Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 26th May, 1887
Complete Left, 24th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 13th Apr., 1888
I ALLEN RIDGE of Townley Iron Works Bradford Manchester in the County of
Lancaster Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of such "roundabouts" the carriages of
which are built in the form of boats or ships, the object being to give to the said
boats or ships an undulating or wave like motion, similar to that imparted by the
"swell" of the sea.
To this end instead of mounting the boats or ships upon centres, and actuating them
by cranks as usual I mount them upon small wheels or pulleys running upon fixed
rails, which are made with an undulating surface so that as the said boats or ships
run round they rise and fall as if lifted by the waves of the sea.
I connect the said boats or ships to the central shaft of the apparatus by a series of
radial arms of suitable strength which are let into grooves in the face of a boss
preferably cast in one piece with the bevil or other wheel by which the said shaft is
rotated, each arm is jointed to the sides of its groove by a pin which passes through
the end of the said arm and is let into a notch in the sides of the groove.
Thus when the said arms are rotated by the shaft (carrying the boats or ships with
them) they are free to rise and fall in the grooves in the boss.
I cover or conceal these arms by laying upon them a sheet or sheets of canvas or
fabric painted sea green, this will add to the effect as the arms passing beneath the
said canvas or fabric will cause it to rise and fall in waves.
The boats or ships are connected together by chains and the inclines on the rails
are preferably so arranged that as one half of the number of boats or ships rise the
remainder descend thus equalizing the strain on the driving shaft.
Dated thin 95th day of May 1887
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Roundabouts..
I ALLEN RIDGE of Townley Iron Works Bradford Manchester in the County of
Lancaster 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 relates principally to the construction of such "roundabouts" the
carriages of which are built in the form of boats or ships, the object being to give to
the said boats or ships an undulating or wave-like motion similar to that imparted by
the "swell" of the sea, but it will be obvious that the same arrangement for giving
an undulating movement may also if desired, be applied to other forms of carriages
or seats.
The nature of my invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed
or carried into practical effect will be readily understood on reference to the accom-
panying drawings and the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 on the annexed drawing is a sectional elevation of a ship "roundabout'
constructed according to my invention, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through
the central boss which carries the radial arms (one of which only is shown in this.
view).
Instead of mounting the boats or ships a, a upon centres and actuating them by
cranks as usual I mount them upon small wheels or rollers b, b running upon fixed
rails C which are made, as shown, with an undulating surface so that as the boats
or ships a, a run round, they rise and fall alternately as if lifted by the waves of
the sea.
I connect the said boats or ships a, a to the central boss d d of the apparatus
(which runs loosely on a vertical stud or support) by a series of radial arms e, e of
suitable strength, the inner ends of which are let into suitable grooves or notches in
the said boss (as seen at Fig. 2) the latter being preferably cast of one piece with the
bevil or other wheel f, by which the said boss is rotated.
Each arm e is jointed to the boss by means of pins or projections g, g, inside the
groove or notch or otherwise so that they can rise and fall as the boats or ships pass
over the waves or undulations, as the boss is rotated. Their outer ends being jointed
to the boats or ships.
I may cover or conceal these arms by laying upon or above them a sheet or sheets
of canvas or other fabric painted to represent the sea which will add to the effect as
the arms passing beneath the said canvas or fabric will cause it to rise and fall in
waves.
The boats or ships a, a are connected together by chains h, h or wire ropes and the
inclines or rails c, e are preferably so arranged that as one half of the number of
boats or ships rise the remainder (or alternate ones) are descending and thus the strain
on the driving shaft and boss will be equalized.

page_text: I also propose in some cases to dispense with the radial arms and central driving
gear and to make one of the boats or ships in the form of a steam boat or locomotive
engine so that it is self-driving (by steam, gas or other similar means) and will tug
or draw the others round with it on the undulating rails by means of the chains or
ropes h, h.
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 -
"
The combination in a
" roundabout of boats, ships or other seats, provided with
wheels running upon a circular waved or undulated railway, and connected together
by chains or ropes for the purposes set forth substantially as hereinbefore particularly
described and illustrated by the drawings annexed.
Dated this 23rd day of February 1888.
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.