US821409A - Amusement apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

T. A. & T. H. FULTON.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED IBB.4. 19'05.

PATENTED MAY 22, 1906.

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PATENTED MAY 22, 1906.

T. A. 62: T. H. FULTON. AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION TILED PEB.4. 1905.

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UNITED srAWnN orrion.

THOMAS A. FULTON AND THOMAS H. FULTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1906.

Application filed February 4:, 1905. Serial No. 244,119.

To (oZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, THOMAS A. FULToN and THOMAS H. FULTON, citizens of the United States of America, and residents of the borough of Richmond, in the city of New York, county of Richmond, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention has to do with amusement apparatus of the general class termed roundabouts, and has for its object the improvement in the combination and arrangement whereby simplicity of construction is achieved and ease of operation, coupled with strength and durability, promoted and assured.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of the various mechanical features, substantially in the manner hereinafter described, and then particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating our invention, Figure 1 is a front elevation of our improved amusement apparatus. Fig. 2 is a top partial plan view 011 a large scale. Fig. 3 is a vertical section showing the upper bearing on which the spherical frame is supported. Fig. 1 is a detail view of a portion of the lower bearing for said spherical frame. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of one of the pins con necting rib-sections. Fig. 6 represents details of the lower bearing for the spherical frame and indicates one of the braces for giving rigidity to said frame.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the different figures of the drawings.

1 indicates a tower. Itis an upright frame of steel or other metal of suitable height and properly braced by cross-braces 2, said tower tapering usually from bottom to top. Supported revolubly in suitable bearings in the tower is a vertical shaft 3, which is rotated by means of some suitable electric or other motor properly geared thereto and not shown in the drawings, as we lay no claim to the motor, the application of such a driving means to a driving-shaft being common.

4 designates the cars or carriages, of which there may be any number, adapted to contain pleasure-seekers who ride therein in order to enjoy the'sensation of pleasure and exhilaration incident to a rapid movement through the air. These cars may have any preferred design and shape, and they are supported by means of the cables 5 and 5, the cables 5 running to one end of the car and the cables 5 to the other end, while the members of each pair of cables 5 5 run together and alongside each other up to the top of the apparatus, as shown in Fig. 1.

The car-supporting cables are carried by a globular or spherical skeleton frame, which is hung revolubly on the tower 1 near the top, there being preferably two bearings or forms of support at the two poles of the sphere. This spherical frame consists, essentially, of semicircular ribs arranged in pairs, said ribs being designated by the reference-numeral 6. One convenient construction is to make the sphere or globe consist of six pairs of these ribs 6. The members of each pair are located a short distance apart and are rigidly connected together by means of the pins 7, which pass through the ribs, said pins projecting alternately in different directions and being provided 011 the said projecting ends with i11- sulating means, as 8, whereby lamps may be supported for the purpose of illuminating the apparatus at night and causing a brilliant electrical effect. There may be any number of these cross-pins 7 and they may be either straight or bent, as shown at 7 in Fig. 5, the object of thus bending the pin 7 being to rovide an indented channel between the ri s 6 to receive more securely the car-supporting cables 5 5 which extend upwardly between the ribs 6 and lie on the pins 7 and are fastened at the top of the apparatus around the upper part of the shaft 3, all as clearly indicated in Fig. 3.

The top of the tower 1 is provided with a horizontal metallic plate or casting 9, which obviously is stationary and rigid. The top surface of plate 9 is furnished with a circular groove 10, in which is a series of balls 11, and above plate 9 is another plate 12,hav ing therein a circular groove 13, which also receives the balls 11, so that in this way a ball-bearing is provided between the stationary top of the tower and the revolving plate 12. This plate 12 is the top pole-plate of the spherical frame, and it has a boss or hub 1 1 thereon, through which passes rotary shaft 3, which is keyed thereto, the upper end of said shaft having preferably thereon a nut 15, as shown in Fig. 3, which screws tight 011 hub 14.. The exact form of the polar plate 12 may vary within wide limits, as also the man ner in which the ribs 6 are bolted or otherwise secured thereto. Thus it will be seen that the weight of the spherical frame, and of the cars supported by said frame, bears chiefly on the top of the tower, where the above-described ball-bearing is introduced for the purpose of diminishing friction and affording ease of movement. At the bottom pole of the sphere or ball ahorizontal ring 16, of channel-iron, encircles tower 1 and is secured thereto by means of suitable bolts 17 or otherwise, said ring 16 being shown partly in plan in Fig. 4 and in section in Fig. 6. As the ring 16 is of channel-iron, one side is open, as seen in Fig. 6. In this channeled ring are .journaled at intervals vertical rollers 18 of some suitable antifriction variety, the surfaces of the rollers projecting outside of the channeled ring, in which they are journaled. These rollers constitute a part of an antifriction-bearing for the lower portion of the ball or spherical frame, the revolving member of which bearing is. connected with such frame and preferably consists of a ring-shaped member or wearing-shoe 20, secured to the lower ends 19 of the ribs 6, as indicated in Fig. 6. This shoe 20 surrounds the tower 1 and has a smooth vertically-disposed surface that engages with the antifriction-rollers 18, thereby permitting the frame to revolve smoothly and swiftly. It will also be seen that the shoe 20, being connected to all the ribs 6, operates to impart strength and rigidity to the spherical frame, for which purpose it is preferably of the angular shape in crosssection represented in Fig. 6. In order to further strengthen the spherical frame or ball, we employ stay-rods 21 ,fastened to the ribs 6 near the top pole-plate 12, (see Fig. 1,) and also fastened to the lower ends of the ribs 6 by hooking or otherwise near the angular lower ends 19, said stay-rods 21 being made in two or more pieces and provided with turnbuckles 22 in order that they may be taut, and thereby caused to impart stiffness and strength to the sphere.

Of course one of the principal objects of the globe, ball, :or spherical frame is to secure greater stiffness or stability in the structure,

and especially in that portion of the structure.

from which the cars are suspended. The globular form is admirably adapted to fulfil this purpose, and by the use of the top polar plate andhub resting upon ball or roller bearings the weight is placed upon the top of the tower where it ought to be.

The car-supporting cables 5 5 pass upward into the channels between the ribs,-as above explained, until they reach the top hub of the frame, where they are fastened together by means of clamps 23, located at both sides of the hub 14, and the cables are separated from each other, so as to pass around the hub 14, as shown in Fig. 2. Thus the cables lead upward from a car on one side of the machine to a point where they are thus connected to the spherical frame, and

then the same cables lead down on the other side of the machine to another car. In this way all shackles, pins, and joints, as well as the splicing of cables, are avoided and danger ofbr'eakage reduced to a minimum.

As the spherical frame revolves the carsupporting cables will move out centrifugally from the positionshown in full lines in Fig. 1 to the position shown in dotted lines in the same figure, and when they are in the latter position they will be considerably'more out of the channel betweenthe ribs than when they are in the former position. There is little danger of their flying out so far as to entirely leave the guiding-channels between the ribs but in order to effectually. guard against their ever doing so the pairs of ribs are rovided with one or more clips or connectlons 24, against which the cables will strike when the centrifugal movement proceeds far. enough. All the cables which enter one channel between the parallel ribs may be grouped together, if desired, or united by some fastening device at 25. noted, moreover, that the pins or bolts 7 serve not only to connect the ribs 6, but also serve as the rungs of a ladder running It is to be from top to bottom of the globular or spherical frame, on which ladder the workmen can ascend and descend, working with safety on repairs or when adjusting the electric wires for illuminating purposes. Around the equatorial portion of the spherical frame or at some other point thereon we preferably apply a light construction consisting of a couple of parallel horizontal rods 26 or consistmg of lattice-work, the same fastened to the ribs 6 and forming an admirable displayplace upon which to carry an illuminated sign or lettering to designate the character of the amusement apparatus and to attract patrons, the exact construction of this frame eing variable within wide limits.

An amusement apparatus of the character we have just described is absolutely safe in its 0 eration, inasmuch as the cars are suspenc ed at such a point from the tower and are so revolved that there is no liability of striking the tower or of having any improper lateral swing, and hence there can be no sudden stop through a lashing of the cars against the tower; neither is there any danger arising from a weakness in the support of the cars, as they are held by the strong rib and spherical construction, which is the strongest construction known and which suspends the cars and moves them in an absolute secure and easy way. The danger which exists in machinery of this character of having the cars strike against the tower may be obviated by the use of a circular guard-rail, as 30, which maybe built out from or attached to the tower in some suitable way-as, for instance, by means of arms 31, which arms may be joined together to IIO form a roof. The cables that support the cars strike against this rail when any influence causes them to swing too far inward, and thus the cars are prevented from striking the tower. When a roof supports the guardrail, it serves to protect the machinery and may itself constitute a fender or guard without the latter being a separate device.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a tower, of a frame having a bearing at the top theleof, said frame comprising ribs arranged in pairs, a top hub to which the ribs are connected, cables connected to the hub from which the /kcars are hung, and means for supporting the cables between the ribs of each pair, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a tower, of a spherical or globular frame having a bearing at the top of the tower and consisting essentially of ribs arranged in pairs, the members of the pairs being connected together to form guide-channels, and cars together with supporting-cables for the cars, which cables pass upward in the channels between the ribs and are connected to the upper part of the globular frame.

3. The combination with a tower, of a globular frame having a bearing at the top thereof, said frame consisting essentially of ribs, a top hub to which they are connected, and a ring for connecting the lower ends of them together, antifriction means carried by the towerfor facilitating the rotation of the lower part of the globular frame.

4. The combination with a tower, of a swinging movement of the cars.

6. The combination with a tower, of a globular frame having ribs arranged in pairs, pins connecting said ribs, cars for carrying passengers and cables attached to the cars with the pins.

7. The combination with a tower, of a spherical frame having its bearing at the top of the tower, said frame being composed essentially of airs of ribs, a series of ins connecting said ribs and bent inwar at their middle portions between the ribs to form a groove, cars, and cables arranged to lie in said grooves for supporting the cars, substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York city this 31st day of January, 1905.

THOMAS A. FULTON. THOMAS H. FULTON.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. HAZELTON, I. HEIBERG.

cables to the frame for limiting the outward I and lying between the ribs and in contact

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