chain or rod, G, whose other end is connected to the body of the figure, as at a, for holding the month in a closed position.

H represents the tongue of the animal, which is represented as extended, and projects beyond the nostrils, and J represents a horizontal ledge, flat portion, or seat on the head over the nostrils.

Attached to the inner end of the tail E is a rod, K, which is guided in proper walls of the body B and connected to the head C. A spring, K', encircles the rod, and has its upper end connected to the upper end of said rod, and the lower end bearing against the 50 body B.

The body B is supported on a box, M, which constitutes the base of tbe device and forms the receptacle for the coin or money, and communication is had between the body A and 55 box M by means of a chute, L, at the lower end of the body. Rising from the box M are pins 1) I), on which is loosely fitted a plate, N, which is so disposed that when the device is overturned said plate shifts from the bottom 60 of the box and slides against the walls of the chute L, which is thereby closed, as a trap, and prevents abstraction or escape of the money.

The operation is as follows: A coin is placed on the ledge J, and the tail E is drawn rap- 65 idly out or rearward, whereby, owing to the rod K, a quick motion is imparted to the head. The jaw O', if connected to a chain, G, is no longer controlled thereby, and falls by gravity; but if connected to a rod the lat- 70 ter imparts a positive motion to the jaw, so that in either case the mouth opens. Owing to the impulse of the head, the loosely-supported coin loses its seat on the ledge J and falls, and is caught on the tongue H. The 75 tail is let go, aud the parts immediately assume their normal positions, the chain or rod G closing the jaw or mouth, and the coin then falls through the throat of the animal into the body B, and is directed by the chute L to the 80 box M.

It will be seen that the action of the animal is apparently that of snapping at the coin and then swallowing it, thus presenting an amusing toy. 85

P represents glass eyes, which may be cenented to or embedded in the metal head C, and serve to add to the life-like appearance of the animal.