This disc rolls against a plane as the chains carry the rods through their cycle. This rotation carries to the club which is frictionally connected to the rod. The clubs normally turn with the rods due to this friction. However, when the strike the clown's hands, slippage occurs and they stop turning, re­maining horizontal for a short period, as with real juggling. Without this slippage, the clubs would turn 31/2 revolutions from one hand to the other.

 

The "glitch" holds the clubs back for a half­revolution, giving the triple spins of Virgoaga. The clown's hands are driven by a crankshaft in synchronization with the clubs, and his head is also linked to the system. Three different methods of coordinating clubs and hands were tried before a satisfactory solution was found. The entire effect is quite realistic.

 

All of the clown and prop motions are driven by one synchronous motor at a rate of 1.3 throws per second for each hand. This is slower than the human rate for numbers juggling of about two throws per second. Experimentation with different speeds indicated that this slower rate gives a better effect.

Scaled-down models in general appear too busy unless the time scale is slowed down as well. The music is produced by a Casio "VL-Tone" adjusted to the same timing as the clowns.

 

The ball and club jugglers are the most interesting of the three. While the ball juggler perhaps gives the most accurate representation of reality, the clubs involve the mot complexity of object movements.

The greatest numbers jugglers of all time cannot sustain their record patterns for more than a few minutes, but my little clowns juggle all night and never drop a prop!