How to Make a Tumbling Acrobat

A bukfencező akrobata készítése

Dear Reader,

Below you can find some facts about the Tumbling Acrobats and you can see the pictures and videos of the acrobats I made.

I am looking for people who are seriosly interested in making such acrobats. For them I attached detailed descriptions of how I made them. If you are interested, please get in touch with me. So far I haven't been able to contact a single person who made or who wants to make such acrobats. If you are seriosly interested, please write to me. You can find my e-mail address below. (I don't know how to make a better webpage yet.)

I am also looking for people who would like to buy such an acrobat. I have two for sale now. (124 euros each)

I am contiually improving my acrobats and very soon I will be able to describe an exact method of how to make one. Few days ago, I just had a major breakthrough as I made my 24th acrobat and it worked right at the first try, both on the ground and on the stairs, too! I am using laser cut elements now and I believe I will be able to reproduce it again!

Background

Tumbling dolls were originally made in 18th century Japan, during the Edo period*, and the making method of them was inserted in a Japanese book published in 1796. The book was translated and annotated in English and published as "Japanese Automata Karakuri Zui: An Eighteen Century Manual of Automatic Mechanical Devices". The book is selling now and the details of the book is at https://japaneseautomata.web.fc2.com/

It seems that in the 1850's, German toy makers revived the "Tumbler" and are still making them. Every year a small family owned German toy maker makes only a handful of the "The Acrobat". They are sold at Garrett Wade if available. (Type 1) (They don't have it any more as January, 2023)

In Japan they make a little kit from plastic from which you can make your own acrobat. It is called: Karakuri Somersault doll from Gakken - Otona no Kagaku. (Type 2)

That's about all the facts I could gather on the net. You can check out the link page where I've collected all the information I've found on the Net.

* The Edo period or Tokugawa period is the period between 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate. The period was characterized by economic growth, strict social order, isolationist foreign policies, a stable population, "no more wars", and popular enjoyment of arts and culture. (Wikipedia) Edo is the formal name of the city of Tokio.

A Tumbling Acrobat is a mechanical toy, a figure which tumbles or somersaults down several steps. It is propelled by steel balls inside, there is no battery or winding mechanism inside. It works by gravity.

Other names for this kind of toys:

- automaton (it is a kind of automaton)
- tumbling Chinese acrobat
- dangaeri doll (also spelled: dan-gaeri)
- karakuri somersault doll

I believe, there are three variations of the acrobat. Below, I introduce them briefly and add some examples. You can search the Net if you are more interested.

Type 1: The figure has two pivots (axles) and works with one or three steel balls. Actually I think it is a simplification of the Type 2.

Type 2: It has a protruding ladder (or robe or just sticks) backwards and has an additional pivot point in the knee area. Sometimes it works with many small balls instead of just one or three. I believe the original Japanese figure looked like this one and worked with Mercury.

Type 3 has two figures. They tumble over each other alternatively. The balls are in the rod they carry.

Out of these three, I am going to deal with Type 1.

I am fascinated by these tumbling acrobats and wanted to make one for a long time. Unfortunately, I could not find detailed, practical information on how to build one. So I set out and tried to figure it out by myself. It took a very long time and a real lot of patience but finally I could make several acrobats. I created this website to help serious people who want to build such a toy.

DÖME SERIES 7 working acrobats which I have made