A FREE FALL TOWER FOR FUNFAIRS

Abstract: A free-fall tower for funfairs comprises a support structure (2) along which a passenger capsule (4) is mobile in both directions. The capsule (4) is brought from a lower position, in which the passengers board, to an upper position, from which a rapid free fall begins. The descending capsule (4) is braked until it reaches a halt. A plurality of fluid-dynamic cylinders (9) are loaded by the capsule (4) during a last tract of the upwards travel thereof, and energy thus accumulated in the cylinders (9) is released in order to thrust the capsule (4) groundwards during the first tract of drop thereof. The force of the mechanical thrust of the cylinders (9), added to the force of gravity, considerably increases the passenger's sensation of free-falling.

Description: Description A Free Fall Tower for Funfairs- Technical Field The tower of the invention relates to a funfair ride comprising a support structure extended vertically. At least one passenger-carrying capsule is mobile along the vertical support structure. A lift device takes the capsule from a lower position, in which the passengers get on board the capsule, into an upper position, from whence the capsule begins a rapid descent towards the ground. Means for braking the capsule's fall are provided, bringing it to a halt. Background Art A tower of this type is already known, e.g. in EP 779 828, wherein the capsule is first raised up by the lift device and then disconnected therefrom to free-fall vertically. At a point during the fall the brakes intervene to stop the capsule. The lift device is then reconnected to the capsule ready for another operative cycle. The ride gives the passengers the sensation of being first lifted up high and then dropped in free-fall over a certain distance. The effect of the free-fall is to cause a strong emotional reaction in the passengers. DE 197 24 273 discloses another ride of the above-mentioned type, comprising a vertical tower along which a ring-shaped platform offering a number of places for passengers is mobile. The platform is constrained to a pretensioned system of cables coupled to a group of pulleys, located in the upper zone of the tower, and also to a group of winding drums, located in the lower part of the tower. The drums are predisposed to allow the platform to drop at a controlled speed, giving the passengers the impression of free-falling.The pretensioned cable system is always connected to the passenger platform, both during the lifting and the falling phase. The aim of the present invention is to realise a ride of the above-indicated type which can provide the passengers with an absolutely safe new and particularly exciting experience. An advantage of the invention is that it reduces the mass of the ride and its manufacturing costs to a minimum. Another advantage is that it provides a ride which is fast and simple to install. A further advantage is that the invention is applicable to existing rides, with contained costs, by making special modifications and adaptations. These aims and advantages and more besides are all attained by the present invention, as it is characterised in the appended claims. Disclosure of Invention Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will better emerge from the detailed description that follows of a preferred but non-exclusive embodiment of the invention, illustrated purely by way of a non-limiting example in the accompanying figures of the drawings, in which: figure 1 is a schematic view in vertical elevation of a ride made according to the present invention; figure 2 is an enlarged detail of figure 1, showing the capsule during the lifting stage; figure 3 is the detail of figure 2 with the capsule at the start of the falling phase. With reference to the figures of the drawings, 1 denotes in its entirety a free-fall tower for funfair enjoyment comprising a grid-type metal support structure 2, vertically extended and square-based. In the illustrated example the structure 2 rests on a transportable base constituted by a semi-trailer 3, though other conformations of the tower and rest could be realised. The free-fall tower 1 comprises at least one passenger capsule 4 which is mobile in both directions along the support structure 2. The capsule 4 comprises a plurality of seats for passengers, distributed in a closed-ring arrangement about the vertical axis of the structure. The capsule 4 is slidably coupled to vertical guides along which it can move up and down the structure 2. The tower 1 comprises at least one lift device 5 to bring the capsule 4 from a lower position, in which the passengers get on board the capsule 4, to an upper position, from which the capsule 4 starts a rapid downwards drop. The lift device 5 comprises a gripping organ 6 associated with the capsule 4. The gripping organ 6 is vertically mobile on the structure 2 by command of a drive transmission system comprising one or more flexible cables 7 to which the gripping organ 6 is constrained. The cables 7 are drawn about pulleys by a motor which is of known type and not illustrated. The gripping organ 6 removably hooks the capsule 4 in the lower position, at which the passengers board the capsule 4. The gripping organ 6 transports the capsule 4 from the base up to a higher point in the tower structure 2. The lift device 5 comprises means for disconnecting the capsule 4 from the gripping organ 6 when the capsule 4 is in the upper position, leaving the capsule 4 to free-fall starting from the upper position. The means for disconnecting comprise a mechanical unhooking system 8 of known type. The lifting cables 7 have one end connected to the motor and the other end permanently connected to the gripping organ 6 and removably connected to the capsule 4, indirectly through the gripping organ 6, so that when connected the capsule 4 can be raised towards the upper position. The free-fall tower 1 is provided with means for braking the capsule 4 in its descent, up until it stops completely. The braking system, of known type, acts between the capsule 4 and the tower support structure 2, and can comprise a plurality of magnetic brakes arranged in the internal part of the capsule 4 and/or a series of mechanical brakes. The braking system is predisposed to intervene at a lower part of the descent drop of the capsule 4. The free-fall tower comprises means for pushing the capsule 4 downwards in an initial part of the drop. These means for pushing have at least one end predisposed to interact contactingly with the capsule 4 or with an element solidly constrained thereto, at least when the capsule 4 is in the final uppermost position. In the illustrated embodiment, the means for pushing comprise elastic means, i.e. a plurality of vertical-axis fluid-dynamic cylinders 9 predisposed to interact contactingly with the capsule 4 or with an element solidly constrained thereto. The cylinders 9 are firstly deformed, thus accumulating energy which is then released over the above-mentioned initial tract of the drop, pushing the capsule 4 downwards. The cylinders 9 are predisposed in an upper zone of the support structure 2, preferably above the capsule 4 when located in the uppermost position, and are deformed by effect of an upwards displacement of the capsule 4 in proximity of the final uppermost position 1-hereof. Each cylinder 9 is solidly constrained to the support structure and exhibits a lower end, on the stem side, which is free and downwards-facing, and destined to interact contactingly with an upper end of the capsule 4 when the capsule 4, in its upwards motion, nears the uppermost position, from which it will begin its drop. The cylinders 9 are arranged at a shorter distance from the axis of the support structure 2 with respect to the gripping organ 6, so that, when the gripping organ 6 has raised the capsule 4 into the uppermost start-drop position (figure 3), the cylinders 9 are arranged internally of the gripping organ 6 and are laterally surrounded by the organ 6. During operation, the lift device 5 raises the capsule 4; at a point during the upwards travel the capsule 4 meets the lower free end of the cylinders 9, which at that moment are in a rest position, with stems extended; as the capsule 4 continues to move upwards, it compresses the cylinders 9, causing them to accumulate energy; the cylinders 9 are energetically loaded during a final tract of the capsule-raising operation, and when the capsule has reached the uppermost point of its upwards run, the removable connection keeping the lift device 5 and the capsule 4 together is removed. As soon as the capsule 4 is disengaged from the lift device 5, it is free to drop by effect of its own weight and by the violent thrust imparted on it by the cylinders 9 which free the previously-stored energy.In effect, the capsule 4 is interested not only by the normal thrust due to gravity, but also, at the beginning of the drop, by the thrust imparted by the cylinders 9. The mechanical thrust imparted by the rapidly-expanding cylinders 9 added to the force of gravity, considerably increases the sensation of free-fall enjoyed by the passengers. The capsule 4 drop comprises: a brief initial upper tract, which mostly corresponds to the extension of the cylinder 9 stems, during which the cylinders 9 act on the capsule 4 to thrust it downwards; an intermediate tract, during which the capsule 4, on which neither the cylinders 9 nor the brakes act, is in free fall; and a final tract, during which the capsule 4 slows down until it stops due to me action of the brakes. The drop of the capsule 4 begins with a supplementary thrust which is very exciting for the passengers. This effect is achieved by using means which do not incur important increases in ride manufacturing costs; nor are they difficult to install. The fluid-dynamic cylinders 9 used, which are of known type, can be hydraulic or pneumatic. Other elastic organs, however, can be used, also of known type, as long as they are able to accumulate energy and release it at the right moment in order to increase the downwards thrust imparted on the capsule 4 during the initial tract of the descent. In a further embodiment of the invention (not illustrated), the cylinders are interpositioned between the capsule and the lift device. The cylinders can be solidly constrained to the lift device; the cylinder pre-loading stage, in which the cylinders are compressed in order to accumulate energy, occurs when the lift device is engaged to the capsule, in the lower position in which the passengers board, in order to bring the capsule up into a position in which it is made to fall downwards. The above-described means for pushing, predisposed to increase the downwards thrust of the capsule 4 at the start of the drop, can also advantageously be applied to existing free-fall towers, whether they are free-fall with the capsule disengageable from the lift device (such as for example the free-fall tower in the accompanying figures) or whether they are of the type where the capsule is constantly guided, even during the drop, by a drawing group (such as, for example, in DE 197 24 273).

Claims: Qaims. 1). A free-fall tower for funfairs, comprising: a support structure (2) which extends vertically; at least one passenger capsule (4) which is mobile in bom directions along the support structure (2); at least one lift device (5) for bringing the capsule (4) from a lower position, in which passengers can board the capsule (4), into an upper position, from which the capsule (4) begins a rapid drop downwards; at least one brake to brake the capsule (4) as it drops, up until the capsule (4) has come to a complete halt, characterised in that it comprises means (9) for pushing the capsule (4) downwards in a first tract of the downwards travel thereof. 2). The tower of claim 1, characterised in that the means for pushing have at least one end which is predisposed to interact contactingly with the capsule (4), or with an element solidly constrained thereto, at least when the capsule (4) is located in the upper position. 3). The tower of claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the means for pushing comprise elastic elements predisposed to interact contactingly with the capsule (4) or with an element solidly constrained thereto; said elastic elements being at first deformed in order that they can accumulate energy, which energy is thereafter released during the first tract of downwards movement of the capsule (4), adding extra thrust to said downwards movement of the capsule (4). 4). The tower of claim 3, characterised in that the elastic elements are predisposed in an upper zone of the support structure, preferably above the capsule (4) when the capsule (4) is in the upper position, and in that the elastic elements are deformed by effect of a displacement upwards of the capsule (4) in proximity of the upper position. 5). The tower of any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the means for pushing comprise at least one fluid-dynamic cylinder (9) having a vertical axis of action. 6). The tower of any one of the preceding claims, comprising means (8) for disengaging the capsule (4) from the lift device (5) when the capsule (4) is in the upper position, leaving the capsule (4) to free-fall starting from the upper position, characterised in that the means (8) for pushing are interpositioned between the capsule (4) and the lift device.

Inventors: FABBRI ALBERTO, FABBRI, ALBERTO
Applicants: FABBRI ALBERTO, FABBRI AMUSEMENT MFG S R L, FABBRI AMUSEMENT MANUFACTURING S.R.L., FABBRI, ALBERTO
Application year: 2000
Main classification: A63G31
IPC codes: A63G31