Improvements in or in connection with Gravitation Wheels for Recreation Purposes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Oct., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 5th July, 1900-Accepted, 25th Aug., 1900
Improvements in or in connection with Gravitation Wheels for
Recreation Purposes.
I, CHEVALIER ERNEST PASQUALE LEONE HARDY, of 51, South John Street,
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Vice Consul for Italy and Knight of the
Italian Crown, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to gravitation wheel for recreation purposes:
In carrying the invention into effect, I provide a big wheel in which are
suspended a suitable number of cars or seats for passengers. The wheel in addition
to rotating on its axis, is travelled backwards and forwards upon a railway which
is arranged on gradients like a switch-back, or simply a down grade followed by
a corresponding up one. The periphery of the big wheel is so arranged as to
run upon this railway, it being provided with a pair of flanged tyres of a gauge
corresponding to that of the rails. Then when the cars are loaded, the wheel is
propelled on to the incline, down which it runs by gravitation and up the ascend-
ing gradient on the other side, and it can proceed back on another line of rails
to the point of departure, a curve being provided at the ends round which the
wheel is respectively propelled on to the outward and the return line. In order
to enable the big wheel to travel easily round the curves, and prevent unnecessary
friction, I fix to one side of the big wheel an auxiliary tyre of smaller diameter,
and I stop off the inner rail of the track at the curve, and provide instead thereof
an auxiliary rail to take its place which is arranged at some height above the
horizontal plane of the other rails. It is arranged at such a height and in such
a position as to receive the aforesaid auxiliary tyre of the big wheel, and to
enable it to roll thereon. The result is that one of the tyres of the wheel (that
corresponding to the inner rail) is of much smaller diameter than the other, and
rolls on the raised track, while the tyre on the other side of the wheel, which is
of larger diameter, rolls on the outer rail of the main track. If therefore the
diameter of these two tyres be carefully proportioned, the big wheel will turn
in a given curve without any grinding or scraping as would be the case if this
arrangement were not provided. Throughout the remainder of the track the
two rails are horizontal in the plane of their cross section, so that when the big
wheel is running in a straight line, the two peripheral tyres of the big wheel
roll on the two rails, but at the curves the small tyre comes into play, and
supports the big wheel at the inside of curve, thus greatly facilitating the passage
of the wheel round the curve and enabling it to turn a curve of very small
radius.
At the rear of the big wheel I provide a trailing carriage which runs on an
auxiliary rail placed midway between the two main rails of the track, and this
trailing carriage is coupled to the centre of the big wheel. In order to further
steady it, the trailing carriage is provided with side rollers which bear laterally
against this auxiliary rail. The carriage is provided with an electrical or other
motor. Should therefore the momentum of the wheel acquired on the down grade

page_text: not be sufficient to enable it to mount to the top of the up grade, it is helped
up to the extreme top by the motor, or by manual power or otherwise, the motor
being geared to the big wheel by a chain gearing or otherwise. The motor may
also be used to act as a brake for controlling the speed of the big wheel on the
down grade or a separate brake may be provided so as to stop the wheel at any
required point. The middle rail for the trailing carriage is so arranged at the
curves as to facilitate the trailing carriage going round the curves easily without
any straining or unnecessary friction. For this purpose the centre rail is by
preference deflected towards the outside at the curves so that its radius will be
within a foot or two of the radius of the outer rail. Thus for example, if the
radius of the outer rail be 19ft. 6 and the radius of the inner rail 7ft. 9, the
radius of the centre rail would be preferably about 18ft. At convenient positions.
platforms are provided to enable the passengers to embark and disembark, while
the big wheel stands at rest.
1
ALL da fotolar 1800
Improvements in or in connection with Gravitation Wheels for
Recreation Purposes.
I, CHEVALIER ERNEST PASQUALE LEONE HARDY, of 51, South John Street,
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Vice Consul for Italy and Knight of the
Italian Crown, 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 gravitation or gigantic wheels for recreation purposes
of that kind in which while the wheels rotate, they travel along a permanent way
composed of rails, and thus follow a cycloidal curve. The present invention has
for its object certain improvements in such wheels and in the arrangement of
railway tracks on which they travel and rotate.
The invention will be understood from the following description, reference
being had to the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a side view of a gigantic or gravitation wheel;
Figure 2, an end view showing one of the chariots and cross bars;
Figure 3 a side view of the trailing carriage;
Figure 4, an end view thereof;
Figure 5, an end view of both the wheel and trailing carriage;
Figure 6, a plan of the track;
Figure 7, an elevation of the track;
Figure 8, a cross section.
Referring to these figures, A is the big wheel composed of a pair of wheels
secured together by cross bars D passed through the holes D¹. These wheels
carry a suitable number of freely suspended cars or chariots C for passengers, said
The wheels are
cars depending from the cross shafts D between the wheels a.
constructed of iron or steel, so braced and stayed by rods and bars E as to resis
the weights and strains brought upon them. The wheel in addition to rotating
is travelled backwards and forwards upon a railway F which is arranged or
gradients like a switchback, or simply a down grade followed by a corresponding
up one, or on the level.

page_text: The rims of the two wheels a are aranged so as to run upon this railway F,
being made with a pair of flanged tyres G G of a gauge corresponding to that of
the rails F. Then when the cars are loaded with passengers the big wheel is
propelled on to the incline, down which it runs by gravitation and up the ascend-
ing gradient on the other side, and it can proceed back on another line of rails
to the point of departure, a curve being provided at the ends round which the
big wheel is respectively propelled on to the outward and return line. Thus as
the wheels runs along the rails the cars are carried round and round in a vertical
plane.
In order to enable the big wheel to travel easily round the curves and to prevent
unnecessary friction, I fix on one side of the big wheel an auxiliary tyre H of
smaller diameter supported and braced by the stays i, and I stop off the inner
rail of the track F at the curve and provide instead thereof an auxiliary rail J
to take its place which is arranged at. some height above the horizontal plane of
the other rails. It is arranged at such a height and in such a position as to receive
the auxiliary tyre H of the big wheel and enable it to roll thereon. The result
is that the tyre H of the wheel (that corresponding to the inner rail) is of much
smaller diameter than the others, and rolls on the raised track J, while the tyre G
on the other side of the wheel which is of larger diameter rolls on the outer rail
of the main track. If therefore the diameter of these two tyres be carefully
proportioned, the big wheel will turn in a given curve without any grinding or
scraping as would be the case if this arrangement were not provided. Through-
out the remainder of the track the two rails F are horizontal in the plane of their
cross section so that when the big wheel is running in a straight line the two
peripheral tyres G G of the big wheel roll on the two rails, but at the curves the
small tyre H comes into play and supports the big wheel at inside of curve instead
of the tyre G', thus greatly facilitating the passage of the wheel round the curve
and enabling it to turn a curve of very small radius.
At the rear of the big wheel, I provide a trailing carriage K, the wheel L of
which runs on the auxiliary rail M placed midway between the main rails of the
track. This trailing carriage is made with a jaw or pair of arms one on each
side of and coupled to the trunnions B of the big wheel by means of the journal N.
These trunnions project from the centre of the wheel from the outside but do
not extend between the wheels so that they form no obstruction to the travel of
the cars.
The arms are attached to and supported by the leg 0, the end of which
carries the wheel L which runs on the centre rail. In order to further steady
the trailing carriage this leg is fitted with side rollers or wheels P which bear
laterally against this auxiliary rail M. The object of this trailing carriage is to
steady the big wheel, and prevent its getting on the skew, which might be liable
to throw it off the track. The trailing carriage being journalled to the trunnions
of the big wheel, and being steadied by the side rollers P keeps the big wheel
steady both in travelling in a straight line and in going round the curves. The
trailing carriage may be provided with an electric motor S receiving current from
a conductor on the track or elsewhere, a grooved wheel T on the shaft of the
motor gearing by means of a chain or rope U, or other gearing with grooved rings
or sprocket wheels Q on the inside of the wheels. (A is shown of smaller diameter
in Figure than in the other figure.) Should therefore the momentum of the
wheel acquired on its down grade not be sufficient to enable it to mount to the
top of the up grade, it is helped up to the extreme top by the motor S, or by
manual power or otherwise. The motor may also be used to act as a brake for
controlling the speed of the big wheel on the down grade, or a separate brake V
may be provided so as to stop the wheel at any required point which can be worked
by means of the handle W from the driver's seat X. The middle rail M for the
trailing carriage is so arranged at the curves as to facilitate the trailing carriage
going round curves easily without any straining or unnecessary friction, while
enabling it to always remain at right angles to the axis of the big wheel. For
this purpose the centre rail is by preference deflected towards the outside at the

page_text: curves as shown so that its radius will be within a foot or two of the radius of
the outer rail. Thus for example if the radius of the outer rail be 19 ft. 6 and
the radius of the inner rail 7 ft. 9, the radius of the centre rail M will be prefer-
ably about 18 ft., and this enables the carriage to always remain rigidly at right
angles to the big wheel axis.
At convenient positions preferably at the curves, platforms Q₁ are provided to
enable passengers when they disembark to step aside onto those platforms clear
of the track. To load or unload, therefore, the big wheel is brought to the curve
of the track at the platform, and the wheel turned round so that each car is
brought in turn to the level of the track. The passengers from each car can thus
get out in turn and other passengers embark in the chariots to replace them.
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:-
1. The improvements in or relating to gigantic wheels for recreation purposes,
which consists in forming them of a pair of wheels of any suitable diameter having
tyres or treads at their periphery; and secured together by cross bars, passenger-
carrying cars or chariots pivoted to said cross bars so as to hang between said
wheels in a vertical plane, and a railway track or way on which said wheels travel
while rotating, substantially as described.
2. In gigantic wheels which while they rotate travel along the rails of a
permanent way or track, providing such wheels with a trailing carriage running
upon an auxiliary rail arranged between the main rails of the track and furnished
with a jaw or a pair of arms one on each side of, and so coupled to trunnion at
axis of the wheel as to steady it in rolling along the track, substantially as
described.
3. In a gigantic wheel whose flanged peripheries are adapted to roll on a rail-
way track, providing one side of the big wheel with an auxiliary tyre of smaller
diameter than the peripheral one, and the inner rail of the track at the curves
with a rail raised to some height above the horizontal plane of the outer rail on
which this smaller tyre rolls when the wheel is travelling round the curves, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose described.
4. Arranging the intermediate rail for the trailing carriage so as to facilitate
the latter always travelling round a curve at right angles to the axis of the big
wheel, this being effected by deflecting said rail towards the outside at the curves
so as to have at that part a radius nearly equal to the radius of the outer rail,
substantially as shown and described.
5. In combination with a gigantic wheel whose flanged peripheries are adapted
to run on a railway track a trailing carriage coupled to trunnions on the axle
of the said wheel and running on an intermediate rail, a motor mounted on said
trailing carriage, and a gearing connecting said motor to the said wheel so as to
drive the same, substantially as described.
6. Providing the trailing carriage with a wheel running upon an auxiliary rail
of a track or way, and with a pair of side rollers which bear laterally against the
said auxiliary rail to steady the carriage and the big wheel to which it is journalled
and prevent them leaving the track accidentally, substantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of July 1900.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London.