US1847250A - Amusement ride - Google Patents

Description

March 1, 1932. I H, F, MAYNES 1,847,250

AMUSEMENT RIDE Filed March 5, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet l lNVENTOR HYLA/MAY/VES @$1 9W ATTORNEYS March 1, 1932. H. F. MAYNES 1,847,250

AMUSEMENT RIDE Filed March 5. 1931 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNvENTo HnA F1MAYNf5 ATTORN EY5 H. F. MAYNES AMUSEMENT RIDE March l, 1932.

Filed 'March 5, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTCR y HY/. MAYNES ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. l, 1932 irse .STATES PATENT OFFICE HYLA l?. MAYNES, OF NORTH TONAWANIDA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF 'TO EMMA C. MAYNES, OF NORTH 'IONAWANDIL NEW YORK Y AMUSEMENT RIDE Application led March 5,

This invention relates to amusement apparatus of the'type in which conveyances for passengers travel along a track, vand its object is to providefa ride affording new thrills 5- and fun. I attain this object by providing each conveyance With a ieXible passenger support made of carpet or other suitable fabric, fastened at its opposite sides to roller carriages which travel along a track the rails of which are curved 'to approach and yrecede from each other. Thus as the conveyance movesalong this track the pass-engers seated upon the carpet are alternately raised and lowered and given the sensation `of* being tossed up and down in a blanket.

The fabric upon which the passengers are seated is .preferably resiliently connected to the roller carriages so as to give a springy action to the conveyance and also to relieve the 4fabric of excessive strains. Safetybelts, loosely connected to the conveyance and adapted to be strapped around the Waists of the occupants, preclude the possibility of the passengers being accidentally rthrown from the'conveyance.

In order tol impress a motion upon'tlie -fabric in addition to and independent of the movement imparted to it by its alternate stretching and sagging, the rails colnposing the track are undulated in vertical directionsvso as to define a series ofhills andvalleys. Depending upon the type of motion it is desired to communicateto the conveyance, the'tWo rails in side elevation maybe of'corresponding curvature and disposed at the same'elevation, in Which case an up-anddown motion Will be imparted to the conveyance; or the two rails may be of a different curvature so that the hill or valley on one rail does not coincide With the hill or valley on the other rail, in which ycase one side of the fabric Willbe raised to a greater extent than its other, resulting in a rocking or rolling motion.. Preferably both types of motion Wil-l be incorporated in the lsame ride.

In carrying out the invention it Will usually be found advantageous to dispose the track at an -inclination to cause the conveyanees to be impelled therealonrr lby gravity at increasing speed. Under t ese circum- 1931. Serial NO. 520,304.

and Which section of track is-designedtolbe 60 brought into registry with a take-od track near the ,ground level and .also with the elevated end of the inclined track adjacent the top of. the lift. The passengers are `preferably seated upon the conveyances ata loading 65 station near the ground level theconveyances then being rolled, or permitted to roll by gravity, down the take-ofi'y track ontot'hedift. The invention further contemplates the provision of means for rigidly supporting the 70 fabric-during seating of the passengersfthereon and safety mechanism for controlling `the passageof conveyances onto the lift. VAt .the lower end of the inclined track is an unloading station Where the passengers may vai5r cate theconveyances. In orderthat the empty conveyances may be quickly returned to service, these stationsare located closely opposite each other and a transfer mechanism is provided whereby the conveyances may be 30I shifted from the unloadingto Athe .loading station. f l

, In the accompanying drawings there isillustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention. In these draWingsFigure 'lis a side g5 elevation of a frame structure incorporating the ride; Figure Qis a Aplan -vieW ofthe `ride shown in Fig. l; Figure 3 is a section on Ithe line 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing-a conveyance at the loading platform in position for receiv- 90 ing passengers, the retractible floor for rigidly supporting the fabrics during this .interval, and the conveyance transfer car.; igure l is asection along the line I4 4; of`Fig2 looking at the loading platform at 4right 95 angles to Fig. 3; Figure isa section along the `line 5 5 of Fig. l of the lift for raising the conveyances from the `ground level to the top `ofthe inclined trackvvay; Figure 6 is asideelev'ation. of the lift shown in fFig. M0

5; Figure 7 is a detail view of the mechanism for insuring registry between the ends of the rails carried by the lift and the ends of the rails of the inclined track prior to removal of a conveyance from the lift; Figure 8 is a section along the line 8 8 of Fig. 7 of one of the pair of stops which are adapted to be slid to a position in the path ofthe ends of the rails carried by the lift so as to arrest these rails in correct position; Figure 9 is a section of the inclined track along the line 9-9 of Fig. l and showing the position occupied by a conveyance thereon; Figure l0 is a. detail perspective showing of the conveyance; Figure l1 is a section along the line 11-11 of Fig. l showing one of the positions assumed by the conveyance during its travel along the inclined track; and Figure 12 is a planview of a conveyance.

The ride shown in Figs. l and 2 comprises generally a frame structure l upon which is supported an inclined track 2 leading from the top of a lift 8 to an unloading platform 4, a takeo track 5 extending from a loading platform 6, opposite the unloading platform 4, to the foot of the lift 3, and a plurality of passenger conveyances 7, adapted to travel along the tracks and to be raised by the lift from the lower to the higher track. The. unloading platform 4 and the loading plat form 6 lie in a common horizontal plane a short distance above the ground level, and the lower end of track 2 and the forward end of take-oil' track 5 where they respectively skirt the unloading and loading platforms extend substantially on a common level with these platforms. The take-olf track is formed with a bend so as to wind into a position beneath the elevated end of track 2 near the foot of the lift, and is disposed at a gentle slope so that the conveyances, after receiving their passengers, will roll by gravity toward the lower end of the lift.

The tracks 2 and 5 are composed of a pair of rails 9 made of I-beams which are fastened at intervals throughout their length to uprights la, forming part of the fra-me structure l, in a manner such that the flanges 9a of the I-beam are supported in a position clear of the frame structure. The rails 2 are not disposed in parallelism throughout their entire length but, on the contrary, weave back and forth toward and from each other in the plane of the tracks so as to vary the gage of the tracks. As shown in Fig. 2 the take-off track 5 at its forward end, that is, in the vicinity of the loading platform 6, is of maximum gage and that intermediate the length of this track there is a short section in which the rails converge, and from there to the end of the track at the lower end of the lift the track is of uniform but narrower gage., The track 2, on the other hand, except for short horizontal sections adjacent the unloading platform and the upper end of the lift, is of a constantly changing gage, the rails being curved upon a wavy line in the plane of the track so as to approach and recede from each other.

In addition to the curvature of the rails in the plane of the track, the rails of the track 2 are undulated in a vertical direction, as shown in Fig. l, so as to define a series of hills and valleys. The hills and valleys of the two rails need not, and preferably do not, match; that is, corresponding points along the rails do not necessarily lie at the same elevation and, in fact, the bottom of a valley of one rail may correspond to the top of a hill on the other rail at the same location along the track, or one of the rails may be uniformly inclined and the other undulated in a vertical direction. The ingenuity exercised by the builder' in varying the eccentricity of the track will determine the type and variety of thrills afforded by the ride and hence the shape which the track assumes will largely be a matter of individual selection. Furthermore the rails 9 have no fixed position with reference to a vertical plane but are twisted from a position wherein the web connecting the flanges of the I-beam occupies a substantially vertical position at the most constricted portions of the track to a position wherein the web occupies an approximately horizontal position at the widest portions of the track. Thus, as the gage of the tracks increase the webs of the I-beams constituting the rails tend to assume a horizontal position. This will be clear by a comparison of Figs. 9, 10 and l1.`

Arranged to travel along the tracks just described are the passenger conveyances 7 each having a flexible` passenger support 8. Since carpet, due to its rugged nature, and wear-resistant quality, lends itself particularly well for use as the flexible material for supporting the passengers upon the conveyance, this material Will ordinarily be employed. The word carpet however as it appears in this specification is used not in a limiting sense to specify a particular class of fabric, but in a broader sense to designate a conveyance having any kind of flexible passenger support mounted to travel along a track. These conveyances may, in fact,.be made of other heavy fabric, or even woven wire having a protective covering. Each of these fabrics is suspended from a series of spiral springs 10 extending through reinforced openings formed in two opposite margins of the fabric, these springs having their other ends attached to trolleys 1l. The trolleys each comprise acasting forked in a manner to span the free side of an I-beam, that is, that side of the I-beam most distant from the frame structure l. Upon the opposed faces of the fork and rotatable about axes at right angles to these faces are rollers 12 which travel upon the inner surface of the flanges 9d: 'ofy the I-beams.. Depending fromA the forked castingisA a stem upon which is` aXesof the rollers 12. The-sternl, as shownl by dottedE lines yinI Fig. 11, may comprise a tie bolt inserted through an. opening inv the portion of the casting bridgingthev two forks and carryingadjacentits end aspringclipv llwhich is adapted to-be drawn together by means of a. clamping screw 14- extending between its split ends. The series of trolleys supportingeach side ofthe carpetis held in assembly by means of a. fleX-ible rod 17 to which the trolleys areclamped by the spring clipsl, this rod holding the trolleys inspaced relation but yielding so that the rollers'may follow the sinuous path of the rails. The fabric support 8 is ofk an area sufficient. to accommodate two occupants whose seating positions are indicated thereon by a pair-ofrope hoops 18 fastened side-by-side on the fabric. It willlbe realized, however, that the number of passengers to be accom modatcd by the carpetsand their seating arrangement is essentially a matter of choice. Short sections of rope 19 are securedl to the fabric supports at appropriate locationsto provide ledges against which the-passengers may brace their heels. To avoid any poss sibility of'injury safety belts 20, connected to `thecarpetby straps 21, are associatedwith each seat, these belts being designed to be attached to the .waists ofthe passengers. F romvthe construction of the-ride thus fai' described, it will be apparent that during the passage of a carpetY over those portions of the track of narrow gage the ends of its fabric support will be folded-toward each other permitting the carpet to sag, asshown in Fig. 10, but that as the gage of the track increases the ends of the fabric will be drawn apart'so as to tend to stretch the carpet, thus raisingthe occupants seated thereon as shown in Fig. 9. As the gage of the trackvaries the plane of the webs of the I-beams forming therails will also change, softhat the stems 15 ofthe trolleys 11 will always-extend in approximate alignment with the plane of the web of the I-beams and the plane of the fabric in the locality of the trolley. Inthe position in which the fabric supportis drawn taut the flanges of the rails will thus occupy an approximately vertical position, as shown in Fig. 9, andin order to avoidexcessive pull in a lateral direction upon the trolleys, auxiliary rails 23 are provided at those portions ofthe track of widest: gage upon which the side rollers 16 of the trolleys may ride, thereby relieving the strain from the-rollers 12. A smooth surfaced slide board 24, occupying a position between the rails of the tracknear its lower elevation is designed to vrub against the bottom of the vfabric supports and func tion as a. brake to bringethe carpetf to rest in front of-:the unloading platform.

As hasL previously been stated. the track 5v infront of theloading platfornr is of maX- imum Vgage in order to spread the carpets to. their 'full extent.. In. order, however, to prevent thecarpets. from sagging through yielding of. the springs l0 by which` they are attached to the trolleys 11, a flat, solid backing for the carpets is provided. This backing comprisesa floor 25 disposed between the rails in fronty of the loading'platforin and. supported upon opposite sides by. a pair of toggles 26, the twfotoggles of each pairbeing connectedv for unitar movement by meansof a rodi 27 extending etween the toggles and constituting a floating pivot for the two links of a. toggle. The toggles are arranged to= be simultaneously made and broken by means of anv operating rod 28 connecting the floating pivots of the two pairs of toggles, this rod beingextended horizontally beyond the floor where it is pivotally connected to ahand lever 29. When the hand lever is pulled inthe direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4 the toggles will bebroken and the ioor 25 vertically lowered' from beneath. a carpet, While, conversely, when the lever is moved in the opposite direction the floor will be raised into supporting engagement with a carpet. For latchingthev hand lever in either of its two extreme positions, a springpressed dog 30 is provided on'the lever which snaps into appropriate notches 31 on an arcuate guide arm 32. At the unloading platform the carpet is kept from sagging by the horizontal terminalportion of the slide board 24. l

Thelift by which the carpets are moved from the ground level to the elevated end of the inclined track 2 will now be described. Constituting a part of the structure 1 is a tower 35 rising vertically to a height above the upper end ofthe track 2. The tower shown in the present embodiment as comprising an open framework of squaref cross section may, if desired, be closed to the light for introducing additional novelty into the ride. This towery is located in alignment with the 'ends of the two tracks 2 and 5, the take-off track 5 as has heretofore been stated terminating under the elevated end ofthe track 2. At the top and bottom ofthe tower and arranged in pairs lying in vertical planes upon opposite sides of the tracks are mounted shafts 36 carrying sprockets 37, over which sprockets wind-endless chains 38. The runs of the chains 38 lie within four Verticalsparallel: planes, two of the planes defined'by'one set of chainslying wholly on one side of the tracks 2 and 5 and two of the planes definedby the other set of chains lying-wholly on the other side of the tracks,.thearrange mentbeing such thatithe` two opposed'runs of companion.: chains are. spaced apart'` affdis-A tance slightly greater than the|` width of the v the chains upon opposite sides of the tracks are disposed in parallelism and in common horizontal planes. The rails carried by the chains upon opposite sides of the tracks are adapted to be brought into alignment with the rails of either the tracks 2 or 5 so as to form short extensions of these tracks suflicient to accommodate a single carpet. Rotation is imparted to one of the lower shafts 36 by an electricmotor 41 (having suitable speed reduction gearing not shown) and motion is transmitted to the other lower shaft through a crossed chain 42 extending between sprockets 43 on these shafts, the arrangement being such that both the opposed runs of chains 38 travel upwardly in unison. To prevent rotograde movement of the chains a series of spring-pressed dogs 45 pivoted to the framework of the tower 35 are arranged to snap beneath the rail sections as the chains move upward. n

At the top of the tower 35 there is a platform 47 designed to be occupied by an attendant. Rotatably supported upon this platform is a vertical rod 48 having loose-ly pivoted thereto at its upper end a hand lever 49 whereby the attendant can rock the lever in opposite directions. A pair of stops 50 connected by a link 51 for unitary movement are arranged to slide upon the surface of the upper Hanges of the rails of track 2, the ends of these stops 50 away from the lift embracing these flanges as indicated in Fig. 8. An arm 52 connected tothe hand lever 49 is slotted at its end so as to receive a pin projecting from the link 51. By this construction, when the attendant rocks the hand lever in one direction the arm 52 moves the stops along the rails 9 until they project over the ends of these rails into the path of the rising pair of rails 39 carried by the lift and form abutments against which the ends of the rails may engage to insure alignment of the rails of the lift with the rails'of the track 2.

While the motor 41 for imparting movement to the chains 38 is designed to operate continuously, the chains move upwardly intermittently and in steps corresponding to the distance between adjacent rails on the chains, so that after a predetermined number of vertical steps from starting position, in which the rails 39v are in alignment with the rails of take-0E track 5, the rails will come to rest in the plane of the end of track 2. This step-'by-step movement of the lift is accomplished by interposing a one-revolution clutch 54, conventionally represented, and which may be of any of the well-known forms, between a drive shaft connected to the motor 41 and the driven shaft 36. The clutch is electrically actuated through a circuit including a switch 55, conventionally shown, arranged to be closed by the movement of a switch lever 56, fixed upon the vertical rod 48, when this rod is rocked by means of a handle bar 58. The rod 48 is extended to a position near the ground level and is supported near the end of the I-beam constituting one of the rails of the lower take-off track 5. Near the end of rod 48 is provided a lug 57 rotatable into the path of the rollers 12 of a carpet when the rod is rocked to swing the lever 56 in a direction to sweep over and momentarily close the switch 55. When the rod 48 is rocked in its other direction, the lug 57 is removed from the path of the rollers permitting the carpet to roll off of track 5 onto the rails of the lift and against a suitable abutment in position to be raised. The switch 55 is not affected upon this reverse movement of the lever 56.

In order that the carpets may be quickly transferred from the end of track 2, after having discharged their passengers onto unloading platform 4, to take-ofi' track 5 preparatory to Vreceiving other passengers from the loading platform 6, there is provided a car 60 having rollers 61 traveling along a short track 62 supported upon a frame 63 and eX- tending transversely between the ends of tracks 2 and 5. The car has mounted thereon a pair of rails 64 together forming a short extension of either of the tracks 2 or 5 so that by bringing the rails 64 on the car into alignment with the rails of the track 2 a carpet can be run onto this car and the car then shifted to bring its rails into alignment with the rails of take-ofi' track 5, after which the carpet can be removed onto this latter track.

In the operation of the ride, a carpet 7 is drawn up in front of the loading platform 6 on the take-off track 5 and the attendant who is stationed at this point pushes forward upon the lever 29 to raise the floor 25 into engagement with the bottom of the fabric support 8 thus to maintain it solid while the passengers take their seats facing toward the near end of track 5 or in a direction away from the lift 3. After observing that the passengers have attached the'safety beltsv20 securely about their waists, the attendant retracts the floor 25, which causes the fabric to sag slightly underits load, and shoves upon the carpet sending it down the gently inclined take-0H track toward the lift 3. After coasting a short distance along the track the carpet arrives at a point where the rails `of the track converge which causes the sides of the fabric to approach each other-and the bottom of the fabric support to lower. With its occupants seated in the trough of the fabric, the carpet continues its progress at a slow rate of speed until the forward roller l2, of the series of trolleys 11 supporting the fabric, rides into engagement with the lug 57 on the end of the vertical rod 48. When this rod is next rocked through manipulation of the handle :bar 58 by the attendant stationed upon the platform 47 (which under full-capacity operating conditions will `be every time a carpet has been removed from the top of the lift onto the track 2) the carpet will roll down under the influence of gravity onto the pair of rails 39 carried bythe chains `38 of the lift and come to rest. When the rod 48 is rocked inthe opposite direction by the attendant,

`not only is kthe lug 57 again interposed in the path of a following carpet but through movement of the lever k56 fastened to this rod the switch is momentarily closed, establishing a circuit to trip the one-revolution clutch 54. Thus, no carpets can enter the lift when the clutch-operating lever 56 has been turned in a direction to close the switch. Tripping the clutch serves to `connect the continuously operating motor 4l to the lower pair of shafts 86 =carrying the sprockets 67 thereby to move the opposed runs of the chain 38, and hence the carpet suspended thereon, a step upward corresponding to the distance between the rails lon the chains, after'which the clutch yis automatically disengaged.

During raising of the lift the passengers will be seated in the trough of .the partially folded carpet as shown in Fig. 5. After ascending live successive steps7 corresponding to the number of carpets which are 'adapted to be simultaneously suspended upon the lift, the rails 39 upon which the carpet is supported will move into registry-with the ends of the rails of track 2 at which juncture the lift will again `come to rest. In order, however, to insure precise alignment of the rails carried by the chains and the rails of track 2, the stops 50 will previously have been moved into overhanging relation with respect to the rails 39 on the lift by the attendant operating the hand lever 49 'and these stops function to prevent overrunning of the rails on the lift with respect to the rails of the track 2, the dogs 45 locking the chains Yagainst downward movement.

The attendant grasps the carpet, which is still folded with the passengers seated in its trough facing the track 2, and pulls it olf onto the short horizontal section of track along Vwhich it coasts under its own momentum until it reaches the sharply declining portion of the track. Here the rails bow outwardly in the plane of the track and a stretch will be gradually imparted to the fabric support pet.

to lift the occupants perpendicularly; but as kthe carpet continues its travel its occupants will again be lowered in response to the convergence of these rails which kpermits the fabric lto sag. As the carpet gathers speed and its transition from constricted to expanded sections of the track occur inshorter intervals of time, the spreading of the fabric will take place more rapidly and the occuelastic springs 10, yields so 'as to take vup excessive shocks and at the ame time imparts pants will be bobbed up and down upon the `carpet which, due lto its suspension upon the a series of independent impulses to the cark cated to the vcarpet due to the alternate stretching and sagging of the fabric support and the resilient action of the lspringsflO,

In addition to the motion communifr another series of vertical impulses is impartfm ed by reason ofthe carpet riding up and down the hills and valleys of the undulated track. Furthermore, if at certain locations along the track, the rails 9 are disposed at different elevations, opposite sides of the fabric willy,`

be alternately raised and lowered therebyo rolling or rocking the occupants back and forth. As the carpet rides over the crest of a hill the momentum of the ride tends to lift tends to thrust the passengers downward. By spreading the carpet as the conveyance moves up the hills and folding it as the 'conveyance descends into the valleys the normal action ofthe rides momentum can be ac' centuated and a novel thrill imparted.

As the 'carpet approaches the bottom of the incline its motion will be Tquickly retarded f the passengers; similarly as the carpet y reaches the bottom of a valley the momentum by the frictional engagement of the carpet with the slide board 24 coming to rest in vfront of the unloading platform 4 where the track being 'of the widest gage will spread the fabric to its maximum extent and in this manner allow the carpets to be easily -and. quickly vacated. The empty carpet Yis then rolled forward onto the rails 64 upon the car 60 and the car then shifted along the .track 62 so as to place the rails 64 in communication with the track 5. Here the carpet is removed from the car and rolled up in front of the loading platform 6 faced in proper direction ready to receive another fare.

I claim:

l. An amusement ride comprising a track form distances apart and a passenger conveyance having rollers adapted to travel upon the rails and means resiliently connecting said conveyance to the rollers.

4. An amusement ride comprising a track consisting of a pair of rails spaced non-uniform distances apart and a conveyance having rollers adapted to travel upon the rails, said conveyance comprising a passenger sulpport iiexibly and resiliently connected to t e rollers.

5. An amusement ride comprising a track consisting of a pair of Vrails curved so as to approach and recede from each other and a Aconveyance having rollers adapted to travel Von said ra1ls,'sa1d conveyance comprising a flexible passenger support resiliently connected to the rollers.

, 6. An amusement ride comprising a track consisting of a pair of rails spaced non-uni- -form distances apart, said rails undulating form distances apart, said rails undulating in a vertical direction defining a series of hills and valleys and the distance between said rails increasing as the track approaches the crest of a hill and decreasing as the track approaches the bott-om of a valley, and a resiliently mounted conveyance adapted to travel along said track.

8. An amusement ride comprising a track consisting of a pair of rails spaced non-uniform distances apart, said rails undulating in a vertical direction defining a series of hills and valleys and the distance between said rails increasing as the track approaches a crest of a hill, and a conveyance adapted to travel along said track, comprising a flexible support for a passenger resiliently suspended upon rollersv arranged to travel along said track.

9. An amusement ride comprising a track consisting of a pair of rails spaced non-uniform distances apart and undulating in a vertical direction and a conveyance having rollers adapted to travel upon the rails, said conveyance comprising a passenger support and means resiliently connecting said support to the rollers.

10. An amusement ride comprising a track consisting of a pair of rails spaced non-uniform distances apart and undulating in a vertical direction and a conveyance having rollers adapted to travel upon the rails, said conveyance rcomprising a iiexible passenger support and means resiliently connecting said support to the rollers. Y

11. An amusement ride comprising an inclined track consisting of a pair of rails spaced non-uniform distances apart and a conveyance adapted to travel upon said track.

12.- An amusement ride comprising an inclined track consisting of a pair of rails spaced non-uniform distances apart, rollers adapted to engage the rails and a 'flexible support connected to said rollers.

13. An amusement ride comprising an inclined track consisting of a pair of rails spaced non-uniform distances apart, rollers adapted to engage the rails, and a flexible yf support resiliently connected to said rollers.

14. An amusement ride comprising an inclined track consisting of a pair of rails spaced non-uniform distances apart, a conveyance adapted to travel upon said track, and means for raising said conveyance to the elevated end of said track. 15.v An amusement ride comprising an inclined track consisting of a pair of rails spaced non-uniform distances apart, a conveyance adapted to travel upon said track and comprising a'resiliently mounted fabric support for a passenger and means for raising said conveyance to the elevated end of the inclined track.

16. An amusement ride comprising an inclined track consisting of a pair of rails spaced non-uniform distances apart and undulating in a vertical direction, rollers ar- `rangedto travel upon said rails, a supportl for a passenger resiliently connected to said rollers, and a lift for raising said support to the elevated end of said track.

17. An amusement ride comprislng an 1nclined track consisting of a pair of rails,

spaced non-uniform distances apart, rollers arranged to travel upon said rails, a support Jfor a passenger resiliently connected to sai-d rollers, a lift forraising'said support tothe elevated end of said track, and a track leading to the lower end of the lift.

18. An amusement ride comprising an inclined track consisting of a pair of rails spaced non-uniform distances apart, rollers arranged to travel upon said rails, a conveyance resiliently connected to said rollers, a lift for raising said conveyance to the elevated end of said track, a second track leadingY from a position adjacent the lower end of the inclined track to the lower end of the lift, and a means for transferring said conveyances from one track to another, said means comprising a section of track laterally sliiftable into alignmenty with either one of said tracks.

19. An amusement ride comprising an inclined track, rollers adapted to travel along said track, a passenger conveyance consisting of a flexible support, a lift for raising said conveyance to the elevated end of said track, said lift being so constructed and arranged to draw opposite side edges of the flexible support together so as to fold the passenger between its sides.

20. An amusement rideA comprising an in- HYLA F. lV AYNES.

Images