Improvements in Pleasure Canals.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pleasure Canals.
I, PAUL BOYTON, of The Chutes, Coney Island, County of Kings and State of
New York, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
This invention relates to pleasure water-ways and it contemplates the employ-
ment of a sinuous canal containing a continuously moving body of water, upon
the surface whereof may be pleasure craft of any character, containing sight-
seers, the passage of the canal revealing to them a panorama of views designed
according to the taste of the architect, and preferably being a miniature reproduc-
tion of notable river scenery.
My invention, comprises briefly in conjunction with a water-way, bordered
with artificial scenery, means for causing a continuous flow of water there-
through, a boat, a starting station therefor, a terminus, and means for conveying
the boat from the latter to the former.
The two ends of the canal, or rather its beginning and end are contiguous.
A basin precedes the beginning of the canal, and the contents flow into a
terminal basin. The one basin is arranged at a higher elevation than the
other basin, and the bottom of the canal has a downward gradient from the
former to the latter, thereby affording a natural fall and movement of water,
starting from one basin, through the canal to the other basin.
This movement is rendered continuous by means of a pump or water elevator
of any character, and which, whilst the canal is in use, continuously forces water
from the lower to the upper basin..
An endless belt is mounted upon and rotated by horizontal rollers which
are operated by an engine through suitable connections; said belt serving to
convey a boat or other craft, from one basin to the other.
For this purpose a
suitable frictional contact between the boat and belt is provided. To cause the
boat to descend into the surface of the water in the upper basin, in passing
thereto from the lower basin, I preferably provide a roller intermediate the
other rollers, and at an elevation, forming a haunch in the path of the belt.
The boat is therefore conveyed first upwardly from the lower basin to a sufficient
elevation, and then downwardly by an easy gradient until it rests upon the
water in the upper basin.
A wharf or starting station is provided alongside of the upper basin, whereat
the boat is moored whilst taking on passengers, and when released, is steered
into the entrance of the canal. When the journey is completed the boat enters
the lower basin and is moored at a wharf or landing stage alongside of said
basin to disembark the passengers, whereupon the empty boat may be directed
upon the submerged portion of the endless moving belt, and by frictional contact
between the belt and the bottom of the boat, the latter is moved over into the
adjoining basin.
The scenery along the course of the canal, may be of any character, and such
scenery is bounded by sectional walls and by scene portions having a sufficiant

page_text: heighth to preclude the vision of the passengers from having a greater range
than that covering each individual scene presented through each opening in the
sectional walls.
Tunnels, may be interspersed along the route and the same fancifully lighted
up and rendered effective, the whole idea being to provide as varied and surpris-
ing a sightseeing journey as is possible to contrive in the limited distance
traversed.
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1000
Improvements in Pleasure Canals.
I, PAUL BOYTON, of The Chutes, Coney Island, Kings, New York,, U.S.A.,
Gentleman, 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 pleasure water-ways and it contemplates the employ-
ment of a sinuous canal containing a continuously moving body of water, upon
the surface whereof may be carried pleasure craft of any character, containing
sightseers, the passage of the canal revealing to them a panorama of views
designed according to the taste of the architect, and preferably being a miniature
reproduction of notable river scenery.
My invention comprises briefly, in conjunction with a water-way, bordered
with artificial scenery, means for causing a continuous flow of water there-
through, a boat, a starting station therefor, a terminus, and means for conveying
the boat from the latter to the former.
In the drawings annexted hereto,
Figure 1 is a plan view showing a canal and its appurtenances.
Figure 2 is a detail cross section, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of starting and stopping stations with
the means for causing the water to flow and the boat conveying apparatus, and
Figure 4 is a plan view thereof.
In said figures A indicates the canal or water way, which, as seen, pursues a
tortuous or sinuous path, to attain a considerable extent within a comparatively
small area.
The two ends of the canal, or rather its beginning and end, are contiguous,
B we will say being its beginning and C its termination. A basin D precedes
the beginning of the canal and the contents of the canal flow into a terminal
basin E. The one basin D is arranged at a higher elevation than the other
basin E, and the bottom of canal A has a downward gradient from the former
to the latter, thereby affording a natural fall and movement of water, starting
from basin D, through the canal and to basin E.
This movement is rendered continuous by means of a pump or water elevator
of any character indicated at F, and which, whilst the canal is in use, con-
tinuously forces water from basin E into basin D).
G indicates an endless belt mounted upon and rotated by horizontal rollers g g¹
which are operated by an engine H through suitable connections; said belt G
serving to convey a boat or other craft, as I, from one basin to the other. For
this purpose a suitable frictional contact between the boat and belt is provided.
To cause the boat to descend into the surface of the water in basin D in passing

page_text: thereto from basin E, I preferably provide a roller h intermediate the rollers g g',
and at an elevation as seen, forming a haunch in the path of the belt G. The.
boat is therefore conveyed first upwardly from basin E to a sufficient elevation,
and then downwardly by an easy gradient until it rests upon the water in basin D.
A wharf or starting station is provided alongside of basin whereat
the boat is moored whilst taking on passengers, and when released,
is steered into the entrance of the canal. When the journey is
pleted the boat enters basin E and is moored at a wharf or landing stage alongside.
of said basin to disembark the passengers, whereupon the empty boat may be
directed upon the submerged portion of the endless moving belt; and by fric-
tional contact between the belt and the bottom of the boat, the latter is moved
over into the adjoining basin.
-
com-
The scenery along the course of the canal, and which may be of any character,
is indicated by the letter a, and such scenery is bounded by sectional walls b and
by scene portions having a sufficient height to preclude the vision of the passengers
from having a greater range than that covering each individual scene presented
through each opening in the sectional walls.
Tunnels, as c may be interspersed along the route and the same fancifully
lighted up and rendered effective, the whole idea being to provide as, varied and
surprising a sightseeing journey as is possible to contrive in the limited distance
traversed.
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) An artificial pleasure canal containing a body of moving water, a series of
separate scenes arranged at the sides of the canal and a boat supported and moved
by the water throughout the canal.
(2) An artificial pleasure canal having its bottom inclined lengthwise, said
canal arranged in a sinuous line and containing water; artificial scenery arranged
at the sides thereof, and mechanism for moving the water continuously through
said canal.
(3) An artificial canal having its bottom inclined throughout its length, a
basin at each end on corresponding levels, a pump between said basins, and
means permitting said pump to convey water from the low level basin to the
high level basin to cause a continuous circulation through the canal.
(4) An artificial canal having a high level basin at one end thereof and a low
level basin at its other end, and means for circulating water through the canal,
together with a boat supported upon and moved by the water, and an endless
moving belt extending between and arranged to convey the boat from one basin
to the other.