GB2218345A - Dodgem car arena - Google Patents

Abstract

A fairground dodgem car arena characterised by the features, firstly, that the electrically conductive mesh which forms the ceiling of the arena in use, is divided into sections 18 each of which is hinged to the or each adjacent such section by loops 21, 22 which hold the abutting section edges together; and secondly, that the loops are so sized and fitted that the adjacent sections define a sufficiently flat and substantially uninterrupted surface when the arena is in use, whilst being able to fold down against one another when the arena is taken down out of use. <IMAGE>

Description

DODGEM CAR ARENA Field of the Invention The invention relates to fairground dodgem car arenas.

Review of Art known to the Applicant Fairground dodgem car arenas are familiar in the United Kingdom to virtually all classes of person. Like all fairground equipment, they are designed to take down for transport and to be rapidly re-assembled for use as the fair travels around the country from one location to another.

This invention is concerned with the mesh netting curtain which, in use, forms the ceiling of the arena and which the dodgem car wiper brushes against in order to complete its electrical power circuit as the car travels around the arena.

Conventionally this netting is made in one continuous sheet.

When the arena is in use, the sheet is stretched across the roof area of the arena and is tensioned by peripherally hanging weights. When the arena takes down for transport, the netting is rolled into one huge bale.

There are at least two drawbacks to this known construction.

It is difficult to prevent the mesh netting from sagging when the arena is in use. And it is awkward to have to transport the rolled netting bale when the arena is travelling.

Summary of the Invention According to the invention, a fairground dodgem car arena is characterised by the features, firstly, that the electrically conductive mesh which forms the ceiling of the arena in use, is divided into sections each of which is hinged to the or each adjacent such section by loops which hold the abutting section edges together; and secondly, that the loops are so sized and fitted that the adjacent sections define a suffic iently flat and substantially uninterrupted surface when the arena is in use, whilst being able to fold down against one another when the arena is taken down out of use.

Such a construction does away with the need for tensioning weights when the arena is in use. It also reduces the tendency to sag. And it enables the mesh to fold neatly and easily, without necessarily having to take the mesh sections off the arena, when the arena is collapsed and/or dismantled for transport.

Preferably the loops are defined by one or more multipleturn coils. These apply the hinging action over a greater linear extent than single loops would do, and this tends to keep the abutting section edges in line and hinging easily.

Preferably also the coil - or the sum of the coils if there are more than one of them - extends along substantially the whole of the common length of the abutting section edges; for the broad general reason just outlined.

Brief Description of the Drawings The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1 to 9 show between them a possible construction of one arena embodying the invention; figure 10 shows part of a modified version of the arena; and figure 11 shows a roof canopy which may be used with the arena.

The drawings do not necessarily represent the best ways of putting the invention into practice, but they do show the best ways currently known to the applicant.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment Referring to figures 1 to 9, a fairground dodgem car arena has a floor assembled from abutting sections 11 in conventional manner. Opposite-end posts 12 rise from the mid-point of the floor and support gantries 13 propped by struts 14 to extend in-line from opposite sides of each post 12.

The gantries 13 define the opposite-end peripheries of the ceiling of the arena. Side peripheries (not shown in the drawings) span the gantry ends to complete the basically rectangular ceiling periphery. The way in which the posts, struts and the gantries and the gantry side pieces are assembled is conventional and forms no essential part of the invention.

Beams 15 run between the opposite-end gantries 13, generally parallel with the not-illustrated gantry side peripheral sections. In the arena illustrated, there are three such beams housed to one side of posts 12 and three identical beams housed at the other side of the posts. The beams can travel along the gantries 13 on rollers 16. Each set of three beams travels in respectively opposite directions out from the posts 12 when the arena is initially assembled. A hydraulic motor 17 mounted atop each post 12 may winch the beams 15 out from, and subsequently back towards, posts 12 via a winch mechanism which is known in itself.

Flat rectangular sections of electrically conductive mesh are each hinged to the underside of a respective one of the beams 15; and adjacent sections are hinged to one another along their hanging abutting edges. The sections are each numbered 18 in the drawings.

A linear elongate rod 19 runs along, and is spaced from, the underside of its associated beam 15. A multiple-turn hel ical coil 21 threads around the rod 19, through the individual meshes of the section 18, and around the straight-wired top edge 230f that section 18, as illustrated to hinge the straight wired top edge of the section to the underside of the beam.

In similar fashion, a coil 22 threads around the straight wired bottom edges 24 of each two adjacent sections 18, and through successive individual meshes of the sections, to hinge the abutting section edges together along substantially the whole of their common length.

It will be apparent that, when the two sets of beams 15 travel outward from the posts 12, the mesh sections 18 will swing upwards to define eventually a sufficiently flat and substantially interrupted surface against which the dodgem car wipers can brush as the cars travel around the arena.

As the beams 15 travel back in towards the post 12, when the arena is no longer in use and is being taken down for storage or transport, the sections 18 will fold down to lie substantially flat against one another without (in this part icular embodiment) having to be taken off the arena.

In this storage position, all the beams 15 are within the boundaries of the posts 12. With the struts 14 removed, the gantries 13 can then fold about pivots on the posts 12 to lie at right angles to their illustrated positions in sketch 1. With individual floor sections 11 uncoupled from one another, the whole arena presents a compact rectangular-plan package for self-wheeled or stowed transport.

The coils 21 and 22 are each so sized and fitted, with res pect to the mesh and wire sizes of the sections 18, as to permit an easy hinging action without any undue play. They can accommodate considerable non-linearity along the common length of the abutting section bottom edges (although the top edges and the rods 19 are substantially linear). They need none of the maintenance of the conventional pin hinge.

In the modified version of the arena shown in figure 10 the mesh of each section 18 is formed as a grid of bars 30. In this case, the bottom edges 24 of each two adjacent sections 18 are hinged together by a connector which includes a stiffening rod 31 running along part or all of the length of the bottom edges 24.

The hinged connection includes a wire coil 22 which threads around the bottom edges 24 and the rod 31, thus hinging the edges 24 and the rod 31 together. The pitch of the coil 22 is such that it threads around the edges 24 and the rods 31 twice in each individual mesh of the sections 18 adjacent the hinged connection.

Referring to figure 11, the arena may additionally be provided with a canvas canopy 32 mounted atop the beams 15. The canvas between each adjacent pair of beams 15 includes a central diamond shaped panel 33 which is bounded by four triangular side panels 34. At each end of the central panel 33, there is provided a triangular end panel 35 having a drainage hole 36.

The canvas is mounted on the beams 15 via lifting and support bars 37, and the arrangement is such that, when opened, each centre panel is pitched, sloping down from its centre to each end panel 35, whilst the side panels 34 slope down towards the centre panel 33. Water falling on the centre panel 33 or the side panels 34 will, therefore, eventually run into one end region of the panels 33 and thus out through a drainage hole 36.

The canopy 32 may be removably mounted on the beams 15, so that when the arena is to be stowed, the canopy 32 may be removed. Alternatively, the canopy 32 can be so arranged as to fold automatically as the beams 15 are drawn together, and thus to be stowed still attached to the beams 15.

Claims (5)

CLAIMS:

1. A fairground dodgem car arena character wised by the features, firstly, that the electrically conductive mesh which forms the ceiling of the arena in use, is divided into sections each of which is hinged to the or each adjacent such section by loops which hold the abutting section edges together; and secondly, that the loops are so sized and fitted that the adjacent sections define a sufficiently flat and substantially uninterrupted surface when the arena is in use, whilst being able to fold down against one another when the arena is taken down out of use.

2. An arena according to claim 1 in which the loops are defined by one or more multiple-turn coils.

3. An arena according to claim 3 in which the coil, - or the sum of the coils if there are more than one of them - extends along substantially the whole of the common length of the abutting section edges; for the broad general reason just outlined.

4. An arena according to any of the preceding claims, in which the loops holding abutting section edges together also hold stiffening rods in engagement with the section edges.

5. An arena substantially as described herein with reference to, and as illustrated in, any appropriate combination of the accompanying drawings.