Ptolemy's Top
Ptolemy's Top
If I'm the bottom
This is the second* action toy from my collection to grace the blahg. Manufactured by Pentangle in the 1970s, it consists of a spinning top, the spindle of which engages in a repetitive dance with a thick metal spiral. Perhaps contrary to intuition, the spindle hugs both sides of of the spiral (not to mention the hairpin transition-point at its center) by virtue of the dynamic forces inherent in the object.
In order to get the action to last, a very significant spin must be imparted to the top, which pivots on a raised support that constrains the gravitational contact point to within the rotating heavy-metal disk.
Friday, January 23, 2009