US480477A - Roundabout - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

W. SGHAFER.

I ROUNDABOUT. No. 480,477. Patented Aug. 9, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILHELM SCHAFER, OF VVHEELING, \VEST VIRGINIA.

ROUNDABOUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,477, dated August 9, 1892.

Application filed April 30,1892. Serial No. 431,288. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILHELM SOHAFER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wheellng, in the county of Ohio and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roundabouts; and I do herebydeclare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improvement in roundabouts in which bicycles or similar vehicles are employed; and it consists in the novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one form in which Ihave contemplated embodying my invention, and said invention 1s fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

Referring to said drawings, Figure 1 represents a roundabout embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan indicating the construction of one-half of the roundabout. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the bicycles employed by me.

The drawings are sufficient to give a clear understanding of the nature and application of my invention; but the details of the construction of the roundabout may be of the usual or any preferred form.

A represents the central supporting-standard of the machine, preferably stationary, and a a a represent a series of radially-extending arms supported by said standard and adapted to revolve about the same. In the drawings I have shown the arms provided with rollers a, engaging a circular supporting track or bracket A on the standard, and said arms are also provided at their outer ends with brace-rods a extending to a central plate a which is pivotally secured to the top of the standard. A cap or cover a is made to engage the top of the standard and protect the pivotal connection from rust and dirt. Below the outer extremities of the arms a a are two circular tracksorflatsupporting-surfacesB B concentric with the center of standardA and having their supporting-surfaces in different horizontalp1anes,theinnertrackbeinghigher.

The bicycles O O are supported by rods 0,

which have their upper ends connected with the arms a to, adjacent to their outer ends. Two of such bicycles are attached to each arm, one for each of the tracks B B, and the axles of the wheels of the said machines are coincident, as shown in Fig. 2, maybe formed in one piece, if desired, and are disposed radially with respect to the center of the standard A. The wheels of the inner bicycle, having a shorter distance to traverse, are made smaller than those of the outer bicycle, the difference between the peripheries of the inner and outer wheels being such that they will both make exactly the same number of revolutions in traversing their respective tracks, and the inner track is raised above the outer track, as before mentioned, such a distance that the wheels of both bicycles shall properly engage their upper surfaces.

I prefer that when the bicycle is not occupied by a rider that' its wheels shall barely touch the surface of its respective track; but when the bicycle is supplied with a rider the wheels will engage such surface sufficiently to enable it to be readily propelled. The bicycles may be of any convenient form and will be provided with suitable propelling mechanism, as indicated in Fig. 3. I prefer to use the form shown and to secure a handle-bar c to the supporting or suspending rod and to provide a seat 0 for each machine, which shall be adjustable so that persons of diiferent heights can use the machines. I prefer to adjust the seats by means of a screw 0 the threaded stem engaging a screw-threaded socket 0 as shown;but other adjusting mechanism might be employed.

It will be understood that in the operation of the machine persons will mount the bicycles and by propelling the same in the ordinary manner the whole series of bicycles and the radial arms a will revolve about the center of the standard A. The axles of the inner and outer bicycle-wheels being the same, the wheels of both machines on each arm will revolve together, one pair upon the outer track and the other upon the inner raised track.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a roundabout, the combination, with the inner and outer track, of bicycles adapted to engage the same, having the peripheries of their wheels similarly proportioned to the distance they respectively traverse, substantially as described.

2. In a roundabout, the combination, with the outer track and the inner track in a higher plane than the outer track, of bicycles for engaging said inner and outer tracks, having the axles of their adjacent wheels in line with each other and radially disposed with respect to said tracks, the peripheries of the wheels of each bicycle being similarly proportioned to the distance they respectively traverse, substantially as described.

3. In a roundabout, the combination, with the central supporting-standard and the radial revolving arms, of the outer supporting- \VILHELM SOI-IAFER.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM BRAUN, JOHN EHRLE.

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