Year: 1898

page_text: I, ALFRED DAVY, of 13, Woburn Place, London, W.C., in the County of London,.
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
My invention has for its object, improvements in overhead roundabouts, which
are so constructed that the cars not only travel in a circular and vertical direction,
but in a horizontal or inclined direction, which may be in an evenly curved line,
or may be undulating, so that the cars may be made to rise and fall at regular
or irregular intervals and distances or heights in their course.
-
The manner in which I carry my invention into practical effect is as follows:
My invention consists of two or more main pullies or wheels fitted on two or more
shafts, which are mounted on suitable frames or standards.
These supports are in line with each other, and may be any convenient distance
apart from centre to centre.
On each of these supporting shafts, where four pulleys are used, there are two
revolving pulleys of such diameter sufficiently apart sideways from each other so
as to allow the cars to travel between them and run clear over the shafts upon which
the pulleys are mounted.
In connection with and running over the periphery of these pulleys, there are
two endless chains or ropes running parallel to each other with cross bars coupling
them together.
These cross bars are fixed at convenient distances apart throughout the whole
length of the chain or rope, and from each cross bar a car is suspended for carrying
passengers.
The length of the cross bars and consequently the distance between the chains
or ropes is made to suit the size of the cars, and the pulleys are provided with
recesses on their peripheries into which the chains or cross bars run, so as to
prevent slipping, or there may be lugs or projections on the pulleys to fit into the
chain for the same purpose.
These main pulleys are driven by steam or other motive power, and the manner
in which I prefer to carry this into effect is by means of horizontal shafting
at the base of the standards with vertical shafts and bevil wheels to suit each set of
pulleys which may require to be driven; or the driving may be accomplished by
worm and worm wheel gearing.
:
In place of or in addition to the large pulleys and cross shafts, I may use smaller
pulleys running on overhanging bearings attached to the standards or frames, and
driven in the manner as herein described.
I do not confine myself to the number of pulleys or standards, as I may use any
number of intervening pulleys 'and standards of the same or varying heights and
distances from each other, the chain or rope being of such length as to allow it to

page_text: depress between each set of pulleys causing the cars to rise and fall alternately
as they pass over the pulleys, thus producing an undulating (regular or irregular)
motion as they travel along.
Any or the whole of the intermediate pulleys may be driven, or may be allowed
to run loosely on overhanging bearings attached to the standards.
I do not limit myself to the dimensions, height, or length of the structure in any
way, my object being 'to practically combine in one machine the peculiarities of
motion of the "chute," the "switchback," and the "gigantic wheel," and to carry
a large number of passengers at a comparatively small outlay in cost of construction
and working expenses.
Steel, iron or wood, or a combination of any suitable materials may be used in
construction, and instead of the cars being made to travel between the wheels they
may be made to travel outside by being overhung.
Obviously the wheels need not be perfect circles as polygonal structures may be
made to answer the purpose.
Dated this 23rd day of May 1808
WM. SNOWDON,
(Agent for the Applicant),
Box W.S., 24, Basinghall Street, Leeds.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Roundabouts and the like.
I, ALFRED DAVY, of 13, (now of 15,) Woburn Place, London, W.C., in the
County of London, 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:
-
My invention has for its object improvements in overhead roundabouts which
are so constructed that the cars not only travel in a circular and vertical direction,
but also in a horizontal or inclined direction, which may be in an evenly curved
line or may be undulating, so that the cars may be made to rise and fall at regular
or irregular intervals and distances or heights in their course.
In order to fully explain my system I have annexed two sheets of drawings,
on which the same letters refer to the same parts (as far as possible) in all the
figures. Arrows show the relative directions of revolutions which however may be
either way round.
Fig. 1 is, in longitudinal elevation, an example of a portion of a roundabout
made on the lines herein set out; whilst Fig. 2 is a corresponding cross-section
showing cars passing through one of the supporting central towers or standards.
Fig. 3 is an example, partly in section, on an enlarged scale, of a mode of
engaging the chain with the pullies; whilst Fig. 4 is a corresponding cross-section,
a portion only of the rim of the pulley being shown.
Fig. 5 is a side-elevation of another example made to embrace an elevated upper
pulley over which the cars travel; whilst Fig. 6 is a corresponding end view.
These figures are more or less diagrammatic.
Fig. 7 is an example in side elevation of a simple two axle machine suitable for
taking from together for removal from place to place; whilst Fig. 8 is an end
view of the same in cross section.
These figures are to some extent also diagrammatic.
Fig. 9 is a portion of a cross section, in half view, giving an example of car-

page_text: carrying chains supported on small overhung pullies attached to suitable side
supports, the floor of the car extending down below the centre of the axle.
Fig. 10 is a portion of a cross section showing how a central chain and pulley
may be made to support two overhung cars, one on each side.
Fig. 11 is a portion of a cross section showing two overhung cars supported by
two chains and pullies one on each side. Here the pulley is for example again
shown small in diameter, with the car floor below the centre of the axle.
The manner in which I carry my invention into practical effect is as follows:-
My invention consists of two or more main pullies or wheels A fitted on two or
more supporting shafts B which are mounted on suitable frames, standards, or
towers C.
be any
These supporting frames, C, are in line with each other and may
convenient distance apart from centre to centre.
On each of the supporting shafts B where four pullies are used, as in Figs. 7
and 8, there are two revolving pullies A, A, of (1) such diameter, and (2) such a
distance apart sideways, as to allow the cars 1), as described hereafter, to travel
between them and over the shafts B upon which the pullies A are mounted.
In connection with and running over the periphery of these pullies are two
endless chains or ropes EE running parallel with each other, with cross bars F
coupling them together.
These cross bars F are fitted at convenient distances apart throughout the whole
length of the chain and from each, or from selected cross bars, cars D are suspended
for carrying passengers. This will be clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 2.
The length of the cross bars and consequently the distance between the chains or
ropes is made to suit the size of the cars and the pullies are provided with recesses
on their peripheries into which the chain or the cross bars run, so as to prevent
slipping; or there may be lugs or projections on the pullies to fit into the chain for
the same purpose.. An example of this latter is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 where G
is a lug fitting between the two side links of a chain E.
The main pullies are driven by steam or other motive power and the manner
in which I prefer to carry this into effect is (as shown in Figs. 1 and 2) by
means of horizontal shafting H at the base of the standarus with vertical shafts J
and bevel wheel K to suit each set of pullies that require to be driven; or the
driving may be accomplished by worm and worm gearing as shown at L, L, L, in
Fig. 5. Again where a special driving chain can be kept tight as at M in Fig. 5,
such may be used to communicate power between wheel and wheel and pulley and
pulley. Such a chain can easily be kept tight by being drawn together sideways by
suitable pullies until the slack is taken up.
In place of or in addition to large pullies and cross shafts I may use smaller
pullies as in Fig. 9 at A¹ running on overhanging bearings B₁ attached to the
standards or frames C¹, and driven (or not) in the manner described herein say
through a beveled wheel as at K.
I do not confine myself to the number of pullies or standards as I may use any
number of intervening pullies and standards of the same or varying heights and
distances from each other, as in Figs. 1 and 2, and again in Figs. 4 and 5, the chain
or rope being of such length as to allow it to depress between each set of pullies
causing the cars to rise and fall alternately as they pass over pullies thus producing an
undulating (regular or irregular) motion as they travel along.
Any or the whole of the intermediate pullies may be driven or may be allowed
to run loosely on overhanging bearings attached to the standards, after the manner
shown in Fig. 9.
I do not limit myself to the dimensions heights or lengths of the structures in
any way, my object being to practically combine in one machine the peculiarities of
motion of the "chute," the "switchback" and the "gigantic wheel" and to carry
a large number of passengers at a comparatively small outlay in cost of construction
and working expenses.

page_text: Steel, iron, or wood, or a combination of any suitable materials may be used in
construction; and instead of the cars being made to travel between the pullies
they may be made to travel outside by being overhung; this latter will be best
understood by carefully examining Figs. 10 and 11.
Obviously the wheels or pullies need not be perfect circles as poligonal structures
may be made to answer the purpose.
Although I gear all my main pullies to prevent the "racing" of any over-loaded
section, still a controlled racing motion may be had by introducing suitable
elliptically geared wheels to give varying speeds in or near any suitable standards.
Referring to Fig. 1 it will easily be understood that the chains require turning
round a pulley mounted in a standard or tower at the opposite end of the structure
to that shown, and that the intermediate towers may be of varying heights. Also
it will be understood how the strains between tower and tower may be met by
the platform girders N suitable for giving access to the cars and facilitating the
exit therefrom at the end of a run.
A diversion of a further novel character may be had by carrying the cars down,
say, for example, into a cavern or grotto as shown in heavily dotted lines in Fig. 5,
the guide pullies at 0, 0, being of the non-driven class.
The chief peculiarities in the portable class, over and above the novelty of the
system itself, lies in making the whole so that it can be rapidly taken from together
for re-erection elsewhere. For this purpose I use light corner castings in steel
which carry the bearings necessary for the driving shafts, the castings being also
provided with sockets for the reception of steel framing tubes, and further with
anchorage brackets for the tension bars. Bearing these points in mind Figs. 7
and 8 will be readily understood.
I in no way confine myself to the precise relative arrangements of the different
parts, or to the structural and mechanical details of the apparatus herein described
and shown as such details are cited by way of examples only.
In Figs. 1 and 2 the structural cross bracings are not fully shown, and in general
a mere outline only of the cars D). In Figs. 5 and 7, the cars D are represented
by so many circular weights attached to the chains E. In Fig. 7 central cross
bracing at X unites and stays the top members of the two side frames.
In all cases suitable platforms are provided for the use of passenger at chosen
places.
It is to be understood that the cross-bars need not form the main pins of the
chains, E, as they may be saved wear and tear by being housed independently,
and so escape the cross strains of the links themselves.
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. The herein described improvements in roundabouts and the like consisting of
a system of car-carrying chains led over and engaged with a series of supporting
pullies the principal ones of which are positively driven in such a way as to
prevent uncontrolled " racing" which would otherwise occur when unequally
loaded with passengers.
2. The arrangement of roundabouts after the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2,
where in addition to the system referred to in Claim 1, the internal strains between
tower and tower are met by platforms and neighbouring girders which may be used
for the accomodation of passengers.
3. The arrangement of roundabouts after the manner shown in Figs. 4 and 5
where in addition to the system referred to in Claim 1, one (or more) of the main
geared pullies is erected at a considerable height above the others, which latter are
also positively driven the chains and cars completing a cycle such as that shown
in Fig. 5.
4. The arrangement of roundabouts after the manner and system referred to in
Claim 1 in which the pullies and chains are so arranged that the circuit is made to

page_text: include a journey through a cavern or grotto in or after the manner shown in
Figs. 5 and 6.
5. A portable arrangement of roundabouts made on the system referred to in
Claim 1 for use at fairs and the like, substantially as shown in Figs. 7 and 8,
with loose frames capable of being rapidly put together and braced up tightly by
means of screwed tension rods.
CCOT INTO CON DICY SITTO ST
WM. SNOWDON,
Agent for the Applicant,
(Box W.S.) 24, Basinghall Street, Leeds, Yorks.