Improvements in Roundabouts.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Aug., 1892-Accepted, 24th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Roundabouts.
I, JOHN EDWARD COOPER of 70 Church Street Drypool, Hull in the County
of Yorkshire Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
My invention relates to roundabouts in which vehicles of various forms are
propelled along or around a track by means of chains, rods or other suitable connec-
tions in combination with steam or other motive power; in this invention I construct
a circular track of any preferred diameter with two rails fitted side by side on
suitable framework, said track having a snake like form horizontally, by which
certain portions are situate alternately on either side of an imaginary circular line
whose radius is any given centre, portions of said track being thereby nearer to or
farther from the centre of a circle; I also form said track with elevations and
depressions by which some parts of the track are higher and lower than other
parts.
I construct cars of any preferred pattern which I mount on two sets of wheels
and axles; I connect said axles to the cars by means of a swivel attachment in
order that cach pair of wheels and axle may accommodate itself to the variable
form of the track and may turn in the direction required.
In order to prevent the wheels of the cars jumping or running off the rails when
travelling, I place in a central position an additional pair of wheels and an axle
which secure to the cars below the level of the wheels upon which the cars rest
and under the rails upon which the cars travel.
By the means herein before described an in and out or zig-zag motion in com-
bination with an undulating motion is imparted to cars travelling round the track
and the risk of the cars running off or leaving the track while travelling is
avoided.
Dad L 1
r 17
11001
THOMAS PRESCOTT,
53, Arcade Chambers, St. Mary's Gate, Manchester, Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Roundabouts.
1, JOHN EDWARD COOPER of 70 Church Street Drypool, Hull, in the County
of Yorkshire, 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:-
My invention relates to roundabouts in which vehicles of various forms are pro-
pelled along or around a track by means of chains, rods, or other suitable connections
in combination with steam or other motive power.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1. is a plan and Fig. 2. is a side view of a roundabout constructed according
to my invention.
In these views similar letters refer to similar parts.
said
In this invention I construct a circular track a of any preferred diameter with
two rails fitted side by side to any preferred gauge on suitable framework
track having an in and out or snake like form horizontally as shown in Fig. 1. by
which means certain portions such as a¹ are situate alternately on either side of an
1 Do7

page_text: :
I
imaginary circular line c whose radius is any given centre, portions of said track
being thereby nearer to, or farther from the centre of a circle. I also form said
track so as to be undulating with elevations and depressions as shown in Fig. 2.
by which means some parts of the track are higher and lower than other parts
construct cars such as d, or of any preferred pattern, which I mount on two sets of
wheels with axles . I connect said axles to the cars by means of a swivel
attachment in the centre at y in order that each pair of wheels and axle may
accommodate itself to the variable form of the track a and may turn in the direction
required.
In order to prevent the wheels e of the cars d jumping or running off the rails &
when travelling, I place in a central position on each side of said cars an additional
pair of wheelsh which may be connected to and slide on an axle; I secure said
wheels to the cars by means of brackets ; so as to be below the level of
the wheels e which carry the cars, and under the rails upon which the cars
travel.
By the means herein before described an in and out or zigzag motion in
combination with an undulating motion is imparted to cars travelling round the
track, and the risk of the cars running off or leaving the track while travelling
is avoided.
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.
1st. In a roundabout in which carriages either of the form shown on drawings,
or representations of ships or other objects are propelled round a track, the com-
bination of an in and out or snake like motion and an up and down or undulating
motion imparted thereto in the manner substantially as herein before described.
2nd. In a roundabout in which carriages either of the form shown on drawings
or representations of ships or other objects are propelled round a track, the means
employed for attaching the wheels and axles to said carriages so as to enable the
wheels to accommodate themselves to the irregular form of the track in the manner
substantially as herein before described.
3rd. In a roundabout in which carriages either of the form shown on drawings
or representations of ships or other objects are propelled round a track, the use of
additional wheels that are attached to said carriages so as to run on the underside
of the rails for the purpose and in the manner substantially as herein before
described.
THOMAS PRESCOTT,
53, Arcade Chambers, St. Mary's Gate, Manchester, Agent for Applicant.