Improvements in Roundabouts.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Roundabouts.
We, WILLIAM SOMERS, of Atlantic City, New Jersey, ROBERT MORRIS
BATEMAN, of Camden, New Jersey, and DEVOUX BARD EDWARDS, of Atlantic
City, New Jersey, all in the United States of America, 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 roundabouts, and it consists of the novel construction
and combination of parts as hereinafter specified.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the roundabout embodying my invention.
Figure 2 represents a front view thereof.
Figure 3 represents a side view of the driving gear.
Figures 4 and 5 represent detail views of the belt tightener.
• Figure 6 represents a detail view of the brake.
Figures 7 and 8 represent detail views illustrating the construction of the
hub, and
Figures 9 and 10 represent detail views showing the construction of the rims.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.
A designates a circular frame or wheel carried upon a horizontal axis, and
designed to revolve in a vertical plane. The shaft or axle of the wheel is
provided with bearings on the supporting frame B. The frame A is shown as
consisting of the two parallel annular rings or rims C, C, of equal diameter and
spaced laterally from each other, as shown. Said rims are supported from the
hub, or axial portions by the radial arms or spokes D, suitably connected and
braced to insure proper strength.
Connected with the rims C, C, are the transverse bars or shafts E, located a
intervals from each other, and extending around the entire circumference of the
wheel or frame. From each of these bars is suspended a suitable carrier or seat F
by means of rods, links or cables H, H, secured to said carriers or seats at their
lower ends, and at their upper ends having loose bearings on the bars. As the
wheel or frame is revolved, said seats are carried therewith, and by reason of
their loose bearings on the bars D, will at all times keep their operative positions.
The distance between the rings or rims C and bars D is sufficient to allow the
seats to swing between them and to pass therethrongh. If it is desired to
provide a machine of a larger carrying capacity, an additional rim or rims may
be provided, together with an additional series of seats or carriers.
"
An important feature of the invention consists in the driving gear, the arrange-
ment of which will now be described. In the peripheral edge of each rim is a
continuous surrounding groove J, in which runs one of the endless parallel belts
or cables K.
These cables pass down on their respective sides, and several times around the
grooved wheels L L' of the driving gear. They are held to the grooves in the
rims by means of the guide pulleys or wheels M respectively, said wheels being
hung in the boxes P, which are adjustable vertically in their supports N by
means of screws Ni engaging said boxes, whereby any excess of slack in the
cables may be taken up to prevent their slipping.
Q designates pulleys which are hung in bearings at the rear of the wheels L',
and serve to guide the driving cables into the grooves on said driving wheels.
R designates a pulley on the main shaft of the engine said pulley carrying a
belt R¹ which passes over a larger pulley R2 on the shaft of the driving wheels L',
and by means of which they are driven. On the end of the main shaft is a
D

page_text: balance wheel R³ with which engages the brake shoe R₁, the latter being-con-
nected with a suitable lever p. By cutting off steam and applying the brake the
wheel A may be stopped almost immediately.
By this double arrangement of the driving cables, a greater degree of safety
is insured, inasmuch as should one cable break or become so loose as to slip,
the remaining one will still keep the wheel in operation.
The application of the driving power as above described, whereby the cables
are caused to run around the peripheries of the outer rims of the frame is
preferred, if not essential to the successful operation of the device, for the reason
that insomuch as the frames are usually made of large diameter, the circum-
ferential series of seats are at a great radial distance from the centre consequently,
the application of power at any point within the circumference is not sufficient to
operate the machine when heavily loaded. But by passing the cables directly
around the rims between which the seats are suspended, the power is applied
directly to the point where the work is to be done, and all danger of accident
arising from the slipping or breaking of gear is obviated.
It is of course necessary that the rims C, C, should possess sufficient strength
to insure safety, and at the same time that they should be as light as possible.
They are therefore usually made of wood and constructed as follows: The body
of each rim is composed of the two rings S, S' suitably secured together in order
that the grain of the wood forming these rings may run as straight as possible,
they are each formed of the short segments s, the joints of the said segments in
the two rings being so located as to overlap each other. To the outer surface
of each of these rings is usually secured an annulus S³, as shown in Figure 10.
S³ designates two pieces secured to the rings S S and forming between them
the groove J for the cable. By this construction a strong as well as durable ring
is provided.
A thin band S may be interposed between the rings S, S¹, and the pieces S³ S³
as shown in Figures 9 and 10,, said band being secured to said rings S, S' and
serving to break the joints between the said parts S S¹, and S3 S3 but it may
however be omitted, in which case the latter pieces are secured directly to the
frame.
The
The hub portions of the wheel in which the radial arms or spokes are secured
are also usually of special construction to insure proper strength. The shaft of the
wheel has a squared part T around which the hub portions are secured.
portion of each hub, against which the ends of the spokes rest, is shown as formed
of four segments or sections secured around the shaft. Abutting against each end
of this portion t is a disc U, formed of similar sections, the whole being bolted or
otherwise secured together. Between these two discs are held the spokes, their
inner ends abutting against the portion t and separated from each other by segment
wedges V.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a roundabout, the combination of the parallel annular rims, their braces,
and a peripheral series of cross ties forming suspension rods, the carriages
suspended from said rods, the continuous grooves in the peripheries of said rims,
and the double parallel driving cables working in said grooves, substantially as
described.
2. In a roundabout, the combination of the parallel annular rims, the continuous
grooves in the peripheral faces of said rims, the double parallel driving cables
working in said grooves, and the series of carriages suspended between said rims
and cables substantially as described.
3. The combination with the rotary circular vertical frame arranged to turn on
a horizontal axis, and having grooves in its peripheral rims of the driving gear for
said frame, said gear comprising the double driving cables working in the grooves

page_text: in said peripheral rims, and actuated by grooved wheels on the driving shaft,
substantially as described.
4. The combination with the rotary wheel having the peripheral rims grooved
on their outer edges, of the driving gear for said frame, said gear comprising
double endless cables working in said grooves, the grooved wheels L, L', carrying
said cables, one pair for each cable, and carried by a common driving shaft, the
guide pulleys and tighteners for said cables, and the brake device, substantially as
described.
5. In a roundabout comprising a circular wheel having the outer parallel rims
supported from the hub portion, said rims consisting each of the following parts,
the annular rings S, S¹ secured together and composed each of a series of lap-
jointed segments, the annuli S and the peripheral pieces S³ S³, forming the grooves
for the driving cables, substantially as described.
Dated this 3rd day of January 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.