US1235411A - Amusement apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

J. W. ANDREWS.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS. AFPLICATION FILED NOV-25.1916.

1335,41 1. Patented July 31, 1917.

VNVENTOR Jmes Winn Pew.

ATTORNEY AMUSEMENT APPARATUS;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 31, 1917.

Application filed. November 25, 1916. Serial No. 133,412.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES W. ANDREWS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oglesby, in the county of Corvell and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an Amusement Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an amusement apparatus and has for its object to provide an apparatus for the purpose which is designed to be set up at places of recreation or public resorts beside a body of water such as a lake or pool, and mounted on the apparatus are a plurality of seats or steps which may be tripped by any one hitting a target with a ball and the weight of the person on the step causes the latter to drop and the person thereon to fall into the water.

vide an amusement apparatus of the character set forth with an inclined plane made of a number of pivoted sections which may be simultaneously moved into horizontal position to form steps or seats and be held in such position by a trip device provided with a target which latter upon being hit by a thrown ball will release the several sections of the inclined plane or steps and permit them through the weight of one or more persons thereon to aline one with the other and form a continuous inclined plane or sliding board down which the persons who were seated or standing upon the steps will be caused to slide and be thrown into a body of water over which the apparatus is erected.

With the above as the principal object in view and other objects to be brought out hereinafter, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts herelnafter described,

pointed out in the claims and illustrated in the acompanying drawings 1n wh1ch:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete apparatus as it appears when erected on the edge of a pool or other body of water. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the uppermost part of the apparatus. I i

Fig. 4 is a bottom vlew of any one of the steps forming a part of the apparatus, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the l1ne 55 of Fig. 2.,

In the drawing, 10 indicates a: pair of Another object of the invention is to pro timbers arranged side by side and paralleland extending upwardly at an inclination as shown from the edge of a lake, pool or other body of water 11, the timbers 10 extending to any height desired and supported caused to turn on their pivot in line with one another as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5. The boards or steps 13 each has a cleat 16 on its under side near each lateral edge or edge adjacent the timbers 10 through which cleats a short distance back of the center of the step isvpassed a rod 17, the ends of which project beyond the edges of the steps and into the timbers 10 forming a shaft or axle for the step which latter, due I to the fact that the rod 17 is in rear of the center thereof, will tilt from its own weight, the forward edge of the step dropping. A second rod 18 extends through the cleat 16 parallel to the rod 17 and to this rod there projects downwardly and rearwardly a loop or eye 19 the several loops or eyesof all the steps being pivotally connected with an inclined rod or bar 20 extending from the bottom to the topmost step so that when any one of the steps is caused to move either into an inclined position or into a horizontal position all the steps will move in unison because of the connection therebetween by the rod or bar 20. Preferably a block 21 is fastened to each timber 10 between the cleat 16 and said timber at the axis 22 of the rod 17, said block having a horizontal edge 23 on its upper end and an inclined face 2401i its front side. These blocks, it being understood that two are provided for each step, form a support for the steps when in both horizontal and inclined positions. 1

At the top of one of the posts or timbers 12 is fastened a bracket 25 in which is j ournaled a short vertical shaft 26 on the upper end of which is atiixed a horizontal arm 27 that extends toward the top step 13 and at its'end is provided with a finger 2-8 that extends at a right angle to the arm 27 and overlies the top step 13 at one edge in rear of its pivot rod 17 when the steps are in their horizontal position as shown in the drawings. The trigger, comprising the arm 27 and finger 28, is maintained normally in the position shown by a spring 29 wound about the shaft 26 and hearing at one end on the arm 27 and at its other end against the bracket 25. The lower end of the shaft 26 is fitted with an arm 80 that projects in a direction opposite the arm 27 for any desired distance and carries on. its ends a target 31. V I

To use the apparatus, the steps 13 are moved into their horizontal position as shown and the finger 28 of the trigger permitted to extend over the top step in rear of its axis of rotation by which means all the steps are maintained in the position shown. One or more persons wearing bathing suits or other suitable clothing will stand or se at themselves on any of the steps 13 desired while other persons at a. suitable distance from the apparatus will throw balls the size of a base ball at the target, which upon being hit with sufiicient force will cause the shaft 26 to rock in the bracket 25 and withdraw the finger 28 from the top step whereupon the weight of the steps and the one or more persons upon them will cause them to quickly tilt into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5 thereby forming a smooth inclined plane down which all the persons heretofore upon the steps will slide into the water to the great amusement of the onlookers. The steps are then reset by an attendant grasping any one of them and turning it into a horizontal position, the rod 20 serving to turn all the steps at the same time in like position and the upper step striking the beveled surface of the finger 28 will cause the latter to swing backward until the step is below the level of the arm whereupon the finger 28 will under the action of spring again engage the top step and hold all of them in horizontal position. The faces 23 of the blocks 21 prevent the steps being turned beyond a horizontal position when set for operation while the faces 24 of said blocks hold the steps at such an angle that their upper surfaces will form practically a true plane from the top to the bottom of the apparatus, and the width of the steps is such that their adjacent edges when the steps are in an inclined position are but slightly separated thus providing a smooth and safe sliding board for those who are thrown into the water.

lVhile I have shown and described what I consider the best form of the device, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit of the invention, if changes come within the terms of the appended claims.

W hat I claim is r 1. An amusement apparatus comprising a downwardly inclined frame, a plurality of supports pivoted on said frame and adapted to be moved into horizontal position and maintained in said position by a trip device, means connecting the series of supporting meml'iers to cause them to move simultaneously, and means adapted to be actuated when hit by an object thrown at it for disengaging the trip device and permitting said supporting members to tilt and form a continuous inclined plane.

2. An amusementapparatus comprising a oownwardly inclined frame, a plurality of supporting members pivotally supported by said frame at equal distances apart throughout the length thereof, means connecting said supports to cause them to move simultaneously, a trip device adapted to hold all of said supporting members horizontally, and means connected to said trip device and adapted when struck by an object thrown at it to actuate said trip and permit said supporting members to tilt and form a continuous inclined plane.

3. An amusement apparatus comprising a sectional inclined plane, each of said sections being pivotally supported to swing into a horizontal position, means connecting all of said sections to cause them to move sin'iultaneously, and a trip mechanism for holding said sections in their horizontal position and adapted when hit by a thrown object to release said supports and permit them to tilt into position to form a continuous inclined plane.

a. An amusement apparatus comprising a pair of spaced parallel'timbers supported in an inclined position, a plurality of steps or seats pivotally mounted between said timbers from their lower to their upper ends, a rod connected to each of said steps or seats to cause a simultaneous movement of the en-' tire group, a trip device engaging the uppermost of said steps to hold them all in horizontal position, and a target connected to said trip device adapted to be hit by a thrown object and release the steps permitting them to tilt into position to form a con tinuous inclined plane.

An amusement apparatus comprising a pair of spaced timbers arranged parallel to each other in an inclined position, a plurality of steps or seats pivoted between said timbers, rod connected to all of said steps or seats to cause simultaneous movement thereof, a trip device for holding the steps in horizontal position, resilient means acting In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 1n presence of two wltnesses.

JAMES W-. ANDREWS.

on said trip device for holding it in engagement with the steps, a target adapted when hit by the thrown object to actuate said trip and permit the steps to tilt into a continuous inclined plane, and supporting blocks on the Witnesses: timbers below each step or seat to limit their JIM POWELL, Jr., swinging movement. G. H. GRAHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

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