IMPROVEMENTS IN ROUNDABOUTS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOHANN CHRISTIAN MATTHIAS of No 5 Queen Street, Soho in the County
of Middlesex Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROUNDABOUTS" to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to cause mechanical horses, carriages, velocipedes
boats & forming what are called "roundabouts," to traverse a course of any desired
shape or form.
With a view to obviate giddiness on the part of those riding upon this my
improved "roundabout," the said course may be made of an oval, oblong or other
shape which may be deemed preferable to the ordinary circular course. When
fitted in gardens or pleasure grounds the horses, carriages, velocipedes or boats
may be caused to take a course round the paths of such gardens or pleasure
grounds. Thus giddiness from revolving constantly in a circle as in ordinary
roundabouts is entirely obviated on the part of those riding upon the horses or
velocipedes or in the carriages or boats aforesaid.
The manner in which I construct my improved "roundabout" and the working
of the same are as follows:-
I construct an overhead tramway upon the course it is desired the "roundabout"
should traverse. Upon this overhead tramway I place carriages or frames travelling
upon wheels and to these carriages or frames and beneath them are suspended in
a suitable manner bodies or frames for carrying the horses, carriages, velocipedes
or boats forming my "roundabout." One carriage or frame overhead is provided
for each horse, carriage, velocipede or boat aforesaid.
The aforesaid overhead carriages or frames, to enable them to follow any sharp
curves or angles of the course, are made to fit loosely one against the other.
Traversing each overhead carriage or frame aforesaid are two longitudinal plates
across which are placed bars horizontally. These bars are suitably spaced to allow
of the teeth of a toothed wheel to take between them for the purpose of propulsion
as hereinafter described. The whole thus forms, as it were, an endless chain.
Across my above described apparatus I fix in a suitable manner a horizontal
shaft bearing a toothed wheel, the teeth of which toothed wheel take into the
spaces between the horizontal bars upon the overhead carriages or frames aforesaid,
[Prom Bd

page_text: Upon the said horizontal shaft being caused to revolve either by steam, gas, hand
or other power the toothed wheel is turned round and as the teeth take into the
spaces or links aforesaid the whole apparatus is set in motion and carried round
the track upon which it is fitted.
To give an up-and-down or rocking motion to the horses, carriages or boats
forming the "roundabout " I place an eccentric upon the axle of the overhead
carriage or frame aforesaid to which eccentric I connect a vertical rod pivotted
at lower end to a horizontal rod fitted to a transverse bar bearing the horse,
carriage or boat to which it is desired to give the up-and-down or rocking motion.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
I, JOHANN CHRISTIAN MATTHIAS of No 5 Queen Street, Soho, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROUNDABOUTS," and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:-
"
The object of this Invention is to cause mechanical horses, carriages, velocipedes,
boats &°, forming what are called " 'roundabouts to traverse a course of any
desired shape or form. With a view to obviate giddiness on the part of those
riding upon this my "roundabout," the said course may be made of an oval, oblong,
or other shape which may be deemed preferable to the ordinary circular course.
When fitted in gardens or pleasure grounds the horses, carriages, velocipedes, or
boats may be caused to take a course round the paths of such gardens or pleasure
grounds. Thus giddiness from revolving constantly in a circle, as in ordinary
"roundabouts" is entirely obviated on the part of those riding upon the horses
or velocipedes, or in the carriages or boats aforesaid.
The manner in which I construct my improved "roundabout " is as follows:-
I construct a tramway upon the course it is desired the "roundabout" should
traverse. Said tramway I prefer to make an overhead tramway, but it may,
without departing from this invention be laid upon the ground. Upon this
tramway I place carriages or frames travelling upon wheels, and to these carriages
or frames, and (in the case of the tramway being overhead) beneath them, I
suspend in a suitable manner bodies or frames for carrying the horses, carriages,
velocipedes, or boats forming my "roundabout." One carriage or frame overhead
is provided for each body or frame carrying the horses, carriages, velocipedes, or
boats aforesaid.
The aforesaid overhead carriages or frames are made to fit loosely one against
the other to enable them to follow any sharp curves or angles of the course.
Traversing each overhead carriage or frame aforesaid are two longitudinal plates
or bars, across which plates or bars I place other bars horizontally. These latter
bars are suitably spaced to allow the teeth of a toothed wheel to take between
them for the purpose of propulsion as hereinafter described. The whole thus
forms, as it were, an endless chain.
Across my above described apparatus I fix, in a suitable manner, a horizontal
shaft bearing the aforesaid toothed wheel, the teeth of which toothed wheel take
into the spaces between the horizontal bars upon the overhead carriages or frames
aforesaid. Upon the said horizontal shaft being caused to revolve either by steam,
gas, hand, or other power, the toothed wheel is rotated, and as the teeth take into
the spaces or links aforesaid, the whole apparatus is set in motion and carried
round the track upon which it is fitted.
To give an up and down, or rocking motion to the horses, carriages, or boats
forming the "roundabout" I place an eccentric upon the axle of the overhead
carriage or frame aforesaid, to which eccentric I connect a vertical rod, pivotted
at lower end to a lever fitted to a transverse bar of the lower body or frame, which
transverse bar bears the horses, carriages, or boats aforesaid,

page_text: And in order that this my invention may be fully understood reference is had to
the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.
Figure 1 Sheet 1 shews my improved "roundabout" fitted to an oblong course,
a a being the tramway upon which the overhead carriages or frames 6 are placed.
cc are the bodies or frames suspended beneath, for carrying the horses, boats &
dd are the longitudinal plates or bars traversing the carriages or frames b, and
ee are the bars placed across d d. ff are the eccentric rods for communicating a
rocking motion to the transverse bars g g (of body or frame c) bearing the horses,
boats, carriages & aforesaid.
Figure 2 Sheet is a plan of one of the overhead carriages, d d are the longi-
tudinal plates or bars, and e e the horizontal bars forming the spaces in which take
the teeth of a toothed propelling wheel his the eccentric to which the rod f
(Fig 1) is attached for communicating the rocking motion as aforesaid, to the
horses, boats &º.
Figure 3 Sheet 1 is an end view of overhead carriage or frame. I prefer to have
a separate axle i for each wheel, to facilitate the progress of the carriages round
curves. is the eccentric, and f the eccentric rod aforesaid.
Figure 4 Sheet 2 is a plan of my overhead tramway with carriages removed,
a a being the rails upon which the carriages aforesaid travel. kis the toothed
wheel which takes into the spaces between the bars e e (Figs 1 and 2, Sheet 1)
for the purpose of propelling the "roundabout;" is the driving shaft here shewn
worked by belt-from-steam-engine_m._
Figure 5 Sheet 2 shews my rocking apparatus, h being the eccentric fitted upon
shaft i, and being the eccentric rod fitted to lever n, which lever n is attached to
the transverse bar 9 carrying the horse, boat, or carriage.
These my "roundabouts may be constructed of two stories, one above the
other; and may be driven from the one driving wheel. The said driving wheel
taking on the upper side of carriages or frames of the lower storey as herein before
described, and taking on the underside of carriages or frames of upper row.
Thus communicating motion to both upper and lower rows of horses, carriages,
velocipedes, or boats.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First, The construction of "
"
'roundabouts as hereinbefore described, for the
purpose of traversing a course of any desired shape or form.
Second, The mode or means of communicating a rocking motion to the horses,
carriages, velocipedes, or boats of "roundabouts," substantially as hereinbefore set
forth and described.
Dated this 15th dex of Ton 100%