Improvements in Roundabouts.
Year: 1888

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Roundabouts.
I, FREDERICK SAVAGE of St. Nicholas Iron Works, Kings Lynn, in the County
of Norfolk, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in roundabouts wherein carriages or
vehicles are caused to travel round on undulating circular tracks.
The carriages or vehicles are provided with radial axles. On the axles are the
supporting wheels which run upon the tracks. There are three tracks, an outer
track and two inner tracks. The two wheels upon the hinder axle run, the one upon
the outer track and the other upon the innermost track; whilst the two wheels upon
the fore axle run, the one upon the outer track and the other upon the intermediate
track. The outer and the innermost tracks are fashioned to impart to the carriage or
vehicle any desired upward and downward movement as the wheels pass over them.
The intermediate track is fashioned to correspond with the other tracks, so that the
wheels on the fore axle may each of them always find a proper bearing. Thus the
carrriage or vehicle is safely supported.
It is not essential that the intermediate track should be alongside of the inner track
it may be alongside of the outer track or in any desired position between the outer
and innermost tracks.
To ensure safety, 1 fix all round each of the outer and innermost tracks a vertical
ridge of such a height that the wheels cannot move laterally any further than the
vertical ridge.

page_text: Figure is a plan showing a portion of the circular tracks. of a roundabout
and also the bed frame axlo and wheels of a carriage constructed to run on these
tracks.
Figure 2 is a transverse section showing to a larger scale the tracks with one
of the axles and the wheels.
Figure 3 shows a modification in the arrangement of the guard ridge.
a is the outermost track. is the innermost track and c. is the intermediate
track. d is the carriage frame. e is the fore axle and f the hinder axle. The
axle bearings are so set upon the carriage frame d that they are radial to the
tracks. The wheels are free to revolve upon the axles or one may be keyed on
each axle. The wheel g upon the fore axle. runs on the outermost track a and the
wheel runs on the intermediate track c whilst the wheels i and k on the rear
axle run upon the tracks a and b respectively. The track a is undulated in any

page_text: or i
desired way and the wheels 9 and i in passing along it cause the carriage frame d to
tip or incline longitudinally according as one or the other of the wheels
mounts or descends upon the undulations. The wheel k in running along the inner-
most track may be regarded as controlling the carriage frame in a transverse
direction causing first one side and then the other of the frame d to be uppermost
according as the part of the track on which the wheel k is running is higher or
lower than the part of the track over which the wheels g and i are at the same
moment running. The tracks a and b may be fashioned in any desired way to a
certain extent independently the one of the other but the track c is fashioned in
accordance with the other two so that it at all times provides a support for the
wheel whilst the three other wheels are running upon their proper tracks. I are
guards on the tracks a and b which ensure safety by preventing the wheels running
off and in other ways. Sometimes I apply a guard in the manner indicated in
Figure 3. It is not essential that the track c should be in the position alongside
the innermost track, it may for example be placed as indicated by dotted lines in
Figure 2 but the arrangement shown by the full lines is preferred.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what I
claim is --
1. A roundabout with carriages having four wheels and three tracks for the wheels
to run upon, such tracks being undulated as herein described. .
2. In combination with roundabout to which the preceding claim applies, the
guards as herein set forth.