Improvements in Roundabouts.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Roundabouts.
I, JOHN EDWARD COOPER, of Gladstone Villas, Withernsea, in the County of York
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to roundabouts as used for diversion and comprises a system
or arrangement of circular tracks over which endless trains of cycles run either on the
level or over an undulating surface.
The object in view is to effect an arrangement of two or more roundabouts
preferably driven from one engine in which cycles are caused to run in and out
between each other and in opposite directions the effect being in the nature of a
maze and particularly adapted for this kind of amusement.
For the purposes of my invention four such roundabouts are thought to be a
convenient number. Each roundabout consists of a central standard or support from
which at the proper height from the ground level a suitable number of radial arms
extend at regular intervals to their several connections with the cycles so that when
these radial bars are carried round the cycles are run round with them. At their
inner ends the said radial bars are secured to a spur wheel mounted on bearings so
as to revolve round the stand or centre post of the machine by gearing connecting
the said spur wheel to the driving shaft of an engine. The rods are connected
together by one or more circular frames all making up a structural,
arrangement of the requisite strength and rigidity and are adapted to undulating
tracks by hinged or suitable joints. Each machine is provided with an outer
and an inner train of cycles. Two or more such machines are made to revolve
in opposite directions and are placed in such proximity that their outer
tracks overlap, and the outer train of cycles are arranged and timed in their
movements to run in and out between each other.

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
My Invention relates to roundabouts as used for diversion and comprises a system
or arrangement of circular tracks over which endless trains of cycles run either on
the level or over an undulating surface.
The object in view is to effect an arrangement of two or more roundabouts
preferably driven from one engine in which cycles are caused to run in and out
between each other and crossing each other's tracks in opposite directions, the effect
being in the nature of a maze and particularly adapted for this kind of
amusement.
Having described the nature of my invention, and its utility as a means of
affording amusement I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a general plan and Fig. 2 a general elevation of a roundabout constructed
according to my invention.
Fig. 3 is a part sectional elevation drawn to an enlarged scale and illustrating
the kind of driving gear suitable for my invention.
In the drawings a roundabout. is shown comprising four sectional roundabouts
which for the purposes of my invention is thought to be a convenient number.
Each sectional roundabout consists of a central standard or support a from which
at the proper height from the ground level a suitable number of radial arms bb extend
at regular intervals to their several connections with the cycles c c so that when these
radial bars are carried round the cycles are run round with them. At their inner
ends the said radial bars b b are secured to a pin toothed wheel & mounted on
bearings so as to revolve round the stand or centre post a of the machine by
gearing connecting the said wheel d to the driving shaft e of an engine. The rods 66 are
connected together by one or more circular frames 61 62 all making up a structural
arrangement of the requisite strength and rigidity and are adapted to undulating
tracks by hinged or suitable joints f as shown in Fig. 3.
Each machine or sectional roundabout is preferably provided with an outer and
an inner train of cycles. Two or more such machines are made to revolve in
opposite directions as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1 and are placed in such
proximity that their outer tracks overlap and the outer train of cycles are arranged
and timed in their movements to run in and out between each other that is to say
that cycle for instance runs between cycles e and by crossing the track at a
before and clear of cycle e and again crossing the track at y after cycle chas
passed on.
The driving mechanism can be variously arranged and that represented in the
drawings as an example is intended to illustrate what is suitable for my invention
which is not restricted to any precise means of driving, it being only essential that all
the parts be so arranged that the whole four machines revolve exactly at the same
nate of speed. Referring to Fig. 3 which illustrates a suitable construction of
driving mechanism, g is a shaft which takes motion through bevil wheels from the
enging shafte (Fig. 1.) and drives a short vertical shaft & supported on one side of a
metal centre a. The upper end of this shaft is furnished with a small spur pinion i
which gears into the pin toothed wheel d, consisting of two plates d' d with pins d³
rivetted between to form teeth. This wheel d runs loose on the fixed centre a, the
boss being formed by anti-friction rollers j, and is held down on ball bearings kor
their equivalents by a collar L. To the top plate of this wheel are fixed the arms b
which carry the cycles round. These arms are bolted to the wheel in the case of a
level track, but where an undulating track is used they are pivotted at /as
shown.
The engine shaft e is thrown into and out of gear with the shafting g by suitable
clutch mechanism (not shown in the drawings) and when required to stop the machine
a powerful brake is applied to the said shafting g
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my, said

page_text: invention, and in what manner the same is to be and can be performed, I here declare that I
do not limit myself to the precise details of my invention as herein before specified
and as illustrated on the accompanying drawings because equivalent modifications
or variations can be made in such details and quite consistent with the principles or
characteristic features of my invention, and in conclusion I declare that what I
claim is
An improved roundabout comprising a combination of sectional parts or
roundabouts each revolving about its own centre but all driven in such relation to
each other that the cycles cross tracks, substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1st day of July 1897.
G. J. CLARKSON,
Chartered Patent. Agent, Stockton-on-Tees and Hull,
Agent for the Applicant.