Improvements in Roundabouts or Merry-go-rounds.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 17th June, 1893-Accepted, 5th Aug., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Roundabouts or Merry-go-rounds.
I, THOMAS WALKER of Oldbury Works, Tewkesbury, in the County of
Gloucester. 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 has for its object to provide simple strong and efficient means for
keeping at suitable distances apart the depending rods that carry the horses or
other bodies (hereinafter included in the expression "horse") adapted to carry
riders in a roundabout or merry-go-round and to provide for the necessary
inclination of such horses under the influence of centrifugal force, for which
purpose I form the horses with holes or openings therethrough through which the
rods that carry them pass and I pivot or hinge or joint the horses to the rods
arranging the pivots or hinges or joints lengthwise of the horses so that the
horses can oscillate. The rods are made to pass freely through holes in the
platform, that may be suitably lined with metal'; and to the rods I pivot hinge
or joint levers adapted under the influence of centrifugal force to tilt or incline
the horses as hereinafter described.
In the accompanying illustrative drawings I shew mechanism according to my
invention, but I have not considered it needful to show any particular mechanism
for imparting upward and downward movement to the horses as this may be
effected by any well known or suitable means as for example by the rotation of
cranks to which the rods carrying the horses are attached in the usual way.
Fig. 1 shews a sectional elevation of a platform and set of three horses and as
much of the mechanism as is necessary to illustrate my invention. The rods A
are connected to mechanism for imparting to them upward and downward move-
ment; this may be done as already indicated by cranks in a shaft that rotates
upon a revolving frame or swift above, (not shewn) these cranks being rotated for
example in the usual way by means of bevel gear and universal joints from a
stationary bevel wheel fixed to the central vertical axis so that the motion of the
cranks will cause the horses to partake of movements somewhat resembling the
galloping of horses. B B are levers each attached to one of the horse rods Å by
means of a pivot hinge or joint pin C which forms a fulcrum upon which the
lever B works. The horses are carried upon the horse rods A by the pivots
hinges or joint pins D each of which passes through its horse rod and engages (in
the example) with a plate bearing E which is attached to the horse on the inside
as shown or may be fixed to the horse on the outside. The lever B is adapted to
act at the top end upon the horse by coming in contact with a plate F. The
bottom end of each lever B together with the bottom end of the corresponding
horse rod A passes through an orifice in the rotating platform or support G; a
projection H on the bottom end of the lever B bears against a corresponding
bracket I attached to the platform G so as to guide the horse rod A in its upward
downward and angular and radial movements within the eye J fixed in the
platform G.
The brackets are or may be hinged to the platform G so that they may fold in
between the framework when packed for travelling.
Fig. 2 shows a sectional elevation of one horse and part of the platform G the
horse being shown in the inclined or tilted attitude it is caused to assume when by
centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the roundabout, the lower end of
the lever B has by pressure against the bracket been brought close to the horse
rod A and the top end has been caused to recede from the horse rod A taking with
it the lower portion of the horse and thereby inclining or tilting the horse and also
I Price 8d 1

page_text: the rider into an angular position, so as to obviate danger of the rider being thrown
off by the action of centrifugal force whilst permitting the horse rod A to remain
in a practically vertical position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what. I
claim is :-
1. In a roundabout or merry-go-round the method of hanging a horse to its rod
by means of a hinge joint or pivot D allowing of lateral inclination or tilting of
the borse such as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.
2. In a roundabout or merry-go-round the combination with a rod to which a
horse is hinged jointed or pivoted as set forth of a lever such as B hinged jointed
or pivoted to the horse rod and adapted to be operated substantially as described,
for the purpose specified.
3. In a roundabout or merry-go-round the combination and arrangement of parts
as shewn in and described with reference to the drawings for guiding and controlling
a horse or horses.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.