Improvements in or relating to Gigantic Wheels for Recreation or other purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Gigantic Wheels for Recreation or
other purposes.
I, JOHN THOMASON, of St. Patrick's Road, St. Annes-on-the-Sea, in the County
of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to gigantic wheels for recreation and other purposes of
that kind in which the wheels rotate and are provided with cars for the accommo-
dation of passengers. The object of this invention is to cause such wheels while
revolving on their axes to travel along a permanent way composed of rails or bars,
these rails being arranged either horizontally, undulating or otherwise.
A convenient way of carrying out this invention is as follows,-
The framework supporting the gigantic wheel on each side is extended to form
an elevated track or way along which the wheel can travel while revolving, such
track consisting of oothed racks and permanent rails running side by side. On
each end of the wheel axle is mounted a small wheel or flanged roller and a circular
rack or toothed pinion, or if desired one flange of each roller could be formed with
teeth. These toothed pinions are adapted to engage the horizontal racks on the
framework, and the rollers support the gigantic wheel on the rails, consequently on
the rotation of the wheel it is also compelled to travel along the truck by reason
of the rack and pinion device. The gigantic wheel is preferably driven by ropes
or hawsers passing round the wheel and may be either hand or power driven. To
enable the wheel while revolving on its own axis to also travel either backward
or forward I preferably have two driving ropes passing round the wheel in opposite
directions, each rope being anchored at one end in the ground or other suitable
place, and the other ends wound each on a separate drum but in reverse directions.
These drums are by preference arranged both on one shaft at or near one end of the
track. By rotating the drum shaft therefore one of the ropes or hawsers is wound
on one of the drunis, causing the wheel to rotate and travel in one direction, while
the other rope is payed out or unwound off the other drum. Suitable guide pulleys
for guiding the rope, and pulleys for keeping the hawser off the ground or platform
are provided.
1'
,
C
1007

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Gigantic Wheels for Recreation or
other purposes.
I, JOHN THOMASON, of St. Patrick's Road, St. Annes-on-the-Sea, in the County
of Lancaster, 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 relates to gigantic wheels for recreation and other purposes of
that kind in which the wheels rotate and are provided with cars for the accommo-
dation of passengers. The object of this invention is to cause such wheels while
revolving on their axes to travel along a permanent way composed of rails or bars,
these rails being arranged either horizontally, undulating or otherwise, but prefer-
ably perfectly horizontal. By this means instead of going round a circle at a
uniform rate, the cars follow a cycloidal curve and thus travel much more rapidly
at some times than at others.
The accompanying drawing shows my invention diagrammatically, but I do
not bind myself to the special manner of running the ropes for driving, as it can
be driven along the rails by any convenient mechanism.
Referring to the drawing,
Figure is a front view of the apparatus with one end however in perspective
to show the two winding drums wound in opposite directions;
Figure 2, a sectional end view of my apparatus.
In these, the framework J supporting the gigantic wheel on each side is extended
to form an elevated track or way along which the wheel can travel while rotating,
such track consisting of toothed racks I and permanent rails G running side by
side. A is the framework of the gigantic wheel, C the cars suspended on the
journals D, and C swings. On each end of the wheel axle F, is mounted a small
wheel or flanged roller E, and a circular rack or toothed pinion H, or if desired
one flange of each roller could be formed with teeth. These toothed pinions H are
adapted to engage horizontal racks I on the framework, and the rollers E support
the gigantic wheel on the rails G, consequently on rotating, the wheel is compelled
to travel along the track by reason of the rack and pinion device. K are side struts
for supporting the framework J.
The gigantic wheel is preferably driven by ropes or hawsers passing round the
wheel and may be hand or power driven. To enable the wheel while revolving on
its own axis to also travel either backwards or forwards. I preferably have two
driving ropes B B passing round the wheel in opposite directions, each rope being
anchored at one end to the ground or other suitable place, that is to say the rope B
is anchored at L and the rope B at L'. The other ends are wound each on separate
drums M and M but in reverse directions. These drums are by preference
arranged both on one shaft N at or near one end of the track. By rotating the
drum shaft N therefore, in the direction of the arrow the rope or hawser B is wound
on to the drum M causing the gigantic wheel to rotate and travel along the track
towards the left, while the other rope B is paid out
or wound off
the other drum M. The converse action takes place if the shaft be rotated in
the opposite direction. A suitable guide pulley O for guiding the rope B and
pulleys P for keeping the hawser off the ground or platform are provided.
In action the gigantic wheel is intermittently rotated so that each car C can
arrive at a platform and get filled with passengers. The ropes are now set in
motion causing the gigantic wheel to revolve on its wheels E, and thus cause the
cars C to move in an epicycloid. A safety appliance of any convenient kind may

page_text: be applied if desired to the winding engine, so that when the rope is wound
sufficiently for the wheel to come close to one end of the elevated track, the engine
stops and is reversed. For additional safety, too, the railway can be curved up at
each end, causing heavier work than the engine can perform to propel the wheel
further. Even then therefore if the engine be carelessly allowed to run and the
safety appliance does not work or is not applied, the wheel brings the engine to
a stand before it can roll off the track.
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:-
-
1. In a gigantic wheel, the combination of a motion of translation with a revolv-
ing motion whereby the cars move in a curve of the nature of a cycloid instead of
in a circle.
2. In a gigantic wheel in which the cars move in a curve of the nature of a
cycloid instead of a circle, the special manner of, or arrangement for driving the
wheel along its track in either direction substantially as described.
3. The general arrangement of gigantic wheel and its track substantially as
described.