Improvements in. Undulating and Plain Rotary Slides and Railways and in Machinery for Working, the same.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 9th July,. 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 10th Aug.,
1888
Improvements in. Undulating and Plain Rotary Slides and Railways
and in Machinery for Working, the same.
I, WILLIAM HENRY DUNCAN of Coalbrookdale, in the County of Shropshire,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of improvements on and additions to my former invention
No. 11069 dated 13th of August, 1887, "Improved endless tobogganing slide, sloping
railway and skating decline, elevated by power," and the present invention relates,
firstly, to the construction of the said Slides and Railways and secondly, to the arrange-
ment of machinery for working the same without the overhead gear described in my
former specification.
The Slides and Railways are constructed with or they may be merely faced with
bars of flat angle, or channel iron, bent to the required form and connected to wood
supports or iron supports worked to the required shape whether for a plain or an
undulating way. A portion of the width of the iron is fixed to overhang the wood
and a Roller guard connected to the carriage is made. to work against the underside of
the overhanging portion of the bar, when required to prevent the carriage leaving the
rails should it run at too high a speed and its centrifugal force overpower the force of
gravitation.
In the case of the channel iron rails the Roller guard is worked in the recess formed
in the iron in which case iron supports are used under the rails instead of wood.
The Carriage intended to run on this railway is made with the Axles of the wheels
radiating and the outer wheels are made larger than the inner wheels. The wheels
are loose or fast as preferred.
The Platform on which the slides or rails are fixed (the rail acts as a slide when the
carriage is fitted with slippers, sledge like, instead of with wheels) is arranged suitable
for being worked or rocked in all directions on a globular centre situated near the
plane of the platform. The centre casting to which the radiating joists are fixed is
shaped as a hollow cone and has a number of sockets formed on its bottom end. These
sockets are fitted with struts which extend from the sockets in a slanting direction
until they reach about two thirds along the joists of the platform to which they are
connected as strengthening supports.

page_text: In convenient position under the platform and at parts situated at right angles to
the centre, are two universal joints. Theso joints are connected by rods to two similar
joints worked by two cranks situated underneath the platform. These two cranks are
fixed on a shaft at right angles to each other. This shaft is driven by gearing or by a
belt on a counter shaft and the latter is driven by a pair of steam engines whose cranks
are so fixed that the one engine is exerting its full power at the time the other is
passing the centres. These two connecting rods actuated by the two cranks set at the
proper relative positions to each other cause the platform to be rocked or slanted in all
directions on the globular centre one side being elevated and the other side lowered as
the connecting rods are lifted and lowered by the action of the cranks. This causes a
continual fall or decline to be formed by the platform down which the carriages run
by gravitation the rapid fall of the one side of the undulation assisting the carriage by
giving it momentum to ascend the hill formed by the opposite side so that the carriage
runs rapidly along the falling and rising railway.
If preferred an undulating and a plain railway may he fixed round this platform.
The undulations do not continue round the entire circumference of the platform but
a part of the rails are left plain where the carriages rest.
If preferred the straight shaft with the two cranks may be exchanged for three
shorter shafts driven with bevil gearing in which case the cranks would work in line
with the motion of the platform.
This arrangement may be driven with a belt from a portable engine or the engine
may be fixed under the platform as may be preferred.
To prevent the carriage running backwards, I fit an eccentric formed stopper to the
carriage which acts on the rails & prevents backward motion.
To prevent any lateral motion in the platform I fix guides in the ground which act
on the outer edge of the platform allowing it to ascend and descend vertically but
prevent side motion.
Referring to my drawings Fig. 1 is a front sectional elevation showing a mode of
actuating the platform, Fig. 2. is a side elevation showing alternate mode of driving
the cranks, Fig. 3. is a plan, Fig. 4. is a plan of fig. 2. elevation.
Dated this 8th day of October 1887.

page_text: Improvements in Undulating and Plain Rotary Slides and Railways
and in Machinery for Working the same.
I, WILLIAM HENRY DUNCAN of Coalbrookdale, in the County of Shropshire,
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 :-
This invention consists of improvements on my invention No. 11069, dated
13th August 1887, "Improved endless tobogganing slide, sloping railway, and
skating decline elevated by power" and relates chiefly to the mode of constructing
and supporting the platform, for carrying the said slide, and railways, and to the
arrangement of machinery for working the same; also to self-stopping gearing,
for arresting the motion of the platform, and carriages, when those portions of the
machine are required to cease running.
The platform which carries the lines of plane and undulating railways is constructed
of radiating girders or beams the inner ends of which are bolted to a hollow conical
centre, and the outer ends are bolted to bracings, which tie the girders together.
These girders are supported at-points near to their outer ends by diagenal struts
This
which latter have their opposite ends bolted to the base of the central cone.
cone and the platform connected to it, are supported on a central post, the lower end
of which is either made fast to, or rests on the ground. The upper end of this post is
globular. On this globular ended support the platform oscillates with a tilting motion,
in all directions being so worked by machinery placed below it. This tilting of the
platform, gives to the lines of rails a continuous decline in a circle, down which the
carriages run on wheels, or slide on smooth slippers in the manner described in my
said patent No. 11069; except that the tilting motion in that patent is produced by
over-head gearing instead of being produced by machinery placed below the platform
and which is now to be described, as pertaining to this patent.
The machinery for giving the required motion to the platform, and rails connected
therewith, to produce the perpetual decline for the carriages to run, or to slide down,
consists of two cranks placed at right angles to the central cone. These cranks are
driven by shafts which work in bearings, set at right angles to each other, and the
motion of one of these shafts, is given to the other by mitre wheels. The Cranks are
keyed on their respective shafts, in such positions that one of the two cranks is vertical,
when the other is horizontal, so that when the one is at the end of its travel the other
is half way. The motion of these two cranks is imparted to the platform, by two
connecting rods the upper ends of which are attached to it with universal joints, and
the bottom ends of the said rods are fitted to the crank pins. By these means that
part of the platform, requiring to bo lifted to the extreem of its travel, and that
requiring the position of half travel are brought into these positions with the full and

page_text: half travel Cranks; and as the cranks when working are continually changing their
positions, the tilt on the platform has the like change, given to it by the rods, and this
change causes a perpetual decline to be maintained on the said railways.
The cranks are made adjustable in their stroke by the pins fitting in holes at different
distances from the centre, so that a slight tilt suitable for carriages running on wheels,
down the declines, or a steeper tilt, suitable for carriages sliding on smoothe slippers
can thus be given to the railways.
Motion is given to the two shafts driving these cranks by spur or bevil gearing or if
preferred, worm gearing may be used. countershaft fitted with pinion, or with
worm, gearing into the wheel on the crank shaft, is used and this countershaft, is
generally driven by a belt, with fast and loose pulleys, or it may be driven by toothed
wheels.
The power required to tilt this platform is given by a steam or gas engine, or by
any other suitable arrangement. The engine may be placed under the platform or
by its side.
When undulating rails are used with this machine a part of their cumference is
made plane, and a stand is placed by the side of this part, elevated to the required
hight for convenience of getting in and out of the carriages. This plane part is made
at the top of one of the undulations, so that the carriages may have the additional
steepness to assist them when starting on the trip.
To prevent the carriages running past this portion of the line when required to stop
at the arrival platform, or stand, I use a self-stopping arrangement, which consists of
a strap striker worked by a peg, inserted in a hole selected out of a number of holes
formed in the web of the driving wheel. This wheel gives motion to the cranks, and
mitre wheels, and shafts and makes one revolution each time the carriages run round
the platform. When the stopping peg is not required to act, it is withdrawn from
projecting through the hole, and then does not come into contact with the stopping
lever, and the carriages run past the stopping stage round and round the course
because the stopping lever which is in connection with the strap, striker, and when
acted upon by the peg, moves the strap from the fast to the loose pulley is not moved
by the peg,
but when it is required to cause the carriages to come to a stand, at the
elevated platform, the stopping peg is inserted in the hole and carried round by the
revolving wheel, until the moment has arrived for the wheel to bring the peg into
contact with the lever, which moves the strap partially on to the loose pulley. The
motion of the strap striker is then assisted by a balance weight, which completes its
stroke, and stops the machine, at the moment when the carriages have arrived at the
elevated stand.
The arrangement for pushing the peg to project, or for withdrawing it from
projecting through the hole consists of a forked lever pivoted to the side of the driving
wheel, at its centre, and the outer end fitted with jaw connection to the peg the inner.
or forked end works in a sliding ferrule fitted with two grooves, and made suitable for
sliding on the shaft. This ferrule is slided along the shaft, by a second lever with
similar forked end, and fitting the other groove. The second lever is pivoted on a
convenient support not in connection with the wheel, and its outer end is provided
with a jaw and rod, connected to a handle placed in convenient position for use by the
attendant. By moving the attendants handle the said ferrule is slided along the
driving shaft, and moves the forked lever, which works in the groove formed by
the side of that, in which the other forke works. This movement of the ferrule, is
made to act on the stopping peg by the lever pivoted to the revolving wheel so that
by sliding the ferrule the peg in moved to project, or not to project through the hole
as required.
When the machine is required to be started, I use another handle with rod
connection to the strap striker, to return the strap onto the fast pulley, which arrange-
ment is old, and is not claimed.
The wheels of the carriages used by this machine are sometimes fitted with ball
bearings, for easy running with slight declines or the said wheels may be fitted with
plane bearings if preferred, also with india rubber tires.

page_text: Referring to the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is an elevation part in section.
Fig. 2 is a plan. The letters of explanation are alike in both.
A is the platform. B is the conical centre oscillating on the globular ended
support C. which latter is made fast to the ground at D. E. is an undulating line of
rails. F is the engine, driving the band pulley, G. which drives the belt H and
pulley I. on the counter-shaft J. and also drives the pinion wheel K. This pinion drives
the wheel L and shaft M. and mitre wheels N. and O, which latter drives the shaft P.
The cranks Q. and R. are keyed on their shafts at right angles, and give their
respective motions to the platform A. through the connecting rods S and T and the
universal joints U. and V. W. is the projecting peg of the self-stopping gear, which
is operated by the levers Y and Z. and the rod A¹ the motion being carried by rods
and levers, to any convenient place. B¹ is the rod from the starting lever, which may
be carried by similar rods and levers to any convenient point, for the attendants use.
The peg W. operates the strap striker on its coming into contact with the lever X
and acting through the rod D₁ and bell crank E' and rod F¹ to the strap striker C.
the motion being assisted by the weight G¹.
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 I do not claim
anything in this specification that I have previously claimed in my specification for
patent No. 11069 dated August 13th 1887, but what I claim in this specification
as new, are as follows.
CLAIMB.
First. I claim a machine substantially as described in this specification and as
shown on the annexed drawings, that will work under a platform, and will tilt the
said platform in all directions, and thereby give to the lines of railways fixed on
the platform a continuous decline plane, in a circle, or a decline at intervals, that
will cause carriages to travel down, or along the said railways either running on
wheels, or gliding on smooth slippers.
Second. I claim the central cone, and globular ended supporting post upon which
the platform oscillates, in combination with the other parts of the machine as
illustrated by the said drawings.
Third. I claim the platform constructed as described, and furnished with lines of
undulating and plane railways: for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 7th day of July 1888.
WILLIAM HENRY DUNCAN.