US2268646A - Amusement device - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 6, 1942. w J, DERWQ 2,268,646

AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Feb. 18, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l Invenfor M5522 Er n c0,

Jan. 6, 1942. .1. DERRICO AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Feb.

18, .1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 6, 1942 UNITED STATES'PATENT OFFICE AMUSEMENT DEVICE 7 John DErrico, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application February 18, 1941, Serial No. 379,451

Claims.

This invention relates to amusement devices and more particularly to devices of the type known as roundabouts, though it is noted that in some of the broader claims the invention is not limited to devices of the rotating type nor even .to amusement devices.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved device or apparatus of this kind which gives unexpected and surprising irregular movements to passenger, cars on a movable or rotary platform, the movements being of a type to give pleasure and amusement without disagreeable efiects.

Other objects of the invention are to provide in a device of this kind a simple, effective and inexpensive transmission system.

Additional objects of the invention are to effect simplicity and efficiency in such an apparatus and to provide an extremely simple device or apparatus of this kind which is economical, durable, convenient, effectively amusing, pleasant and reliable in operation, and economical to manufacture and install.

Still other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds; and while herein details of the invention are described in the specification and some of the claims, the invention as described in the broader claims is not limited to these, and many and various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed in the broader claims.

The inventive features for the accomplishment of these and other objects are shown herein in connection with a roundabout which comprises a fixed slightly inclined platform provided with a large circular opening and'a suitably driven rotary circular platform within the opening and adjacent to the fixed platform. Cars are pivotally connected at their forward ends to points around the periphery of the rotary platform while their rear ends are supported by castors which engage either platform. 'On rotation of the rotary platform, the effects of the platform inclination and the centrifugal and frictional forces cause a variety of pleasant and amusing movements to the cars.

In the accompanying drawings showing, by way of example, one of many possible embodiments of the invention;

Fig. 1 is a vertical plane sectional view of the roundabout;

Fig. 2 is a plan view;

Fig. 3 is a fragmental plan showing the driving mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a fragmental transverse vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, the section being taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows of said line; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmental vertical sectional view showing means for receiving the drive cable.

My improved amusement device includes a large fixed ring-shaped platform It] and a framework supporting the platform at an angle slightly inclined to the horizontal. A central column l2 surrounded by the platform and mounted at the center of the circumferences of the platform comprises a fixed main shaft l4 coaxial with the platform and provided With side braces l5, and a hub l6 mounted on the upper end part of the shaft and provided with suitable ball or other bearings for supporting the hub for easy rotation on the shaft.

The circular rotary platform I8 comprises sweeps l9 mounted on and radiating from the upper part of the hub and carrying a circular I fioor closely adjacent to and flush with the ring shaped platform. A disc is mounted on the lower part of said hub from which guy wires 2| extend to the under face of the rotary platform l8. An annular track 22 of the I-beam shape is mounted on the lower face of the peripheral portion of'the rotary platform IS with its central web perpendicular to the rotary platform, the lower head of the track providing a lower track face 24. Friction blocks 25 (Fig. 6) may be mounted around the exterior channel of the I- beam and provided with cable receiving grooves 26 later to be mentioned. A plurality of supporting wheels 28 are arranged around the inner periphery of the fixed platform under said track in engagement with said track face and supported by'brackets 29 in which said wheels 28 are journaled, the brackets being mounted on the frame work I], thus to support the periphery of the rotary platform.

A motor 30 carrying a grooved drive pulley 3| is mounted in said frame work ll under the highest part of the fixed platform III with itsidler pulleys 32 are mounted in said framework in the plane of the drive pulley 3| on both sides of the vertical plane of the motor shaft, while additional pulleys 34 mounted in the framework lie in the plane of the annular cable receiving Fig, 4 is a, fragmental transverse vertical secgroove 25 between the respective idlers and said groove. An endless cable 35 is disposed in the grooves of the pulleys and around the groove of the track engaging the grooves 26, whereby the motor may rotate the rotary platform.

A plurality of bearing posts 36 fixed around the peripheral portion of the rotary platform perpendicular thereto are each provided with a rotary hub 38 thereon. One, two or more passenger cars 39, preferably two-passenger cars, are associated with each hub, the car having the forward end secured fast to said hub 38 and to each other, the cars having castors 40 supporting the rear ends of the cars equidistant from the hub 38, whereby the car may revolve around the hub 38 with the castors at times on the stationary platform and at times on the rotary platform. Arcuate truck plates M which may be secured flush with the floor of the rotary platform provide a path for the castors.

Customers may enter and leave the platform I by means of parallel entrance and exit ramps 42, 44, Fig. 2, leading from the ground to said fixed platform at separated points on opposite sides of the lowest part thereof.

The rotary platform may rotate in either direction, but is here shown as rotary in the direction of the large arrow of Fig. 2. The speed of rotation of the rotary platform, the angle of inclination of the platforms and the friction of the castors on the platforms are such, that during rotation, gravity, centrifugal force and friction will give resultant forces that will give the customer a variety of unexpected and pleasurable motions and cause them to rotate, for example, as shown by the small arrows of Fig. 2;

While a two-car assembly at each post 36 is preferred, one of the cars may be omitted or more than two cars may be employed in the assembly as indicated by lines 39' in Fig. 2.

Occupants may walk up the ramps and take seats in the cars by walking around or across the rotary platform while it is at rest. Or the rotary platform may be successively stopped with the pro-per cars near the ramps so that the customers will take such seats as will enable the desired distribution of the load. The motor may be controlled by a switch located at any convenient or desired point.

While any desirable operating speeds and dimensions may be used, a speed of about 12 R. P. M. is desirable for a fifteen foot diametered rotary platform. The speed may be varied during operation so as to add to the variety of oscillatory car movements.

Adjacent cars of the three-car assembly including the car 39' are all 120 degrees apart making the assembly symmetrical to the pivot.

However, in the two-car assembly of thecars 39, the two angles between the cars relative to the pivot are 120 and 240 degrees respectively leaving the assembly asymmetrical to the pivot. In like manner, a one-car assembly would be asymmetrical to the pivot. In the case of .the twocar assembly and the one-car assembly the center of gravity of the assembly is quite a distance from the axis of the pivot, leaving the group as a whole unbalanced, or eccentric to the pivot; whereby the action of the direction-changing centrifugal force acting at theeccentric center of gravity of the two-car assembly, combined with the changing friction and the relatively changing constant gravity component causes the assembly to rotate all the time and give four unexpected reversals of rotation of the assembly in one rotation of the platform which is a surprising and desired result in an amusement device of this kind. In practice, the action of the three-car assembly is also surprising, even when all three cars of the assembly are filled, as the occupants never weigh the same, and the center of gravity of the assembly with its passengers is practically always eccentric to the axis of the pivot.

The lateral gravity component acting upon the cars is determined by the inclination of the platform and is parallel to the platform as shown by the arrow of Fig. 1. Although the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the platform is always directed outwardly from the center of rotation of the platform and never changes relative tothe platform, yet in relation to its surroundings, it changes with the rotation of the platform. There is also some centrifugal force caused by the revolution of the car around the post 36. The car movements are also affected by the friction of the castor on the parts over which it rolls. Thus there is a force acting on thecars which the changing resultant ofthe combined effect of thecentrifugal, gravitational and frictional forces. While the movements of the carsare often surprising,-in the device as illustrated with the platform fifteenfeet in diameter, the motor should be run at a speed to cause the platform to rotate about 12 R. P. M. to cause the car assemblies to reverse four times as illustrated bythe arrows of Fig. 2.

Having thus. described the invention what is claimed-is:.

1. An amusement device comprising a pairof inclined platforms having adjacent flush curved edges; means for moving one lplatformzto'scause relative movement :at and along saidledges; a pivot means mounted on the marginal portion of the movable platform; a car pivotedeccentrically to the pivot means; and supporting means under a portion of the carremote from thepivot means and movably frictionally engageable with the platforms for supporting the carwhen it revolves around the pivot means, whereby change of direction of the resultant of the centrifugal force, caused by the:movement of the movable platform, and the frictional forcesjof the supporting means, relative to the angle of the lateral gravity component on the car; determined by the inclination ofthe platforms, willcooperate with said component to give a variety of movements to said cars. I

2. An amusement device comprising a large fixed inclined platform having a circular opening therein;-'a circular rotary platform in said opening adjacent to and flush with the platform androtary-coaxial with said opening; means to rotate said, rotaryplatform; a pivot-'means mounted on the peripheral portion of the rotary platform; a passenger car asymmetrically pivoted to the pivot means; and supporting means under the portion 'of the car remote from the pivot means and movably frictionally engageable with the platforms at, all times supporting the car for free pivotal revolution around the pivot means, whereby change of direction of the resultant of the centrifugal force caused by the speed of rotation of the rotary platform, and the frictional forces of the supporting means, relative to the angle of the gravity component determined -by the inclination of the platforms, cooperate with said component to of movements to said cars. H

3. An amusement device comprising a large fixed inclined platform having a circular opening-therein;- a circular rotary platform in said givea variety opening adjacent to and flush with the platform and coaxial with said opening; a pivot means mounted on the peripheral portion of the rotary platforms; a passenger car eccentrically pivoted to the pivot means; supporting means under the portion of th car most remote from the pivot means and movably frictionally engageable with the platforms for supporting the car when it revolves around the pivot means, whereby change of direction of the resultant of the centrifugal force, caused by the rotation of the rotary platform, and the frictional forces of the supporting means, relative to the angle of inclination of the platforms, will give a variety of movements to said cars; and means to rotate said rotary platform at such a speed relative to the angle of the platform and friction of the supporting means that the car will revolve around the pivot means and will reverse its direction of revolution at intervals.

4. An amusement device comprising a large fixed inclined platform having a circular opening therein; a circular rotary platform in said opening adjacent to and flush with the fixed platform and coaxial with said opening; means to rotate said rotary platform; a plurality of pivot means mounted around the peripheral portion of the rotary platform; an assembly of passenger cars, fast to each other, asymmetrically pivoted to each pivot means with the center of gravity of the assembly eccentric to the pivot means; and supporting means under the portions of the cars most remote from the pivot means, and movably frictionally engageable with the platforms for supporting the cars, whenthey revolve around the pivot means, whereby change of direction of the resultant of the centrifugal force, caused by the speed of rotation of the rotary platform, and the frictional forces of the supporting means, relative to the angle of inclination of the platforms, will give a variety of movements to said cars.

5. An amusement device comprising a large fixed inclined platform having a circular opening therein; a circular rotary platform in said opening adjacent to and flush with the fixed platform and coaxial with said opening; a plurality of pivot means mounted around the peripheral portion of the rotary platform; an assembly of passenger cars, fast to each other, pivoted to each pivot means; and supporting means under the portions of the cars most remote from the pivot means and movably frictionally engageable with the platforms for supporting the cars when they revolve around the pivot means, whereby change of direction of the centrifugal force, caused by the speed of rotation of the rotary platform, and the frictional forces of the supporting means, relative to the angle of inclination of the platforms, will give a variety of movements to said cars.

JOHN DERRICO.

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