Improvements in Grand Stands.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 1st Nov., 1392-Accepted, '17th Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Grand Stands.
I, PASCAL PIERRE CUPLIN of West Bend, in the County of Palo Alto and;
State of Iowa, United States of America, Druggist, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates more especially to grand stands which are adapted for use
in connection with racecourses. It is well known that grand stands as usually
constructed are erected opposite the home-stretch of a racecourse and at one side.,
of the course, usually the outer side, and consequently for a considerable portion;
of the race the horses can be but indistinctly scen, if seen at all, and the interest:
in the race during this interval is lost. The object of my invention is to produce..
a grand stand from which people may be in a position to easily witness the race
and which may be placed inside the course so that the spectators will be at all;
times a comparatively short distance from the horses and may look directly upon
them. To this end my invention consists of a grand stand adapted to be revolved and
constructed somewhat after the manner of a turntable. It is provided with a basin-
like base having on its outer circumference, near the bottom, a series of gear teeth, on
which base are supported in tiers in the usual manner the seats which are covered..
by a suitable roof supported on uprights. The base may be held to float in a
reservoir of water and to hold the grand stand in place it is mounted to revolve on
a central post slipped in a cap in the base.
Instead of floating the base in water, it may be mounted on rollers and turned by
a vertical shaft which is mounted in bearings in proximity to the base and provided:
with a pinion adapted to mesh with the teeth on the base, the said shaft being
driven by a band passing over a pulley with which it is furnished.
In this case
the grand stand revolves on rollers which turn in a circular track and between ways
or tracks beneath the base, the track being braced by rods extending inward to a
central ring and these rods form the axles for the rollers. Instead of the above
mechanism a rope may be used for revolving the stand. Such rope would be passed.
around the base and over a suitable driving pulley mounted on a shaft which turns
in a support and is provided with a driving wheel or pulley carrying a belt. It will
be understood that either of the revolving mechanisms described may be timed, so
as to revolve the stand at the correct speed and that other mechanism may be
employed for the purpose.
This grand stand may be used in connection with the regulation course and it
is especially valuable in connection with what is known as the kite-shaped course
as the grand stand may be in the latter case arranged between the converging sides
or straightaway portions of the course and the spectators may thus be in close
proximity to the said parts of the course so that the start and finish of the race
may be witnessed to perfection.
In order that the people may reach the stand without interfering with the
progress of the race, a tunnel may be made beneath the course or it may be bridged
over.
.
Dated this 8th day of Sentomber 1802.
P. P. CUPLIN,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Grand Stands.
I PASCAL PIERRE CUPLIN of West Bend, in the County of Palo Alto and
State of Iowa, United States of America, Druggist 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 improvements in grand-stands, and more especially to
grand-stands which are adapted for use in connection with racecourses to enable
people to witness a race.
It is well known that grand-stands as usually constructed, are erected
opposite the home-stretch of a racecourse and at one side of the course usually
the outer side and consequently for a considerable portion of the race the horses
can be but indistinctly seen, if seen at all, and the interest in the race during this
interval is lost.
The object of my invention is to produce a grand-stand which may be revolved
so that people on the stand may be in a position to easily witness the race, and by
constructing and arranging the stand in this manner it may be placed inside the
course, so that the spectators will be at all times at a comparatively short distance
from the horses and may look directly upon them.
To this end my invention consists in an improved grand-stand, the construction
and arrangement of which will be hereinafter described and claimed.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
Specification, in which
Figure 1 is a vertical cross section of a stand embodying my invention;
Figure 2 is a cross section on line 2-2 Figure 3, showing the base of the stand
and a modified means of supporting and revolving it; and Figure 3 is a broken,
plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 2.
Similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.
The grand-stand 10 is provided with a basin-like base 11 which has on its outer
circumference near the bottom, a series of gear teeth 11. On the base are
supported in tiers, in the usual manner, the seats 12, which are covered by a suitable
roof 13 which is supported on uprights 14. The grand stand itself may be of any
approved construction however, as its detailed construction forms no part of this
invention.
The basin-like basc 11 may be held to float in a reservoir of water 14", and to
hold the grand stand in place it is mounted to revolve on the central post 15, as
shown by dotted lines in Figure 1. The grand-stand may be revolved by a cable.
extending around the base, as described below, or by a gear mechanism connecting
with the gear teeth 11".
.
Instead of floating the base in water, it may be mounted on rollers and turned
by the following gear mechanism.
A pinion 16, is fixed to a vertical shaft 17, which is held in a suitable support. 18,
and the pinion meshes with the gear teeth 11ª of the base. The shaft 17 carries
a driving pulley 19, which is revolved by a belt 20, and it will thus be seen that
the movement of the shaft will be transmitted to the. stand. This mechanism is
shown clearly in Figures 2 and 3 and in this case the grand stand revolves on
rollers 21, which turn in a circular track 22, and between ways or tracks 23,
beneath the base 11, the track being braced by rods 22ª extending inward to a
central ring 22" and these rods 22 form the axles for the rollers 21. The above
construction is common to turntables and forms no part of my invention.
In connection with this revolving mechanism a post 15 is used to fix the position
of the base upon the rollers, the post having its upper end stepped in a cap 15.
When a cable 24 is used, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, it is passed around the
base 11 and over a suitable driving pulley 25, mounted on a shaft 26, which turns

page_text: in a support 27, and is provided with a driving wheel or pulley 28, carrying a
belt 29. It will thus be seen that the movement of the shaft 26 will be
transmitted to the grand stand. It will be understood that either of the revolving
mechanisms described may be timed so as to revolve the stand at the correct
speed.
It will be understood that many other schemes might be introduced for revolving
the stand, and I therefore do not limit myself to any particular means for producing
the revolution of the stand.
This grand stand may be used in connection with the regulation course and it is
especially valuable in connection with what is known as the kite-shaped course, as
the grand stand may be, in the latter case, arranged between the converging sides
or straightaway portions of the course, and the spectators may thus be in close
proximity to the said parts of the course so that the start and finish of the race
may be witnessed to perfection.
As above remarked, the stand is preferably inside the course, and in order that
the people may reach the stand without interfering with the progress of the race,
a tunnel may be made beneath the course or it may be bridged over.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.
1. A revolving grand stand, substantially as shown and described.
2. A grand stand comprising a movable base and the usual superstructure
carried on the base, substantially as shown and described.
3. A grand stand comprising a reservoir, a revoluble base held to float in the
reservoir, and the usual superstructure carried on the base, substantially as shown
and described.
4. A grand stand comprising a basin-like base mounted to revolve on a central
post and supporting the usual superstructure, and means engaging the rim of the
base to revolve the same, substantially as described.
5. A grand stand comprising a base having an upwardly projecting flange at its
rim and supporting the usual superstructure, the said base being mounted to turn
on a post, gear teeth on the flange of the base, and a vertical shaft mounted in
suitable supports adjacent to the flange of the base and provided with a pinion
meshing with the teeth thereof, substantially as described.
Dated this 1st day of November 1892.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
CUPLIN,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.