US854859A - Roundabout. - Google Patents

Description

No. 854,859. I PATENTED MAY 28. 1907. J. n. WALSH. ROUNDABOUT.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG.25, 1906.

JJVVENTO -r.//////fi BY I ATTORNEK JAMES D. WALSIL OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ROUNDABOUTl Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28, 1907.

Application filed August 25, 1906. Serial No- 331,994.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES D. WALSH, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Roundabouts, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in roundabouts; and consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the upper portion thereof on the line 22 of Fig. 3 Fig. 3 is a horizontal Sec-'1 tion on line 33 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional detail of the bearing for the pinion from which the car is suspended.

The object of my invention is to construct a roundabout in which the cars shall not only be caused to revolve about a common fixed axis, but in said revolution, each car will be caused to rotate about an independent axis of its own, the combined movement producing a novel and highly exhilarating sensation.

A further object is to construct an apparatus which will be simple, durable, and one designed to be operated with a minimum amount of friction.

In detail the invention may be described as follows Referring to the drawings, F, represents a tower carrying at its top a horizontally disposed stationary rack wheel or track 2, the same being secured in position by braces 3 to the tower F. Passing centrally through the tower is a shaft 4 whose top has radiating therefrom a series of arms 5 rein- 4 forced by tie-rods 6, the outer ends of the arms being rovided with bearings 7 for the reception of the spindles 8 of the pinions 9 from which depend centrally the rods 10 carrying the cars 0, the rods being connected to the pinions by universal joints 11. The base of the shaft 4 is provided with a bevel gear wheel12 which mesheswith apinion 13 on the shaft of a motor M.

The operation of the device is as follows: Rotation being imparted to the central shaft 4, the pinions are carried about the circular rack or track 2 and are accordingly revolved about their axes. The rotation of the shaft carries the arms 5 and the cars suspended from them in a circle and about the fixed axis of the central shaft. At the same time each pinion 9 engaging as it does the rack 2 will rotate about its own axis, thereby rotating its car about the rod 10 as an axis, the joint 11 not only permitting this independent rotation to be imparted to each car, but allowing the rods to swing outwardly to any extent, depending on the intensity of the centrifugal plrcfe developed by the rotation of the central s a t.

Such details of construction to which no direct reference is here made are well known in the art and. need not herein be referred to. Of course in lieu of cars any other form of vehicle such as ships, horses and animals generally may be substituted all as will appeal to any one skilled in the art. In lieu of the teeth on the rack and pinions, frictional contact may be relied on to impart the necessary rotation to the pinions.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

A roundabout comprising a central rotating shaft, a stationary circular rack encomassing the same, a series of arms radiating rom the shaft above the rack, bearings at the ends of the arms, pinions mounted in said bearings and engaging the rack, rods depending from the pinions, vehicles carried by the rods, and universal joints coupling the rods to the pinions, the parts operating substantially as, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES D. WALSH.

Witnesses:

EMIL STAREK, J 0s. A. MICHEL.

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