US1024283A

US1024283A - Amusement device.

Info

Publication number: US1024283A
Application number: US66150911A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alva M Ricks
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1911-11-21
Filing date: 1911-11-21
Publication date: 1912-04-23
Anticipated expiration: 1929-04-23

Description

AMUSEMENT DBVIGE.

APPLICATION FILED nov. 21, 1911 Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A.- M. RISKS. AIUQBIENT DEVIGE.

APPLIOA'IIOI Hun 10v. 21, 1911. .1 ,024,283, Patented Apr.23, 1912.

3 BHEBTB-SHEET 2.

W660 "jwe,

( .21 Rodi J 5 1 A. M. RIGKS.

,AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

nrmoumn nun NOV. 21, 1911,

1 O24,283. M Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

3 BHBBTBSHEBT 3.

I i A Q hlwlw J2? H ALVA M. KICKS, DE LOS ANGELES, GALIFORNIA.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

Application filed November 21, 1911. Serial No. 661,509.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVA M. Ruins, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Amusement Devices, of which the following is if specification.

This invention relatesto an amusement device of the racing class; and it has to do particularly with a racing apparatus in which there is provided a novel form of track. in combination with suitable trucks traveling thereon, for producing a movement peculiarly suited for carrying 'equestrian figures and for imitating equestrian movenients -although any sort. of carriages may be mounted on the trucks and in which people may ride.

The invention consists primarily in the provision of a suitable platform beneath which a track is arranged. the track comprising a pair of rails one placed above the other. These rails have raised curved portions which cause the trucks traveling there on to rise: and the curves may be made of any desired character so as to obtain a move ment of any kind. The trucks traveling on the rails are so constructed that the horses supported and carried by the trucks will ri e in a realistic manner as in leaping a hurdle or other barrier; and l place hurdles upon the platform over which the horses will be raised by the mechanism below} the apparent et'tcct being: that the horses travel alongliorizontally; up to the hurdles and.

then leap them in a natural manner. I also prefer to provide two traelcs, one within the other. and to provide such driving means for the trucks thereon that the speed of the trucks on the separate tracks may be varied at. will. This provides for racing the trucks on the ditl'ereut tracks, allowing one truck to pass the other as on a real racecourse. This variation of speed preferably etiecled by providing each truck or group of trucks with a driving motor and controlling the current to the driving motor through the means of a. rheostat or other electrical controller. in my preferred form of apparatus 1 have provided for a similarity to a. real racewcourse and have mounted a controlling station at a convenient point on the course --:it a position corresponding to the position of the judges stantl-and have mounted the controller therein; but this arrangement may be made as desired.

The structure and minor combinations of my device will be best understood from the following specification and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan of my complete apparatus. portions being broken away for purposes of illustratio Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of the apparatus. Fig.3 is a side elevation of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2, looking from the opposite side of the device. Fig. 4 is a cross section taken as indicated by line 4-4. of Fig. 2. y

In the drawings 10 designates a platform which preferably covers the entire apparatus, extending outside of the outer track 11 as is best indicated in Fig. 1 and covering the Whole space within inner track 12 I have provided a landing platform 13 and steps 14 for the convenience of passengers. The surface of the platform 10 may be provided with any desired embellishments and may be made to imitate a racecourse as closely as desired. At a suitable point on the platform 10 I have shown the control. ling stand 15, this controlling stand being made to imitate a. judge's stand.

Tracks

11 and 12 are each composed of an upper and a

lower rail

20 and 21 and these rails are supported on upright posts braclid by means of members 23, so that the whole construction is made rigid and durable. The platform 10 is supported by any suitable means: and 1 have shown members 24 particularly for the support of the platform 10 between the

tracks

11 and 12. Just inside each track there is a slot 10" cut in the platform, these slots being for the accommodation of the vertical posts which project upwardly from the trucks to carry the figures on their upper ends. Posts 22 rest upon suitable sills 25; and the number of these sills and posts will depend entirely upon the size of the whole apparatus. I have shown only a few of these supporting members; in a large apparatus the posts 22 would probably be spaced not more than eight or ten feet apart. The

rails

20 and 21 are preferably composed of suitable backings lOfiand 21, say of Wood, and facings 2. K191" of steel or other durable mate- I'Hl I have provided trucks 30 to travel upon the tracks and these trucks are so constructed that, in traveling over curved p0rtionsQO and 21" of the rails, they will take lfr'lltllll angular positions as will hereinafter appear; each of the trucks is preferably comprised in two upright portions 31 which carry upper wheels 32 and lower wheels 33 engaging with the upper and lower rails respectively. Upper wheels 32 are preferably small in all of the trucks; while lower wheels 3323 are usually made larger than the upper wheels, and in the forward or drivine truck I have made wheels 33 larger tlwu in the other or trailing trucks. Upright portions 3i are joined by horizontal portions 3% and in these horizontal portions is placed a pivoted joint 35 so as to allow flexibility of the truck in passing around horizontal curves. On the driving truck the driving motor 36 is preferably supported by frames 37 in somewhat the manner illustrated, and this driving motor 36 carries a bevel pinion 3S meshing with gear teeth 39 on one of driving Wheels Current is supplied to the motor 36 through the medium of a circuit, one portion of which is formed by a trolley 40 pivoted at 4-1 to the truck frame and having a wheel 42 running on trolley wire 43 located on insulators 44 beneath the lower rail. A. wire 45 connects the trolley wheel with one side of the motor and the other side of the motor is connected by wire. 46 with the framework of the truck. Through the framework ofthe trurl; and through the wheels the circuit pa, to the metallic facing 21 of the lower trawl Current is supplied to the lower track facing 21" on one side and t0 the trol- Er v wire 43 on the other side through the medium of wires 4-7 and 48, wire 48 connect,- ing lacing 21? with a generator 49, wire 4? connecting trolley wire $3 with controller 5-0. and a wire- 51 connecting the controller with the generator 4-9.

I may connect as many trailing trucks to he driving truck I find convenient and ncressary. The trailing trucks are constructed similar y to the driving truck with the exceptions noted--that the lower wheels are preferably smaller and that there is no motor on the trailing trucks. Connection between adjacent trucks is made b means of a draft bar connected throng universal joints 6] with the two trucks. in the trailing trucks I may employ a can- ;struction in which the uprights 31 are connected by horizontal member 34, and this horizontal member is connected to each up right through the medium of a pivoted joint 35. This will make a pr nted oint mar each upright member 3] instead of a single pivoted joint 35 as in the form of trucic first described and preferably for the driving truck. in each trncl: each 11 right IPIIll'lEY 3 --at the forward end 0 each truck -carrics an upright post which projects up through slot 10 in platform 10.

'6 Th se posts 70 carry on their upper ends frames 71 which are of such configuration as to allow the mounting of two horses, or other carriages, 72 on each of the posts. Thus each truck carries foul horses; and the arrangement becomes somewhat similar to the showing of Fig. 1. It will be observed, particularly from Figs. 2 and 3, that the individual trucks will pass over the raised curved portions of the tracks in the manner as illustrated in Fig. 2 and in angular positions; so that the horses will rise over the curves in a realistic manner. That is, the horses heads will first rise in coming to the curve and will first lower in passing oil the curve. This is one of the features of my invention and I have provided to make the effect more realistic by placing suitable hurdles or other barriers 80 in the paths of the horses and over which the horses have the appearance of leaping. 35 But other forms of carriages may be used, as some persons usually prefer a chair-like seat; and such a seat may be provided by mounting a chariot or other vehicle imitation on the rear uprights of a truck and i mounting horses on the forward uprights.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination, a pair of rails arranged one above the other and each hav ing raised curved portions therein, a truck cpmprising a frame having a horizontally swinging pivoted joint therein, forward and rear wheels on the truck bearing on each of the rails, and a motor on the truck and mechanically connected to one of the wheels.

2. In combination, a platform, a track comprising a pair of rails arranged one above the other and beneath the platform, each rail having raised curved ortions therein, and a hurdle mounted on t e latform adjacent the curved portions 0 the rails; a truck comprising a frame having a horizontally swingin pivoted joint therein and having uprig t members at its'no forward and rear ends, u r and lower wheels on each of the uprig tme'mbers of the truck and bearing on the upper and lower rails, an electric motor mounted on the truck and mechanically connected to one of the lower wheels, equestrian figures mounted above the platform and supported on the truck, and means including a controller to supply electrical energy to the electric motor on the truck.

3. In combination, a platform, a, track comprising a pair of rails arranged one above the other beneath the platform, each rail having raised curved portions therein; a plurality of trucks each comprising a 12:- frame composed of forward and rear upright members and a horizontal connecting member between the uprights, there being a horizontally swinging pivoted joint in the horizontal connecting member, wheels on xx. upper and lower ends of each of the up rigbts and bearing .on the upper and-lower rails, mechanically connecting means between the several trucks, an electric motor I wanted on one of said trucks and mechaniity connected to one of the lower wheels .crreof; an upright post extending up- :vardl from each of the truck uprights, there ing a slot in the plat-form through which the upri ht posts pass, a carriage zontal movement of t e wheels f om the Hacks, and a motor on the truck frame conwrtczl to one of the wheels. I

5 in combination, a pair of rails arranged one above the other and curving in martin-at and horizontal planes, a truck arranged substantially in a vertical plane and including a frame having a horizontally swinging joint therein, upwardly projecting posts carrying equine figures above the frame, forward and rear pairs of wheels bearing on the upper and lower tracks, and

means to prevent lateral horizontal movement of the wheels from the tracks.

6. In combination, a pair of rails arranged one above the other and curving in vertical and horizontal planes, a truck arranged substantiall in a vertical plane and. including a frame having forward and rear vertical members connected by a horizontally swinging joint, each of said members rojecting upwardly and carrying an e uine gure above the upper rail, a pair oi eels arranged on each of said frame me, ibers and bearing one against the upper rail and the other against the lower rail, and means to prevent thelateral horizontal movement of the wheels from the rails.

7. In combination, a pair of rails arranged one above the other, a truck arranged substantially in a vertical plane and including a pair of vertical frame members, each of said frame members projecting upwardly and carrying an equine fi re above the upper track,'a air of whee s on each of the frame mem ers engaging one beneath the upper track and the other above the lower track, and means to prevent the lateral horizontal movement of the wheels away from the rails.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 9th day of November, 1911.

. ALVA M. RICKS.

Witnesses:

JAB. H. BALLAGH, BESSIE MoMonmn.