US828073A - Merry-go-round. - Google Patents

Description

No. 828,073. PATENTBD AUG. 7, 1906. W. w. TIGE. MERRY-GO-ROUND.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

a l I l l l I? WIFE/E8558.- INVENTOR.

12 (m Joke M -AYFTORNEY.

1m: NGRRIS'PETERS cm, WASHINGTON, n. c.

WILLIAM W. TICE, OF 'PIQUA, OHIO.

MERRY-GO-ROUND- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 7, 19.0.6.

Application filed November-25, 1904. Serial No. 2345188.

To aZltwhowt it mag concern:

Be it known-that I, WILLIAM W. TIoE, a citizen of'theUnited States, and a resident of thecity of Piquayin the county of-Miami andiState of'Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Merry- Goltound's; of which the following is aspecification.

The several features of my invention and the various advantages resulting from their use, conj ointly or otherwise, will be apparent from the following description'and claims.

-I will now proceed to describe myinvention indetail.

Inthe accompanying-drawings, making a part of this application, and in which-similar etters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of mechanism illustratingmy invention. Fig. 2'is a view of the under side of the upper revolving portion of this merry go-round illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3is-a top view of'that part of the mechanism which lies below the horizontal-plane of the dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Figs. 2 and 3 are*on a scale smaller than that of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 isanenlarged-detailof the preferred connectionbetween-the central support and the revolving platform.

A and-A and A indicate the basal supports ofthe machine. Each ofthe supports A and A is preferably annular; but it may be of any other suitable shape. The support A is for upholding the step or bearing for the central mast. Above these supports Ilocate a'platform B. This not only is convenient for standing upon when occasion requires, but also it serves'to interconnect-the annular basal supports=andthe central hearing.

I provide a central structure for supporting the revolving portions of the mechanism. Thiscentral structure is substantially asfollows: Posts C, supportedon the base A eX- tend upwardly and are connected attheir upper ends. Intermediately they are connected by suitable braces, preferred forms of which are shown and are marked D D, C C C and'C The'revolving platform R for holding the persons'to be carriedis duly supported from a frame above. This frame Z may be solid; but I prefer to make it ofa skeleton form. The frame Z'is supported at the center and at its periphery. At the center it is supported as'follows: A stationary bearing-plate E is supported on the po'stsC. Ithasan annular groove E A hearing piece orwplate F is fixed to the frame Z and' has-onits under-side an annular groove F The' grooves E an'd F are opposite oneanother, and in themaare the frictionballs or-= rollers G; This bearing is a non-friction one. The central shafwM extendsu through; andthus enables-the-two bearing p ates E and -F to be readilykept 'concentric. Thjsshaft-M also serves to uphol'd andstiffen the-skeleton structure of th'e frame Z. The device is rotated bythisshaft-Mz The frame Z is conveniently constructed with the ringH on the "shaft-"M and=br aeing rods H "H H and radial*arm* f*. Ro'd's H are preferably connected to th'eir horizontal' bars at-points W W This-framedsto besupportedat or nearits periphery. 'Between-that support and theframe a'znon frictionbearing or bearings should be*present-. 7 5 The preferred construction for-"thiS purpose is as follows: I =provid'e a -series-of-"posts P located atsuitable intervals concentrically to-the axial=center of themachine. Theseposts are supported upon -='a= suitable-annular post A. At their'top they are-providedwith an annular connection-P; provided witli a channell, adapted'to receive the treaiilJ of the wheel-J. Thereare a'suit'able number! of these wheels located 'atproper intervals at 8 the periphery-of the frame-H. To roperly support the wheelsythere=extends omthe frame H in-each case an axle H7,-on =which the hub ofthe wheel'J revolves. Thehub of the wheel is preferably extendedon' each-side 0 of the plane ofthe spokes, and 'thus-formsan elongated bearing J J The axle 'H on which this wheel revolves is preferably'an extension of the radial'arm H of the frame. As the frame H revolvesthese wheels run in the groove P and duly support the frame H- and also keep it at times horizontal.

From theframeH is suspended in-a suitablemanner the annularplatform R adapted to carry the people who'wish to use the I00 merry-go-round. The suspensions are preferably made'by'means of wire cables X, preferably united to the horizontal bars H by connection W W Any suitable mode of carrying the eople upon theseplatforms can 10 5 be employe The referable one consists of the seats S S, radia ly disposed.

When the frame H is revolving rapidly,

there would be a tendency of the annular ring of the platform R to sway obj ectio'nably more or less. I provide means for preventing such swaying, and the preferred description of such means is as follows: To the under side of the inner edge portion of the annular platform R, I connect a rail R tread or operative portion is undermost. On the fixed platform D of the central stationary structure I locate sheaves R revolving on or with axlesR, supported in suitable bearings, one form of which, D, is shown in Fig. 4. These bearings are fixed to the platform. Of course the rail might be located on the fixed platform and the sheaves upon the under adjacent portion of the revoluble annular latform R, this being a mere equivalent the device aforenamed.

The mast M is supported at'the bottom, preferably by a device which I have invented for securing the best operation of it at all times, to wit: In the basal support A I provide a recess, and in this I locate the sleeve K, havin a flange K resting upon the basal support The 7 interior surface of the sleeve K is provided with a screw-thread K I provide a step-piece L, having an exterior screw-thread L which engages a female screw K of the sleeve K. This step has a recess L into which the foot of the mast is placed or. stepped. This step is preferably further provided with'a flange L whereby it may be easily rotated and may be used for other obvious purposes. The function of this step is to enable this bearing to always share in the work of duly supportin the mast-M, as well as in steadying it, and also when necessary adjusting the gear N, fixed on the mast, so that it shall properly en gage gear N fixed on the shaft N which latter receives the power used to move the rotatable portions of the merry-go-round.

course instead of the gear N N other means for rotating these movable portions of the merry-go-round can be employed.

Suitable stairs from the ground to the platform D are to be provided, of which one form is shown and indicated by the letter Q. Two or more such flights of stairs are preferably employed. These flights of stairs Q extend to the central platform D. From the platform D the revolving platform R can be readily reached.

On the perpendicular shaft M, under the grooved plate. E and on the supportingframework, I place an adjustable collar E to prevent the perpendicular shaft from raisin when in use. This collar E is suitably fixe to the shaft M, preferably by a set-screw E. In the event of an injury to one of the friction-balls, &c., this collar can be loosened and the driving-gear lowered on the shaft, and then with the aid of a strong wrench applied to the aforementioned step device at the foot of the shaft this shaft and the rotatable structure can be readily and quickly raised and adjusted and the injured ball or balls replaced.

What I claim as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a merry-go-round, a central struc ture, and a rotatable frame therefor, an annular grooved plate fixed to the central structure, an annular grooved plate fixed to the rotatable frame, these rooved plates facing each other,balls or rollers in the grooves of the plates, the plates being concentric with the rotatable frame and the central structure and a revolving platform suspended from the rotatable frame and having its inner edge engaging with the central structure, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

' 2. In a mer'ry-go-round, a central 'struc ture, a rotatable frame thereon, a central shaft passing through the central structure and connected to the rotatable frame, means for rotating said shaft and a revolving annular platform suspended from the rotatable frame and having its inner edge engaging with the central structure.

3. In a merry-go-round, a central stationary structure, a rotatable frame supported thereby at its center, wheels on the outer edge of said rotatable frame, an annular track for said wheels, and a revolving plat-. form suspended from the rotatable frame and located between the central structure and the track, the inner edge of said platform engaging the central structure.

4. In a merry-go-round, a centralstructure, a rotatable frame thereon, means for rotating said frame, an annular platform suspended from said frame, sheaves fixed to a part of the central structure and an annular track R fixed on the inner edge of the platform and engaging with the sheaves.

5. In a merry-go-round, a central stationary structure, a rotating frame supported thereby, an annular platform suspended from said rotating frame, a stationary platform on the central structure, sheaves on one of the platforms and a track on the other engaging with the sheaves to prevent radial deection of the revolving platform.

6. In a merry-goround, a central structure, a rotatable frame supported thereby, a revolving platform sus ended from the frame and having its inner edge engagin with the central structure and non-frictiona means at said point of engagement.

7. In a merry-go-round, a central structure, a rotatable frame supported thereby, supports for the outer periphery of said frame, a revolving platform suspended from said frame, a non-friction guide between the revolving platform and the central structure and means for rotating the frame.

8. In a merry-go-round, the central structure, rotatable frame, the non-friction plates IIO respectively connected thereto, and axially cident With the rotatable frame, and connect- :0 coincident therewith, the outlying non-friced thereto and means for rotating said shaft. tion bearings located at the periphery of the V In witness whereof I have set my hand to rotatable frame, and an outlying non-friction this specification in the presence of two subsupport for these bearings, a continuous anscribing witnesses.

nular passenger-platform supported by the WILLIAM W. TICE. rotatable frame, and a non-friction guide be- Attest: tween the passenger-platform and the cen- SAMUEL A. WEST.

tral structure, the central shaft axially coin- K. SMITH

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