An Improved Water Roundabout.
Year: 1896

page_text: c
Date of Application, 23rd Oct., 1896
tion Loft 22nd July 1807 Accented 23rd Oct. 1897
PROVI
An Improved Water Roundabout.
I, CHARLES JAMES CLAMP of 67 Kitto Road New Cross, London, S.E.,
Commercial Traveller do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
I provide
a pond or cistern of water of any suitable shape, but preferably
circular. In the centre of this pond; I form a watertight space, to receive the
notive power for driving the roundabout, this motive power may be, steam, gas,
electricity, or any other suitable method.
Floating on the water and at any suitable distance apart, I place a number of
boats or ships, as near to the outer edge of the pond as may be convenient.
These boats have, at their stem and stern, pivots or trunnions fixed, which are
carried by bearings attached to driving levers below the surface of the water,
radiating from the central driving gear of the motive power in the centre of the
pond.
On these pivots or trunnions the boats are free to roll sidewise, and this rolling
motion is communicated to them as follows:-In a convenient position I cause
to be steadfastly fixed, a spur wheel round the centre of the driving motor, and
gearing into this wheel, and carried by the revolving driving arms. I provide
pinions, one to each boat. Each pinion has a crank pin on one side, and from this
crank pin, a connecting rod is attached by universal joints to the upper arm of a
rocking shaft, also carried by the revolving driving arms. An opposite rocking
arm is carried below this shaft and from the lower end of this rocking arm, I
carry a connecting rod to a suitable joint attached to the under part of the boat,
and thus from this rocking shaft the boat receives its rolling motion as it is driven
round.
As an alternative method the rolling motion may also be given by fixing an arm
to the lower part of the boat, having a roller at its lower end, this arm may be
moved sidewise to any desired extent by means of guides at the bottom of the
water, and would thus communicate a rolling motion to the boat. The driving
arrangement in the centre of the pond would be concealed by painted canvas, or
carved and painted material representing rocks, and on the top of this would be
erected a structure formed of any suitable material and representing a lighthouse,
having an electric light, or any other lamp or illumination at the top, when
working at night.
The pond or cistern may be permanently built and cemented, or for more
portable purposes it may be formed of waterproof canvas, supported by suitable
framework securely bolted together.

page_text: I CHARLES JAMES CLAMP of 67 Kitto Road New Cross in the County of London,
Commercial Traveller, 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:-
My invention relates to an improved water round-about or "Marine Circus."
I provide a pond or cistern of water of any suitable shape, but preferably
circular. In the centre of this pond I form a watertight space, to receive the
motive power for driving the round-about. This motive power may be steam, gas,
electricity, or other suitable means.
Floating on the water and at any suitable distance apart, I place a number of
boats or the like, as, near to the outer edge of the pond as may be convenient.
These boats have at their stem and stern, pivots or trunnions fixed, which are
carried by bearings attached to bent arms below the surface of the water, radiating
from the central driving gear of the motive power in the centre of the pond. On
these pivots or trunnion's the boats are free to roll sideways, and this rolling
motion is communicated to them as follows:-In a convenient position, I cause
a spur wheel to be fixed, round the centre of the driving motor shaft and gearing
into this wheel, and carried by the revolving driving arms, I provide pinions,
one to each boat. Each pinion has a crank pin on one side, and from this
crank pin a connecting rod is attached by universal joints to the upper arm of a
rocking shaft, also carried by the revolving driving arms. An opposite rocking
arm is carried below this shaft and from the lower end of this rocking arm I carry
a connecting rod to a suitable joint attached to the underpart of the boat, and thus
from this rocking shaft, the boat receives its rolling motion as it is driven round.
The driving arrangement in the centre of the pond would be concealed by
painted canvas, or carved and painted material representing rocks, and on the top
of this would be erected a structure formed of any suitable material and representing
a lighthouse having an electric light, or any other lamp or illumination at the
top, when working at night.
The pond or cistern may be permanently built and cemented, or for more
portable purposes it may be formed of waterproof canvas, supported by suitable
framework securely bolted together.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:-
Figure shows a sectional elevation of the machine with a driving gear and
centrally pivoted boat complete.
Figure 2 shows a plan view of the central gearing and of the method of attaching
the boats with pivots on the centre line of the boat for the purpose of obtaining
the rolling motion only.
Figures 3 and 4 show the method of pivoting the boats excentrically with regard
to the middle line of the same for the purpose of obtaining pitching and rolling
motion combined.
Figure 5 shows a plan of an excentrically pivoted boat provided with crossed
curved guiding arms.
Figure 6 shows a method of jointing the rocking shaft to the intersection of the
crossed arms.
In all these drawings the same parts are indicated by like letters.
In these drawings, 1 indicates the circular tank in which the boats are caused
to revolve. This tank as already stated is preferably constructed in permanent
structures of brickwork or masonry and cement or of metal plates bolted together

page_text: or any other convenient and permanent material. In permanent constructions
the tank is preferably sunk in the ground to a suitable depth. For temporary
or travelling mechanisms the tank may be constructed of wood with or without
a waterproof lining, or of other like suitable material. The driving mechanism
is situated at the centre of the apparatus and preferably in a watertight chamber
below the level of the boats as shown. In Figure 1 this chamber is indicated by
the number 2. The driving engine 3 actuates a gear wheel 4 on its main shaft
which wheel engages in the large gear wheel 5 and the motion is transmitted
through the gearing 6 and 7 to the upright shaft 8 supported above and below
in the bearings 9 and 10; 11 denotes a vertical pillar or support within which the
vertical shaft aforesaid is placed, and 12 indicates the bed plate of the whole.
The vertical shaft 8 imparts motion to the train of horizontal gearing 13, 14.
Upon the upper surface of the horizontal gear wheel 14 is fastened a large flat
dise or wheel 15 and above this a similar disc 15° (Figure 2) between which are
secured the arius or bars 19 which effect the propulsion of the boats. This disc 15°
is omitted from Figure 1 for the sake of clearness. The shaft 8 communicates
motion through the gearing aforesaid to the discs 15 and 15 The-ends of the
arms 19 are jointed at their inner ends to angle plates fixed to the plate 15"
(Figure 2). The bevel pinions 18 are axially supported on the disc 15 and are
caused to revolve as the disc rotates by gearing into the fixed spur wheel 17. The
bevelled pinions 18 have attached to them a projection 24 to which is attached
the lever 26 imparting reciprocating motion to the rocking lever 27 and this again
to the rocking arm 28 attached to the bottom of the boat. The main shaft may
be prolonged upwards as shown in dotted lines, 16. The machinery is preferably
covered by a central tower or lighthouse such as that shown at 32 with its base 30
and cover 33 from which a revolving light or other attructive device may be
displayed. The point at which the bent arms and rocking shaft pass from the
gearing beneath the surface of the water is conveniently concealed from the sight
of the spectators by a sloping bank or the like such as shown at 31.
The boats 23 of my construction may be of any suitable shape or pattern repre-
senting ordinary boats, gondolas, swans or any other desired device. In order to
impart rolling motion to these they may be pivoted as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
upon the bent arms 19 by means of the supports 20 and bearings 21 in which the
pivots 22 secured to the stem and stern respectively of each boat are held. The
bent rocking shaft 28 is connected to the boat below at the centre of the keel in
the manner shown in the drawing and the amount of oscillation imparted will
depend upon the relative speed of the gearing 17 and 18 and the amount of motion
imparted by the rocking lever 27.
If however it be desired to impart a pitching motion to the boats as well as
the rocking motion this may be suitably obtained by placing the pivots 22
excentrically with regard to the medium line of the boat in the manner shown in
Figures 3, 4, and 5.
In Figure 6 the general arrangement of this plan is clearly shown, the propelling
arms connected to the pinions at 22 aforesaid are preferably crossed as shown and
the rocking arm connected below to the middle of the keel is preferably divided
into two parts joined by a bell-crank lever pivoted below to the arms at the inter-
secting point in the manner shown in detail in Figure 6. The propelling and
rocking arms are preferably curved in the manner shown in Figure 1 so that no
portion thereof is visible to the passenger in the boat or to a spectator from the
land. The arms can be made extensible or adjustable in length so as to render
the same apparatus applicable to drive the boats at different distances from the
centre.
In order to conceal the bearings 21 the pivots 22 and their respective rods I
arrange a false side or gunwale shewn in Figures 3 and 4 to project over these
parts and conceal the same from the spectators. My propelling and rocking
mechanism is so devised as not to interfere with, the free floatation of the boats
upon the water in the tank but to impart to the same a quick forward motion

page_text: and a rolling or a pitching and rolling motion respectively in such a manner as
to simulate efficiently the motions of a boat at sea and floating freely.
The crank pins, junctions and connecting rods can be made adjustable so as to
increase, diminish or neutralise the pitching or rolling motion or both at pleasure.
I do not limit myself to the precise form of mechanism herein before described,
and it is obvious that the pitching and the rolling motion respectively could be
operated' independently if desired by separate mechanisms as for instance by an
irregular or regular central cam. By my apparatus the actual motion of a boat
in a rough sea is closely simulated and all grating feeling or shock is avoided
such as would take place if the boat were supported on wheels on a switchback
irregular railway. The machinery whereby the motion is effected being wholly
concealed.
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. An improved water roundabout in which a regulated or constant rolling, or
combined pitching and rolling motion is given to boats floating on the surface of
the water in the tank and propelled around the same, by means of concealed
mechanism radiating from a concealed central driving mechanism.
2. In a water roundabout, the mechanism for propelling the vessels and causing
them to pitch and roll, substantially as described.
3. In a water roundabout, boats or vessels supported by pivots or trunnions
revolving in bearings carried by radial arms, said trunnions being placed at an
angle to the longitudinal axis of the boat or vessel substantially as and for the
purpose described.
4. The combination of parts forming the improved water roundabout
substantially as described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 23rd day of July 1897.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.