Improvements in or relating to Roundabouts, Whirligigs, Merry-go-rounds, and like Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 1st Nov., 1894-Accepted, 8th Dec.. 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Roundabouts, Whirligigs,
Merry-go-rounds, and like Machines.
I, FREDERIC WILLIAM DICKINSON, of St. Anns Electrical Works, Cross
Fountaine Street, Leeds, in the County of York, Electrical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to the driving of roundabouts, whirligigs, merry-go-
rounds, and like machines, hereafter termed roundabouts, by electricity.
Its object is to arrange one or more electro motors within the ring of the
roundabout so as to be capable of driving, by means of suitable gearing the horses,
cars, or other equivalent passenger conveyance suspended from revolving and
radiating arms or spars at the head of the roundabout as hereafter described.
According to this invention the electro motor or motors, hereafter termed
motor, is or are placed within the ring, but they are preferably mounted on or
attached to the centre truck, or centre, or foundation of the roundabout.
The necessary electrical current is supplied to the motor from one or more
dynamo generators or storage battery or batteries placed within or without the said
ring. When one or more generators is or are employed it or they may be driven
by a steam engine placed at a suitable distance from the roundabout, or the steam
engine may be placed inside the ring as described in the Specification of Letters
Patent granted to me No. 40 of 1892. The above named generator or generators
may, if desired, also be used for the electric lighting of the roundabout as set forth
Provision
in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me No. 10425 of 1891.
may therefore be made for one steam engine to drive the generator or generators
for lighting as well as the motor and roundabout. If desired the steam engine may
be kept constantly running or arranged to be stopped and started with the
roundabout. The lamps may be switched off in the day time.
On the motor shaft may be mounted any suitable form of gearing, such as spur,
bevel, friction, worm, or pulleys and belting, or one or more of such forms of
gearing combined, arranged to gear or mesh with a pin, cheese, or lantern wheel
which is frequently mounted on the chimney or centre of the roundabout, said pin,
cheese, or lantern wheel being connected in any suitable manner with the herein
before mentioned arms or spars from which the horses, cars, or their equivalents
are suspended. Or if preferred the first mentioned gearing may be mounted on
When a portion of
separate shafts so as to receive motion direct from the motor.
the gearing is mounted upon the shaft of the motor it may be made adjustable so
as to be capable, if desired, of automatically throwing itself in or out of gear, or it
may be operated by hand.
Dated the Thirty-first day of January 1894.
FREDERIC WILLIAM DICKINSON,
By W. Fairburn-Hart,
Agent.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Roundabouts, Whirligigs,
Merry-go-rounds, and like Machines.
I, FREDERIC WILLIAM DICKINSON of St. Anns Electrical Works, Cross
Fountaine Street, Leeds, in the County of York, Electrical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention has reference to the driving of roundabouts, whirligigs, merry-go-
rounds, and like machines hereafter termed roundabouts, by electricity.
Its object is to arrange one or more electro motors within the ring of the
roundabout so as to be capable of driving, by means of suitable gearing the horses,
cars, or other equivalent passenger conveyance suspended from revolving and
radiating arms or spars at the head of the roundabout as hereafter described.
In the drawings:-
Fig. 1 is an elevation of an arrangement for electrical driving by motor receiving
motion from a portable engine placed within the "ring."
Fig. 2. is an elevation of an arrangement of electrical driving and lighting by
motor receiving motion from a traction engine placed without the "ring."
Fig. 3 is a plan of an arrangement of gearing for transmitting motion from the
motor to say the roundabout.
Like parts in all the views are marked with similar letters of reference.
In the drawings I have shown my invention applied to what is known as a
roundabout, but I distinctly wish it to be understood that it may also be applied to
any other kind of roundabout, whirligig, or merry-go-round, whether with a
circular, elliptical or other track.
A is the framework of the head of the roundabout connected by the stay A' to
the central post or chimney B which in the drawings is shown fixed to the carriage
or truck C hereafter termed a centre truck within the "ring."
"
On the spars or radiating arms of the framework A are mounted in suitable
bearings d the shafts D connected by couplings d to the cranks D' to which are
suspended by rods D2 the horses, cars, or other equivalent passenger conveyance,
all of which are hereafter included in the term "horses." A rotary motion may be
imparted to the shafts D and cranks D' from the bevel wheel D³, fixed to or near
the chimney B or central support, above or below the top of the cheese wheel E,
through bevel pinions D mounted on the ends of the shafts D. All the above
mentioned parts may be of ordinary or known construction.
The electro motor or motors F, of ordinary construction and hereafter termed
motor, is or are placed within the "ring," but they are preferably mounted on or
attached to the centre truck C, or to the centre or foundation of the roundabout
that may be used in place of the centre truck C.
The necessary electrical current is supplied to the motor F,-which is mounted
upon the truck C,-from one or more dynamo generators G of ordinary construction
such as compound wound, and mounted upon or attached to the engine H, or from
a storage battery or batteries, all of which are hereafter included in the term
generator, and the engine may be placed within or without the said "ring."
When one or more generators G is or are employed it or they may be driven by
a steam engine H placed at a suitable distance from the roundabout, or the steam
engine may be placed inside the ring as described in the Specification of Letters
Patent granted to me No. 40 of 1892. At Fig. 11 have shown an outline of a
portable steam engine H placed within the "ring" with its chimney H' arranged
0

page_text: in this view to communicate with the central chimney B. The generator G is also
shown mounted on the steam engine H. But at Fig. 2 a steam traction engine H
is shown outside of the "ring" with the generator G fixed by brackets to the
engine H, and driven by belting H2 which passes over the fly wheel and a pulley
on the generator shaft.
On the motor shaft F may be mounted any suitable form of gearing II such as
spur, bevel, friction, worn, or pulleys and belting, or one or more of such forms of
gearing combined, bevel gearing is shown in drawings at Figs. 1 and 2, and bevel
and friction gearing at Fig. 3-arranged to gear or mesh, by means of pinion .J
(see Fig. 3)-mounted on the upper end of shaft K, and on or near the lower end
of which is also mounted one of the bevel wheels I, whilst the bevel pinion I¹ is
mounted on the end of the motor shaft F-with a spur wheel E arranged within a
pin, cheese, or lantern wheel E (herein termed a cheese wheel) which is frequently
mounted on the chimney B or centre of the roundabout, said cheese wheel E being
connected in any suitable manner such as by bevel wheels D³ D' the latter of
which is mounted on the end of shafts D carried by bearings d fixed on the herein
before mentioned radiating arms or spars A.
The horses, cars, or their equivalents
are suspended from the cranks D¹ by rods D.
But in some cases I employ as at Fig. 3 both bevel and friction gearing, when
this is the case the bevel wheel I and spur pinion J may be mounted upon the
vertical shaft K which also becomes the centre of rotation for a second shaft K' on
which the bevel pinion 1¹ and a V grooved friction pulley or wheel [2-arranged
to gear or mesh with a corresponding shaped friction wheel I³ mounted on the end
of the motor shaft F¹-are mounted. The shaft K' may be connected at one end
to the shaft K by means of the eye K2 whilst its opposite end may be arranged to
be operated by hand wheel L and screw shaft L₁ mounted in suitable bearings
whereby the friction wheels may be thrown in and out of gear; or this operation
may be performed automatically by suitable and well known mechanical
arrangement.
The current from the generator G is conveyed to the electro-motor F by
conductors M M' which are connected to the switch board N and resistance
frame O both of which may be of ordinary construction and fixed by any
convenient means within the "ring."
But when it is required the above named generator or generators & may, if
desired, also be used for the electric lighting of the roundabout as set forth in the
Specification of Letters Patent granted to me No. 10425 of 1891. Provision may
therefore be made for one steam engine H to drive the generator or generators G
for lighting as well as the motor F and roundabout. If desired the steam engine H
may be kept constantly running or arranged to be stopped and started with the
roundabout. The lamps may be switched off in the day time. In the arrangement
shown at Fig. 2 for driving and lighting the roundabout with electricity. On the
truck C is fixed the upright P which receives the holders to which the brushes Q, Q,
arranged to come in contact with two metal rings or strips R R at a suitable
distance apart and fixed to the wooden covering of or above the cheese wheel E.
On the ends of the brush holders are provided connectors to which are attached the
electric conductors M² M³ for conveying the electric current from the generator G
to the strips or rings R R and from thence through them to the electric
conductors M M attached to the lamps T which may be arc or incandescent, and
which are shown (though not necessarily so) fixed to the radiating arms or
spars A.
U is a switch board of ordinary construction and which is employed
for switching on or off the lamps T as required.
I would have it understood that when more than one motor is employed and
driven from the generator G, one of such motors may be employed to driving or
working the organ or organs, ornamental devices or apparatus or it or their
equivalents. Suitable conductors switches, and resistances being employed in
connection therewith.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
.66
1. The arrangement and combination of steam engine and electro generator,
electro motor, shafts and gearing, conductors switches, and resistance frame with a
roundabout substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth that is to say the
arrangement and combination of the steam engine H placed within or without the
ring" having a generator G mounted on or attached to its framework,
the electro-motor F mounted on the truck C, conductors M M', switch N,
resistance frame O, shafts F, K, gearing I I, J, and E, with the arms A,
gearing D3 D', shafts D and cranks D' of the roundabout, substantially as described
with reference to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.
2. In the electric driving and lighting of roundabouts, the combination of the
electro motor mounted on a truck within the "ring" capable of receiving an
electric current through conductors and switches from a generator mounted on a
steam engine within or without the "ring" and the gearing and shafts for
conveying motion to the radiating arins and cranks of the roundabout with the
means for conveying the electric current from the generator to the lamps
substantially as described with reference to Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.
3. In the electric driving of roundabouts the combination of the electric motor,
shafts and gearing with the friction gear and means for throwing it in and out of
action substantially as described with reference to Fig. 3 of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated the Thirtieth day of October 1894.