US1478979A - Amusement apparatus - Google Patents

Description

was? 2&1923. fi,4?8,979

M. STOEHRER ET AL AMUSEMENT APPARATUS FiledMarch 51. 1922 fiiveiarer, Harald Sivehre'z;

MAX STOEHRER AND HAROLDSTOEHRER, OF METHUEN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO STQEHEER &; PRATT IDODGEN CORPORATION, OF LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS,

A CORPORATION (3F MASSACHUSETTS.

AlVIUSEIl/IEN '1 APPARATUS.

Application filed March 31, 1922.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MAX Sronunnn and HAROLD Sronnnnn, citizens of the United States, residing at Mcthuen, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This inventions relates to that class of amusement apparatus disclosed in our pending application Serial No. 369,381 and in our issued Patent No. 1,373,108, granted March 29, 1921, and has particular reference to one species of the invention involving the use of a wire mesh or equivalent interstitial electrically charged ceiling structure.

Accordingly, the object of the present invention is. the construction of a practical form of amusement apparatus permitting a car to freely travel upon the running floor promiscuously in any direction and to associate with the car a simple manncrof supplying current to the driving. motor in perfect safety and without danger at all to either the occupants of the car or to the structure. I v

The particular species of the invention of the present application is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a detail vertical sectional view of the apparatus showing the wire mesh overhead conductor and the platform conductor together with one of the cars located thereon.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the car shown in Figure 1 clearly illustrating the supporting rollers and motor driven traction unit.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The apparatus'embodying the present invention may be of either a permanent or portablecharacter thereby conveniently permitting or its use at carnivals, fairs and other places of amusement, and includes a plurality of individual cars C adapted to be propelled by a motor driven device l) arranged in an electrical circuit which in cludes a wire mesh or equivalentinterstitial electrically charged ceiling structure, and also a metallic conducting platform, floor,

Serial lilo. 5%,397.

or like running field 1, both of which are connected with a. source of electrical energy.

As set forth in our Patent No. 1,373,108 the cars (l are adapted to be independently and individually manipulated over the floor Or running field in such a manner that, due

to novel structural features including the a plurality of metallic sheets electrically connected or bonded so as to make in effect a continuous metallic electrode 3 which covers the entire playing field or platform.

This metallic electrode 3 is connected with one of the Wires 4 of an electric circuit while the other is connected with an overhead Wire mesh conductor 6 supported on the 'framework 7 located around the edgesof the platform 1 and serving to support the conductor 6 in such a manner that it is entirely coextensive with the metallic electrode 3.

In connection with the overhead conductor 6 it will be observed that the same is of interstitial form, the same being a Wire nieshof any desired form. That is to say, any suitable, convenient and readily obtainable form of open work or wire mesh ceiling may be used to constitute the overhead or ceiling structure for the present apparatus. The wire mesh may be of any gauge or weight but is preferably of a type that is sold" in strips of convenient width and length thereby premitting oi readily and quickly erecting the overhead conductor. Nhen these strips or parts of the mesh are electrically connected they constitute an interstitial ceiling which provides a very satisfactory overhead .conductor because it is not onlylight and easily erected, but at the same time by reason of its open formation it is especially advantageous for outside as well as inside installation since it permits of the free circulating of air and shuts out no light from the running or playing field, beside permitting the trolley wheel to have a promiscuous and unguided travel without interruption of the electrical circuit.

' The line Wires 4 and 5 which supply electrical current respectively to the floor 3 and wire mesh overhead 6 arepreferably connected With a switch'S connected with a source of electrical supply for opening and closing the circuit to the charged floor 3 and wire mesh 6. The motor device D of the car C is controlled by a, foot switch C and is grounded 'to the floor 3 through the driving caster G", and furthermore is electrically connected with the wire mesh 6 through the trolley device C which has a promiscuous traveling engagement with the open Work ceiling or wire mesh.

From :the foregoing it will be apparent that the device includes the metal floor 3 which may be formed of a series of electrically 'connected conductor plates or their equivalent and the wire mesh ceiling 6, be h of which are electrically connected by the line wires 4 and 5 with any conveniently available source of electrical energy. Thus,

a ceiling and floor is provided, the former constituting a charged memberand the lattera conducting element, and it will beobvious that any element extending between these two members will. bridge the gap and close the circuit.

' "-Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilledin the art and it will of course be understood that changes in'the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claims.

tion with a ceilin and floor both possessing electrical conduct vity, a vehicle adapted to be supported by said floor, and being in electrical contact therewith, means connecting said vehicle with said ceiling, said ceiling comprising a wlre mesh.

' 3. An amusement device consisting of the combination of av metal floor, an electrically charged ceiling consisting of wire mesh, a motor-driven car free to travel upon and in electrical contact with the metal floor,

' and a trolley promiscuously movable on the wire mesh and in electrical connection therewith and with the car.

, 4. A trolley system includingin combination with .a ceiling and floor both possessing electrical conductivity, and current conducting'leads connected to said ceiling and floor 1'espectiveldy,' vehicle adaptedto be supported 2111' being in electrical contact with said floor, a motor for driving said vehicle, said ceiling presenting a plurality-of interstices, a pole secured to said vehicle, a collector'supported by said pole, saidcollector being of sufiicient interstices.

In testimony whereof we hereuntoaiiix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

. MAX STOEHRER.

width toi bridge said HAROLD STOEHRER; j i

Witnesses:

'JosuPH M, HARGEDON, FREDERICK L. MARKEY.

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