Abstract:
Equipment ( 1 ) for a funfair includes: a rigid body ( 5 ) provided with at least a place ( 51 ) for a passenger; a frame ( 10 ) for supporting the body ( 50 ), through a supporting mechanism ( 14, 17, 52 ) which enables the body ( 50 ) to rotate with respect to a first rotation axis (X) and a second rotation axis (Y) located perpendicular to one another and being solidly mobile in rotation with respect to a fixed third rotation axis (Z); and a mechanism ( 16, 18, 22 ) for rotating the body ( 50 ) with respect to the first rotation axis (X), the second rotation axis (Y) and the third rotation axis (Z), independently of one another.

Description:
The invention relates to equipment for a funfair. 
     More in particular, the invention relates to an equipment for a funfair which houses a plurality of passengers, solidly anchored internally of a moving environment. 
     BACKGROUND 
     As is known, this type of equipment allows passengers to follow unordered and unpredictable trajectories in space. 
     The passengers&#39; enjoyment consists in being subjected to centrifugal forces and accelerations which vary continuously in direction and sort. 
     SUMMARY 
     The aim of the invention is to make available an equipment for funfairs which realises the above unordered movements with rotations about various axes in order to perform movements on a continuous trajectory which varies irregularly and at random, and all with a simple and rational construction solution. 
     The aim is attained by an equipment for funfairs in which the structure housing the passengers is made to rotate with respect to a pair of rotation axes located perpendicular to one another and reciprocally mobile in rotation with respect to a fixed third axis. 
     Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from a reading of the following description, provided by way of non-limiting example, with the aid of the figures of the appended drawings, in which: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a view from above of the equipment for funfairs according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a view in direction A of  FIG. 1 , showing the inside of the body; 
         FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5  are a lateral view of the equipment with the inside of the body in view; 
         FIG. 6  is a lateral view of the equipment during transport thereof; 
         FIG. 7  is a view in direction B of  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to the figures of the drawings,  1  denotes in its entirety the equipment for funfairs of the present invention. 
     The equipment  1  comprises, in a general description, a rigid body  50  provided with places  51  for passengers and associated to a support frame by special means of supporting, of which a fuller description will be given herein below. 
     In the present invention, the body  50  is made to rotate about three rotation axes, denoted by X, Y and Z, of which the first two X and Y are perpendicular to one another and are solidly mobile with respect to the third axis Z, which is fixed. 
     The invention will now be described in greater detail. 
     The frame is constituted by a flat platform  10  provided with four retractable legs  11  located at the four corners, at the end of each of which legs  11  a foot  12  is fixed for resting on the ground, which foot  12  is vertically commanded by a jack. 
     Two parallel tabs  13  rise from the platform  11 , on which tabs  13  a support element  14  is rotatably mounted with respect to the horizontally lying fixed axis Z. 
     In particular, an end of the support element  14  is hinged to the tabs  13  by means of a rotation pivot  15  located horizontally and coaxially to the axis Z ( FIGS. 3-5 ). 
     The rotation of the support element  14  is guaranteed by two identical cylinder-piston groups  16  pivoted at an end thereof to the platform  10  and at the other end thereof to the support element  14 . 
     By activating the cylinder-piston groups  16 , the support element  14  can oscillate about the pivot  15 . 
     Naturally the arc of oscillation which the support element  14  can describe is comprised between two points corresponding to the minimum and maximum lengths that the cylinder-piston groups  16  can attain, which in the illustrated embodiment is about 90°. 
     At the opposite end of the support element  14  to the pivoted end thereof, a rotating arm  17  is fixed, with a fifth wheel  21  interposed which can rotate with respect to the axis X. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the rotation of the arm  17  is performed by a motor  18  fixed on the support element  14  and also fixed to the shaft on which a pinion  19  is keyed, which pinion  19  enmeshes with a cogwheel  20  fashioned on the arm  17 . 
     The arm  17  extends parallel to the rotation axis X forming an elbow in proximity of the fifth wheel  21 . 
     In substance, by rotating the pinion  19 , the arm  17  rotates about the axis X with respect to the support element  14  which remains still due to the presence of the fifth wheel  21 . 
     A circular flat base  52  is fixed to the free end of the arm  17 , with a further fifth wheel interposed, perimetrally of which base  52  a wall  53  is fixed in order to form the body  50  for the passengers. 
     In particular the base  52  lies on a parallel plane to the rotation axis X of the arm  17  and is destined to rotate about the axis Y, perpendicular to the axis X and thus perpendicular to the base  52 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the base  52  is set in rotation by means of a pair of conical wheels, not visible in the figures, which are respectively keyed on the shaft of a motor  22  and on a shaft centrally departing from the base  52 , and is fixed to the rotating element of the fifth wheel. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the motor  22  is fixed to the free end of the arm  17 . 
     In substance, by activating the motor  22 , the base  52  and therefore the body  50  formed together with the base  52  rotate about the axis Y with respect to the arm  17  which remains still due to the presence of the fifth wheel  22 . 
     In particular, the rotations of the shafts of the motors  18  and  22  are controlled by a respective encoder, not illustrated, and are commanded, according to a determined program, by an electronic control system, which also manages the activation of the cylinder-piston group  16 . 
     Alternatively, the random activation of the motors  18  and  22  and/or the cylinder-piston group  16  can be manually performed. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the places  51 , provided with belts for constraining the passenger in his or her place  51 , are located side-by-side in two circular rows having the respective seats facing one another, as in  FIG. 1 . 
     Naturally, any other arrangement of the places can be realised. 
     To afford the passengers access to the places  51  and to leave the body  50  at the end of the cycle, two openings are afforded on the perimeter wall  53 , respectively an entrance and exit, denoted by  54  for the entrance and  55  for the exit ( FIG. 1 ). 
     Operatively, before the cycle begins, the body  50  is located in a position (see  FIG. 3 ) in which the passengers can enter the body  50  through the entrance opening  53 , for example by means of a removable set of steps. 
     Once the passengers have reached the places  51  and buckled the belts, the body  50  is made to rotate about the axes X, Y and Z, by activating the two motors  16  and  18  and the cylinder-piston group  16  independently of one another. 
     The base  52 , and therefore the body  50 , rotate with respect to all three axes X, Y and Z, the arm  17  rotates with respect to the axes X and Z, the support element rotates only with respect to the axis Z. 
     The rotations are managed by the electronic control system, in order to enable the body  50  to perform random rotations about the two perpendicular axes X and Y and about the fixed axis Z. 
     Naturally the rotations about the axes X and Y can be complete 360° rotations, while those about the axis Z are limited to an arc of circumference, as previously mentioned of about 90° in the illustrated embodiment. 
     Further, the rotation direction about the axes X, Y and Z can be varied during the cycle. 
     At the end of the cycle, the passengers reach the exit opening  55 , which is conveniently brought in proximity of a descent ramp  60  in order to facilitate an easier exit, as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     With the aim of enabling easier transport of the entire equipment  1  on a trailer  70  drawn by a truck  80 , the wall  53  and the places  51  are removed. 
     Further, in order to reduce the dimensions, the base  52  is made in such a way as to be foldable. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the base  52  is formed by two portions of lateral circle  52   a  which are equal and opposite one another, and which are hinged together at a central portion  52   b , in order to be foldable towards the central portion  52   b , as can be seen in  FIG. 7 . 
     With the aim of facilitating the operation, a pair of jacks  90  are used, which jacks  90  are fixed at an end thereof to the central portion  52   b  and at the other end thereof to the respective lateral portion  52   a.    
     As can be appreciated from the foregoing description, the equipment for funfairs of the present invention is able to satisfy the needs and obviate the drawbacks mentioned in the introductory part of the present description with reference to the prior art. 
     Indeed, the equipment for funfairs of the present invention enables a multiplicity of random movements due to the rotation of the body about the three axes X, Y and Z, with an extremely compact structure, which is safe and easy to realise. 
     Obviously, an expert in the sector, with the aim of satisfying contingent needs and specifications, could bring numerous modifications and variations to the above-described equipment for funfairs, without its forsaking the sought ambit of protection of the invention, as defined in the following claims.