Improvements in or relating to Roundabouts or Merry-go-rounds.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 7th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 19th Apr., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Roundabouts or Merry-go-rounds.
I, FRANK WILLIAM ALLCHIN, of 7 Western Terrace, Northampton in the County
of Northampton, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates more especially to roundabouts in which swing boats or cars
are employed, in a manner corresponding to that of the boats or cars described
in my patent specification No. 3,245 of 1888, so as to be each capable of revolving
around an axis in a vertical plane in addition to their revolution in a horizontal
plane around a common centre, whereby riders partake of a movement combined
of vertical and horizontal rotation; and has for its main object improved means of
supporting and driving the sets of swing boats.
According to this invention, each frame or set of arms which carries a set of boats
or cars is caused to revolve in a vertical plane by means of a large spur ring fixed
thereto and driven by a spur pinion upon a radiating shaft carried in bearings fixed
to a pair of the radiating spars of the roundabout. Each pair of spars carrying a
radiating shaft is inclined upwards from its connection to the central portion of the
roundabout, so as to give considerable head-room at its outer end without
necessitating undue height at the centre. The radiating shafts carried by such spars
are consequently inclined also. The bearings for the frames or sets of arms which carry
the boats or cars are carried by suitable suspending rods from the outer ends of the
spars. The revolving central portion of the roundabout to which the inner ends
of the spars, are connected is driven by means of a vertical counter-shaft from the
engine, on which is fixed a spur pinion which gears inio a lantern wheel in the
ordinary manner. The central pole is formed, as usual, to answer also as
the chimney for the engine; and the weight of the revolving portions of the
roundabout is carried from a cap which revolves around the upper portion of the
pole. This cap revolves upon balls running in channel rings, and the outer ends of
the spars and the revolving central portion of the roundabout are suspended, by
means of rods, from ears formed upon such cap. The radiating spindles have bevel
wheels fixed on their inner ends, which gear into bevel wheels carried on vertical
studs on the central revolving portion of the roundabout; and to these latter wheels
are fixed spur pinions which gear into a spur wheel fixed around the central pole,
and thus as the roundabout revolves the radiating spindles are caused to revolve on
their own axes and thereby drive the frames or sets of arms which carry the boats
or cars.
It will be obvious that this invention is applicable, as to portions thereof, to
roundabouts generally.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Roundabouts or Merry-go-rounds.
I, FRANK WILLIAM ALLOHIN, of Weston Street (described in the provisional
specification as of 7 Western Terrace), Northampton in the County of Northampton,
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 :-
This invention relates more especially to roundabouts in which swing boats or cars

page_text: are employed, in a manner corresponding to that of the boats or cars described in my
patent specification No. 3245 of 1888, so as to be each capable of revolving around
an axis in a vertical plane in addition to their revolution in a horizontal plane
around a common centre, whereby riders partake of a movement combined of vertical
and horizontal rotation; and has for its main object improved means of supporting
and driving the sets of swing boats. The invention, however, comprises certain
modifications in which the swing boats or other parts for carrying riders are revolved
in horizontal or horizontally-inclined planes around a vertical or vertically-inclined
axes which are themselves carried around the common centre of the roundabout ;
and parts of the invention are applicable also to roundabouts generally.
A modification of this invention, in which the swing boats are caused to revolve
in vertical planes as they are carried around the common axis of the roundabout, is
illustrated by figure 1, 2, 3 and 4, of which figure 1 is a plan of a portion of a
roundabout, shewing the central mechanism and the means of supporting and driving
a set of boats, but the boats are omitted in this figure, and the spars and radiating
spindle are shewn broken in their length, for convenience of illustration. Figure 2
is a section, to a reduced scale, taken on line x x of figure 1 ; and figure 3 is a view
of the outer end of a set of swing boats, with the arms and wheel by which they are
carried, shewing also the provision hereinafter described for preventing an accident
in case of a person standing upright in a boat while revolving, the other portions of the
roundabout being omitted from this view for the sake of simplicity. Figure 4 is a
vertical section, to the same scale as figure 1, of the central mechanism and of the
annular cap, hereinafter described as carrying the weight of the revolving parts, and
the means by which it is supported. Each set of swing boats A, of which there are
preferably three to a set, are suspended from cross pins a which are carried at their inner
ends in the rim of a wheel B and at their outer ends in the extremities of arms b, which
latter are tied together at such extremities by tie rods c. The central portion or boss of
the arms and the hub of the wheel B are mounted to turn easily upon a rod or
spindle d, which is fixed at its inner end to a portion of the framing which revolves
around the central axis of the roundabout. In the illustration it is shewn fixed to an
angle bracket e which is fixed to a cross-bar carried by the spars CC. The roundabout
is caused to revolve by means of a vertical spindle h, driven from a steam engine or
other source of power in the usual or any convenient manner, carrying on its upper
end the spur pinion i gearing into the usual lantern wheel f. The outer end of the
spindle dis suspended from a pair of spars C, by means of suspending rods j. The
spars preferably incline upwards towards their outer extremities, as shewn, in
order to give the necessary head room for the movement of the swing boats and
allow of the central mechanism for producing the revolution of the roundabout, and
for giving the necessary movement in vertical planes to the swing boats, to be kept
low down, as shewn, and thus greatly facilitate transport, and also give increased
steadiness in working. Around the central chimney E is fixed a spur ring k, and for
each set of swing boats to be operated there is carried upon a plate 7, which is
fixed to the lantern wheel and revolves therewith, a pin m on which is mounted,
so as to turn loosely, a bevel wheel n, and also a spur pinion o which gears into the
spur ring ; and within bearings p carried by each pair of spars C is carried a
spindle on the inner end of which is fixed a bevel pinion which gears into the
bevel wheel n, and on the outer end of which is fixed a bevel wheel s which gears
into teeth around the periphery of the wheel B. A bridle k¹, fixed to the plate 1,
bridges the bevel wheel n and spur pinion o and carries the upper end of the pin m
of which the lower end is carried by the plate 1. As the plate is carried around
the chimney E, the pinion o, gearing into the fixed spur ring k, is caused to rotate.
This pinion is fixed to the bevel wheel n or is formed in one piece therewith, and the
bevel wheel n consequently rotates with such pinion and drives the pinion r and
consequently the bevel wheels and the wheel B, and thus the required motion
is given to the swing boats A. The spokes of. the wheel B are, preferably, formed of
small round iron or steel rod, a pair of spokes for connection, respectively, to opposite
sides of the hub being passed through a hole in the rim and brought down and passed

page_text: through holes in the hub, and tightened up to the necessary degree of tension by
means of nuts bearing against the inside of flanges formed on the hub. Figure 5 is
a sectional view of the rim of this wheel, to an enlarged scale, shewing the connection
of a pair of arms therewith. The rim may conveniently consist of a plain iron or steel
ring to which a spur ring m¹ is bolted. In order to prevent or lessen any
tendency to a twisting strain in the framing formed by the wheel B, set of arms b
and pins a, and also to act as a distance-piece between such wheel and set of arms, a
tubular distance-piece t is placed around the spindle d, between such wheel and set
of arms, and is fixed at one end to the boss of the set of arms by means of pins
passing through ears u on the distance-piece, and is geared with the hub of the wheel
by means of prongs vv which take into holes formed to receive them in the hub.
The weight of the revolving portions of the roundabout is carried from a cap or
ring D which revolves around the upper portion of the chimney. This cap revolves
upon balls a running in channel rings 61 62 carried, respectively, in the cap D and
upon a ring 3 fixed to the chimney. The balls and channel rings are preferably of
steel. The outer ends of the spars C are supported by means of tie rods c¹ from
the cap D; and the plate 1, which carries the lantern wheel and the inner ends
of the spars C and the gearing by which the spindles q are caused to revolve from
the fixed spur ring k, is suspended by tie rods d' from the cap D. The plate / is
furnished with a pocket e¹ which carries a set of vertical rollers f₁ having bearings
at top and bottom in loose rings g g', and these rollers take the lateral bearing of the
plate around the chimney E. The chimney is supported in the usual or any con-
venient manner adopted with roundabouts. It is inost desirable to cover the space
bounded by the tie-rods c of the arms with wire netting to prevent the riders pushing
their arms between the bars b, and to fix guards n¹ n¹ of wire netting to the inner
sides of the boats, and corresponding guards p¹ to the outer sides of the boats, to
prevent accidents. The latter guards are parted in the middle to admit of the
passengers entering the boats. It is not, of course, essential to use the set of arms b,
though it is very much preferred to do so, as the pins a may be carried simply by
(the wheel B.
t¹
A safety appliance is shewn by figures 1 and 3 for avoiding the danger which
might otherwise exist in case of a rider standing up within the car just as it was
approaching its upward position. This appliance consists of a flap hinged to the
outside of the spar which is on the side towards which the cars approach in
revolving, the direction of such revolution being shewn by an arrow in figure 3.
This flap is carried, in its normal position, by a pair of chains 2. Boarding 3 is
put across from one spar to the other, on the underside thereof, along that portion
which is over the travel of the cars. In case a rider is standing up within the car,
and is of a stature which would make his doing so dangerous but for the appliance,
his head will first strike against the underside of the flap; no injury will result from
this as the flap will immediately yield upwards and the rider will involuntarily bob
downwards and thus keep well down within the car, or if he should attempt to raise
his head again he would merely bump it against the underside of the flap or against
the underside of the boarding t³. Suitable stop hinges or other stops are provided
to prevent the flap from being raised beyond a horizontal position, or beyond an
inclination slightly upwards therefrom. In using the roundabout, however, riders
should be cautioned not to stand up within the cars.
For convenience in entering and leaving the cars platforms may be suspended from
the spars so as to travel round therewith. These would conveniently consist of an
annular platform at about the lowest position of the cars, from which access may be
readily obtained to the cars when in their lowest position, and of short platforms
suspended in positions from which access would be convenient into the upper cars.
The upper platforms would be reached by means of steps from the lower platform.
A modification of the invention, in which the boats (or corresponding parts, such
for instance as horses) are caused to revolve in horizontal planes around an axis which
is itself carried around the central axis of the roundabout, is illustrated by figure 6,
sufficient of the arrangement only being shewn to make the modification clear. In

page_text: this case the spars C may conveniently be horizontal, as a comparatively low head-room
is sufficient. A wheel B, corresponding to the wheel B before described, is carried
upon a vertical axis h¹ and is driven by a pinion s, corresponding to the pinion s before
described, and to which motion is imparted in a similar manner. Boats A (one of
which only is shewn, for convenience of illustration) are suspended by rods from
the periphery of the wheel B, and thus as the roundabout revolves the wheel B
revolves also on its own axis, carrying such boats with it around such axis as they are
carried around the central axis of the roundabout. As a further modification the
wheel B may be set somewhat inclined, in which case the boats (or corresponding
parts) are not only carried around the axis ', in addition to being carried around
the central axis of the roundabout, but are also caused to rise and fall as they revolve
around the axis h¹. In such case, of course, the boats should be suspended with
universal joints from the rim of the wheel B.
A further modification of the invention is illustrated by figure 7. In this case the
boats (or cars) are carried by vertical rods carried in long vertical bearings j¹
fixed to the spars C, which in this modification, also, may conveniently he horizontal,
as a comparatively low head-room is sufficient. The spindles have bevel wheels s
fixed on their upper ends, and are caused to revolve by means of pinions s¹ mounted
on a radiating spindle q which may be driven in the manner of the spindle 7 before
described.
It will be obvious that portions of the invention are applicable to roundabouts
generally, such, for instance, as the mechanism employed for causing the revolution
of the radiating spindles, the method of reducing the friction due to the weight of
the parts which revolve around the central axis, and the adoption of inclined spars
for giving considerable head-room and at the same time allowing the central
mechanism to be kept low down.
In lieu of driving the radiating spindles by means of the central mechanism
described, any convenient mechanism, such as is now commonly in use, may be
employed.
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. In roundabouts, sets of swing boats or cars driven so as to revolve around the
axes of the framings or equivalent parts (such as the framing formed by the wheel B,
arms b, and pins a, figures 1, 2 and 3, or such as the wheel B, figure 6) from which
they are suspended, by means of suitable gearing near the centre of the roundabout,
through the medium of radiating spindles having spur wheels on their outer ends
gearing into spur wheels which form parts of the framings by which the swing boats
are carried or which themselves carry such swing boats, substantially as described.
2. In roundabouts, sets of swing boats or cars driven in vertical planes around the
axes of the framings or equivalent parts by which they are carried, by means of
suitable gearing near the centre of the roundabout, through the medium of radiating
spindles having spur wheels on their outer ends gearing into spur wheels which form
parts of the framings by which the swing boats are carried or which themselves carry
such swing boats, the said framings being supported from upwardly inclined spars,
substantially as described.
3. In a roundabout, inclining the spars, which carry the boats cars or corresponding
parts, in an upward direction towards their outer ends, substantially as described for
the purpose set forth.
4. In a roundabout, the means substantially as described by which the radiating
spindles are driven, that is to say by means of bevel pinions on their inner ends
gearing into bevel wheels turning loosely on centres carried upon a revolving portion
of the apparatus and themselves driven by spur pinions which gear into a fixed spur
wheel or ring, substantially as described.
5. The means by which the framing carrying the swing boats is supported from
the spars and maintained in a constant position in relation to the central axis of the

page_text: roundabout, that is to say, the combination of suitable hangers from the spars with a
rod d connected at its inner end to a portion of the roundabout which is near the
central axis thereof, substantially as described and shewn by figure 2.
6. In a roundabout in which the weight of the moving parts is carried from the
upper portion of the central pole or chimney, the employment of balls within annular
grooves substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.
7. The general combination and arrangement of parts forming a roundabout
substantially as described with reference to figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings here-
with, and especially such part of the combination which comprises the spindles q
and the means by which the revolution of such spindles is imparted to the framings
which carry the sets of swing boats.
8. The modification substantially as described with reference to figure 6, for the
purpose set forth; and also the variation of such modification in which the wheel
or framing which carries the boats or corresponding parts is mounted on an inclined
axis, substantially as described for the purpose set forth.
9. The modification described with reference to figure 7, for the purpose set
forth.
13
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STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.