EP0283872A2 - Roundabout with passenger cars freely rotatable about inclined pivots - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Rotary ride installation with a support mechanism (5, 5a) which is arranged above a base frame (1, 1a) and which is capable of being rotated and drives about a central shaft or axis (6, 6a) perpendicular to its main plane, and at the periphery of which a plurality of passenger carriers (8) is mounted to be freely rotatable about pivot shafts (9), the pivot shafts (9) being arranged on the support mechanism at an inclination to the central axis (6; 6a) and enclosing an acute angle with this latter, the centre of gravity of each passenger carrier (8), in the empty and occupied state, being at a distance from the associated pivot axis (9) and the support mechanism (5, 5a) being tiltable relatively to the main frame (1, 1a) into an inclined position, wherein the support mechanism (5, 5a) is arranged with is central axis or shaft (6, 6a) on the free end of an arm (4, 22) connected to be pivotable on the base frame (1, 1a) and a swivelling mechanism (11, 24, 25) fixed on the base frame (1, 1a) acts on the arm (4, 22), and that the support mechanism (5, 5a), together with the arm (4, 22), is tiltable by means of the swivelling mechanism (11, 24, 23) about an angle which, relatively to the horizontal, is larger than the angle of inclination of the pivot shafts (9) of the passenger carriers with respect to the central axis (6).

Description

The invention relates to a circular ride with a supporting structure arranged above a base frame, which can be rotated and driven about a central axis perpendicular to its main plane, and on the circumference of which a plurality of passenger carriers is freely rotatable about pivot axes, which are arranged on the supporting structure inclined to the central axis and enclose with it an acute angle on the upper side, the center of gravity of each passenger carrier being empty and occupied being at a distance from the associated pivot axis and the structure being tiltable into an inclined position.

Such a tour business is known from DE-C-31 50 432. Its special effect and thus driving impression is due to the fact that the imbalance caused by the distance of the center of gravity of each passenger carrier from its pivot axis leads to the passenger carrier being thrown out (about its pivot axis) in a position radially outward to the central axis when the ground or satellite disc is driven around its central axis. As soon as the centrifugal force causing this stops, however, because the supporting structure (base plate or satellite cross) is no longer rotated, the passenger carrier swivels back about its pivot axis and returns to its rest position, in which the center of gravity is between the pivot axis and the central axis. Because of the inclined position of the swivel axis, the passenger carrier was raised when it was thrown out, and the stored position energy, determined by the gravitational pull, caused it to swing back.

In the arrangement known from DE-C-31 50 432, only a relatively slight inclination of the base plate or of the satellite cross is provided, which can be brought about, for example, with the aid of an air bellows (cf. corresponding EP-B-82 435). In particular, the tilting angle of the central axis against the vertical should be smaller than the angle of inclination of the passenger carrier pivoting axes against the base plate or the satellite cross.

In an attempt to create novel driving impressions with circular rides, it has now been found that this is possible on the basis of carousels of the type discussed, if the supporting structure is arranged with its central axis at the free end of an arm and attacks a pivoting mechanism on the arm in a manner known per se , and that the structure can be tilted by means of the erecting mechanism by an angle with respect to the horizontal which is greater than the angle of inclination of the passenger carrier pivot axes with respect to the central axis.

Due to the strong inclination of the structure relative to the vertical, a much higher restoring moment, caused by gravity, is generated around the swivel axis when rotating (the ground disc or satellite cross) than is the case with a horizontal or only slightly inclined structure due to the swivel axis inclination the case is. Accordingly, the equilibrium between centrifugal and gravitational force is only reached in the zenith area of the rotating structure at higher speeds, and it is possible to bring about pendulum movements of the freely rotatable passenger carriers around their swivel axes simply by changing the angular velocity with which the structure rotates about its central axis.

The inclination of floor disks and satellite crosses while driving carousels is known per se. For example, according to DE-U-1 980 612, the base plate of a carousel with passenger gondolas mounted in an oscillating manner tangentially on the circumference of the base plate is pivoted up about a tilting axis likewise tangential to the base plate, with the aid of an erection mechanism arranged between the base plate and the base frame. DE-U-1 956 873 provides an eccentric device in the region of the central axis for periodically swiveling up and tilting a plurality of satellite disks or crosses with passenger carriers fixedly arranged thereon. However, this enabled the special driving experience, which was based on the combination of the passenger carriers swiveling around diagonally inward vertical axes with a tilting of the disc carrying the vertical axes or the like that exceeded the (fixed) inclined position of the vertical axes. rests, cannot be achieved. There was also no suggestion for that combination in the prior art.

Advantageous refinements and developments of the circular rides according to the invention are the subject of subclaims. With regard to the spherical shape of the passenger carrier, reference is to be made to US Pat. No. 3,219,344 and for a brake between the passenger carrier and the associated pivot axis to GB-A-2,082,924.

• Fig. 1 ein Rundfahrgeschäft mit einer Bodenscheibe als Tragwerk in schematischem Querschnitt, und zwar sowohl im abgesenkten als auch im aufgerichteten Zustand;
• Fig. 2 eine Draufsicht auf das Fahrgeschäft gemäß Fig. 1;
• Fig. 3 eine ausschnittsweise, der Fig. 1 entspre­chende Darstellung eines Fahrgeschäfts mit mehreren sternförmig um einen Zentralbau an Auslegern aufgehängten Tragwerken in Form von Satellitenkreuzen;
• Fig. 4 eine Draufsicht auf einen Fahrgastträger;
• Fig. 5 eine Seitenansicht einer abgewandelten Ausführungsform des in Fig. 3 dargestellten Fahrgeschäfts;
• Fig. 6 den Zentralbau des Fahrgeschäfts in Fig. 5 im gleichen Betriebszustand (Schwenkbe­trieb), jedoch in vergrößertem Maßstab; und
• Fig. 7 eine der Fig. 6 entsprechende Darstellung in einem anderen Betriebszustand (Ein- und Aus­stieg).

The drawing illustrates the invention schematically using exemplary embodiments, namely shows

• Figure 1 is a circular ride with a base plate as a supporting structure in a schematic cross section, both in the lowered and in the erected state.
• FIG. 2 shows a top view of the ride according to FIG. 1;
• 3 shows a section of a fairground ride corresponding to FIG. 1 with a plurality of structures suspended in the form of a star around a central building on cantilevers in the form of satellite crosses;
• 4 is a plan view of a passenger carrier;
• FIG. 5 shows a side view of a modified embodiment of the fairground ride shown in FIG. 3;
• 6 shows the central structure of the ride in FIG. 5 in the same operating state (swivel operation), but on an enlarged scale; and
• FIG. 7 shows a representation corresponding to FIG. 6 in a different operating state (entry and exit).

The base frame 1 of the roundabout business shown in FIG. 1 is designed as a carriage with a chassis 2. A rocker arm 4 is pivotally connected to the base frame 1 about an axis 3. At its free end it bears the support of a supporting structure in the form of the base plate 5, which can be rotated about the central axis 6 and driven by a motor 7 (not shown in more detail).

On the floor pane 5, a plurality of passenger carriers 8 are arranged, as shown in FIG. 2 on their circumference, and can be pivoted freely about pivot axes 9, which are inclined toward the central axis 6 in the manner shown. In addition, the seats 10 are arranged on the passenger carrier 8 on one side to the pivot axis 9, so that the center of gravity of the passenger carrier 8 is a distance from the pivot in the occupied and in the unoccupied state has axis 9. This distance forms the lever arm of the torque, which acts on the passenger carrier 8 when the base plate 5 rotates about the central axis 6 and pivots it out of its rest position, drawn with solid lines, into a dynamic position shown in broken lines.

Between the base frame 1 and the rocker arm 4 there is an erection mechanism in the form of a hydraulic cylinder 11 which, when actuated, swivels the rocker arm 4 and thus the base plate 5 about the axis into the erection position shown with somewhat thinner lines. The position which the extended cylinder 11 then assumes with its piston rod is indicated by dash-dotted lines.

While in that erection position the passenger carrier 8 currently in the zenith is shown as pivoted outwards / upwards into its dynamic position, it is possible to achieve that the passenger carrier 8 about the then almost horizontal by simply changing the speed of the base plate 5 about the central axis 6 Swiveling axis 9 back to its rest position. As soon as that passenger carrier 8 leaves the zenith, however, it will be driven out again; In its position diametrically opposite the zenith position, the effects of centrifugal force and gravitational force add up - as FIG. 1 clearly shows - so that the passenger carrier 8 located in this position assumes its dynamic operating position in any case.

Fig. 1 also shows that the main level of the Bottom plate 5 is not completely horizontal, but already has a certain inclined position. The stationary pedestal of the circular shop and its other components are adapted accordingly, which shows the drawing in a schematic representation.

Fig. 3 shows - also schematically and only in detail - the central structure 20 of a ride known as "Polyp", "Octopus" or "Monster" with a plurality of cantilever arms 22 (only one is shown in the drawing), which around the central axis 21 is arranged in a star shape on the circumference of the central structure 20 and rotate with the rotatable and drivable part of the central structure 20 about the central axis 21 during operation. They pivot about axes 23, which are tangential to the central axis 21, under the action of an eccentric device 24 with tie rods 25 of known construction.

At the free ends of the cantilever arms 22, several identical structures in the form of satellite crosses 5a are arranged to rotate about central axes 6a and are drivable with the help of motors 7a, which are again not shown. As the use of similar reference symbols is intended to make clear, each satellite cross 5a corresponds to the base plate 5 in the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1. Therefore, according to FIG. 3, seat supports 8 are also freely pivotable on the circumference of each satellite cross 5a about inwardly inclined axes 9, and not only the two passenger carriers 8 shown in FIG. 3 (on each satellite cross 5a), but their several, for example four.

In the operating position shown in broken lines, the satellite cross 5a of the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 3 assumes an inclined position corresponding to the upright position of the base plate 5 according to FIG. 1.

The housing 33 of the passenger carrier 8 have, as can be seen from FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 and in addition to FIG. 4, the shape of a spherical section which is penetrated by an annular cutout 30, the center point 34 of which is just outside the spherical circumference in the example shown . The passenger seats 10 are arranged tangentially to this circular ring section 30; for this reason at an angle to each other. Restraint bars 31 and a railing 32 serve to ensure the safety of the passengers when getting on and off or when operating the tour business.

5 shows - just as schematically as the other drawing figures - a circular ride similar to the embodiment in FIG. 3 but modified. On a base frame 1 a, a central structure 20 rotatable about the central axis 21 is arranged, from the upper end of which arms 22 extend radially outward. The brackets 22 are divided in this embodiment and each consist of a support arm 22a rigidly connected to the central structure 20, on which (radially outward) a pivot arm 22b is pivoted about the axis 22c tangential to the central axis 21. The tie rods 25ʹ are on the one hand at 22d on the swivel arms 22b, on the other hand on the eccentric device 24ʹ, namely the driving ring 40 pivotally articulated; the latter is described in more detail below.

As in the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 3, supporting structures in the form of satellite crosses 5a are arranged rotatably about their central axis 6a at the free ends of the swivel arms 22b. The electric motor drive 7a is only indicated here in the form of the hub of the satellite cross 5a. The arms 5b of the satellite cross 5a end in support pieces 5c for the pivot axes 9, about which the passenger carriers 8 (different design than before) are rotatably attached by means of support arms 8a and hubs 8b in turn fastened thereon. The inclination of the axes 9 with respect to the main plane of the satellite cross 5a, on the basis of which the pivot axes 9, as it were, enclose acute angles with the top of the arms 5b, can be clearly seen in the drawing.

The structure and mode of operation of the eccentric device 24ʹ and the articulation of the tie rods 25ʹ on the one hand on the eccentric device 24ʹ and on the other hand on the swivel arms 22b (at 22d) can be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7. 6 shows the eccentric device 24ʹ in its (outermost) working position, in which the swivel arms 22b with the attached passenger carriers 8 are swiveled up and back alternately, while FIG. 7 illustrates the rest position of the eccentric device 24ʹ, in which all the passenger carriers 8 are one Take a position where passengers can get on and off.

The central structure 20 has a column 20a which is rotatably supported on a rotary ball joint 41 about the central axis 21. A pinion 43 meshes with the ring gear 42 of the rotary ball joint 41, which pinion can be driven by an electric motor 46 via a countershaft 44 and a belt drive 45.

A turntable 47 is arranged concentrically to the column 20a and the central axis 21 and is rotatably supported on a ball bearing connection 48 (independently of the column 20a) about the central axis 21. The fixed part of the ball slewing ring 48, like the fixed part of the ball slewing ring 41, is supported on the base plate 1a. An electric motor 62 can drive a pinion 65 via belt 63 and a countershaft 64, which meshes with the external toothing 55 of the ball slewing ring 48 and rotates the slewing ring 47 about the central axis 21.

The piston rod 49 of a hydraulic cylinder 50 is mounted on the rotating ring 47 with the aid of components not of interest here, about the axis 51 tangential to the central axis 21. The cylinder 50 is pivotally mounted on an additional rotating ring 53 about an axis 52 parallel to the axis 51. In addition to the hydraulic cylinder 50 with the piston rod 49, the turntables 47, 53 are also connected by a stand 54 which is attached diametrically to the piston rod 49 of the hydraulic cylinder 50 on the turntable 47 and at the other end a radial shoulder 57 on the turntable 53 around the axis 58 pivotally mounted. The axis 58 runs parallel to the superimposed axes 51 and 52, but offset by 180 ° with respect to the slewing rings 47 and 53. Thus, when the hydraulic cylinder 50 is actuated, the turntable 53 can execute the one-sided lifting movement which can be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7.

The above-mentioned driving ring 40, which corresponds in its construction to the slewing rings 47 and 53, is supported on the slewing ring 53 via a ball slewing ring 59 - freely rotatable about the central axis 21. Radially outward and distributed around the circumference with the help of trestles 60, the ends of the tie rods 25ʹ facing the central structure 20 are pivotally mounted about axes 61, again tangential to the central axis 21. The other ends of the tie rods 25ʹ are articulated with the axes 22d on the swivel arms 22b.

If the motor 46 sets the column 20a in rotation via the reduction gear 44 and the pinion 43, then the support arms 22a fastened thereon take the swivel arms 22b and also the driving ring 40 via the pull rods 25ʹ. This rotation of the driving ring 40 is independent of whether the slewing rings 47 and 53 also rotate or - if they do so - their speed about the central axis 21 is the same or a different one. Because the ball slewing ring 59 allows a relative rotation.

Accordingly, vice versa independently, the electric motor 62 can drive the pinion 65 and thus the rotating ring 47. If the turntable 47 rotates about the central axis 21, it also takes the turntable with it as a result of the connection on the one hand by the stand 54 and on the other hand by the hydraulic cylinder 50 with the piston rod 49.

If the turntables 47, 53 assume their relative position shown in FIG. 7 (parallel to one another), then all swivel arms 22b and thus also all satellite rings 5a are in their deepest (lowered) position, in which the passenger carriers 8 are entered by the passengers or can be left. However, if the hydraulic cylinder 50 is actuated, which in the example shown leads to a retraction of the piston rod 49, the upper swivel head 53 pivots about the axis 58 into an inclined position according to FIG. 6. He takes the driver ring 40 in a parallel inclined position. This leads to the fact that with the exception of each pull rod 25ʹ, which is just above the pivot axis 58 of the rotating ring 53, all other pull rods 25ʹ are pulled down and accordingly pivot their pivot arms 22b, as can be seen in FIGS. 5 and 6 on the left. If the column 20a is rotated by the motor 46 via the drive connection described above, each pull rod 25ʹ periodically passes through the two extreme positions shown in FIG. 6 and each intermediate position, which leads to the desired pivoting of the swivel arms 22b with the satellite crosses 5a leads.

The same effect of pivoting the satellite crosses 5a up and down can also be achieved without rotating the column 20a in the lowered state of the eccentric device 24ʹ shown in FIG. 6 if the turntable 47 is driven with the aid of the motor 62. Because in the manner set out above, the rotation of the slewing ring 47 is transmitted to the slewing ring 53, which thus executes a wobbling movement about the central axis 21. This wobble movement must take the driving ring 40, and in turn each pull rod 25ʹ passes through the end positions shown in Fig. 6 and all intermediate positions. As a result, the satellite crosses 5a can be rocked without moving in the circumferential direction. For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned at this point that, of course, the central building and thus the satellite crosses 5a can also be rotated without that pivoting movement, namely if the slewing ring 5 and thus the driving ring assume the relative position shown in FIG. 7, in which the Eccentric device 24ʹ is located in the rest position.

Of course, the rotary movements generated by the electric motors 46, 62 can be superimposed on one another, specifically with an opposite direction of rotation. Because then a relatively frequent and thus rapid rocking movement of the satellite crosses 5a can be generated with relatively slow speeds. Conversely, if both rotating systems were driven in the same direction and at the same speed, the satellite crosses 5a would not be swiveled up and down even if the rotating ring 53 and the driving ring 40 were in the position shown in FIG. 6, that is to say the eccentric device 24 'was in the (extreme) working position . Rather, the wholly or partially raised satellite crosses 5a would maintain this relative position, as would the lowered or only slightly raised satellite cross 5a regardless of the rotation of the column 20a about the central axis 21 (and thus a corresponding rotation of the satellite crosses 5a about the central axis 21).

At the same time, it is clear from this that very different combinations of movements can be achieved with corresponding changes in the direction of rotation and the speeds and the extended position of the piston rod 49 with respect to the hydraulic cylinder 50.

The arrangement described above has the further advantage that, due to the positioning of the lifting device (here the eccentric device 24ʹ realizing) with the stand 54 and the hydraulic cylinder 50 below the axes 61 of the tie rods 25ʹ, the position of the lifting device (ie the axial position of the hydraulic cylinder 50 and the Piston rod 49) can be selected independently of the tie rod bearing. The axes 58 and 61 advantageously have the same distance from the central axis 21, so that the lifting movement of the slewing ring 53 only leads to the swiveling up (not also partially lowering) of the satellite crosses 5a.

Furthermore, by designing the eccentric device 24ʹ, approximately sinusoidal upward and downward movements of the swivel arms 22b and thus the satellite crosses 5a are generated, and it is important for the driving operation that the axes 22c about which the swivel arms 22b with the satellite crosses 5a and the passenger carriers 8 pivot, located above the total center of gravity of the load to be swiveled up so that when the carousel rotates, the centrifugal force acting on the center of gravity supports the swiveling up and relieves the tie rods 25ʹ and the eccentric device 24 verbundene connected to them.

Claims (10)

1. A circular ride with a supporting structure (5; 5a) arranged above a base frame (1; 1a), which can be rotated and driven about a central axis (6; 6a) perpendicular to its main plane, and on the circumference of which a plurality of passenger carriers (8 ) is freely rotatable about swivel axes (9), which are arranged on the structure inclined to the central axis and enclose an acute angle with the upper side thereof, the center of gravity of each passenger carrier (8) being empty and occupied a distance from the associated swivel axis (9) has and the structure (5; 5a) can be tilted into an inclined position,
characterized in that, in a manner known per se, the supporting structure (5; 5a) with its central axis (6; 6a) is arranged at the free end of an arm (4; 22) and a swivel mechanism (11; 24, 25) on the arm (4th ; 22) and that the structure (5; 5a) can be tilted by the pivot mechanism (11; 24, 25) by an angle to the horizontal which is greater than the angle of inclination of the passenger carrier pivot axes (9) with respect to the central axis (6). 2. A fairground ride according to claim 1,
characterized in that the tilt angle of the structure (5; 5a) against the horizontal is greater than 15 ° and is preferably approximately 45 °. 3. A fairground ride according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized in that the supporting structure has a base plate (5) which can be rotated about the central axis (6) and which supports the passenger carriers (8) with their pivot axes (9) on their circumference, and in that the pivot mechanism engages between the base frame (1) and the bottom plate (5) is arranged erection mechanism (11). 4. A fairground ride according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized in that the supporting structure is a satellite cross (5a) which can be rotated and driven about a central axis (6a) perpendicular to its main plane, and on the free circumferential ends of which the passenger carriers (8) are arranged about their pivot axes inclined to the central axis (6a) (9) are freely rotatable;
that several satellite crosses (5a) hang centrally on the free ends of cantilever arms (22) which are arranged in a star shape on a central building (20) so as to be rotatable and drivable about a central axis (21);
and that the swivel mechanism is an eccentric device (24; 24ʹ) with tie rods (25; 25ʹ) through which the cantilever arms (22) with the satellite crosses (5a) about axes (23) tangential to the central axis (21) in alternating vertical and oblique positions are pivotable, at the maximum of which the angle with respect to the horizontal is greater than the angle of inclination of the passenger carrier pivot axes (9) with respect to the respective central axis (6a) of the relevant satellite cross (5a). 5. round trip according to claim 4,
characterized in that the eccentric device (24ʹ) has two rotating rings (47, 53) arranged coaxially one above the other and concentric to the central axis (21), which can be rotated together about the central axis (21), and their upper rotating ring (53) in an oblique relative position is pivotable to the lower slewing ring (47), the tie rods (25ʹ) being articulated on the upper slewing ring. 6. A fairground ride according to claim 5,
characterized in that the upper turntable (53) is pivotally supported by a stand (54) which is fastened on the lower turntable (47) about an axis (58) tangential to the central axis (21), and in that it is diametrical to the stand ( 54) a lifting device (cylinder 50, piston rod 49) is arranged between the lower and upper swivel rings (47, 53). 7. round trip shop according to claim 5 or 6,
characterized in that the lower slewing ring (47) is rotatably mounted about the central axis (21) independently of the central structure (20), and in that the tie rods (25ʹ) are articulated to a driving ring (40) which is coaxial is supported on the upper slewing ring (53) and is freely rotatable. 8. round trip shop according to claim 7,
characterized in that separate drives (43 - 46; 62 - 65) for the central building (20) with the arms (22) and the driving ring (40) on the one hand and the slewing rings (47, 53) are provided. 9. A fairground ride according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that each passenger carrier (8) has a housing (33) substantially in the form of a spherical section, in which the passenger seats (20) are arranged tangentially to a circular section (30), the center point (34) of which is at a distance from the center point of the ball , is preferably outside the circumference of the ball. 10. A fairground ride according to at least one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that the pendulum movement of the passenger carriers (8) is damped about their pivot axes (9), preferably by means of a friction or fluid brake effective between the passenger carrier (8) and the pivot axis (9).

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