NZ550540A - Exercise and amusement apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An amusement apparatus is disclosed for traversing along a monorail by a suspended user rotating crank handles which drive drive wheels engageable with a surface of the monorail. A belt drive arrangement may be used to couple the crank handles to the drive wheels. The user may be suspended by holding onto the crank handles or by way of a seat suspended from the apparatus. The monorail may be of rectangular cross section with an upright longitudinal flange.

Description

*10054710392 Our Ref: PLA009NZ Patents Form No. 5 PATENTS ACT 1953 Complete After Provisional No. 550540 Filed: 16 October 2006 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION AN AMUSEMENT APPARATUS We, DENYS LLOYD FILLEUL and MARCIA ANN FILLEUL trading as PLAYGROUND CENTRE, both New Zealand citizens of 10 St. Leonard Street, Wanganui 4501, New Zealand, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: intellectual pro;.-:; Office of N.Z. 16 OCT 2007 RECEIVED 2 550540 This invention relates to an amusement apparatus.

So-called playground equipment and apparatus is generally intended for amusement purposes but will usually involve a user in a degree of physical exercise in order to operate the apparatus/equipment. However, such apparatus/equipment will often not provide a high level of physical exercise and challenge to a user.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide apparatus intended for physical amusement purposes which will provide a physical challenge to a user and hence provide an exercise function, or the apparatus will, at least, provide the public with a useful choice.

Broadly in one aspect of the invention there is provided an amusement apparatus including a carriage for traversing along a monorail, the carriage including first and second pairs of drive wheels engageable with a surface of the monorail, first and second rotatable crank handles, drive transfer means coupling the first crank handle to the first pair of drive wheels and drive transfer means coupling the second crank handle to the second pair of drive wheels whereby a user suspended below the carriage can by rotating the first and second crank handles drive the first and second pairs of drive wheels to, in use, cause the carriage to be propelled along the monorail.

In one embodiment the user is suspended from the carriage by holding onto the first and second cranks. In an alternative embodiment a seat is suspended below the carriage and on which a user can sit and be located below the crank handles.

According to a preferred embodiment one or more rollers mounted by the carriage are disposed to engage opposing surfaces of the monorail, the surfaces being 3 550540 disposed substantially transverse to the surface on which the first and second pairs of drive wheels engage.

In one form of the invention the monorail has a longitudinal upstanding flange and the first and second pairs of drive wheels are arranged such that the flange is located therebetween.

In the following more detailed description of the invention is given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Fig ure 1 is a perspective view from below of the carriage engaged on a section of a monorail, Figure 2 is a perspective view from above but with the casing of the carriage removed, Figure 3 is a top plan view of the arrangement shown in Figure 2, Figure 4 is an end elevation view of the arrangement shown in Figure 2, and Figure 5 is a side elevation view of the arrangement shown in Figure 2.

The carriage 10 is, as shown in the drawings, engaged on a monorail, only a section of which is shown in the drawings. In a practical application of the invention the monorail can be any length though may be about 6-12 metres long. As illustrated, the monorail R is a length of box section steel and preferably has an upstanding flange or reinforcing rib F. In the normal arrangement of the apparatus the monorail R will be suspended above a ground surface and orientated such that the flange F is substantially vertically orientated and the top surface S of the monorail R is substantially horizontal. 4 550540 As shown in Figure 1, the internal mechanism of the carriage 10 will be encased within a casing which is comprised of two casing sections 11. Each casing 11 can be fastened to the carriage 1 0 by suitable fixings 14 which extend through openings in the casing 1 1 and engage in a suitable anchor (e.g. threaded bore) associated with mounting plates 15 which combine to effectively form the chassis of the carriage 10.

The carriage has a pair of crank handles 1 3 mounted either side and to each of these are attached a transverse handle 1 2. The cranks 1 3 are mounted to a shaft 16 which extends through and is rotatably mounted by a bearing arrangement 17 carried by the spaced apart mounting plates 15. As shown in the drawings, the cranks 13 are disposed 180° opposed.

Rotatably mounted by each of the mounting plates 1 5 is a pair of drive wheels 1 8. As is more clearly seen in Figures 2-4, one pair of drive wheels engages on surface S of the monorail R to one side of the flange F while the other pair of drive wheels 1 8 mounted by the other of the mounting plates 1 5 is disposed to the other side of the flange F. These drive wheels can run longitudinally along the monorail R and it is on these drive wheels that the carriage 11 is suspended and moveable.

A transmission means is provided for coupling of each crank 1 3 to a respective of drive wheels 18. Drive wheels 18 may be suitably formed of polyurethane. In the illustrated preferred form of the invention, the transmission means includes toothed wheels 19 coupled onto the axles (not shown) by which the drive wheels 18 are rotatably mounted to the mounting plate 15. A toothed wheel 20 is coupled to the axle 16 adjacent each of the cranks 13. A toothed belt extends about the toothed wheels 19 and 20 and can be tensioned by a tensioner 22 carried by the mounting plate 15. Chain drives may also be employed. In the preferred form of the invention this tensioner 22 is located between the pair of toothed wheels 1 9. 550540 In the preferred form of the invention each mounting plate 1 5 carries a pair of rollers 23. These rollers 23 rotate about substantially vertical axis and are mounted within the mounting plate 1 5 so that a surface thereof engages with the side surface S' of the monorail R. The opposing pairs of rollers 23 mounted by the pair of mounting plates 1 5 thus provide sideways stability to the carriage 1 5 as it traverses along the monorail R.

In use of the invention a user will grasp in each hand a respective one of the handles 12. The user will, therefore, be suspended beneath the carriage 11. The monorail R will be located above the ground surface such that the user when suspended from the carriage i.e. by the handles 12 will be suspended above the ground so that his/her weight is carried by the arms. The user therefore can apply a winding action to the pair of handles 1 2/cranks 1 3 so as to cause the carriage 11 to move along the monorail R.

The challenge to the user therefore is to be able to apply the drive to the carriage 1 1 by turning the cranks 1 3, yet at the same time hang from the carriage 1 1. There is thus a significant physical challenge in operating the apparatus and hence involves significant physical exercise.

Stops will be provided at each end or adjacent end of the monorail R. Buffers 24 are thus carried by the mounting plates 1 5 to provide sufficient cushioning effect upon the carriage reaching either end of the monorail R and making contact with urathene stops.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention is open to modification but still fall within the scope of the invention as intended. For example for younger users and possibly those less physically able, a seat on which the user can sit can be provided. This can be in the form of a pommel seat suspended by chain, covered with protective hose. The connection extends through the opening 6 550540 in the underside of the housing formed by casing sections 11. The upper end of the chain can be suitably fastened below the housing with a connection so that the seat is suspended below the carriage. The user can thus sit on the seat and reach upwardly to grasp the handle. In such an arrangement the user does not need to exert physical effort in suspending himself/herself below the carriage. 7 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. 550540 received! 18 JAN 2008

Claims (21)

Claims

1. An amusement apparatus including a carriage for traversing along a monorail, the carriage including first and second pairs of drive wheels engageable with a surface of the monorail, first and second rotatable crank handles, drive transfer means coupling the first crank handle to the first pair of drive wheels and drive transfer means coupling the second crank handle to the second pair of drive wheels whereby a user suspended below the carriage can by rotating the first and second crank handles drive the first and second pairs of drive wheels to, in use, cause the carriage to be propelled along the monorail.

2. An amusement apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the carriage includes a frame and the first and second pairs of drive wheels and first and second rotatable crank handles are rotatably mounted on opposite sides of the frame.

3. An amusement apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the first and second crank handles are coupled by drive belts to the first and second pairs of drive wheels.

4. An amusement apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the drive belts are toothed drive belts or chains.

5. An amusement apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the first and second cranks are coupled together via a common axle.

6. An amusement apparatus as claimed in claim 5 when dependent upon claim 4 wherein toothed wheels are mounted to the axle and drive toothed wheels that drive the drive wheels via the toothed drive belts or chains. 8 550540

7. An amusement apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6 including tensioning devices to tension the drive belts.

8. An amusement apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim including guide rollers to guide the carriage along the monorail.

9. An amusement apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the carriage has a longitudinal opening dimensioned to receive the monorail and retain the carriage on the monorail in use.

10. An amusement apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the longitudinal opening is dimensioned to receive a monorail having a longitudinal flange.

11. An amusement apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein the longitudinal flange is substantially vertical.

1 2. An amusement apparatus as claimed in claim 1 0 or claim 11 wherein the first and second pairs of drive wheels are located so as to be on opposite sides of the flange in use.

13. An amusement apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim including a formation for securing a seat to the apparatus.

14. An amusement apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim including a seat secured to the carriage.

15. An amusement apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim including a pommel seat connected to the carriage by a flexible element. 9 550540

16. An amusement system including a monorail and an amusement apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim.

17. An amusement system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the monorail is of rectangular cross section.

18. An amusement system as claimed in claim 16 or claim 17 wherein the monorail includes a longitudinal flange.

19. An amusement apparatus as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 1 5 wherein the drive wheels are formed of polyurethane.

20. An amusement apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

21. An amusement system substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DENYS LLOYD FILLEUL and MARCIA ANN FILLEUL TRADING AS PLAYGROUND CENTRE By their Attorney DON HOPKINS & ASSOCIATES