US2195588A - spillman - Google Patents

Description

April 2, 1940. sPlLLMAN 2,195,588

TRACK CONNECTION Filed Dec. 7, 193a 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR #f dpilamali M,Mv

ATTORNEYS A ril42, 1940. sp 2,195,588

nmcx commoner:

Fil ed Dec. 7, 195a ZSheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 2, 1940 our reason coNn so'rioN Aibert Spillman, North Tonia-Wanda, N. 11., as-

signor to Snillman Engineering Corporation,

North Tonawanda, N. Y.

Application 7 Claims.

' This invention relates to a method and means for connecting supporting tracks, such as of amusement park rides and the like. In par .ticular, it relates to tracks or trackwaye of such d vices which are positioned and supported in a plane inclined to the horizontal.

Heretofo-re considerable"difliculty has attended the installation of amusement part: rides in which the trackwaysare in a plane inclined to the horizontal, due to the fact that the track supporting devices or members must each assume a different angle or inclination in order to prod erly support the tracks. For example, 'in an amusement ride having eighteen frames or sup-. porting stands for the trackway, the track connecting devices thereon must assume eighteen eparate and difierent angles or inclinations in order to properly and adequately support the track. The use of adjustable devices, which are adjusted in the amusement park where the amusement'ride maybe set up, is'difficult and g dangerous in that such adjustable devices may become released during use of the ride. of shims or Wedges to give the varying inclinations is inadequate.

In addition, amusement park rides are or- December '7, 1933, Serial No- 244,455

(oi. rot-12st I parts of Fig. 1;

The use dinarily of'a semi-permanent nature, that is,

they should be adapted to be easily set up and subsequently taken down for settingsun in another place. In such a construction the track should be divi ed into sections, and the sections should be easily and quickly attachable to each other and to the support. 7

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a device for supporting the track of an amusement park ride at an angle inclined to the horizontal.

It is another object to provide a plurality of such devices employing different anglesq'of inclination tothehorizontal.

It is still another object to provide such a vice in which the angle of inclination to the horizontal easily and quickly adjusted and permanently predetermined.

and quickly adjusted so thatadjacent tracksections arein tight abutting relationship.

These and other objects will appear by reference to the following specification and accompanying drawingain Whichi "5 1 illustrates cross sectional elevation of a ride device having a track structure, according to the present invention, built on an inclined plane;

Fig. 2 illustrates is across section taken along the lines iii-III of Fig. 2; v v i Fig. 4 is a view taken along the line IV--IV Fig. 2, but applied to the track connection at "I5 the end of a track section;

' 5 is a bottom plan view in 4, and: Y v p 6 is a perspective view of a detailed part of the structure shown in Figs. 4- and' 5. 20

Referring to the drawings, Fig. l showsa frame supporting stand W upon which the track nection, indicated generally at this adapted o rest. There are a plurality of these frames or platiorms,'-as i'nanyas eighteen or more in a ms standard installation. This frame may be composed of inner upright members it, outer upright members it, and cross pieces M, as shown.

of the device shown The uprights l2 of the frame aresituated at aptop of each upright member 52 is attachcd a 'traclz' connection H in a manner hereinafter It isa further object to provide a method for in such'a way that they fit tightly together when the sections of the track structure are connected set up and attire same time can be easily taken apart. 1

1 It is anotherobject to provide an amusement 5! ride in which the track structure can be easily more specifically pointed out.

This attachment is secured by the provision of a hole 25 at the top of the inner upright memhere 22 through which passes a threaded stud 22. This stud, held in place by a nut 23, forms an integral part of arm 24, said arm extending- F4 generally inwardly at an angle from the upright it. Until, the nut is tightened, the arm 24 is free to rotate about thestud 22 as anaxis. When. it tigtened, however, .it can rotate only withdifficulty due to the friction between the -i15 bolt and the parts with which it cooperates. --As shown in Figs. 1 aii d 2, when the track is at an angle to thehorisontal, the angle of the arm i l with respect to the upright It varies at different points along thelength of the track, so fio that some of the arms 2 will at different angles from others. Thus, in Figs. 1 and 2 the angle is much less the case'of the arm at the left of th figure than in the case of the arm at the right of the figure. Once adjusted, how-ii55 a greatly enlarged detailof 10 ever, the angle at which each arm 24 is maintained is permanently secured by welding the three parts I2, 23 and 24 together, or other convenient locking means.

When an amusement ride track structure comprising such a device is first assembled, for example at the factory Where it is built, the proper angle or inclination is determined by actual assembly of the structure. When this is done, the supports will be self-aligning or adjusting so that they will assume the different positions necessary to properly support the track in its inclined position. In standard installations of this sort the track of the amusement ride may have eighteen or more jacks orsupporting stands for the track and it will be understood that the track supporting brackets or holding means toproperly support the track will thereforehave to assume eighteen or more different positions. I therefore provide the readily adjustable members 24 which may be preliminarily, frictionallysecured in position to permit the initial set of the track in assembly. When once set these members may be readily hammered or tapped to proper aligning position, and then secured in such position either by means of Welding, fusing or by suitable mechanical means.-

Cooperating with arm 24 is a member 30 having a fiat portion 35, an upstanding portion 49 and two depending arms 3!, said arms forming a U-shaped depression into which the outer end of member 24, cylindrical at this point, fits. This U-shaped depression is provided at one end with a counterbore 32 into which fits, over the end of the arm 24, a washer'26. A nut 21 is threaded over the end of arm 24 and when tightened forces the washer 26 into the counterbore 32 so that the member 33 cannot be lifted off the arm 24. To the member 30 is rigidly attached or welded a track section 29.

The construction shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is adapted to attach a track section 29 at various points along its length to the frame In. At the end of the track section 29, however, a modified structure is necessary to connect the track section 29 both to the frame 10 and to an adjacent track section 49. This structure is shown in Figs. 4 and 5.. In this position the flat portion 35 and the upstanding portion 49 of the member 30 extend somewhat beyond the end of the track section 29 so that the adjacent track section 49 can be adequately supported as hereinafter described. Member 31! is further modified by the provision of two arms 34 extending approximately horizontally and at right angles to arms 3!. The arm 34 on the side of the track opposite the upstanding portion 49 is provided with an upstanding lug 48. Each arm 34 has at its outer end a hole 33. Through both of these holes ,36 passes a shaft 31, which also passes through a hole. 38 in a member 33 which freely pivots around shaft 31 as an axis. The member 33 is cylindrical at its outer end and is threaded for the reception of a nut 39.

An adjacent track section 46 is welded, near its end, to a T-shaped member 4!. This T-shaped member consists of a cross piece 42 upon which the track 4|] rests, and a cylindrical upright 43 threaded at its lower end for the reception of a nut 41. The upright 43 is of such a diameter as to fit between the arms 34, as here' inafter described. Spaced somewhat farther from the end of track section 43 is a U-shaped member 44, also welded firmly to the track section 40. Between the arms of the U of member 44, the cylindrical portion of member 33 is adapted to fit. In order to prevent members 33 and 44 from becoming disengaged, when tightened into place as hereinafter described, the outer edge of theU-shaped depression of member 44 is counterbored at 45 for the reception of a washer 46.

In assembling the track sections, the section 29 is attached to an upright l2 by fitting the arms 3! of member 30 over the cylindrical portion of arm 24. The washer 26 and the nut 21 are placed over the end of arm 24 and the nut tightened into place. The adjacent track section 40 is then superimposed upon the member 30 so that the end of track section 40 rests on the fiat portion 35 and the upright 43 passes through the slot defined by the arms 34 and the shaft 31. The track section 49 in this position is kept from lateral movement because it is confined between upstanding portion 49 and lug 48. The member 33 is then swung upwardly so that its cylindrical portion fits betwen the arms of the U of member 44. The washer 46 and the nut 39'are then fitted over the end of member 33, and the nut tightened into place, forcing the washer 46 into the counterbore 45. This tightening action draws track sections 29 and 40 together, until they fit snugly against each other in the position shown in Fig. 4. The last operation (which may alternatively be performed before member 33 is swung into place or before nut 39 is tightened) is the fitting of nut 41 over the end of upright 43 and the tightening of said nut into place.

As many modifications may obviously be made from the form shown in the drawings without departing from the spirit of the invention, the invention is not intended to be limited thereto ex- 1. A device for connecting two track sections together in end to end relationship and to a support comprising an arm extending from said support at a predetermined angle thereto, a track section, a first member permanently attached to said track section and detachably connected to said arm, a second track section, a supporting surface on said first member for said second track section, a second member permanently attached to said second track section and detachably connected to said first member, and means for drawing together the two track sections.

2. A device for connecting two track sections together in end to end relationship andto a support comprising an arm extending. from said support at a predetermined angle thereto, a track section, a first member permanently attached to said track section and detachably connected to said arm, a second track section, a supporting surface on said first member for said second track section, a second member permanently attached to said second track section and detachably connected to said first member, an arm swingably attached to said first member, a third member permanently attached to said second track section and detachably connected to said swingable arm, and means on said swingable arm for drawing together the two track sections.

3. A device for connecting a track section to a support comprising an arm extending from said support, a rotatable connection between said arm and said support whereby the angle which said arm occupies with respect to said support can be predetermined, means for locking said arm permanently in position at said predetermined angle,

and means for detachably connecting a track section to said arm.

4. A'device for connecting a track section to a support comprising an arm extending from said support, a rotatable connection between said arm and said support whereby the ,angle which said arm occupies with respect to said support can be predetermined, means for locking said arm permanently in position at said predetermined angle,

and means for detachably connecting a track secto the horizontal. l

5. A device for connecting a track section to a support comprising an arm extending from said support, a rotatable connection between said arm and said support whereby the angle which said arm occupies with respect to said support can be predetermined, said arm being welded to said support at said. predetermined anglaand means for detachablyconnecting a track section to said arm, said track section being inclined at an angle AL. ,SPILLMAN.

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