Improvements in Roundabouts.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Roundabouts.
I JOHN WILLIAM HARTLEY of California Engineering Works, Stoke on Trent in
the County of Stafford, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
I affix upon opposite sides of the central lantern wheel which propels the revolving
portion of an ordinary roundabout two trunnions. Working upon these trunnions I
employ two bifurcated levers or arms which engage with suitable eyes at the
extremities of the bifurcations upon said trunnions and radiate from the centre of said
lantern wheel. Said levers revolve with lantern wheel and have at their outer ends
an independent vertical motion vibrating from the centres of said trunnions, said
levers project and rise or fall in the same vertical plane on opposite sides of centre of
lantern wheel. Outer ends of levers engage by suitable attachment respectively into
Each car in this instance rests on two wheels only and runs upon a single
circular undulating rail track.
When machine is at rest the cars stand on opposite
sides of track on portions nearly level and on starting descend into a lower level, both
cars keeping during the whole run about the saine level and balancing each other so
as to equalize strain on centre.
two cars.
The Cars travel around and follow the undulations of the track rising and falling
together the velocity increasing by gravitation on the down grade and decreasing on
the up grade. I make outer ends of the bifurcated levers circular and fit them into
suitable annular brackets on said car. I provide collars at extremities of levers for
withstanding the centrifugal thrust of Cars when travelling. The Cars rise and fall
and travel around the track propelled by the said levers, the levers at the same time
retain the cars in position on the track. The Cars move on ends of levers as on a
pivot when ascending or descending the inclines of track but when travelling on the
level the relative position of cars and levers is unchanged.
I employ two broad flat wheels under each Car. these run npon the rail and by
their breadth admit of some lateral movement. Should the inaccuracy of the circle
of the track require it, I use safety guide rollers which work against side of rail on
each side of flat wheels these operate however only to prevent accident in case of

page_text: the giving way of track. My object in employing two wheels is to simplify the
construction of the track whereby it can readily be fixed and taken down for removal
and I use one rail also for the same purpose.
I may however use two rails and four wheels if desired. I joint the rails on the
circular track in a special manner, I rivet two inverted angle irons upon the opposite
sides of the rail flange. The ends of angle irons project over flanges of next adjoining
rail. I rivet under flange of adjoining rail a rectangular piece of iron or steel. I pass
a gib and cotter through the vertical webs of inverted angle irons just beneath the
flange of rail, the cotter forcing the ends of rails together by pressing against the
end of the rectangular piece furthest away from the point of rails. I fix the rails
upon timbers with suitable supports and attach the timbers to supports with gibs and
cotters.

page_text: I, JOHN WILLIAM HARTLEY, California Works Stoke-on-Trent do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to he
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to roundabout apparatus whereby a couple of cars are caused
to travel along an undulating circular track, as I shall describe referring to the
accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a part elevation and Fig. 2 a part plan of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a
transverse section of the contral lantern wheel. Figs. 4 and 5 are transverse sections
of one of the cars Fig. 4 shewing the travelling and guide wheels, and Fig. 5 shewing
the pivotting of the arm to the car.
A is the ordinary lantern wheel which, by gearing from the engine, is made to
revolve around the engine chimney on antifriction balls B. On opposite sides of the
wheel A I provide trunnions C on which are pivotted a pair of levers or arms D,
extending radially one to each of a pair of cars E. As shown in Fig. 5, the end of
the arm D has fixed on it at e a circular collar free to revolve in a bracket projecting
down from the car. Also ate the arm D has a bearing in a second bracket pro-
jecting down from the car. The car may have four wheels running on a double track,
but in order to simplify construction of the track, and to facilitate its placing and
removal, I prefer to provide the car with only two broad wheels F to run on a single
circular track G which may be carried, as shewn in Fig. 1 on trucks H. To prevent
the wheel F from ever running off the track, I mount on each side of it a horizontal
wheel K. The track G besides being circular in plan, is made to undulate as desired
in level, the undulations being preferably symmetrical on each side of the centre, so
that the two cars as they travel round the track ascend and descend the inclines
simultaneously. The lantern wheel A being driven in the usual way, the arms D are
made to sweep round carrying the cars along the track, the pivotting of the arms
at e and e' allowing the cars to oscillate in a vertical plane according as they ascend
or descend the inclines of the track, while the arms D oscillate on the trunnions C
according as the cars occupy a higher or lower level on the track. In case of accident
happening at the points where the arins Dare connected to the wheel A, the armis
may themselves be connected by safety chains L; and in like manner each arm D
may be connected to the car E by diagonal safety chains M secured to the car through
buffer springs m, these chains relieving the pivots at e el fron cross strains.
Brakes
may be applied to the car wheels F as shewn in Figs. 2 and 5. A pair of toggle
arms N carrying brake blocks at their ends are kept bent by a spring n carried on a
rod projecting from the end of the arm D, so that the blocks are clear of the wheels.
From a brake lever 0, a chain o passes round guide pullies to a lever P mounted on
the lantern wheel, this lever being linked to a second lever Q. From P and Q
chains P and q are led respectively to the centres of the toggles N on the opposite
On pulling over the brake lever o, the strain communicated through the
cars.

page_text: chain 0, the levers P and Q, and the chains p and q, tends to straighten the toggles N
causing the brake blocks to be pressed against the wheels F.
In order to facilitate the removal and fixing of the track, I joint the lengths of it
together as shewn by Fig. 6 which is a side view. Fig. 7 a transverse section and
Fig. 8 a plan of the ends of the rails jointed together. On the flange of the one rail
I rivet two side cheeks R which extend beyond the end of the rail; on the bottom of
the other rail I rivet a plate S which passes in between the cheeks R. Through slots
in the cheeks R I pass a gib and key T, and by driving the key which bears against
the end of the plate S I tighten up the joint.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is
1. In combination with the undulating circular track of a roundabout, two radial
arms each at its one end pivotted on opposite trunnions of the lantern wheel and at its
other end pivotted to a car running on the track, so that by the revolution of the
lantern wheel and arms the cars are caused to travel along the track, whilst they are
free to ascend and descend the slopes of the track, substantially as described.
2. For a roundabout arranged in the manner above referred to, the construction of
each car with two broadfaced wheels to run on a single track and horizontal guide
wheels on each side of the track, substantially. as and for the purpose set forth.
3. For jointing the rails of the roundabout track, in combination with the rails, the
side checks R, plate S and gib and key T substantially as described with reference to
Figs. 6, 7 and 8.
1-2
f. 1000