US1367868A - Amusement device - Google Patents

Description

P. FABER. AMUSEMENT DEVICE. vAPPLICATION FILED DEC. 9. 1919.

Patented Feb. 8,1921

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

di a/la P. FABER. AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

l 'APPLICATION mep Dic. 9, 191s.` 1,367,868.

Pneuma- Feb. s, 1921.`

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

`UNITD STATES PATENT OFFICE.A

PHILIP FABEB, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 LENA. BILLET, OF BRO0KLYN,`

NEW YORK.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led December 9, 1919. Serial No. 343,589.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP FABER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn of the city of New York, in the State of New York, have 1nvented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates to an amusement device of the character in which there is combined competitive sport with healthy eXercise. In accordance with the invention there areemployed a series of two or more bicycles set on stationary frames and connected operatively through a positive mechanical transmission with a series of visual indicating devices, both of a mechanical and electrical character, which `will serve to indicate at all times the relative proficiency of the participants asv bicycle riders, and announce the real winner at the conclusion of the race. The principal object of the invention is to provide in an amusement device of this character athletic implements, such as bicycles, which will appeal to the public as a healthy form of competitive amusement, and to associate. with bicycles eflicient me-` chanical appliances which will insure accurately an indication of the relative proficiencyof the participants,- thereby eliminating any element of chance or of unfair indications, such as result from inefficient'v mechanism which has been employed under somewhat similar' conditions in other amusement appliances. More particularly, the invention is concerned with thel provision of a single clutch, operable by the attendant, to connect the several bicycles with their respective driven indicating mechanisms so as to insure a fair start ofthe race. A further object is toprovide an improved transmission between'the sprocket of each bicycle and its driven indicating means so that such indicating means is driven at all times in exact accordance with the speed of propulsion of the bicycle sprocket. Still another object is to mount within sight of all of the participants miniature figures which travel along a track in exact accordance with the speed ofpropulsion of the sprockets ofthe V respective bicycles and indicate to the par ticipants at all times during the race their relative proficiency. Another object of the invention is to provide visual electrical indicating means controlled by the said miniature figures to indicate the real winner at the conclusion of the race. A further 0bject is to associate with the miniature figures and the track over which they move a bai rier, operable by the attendant at the time of operation of the clutch for the transmission, to insure a fair get-away of the several figures at the commencement of the race and to mark their relative positions at the conclusion of the race. The invention will be described in greater detail hereinafter in connection with the detailed description of the illustrated embodiment in the drawings, in which drawingsv Figure l is a view in plan of the improved device showing the relation of the bicycles to the track over which the miniature {igures move.

Fig. 2 is a View partly in side elevation and partly in section of the device shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in side elevation and on a somewhat larger Scale of one cf the miniature figures which is movableover the track. l

Fig. i is a view in front elevation of Athe figure shown in Fig. 3, the front Wheel of the miniature bicycle being removed.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in side elevation and on a somewhat larger scale showing' the transmission mechanism between one of the bicycles and the driven chain which carries the miniature figure on the track.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail Viewl in .elevation showing the relation of the driving chain to one of the miniature figures on the track andthe electrical `devices for announcing the winner.

Fig. 7 is a detail view partly in elevation andpartly in lsection showingthe improved clutch for the transmission mechanism between one of the bicycles and its driven mechanism.

Patented Feb. a,I 1921.

-In accordance with the invention, two or Y more bicycle frames a are mounted on a stationary base, the sprockets a Vand Z) ofy two such bicycles being indicated in Fig.

l with their associated pedalsl 612,6 andV of this specification to describe the transmission and associated elements of only one such transmission. 'As shown particularly in Figs. 5 and 7, the sprocket chain a2 drives a sprocket at which is idle on a shaft c journaled in suitable standards CZ mounted in front of the bicycle c., On the shai't c is slidingly mounted a clutch sleeve c on the face or". Which are lcarried clutch pins e adapted to pass through holes f in a guide disk f fastened tothe shaft@ `When the clutch sleeve 'e is slid to the lett, as viewed in Fig. 7, thepins c enter holes a5 termed in the hub of thesprockct a* thereby coupling vtheV sprocket to the sha-tt c. VThe clutch sleeve e is `engaged operatively by anarm g which is carried by a sleeve q slidably mounted on'a shaft 7L journaled in the standards CZ. The shaft 7i has secured there-V to a collar 7i which is connected yieldingly through a spring` 7t2ivith thesleeve g.. E he shaft 7i also has secured thereto acollar 7a2 which isc'onnected through a link 7iA1 to a clutch lever 7i5 pivoted, as at M, to'one of the standardscZ The point ci attachment hl of ,thelink 7# tothevlever 7&5 isv at 'one side of the ulcruin 7L of the lever, so that y the link is oil center with relation to this vfulcrurn in eitherV extreme position of the its operative and inoperative posit-ions.4 rElie shaft 7L, it shouldbe noted, may be extend*v ed transversely across the entire series of Cil bicycles, so as toV operate clutch inemhersV for Veach of the respective transmissions in the precise manner described with relationA to the bicycle c. Invthis Way, ivien the attendantthrovvs'the clutchV lever 7t5 all of the Sprocket chains c3, Z22, etc., are connected operatively With the respective transmissions of the various bicycles.

On the shaft c is secured a spiral gear c' which meshes with a spiral gear Z: on a shaft 7c,this shaft being operatively geared through a spiral gear thereon with a vertically disposed *driven Yshaft 73y The sprocket chains 52, etc., -of each of the other bicycles are operatively Yconnected by cor-v respondingr elements to'otlier vertically disposed drive shafts 62, etc.

Y 'j Inwfront orl the series of bicycles is sup-y ported a trackZ,as by columns Z,'and this track has cut therein slots Z2,7Z3, correspondj ing in 'number to thenumber bicyclesin 6UV the series. The shaft 7c3 driven romythe sprocket` chain e2; has a 'bearing 7a4 formed inthe under surface of `the track Z and car.- ries 'adj acent its upper' end a sprocket Wheel 705 which engaii'esa chain m supported on idlers'm and adapted-to traveldirectly be# neath the slot The sprocket 705, it Will be noticed, bea 1s on the inside of the chain thereby bringing the mainmum number offA sprocket teeth in engagement with the links at all times. While the track Z is shown of elliptical form and the slots Z2, Z2 etc. are of a corresponding outline, it is to under stood that a straight track with straight slots might be employed, in which case some of the provisions made especially by reason of the curvature'othe track and slots would be found unnecessary. rlhe chain m carries a plate m2 Which extends up through the slot Z3 and supports ab ve the track a miniature bicycle 'It on Whichv is a miniature rider fn', one oi the Wheels a2 oi this miniature .bicycle being in rictional engagement with the surface of Ythe track and adapted to drive a sprocket chaine3 and through it move the Ylegs n4 of the miniature rider in such man- '5.3 ner asto simulate the usual'motions of a bicycle rider. Y Y From the description'given, it will be evident that vthe miniaturev bicycle -n on the track ZWill travelfat a speed which is proportionate to the speed of tra-vel of the sprocket chain a3 and that this speed will depend entirely upon the proficiency of theA rider on the bicycle'ia. 1n like mannertheV drivenfshaft Z13 derivesits movement from 9 the sprocket chain 520i anotherbicycle and through the engagement of a sprocket wheel bton this shaft With a secondchainvofimmee Y diately beneathr the slot Z2, a second miniature bicycle 0 above the track Z is pro` pelled'in accordance with the proficiency or" the rider on the bicycleihaving the sprocket chain 712. By reason of the different' radiiV of the slots Z2, Z3, compensatioutorthe diile'rent linear distances which the miniatuiebicycles n, 0' travelA around the track is made up by making the sprocket wheel Vb, a on the different bicycles of differentY 'teeth ratio.V Inthi's Way, although thek miniature bicycle 0 has to travel a greaterlinear: distance than'V the Ybicycle n, the rider on the bicycle a has thea'dvantage of the other rider'byv having a larger gear ratio on his .driving sprocket," thereby making the miniature riders travel at a speed indirect proportion to the proli-` 115 ciency of the riders. 'Y Y `Uoove the track YZ and extendingtrans# versely to the slot'sZ2, Z,3 isV mounted a barrier p, movable Vvertically along guidestandards Y p Vand supportedby a cord pvvhich extends overpulleys p3 and is connectedl to toot Y pedal p by depression of which the/attend? Y Cil iic

'ant may' raise'th'e barrier p above'the level ofA the miniature riders af, o. At tlieco'ni? mencement of thev raceV the 'miniature Yriders 12 VVare"broupjit'along the slots *upv to this Ybar-V rier p andplaced on line with one another,v so that the raising of the barrier will leave; Y the miniature riders free toV be moved and a'.

Vfair and simultaneous get-away is'insuredl 13o *'fter the miniature riders have passed the "tance from the barrier p there are mounted pairs of opposed spring terminals g, Q', respectively, which are in electrical circuit with a display frame "f having numbers corresponding to the numbers of the various VKbicycles in the series. When the plate m2,

say, carrying the miniature bicycle n, comes into contact with the pair of terminals g in the slot Z2 the corresponding number for that bicycle will be flashed in the display frame r so as to indicate the number of the winning machine. In like manner, if any one of the other miniature bicycles first makes contact with its terminals the corresponding number will be flashed. When two or more finish simultaneously, the numbers will be ashed simultaneously.

In making use of the apparatus the sprocket chain a3, b2 of the various bicycles will be manipulated to bring the respective miniature figures n, o intoline adjacent the barrier p and the clutches of all of the transmissions will be simultaneously released by manipulation of the clutch lever h5 in the manner described. The attendant will then raise the barrier p by depressing the foot lever p* and at the. same time throw the clutch lever h5 to engage simultaneously all of the clutches of the several transmissions. The riders on the various bicycles will then pedal and the miniature figure connected to the machine of each rider will travel over the track at a speed proportionate to the proficiency of the particular rider. At all times the relative positions of the various figures will .indicate the relative speeds which the various riders are making and a very keen competitive interest will be maintained at all times. Since the connection between each of the bicycles and the miniature figures is a positive mechanical one, there is no element of chance or unfairness about the conclusion of the race since the best rider will necessarily win. Under some circumstances, it is possible that the pins e of each of the clutch members will not register exactly with the holes a5 in the idler sprocket wheels a4 but will impinge on the metal between the holes. In case there is no rider on the particular bicycle in whose transmission this condition occurs, the yielding connection 7a2 between the sleeve g and collar h will, nevertheless, permit the clutch shaft L to `be slid for the purpose of throwing in the clutch elements of the transmission of the other bicycles. In such a case the clutch sleeve e would not slide but the collar h would slide with the shaft ZL relatively to the sleeve g. In case this condition exists with a rider on a particular bicycle, a slight movement of the pedals would, of course,

cause the holes a5 to register with the pins e', whereupon the spring k2 would immediately throw the pins into the holes andV clutch the sprocket a* to the shaft o. At the conclusion of the race as soon as the winners number is flashed on the display frame 1' the attendant will throw the clutch lever h5 to disengage the transmissions of all of the several bicycles so that the miniature figures on the track will at once stop moving and remain in the relative order of their finish. It will be necessary to disengage the machines at this time also since the barrier p is resting across the slots Z2, Z3 and might be engaged by the miniature figures if they were permitted to continue their travel. As a safeguard against any such possible collision the pairs of electrical terminals g, g are spaced somewhat from the barrier p so that the winners number is flashed sometime before the barrier is actually reached.

Certain modifications in the apparatus might be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. As pointed out before, the track Z might be of some other than elliptical shape and where this track and the slots Z2, Z3 are straight, it would become unnecessary to provide a differential gearing ratio between the sprocket b, a. Again, it is conceivable that where it is desired to propel the miniature figures by the arms instead of by the legs, hand crank Ibriight be substituted in place of the pedals I claim as my invention:

1. In an amusement device, a series of stationary bicycle frames including a sprocket for each, a separate sprocket wheel for each bicycle frame mounted loosely on a shaft and connected operatively to the first named sprockets, respectively, a fixed track, movable devices mounted in proximity to the track to indicate the relative speed of operation of each of the bicycles, transmission mechanism interposed operatively between each of said bicycles and the respective indicating devices, a clutch interposed in the transmission mechanism of each bicycle and including a clutch sleeve fixed on each of said shafts and having pins to engage the second named sprocket, an arm engaging the sleeve for each clutch, a single shaft with which each of said arms is movable, and means to slide said last named shaft to operate all of said sleeves simultaneously.

2. In an amusement device, a series of bi cycle frames including a sprocket for each, a second sprocket for each frame mounted to the first named sprocket', a fixed track,

" movable, devices vmounted in proximity to the track to indicate the relative speed of y operation of each Vof the bicycles, transmission mechanism inter osed operatively between each of said lbicycles and the re. spective indicating devices, a clutch interposed in the transmission mechanism of each bicycle and including a clutch sleeve fixed on each of said shafts and having pins to engage the second `named sprocket, an arm engaging each of said sleeves, a second sleeve on Whicheach of said arms is carried,

a single shaft onvwhich each of said last.v

named sleeves is loosely mounted, collars fixed on the; last named shaft and yieldingr connections between therespective' collars and second named sleeves.

3. In an amusement device,xa series ot stationary bicycle frames, va fixedl track, miniature figures mounted in proximity to the track to indicate the relativespeed of operation of each of the bicycles, said track being provided with a slot for each of said figures, an operating' chain beneath each slot on which the respective figures are mounted, 1

transmission mechanism for each figurev operatively Vinterposed between the chain for said ligure Vand the corresponding bicycle, clutches interposed in each of said transmission mechanisms, a barrier for the figures Vmounted on the track across the slots and means to raise the barrier.

,ThisV specification signed this 3d day of December, 1919: f

PIILIHPv FABER.

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