US845524A - Pleasure-railway. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTBD PEB. 26, 1907.

W. JL 01mm PLEASURE RAILWAY. APPLICATION FILED 6cm. 190e'.

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No. 845,524. PATENTBD FEB. 26, 1907 v w. J'. CITRQN. PLEASURE RAILWAY.

APPLICATION IILED 00T.1, 1906. y 3 SHEETS-.SHEET 2. I

No. 845,524. PATENTED FEB. 26, 1907.A l W. J. CITRON.

PLEASURE RAILWAY. PrL'IoATIoN FILED oom. 1906. 1

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TrnrTEn sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

WILLIAM J. CITRON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO SCENIC NOVELTY COMPANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

PLEASURE-RAILWAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. ze, 1907.

Application filed October 1, 1906. Serial No. 336,911.

To LM whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. CITRON, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pleasure Railways, of which the following is a specilication.

My invention relates to pleasure-railways, and especially to a form of amusement apparatus in which a car mount-ed on a stationary platform is made to vibrate in simulation of travel over a railway-track, but Without'actually advancing the car, by means of moving pictures on either traveling or stationary screens, a pleasing, instructive, and delightful illusion of travel 1s produced in the minds of the occupants of the car.

The object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved means for supporting and rocking the car in such a way that it will have apparently the same easy,

sprlngy, sensitive, and more or less continuous vibrating motion of a Pullman; to provide means for producing a rumbling sound and imparting a vibration to the car independent ot the rocking means, and to provide means at the sides of the car whereby in the starting of the machinery of the car in motion the effect is given of pu-lling slowly out of a station, these side illusions being generally independent of the pictorial illusions experienced as the trip progresses.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l is a side elevation of the car in partial section, certain p'arts being omitted. Fig. 2 is a front end view of the saine. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same.

A represents a car or vehicle of any suitable size, shape, or description, and provided with seats for spectators. I speak of it as a car because it is used in presenting the illusion of taking a railway journey.A This car is open at the front and sides, and arranged within the field of vision from the car arethe respective front and side screens 2 3, upon which movable pictures of one description or another are adapted to be projected or displayed for the purpose of producing the effect of traveling rapidly, the scenes which are portrayed on the screens being appropriate to the section through which a trip is presumed to be taken. This car is partly supported on an underneath rigid stationary bar or timber 4, which. is arranged centrally and longitudinally of the car and which is here shown as resting on the blocks 5. The car is also partly supported by means of the cushions or springs 6, which are arranged on each side of the central rigid support 4. These cushions or springs 6 may be of any construction or design suitable for the purpose, and they are of sufficient stiffness to support the car properly when the latter is filled, and at the same time they have sufficient spring so that by rocking the car they will give that lateral oscillatory movement to the car which is eculiar to ordinary car-bodies on their trucks.

The function of the central support 4 is to relieve the springs of too much Weight and also to regulate the action of the springs to produce the proper lateral oscillatory movement. If it was not for the central support 4 the ear would be tipping in all directions on the springs and detract from the illusive effect. Secured to the under side of the bar 4, are a series of brackets 7, each carrying a pair of rollers 8, the several rollers being arranged in line and each pair contacting with a larger roller 9, suitably journaled in a fixed part on the foundation. 'Ihe shafts of these several rollers 9 carry sprockets around which the drive-chains l() pass to rotate the shafts and rollers. Power to rotate the latter is derived from any suitable source, as the motor l1. The function of the several rollers 9 10 is to create an obvious rumbling sound of vibration which is transmitted to the car-body in simulation of the passage of the trucks of a railway-carriage along the track-rails. The amount of the vibration in the car caused by the Contact of the rollers 9 8 is variable according to the pressure of the rollers 8 on the rollers 9, and this pressure may be regulated by using longer or shorter blocks 5 to support the bar 4. The amount of vibration, however, from this source need not be very great, and it is desirable for reason of economy of power that the contact of the several rollers be not greater than is absolutely necessary.

Any suitable means may be employed to control the oscillating movement of the car on the springs 6. As here shown, I employ IOO a rock-shaft 12, extending lengthwise of the car and having rigid arms 12 on it, which arms are connected by the links 13 with the car-body. A11 operating-lever 14 is fixed securely to the shaft 12 and extends up into the car within convenient reach of the operator, whereby he can give more or less side shake to the car according as the scenes portrayed upon the screen or the assumed condition of the road-bed would appear to warrant, or he can give a continuous easy lateral vibration to the car such as is experienced in actual travel by the contact of the car-wheel iianges first with one rail and then the other.

By means of the springs and levers and the central supporting-fulcrum bar the sensation of actual travel is realistically duplicated.

ln order to produce an illusion in addition to that afforded by the projection of pictures on the front and side screens 2 8 after the journey has actually begun, I have devised a means whereby on the starting of the motor and rollers 'in motion an impression will be given of slowly moving out of the station. This illusion is produced by means of a pair of side curtains 15, arranged contiguous to the windows on each side of the car and painted in simulation of the interior of a station or the like. These curtains 15 are drawn down parallel with the Alength of the car, and before the car starts and while the oar is filling with passengers the curtains 15 obstruct the entire view of the scenes 3 beyond. As the machinery is started suitable mechanism is set in operation which draws these curtains 15 backward, giving the effect of movement outward from the station. This mechanism for operating the curtains 15 is preferably connected with and controlled by the means which produce the rumbling sound underneath thecar.

A convenient arrangement for operating the curtains 15 is shown as follows: rl`he shaft 16 of the rearmost roller 9 extends out to each side of the car and carries at each end the fast and loose pulleys 17 18. From shaft 16 motion is transmitted when required to the alined counter-shafts 19 by the belts 20, which pass around respective of the pulleys 17 18 and the broad-faced pulleys 21 on shafts 19. Suitable belt-shifters 22 are adapted to act on the belts 20 to shift both belts simultaneously from the loose pulleys 17 to the fast pulleys 18, and vice versa. These belt-shifters are here shown as pivoted at 22 and connected together by a rod 23. One of them has a handle 24, extending inside the car within reach of the operator.

The curtains 15 are mounted to run on tracks 25, which extend at frontand back and around the rear ends of the side screens 3 the curtains being shown as having thel top and bottom hooks 26 to engage the tracksv to properly stretch and support the curtains. 27 are rollers at the rear end of the side screens around which the curtains 15 pass.

The rear end of each curtain or what is the rear end when the curtains are drawn forward to shut out theview of the side screens passes around the rollers 27 and is attached to pull-cord 28, which runs forward around a direction pulley 29 and then downward around another direction pulley 30, back to a spool or drum 31 on a respective shaft 19.

When the car is stationary and filling with peo le, the curtains 15 are drawn forward at tie sides of the car and in front of the screens 3. Being suitably painted the curtains 15 present the appearance of the interior of the station.

As soon as the motor is started and the rumble of the wheels 8 9 is heard the operator throws the handle 24 to shift the belts 20 simultaneously from their normal position on the loose pulleys 17 onto the fast pulleys 18. rlhis shifting of the belts immediately sets the shafts 19 and drums 31 in motion to wind up the cords or cables 28 and pull the curtains 15 from in front of the screens 8 around back of the latter. How ever, as the front end of the curtains 15 come abreast of the rear of the car and uncover the entire area of the screens 8 to view the belts 2() are again shifted onto the loose pulleys 17 to allow the curtains to come to rest. This stoppage of the curtains 15 is preferably done automatically. As here shown, one curtain has attached toit, near its front end and bottom edge, a wedge or cam 32, which is adapted to engage one of the shifters 22, suit-ably arranged in the path of the cam, rock the shifters, and consequently throw both belts out of action. This gradual retrograde movement of the depot curtains 15 is succeeded by a series of illuminated scenes on the side and front screens 2 3, giving a most realistic effect of entry on a journey. The resent invention has nothing to do with t e scenes or illusions presented on the screens 2 3.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a pleasure apparatus, a stationary car mounted for oscillation on a spring-support, means to oscillate the car, and means to create a rumbling sound and vibration in the car like travel over a roadway without advancing the car.

2. A spring-supported vehicle open at the sides, means to rock the vehicle, draw-curtainsat the sides of the vehicle, mechanism to create a rumbling sound like travel over a railway-track, and connections between said mechanism and said draw-curtains to operate the latter.

3. A car partly mounted on a stationary IOO IOS

support and partly mounted on springs, and means to control the oscillation of the car on said springs and support.

4. A vehicle supported at'each side of its center on underneath springs and centrally fu-lcruming on a relatively unyielding support. o

5. A vehicle supported at each side of its center on underneath springs and centrally fulcruming on a relatively unyielding support, and means to rock said vehicle on said ulcrum.

6. A car mounted tor oscillation on an underneath central support, cushion means supporting the car on each side of said central support, and means extending inside the car to control the oscillations of the car.

7. A car mounted to fulcrum centrally on a stationary support, springs supporting the car on each' side of said central support, rollers carried by said central support and contacting With other rollers, and means to revolve the rollers to create a rumbling sound l like the travel of Wheels over a track.

8. The combination With a vehicle open at the sides, mechanism underneath the car to create a rumbling sound and vibration in simulation of travel, normally stationary draw-curtains at the sides of the cars, and means for operating said curtains by said mechanism underneath the car.

9. The combination With a car open at the sides, draw-curtains at the sides of the car, rollers underneath the car to create a rumbling sound in simulation of travel, means to revolve said rollers, connections between said curtains and rollers to operate the curtains, and means for automatically disrupting said connections on the Withdrawal of said curtains.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my han-d in presence of t-Wo subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM J. orTRoN.

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