GB2179561A - Children's rides - Google Patents

Abstract

A children's ride is powered by a coin-freed mechanism and rotates, in use, on a cylindrical base and about an essentially vertical axis, in known manner. The base 11 is enshrouded by a GRP platform 12 shaped and coloured to simulate the nursery rhyme character Humpty Dumpty 13 sitting on top of a wall 14 and with one of his arms 15 extending horizontally from his body to support an egg-like chair 16 in which the child using the ride sits. A coin- operated vending machine mechanism 21, 18 sells miniature eggs comprising and/or containing sweets. As the ride stops, the machine vends automatically. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in children's rides Field of the Invention The invention relates to children's rides.

Review of Art Known to the Applicant Children's rides as a species are well known. They comprise a platform, a seat or station which the child occupies whilst using the ride, and means to drive the platform for a limited time, and at relatively low speeds, in rotation about an essentially vertical axis and/or in up and down movement.

In known examples, the platform may comprise a miniature animal, vehicle, or building incorporating a seat or station for the child to sit in or stand at whilst the ride is in operation. Platforms stylised to represent miniature articles in this manner are usually made from glassfibre reinforced plastics (GRP). The ride may well be driven electrically, with the necessary electric motor and reduction gearbox hidden in the base of the platform. In the overwhelming majority of instances, the ride is coinoperated.

Summary of the Invention According to the broadest aspect of the present invention, a children's ride is characterised in that it incorporates a coin-operated vending machine.

Coin-operated vending machines are known in themselves, as are children's rides. But the idea of incorporating such a vending machine into a ride is believed to be new. It is also believed to involve an inventive step, because despite the close proximity of children's rides and coin-operated vending machines in amusement arcades and seafronts there has never, to the applicant's knowledge, been any previous proposal to combine the two into a single article. The widespread use of ride platforms comprising casings made from GRP or similar materials lends itself ideally to the incorporation of a coin-operated vending machine, since vending machines have traditionally comprised a relatively standard coin-freed mechanism housed inside a casing.

Preferably the vending machine operates to vend an article only when the ride operates. Although in its broadest aspect the invention encompasses the independent operation of the ride and the vending machine, it adds interest to the ride if the child knows that when he, (or more probably his parent) pays for the ride then he also buys himself automatically an ostensibly "free" article from the vending machine.

More preferably, the operation of the vending machine is so governed by the operation of the ride that the machine vends an article only as or after the ride stops. if the ride is sufficiently attractive in itself, the child will not wish to be distracted by an examination during the ride of any article already received from the vending machine before the ride started. It is clearly better, because it will leave a better impression, if the ride stops and thenalmost as a bonus as he leaves the ride - the child receives an article from the vending machine.

The ride may rotate about a substantially vertical axis, in the manner known and briefly referred to underthe Review of known Art. In the broadest aspect of the invention, however, the ride may be such that in operation the platform moves up and down and/or back and forth as well as, or instead of, rotating.

Preferably the seat or station in which the child sits, or at which he stands, is suspended from or supported by the end portion of an arm projecting from the body of the ride. As the ride operates, the child can then look at and derive pleasure from the features of shape, configuration, pattern and/or ornament of the main body. If the seat or station formed part of the main body, the child would see only a restricted amount of the features of the body during his time on the ride.

In the case just outlined, the arm may with advantage move up and down in relation to the main body as the ride operates. It is known to make a seat or operator station move up and down, automatically and inevitably, in rides of known kind in which the whole body of the ride moves up and down. It is not known, to the best of the applicant's awareness, to make a projecting arm move up and down in relation to the body from which the arm projects, and here again the advantage is that the occupant experiences the pleasurable sensation caused by such movement whilst being able to observe substantially the whole of the main body features.

The seat or operator station may comprise the suitably hollowed-out facsimile of an egg or egg-like shell. This is attractive to most children, and is also inherently somewhat safer than conventional seats because it incorporates back and side portions which hold the child securely as the ride operates.

Preferably such an egg-like seat or station is suspended from or supported at the end portion of an arm as previously outlined, and in such a case the arm may constitute the projecting arm of a figure simulating the well known nursery rhyme character "Humpty Dumpty". The association of an egg-simulating seat with the Humpty Dumpty character is particularly apposite and is believed to be new and inventive within the field to which the invention relates.

Where, as just outlined, a simulacrum of Humpty Dumpty forms the main body of the ride, the body may be mounted on a simulated wall; for reasons of verisimilitude which are surely universally familiar from childhood days.

In such a case, the wall may house the vending machine outlet chute or drawer; and may also although not necessarily - house the coin slot for the vending machine and/orthe ride itself.

Brief Description of the Drawings The accompanying drawings show, by way of example, the best way currently known to the applicant of putting the invention into practice.

Figure 1 of the drawings shows a ride, embodying the invention, in diagrammatic perspective; and Figure 2 shows diagrammatically the way the arm of this particular ride moves up and down as the ride operates.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment Achildren's ride incorporating a coin-operated vending machine is built around a base which in this example is essentially circular but could be square or any other suitable shape. The base houses an electric motor and reduction gearbox which, when operated, cause the base to rotate slowly about an essentially vertical axis. The motor and gearbox are operated automatically by a coin-freed mechanism of known kind so that they run for a limited period before stopping automatically.

The base is indicated by numeral 11. The motor and gearbox are not shown and need not be described farther. The base supports and is enshrouded by a GRP platform referenced generally 12 and shaped and coloured to simulate the nursery rhyme character Humpty Dumpty 13 sitting on top of a wall 14 and with one of his arms 15 extending horizontally from his body to support an egg-like chair 16 suspended from the arm 15 by chains 17.

Acoin-operated vending machine mechanism is housed in the "wall" 14. The articles, in this case miniature eggs comprising and/or containing sweets, sold by the vending machine are visible behind the transparent front 18 of the machine. The delivery chute 19 of the machine, and the coinreceiving slot 21, are set into the wall 14 adjacent the transparent front 18.

Insertion of an appropriate coin or coins into the slot 21 causes the vending machine to operate to vend a single article. It also causes the ride to operate. The operation of the vending machine is so governed by the operation of the ride that the machine will not vend until the ride, having operated, stops. As the ride stops, the machine vends automatically.

In this particular example, the ride rotates about an essentially vertical axis which runs through the centre of the base 11. As the ride rotates, the arm 15 moves up and down. Figure 2 shows one way of achieving this. A cam 22 has a roller 23 bearing against its underside periphery. The roller 23 is carried at one end of a rigid link 24 which is pivoted at 25 to the inner end of the rigid projecting arm 15.

The arm 15 is pivoted at 25 to the body 13 and carries the seat 16 at its outer end.

The cam 22 is in the form of a circular disc whose underside is so profiled that, as the ride rotates about the stationary cam 22 and carries the assembly 23,24, 15 and 16 around with it, the roller 23 moves up and down; and transmits that movement via the link 24 to the arm 15 and hence to the seat 16.

The edges of the "egg" 16 could be scalloped to simulate a broken-open eggshell.

Claims (14)

1. A children's ride (i.e. a platform, a seat or station which the child occupies whilst using the ride, and means to drive the platform for a limited time, and at relatively low speeds, in rotation about an essentially vertical axis and/or up and down and/ or back and forth) characterised in that the ride incorporates a coin-operated vending machine.

2. A ride in accordance with Claim 1 and in which the vending machine operates to vend an article only when the ride operates.

3. A ride in accordance with Claim 2 and in which the machine vends an article only as or after the ride stops.

4. A ride in accordance with any of the preceding claims and in which the seat or station in which the child sits, or at which he stands, is suspended from or supported by the end portion of an arm projecting from the body of the ride.

5. A ride according to Claim 4 and in which the arm moves up and down in relation to the main body as the ride operates.

6. A ride according to any of the preceding claims and in which the seat or operator station comprises a facsimile of an egg or egg-like shell.

7. A ride according to any of Claims 1,2,3 and 5 and in which the main body of the ride incorporates a figure simulating the nursery rhyme character "Humpty Dumpty".

8. A ride according to Claim 7, in which the seat or station comprises a facsimile of an egg or egg-like shell.

9. A ride according to Claim 8 and in which the egg or egg-like shell is suspended from or supported by the end portion of an arm projecting from the body of the "Humpty Dumpty" figure.

10. A ride according to any of Claims 7,8 and 9 and in which the "Humpty Dumpty" figure is mounted on a simulated wall and the wall houses the vending machine outlet.

11. A ride according to Claim 10 and in which the wall also houses the coin slot for the vending machine and/or for the ride itself.

12. A ride characterised by the combination of features of general shape and configuration of the ride illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A ride constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A ride having the combination of general features of shape and configuration of, and constructed and arranged to operate substantially in the manner of, the ride specifically described and illustrated herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.