US3462140A - Amusement apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Aug.19,1969 LH'ALA; 3,4s2,14

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed May 5, 1965 001mm? 17/04 /741 I) United States Patent 3,462,140 AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Ivan Halaj, 476 W. 5th St., San Pedro, Calif. 90731 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 199,745,

June 4, 1962. This application May 5, 1965, Ser.

Int. Cl. A63g 1/12, 1/00 U.S. Cl. 27233 1 Claim The present invention is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 199,745, filed June 4, 1962, and now abandoned, and relates to an amusement apparatus of the round-about, carrousel or merry-go-round which may be easily and effectively propelled as by the occupants riding on the apparatus.

Merry-go-rounds have long provided entertainment for both children and adults by transporting them in a recurring circular pattern. These rides for use in amusement parks are normally motor-driven and very elaborate. However, various types of merry-go-rounds have also been designed to be used freely by a few children, as on school grounds, public parks and home play yards. Many of these smaller units have been designed to be propelled by the riders. For example, the riders may pull or push the revoluble part of the merry-go-round, until considerable speed is attained, then leap on the ride until the kinetic energy is dissipated. Some merry-go-rounds of this type may be sustained in motion to some extent by the occupants pumping. However, the difiiculty in general, with such occupant-propelled rides, is that the riders are not effectively disposed to propel the ride apparatus and it soon comes to rest and therefore provides a relatively short ride in view of the amount of work required from the riders.

Another type occupant-propelled merry-go-round includes a mechanical drive coupled to handles or other apparatus, which may be pumped or otherwise reciprocated by the occupants to propel the ride. For example, the handles for the occupants may each comprise a lever to be reciprocated by the occupant, the levers being coupled to mechanical apparatus for converting their reciprocating motion to circular motion to drive the ride in a circular pattern. Merry-go-rounds of this type are normally quite expensive, and in view of friction losses, the occupants usually tire rapidly from the exertion required to propel the ride.

In general, the present invention provides an economical structure for supporting a revolving load, as in a merry-go-round, which is extremely efficient in operation. The riders are disposed at the ends of spokes radiating from a central hub which is supported for rotation in a plane offset from the horizontal. The riders are supported on seats with raised handles and lowered foot rests so that the riders are somewhat elongated, as a result, their natural balancing movements in the plane in which the spokes move, produces forces which propel the roundabout. Furthermore, the structure of the present invention may incorporate two separate rotational hearings in the hub structure which are mounted with intersecting axes of rotation and spaced apart in an olfset support column about which a load is revolved. That is, as the merry-go-round includes spokes mounted to be revolved about a support column located at a central axis of the platform, the support column may include a first section which may be supported upon a base to be generally vertically disposed, however, providing an end section which is offset from the vertical. The support column may then carry a second section which is non-linear and is rotatively coupled to the first section as by a hearing. A third section of the column may then ride on the second section and carry the platform or other load, to be rotatively carried on the second section as by a bearing.

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Another important feature of the invention resides in the manner in which the occupants are carried in a sitting position with extending hand and foot supports such that the occupants face the direction of travel and are somewhat-elongate. This arrangement facilitates the weight shifts by the occupants which serve to propel the merrygo-round.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved means for supporting a load for axial rotation as in a merry-go-round.

Another object is to provide a gearless merry-go-round which is-more efficient in operation to be propelled by balancing motions of the riders.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved occupant-propelled merry-go-round in which the riders are disposed to effortlessly propel the unit.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an occupant-propelled merry-go-round wherein the occupants may attain relatively-high speed, and sustain such speed as aresult of somewhat instinctive weight shifts.

One further object of the present invention is to provide a safe, efiicient occupant-propelled merry-go-round which can be economically manufactured and maintained.

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following taken in conjunction with the drawings forming part of this application, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a me'rry-go-round constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the apparatus of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a diagram illustrative of the operation of the structure thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 2, showing an alternative structure therefor;

FIGURE 5 is another view similar to FIGURE 2, showin g another alternative structure therefor.

Referring initially to FIGURE 1, there is shown an occupant-propelled merry-go-round including a support column C in an upright position and supporting spokes V which are joined at a hub H above the column C to revolve about the column. The axis of rotation of the arms or spokes V is offset from the vertical so that the plane of rotation is offset from the horizontal.

The ends of the spokes V remote from the column C carry seats S which support riders facing substantially in the direction of travel, and which include perpendicularlyextending handles and foot rests. This manner of carrying the riders in conjunction with the plane of rotation (as considered in detail below) results in a combination whereby the riders may start from a near dead still position, accellerate to a considerable speed, and maintain that speed indefinitely, simply by shifting their weights appropriately. Furthermore, the weight shifts which propel the unit generally coincide to the instinctive and natural balancing motions made by the riders. As a result, after speed is attained, the ride may be perpetuated with virtually no conscious effort by the riders.

Considering the structure of FIGURE 1 in greater detail, the support column C includes a vertical section 10 which may comprise a piece of pipe or other tubular metal of adequate strength. The section 10 of the column C is held in a support stand 12 including a central collar 13 which concentrically receives the column and is rigidly affixed to four radiating braces 14. The braces 14 are tubular in form and define obtuse angles, so that sections 14a lie fiat on the ground (or other support) while the sections 14b extend upward therefrom, rising to the collar 13. The apexes of the braces 14 are each fixed to one end of two perpendicular horizointal rods 15 which extend 3 through the lower end of the section 10 to reinforce the support stand.

Joined to the upper end of the vertical section 10 is a vertically-offset section 16 which is telescopically received in the hub H mounted for relative rotation.

Various hub structures incorporating a central rotary cylinder 17 are considered in detail below with reference to FIGURES 2, 4, and however, each supports the radiating spokes V, the ends of which carry the seats S. In the structure of FIGURE 1, the spokes include pairs of perpendicularly-mounted tubular cross members 18 and 19 so that substantial one half length of each extends from the cylinder 17 to provide four arms 20 in substantially quadrature relationship. Each of the arms 20 are provided added support by tubular braces 21 extending from a collar 22 fixed at the lower end of the rotary cylinder 17 in quadrature displacement and extending to be effixed to the arms 20 at locations below the seats S.

The central hub structure is shown in FIGURE 2 to include a shaft 16a extending upward from the section 16, integral therewith but angularly offset, at some angle (between 20 and 30 degrees, specifically some 25 degrees has been found particularly effective). The shaft 16a carries ball bearings 23 on annular shoulders formed therein which enable low friction rotation between the shaft 16a and the cylinder 17. The upper end of the cylinder 17 is capped by a plate 25 which is fixed, as by nuts and bolts, to the cross members 13 and 19 along with a cover plate 27 carrying a hub cap 29. Thus, the arms so formed by the cross pieces 18 and 19 can revolve freely in a plane offset from horizontal.

The seats S supported at the ends of the arms 20 remote from the axis of rotation each include a saddle 26, an elevated handle 28 and a lower foot rest 30. The saddles 26 may be formed of various lather-type materials, or simply comprise bucket seats stamped or otherwise formed of metal. The saddles 26 are afiixed to the ends of the arms 20 in upright positions as by being welded, riveted or by set screws or other means; however, the connection is made through three tubular members which support the handles and foot rests. Specifically, fasteners 31 extend through the saddles 26, two tubular members 28a curved to extend downward and one tubular member 30a curved to extend upward. The lower ends of the members 28 then receive a rigidly afiixed, perpendicularly extending across bar or foot rest bar 3% while the upper ends of the tubular members 29 receive the perpendicularly extending handle bars 281;. Of course, other types of seat means may be provided in conjunction with the other elements of the present invention; however, it is important to provide seats which distribute the riders weight on foot rest and handles, and which orient the riders facing in a direction substantially coinciding to the direction of travel, i.e., tangent to the actual direction of travel. These considerations go to the propulsion of the ride.

Considering the operation of the system and the manner in which it is propelled, reference will now be had to FIGURE 2. Although the detailed resolution of all the involved forces in not readily apparent, a major propelling force results from the side to side movement of the riders as they travel the horizontally offset circular path. That is, with the seat configuration of the system, each riders body is a somewhat-elongated, distributing his weight generally perpendicular to a shaft 20. At the top of the orbit or circular path, the rider tends to lean outward to preserve his upright balance. Conversely at the bottom of the path, he leans inward, again to preserve his upright balance. As a result there is an opposed distribution of weights so that the elevated riders weight may be considered to be acting on a lever arm of greater length than the lever arm of the lower rider. This unbalance tends to propel the riders with sufficient momentum to reverse their positions and initiate another cycle.

It is to be noted that this action requires that the riders be supported on seat structures which somewhat elongate them, e.g., seats, handles and foot rests. Furthermore, that the riders face in the direction of travel and have perpendicularly extending hand and foot rests. This consideration results because people are not inherently off balance when they lean forward or backward, but they are so when they lean or are tilted sideways and will instinctively correct such displacernent.

In FIGURE 3, the structure of the present invention is illustrated somewhat diagrammatically by a horizontallyoffset cross bar line 31 shown to be centrally supported by an upright vertical line 32. The seats of the unit are represented by I-shapes 33 and 34- at the ends of the line 31. The extremes of the I-shapes represent handles and foot rests in analyzing the applied forces. In operation, the rider in the elevated position on I-shape 34 tends to straighten up and apply his weight to the foot rest and handle as indicated by the load arrows 35, so that his weight may be considered to be concentrated at the spot 36. However, the rider in the lower position on the I-shape 33 tends to straighten up by leaning inward thereby applying his weight to handles and foot rests as indicated by arrows 3'7 and concentrating his weight as indicated by a spot 38.

In the above analysis, it is apparent that the spot 36 is more remote from the point of rotation 39 than is the spot 38. As a result, there is an unbalance of forces with the result that the elevated riders weight is of increased effect to raise the weight of the rider in the lower position producing an endless cycle.

Of course, the situation in actual use of the apparatus seldom involves a perfect balance between riders; however, the unequal forces resulting from the applied weights will accommodate considerable variation and still permit effective propelling by unconscious balancing weight shifts of the riders, and their inherent natural desire to have their body somewhat vertically upright, i.e., not tilted. It is to be noted that the hand and foot rests in cooperation with the fact that the riders are seated to face in the direction of travel is exceedingly important to the effective operation of the system.

Operation of the system in some applications may be rendered even more effective by alternate hub structures. Considering such a structure, reference will be made to FIGURE 4 showing a sectional view through the hub H. In general, the operation of the unit in an occupant-pro pelling manner results from having the axis of rotation for the riders offset from the vertical. However, the structure may produce more effective motion by including two sets of bearings mounted on the support column C, with crossing axes of rotation. For example, in FIGURE 4, the base section 10 of the support column C is affixed, as by welding to a second section 49 of the column C which section is offset from the vertical and comprises a lower hub 50. The lower hub 50 carries two sets of ball bearings 52 and 54 which mate with shoulders inside the hub 50 and receive a downwardly extending spindle S6 affixed to a central irregular disk 58. The bearing 52 is held in position by a shoulder 60 in the hub 5t and the disk 58, while the bearing 54 is held between a shoulder 62 in the hub 50 and a nut 64 threadably engaged on the lower end of the spindle 56.

The upper surface of the disk 58 is angularly offset from the plane of the lower surface of the disk 58, and receives an upwardly-extending spindle 66 similar to the spindle 56. The spindles 56 and 66 as well as the disk 58 may be integrally formed of steel or other rigid material.

The spindle 66 rides in two sets of ball bearings 68 and 70 which are supported in an upper hub 72 in a similar fashion to the lower bearings 52 and 54. A nut '74 threadably engaged on the upper end of the spindle 66 serves to hold the bearings in position and maintain the hubs as an integral unit.

The upper hub 72 carries cross sections aflixed thereto as the arms 20, which extensions serve to support the riders.

In the structure of FIGURE 4, it is important to note that the axes of the various sections of the support column C are offset. The first section at the base has an axis indicated by line X which is substantially vertical. The axis of rotation of the lower hub 50 is identified by the line Y and may be seen to be offset from the vertical. The line Z defines the axis of rotation for the upper hub 72 which is not only offset from the vertical, but is also offset from the axis Y. Of course, the axis X may be made to coincide to axis Y if additional support is provided.

An important consideration regarding this structure appears to reside in the provision of one axis of rotation offset from the vertical, upon which is supported first and second bearing means with axes of rotation which cross. The upper bearing means may then support the cycling structure of the merry-go-round and in certain applications provide an extremely effective occupant-propelled ride.

In using the merry-go-round as described above, the integral unit comprising the disk 58 and spindles 56 and 66 tends to move somewhat independent of the position of the hub 72. It appears that this integral unit tends to move to place the heaviest person on the ride at the lowest point in the cycle. However, the integral unit never appears to accomplish such an equilibrium condition.

In using the merry-go-round of the illustrative embodiment, it is usually desirable to have at least two persons. Weight similarity or difference does not appear to be particularly significant. If only two occupants are to ride, they should take diametrically-opposed seats. The addition of a third occupant does not hamper the ride to any considerable extent.

It is readily apparent that a variety of other mounting arrangements may be employed to accomplish the offset axes of rotation Y and Z. One such arrangement is shown in FIGURE 5 and will now be considered in detail. The lower first section 10 of the column C has a lower spindle 74 Welded thereto at an angle offset from the vertical. The spindle carries a pair of ball bearings '81, as previously described which in turn support a lower hub 82. The hub 82 is welded to an upper hub 84 at an offset angle. The upper hub 84 contains bearings 86 which support an upper spindle 88 to which the cross bar arms are afiixed. In the structure of FIGURE 5 it is apparent that the hubs 82 and 84 are joined so that the bearing means they contain have offset axes of rotation. Therefore, the desired action of efficient, effortless occupant-propelling results for a merry-go-round incorporating this structure.

The above considerations and descriptions thus indi- 6 cate exemplary structures of the present invention which results in an economical practical occupant-propelled merry-go-round which operates effectively and does not require effort from the users.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent; however, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the structure of the disclosed embodiments, but rather shall be determined by the claim set forth below.

I claim:

1. An occupant propelled, gearless carrousel, to be driven by weight shifts of the occupants, comprising:

a post means having an upper end and a lower end;

support means including a support stand for holding said post means in a substantially vertical position, said upper end above said lower end;

ofiset means affixed at the upper end of said post means and including a hub support angularly offset from axial alignment with said post means;

bearing means including at least two spaced apart sets of bearings, mounted on said hub support for rotation relative said hub support;

at least one pair of radially-extending diametrically opposed spokes, joined to said bearing means whereby to rotate about an axis that is angularly offset from true vertical; and

at least one pair of seat means affixed at the ends of said spokes, each of said seat means including a saddle affixed to the end of one of said spokes, a handle including a first shaft means extending upward from said saddle to receive the hands of an occupant and foot rest means including a second shaft means extending downward from said saddle to receive the feet of an occupant, whereby said occupant propel said carrousel by weight shifts resulting from side-toside movement of said occupants on said seat means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,690,590 11/1928 Molby 272-50 1,791,227 2/ 1931 Russell 272-51 X 3,066,935 12/ 1962 Roberts 27233 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,115,688 1/1956 France.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner A. W. KRAIMER, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 272-51

Claims (1)

1. AN OCCUPANT PROPELLED, GEARLESS CARROUSEL, TO BE DRIVEN BY WEIGHT SHIFTS OF THE OCCUPANTS, COMPRISING: A POST MEANS HAVING AN UPPER END AND A LOWER END; SUPPORT MEANS INCLUDING A SUPPORT STAND FOR HOLDING SAID POST MEANS IN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL POSITION, SAID UPPER END ABOVE SAID LOWER END; OFFSET MEANS AFFIXED AT THE UPPER END OF SAID POST MEANS AND INCLUDING A HUB SUPPORT ANGULARLY OFFSET FROM AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID POST MEANS; BEARING MEANS INCLUDING AT LEAST TWO SPACED APART SETS OF BEARINGS, MOUNTED ON SAID HUB SUPPORT FOR ROTATION RELATIVE SAID HUB SUPPORT; AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF RADIALLY-EXTENDING DIAMETRICALLYOPPOSED SPOKES, JOINED TO SAID BEARING MEANS WHEREBY TO ROTATE ABOUT AN AXIS THAT IS ANGULARLY OFFSET FROM TRUE VERTICAL; AND AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF SEAT MEANS AFFIXED AT THE ENDS OF SAID SPOKES, EACH OF SAID SEAT MEANS INCLUDING A SADDLE AFFIXED TO THE END OF ONE OF SAID SPOKES, A HANDLE INCLUDING A FIRST SHAFT MEANS EXTENDING UPWARD FROM SAID SADDLE TO RECEIVE THE HANDS OF AN OCCUPANT AND FOOT REST MEANS INCLUDING A SECOND SHAFT MEANS EXTENDING DOWNWARD FROM SAID SADDLE TO RECEIVE THE FEET OF AN OCCUPANT, WHEREBY SAID OCCUPANT PROPEL SAID CARROUSEL BY WEIGHT SHIFTS RESULTING FROM SIDE-TOSIDE MOVEMENT OF SAID OCCUPANTS ON SAID SEAT MEANS.

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