Abstract:
An amusement apparatus has a platform with a slot that follows a continuous course including both clockwise and counterclockwise turns, a plurality of cars each supported by respective wheels that ride on the platform, an elongate flexible drive member that translates along a path corresponding to the slot, a plurality of couplers corresponding to the plurality of cars, each respective coupler including a member which couples a corresponding car to the drive member with the couplers allowing the corresponding cars to move away from the slot in opposite directions in response to whipping forces resulting from translational movement of the drive member in clockwise and counterclockwise turns of the path, and springs for the cars that act on the cars to move the cars toward the slot in order to counteract the movement of the car away from the slot as caused by the whipping forces.

Description:
This is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 11/938,828 filed on 11/13/20007, issuing as U.S. Pat. No. 7,794,330. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates broadly to amusement devices. More particularly, this invention relates to an amusement device in which passengers ride in a car which “whips” around turns. 
     2. State of the Art 
     William F. Mangels was granted U.S. Pat. No. 1,128,890 in 1915 for an amusement apparatus which became well known as “The Whip”. It consists of a sprocket wheel and an idler wheel coupled to each other by a chain or system of cables. Wheeled cars are coupled to the chain at intervals, each car being coupled to the chain through a horizontal arm, brace and spring arrangement. The sprocket is turned by a motor which turns the wheel that moves the chain that leads the cars around a wooden oval track, whipping them as they circle around each end of the track. One of the oldest Whips operating today is The Whip at Dorney Park &amp; Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, Pa. It was manufactured in 1918. The Whip at Playland in Rye, N.Y. was made in 1928, and is one of the park&#39;s oldest rides. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention includes a plurality of pulleys which are mounted under a preferably horizontal platform with their axes of rotation being vertically oriented. A cable is threaded around the pulleys and a drive motor is coupled to one of the pulleys. When the motor is activated, it causes the cable to travel over the pulleys under the platform. Wheeled passenger vehicles are arranged on top of the platform and are coupled to the cable via a slot in the platform. The wheels are preferably caster-type wheels, although ball and cup rollers could be used which allow the vehicles to roll in a plurality of directions. The coupling of the vehicles to the cable is via a spring biased self-centering swing arm. According to one embodiment, the cable and the slot traverse substantially the same path, within allowable tolerances, with the cable being directly below the slot. 
     According to one aspect of the invention, the cable and pulleys are arranged so that the path of the cable has both left (counterclockwise) and right (clockwise) turns separated by straightaways. In this manner, the vehicles are caused to whip around both left and right turns, whipping in opposite directions. According to another aspect of the invention, a variety of different radius turns are provided. According to still another aspect of the invention, the slot in the platform is covered by a preferably continuous segmented belt assembly. The belt assembly conceals the slot allowing the wheels of the vehicles to ride on a relatively smooth surface when whipping without being abraded by passing over slot edges. The belt assembly also serves to protect passengers from tripping over the slot when entering and exiting the vehicles. According to yet another aspect of the invention, the platform is provided with a topography including hills and valleys. 
     According to another embodiment, the cable and the slot traverse different paths which are often substantially parallel but laterally spaced apart. In this embodiment, a vertical component couples the swing arm of the each vehicle to the cable via an extension rod. The extension rod is pivotally coupled to the cable so that it may assume an angle relative to the path of the cable. In this embodiment, the path of the slot is often spaced apart from the path of the cable by an amount preferably less than the length of the extension rod (i.e., the extension rod is angled at an acute angle relative to the cable). The slot is arranged to the left of the cable when approaching a right turn and is spaced to the right of the cable when approaching a left turn. The slot is arranged to cross over from right to left and left to right as needed. When a vehicle crosses over the cable, the extension rod pivots from extending out from one side of the cable to extending out from the other side of the cable. Optional features of this embodiment include the placement of bearings between the slot edges and the vertical component of the swing arm, and/or using a clutch mechanism to lock and unlock the extension rod from rotating relative to the cable. 
     Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the detailed description taken in conjunction with the provided figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of the platform and passenger vehicles according to a first embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of the pulley and cable system underneath the platform of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of a passenger vehicle according to the first embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a view taken along line  4 - 4  in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , showing an implementation of the invention having a segmented conveyor belt according to a second embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 3  showing a passenger vehicle in conjunction with the second embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a view taken along line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a side elevation view of another implementation of the invention showing a platform having a topography of hills and valleys according to a third embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 8A  is an enlarged broken side elevation view in partial section of a modified swing arm, hub, and yoke; 
         FIG. 8B  is an enlarged broken plan view of the modified hub and swing arm; 
         FIG. 8C  is an enlarged side elevation view in partial section showing the vertical component of the yoke telescoped; 
         FIG. 9  is a broken transparent plan overlay view of a fourth embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a section taken along line  10 - 10  in  FIG. 9 ; and 
         FIG. 11  is a broken transparent plan overlay view of an alternate implementation of the fourth embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Turning now to  FIG. 1 , an amusement apparatus  10  according to a first embodiment of the invention includes a platform  12  and a plurality of passenger vehicles  14  arranged to roll on the platform. The platform defines a slot  16  which extends through a serpentine continuous endless course about the platform. The course includes turns, e.g.  18 ,  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32 ,  34 . The turns are separated by straightaways, e.g.  36 ,  38 ,  40 ,  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48 ,  50 ,  52 . It will be appreciated that some of the turns are right (clockwise) turns,  18 ,  20 ,  24 ,  28 ,  30 , and  34  and some are left (counterclockwise) turns,  22 ,  26 , and  32 . It will also be appreciated that the radius of curvature of the turns may vary as may the distance between the turns with some of the turns being “tighter” than others. The cars  14  are each coupled to a drive system located beneath the platform  12  via the slot  16  as described below with reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The drive system is illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the drive system  60  includes an endless cable  62  which is threaded around a series of pulleys, e.g.  64 ,  66 ,  68 ,  70 ,  72 ,  74 ,  76 ,  78 , and  80  each preferably having a vertical axis of rotation. The cable is preferably a steel fiber or steel rope of the type commonly used in various amusement park rides. Comparing  FIGS. 1 and 2 , it will be appreciated that the slot  16  is located above the cable  62  and the slot and cable traverse substantially the same path within acceptable tolerances. It will also be appreciated that the locations of the pulleys  64 ,  66 ,  68 ,  70 ,  72 ,  74 ,  76 ,  78 , and  80  correspond to the locations of the turns  18 ,  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32 ,  34 . It will further be appreciated that the radius of each pulley corresponds to the radius of the turn to which the pulley corresponds. In the illustrated embodiment, pulleys  66  and  80  have a radius of one unit whereas the pulley  78  has half that radius. The pulleys  64  and  76  have the largest radius, one and one half units each. The pulleys  70 ,  72 , and  74  each has a radius of three quarters of a unit and the pulley  68  has a radius of one and one quarter units. In a full scale assembly, each unit may represent four feet. In a very large installation, a ten foot or twelve foot radius could be used. Of course, other sizes and relative sizes could be used. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the pulley  64  is bonded to a gear  82  which is engaged by a screw  84  driven by a motor  86 . When the motor is activated, it causes the pulley to rotate which propels the cable  62  around the pulleys and drags the vehicles  14  around the course defined by the cable  62  and the slot  16 . Of course, those skilled in the art will recognize that any drive system can be utilized; e.g., a right angle gear driven system with a gearbox. As illustrated, the cable has a width of one twentieth of a unit and the slot is slightly wider than that. Of course, other widths for the cable and slot are likely to be used. 
     It will also be appreciated that  FIG. 2  includes a plurality of cylindrical supports S which support the platform  12  in a substantially horizontal orientation as shown in  FIG. 1 . The supports are distributed to support the mass of the platform as well as the mass of the vehicles and passengers as they move over the platform. 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the details of the vehicle  14  are shown in conjunction with the above described platform  12 , slot  16 , and cable  62 . The vehicle includes a main body  14   a  which houses a seat  14   b  and a lap bar  14   c . The seat may be dimensioned to accommodate a single passenger or a group of passengers. The lap bar  14   c  is preferably locked in place when the vehicle is in motion to prevent passengers from disembarking the vehicle while it is in motion. The main body  14   a  is supported by four caster-type wheels, two of which  14   d ,  14   e  can be seen in  FIG. 4 . In one embodiment the wheels are between four and eight inches in diameter and have a width of three to five inches assuming a slot width of two inches. Of course, other size wheels can be used for the same or different slot width. The main body  14   a  of the vehicle  14  is coupled to the cable  62  via a swing coupling which preferably includes a generally horizontal member which is coupled via a spring bias coupling to a member having a vertical component. More particularly, a horizontally oriented swing arm  14   f  extends forward from the main body  14   a  and terminates in a hub  14   g . In one embodiment the length of the swing arm is between five to eight feet. However, the length of the swing arm may be equal in length to the length of the main body  14   a , or may be shorter or longer. In selecting a swing arm length, care must be taken to assure that the cars will not collide on the course. The hub  14   g  is coupled to the top of a yoke  14   i  via a torsion spring  14   h . The yoke  14   i  preferably includes a substantially vertical arm  14   j  and an angled arm  14   k  which includes a vertical component, with both arms traversing the slot  16 . The provision of a yoke having two arms with a vertical component adds stability to the swing coupling, although it will be appreciated that a yoke with a single arm having a vertical component can be utilized. The lower ends of both vertical components of the yoke are coupled at  14   l  and  14   m  to the cable  62  which is located beneath the platform  12 . If the cable  62  is a steel fiber cable or steel rope, the couplings at  14   l  and  14   m  are clasps. If the cable is a chain, the coupling may be bolts or modified chain links. 
     It will be appreciated from  FIGS. 1 and 3  that it may be desirable to limit the left and right movement of the swing arm  14   f . For example, movement of the swing arm may be limited to an angle of α in one direction and an angle of β in the other direction. The angles may be the same or different. Limits may be set by the choice of the torsion spring  14   h  and/or by the provision of stops (not shown) in the hub  14   g.    
     From the foregoing, those skilled in the art will appreciate that when the motor is engaged, the cable will be propelled over the pulleys, dragging the vehicles across the platform along the path defined by the slot. As a vehicle traverses a turn, inertia causes the vehicle to continue traveling in the same direction. This results in a rotation of the swing arm about its respective hub which imparts centripetal force to the vehicle thereby “whipping” the vehicle around the turn. Once the hub returns to a straightaway, the torsion spring returns the vehicle to a substantially straight path. Depending on the velocity and mass of the vehicle and the strength of the spring, it may whip to the opposite direction (i.e. beyond slot  16 ) before returning to a straight path. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 5 , another implementation of an amusement apparatus  110  is shown. In this implementation, the slot  116  through which the vehicles  14  are coupled to the cable (not shown in this figure) is covered by a multi-segment flat conveyor belt  117  of the general type used in airport luggage conveyors. Examples of this type of belt arrangement can be found in the following U.S. patents, the complete disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein: U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,424,850; 1,817,373; 3,895,691; 5,280,831; and 6,634,491. 
     The belt  117  is substantially flush with the platform  112  so that as the vehicles whip from left to right and right to left they roll over a substantially smooth surface. This prevents the wheels of the vehicles from being abraded by the edges of the slot. In addition, the multi-segment conveyor belt  117  prevents the possibility that riders will catch their shoes in the slot when boarding and disembarking the vehicles  14 . 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  are similar to  FIGS. 3 and 4  but illustrate the multi-segment conveyor belt  117  relative to the vehicle  14 , the cable  62 , and the yoke  14   i . As seen best in  FIG. 6 , the conveyor belt is composed of a plurality of segments (e.g.  117   a ,  117   b ,  117   c ) each having a convex circular front end (e.g.  117   a ′) and a concave circular rear end (e.g.  117   a ″). The front end (e.g.  117   b ′) of one segment (e.g.  117   b ) mates with the rear end (e.g.  117   a ″) of a forward adjacent segment (e.g.  117   a ) allowing the segments to rotate relative to each other in a horizontal plane. The nature of this rotation can be seen best in  FIG. 5 . Each segment is optionally provided with a pair of small wheels or rollers (e.g.  117   a - 1  and  117   a - 2 ) which allow the segments to move forward with minimal resistance. Where provided, the wheels or rollers are preferably supported by a pair of smooth tracks, one of which  119  can be seen in  FIG. 7 . 
     As seen best in  FIG. 6 , for each vehicle  14 , two adjacent segments (e.g.  117   b  and  117   c ) of the multi-segment conveyor belt are provided with cutouts (e.g.  117   b - 1  and  117   c - 1 ) through which the yoke portions  14   j ,  14   k  pass in order to be coupled to the cable  62  ( FIG. 7 ). It will be appreciated that when the swing arm  14   f  is centered as shown in  FIG. 6 , depending upon the width of the belt, the wheels of the vehicle may reside solely on the conveyor belt  117  and therefore not rotate as the vehicle  14  is pulled forward by the cable  62 . However, as the vehicle  14  whips to the right or left around turns, the wheels will rotate as the vehicle rolls off the conveyor onto the platform  112  (see  FIG. 5 ). In some embodiments the conveyor belt is narrow in width, and the wheels of the vehicle will straddle the conveyor belt when the vehicle is not being whipped. 
       FIG. 8  shows another implementation of the invention wherein the platform  212  is provided with a topography of hills (e.g.  212 - 1 ) and valleys (e.g.  212 - 2 ) separated by ramps (e.g.  212 - 3 ). Thus, as the vehicles traverse the platform whipping right and left, they also ride up and down. In order to accommodate this up and down movement of the vehicles, the swing arm  214   f , the hub  214   g  and the vertical component  214   j  of the yoke  214   i  have been modified. In particular, as seen best in  FIGS. 8A and 8B , the swing arm  214   f  and the hub  214   g  have been joined by a hinged coupling. 
     As seen best in  FIGS. 8 ,  8 A and  8 B, the vertical component  214   j  of the yoke  214   i  is made of telescoping sections  214   j - 1 ,  214   j - 2 , and  214   j - 3  so that the length of the vertical component  214   j  automatically adjusts as the vehicle  214  rides up to a hill and down to a valley. Moreover, as seen in  FIG. 8 , angle between the swing arm  214   f  and the vertical component  214   j  of the yoke  214   i  can vary preferably up to ±20° from ninety degrees when the vehicle traverses a ramp (e.g.  212 - 3 ). In this embodiment, a multi-segment belt of the type shown in  FIG. 5  could be used, provided that the segments are made of flexible preferably resilient material such as plastic or reinforced fabric and provided that the plastic or fabric is strong enough to hold the weight of the vehicles and riders and will not assume a permanent bend. 
       FIG. 9  shows another embodiment of the invention. Part of the physics of the original whip ride is the recognition that spaced apart objects traveling in a parallel path at the same velocity will not travel at the same velocity when traveling around a turn. The object farthest from the center of the turn will travel much faster in order to remain side-by-side because it must traverse a longer path. This embodiment of the invention applies that principle to the concepts of the present invention.  FIG. 9  is a transparent plan overlay view of the platform  312 , vehicles  314 , slot  316 , cable  362  and pulleys  370 ,  372 . It is an “overlay” because the “vehicles”  314 ,  314 - 0 ,  314 - 1 ,  314 - 2 ,  314 - 3 ,  314 - 4 ,  314 - 5  and  314 - 6  are actually the same vehicle at different points in the ride. 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , the slot  316  in the upper portion of the figure is spaced apart to the left (as referenced by facing in the direction of vehicle travel) from the cable  362  and is thus designated  316 -L. As seen best in  FIG. 10 , the vertical component  314   i  of the swing coupling of the vehicle  314  is coupled to the cable  326  by a horizontal extension rod  400 . The rod is rotationally coupled at  402  to the cable  362  and rigidly coupled or rotationally coupled with limits to the bottom of the vertical component  314   i . The top of component  314   i  is coupled via the hub  314   g  and via swing arm  314   f  to the vehicle  314  as described in the first embodiment. The coupling at  404  is preferably not fully rotational because that would abrogate the function of the torsion spring in the hub  314   g . As the vehicle  314  approaches the turn defined by pulley  370 , the extension rod  400  is shown to be perpendicular to the slot  316 -L and the cable  362 , although more preferably the extension rod  400  extends forward of the yoke  314   i  and makes an obtuse angle with the swing arm  314   f  (although they are in different planes) and acute angle with the cable  362  (as shown and described in the embodiment of  FIG. 11 ). As the vehicle whips around the turn it assumes positions  314 - 0  and  314 - 1  with the extension rod at  400 - 0  and  400 - 1  still located to the left of the cable  362 . Before approaching the turn defined by pulley  372 , the vehicle  314  crosses over the cable  362  and enters a slot to the right  316 -R of the cable. To do this, a diagonal slot  316 -C (crossover) is provided which couples parallel slots  316 -L and  316 -R. As the vehicle enters the slot  316 -C, shown at  314 - 2 , the extension rod  400  rotates in a counter-clockwise direction as shown at  400 - 2 . At some point, between  400 - 2  and  400 - 3 , the rod  400  will be parallel to the cable  362 . As the vehicle moves through positions at  314 - 4  to  314 - 5 , the extension rod  400  returns to an angled orientation relative to the cable  362 , but now extends in the opposite direction with the extension arm being located to the right of the cable. While  FIG. 9  shows the extension arm being perpendicular at  400 - 5  to the cable, it is preferred that the arm be angled at an acute angle relative to the cable. Thus, preferably, the arm will have rotated less than 180° from its position at  400 - 1  to its position at  400 - 5 . The vehicle is now in a position at  314 - 5  to whip around a left turn at  314 - 6 . It will be appreciated that the slot  316 -R may transferred back to another slot  316 -L through a slot similar to slot  316 -C which moves from right to left. It will be appreciated that the cross-over slots need not be straight-line diagonal crossovers, as they can have curves, segments with different angles, etc. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the rotation of the extension rod  400  about the coupling  402  is driven by interaction between the vertical component  314   i  and the edges of the slots ( 316 -C). This will induce friction between the component  314   i  and the slot edge(s), most likely the leading slot edge in slot  316 -C. If the coupling  402  is freely rotational, there may also be some friction as the vehicle whips around turns. In order to limit the friction, a bearing arrangement  406  in the slot or on the vertical component and/or a clutch arrangement at  408  which will prevent rotation of the extension rod relative to the cable when such rotation is not necessary (i.e. at all points other than crossovers). Another way to reduce friction and make transitions from one side of the cable to the other is illustrated in  FIG. 11 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 11 , the slot  416  has a straightaway  416 -L on the left side of the cable  462  and a straightaway  416 -R on the right side of the cable  462 . The straightaway  416 -L continues into a right turn  417 -R which continues into a crossover straightaway  416 -C. The crossover straightaway  416 -C continues into a left turn  417 -L which continues into the straightaway  416 -R on the right side of the cable  462 . The distance between the cable  462  and the slot  416  remains constant through the straightaways  416 -L and  416 -R as well as through portions of the turns adjacent to the straightaways. The main difference between the layout of  FIG. 9  and the layout of  FIG. 11  is that the crossover  416 -C is flanked by two turns which are each greater than ninety degree. In addition, the acute angle between the extension rod and the cable  462  is shown. 
     More particularly, in the embodiment of  FIG. 11 , the swing arm  414   f  of the vehicle  414  is coupled to an extension rod  500  which forms an acute angle θ with the cable  462 . That angle remains constant so long as the distance between the cable and the slot does not change. As illustrated in  FIG. 11 , the angle θ has a maximum value of about 45°, although other smaller or larger angles (preferably less than 90°) may be utilized. As the vehicle enters the first turn at  414 - 1 , the angle θ of the extension rod  500 - 1  remains the same and continues to remain the same through the first 90° of the turn, e.g., until just before position  414 - 2 ,  500 - 2 . The turn  417 -R is approximately 130°. Thus, at the position  414 - 3 , the angle θ of the extension rod  500 - 3  begins to decrease gently until the crossover  416 -C is entered where the angle θ of the extension rod  500 - 4  quickly changes to zero as shown at position  414 - 4 . Once the vehicle  414 - 5  has crossed over the cable  462 , the angle of the extension rod  500 - 5  starts increasing and reaches its maximum (about 45°) after traversing 90° of the turn  417 -L to the position  414 - 6 ,  500 - 6 . The turn  417 -L is approximately 160°. Therefore, through the last 70° of the turn, e.g. at positions  414 - 7 ,  500 - 7  and  414 - 8 ,  500 - 8 , the extension rod is at its maximum angle. 
     As illustrated, as the vehicle  414  enters each turn it whips out from the turn. From the position before the first turn ( 414 ) through the position at  414 - 3 , the vehicle whips through an angle of approximately 180°. From the position  414 - 3  to the position at  414 - 8 , the vehicle whips through an angle of approximately 290° before returning through positions  414 - 9  and  415 - 10  to a straight trajectory. 
     There have been described and illustrated herein several embodiments of an amusement apparatus. While particular embodiments of the invention have been described, it is not intended that the invention be limited thereto, as it is intended that the invention be as broad in scope as the art will allow and that the specification be read likewise. Thus, while a particular layout of turns and straightaways has been illustrated, it will be appreciated that other layouts could be used as well, and turns need not be separated by straightaways. This also applies to the layout of hills, valleys and ramps. In addition, while an endless cable and pulleys have been disclosed, it will be understood that chains and sprockets or belts and rollers could be used. Also, while the drive system has been illustrated with a motor driving a screw which engages a gear, other motor arrangements could be used. While the illustrated embodiments show fifteen two passenger cars, it will be appreciated that cars having more or fewer passengers could be used and that the number and spacing of the cars depends on the course layout. Also, while it is preferable to limit rotation at the end of the swing arm and to provide spring biasing, it is possible to provide a freely swinging swing arm with no springs or stops. Further, while particular swing couplings which couple the car to the cable have been described, it will be appreciated that other couplings could be utilized. In addition, while particular wheel arrangements have been described, it will be appreciated that other wheel/roller arrangements could be utilized. Thus, for purposes herein, the term “wheel” will be deemed to include both wheels and rollers which vehicles to roll in a plurality of directions. It will therefore be appreciated by those skilled in the art that yet other modifications could be made to the provided invention without deviating from its spirit and scope as claimed.