Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 7th .Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 5th Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 16th Dec., 1887
I, FREDERICK JOHN BURRELL of St. Nicholas Works Thetford, Norfolk Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to increase the Portability of Steam Roundabouts or
merry go rounds, so as to enable them to be quickly & easily fixed for work or packed
for travelling by road or rail. In the lower part of the central Chimney Stack or
stump upon which the gearing for working the roundabout is carried or revolves;
I form a cylinder so constructed as to be telescopic & capable of being lowered down
so as to reduce the total height for travelling, or bolted rigidly when fixed in its
position for work to the truck or carriage upon which the roundabout is supported.
This cylinder is fitted with a hydraulic ram & piston which ram can be lowered to the
ground to form a support to carry the weight of the roundabout when at work, and
can also be used to lift or lower the truck or carriage if necessary.
When the ram
rests upon the ground the central stack & hydraulic cylinder is unbolted from the
truck or carriage and is made to slide down the ram and through guides in the floor
of the truck or carriage bringing with it all the top gearing for driving the
Roundabout. By the compactness produced by this arrangement the Roundabout
can be easily loaded upon a railway truck of the ordinary height and be low enough
to pass under the railway gauges. It will also be seen that the Roundabout can be
quickly raised or lowered by ineans of a small pump worked by hand, connected to
the hydraulic cylinder together with a cock to let out the pressure. When the
central truck or carriage carrying the said cylinder is of great length, the weight
when taken by the central ram would cause an excessive overhanging strain upon the
framing of the said truck or carriage, inore especially when the truck or carriage was
being lowered down. To avoid this I provide at each corner, jacks, so constructed as
to be capable of taking the weight of the truck or carriage and fitted with breaks for
steadying the truck when it is being lowered, or when the roundabout is at work.
If desirable instead of using water pressure, screws or racks may be used to raise or
lower the telescopic Stack. Provision is made for either letting the ram rest on the
ground and allowing the cylinder to slide upon it, or holding the cylinder fixed and
allowing the ram to slide, as occasion may require.
The ram may be fixed on the top of the Boiler of an Engine used to drive the
roundabout, and the hydraulic cylinder forming the stump arranged to raise and lower
upon it.
FREDK. J. BURRELL.

page_text: Improvements in Steam Roundabouts or Merry-go-rounds.
I FREDERICK JOHN BURRELL of Thetford in the county of Norfolk 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 —
The object of my Invention is to increase the portability of steam roundabouts or
merry-go-rounds, so as to enable them to be quickly and easily fixed for work or
packed for travelling by road or rail. In the lower part of the central chimney stack
or stump upon which the gearing for working the roundabout is carried or revolves,
I form à cylinder so constructed as to be telescopic and capable of being lowered
down so as to reduce the total height for travelling, or bolted rigidly when fixed in
its position for work to the truck or carriage upon which the roundabout is supported.
This cylinder is fitted with a hydraulic ram and piston, which ram can be lowered to
the ground to form a support to carry the weight of the roundabout when at work,
and can also be used to lift or lower the truck or carriage if necessary. When the
ram rests upon the ground the central stack and hydraulic cylinder is unbolted from
the truck or carriage, and is made to slide down the ram and through guides in the
floor of the truck or carriage, bringing with it all the top gearing for driving the
roundabout. By the compactness produced by this arrangement, the roundabout can
be easily loaded upon a railway truck of the ordinary height, and be low enough to
pass under the railway guages. It will also be seen that the Roundabout can be
quickly raised or lowered by means of a small pump worked by hand, connected to the
hydraulic cylinder together with a cock to let out the pressure. When the central
truck or carriage carrying the said cylinder is of great length, the weight when taken
by the central ram would cause an excessive overhanging strain upon the framing of
the said truck or carriage, more especially when the truck or carriage was being
lowered down. To avoid this I provide at each corner jacks so constructed as to be
capable of taking the weight of the truck or carriage and fitted with breaks for
steadying the truck when
is being lowered, or when the roundabout is at work.
If desirable instead of using water pressure screws or racks may be used to raise or
lower the telescopic stack. Provision is made for either letting the ram rest on the
ground and allowing the cylinder to slide upon it, or holding the cylinder fixed and
allowing the ram to slide, as occasion may require. The ram may be fixed on the top
of the boiler of an engine used to drive the roundabout and the hydraulic cylinder
forming the stump arranged to raise and lower upon it.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical section shewing the hydraulic
cylinder carrying the gearing of the roundabout, in its position when fixed for work.
Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same arrangement shewing the hydraulic cylinder
lowered down into the position for travelling by rail. In Fig. 1. A is the hydraulic
cylinder carrying at its upper end the gearing necessary for working the roundabout,

page_text: By
and is fitted with the ram B and piston C. The cylinder A is raised into position for
working by pumping water into the space above the piston C and when it has reached
its full height the bottom flange of the said cylinder is bolted firmly to the casting D
which is fixed rigidly to the truck or carriage W_carrying the roundabout.
maintaining the pressure in the cylinder A the rain B will then be forced down so as
to take the dead weight of the roundabout, and so relieve the bolts E of the strain
which would otherwise be thrown upon them. When it is required to lower
the roundabout into the position shewn in Fig. 2 the cylinder A is unbolted from the
casting D and the water is allowed to flow from the upper side of the piston C by
means of a cock provided for this purpose, when the cylinder A will slide down the
ram B bringing it into the compact form as shewn in Fig. 2. When the truck W is
is being taken by road the foot of the ram and cylinder A are raised up so as to clear
the ground when travelling. Provision is made for holding these in the necessary
position by props or supports. When required to lift the ram in the cylinder water
pressure is admitted under the piston C with a cock for letting it out again for the
return stroke.
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. Making the central stack or, stump carrying the gearing for driving roundabouts
or merry-go-rounds telescopic for the purpose described operated either by hydraulic
power or other means.
2. Using a Hydraulic Cylinder with a ram substantially as described, whether fixed
on a truck as shewn in the accompanying drawings, or on the top of the boiler of an
engine used to drive the Roundabout.
Dated this 4th day of November 1887.