Maker: Fernand Martin
Year: 1886
Number: 103 ( in older Fernand Martin books you see number 18 but that number is wrong and given without proof by the writers)
Driven by a rubber band
Dimensions: High 20 cm ( 7,9 inch) Long 13,5 cm ( 5,3 inch)
This toy is representing of sawer cutting long wooden planks, without machines only by manual labour.
There is a handle at the bottom, you have to turn this handle about 15 to 20 times and then place the toy on the ground, the two workers will then move as if they were sawing through a tree trunk.
This was probably a popular toy at the time because there are still quite a few left and some with the original box.
Source: Description des machines et procédés pour lesquels des brevets d’invention 1879
This image is part of patent number 129618 from March 15, 1878 by Elie Martin, a competitor/colleague of Fernand Martin.
The image is very similar to the image Fernand Martin used on the box.
Elie Martin used a different type of drive then Fernand Martin.