US2576852A - Amusement device - Google Patents

Description

Nova 27, 1951 W, c o so 2,576,852

AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed May 2, 1946 2 SHEET$SHEET l INVENTOR. WILLIAM H. NICHOLS N ATToEA/EY Nov. 2?, 1951 W. H. NICHOLSON AMUSEMENT DEVICE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed May 2, 1946 INVENTOR. WILLIAM Ntcflopsoll ATTQEAJEY,

loZ l l 87 Patented Nov. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

' vide an amusement device having a stationary structure including a normally concave track and a body supported for rolling movement along said track, together with means for temporarily changing the normal concave configuration of the track.

A further object of the invention is to provide an amusement device having a passengercarrying body simulating a, marine craft or vessel adapted for arcuate movement relative to a base by which it is supported.

Another object of the invention is to provide n amusement device including a passenger-carrying body movable relative to a stationary supporting structure in an arcuate path whose chord is horizontal, together with means for moving the body to one end of its arcuate path of movement.

These and other objects are effected by the invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims, taken in accordance with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an amusement device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational View of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of a modified form of amusement device incorporating novel features of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the structure of Figs. 3 and 4, with a portion of the structure at the bottom of the figure broken away for the sake of clearness, and with auxiliary structure included; and,

Fig. 6 is a view, taken along the line VI--VI of Fig. 5, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the reference character It indicates, in its entirety, an amusemer t device comprising a base H, a frame I-2,

and a passenger-carrying body I 3 mounted on the frame for arcuate movement relative to the frame and base.

Preferably, the base I l comprises a pair of parallel spaced-apart rails l4 secured on a plurality of cross ties l5, likewise disposed in parallel relation to one another and at right angles to the pair of rails M.

The frame l2 may include any desired number and arrangement of uprights l1 and braces 16 and it, the primary element thereof being a pair of spaced parallel overhead rails [9 carried by the remainder of the frame structure in parallel relation to the lower rails M of the base H. The upper surface of each rail 19 is formed with a pair of identical concavities, as at 20, and on which are adapted to roll wheels 2! carried by trucks 22. In the construction herein illustrated four trucks 22 are utilized, each truck carrying two wheels 2|, with each of the four trucks cooperating with a different one of the four concavities 28 provided by the two double-concaved rails I9.

Each truck 22 carries a heavy coil spring 23 providing a resilient support for a link or rod 24 depending therefrom, the lower ends of these rods being connected to the passenger-carrying body i3, as at 25, whereby the latter is supported through the rods, springs, trucks, and wheels for arcuate rolling movement on the overhead rails 19. It will be apparent that, due to the doubleconcave form of the surface on which the Wheels 2| roll, the body it will move in an arcuate path, simulating the swinging motion obtained in the conventional lawn chair type of swing.

Preferably, the passenger-carrying body 3 is constructed to simulate a vehicle of the common carrier type, for example, a railroad freight car, passenger car, box car, caboose, street car, subway car, bus, delivery wagon, ambulance, fire engine, etc.

in the construction herein illustrated, a street car has been shown, having a pair of parallel side members 30 supporting a fiatform 3|. Side walls 32 and end walls 33 define a passengercarrying space, which is covered by the roof 34. Guard rails 36 are provided at the outer ends of the front and rear platforms, and entry to the passenger-carrying space from either plat,- form may be had through doorways 31 in the end walls 33. Seats (not shown) may be provided within the passenger-carrying space, and the side and end walls may have windows 38 and 3.9, respectively,

A pair of leg 4| depend from each end of the body I3 beneath the platform BI, in overlying relation to the pair of rails I4 of the base II. Each leg il terminates in a brake shoe 42 normally spaced from the upper surface of the rail I4 which it overlies. This spacing is such that, upon overloading of the body I3 with consequent compression of the coil springs 23 in the body suspension mechanism, th brake shoe 42 will engage the surface of the rails when the body is in the mid position of its arcuate path of travel, thereby retarding or preventing movement of the body until the overloading condition has been corrected.

The body I3 includes two pairs of flanged wheels 45 adapted to roll on the rails It throughout the arcuate travel of the body. To this end the wheels are carried at the free ends of arms 46 whose opposite ends are pivotally mounted on the depending legs M; as at 4? (Fig. 1). As the body rises and descends relative to the rails I4 during its arcuate travel, the wheels G5 remain on the rails and serve to guide the body and to prevent side sway or side swing thereof.

Travel of the supporting trucks 22 on the overhead rails It may be confined within safe limits by the provision of stops &8 at the ends of the rails.

In Figs. 3 to 6, inclusive, there is shown a modifled construction of amusement device utilizing the same motion principle of double-arcuate rails, but embodying a different body construction and additional novel features, to be described.

In this embodyment the body 55 is constructed to represent a ferry boat, including a fioor or deck 5I, end rails 52, side walls 53, and a roof 54 coveringthe space between the side walls. The sides may have windows 55 therein, and various auxiliaries common to ferry boats may be provided, such as the side paddle wheels 5?, walking beam 58, stack 55, whistle 5B, pilot house EI and searchlight 62.

In this embodiment the overhead rails and their supporting frame are omitted, and a pair of double-arcuate rails are positioned below the body 55, the latter having wheels 63 carried by legs as and adapted to roll on the arcuate upper surfaces of the rails (Fig. 3).

The base it, which includes the double-arcuate rails, supporting posts "H and i2, and cross braces pair of wheels 63. The righthand sections of each pair, as viewed in Fig. 5, and numbered and 82, are pivoted at one end to supporting posts '5 I, with their other ends 8 5 and 85, respectively, movable from a raised position shown by dot-dash lines to a lowered position shown in full lines (Fig. 5). With the sections 8i? and 82 in raised position, the body 55 will be constrained to move in an arcuate path, while upon lowering of the rail sections and 82 the body 55 will move to the extreme right, as viewed in Fig. 5, and remain there until the sections 85 and 82 are returned to raised position.

Raising and lowering of the rail sections 80 and 82 may be accomplished by any suitable means, for example, by reciprocation of the rod 87 through movement of the lever 88 between two positions. Rod 8? is connected, through crank arms 89, with transverse shafts supported by posts I2 and carrying arms 92 connected to the ends M and 85, respectively, of the rail sections Si? and 82. Each shaft 55 will carry two arms $2 to operate the movable sections at each side of the base It. It will be apparent that as the lever 88, which is pivoted intermediate its ends to a fixed support QI carried by the base Iii, is moved from its full line position to its dotdash line position (Fig. 5), the rod 531 connected to the lower end of lever 88, will be moved to the right, as viewed in Fig. 5, with consequent counter-clockwise rotation of the shafts 9d and the arms 92 carried thereby, this counter-clockwise rotation of the arms 92 relative to the axis of rotation of the shafts 96 raising the rail sections 80 and 82 to their dot-dash positions, whereupon normal arcuate movement of the body 54'] may be resumed.

The ferry boat apparatus may include a dock or pier, indicated in its entirety by the reference character I59, and including a fioor I5 I side rails I52, gang plank I63, vertical piles IE5, and wind lass I55 by which the ferry boat body 5i] may be made fast to the clock. The dock is supported on legs or posts I51, equipped with wheels 558 adapted to roll on rails I59 integral with the 13, preferably is covered at the sides with canvas,

papier-mach, or other suitable material which is painted to represent water or waves, as at I4 (Fig. 3) The body 55 likewise carries concealing side boards 55 depending from the deck or floor 5 I, and painted to simulate waves.

It is believed that, with the active imaginations of child users, the arcuate motion of the body 59 will seem like the motion of a boat on the water, and this similarity will be furthered by use of the novel means provided by the invention, for changing the arcuate motion to a docking motion.

To this end-each double-arcuate rail structure is made up of four semi-arcuate sections, three of these sections being shown at 85, BI and 82 in Fig. 5. In the following description the rail structure at only one side of the apparatus is described, for the sake of clearness and simplicity, it being understood that the rail structure at the other side is similar.

The rail sections ti and 82 normally cooperate to provide one arcuate track for a pair of wheels 53, while the rail section til cooperates with another section, similar to 8| but not shown, to provide the second arcuate track for. a second base "E9. The dock legs iii? are connected to the rod 87, with the result that as the lever 88 is moved from its solid line position to its dot-dash line position (Fig. 5), the dock is rolled to the right and away from the ferry boat, so that there will be no danger of children being pinched between the dock and ferry boat during normal arcuate movement of the latter.

While the invention has been shown in a plurality of forms, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes, modifications and applications without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

Support for a wheeled vehicle comprising, a base including a pair of parallel rail structures. each of said structures including a pair of first members having concaved upper surfaces and a pair of second members also having concaved upper surfaces, the concaved upper surfaces of said first and second members normally coopcrating to provide pairs of arcuate upper surfaces whose chords are horizontal, said arcuate surfaces being adapted for reciprocatory rolling of a wheeled vehicle thereon in an arcuate path, pivot means supporting said second members at their ends adjacent their cooperating first members, and means supporting the other ends of the second members for limited swingingmove.-

ment about the axes of said pivot means in the vertical longitudinal planes of the respective rails to a position where the cooperating upper surfaces of the first and second members provide pairs of surfaces inclined throughout their lengths, whereby movement of a wheeled vehicle thereon is other than arcuate.

WILLIAM H. NICHOLSON.

REFERENCES CITED Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Libbey Feb. 14, 1893 Timby May 2, 1893 Van Kannel Mar. 4, 1902 Van Kannel Nov. 19, 1907 Vaszin Sept. 16, 1924 Lydecker Aug. 4, 1925

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