IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROUNDABOUTS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Percival Everitt, of Queen Victoria Street, in the City
of London, Engineer, and Charles Burrell, the younger, of Thetford, in the
County of Norfolk, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Percival Everitt and Charles
Burrell at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th December
1880.
PERCIVAL EVERITT, of Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London, Engineer,
and CHARLES BURRELL, the younger, of Thetford, in the County of Norfolk,
Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROUNDABOUTS."
"
The object of this Invention is to provide a superior kind of roundabout to those
at present in use, and to enable persons mounting the same to perform gyrations
in groups after the manner of waltzers, such groups while moving in a circle
common to all, turning to the right or left as individual inclination may dictate.
Surrounding a fixed circular platform of some 20, 30, or more feet in diameter
we place a ring of some 3 feet more or less in breadth, which is made flush with
the fixed platform.
This ring we mount upon flanged wheels which run upon a stationary annular
rail, and the axles of, say 4, of these wheels we extend inwards to enter bearings
formed in a boss that is free to turn on a fixed central shaft below the platform.
These axles we fit near their inner ends with bevil pinions, which take into a
central bevil wheel (having a vertical shaft for its axle). This bevil wheel we
drive from an engine provided for the purpose, and situate either in the centre
of the fixed platform or at a convenient distance therefrom, and connected with
the roundabout by ground shafting.
In the broad ring which surrounds the platform we form a ring of circular holes,
say, some two feet in diameter, and in these holes, so as to be flush with the ring,
we fit circular platforms, which are mounted on vertical spindles carried by bearings
in the under frame of the ring.

page_text: To each of these spindles we fit loosely, by preference, a pair of pinions, and
connect them alternately with the spindle by means of a friction clutch working
on a feather on the spindle. The clutch when in a central position between the
two pinions will be clear of both, but by means of treadle levers projecting up
through the small platform the clutch may be put into contact with either
pinion.
Situate in planes corresponding with the planes of the pinions are two fixed
circular racks, which engage respectively with the pinions for the purpose of
causing them to rotate as the ring carrying the series of small platforms moves
round, and thereby imparting an axial motion to the small platforms to the right
or left according to which of the two pinions is locked by the clutch.
These small platforms may each carry a central rod or post to enable the couples
which have mounted the same to steady themselves in case of giddiness.
It is proposed that each platform carried by the ring should be occupied by a
couple of nominal waltzers, thus when a rotary motion is imparted to the apparatus
there will be a ring of groups pivotting on their several centres, and moving
progressively around the fixed platform.
When this platform is occupied by real waltzers or by a moving crowd a
picturesque and enlivening spectacle will be produced. This may be enhanced by
fitting at the centre of the platform a fountain, which can have a continuous
supply of water from a pump worked by the engine which drives the apparatus.
This engine may also be used for playing a barrel organ; which will thus be timed
to the movements of the nominal waltzers.
A single cylinder engine will be in general used for working this apparatus, and
its motion we prefer to transmit thereto through friction gear.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Percival Everitt and Charles Burrell in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th June 1881.
PERCIVAL EVERITT, of Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London, Engineer,
and CHARLES BURRELL, the younger, of Thetford, in the County of Norfolk,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROUNDABOUTS."
The object of this Invention is to provide a superior kind of roundabout to
those at present in use, and to enable persons mounting the same to perform
gyrations in groups after the manner of waltzes, such groups while moving in a
circle common to all turning to the right or left as individual inclination may
dictate..
Surrounding a fixed circular platform of some twenty, thirty, or more feet in
diameter, we place a ring of some ten feet, more or less, in breadth, which is
made flush with or slightly lower than the fixed platform.
This ring we mount upon flanged wheels which run upon stationary annular
rails, and the axles of these wheels we furnish with bevil, friction, or other gearing,
which drive small circular platforms carried by the under frame of the ring
platform.
Between the geared wheels on the axles of the flanged wheels we fit sliding
clutches, which by engaging with either of these bevil wheels at pleasure will
impart motion in either direction to the small circular platforms. In place of
toothed clutches friction clutches may, if preferred, be employed.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 shews in plan view our improved round-
about, and Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same taken on the line 1, 2, of
Fig. 1.
A, A, is the fixed circular platform formed in segments and laid upon a timber
foundation of any suitable construction, such timber foundation being made by
preference of detachable parts to facilitate the transference of the same from place
to place.
The segment shaped pieces composing the platform we connect together by
overlapping plates and screws, or otherwise, to prevent the shifting of the parts.
Surrounding this fixed platform is the annular rotating platform B, which runs
upon flanged wheels b, and is also composed of sections (say, twelve), one of which
is shewn in inverted plan view at Fig. 3.
B¹, B¹, are circular rails on which the flanged wheels b of the circular platform B
run. These rails we also form in sections, which are connected together by
inserting their flanged ends into shoes or clips bolted to radial sleepers B' which
rest upon the ground.
The sections of the platform B are all similarly constructed, that is to say, they
are formed with a frame of wood, which is planked over, a circular portion of the
planking being cut away for the insertion at the same level of a circular platform C.
They are also each provided with a pair of flanged wheels b, one of which runs
loosely upon the axle 61. Upon this axle is also mounted loosely a pair of bevil
wheels 62 having clutch teeth on their bosses; b³ is a double acting clutch situate
between these bevil wheels and capable of sliding upon a feather on the axle for
the purpose of locking one or other of the wheels to the axle b¹, as desired.
The platform C is fitted on its underside with four flanged wheels c which run
upon a circular rail C¹ supported by brackets pendent from the framing of the
section or segment portion of the platform B. In the centre of the circular
platform C and on its underside is fixed a bevil wheel c', which gears into the

page_text: bevil wheels on the axles b¹ for the purpose of imparting rotary motion from one
or other of those wheels to the platform Ċ when the annular platform B is rotating
around the fixed platform.
The platform B is furnished with a circular rack B³ (composed of sections), into
the teeth of which takes a pinion B on a horizontal shaft B that leads to the
motive power engine, which engine is shewn at D (see the detached view, Fig. 4),
and is by preference a small steam traction engine of sufficient power to transport
the apparatus when closely packed in suitable wheel carriages from place to place.
The platform C we prefer to fit with a fence c² around the greater part of its
periphery to protect persons from being thrown off the platform when rotary
motion is imparted thereto; and to provide for the persons on the platform
changing the direction of rotation of the platform at pleasure or stopping its
rotation, a three armed vertical rock leveres is mounted at the centre of the
platform C for throwing the clutch 63 into and out of action.
The extremities of two of these arms project up through the platform in a
position to be pressed upon by the foot of any person on the platform, and by
tipping the rock lever by the pressure of the foot on one or other of its arms the
pendant arms which engages with an annular groove on the clutch will thrust
the clutch into gear with one or other of the bevil wheels 62, and thus cause
the platform to be rotated to the right or left, as the case may be. By pressing
the rock lever into an intermediate position the clutch will be drawn out of action
and the independent rotation of the platform C will cease.
In the centre of the fixed platform we provide a basin for a fountain E, and we
lead pipes E therefrom to a pump E, shewn at Fig. 4 as situate below and
carried by the engine. This pump will be driven by the engine so long as the
fountain is required to be playing, and the motive force of the engine we also
employ to drive a barrel organ, which will be used to produce appropriate dance
music for the persons using the roundabout.
To provide for the gradual application of the power of the engine to the round-
about, which when laden with merrymakers would cause some damage to the
gearing if too quickly applied, and also to render a single cylinder engine efficient
for the purpose, we connect the flywheel pulley of the engine with the driving
pulley of the shaft B by a loose driving band D', which is tightened gradually by
the pressure of a pulley D₁ carried by a radius arm D³ having its fulcrum on the
side of the engine.
Pivotted to this radius arm is a link D' which terminates in a screw thread.
This screw thread enters the threaded boss of a hand wheel D5 which turns in a
bearing attached to the side of the engine. By turning this wheel the link will be
caused to move the radius arm with its pulley and thereby draw the belt to
tension or slacken it as required.
Connected with this radius arm D³ is a second arm D6 which carries a brake-
block, so arranged as when advanced to press upon a friction wheel B6 keyed' to
the shaft B.
By this arrangement not only is the power of the engine applied gradually to
work the apparatus, but as the belt is slackened the brake block will come into
action and arrest the further rotation of the driving shaft B³.
To facilitate the assent of the merrymakers to the platform B a ring of stationary
steps F is provided around the platform.
These steps will be formed in sections and will rest upon the ground, suitable
internal supports being provided for them to keep them clear of the rotary
platform.
From the foregoing description it will be understood that while the engine is
driving the annular platform B, the several disc platforms C may, if desired,
receive an independent rotary motion, and thus groups of persons carried by the
several platforms will appear to spectators to mingle after the manner of waltzers
without any exertion on their own parts, the pleasurable sensation of whirling

page_text: round being at the same time real and to some extent inspiriting, the strains of
the organ being timed to suit the progress of the waltzers, and the splash of the
fountains being kept up during the dance.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of "Improvements in the
Construction of Roundabouts," and explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, we wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent we claim,-
Constructing roundabouts with a rotating annular platform fitted with rotating
disc platforms and driven in the manner above described, whereby to spectators,
both within and without the circular platform, the merrymakers standing thereon
will be made to appear as performing a complex dance movement with mechanical
precision and in exact accord with the attendant music.
In witness whereof, I, the said Percival Everitt, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this 21st day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
PERCIVAL EVERITT. (L.S.)