Cars made similar to those of the Ferris wheel, with cords. Set a small flag in a hole bored in the top of the mast and then run cords from the top of the mast out to the ends of the arm pieces.
With this toy the cars cannot be swung out obliquely as on the large flying airships except by
Increasing the Speed of the Clockwork. This can be accomplished by removing one or two of the wheels of the clockwork, but it is not advisable to take out more than one wheel in addition to those removed for the merry-go-round ([Fig. 139]) because the mainspring would require rewinding too often to make the toy enjoyable.
An Electric Motor can be belted to these toys as a substitute for the clockwork, if you own one and prefer to try it out.
The clockwork toys just described were invented by the author for his book "Handicraft for Handy Boys," and were the first designs, he believes, devised for home-made mechanical toys of this nature. No doubt you have noticed that manufacturers of the so-called "construction sets"—steel and wood strips supplied with bolts and screws for assembling—have used these very same forms of models to show what can be made with their outfits. But your Ferris wheel, merry-go-round, and aerostat, built as described in this chapter, with materials picked up at home, will be the equal of any that can be built, and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you haven't required an expensive "construction set" for making them.
All sorts of toy vehicles can be operated by clockwork. [Figure 160] shows
An Automobile, and [Fig. 161] shows how the clockwork motor is mounted upon the chassis and belted to the driving wheel. The same scheme that was used for the cars of the toy railway described in Chapter VI will be followed in making
The Frame of the automobile, as that is about the simplest way, and makes a light, easy-running vehicle.