Wind-up toy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A wind-up toy is any toy that is powered by a spring that is tightened by turning it. After release, the spring tries to get in it's original, untightened position, and makes the small toy go as well.[1]
[edit] Usage
Wind-up toys are used as a simple, yet useful way to make a toy move with just a simple form of powering it. Most wind-up toys are made of plastic and are sold by a variety of companies, such as Hans Novelty.
[edit] History
Wind-up toys date far back into history, into the fifteenth century. Karel Grod, a German inventor, created some of the first wind-up toys, including a metal fly and a mechanical eagle. Also, in 1509, Leonardo da Vinci created a wind-up lion as a greeting for Louis XII in Italy. Wind-up toys were at first for only royalty, and were much more elaborate, with a very complex system of gears and springs. René Descartes also created a life-sized wind-up human girl to prove a theory that all animals were very complex machines. However, as legend goes, the mechanical girl was thrown overboard after a man was frightened by it.[1]
After the much larger, elaborate wind-up machine art declined in interest, wind-up toys were created very cheaply and in very large numbers by the 1800's. Wind-up machines then became known as wind-up toys, and were designed in all different forms to move around.[1]
