A New or Improved Roundabout.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 3rd May, 1897-Accepted, 12th June, 1897
A New or Improved Roundabout.
We PATRICK COLLINS of Gondola Works Walsall in the County of Stafford
Traveller and FREDERICK SAVAGE of St. Nicholas Iron Works Kings Lynn in the
County of Norfolk Engineer and FREDERICK SAVAGE AND COMPANY LIMITED, of the
same address do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object, to. provide, a roundabout with which bicycles or
velocipedes are combined and actuated so that the riders appear to be riding on
bicycles or velocipedes in the ordinary manner. According to this invention there
is used a rotating platform which may be made in any convenient, manner and in any
number of sections and provided with wheels running on or in circular rails or. tracks
which can be supported by sleepers on the ground in the usual manner. The said
platform carries a number of bicycles or velocipedes. which may be like, or similar to
ordinary bicycles, or velocipedes. The said bicycles or. velocipedes can be secured to
the platform most conveniently by extensions of their frames carried downwards
to the requisite extent to enable them to be secured to the platform. The wheels of
the said bicycles or velocipedes may be caused to rotate as the platform travels by
making the lower parts of the said wheels protrude through slots in the platform so
as to bear upon stationary circular tracks which can be supported upon a framing
resting on the ground or on the sleepers of the rails on which the platform wheels
run. The frictional contact of the bicycle or velocipede. wheels with the said stationary
circular tracks causes the said wheels to rotate as the platform travels round.. Or
instead of the wheels of the bicycles or velocipedes being, thus rotated they can be
rotated in other convenient way for example they may rest below, above, or at the
level of the platform upon rollers driven by chain or other gear, from the axles of the
wheels on which the platform, runs or the driving of the wheels of the bicycles or
velocipedes may be effected by a chain passed under a chain wheel on the axle of the
wheels on which the platform runs and led by suitable wheels, or rollers up and over
chain wheels on the axles or one of the axles of the bicycles or velocipedes.
The bicycles or velocipedes. may be provided with springs in their attachment to
the platform so that when the weight of the rider is brought upon the cycles or
velocipedes their. wheels are in contact with. the surfaces which cause them to rotate
the said springs removing the said wheels from such contact when the weight of the
rider is removed so that then motion is not imparted to the said wheels.
Dated this 1st day of August 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents..

page_text: A New or Improved Roundabout.
We, PATRICK COLLINS, of Gondola Works, Walsall, in the County of Stafford,.
Traveller, and FREDERICK SAVAGE, of St. Nicholas Iron Works, Kings Lynn, in the
County of Norfolk, Engineer, and FREDERICK SAVAGE & Co. LIMITED, of the same
address, 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 has for its object to provide a roundabout with which bicycles or
other velocipedes are combined and actuated so that the riders although not operating
the bicycles or velocipedes appear to he doing so in the ordinary manner means being
provided whereby when the weight of the rider is removed from the bicycle or
velocipede the wheels thereof will automatically move out of operative position.
We will describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings
of which
Figure 1 illustrates in transverse section a portion of a roundabout constructed
according to this invention the section being taken through one side of the rotary
platform and the parts on which it travels and the parts which are carried by it,
Figure 2 an enlarged view of part of Figure 1 shewing the arrangement of springs
which normally maintain the bicycles or velocipedes out of action. Figure 3 a
sectional view taken at right angles to Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a similar view
shewing a different arrangement for rotating the wheels of the bicycles or
velocipedes.
According to this invention there is used a rotary platform A (or equivalent
support) which may be made in any convenient manner and in any number of
sections and provided with wheels B, running on, or in, circular rails or track C,
which can be supported by sleepers on the ground in the usual manner. The revolving
motion of the platform A can be imparted to it by any suitable means such as by a
central engine rotating arms which are connected to the platform. Parts of the
'connections on the one side are shewn in Figure 1. The said platform A carries a
number of bicycles or velocipedes D), which may be like or similar to ordinary
bicycles or velocipedes. The axles of the bicycles or velocipedes are mounted in
bearings d carried on the upper ends of rods fitted to slide in tubes or cylinders d³
secured to the platform A (see Figure 2) each rod d' being provided with a collar d
between which collar and a shoulder in the tube or cylinder d³ is interposed a spring d³
'which normally maintain the wheels in an inoperative position.
The wheels of the said bicycles or velocipedes project through slots or openings a
in the platform A and are caused by the weight of a rider to bear upon stationary
circular tracks E which can be supported upon a framing e resting on the ground or
on the sleepers of the rails, on which the platform wheels run. The frictional contact
of the bicycle or velocipede wheels d2 with the said stationary, circular tracks E causes
the said wheels 2 to rotate as if operated by the riders as the platform A travels round.
Or instead of the wheels 2 of the bicycles or velocipedes being thus rotated they
can be rotated as shewn in Figure 4 by being caused to bear upon rollers driven by
chain or other gear as at 12 from the axles of the wheels on which the platform A
runs. The springs d automatically remove the wheels from contact with the
driving surface when the weight of the driver is removed so that then motion is not
imparted to the said wheels.
According to the modification shewn in Figure 5 the driving of the wheels of the
velocipedes is effected by a chain g passed under chain wheel 2 on the axle of the
wheels B on which the platform A runs, and led by suitable wheels or rollers / up

page_text: and over chain wheels dx on the axles or a chain wheel on one of the axles of the-
bicycles or velocipedes.
We do not restrict ourselves to the arrangement of springs hereinbefore described
and illustrated for forcing the wheels out of frictional contact with the driving surface-
as it is obvious that blade springs or other spring devices may be used for the purpose
without departing from the nature of our invention.
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. A roundabout having bicycles or velocipedes combined therewith and means for
driving the wheels of the said bicycles or velocipedes by frictional contact, and springs
which keep the said wheels from driving contact when the weight of riders is not on.
the bicycles or velocipedes substantially as herein before described.
2. A roundabout having a rotatable platform, or equivalent support with slots or
openings therein, below which the wheels of bicycles or velocipedes mounted on the
said platform or support project, a stationary circular track on which the said wheels
are caused to bear so as to be rotated as the platform or the like rotates and springs.
for automatically removing the wheels out of frictional contact with the stationary
track substantially as herein before described.
3. A roundabout having a rotatable platform or equivalent support with slots or
openings therein, below which project the wheels of bicycles or velocipedes mounted
on the said platform or support, the said wheels being caused by the weight of the
riders to bear upon rollers driven from the axes of the wheels upon which the platform.
runs so that the said wheels of the bicycles or velocipedes are rotated by the said
rollers; and springs for automatically removing the wheels of the bicycles or
velocipedes from contact with the rollers when the weight of the rider is removed
from the bicycle or velocipede substantially as herein before described.
4. A roundabout having a rotatable platform or equivalent support running upon.
wheels and carrying bicycles or velocipedes the axes of the wheels of the said bicycles
or velocipedes being driven by means of a chain or the like from the axes of the
wheels on which the platform or the like runs substantially as hereinbefore described.
and illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of May 1807
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.