Improvements in Roundabouts.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd July, 1889
Complete Specification. Left, 1st Apr., 1890-Accepted, 31st May, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Roundabouts.
I JOSEPH JAMES RUGG, of 97 Hingeston Street, Birmingham, in the county of
Warwick Pattern maker do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the construction and arrangement of roundabouts, and
its object is to provide that the car, or cars, horse or horses, or their equivalent, may
be connected to or carried from an upper eccentric moveable roller path; to provide
that the said car or cars, horse or horses, or their equivalents, may be carried upon
rollers of unequal diameters connected to a central moveable framework, and rolling
upon an horizontal roller path; that either of such two contrivances may be used
separately, or that they may be used conjointly.
A suitable base is provided, upon which is mounted an horizontal roller path, the
diameter of which is kept as small as consistently possible, that is, much less than the
car or cars &c., so that practically I term it a central roller path. A central column
is further erected upon this base.
A suitable framework embracing this column is now provided, having at its lower
end three or more rollers, which travel around the borizontal path, upon the base.
These rollers graduate in their diameter in such a manner, that when placed
equidistant from each other around their path (upon the base), the upper parts of their
peripheries form an inclined plane, upon which may rest and revolve a further
pathway, which said pathway is formed upon the underside of the car or its framework.
Thus when the car &c. is rotated, it rides upon the aforesaid rollers, rolling them and
their framework around the column, at a speed of half the number of revolutions of
the car &c. Suitable necessary antifriction rollers are provided upon the car at its
lower end, to work against the central framework. Carried upon the said central
rotating framework and at its lower end, central antrifriction guide rollers are
provided, which roll around a path formed upon the central column.
Again. At the upper end of the central rotating framework, a further similar set
of central antifriction rollers are provided, which also roll around a similar path upon
the central column. Also to the said upper end of this central rotating framework,
is provided an inclined eccentric roller path which rotates therewith. Above this
upper roller path, is a framework connected by tie rods (or other necessary means)
with the car &c., and carried by a set or sets of rollers horizontal or vertical or both
combined, which roll around the said upper roller path; these rollers however are of
equal diameter.
Thus the car is suspended from the upper set of rollers, which revolve upon the
inclined eccentric roller path, while its lower part is supported and rolls upon
the bottom (unequal) rollers, the said bottom rollers imparting the necessary half
speed motion to the upper inclined eccentric roller path.
In some cases, if preferred, the order of arrangement may be inverted, that is, the
unequal roller wheels may be arranged at the top, and the car suspended therefrom,
and the rotating eccentric roller path arranged to be at the bottom.
The motive power for driving the roundabout may be variously applied, and
generally according to the method or methods described in specification for letters
patent granted to me No. 13698, bearing date September 22nd 1888.
Dated this 2nd day of July 1889.
CHARLES T. POWELL,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Roundabouts.
I, JOSEPH JAMES RUGG, of 97 Hingeston Street, Birmingham, in the county of
Warwick, Pattern Maker, 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 relates to the construction and arrangement of roundabouts, and its
object is to provide that the car or cars, horse or horses, or their equivalents, may be
connected to, or carried from an upper eccentric moveable roller path; to provide
that the said car or cars, horse or horses, or their equivalents, inay be carried upon
rollers of unequal diameters connected to a central moveable framework, and rolling
upon an horizontal roller path; that either of such two contrivances may be used
separately, or that they may be used conjointly.
In order to explain more clearly this my invention, and the manner in which it is
to be performed, I have appended hereunto an illustrative sheet of drawing, upon
which are letters of reference, similar letters referring throughout the drawing to the
same thing or part.
A suitable base a, is provided, upon which is mounted a horizontal roller path.b,
the diameter of which is kept as small as consistently possible, that is, much less than
the car c, or cars &c., so that practically I term it a central roller path. A central
column d, is further erected upon this base.
I
A suitable framework e, embracing this column is now provided, having at its lower
end three or more rollers f, generally six, which travel around the horizontal path 6,
upon the base a.
These rollers graduate in their diameter in such a manner, that when placed
equidistant from each other around their path (upon the base) the upper parts of
their peripheries form an inclined plane, upon which may rest and revolve a further
pathway 9, which said pathway is formed upon the underside of the car c, or its
framework.
Thus, when in motion the framework e, and the rollers f, travel around the central
column at half the speed of the car itself. Suitable necessary antifriction rollers h;
are provided upon the car at its lower end, generally six or more in number to work
against the central framework e, upon the eccentric pathway i. Carried upon the
said central rotating framework, and at its lower end, central antifriction guide
rollers are provided, (generally six) which roll around a path formed, upon the
central column d.
Again. At the upper end of the central rotating framework e, a further' similar
set of central antifriction rollers j¹, are provided, which also roll around a path formed
upon the central column d. Also to the said upper end of this central rotating
framework e, is provided an inclined eccentric roller path ", which rotates therewith:
Upon the upper side of this roller path, are provided rollers 1, (generally six)"
which are carried in any suitable manner from the car itself (by tie rods &c., or as
shown, by extending upward the central portion of the structure of the car): By
reason of the plan of this path ¹, being parallel to the upper peripheries of the
rollers h, the rollers 1, are of equal diameter throughout.
To ensure greater steadiness of working, further antifriction rollers' h', may be
provided to work against the path .
Thus the car is suspended from the upper. set of rollers 1, which revolve upon the
inclined eccentric roller path: 2, while its lower part is supported and rolls "upon
the bottom (unequal) rollers f, the said bottom rollers imparting the necessary half
speed motion to the upper inclined eccentric roller paths i & i¹.
In some cases, if preferred, the order of arrangement may be inverted, that is, the
unequal roller wheels, may be arranged at the top, and the car suspended therefrom,
and the rotating eccentric roller path arranged to be at the bottom, the arrangement
I have described and shown, however, I find to be the best.

page_text: The motive power for driving the roundabout may be applied in various ways, as
for instance, as shown, I provide an annular toothed wheel m, which is rigidly
attached to the framework e, and gear thereinto the toothed pinion n, which is carried
upon the driving shaft o, which latter may be coupled up to the engine or other
motor; or if driven by hand, an outstanding radiating pole or poles may be secured
to the said framework, by which it may be pushed around driving as before explained,
the car at twice its speed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1st. The combination in a roundabout, with an obliquely revolving car c, or an
equivalent framework carrying horses or other riding apparatus, of an eccentric
rotating roller path or platform i, carrying the car &c., by means of the rollers 1, 1, 1,
substantially as described and illustrated.
2nd. The carrying of roundabout cars or their equivalents, upon rollers of unequal
or graduating diameters, whereby an obliquely revolving motion is obtained,
substantially as hereindescribed and illustrated upon the drawings.
3rd. The general combination and arrangement of the parts hereindescribed and
illustrated upon the drawings, constituting an obliquely revolving car or its equivalent,
and its method of driving &c., substantially as set forth and shown.
Dated this 31st do
CHARLES T. POWELL,
12, Cherry Street, Birmingham, Applicant's Agent.