-Improved See-saw for Use at Pleasure Fairs or other Places of Amusement.
Year: 1888

page_text: BREVITICATION.
-Improved See-saw for Use at Pleasure Fairs or other Places of
Amusement.
We, CHARLES ROBERT POTTER and BARNARD SAINTY, Engineers, both of East
Dereham, in the County of Norfolk, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:
The present invention relates to an improved construction of see-saw for use at
pleasure fairs or other places of amusement, and consists essentially of a see-saw or
oscillating track on which a truck or carriage is mounted, so that the oscillating.
movement of the track will cause such carriage to travel alternately to the opposite
ends thereof, whereby the occupants of the carriage will be carried to and fro
alternately in opposite directions along the track at the same time as they participate
in the up and down movement of the see-saw.
For this purpose a track or line of rails is mounted so that it can rock freely on a
suitable centre, and on such track a truck or carriage (preferably capable of holding
six or more passengers) is mounted so that it is free to travel along same. A recipro
cating up and down movement is imparted to such track by any suitable means, and
the rails are curved upwards at each end so as to prevent the truck from running off
the track when it arrives at either end of same.
The track may also be formed with undulations or rises and falls and might also be
provided with curves if desired, whereby the movements imparted to the truck or
carriage as it travels to and fro on such track will be correspondingly varied as it
passes over the undulations, round curves, or along the straight parts thereof.
A suitable method of imparting the up and down movement to the track consists in
the use of a driving wheel or pulley driven by steam or other suitable power, and the
shaft of which carries a toothed pinion gearing with a spur wheel mounted on an
intermediate shaft, provided with a crank or eccentric connected by a rod to the track
on one side of its centre..

page_text: Two or more tracks may be mounted on a common centre, at suitable distances
apart; and the cranks or eccentrics of the intermediate shaft may be set so that such
tracks are (through the connecting rods) caused to rise and fall at different times,
instead of in unison. In this case the opposite ends of the tracks to that at which
the power is applied may be connected by rods to arms, mounted on a shaft free to
oscillate in its bearings in a rotary direction, such arms being set on the shaft in
corresponding positions to the cranks or eccentrics on the intermediate shaft.
By such an arrangement the tracks will be made to balance each other as they
rise and fall at different times.
Dated this 13th day of Anil 1000

page_text: Amusement.
We, CHARLES ROBERT POTTER and BARNARD SAINTY, Engineers, both of East
Dereham, in the County of Norfolk, 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 present invention relates to an improved construction of see-saw for use at
pleasure fairs or other places of amusement, and consists essentially of, a see-saw or
oscillating track on which a truck or carriage is mounted, so that the oscillating
movement of the track will cause such carriage to travel alternately to the opposite
ends thereof, whereby the occupants of the carriage will be carried to and fro
alternately in opposite directions along the track at the same time as they participate
in the up and down movement of the see-saw.
For this purpose a track or line of rails is mounted so that it can rock freely
on a suitable centre, and on such track a truck or carriage (preferably capable of
holding six or more passengers) is mounted so that it is free to travel along same.
A reciprocating up and down movement is imparted to such track by any suitable
means, and the rails are curved upwards at each end so as to prevent the truck from
running off the track when it arrives at either end of same.
The track may also be formed with undulations or rises and falls and might also
be provided with curves if desired, whereby the movements imparted to the truck or
carriage as it travels to and fro on such track will be correspondingly varied as it
passes over the undulations, round curves, or along the straight parts thereof.
A suitable method of imparting the up and down movement to the track consists
in the use of a driving wheel or pulley driven by steam or other suitable power,
and the shaft of which carries a toothed pinion gearing with a spur wheel mounted
on an intermediate shaft, provided with a crank or eccentric connected by a rod to
the track on one side of its centre.
Two or more tracks may be mounted on a common centre, at suitable distances
apart, and the cranks or eccentrics of the intermediate shaft may be set so that such
tracks are (through the connecting rods) caused to rise and fall at different times,
instead of in unison. In this case the opposite ends of the tracks to that at which the
power is applied may be connected by rods to arms, mounted on a shaft free to oscillate
in its bearings in a rotary direction, such arins being set on the shaft in corresponding
positions to the cranks or eccentrics on the intermediate shaft.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved see-saw,
having two lines or tracks mounted upon a truck so as to enable the whole to be readily
transported from place to place, and
Fig. 2 is a plan view of same.
The truck A has at its centre standards B secured thereto, and forming bearings for
Anted The carriages El
1-
n
ובד

page_text: to receive the persons wishing to ride on the see-saw, are made to hold any suitable
number, and one of such carriages is placed on each track, the wheels of which run on
the side rails of which each track or line is composed.
On one side of the standards B the truck A carries a driving shaft F, to which
power is transmitted through the pulley G from any suitable motor. The shaft F
also carries a pinion H which gears with a wheel I secured to a crank shaft J, also
mounted in bearings on the truck. The cranks of shaft J are connected by connecting
rods K respectively to the tracks D, D', the cranks being set so that such tracks are
caused to move in opposite directions. On the opposite side of the standards B to
where the power is applied, a shaft L is mounted on the truck A and carries arms M,
set in positions corresponding to the positions of the cranks on crank shaft J, such
arms being connected by links or rods N respectively to the tracks D, D'. Near each
end of each track, a rod O is connected, and at its lower end enters a spiral spring P,
which rests on the ground. A collar 01 on rod O compresses such spring as the end
of the track descends, so that such spring takes all the weight of the carriage, and load
when at this end, and aids the crank in raising the track again. As shown in broken
lines in Fig. 1, instead of springs a counterbalance weight W may be employed for
the same purpose, such weight being mounted upon an arm X, capable of rocking in
bearings Y secured to the floor; and the opposite end of which arm is connected by
rod Z to the track D. The weight W can be shifted along arm X towards or away
from the centre on which such arm is pivotted, so as to suit variations in the weight
of the travelling carriage E, according to whether same has its full complement of
passengers or not.
It will be seen in Fig. 1, that the tracks D are made in 3 pieces
bolted together, so that when the machine is not in use the end pieces can be detached
and together with the carriages E, E', and springs P, be placed on the truck A for the
purpose of transport.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what inanner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
.1. A track of rails pivotted on a suitable support and serving to send a carriage
alternately to the opposite ends of such track as the latter is caused to oscillate on its
pivot, substantially as specified.
2. The combination of two or more tracks of rails pivotted on a suitable support,
and provided with suitable means for causing such tracks to oscillate or rock in
opposite directions upon such support, substantially as specified.
3. The employment of springs or of counter-weights connected to the ends of a
track of rails which is caused to oscillate on a suitable support, substantially as and-for
the purpose specified.
4. The improved see-saw constructed substantially as specified.
Dated this 15th 1
T
1000