Swing Apparatus for Recreation or for Use in the Transport of Goods or Passengers Across Rivers and the like
Year: 1888

page_text: Swing Apparatus for Recreation or for Use in the Transport of
Goods or Passengers Across Rivers and the like
I, ELIZABETH LANGE of 530 Fulham Road in the County of Middlesex, Gentle
woman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
-
The object of this invention is to provide a form of swing for pleasure or other
purposes in which the carriage may have a longer travel than is practical with the
ordinary swings
Swings of ordinary construction work as is well known upon a fixed centre around
which they vibrate the distance travelled by the carriage being restricted by this fixed
centre Now in carrying out my invention I so provide that this centre shall not
only not be a fixture but shall travel with the carriage or vehicle though not necessarily
to the same extent I provide a track or path which may be of any suitable descrip-
tion, a single or double girder for example and upon this I support a small carriage or
equivalent to which the main vehicle which takes the goods or passengers is connected
by suitable ties or equivalent In some cases I make this track with a down gradient
to start or help to start the vehicle, in others I make it entirely or partly level
Where a down gradient is used I generally prefer to have an up gradient so as to
terminate as near the starting level as the carriage will reach Supposing the down
gradient were very sharp and short and the corresponding up gradient were long and
easy 1 should arrange to transfer the little carriage at the end of its journey to
another or return track and at the end of an up gradient I prefer to have means for
hoisting the carriage or vehicle up to the required starting level for the return
Journey, also means should be provided to prevent the unauthorised return movement
of the carriage or vehicle A suitably placed rack and a pinion upon the vehicle
which would engage with the rack and by which the vehicle could be wound up
would serve the purpose, but a suitable rope or chain connected to the carriage and
passing over pulleys at the ends of the track and having sufficient weights at the end
to keep it tight is perhaps the best form of device as the slight extra weight may be
readily applied to either end of the rope as required

page_text: A practical means for securing the vehicle consists of a rack upon the vehicle and a
pinion carried in a pivotted bracket provided with a spring or balance weight so as
to give way if when the rack engaged with it, it would press too hard upon the
gearing, in this case I prefer to half flange the teeth so that they cannot engage too
deeply and provide anti-friction rollers and also a pawl engaging with the teeth or 5
other part of the pinion or rack to prevent it from returning
Where necessary an initial impulse may be given either to the carriage or vehicle
to increase the distance to be travelled The form of the vehicle would be varied to
suit requirements, for instance where this apparatus is used for pleasure it might
take the form of a boat or carriage and where for business purposes as for crossing a 1
river or ravine it would be constructed to suit the wants of the passengers or goods
it had to convey.
Dated this 1st day of June 1888

page_text: טי
Goods or Passengers Across Rivers and the like
I ELIZABETH LANGE of 530 Fulham Road, in the county of Middlesex, Gentle-
woman, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement
The object of this invention is to provide a form of swing for pleasure or other
purposes in which the point of suspension has a travelling motion along a fixed
incline The momentum of the swing is sufficient to carry the travelling support up
a reverse incline until arrested by suitable appliances, the swing itself being also
arrested and held mechanically previously to the return journey
The inclines or gradients on which the swing support travels may be steep or
shallow, or on the level, the swinging action of the car or other vehicle being sufficient
to carry the movable support along the track
As an illustration of my invention I show on the annexed drawings at Figure 1 a
structure composed of two upright frames A, B, at a distance apart with a longitu-
dinal frame C connecting them
The
On this intermediate frame I form two inclines D, D, provided with rails on which
a kind of car or trolly E can run to and fro This trolly E carries the supporting
axle of the swing F and the rods by which the swing F is supported move freely
between or outside of two rails, the distance apart of which correspond to the wheels
of the trolly so that the swing has a free motion to and fro between them
trolly has at its upper part, projecting ribs G, G, Figure 2, one of which, when
the trolly is at one end of its travel engages within a channel H, see Figure 3,
and after it has entered a given distance, the projections G which may be notched
or serrated on the upper and lower surfaces become engaged by pauls I to retain
it in position The pauls are in gear by quadrants and a balance weight J keeps
them in proper position for immediate action directly the projection G comes into
contact with them, the trolly E being held rigidly
The car or vehicle F which is suspended from the trolly has on its underside a
double set of rack teeth K, one set to engage into the wheel L as the car arrives
at the end of its travel The bottom of the car is set out of the circle from the
point of support in the trolly so that as the car is moving to the end of its journey
it depresses the wheel L the teeth being kept in contact by the spring M which
becomes contracted The wheel L is on a pivotted bracket N This bracket N has a
pinion in connection with it and a crank handle so that should the car not arrive at
the end of its travel, an attendant on the platform P can, by the winch handle move
the car up to the end of its journey
The car has fall down flaps Q at each end and the interior is provided with steps to
enable persons to walk down to occupy seats fitted in the car said seats being some-
what like music stools to enable the occupants to turn round at the end of their
Journey in one direction and face the direction of travel for the return journey.

page_text: The axle of the wheel 1. also carries a clutch or paul wheel R, such as 1 show at
Figure 4, to prevent the car returning after once engaging into the teeth of the
wheel L
In addition to the spring M, or as a substitute for it I may use a drum round which
a rope is wound and having a balance weight S at its end, such as I show at
Figures 5 and 6
The car F and trolly E may be simultaneously released by a pull on the handle T,
this acting on the cords or pull rods U for that purpose, and if the car does not receive
sufficient inomentum in its travel down one incline to carry it up the next, if inclines
be used, I purpose using a spring or compressed air for pushing it to give the
necessary momentum
I have at Figure 1 shown at V a spring plunger fitted in a case, which can be
released simultaneously by the pull of the handle T acting on the rod W the rebound
of the spring being sufficient to give it the first impulse for the travel but the
plunger V may be operated by compressed air if desired
Both the upright structures A, B, are alike but the gear wheels L, L, are so placed
that they act alternitely in the racks on the bottom of the car
At one side of the structure I show the plunger V extended and at the other side it
18 compressed it having been drawn in by the attendant and locked by the end of the
rod W catching under the tongue X
Figure 7 is a general view in perspective of the structure in its complete form
showing how persons can enter and leave, if the apparatus be used for pleasure
purposes, but the car may be used for transporting goods from one place to another
within range of the two upright structures A B
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
1 As my improvements in swings, support E having a travelling motion on a
track and moved by the swing along said track, whether the track be at one or more
inclines, or on a level, as and for the purpose or purposes described
2 Suspending a swinging carriage or vehicle from an axle, Journalled in a movable
trolly or frame, when said trolly or frame receives its travelling motion from the
swinging action of the swing itself, substantially in the manner and for the purposes
described
The 6th dow of Amm? 1000