US1863653A - Amusement apparatus - Google Patents

Description

June 21, 1932. J w ESTES 1,863,653

AMUS EMEN T APPARATUS Filed Oct. 9, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor James W55 tea,

By imam/52% A ttorney June 21, 1932. w STES V AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed Oct. 9. 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 o N s o 0 ll 0 o o b 0 n o 0 1] \Y, o L'E o f 0 o A 9 0 0 ooil lll (O)\\l IO 00 o o 00 Q T LIE Q 0 & o a "3 N P o a E o I m e a 0 g c a o o M a R o 'Invenior flifie'aWEiZas,

Attorney June 21, 1932. w ESTES 1,863,653

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed Oct. 9, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor J'amea WESZ'es,

A itomey June 21, 1932. J. w. ESTES AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed Oct. 9. 1929 I June 21, 1932. J w ESTES 1,863,653

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed Oct. 9, 1929 s Sheets-Sheet 5 A itomey June 21, 1932. J. w ESTES AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed Oct. 9, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Inventor James WA /ates,

Attorney Patented June 21, 1932 UNITED STATES JAMES W. ESTES,"OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Application filed October 9, 1929. Serial No. 398,413.

The present invention appertains to improvements in amusement apparatus and more particularly to a novel roundabout.

The principal object of the invention is to v provide a novel roundabout form of amuse-- ment apparatus embodying in operation a new and highly amusing series of tortuous movements.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a roundabout constructed to accommodate a numberof people and which in operation will be safe; and not liable to the development of defects which now occur in this character of amusement. v

These and other important objects of the invention will become more apparent to the reader after considering the invention as de scribed and claimed hereinafter.

. In the drawings Figure 1 represents a fragmentary top plan view, showing substantially one-half of the improved apparatus. r

F ig.-2 represents a fragmentary top plan view of substantially half of the apparatus,

. 3 and showing the panels and cars removed therefrom.

Fig. '3 represents a top plan view of the stationary platform and its sectional racks. Fig. 4. represents a fragmentary vertical sectional view. v

Fig. 5 represents a bottom plan view of one of the radial frames in which the means for moving a car is located.

Fig. 6 represents a fragmentary vertical 7 sectional view through one o'f'the frames and the car movable thereon.

Fig. 7 represents a vertical sectional view through the mobile platform and transversely through one of the frames and showing a car in end elevation thereofpfl Fig. 8 represents a fragmentary vertical sectional view through the innerend portion of one of the frames and the adjacent edge 7 portion of the stationary platform.

Fig. 9 represents a fragmentary vertical sectional view transversely through one of the frames, at the inner end portion thereof.

Fig. 10 represents a vertical transverse sectional view through the lower end portion of one of theframes. I

' from this hub.

Fig. 11 represents a fragmentary longitudmal vert1cal sectional view through the lower end portion of'one of the frames.

Fig. 12 represents a fragmentary vertical sectional view through the edge portionof the stationary platform.

Fig. 13 represents a perspective View of. a guide member employed in the invention.

Fig. 14: represents a perspective view of the U-shaped member employed for supportlng one ofthe pulleys on the frame shownin Fig. 5. I

Fig. 15 is a perspective view ofa cap member employedinthe. frame construction.

Referring to thedrawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, it will be seen that the present invention embodies a sta tionary platform generally referred to by the numeral 5 and a movable platform generally referred to by numeral 6; The sta tionary platform consists in the construction of a circular support 7 elevated above the ground by suitable legs 8 and being provided with an upstanding shaft 9. r 1 The shaft 9 is stationary and is secured to the support 7 by the base plate 10. The shaft 9 has a hub 11' rotatably mounted thereon, and supported upon the base 10 and a circumferentially extending flange 12, projects 7 J .80 An annular angle bar 13 is secured upon the support 7 and has its inner side provided with groups of rack teeth 14 at equal spaced intervals. Secured to'the support 7 and in parallel relation to those portions of the annular angle bar 13, not provided with I rackteeth'are the arcuate shaped angle bars 15 provided with rack teeth 16 at their sides opposing the annulus 13. At the end of each arcuatebar 15', a'plate 17 is secured tothe support 7, and this plate has a longitudinally curved flange 18 upstanding thereon, and a relatively short'plate 19 rising'therefrom in parallel relation to the flange l8.

j. The end .portions 20 0f the plate 19 are 1 obliquely disposed away from the flange18 in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 13. The annular mobile platform 6 is built up of a plurality of frames generally referred'to by the numeral 21 in Fig. 5. Each frame connected together at one end by the cap member 23,shown perspectively in Fig. 15. e The cap member 23 is provided with an opening 24, through which a set screw 25 is slidably disposed and threadedly engaged through the bight portion 26 of the U-shaped member 27 The U-shapedmember has the ends of its legs provided with openings 28 for recelving" a pin on which a pulley 29 is mounted; A slide plate 30 is slidably mounted within the frame, and carries a pair 'of rollers 31- 31 for engaging one flange of the frame.

' A hollowshaft 32 has its threaded solid end portion 33 disposed between the spaced angle bars 2222 and limited inits downward movement by, a circumferential flange 34. The plate 30 has a sleeve 35 depending therefrom and the threadedsolidjend of the shaft 32 is disposed "therethrough, and adapted for receiving a nut 36 and a washer 37 for maintaining the spool 38' against the slide plate 30 in the manner shown in Fig.- 5. A pulley 39 is carried on the spool 38 and is: of slightly'less diameter than the spool 38, so that the spool will ride agamst the depending flanges of the bars 22 22.

As is clearly shown in Fig; 6, a car generally referred to by thenumeral 40 includes theseat 41 havingthe baclr42 and side walls 43. A floor 44 is also provided with a toe board 45. The toe board 45 has an inwardly disposd bracket 46 at its upper end for rotatably receiving the upper end of ashaft 47. The shaft 47 extends through a'bushing 48 in the floor 44 and a yoke 49 atthe lower end of the shaft rotatably carries a wheel 50.

also has a yokei52 for rotatably receiving a' A shaft 51 depends from the seat 41' and wheel 53. The seat 41 also has a rack 54 which depends therefrom and into the hollow shaft 32 inthe manner clearlyshown. As is clearly shown in Fig. 7 there are a pair of the shafts 51 and the wheels 53' and these are adapted to ride on elongated wear plates 55-55 on theedge portions of panels 56 connecting the radially disposed frames shown in Fig. 2. p

A These frames radiate from the stationary platform andthe panels aforementionedconnect the frames to form an annular mobile platform. Each frame has cross-piece 57 at its intermediacy and to the ends of these cross pieces are connectingmembers-58 for bracing and retaining the frames in the radial disposition.

-The mobile platform is transversely inclined outwardly and at the. lower end of each frame is a U-shaped :wheel mount 59 having its upper end bent outwardly and secured to the frame as at 60. The lower bight portion of the mount is secured to an angle member 61 to which a wheel 62 is rotatably connected. e

The upper end of each frame has a drum 63 rotatably mounted therein by a pin 64. The pin 64 has a head 65 thereon for supportting the drum within the frame, while the drurnis provided with a pair of centrally located lugs 66 66for universally receiving the upper end of the shaft 67. The shaft 67 depends downwardly and has a pinion 68 secured to its" lower endand a pintle 69 extending below the pinion, and being engageable at times between the flange 18 and the plate 19 'on the plate :17, at the ends of the arcuate angle bars 15.

The inner ends ofthe frames are connected by angle bars 70 and members 71 depend from the angle bar sections 70- and connect to an annulus 72. A pin 73 is secured to the annulus 72 and projects through the hub 74 of a wheel 75, adapted to ride upon the outward l'y disposed flange of the annular angle bar 13 shown in Fig.3. A spacer 76 is interposed between the hub 74 and the depending member 71. Brace bars77 and 78 extend from the angle bar sections 7 0' and annulus 72 'respec tively for connection hub 11. 3 e

As is clearly ible strand 79 is convoluted about the drum 63 with one end secured toone end of the slide plate 30' and the opposite end-portion disposed past thepul'ley- 39 and around the pulley 29 for connection-to the opposite end of the plateSO. I

Itwillthus beseen that when the" hub 11 is rotatable by any suitable means, the aforementioned conneotions between the same and the annular mobile platform will: result in the rotation of the-same. The rotation of the mobile platform, will result in the reto the flange 12 on the ciprocation of the cars '40 on the wear plates 7 shown in and 9a flex- 55-55, due to the particular gear and-strand connection-between the stationary platform and the said cars. Thus an irregular movement of the cars 1n reciprocatory movement back and forth across the mobile platform, A

will occur during the rotation of the annular platform, so that considerable amusement will be affordedby patrons riding on the cars.

Furthermore, while the foregoing descripe 1. A roundabout lanusement device comprisingfa stationary'platform, an annular mobile platformencirclingf said stationary platform, said mobile, platform consisting of plurality of rectangular framesi extendr ing radially from said stationary platform in theinvention as described herea position declining therefrom, seats slidable on said frames, each of said seats being rovided with a depending member, a pu ey wheel rotatably mounted on the lower end of the member, a rotary element at each end of each frame, a plate carried by the depending member of the corresponding seat, a flexible element trained about the rotary elements at the ends of the frames and secured at its ends to the said plate, the said flexible element being engaged with the pulley wheel on the depending member of the corresponding seat, and means for rotating one of the said rotary elements at the ends of the frame.

2. In a structure of the class described, a stationary platform, an annular movable platform encircling said stationary platform and embodying a plurality of radial frames, seats movable on said annular platform and having shafts extending through said frames and having plates underlying the frames, pulleys adjacent the inner and outer ends of said frames, flexible elements chained about said pulleys and connected at the ends thereof with said plates, and driving vmeans en 7 gaged with one of said pulleys to turn the same alternately in oppositedirections and thereby bring about inward and outward movement of said seats.

3. In a roundabout amusement device, a centralstationary platform, a plurality of arcuate rack bars on said platform, vertical shafts having gears for engagement with said rack bars, said shafts being provided with pilot portions below said gears, guiding devices at the end portions of said bars and consisting of inner and outer upstanding flanges, the outer flanges having the end portions thereof directed outwardly, an annular platform movable about said first named paltform and having radially movable seats, and a connection between said radially movable seats and said shafts to transmit the movement of said shaft to said seats.

4:. In a roundabout amusement device, a central stationary platform, a plurality of arcuate rack bars on said platform, vertical shafts having gears for en agement with said rack bars, said shafts eing provided with pilot portions below said gears, guiding devices at the end portions of said bars and consisting of inner and outer upstanding flanges, the outer flanges having the end portions thereof directed outwardly, an annular platform movable about said first named platform and having radially movable seats, and a connection between said radially movable seats, and said shafts totransmit the movement of said shaft to said seats, said connection between said shafts and said seats being universal.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. Y

JAMES w. ESTES;

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