NZ194788A - Water slide of flanged sections - Google Patents

Description

11418* ;Priority £S>ste|s): ;Compl&to Speo-iftcstion Filed: ^.7'. ;Class «<??.<? .?!/.<?..„ ;" MAR. 1994 ;Publication E>ssts: . ;P.O. ^-VrTiZi fvO: ;IZ5~& ;■%o ;No.: Date: ;194788 ;NEW ZEALAND ;PATENTS ACT, 1953 ;COMPLETE SPECIFICATION ;AMUSEMENT WATER SLIDE ;-I I We, ROBERT HENDERSON BROWN, a citizen of the United ;States, of 874 East Woodward Road, Manteca, California 95336, United States of America. ;hereby declare the invention for which I / we pray that a patent may be granted to jne/us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: - ;- 1 - ;194788 ;This invention relates to amusement water slides: ;Amusement water slides, as heretofore known, are conventionally of continuous, formed-in-place, trough form and hence are not susceptible of prefabrication and transport in initially separate sections, and ready assembly of such sections at the site of use. ;It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide such a sectional water slide which, additionally, embodies certain advantageous features as will hereinafter appear. ;Accordingly the invention consists in an amusement water slide which comprises an elevated launching pool, a substantially lower exit pool, and a circuitous downwardly inclined water slide extending between the launching pool and the exit pool, with the slide adapted to carry persons in a stream of water flowing in the slide from the launching pool to the exit pool, the slide being made up from a plurality of initially separate waterway sections, and means connecting the waterway sections together in end-to-end, unitary relation. ;One preferred form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which ;Fig.l is a top plan, essentially in outline, of the amusement water slide. ;Fig.2 is an enlarged, fragmentary elevation, partly in section, taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig 1. ;Fig.3 is an enlarged, perspective, exploded view of one of the two-part straight sections, detached. ;-2- ;194788 ;Fig.4 is a top plan of the lower half of the same. ;Fig.5 is an enlarged top plan of one of the two-part, 45° turn sections, detached. ;Fig.6 is an elevational, exploded view of the same. ;Fig.7 is an enlarged top plan of one of the two-part, 22%° turn sections, detached. ;Fig.8 is an elevational, exploded view of the same. ;TFig.9 is an enlarged, fragmentary plan view showing particularly one of the 360° turn portions of the slide. ;Fig.10 is a transversed or radial sectional elevation taken substantially on line 10-10 of Fig.9. ;Referring now more particularly to the drawings and to the characters of reference marked thereon, the present invention embodies an elongated, circuitous, downwardly inclined,water slide indicated generally at 1; such slide extending between an elevated launching pool 2 and a substantially lower exit pool 3. An upwardly inclined walkway 4 leads to a waiting platform 5 adjacent the launching pool 2, and another walkway 6 extends out of the exit pool 3. ;Water in a relatively high-volume stream is constantly delivered to the upper end of the slide from the launching pool 2, and, after flowing in the slide, discharges from the lower end of the slide into the exit pool 3; the water thence passing into a low-level catch basin 7, and from which a pump 8, associated with a filter pumps the water upward through a return pipe 9 and back to the launching pool 2 for re-delivery to the upper end of the slide. ;The slide 1 is adapted to carry persons, preferably lying belly-down and head-first on a hand-held pad (not shown), ;-3- ;1947138 ;in the high-volume stream of water flowing in the slide from the launching pool 2 to the exit pool 3 thus providing an exciting "thrill" ride from end to end of the slide. The depth of the stream of water in the slide is, however, not sufficient to submerge a person as water-carried down the slide. ;The slide 1, which is preferably tubular as will hereinafter appear, is suitably fixedly supported, along with the launching pool and exit pool; the supporting means for example, being either a man-made mound of earth or a framework, or, as here shown for illustration, in part an earth mound 10 and in part a framework 11. However the slide in another embodiment may be arcuate in cross section. ;The water slide 1 comprises a multiplicity of initially separate, prefabricated, tubular waterway sections (of substantial inside diameter) connected together in end-to-end relation; the waterway sections including, but without limitation, straight sections 12, 223$° turn sections 13, and 45° turn sections 14. The straight and turn sections are end-connected in an array which produces a slide 1 having a desired circuitous course and which may include, along with straight portions as shown, turn portions varying in extent from 22%° to 360° or more. For example, representative 22%°, 45°, 90°, 11255°, 157%°, and 360° turn portions are indicated at 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 respectively. ;The individual waterway sections of the slide are rigid but relatively lightweight, preferably being formed, as by spray-moulding, from fibreglass or equivalent substance; the inner surface of such waterway sections being smooth-finished so that the slide, throughout its length, is likewise internally smooth. ;-4- ;184788 ;To facilitate manufacture, all of the waterway sections are two-part and comprise an upper half and a lower half. ;More particularly, each straight section 12 (Figs. 3 and 4) comprises a top half 21 and a bottom half 22; each 22%° ;section 13 (Figs. 7 and 8) comprises a top half 23 and a bottom half 24; and each 45° section 14 (Figs. 5 and 6) comprises a top half 25 and a bottom half 26. ;The top and bottom halves of each of the waterway sections are secured together, at the parting lines, by mating, longitudinal or full length, laterally outwardly projecting flanges all shown at 27, connected by rows of longitudinally spaces bolts 28. The waterway sections 13, 14 and 15 as thus provided in tubular form are connected together in end-to-end, unitary relation as follows: ;Each waterway section is provided, at the ends, with radial, outwardly projecting flanges all shown at 29 with adjacent end flanges 29 abutting in matching, face-to-face-relation and connected by rows of circumferentially spaced bolts 30. ;The rotative position selected for at least one of the end flanges 29 of the turn sections relative to a face-abutted end flange 29 of an adjacent section determines the pitch and course of the slide in the corresponding zone thereof. For example, in orderto produce one of the 360° ;turn portions 20 of the slide (with the ends of said turn portion one below the other as in a helix), eight 45° ;sections 14 are employed with successive sections 14 secured together at a slightly greater pitch, than the preceding ;-5- ;1S4!?88 ;section. This is accomplished by the relative rotative (or staggered) positions in which the face-abutting flanges 29 are connected (see Fig. 10.). ;Thus,by pre-selecting the relative rotative positions of the turn sections, individually or in connected sequence, in the slide, the pitch or downward incline of the slide can, at points in its length, be substantially varied, and which enhances the excitement to a person being water-propelled through the slide. Also, such relative rotative positioning of the turn sections in the slide is a factor employed by reducing the pitch to assure against excessive and undesirable speed at any point in the length of the slide. ;Again, it is to be recognised that the relative rotative positions of the turn sections, in conjunction with adjacent sections (either turn sections or straight sections), is the factor which determines, in addition to pitch the course, directionally, of the slide in the corresponding zone thereof. ;Thus, the provision of initially separate waterway sections which can be end-connected in pre-selected relative rotative positions (for the purpose described) is extremely important to the manufacture and ready assembly of an effective, and yet safe, "thrill" water slide. ;If desired, for the purpose of access into the tubular water slide, for cleaning or repair, one or more of the waterway sections may be provided, on the top, with a removable hatch cover, one of which is indicated at 31. From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that there has been produced such an amusement water slide as substantially ;-6- ;184788 ;fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein. ;While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the amusement water slide, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. ;-7- *

Claims (16)

IS4788 WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. An amusement water slide which comprises an elevated launching pool, a substantially lower exit pool, and a circuitous, downwardly inclined water slide extending between the launching pool and the exit pool, with the slide adapted to carry persons in a stream of water flowing in the slide from the launching pool to the exit pool, the slide being made up from a plurality of initially separate waterway sections, and outwardly directed end flanges on said waterway sections which are fixed together in facing abutment connecting the waterway sections together in end-to-end, unitary relation.

2. An amusement water slide, as in claim 1, in which the waterway sections include turn sections and straight sections.

3. An amusement water slide, as in claim 2, in which the flanges on adjacent ends of the waterway sections are adapted for and connected to dispose the turn sections in selected, relative positions so that the pitch or downward incline of the slide can, at points in its length, be substantially varied to control the speed of a user.

4. An amusement water slide, as in any one of the preceding claims in which the waterway sections are arcuate in cross section; and said end flanges on said sections are connected by bolts connecting the flanges on adjacent ends of abutting waterway sections. -8- 1S4788

5. An amusement water slide, as in any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the waterway sections are tubular and said end flanges on said sections are connected by bolts connecting the flanges on adjacent ends of abuting waterway sections.

6. An amusement water slide, as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein a plurality of the turn sections are connected together in a manner to produce a full-circle portion of the slide pitched to dispose the trailing end of said full-circle portion beneath the lead end thereof.

7. An amusement water slide, as in any one of the preceding claims wherein the waterway sections include turn sections and straight sections with the connecting flanges end-connecting the waterway sections in selected relative positions so as to determine the pitch and incline of the slide point to point in the length thereof.

8. An amusement water slide, as in claim 7, wherein the turn sections are connected in a pre-selected end-to-end relation with adjacent sections so as to determine the pitch and course of the slide point to point in the length thereof.

9. An amusement water slide which embodies an elevated launching pool, a substantially lower exit pool, and a continuous, circuitous, downwardly inclined water slide extending between the launching pool and the exit pool, with the slide adapted to carry persons in a stream of water flowing in the slide from the launching pool to the exit pool; the slide comprising a plurality of initially separate, prefabricated, tubular waterway sections including turn -9- 1 Qd'^QQ _l u"1! (• OU sections and straight sections, outwardly projecting flanges on the ends of the waterway sections, the end flanges of adjacent waterway sections being in face abutment, and means connecting the face-abutting flanges together whereby the waterway sections define said continuous slide.

10. An amusement water slide, as in claim 9, in which the flanges of the turn sections are disposed in pre-selected rotative positions relative to the connected face-abutting flanges whereby to determine the pitch and course of the slide point to point in the length thereof.

11. An amusement water slide, as in claim 9 and claim 10, in which the waterway sections are two-part and comprise initially separate upper and lower, longitudinal halves, longitudinal, outwardly projecting flanges disposed in mating engagement at the parting line along both sides of each section, and means securing the longitudinal, mating flanges together in unitary relation.

12. An amusement water slide, as in claim 11, including a plurality of turn sections connected end-to-end and with their abutting flanges in such pre-selected relative rotative positions that said turn sections define a full circle portion of the slide pitched with the trailing end of said full circle portion beneath the lead end thereof.

13. An amusement water slide as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 12 including a pump and return conduit connected to return water from the exit,pool to the launching pool. -10- 1S4788

14. An amusement water slide as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 13 wherein the waterway sections are rigid but relatively, lightweight with the inner surface smooth finished.

15. An amusement water slide as claimed in claim 14 wherein the waterway sections are suitably moulded fibreglass.

16. An amusement water slide when constructed, arranged and operable substantially as herein described with reference to theaccompanying drawings.