IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO CIRCULAR OR ENDLESS RAILWAYS DESIGNED FOR RECREATION OR AMUSEMENT
Year: 1885

page_text: I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake and C° Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO CIRCULAR OR
ENDLESS RAILWAYS DESIGNED FOR RECREATION OR AMUSEMENT 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 Railways intended for the out-door amusement of the
young. The Invention consists (first) in an improved arrangement and construction
of a circular track which shall combine safety with portability, and adapt the
apparatus to be readily transported and be quickly set up or dismounted; (second)
in the novel use of motive power to supplement the action of gravity so as to bring
the vehicle back to the point from which it started, impelled by gravity; (third)
in the novel construction and arrangement of the traction devices which supplement
the action of gravity and which are so arranged as to enable the operator to send
the vehicle repeatedly round its track without stoppage, or stop and start it at will
at the platform for getting on and off; and (fourth) in the novel construction of the
vehicle in connection with the track.
In the drawings which accompany this Specification.
Figure 1 is a plan of the circular track.
Figure 2 is a diagram showing the different inclines of the track.
Figure 3 is a view showing the construction and connections of the track
sections,
Figure 4 is a cross-section of the track showing the manner of supporting it.
Figure 5 is an elevation of the vehicle.
Figure 6 is a plan view thereof.
Figure 7 is a sectional view in perspective showing the construction of the auto-
matic cable gripe and of the axle of the vehicle.
A is a circular railway track, over which the vehicle B is adapted to travel freely.
This track is composed of a number of similar segmental sections, the construction
of which is shown in detail in Figure 3, in which C are the rails made of bent

page_text: timber secured together by ties a and tie-rods b, and strengthened by suitable truss
rods c.
Each section of the track is detachably connected to the adjoining sections
by means of clasps or clamps & which are provided with suitable devices, such as
wedges or screws, for tightening them.
.
The track sections are supported upon their ends, and, if necessary, at intervals 5
between their ends, by the cross timbors or sleepers D, which in turn are supported
upon posts E firmly planted into the ground. The sleepers D are firmly secured
and braced on top of the posts E, and are preferably recessed to receive the ends of
the track sections, suitable bolts been used to bolt the latter to the sleepers.
The posts E are constructed after the extension principle (as shown on the I
posts E and E in Figure 4) so as to allow of adjusting the relative heights of the
sleepers above the ground, and radial guy ropes or cables F, secured to the ends of
the sleepers and anchored to the ground, are used to give perfect stability to the
structure.
The circular track is level for a short distance at its highest point e, which is the 1
starting place of the vehicle; from this point the track forms a rather abrupt
descent succeeded by a rise g which leads to a second desconth, succeeded by
another rise i, which has a uniform gradient and completos the circuit back to the
high level e.
The point for getting off the vehicle is at k, which is near the top of the last 2
ascent just before the level e is reached. Small gang-ways G and H are built
alongside the starting level e and the stopping place k, and these gangways connect
with a larger platform I, which communicates with the ground by double stairs J.
These last described gang-ways, platform and stairs are provided with suitable
ailings, and the whole structure is also supported by posts planted in the ground:
and adjustablo in height as described for the posts supporting the track, and all the
parts of the superstructure are detachably secured together to be convenient for
transportation.
B is the vehicle which represents a bench mounted on four wheels, the axles of
which are rigidly secured to the seat, but instead of being parallel to each other
they converge towards the centre of the circular track, so as to give the coaster an
adherent tendency to run in the prescribed circle. The seat, which faces towards
the centre is made of substantial frame-work, and is provided with a foot-board Z
and foot rail m, all secured to the axles so as to make a rigid truck.
The axles are rigidly secured to the truck wheels, and (as shown in detail in
Figure 7) are enclosed within hollow axles L which do not revolve. Those latter
axles are made in sections, the outer sections n constituting pipe boxes which form
the bearings for the inner axle; the innor section o is detachably connected to the
pipe box sections n, by means of union couplings p. This construction admits of
dismounting the truck readily for the purpose of repair and transportation.
The vehicle may also be provided with suitable buffers and couplings to form a
train of vehicles.
Guard rails M, N, are constructed around the entire circuit, the necessary distance
above the rails to clear the wheels of the truck, to prevent the jumping off or
tipping over of the vehicle.
Between the rails of the last descending portion i of the track an endless traction
cable O is arranged; this cable is supported upon suitable rollers and is operated by
steam or other motive power preferably located below the platform I.
The cable traction is placed midway between the outer and inner rail, except near
its end, where the cable runs tangentially off and approaches the outer rail.
A cable gripe is properly secured to the under side of the vehicle and so arranged
that a vehicle running up the incline i will automatically gripe the cable and be
drawn up the incline by its help, and then be automatically released again when
the top of the incline is reached.
A cable gripe P, operating in the manner described is shown in Figure 7. The
lip or flanger will guide the cable into the throat of the gripe, when the vehicle
begins its ascent of the cable traction, and simultaneously therewith the lever s

page_text: strikes an incline t This lever a operates the eccentric or cam u, and as the lever
is turned upwardly by the incline t, the cable will slip into the throat of the gripe.
As soon as the lever a has passed over the incline t, and the motion of the vehicle
flags behind the motion of the cable, the gripe becomes effective and the cable will
pull the vehicle up the incline; when at the top the lever & strikes another incline t¹,
which opens the throat of the gripe and permits the cable, which as. this end shears
again towards the outside rail, to slip out of the gripe.
If it is required to stop the vehicle at the point of getting off, the cable is stopped
by the operator upon the platforın, which, for the proper operation of the traction
cable is provided with a suitable lever for stopping and starting the cable.
In practice, the vehicle starts at the high level e, from which a slight push will
send it off down the abrupt incline, which gives the party the exhiliarating pleasure
of riding down hill, and whereby the vehicle acquires sufficient momentum to run
up the succeeding ascent g which is followed by another descent h, which enable
the vehicle to acquire sufficient momentum to carry it some distance up the incline i.
The momentum the vehicle has upon arriving at the upward incline i is not
sufficient to carry it up the whole incline, but before its momentum is spent it takes
hold of the traction cable, and as soon as its motion falls below that of the traction
cable it automatically gripes it and is drawn up leaving it to the option of the
operator to stop the vehicle anywhere he pleases to allow the passengers to get off
or on, or send the vehicle without any stoppage on a new run.
.
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 I claim
in a circular or endless railway designed for recreation or amusement
First A circular railway track, consisting of a series of segmental sections
detachably secured together and resting with their ends upon sleepers supported
upon single posts planted in the ground, substantially as described.
Second-A circular railway track, consisting of a series of segmental sections
detachably secured together and resting with their ends upon sleepers supported
upon single posts planted in the ground, said posts being made adjustable in height,
substantially as described.
Third The combination of the rails C of the circular track, and the wheeled
vehicle B with the continuous circular guard rails M, N, substantially as described.
Fourth: A circular track having the high level or starting point e and a series
of up and down inclines, substantially as described, the gang-way G, connecting
with the high level, the gang-way I connecting with a point of track.contiguous to
the high level and forming the stopping point, the intervening platform I commu-
nicating with the gangways G, H, and the ground stairs J, all combined and
arranged substantially as described.
Fifth A cable traction arranged to supplement the action of gravity to return
the vehicle upon its circular track to its starting point after its momentum of
gravity has carried it partly around the circuit, substantially as described.
Sixth-A circular railway track, having a general down-grade from the starting
point for part of the circuit, over which the vehicle is impelled by gravity, a
uniform up-grade connecting the gravity portion of the circuit with the starting
point of the track, and a cable traction arranged in the up-grade to return the
vehicle to the starting point, substantially as described.
Seventh-A circular railway track, having a general down grade which operates
the vehicle by gravity and a uniform up-grade provided with a cable traction for
the vehicle, both grades being so arranged in relation to each other that the
momentum of the vehicle will carry it partly on to the up-grade, substantially as,
and for the purposes, specified.
:
Eighth A circular railway track, having a general down-grade which operates
the vehicle by gravity, and a uniform up-grade connecting it with the starting
point of the down-grade; a cable traction arranged in the up-grade, and an
automatically operating cable gripe on the vehicle, all combined substantially as
described.

page_text: Ninth The cable traction on the up-grade arranged with its central portion
concentric to the rails, and its end portions diagonal thereto, in combination with
the cable gripe of the vehicle provided with a lip or guiding flange to direct the
cable into and out of the throat of the gripe, substantially as described.
Tenth-In combination with the up-grade i of the circular track and the
traction cable O, the levers of the cable gripe operating in connection with the
inclines t, substantially as, and for the purposes, described.
Eleventh-The combination of a circular railway track with a vehicle having
its axles rigidly secured to the body and placed radially to the track, substantially
as described.
Twelfth A wheeled vehicle having its axles rigidly secured to the wheels and
enclosed in a hollow tube, consisting of the pipe box sections n, central section o,
and union couplings p substantially as, and for the purposes described.
Dated this 18th day of March 1885.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.