Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Apr., 1897-Accepted, 5th June, 1897
I, HENRY ARTHUR HAYDEN, of 317, Fairmount Avenue, Jersey City, in the
County of Hudson, and State of New Jersey, United States of America,
Manufacturer, 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 the class of devices intended for recreation and
amusement, the object being to provide a see-saw for use at sea-side resorts, fairs,
pleasure grounds, etc.
In general the device comprises a rocker or rocker-frame of considerable length
mounted at its middle on pivots or trunnions and provided with means for balancing
it, means for rocking it on its trunnions, and means for cushioning it elastically at
the end of each rocking movement. It also has means for locking it in its
horizontal position while it is receiving fares, all as will be hereinafter more fully
described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the see-saw, on a relatively small scale, and
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
.
Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section of the device at the point indicated by
line in Figure 1, but on a larger scale than the last-named figure.
Figure 4 is a fragmentary side view, on the same scale as Figure 3, shewing the
position of the parts of the spring cushion-device at the end of the movement of
the rocker.
Figure 5 is a plan view of the mechanism below the line in Figure 1, but on
the same scale as Figure 3.
Figures 6 and 7 are enlarged detail views, the former showing the device for
locking the weight-shifting winch or drum, and the latter showing the locking
device for the rocker.
Premising that the materials, mode of construction, and proportions herein
shown may be varied considerably without departing materially from the invention,
the device will now be minutely described as illustrated in the drawings.
A is a strong pedestal-frame constructed of two A-frames of wood fixed ou a
broad base set firmly in or on the ground; and B is the rocker, of elongated form,
supported in bearings, a, in the frame A, on trunnions, b, at the middle of the
length of the rocker. The rocker may be in the form of a truss, or rather of two
like, triangular, pendent trusses composed of iron tubing or pipes connected by
sockets in a well known way and suitably cross-braced. The rocker B has a level,
floored upper surface, and a hand rail, b', for safety. It is provided at its respective
ends with seats, C, as seen in Figures 1 and 2, for the riders.
The rocker is held in the horizontal position seen in Figure 1, while it is
receiving its fares or riders, and the latter mount to it by means of a suitable
stair, D. It is necessary to have some means of balancing the rocker in case the
weight of the riders at the respective ends should be unequal, and the means
employed for effecting this object will now be described.
On the pedestal-frame A, is built another frame, A¹, on which the operator or
attendant stands; and in this frame is mounted a winch-barrel or drum, c, provided
with a crank, d. On a cross-shaft or bar, 63, in the frame (Figure 3), and aligned
with the trunnions b, are rotatively mounted two guide-sheaves, e and e¹. Two
1 U

page_text: one of its two terminal positions (Figure 4), and in doing so it gradually puts
compression on the springs r, rx, as will be seen from inspection. Thus the
movements of the rocker B are cushioned in both directions.
In order to prevent the rope, t, from jumping off the sheaves, suitable keepers:
may be employed. In the drawings these are represented as smaller sheaves. The
keeper-sheave, u, serves to keep the rope in place on the sheave p, and the keeper-
sheaves, and v*, perform the same service for the respective sheaves and q*, but.
in the latter case the keeper-sheave is carried by arms which swing radially about
the bars, wo and w*, on which are mounted the respective sheaves q and q*, so that
the keeper-sheaves may swing out of the way, as seen at the left in Figure 4. To
bring the keeper-sheave back to its position over the top of the main sheave after
it has been displaced, there is a coil spring, z, about bar (w or w*) on which the
arm is mounted, one end of said spring being attached to the arm and the other
to the said bar. This construction-which is a common one-is sufficiently well.
illustrated in Figure 5.
The apparatus is operated in the manner now to be described :—
The rocker B is supposed to be at rest as in Figure 1, and the attendant im
position at A. The riders-say two couples-ascend the stairs and take their
places in the seats C, a couple at each end of the rocker B. If there is a notable-
difference in the weight of the couples the attendant must shift the weight-carriage.
until the rocker is made to balance and he is then able to lift the locking arm k by
means of the rope or cord o. The rocker being now free to move, the attendant
sets it to rocking by shifting the weight-carriage from side to side of its balancing
position. When he wishes it to stop he brings the weight-carriage to the balancing
position and lets down the locking arm k, which, as the movement slows down,.
catches and locks the rocker fast.
The attendant may have any ordinary indicator on the frame adapted to play
over a graduated are on the rocker, or some other known device to indicate to
him when the rocker is level, but this can be applied by any one, or may be-
omitted.
In lieu of shifting the weight for setting and keeping the rocker in motion, the
attendant may do this with the aid of other means, as for example, such as is
represented best in Figure 3. This consists of a large sprocket-wheel, a', on the
bar 63, a smaller sprocket-wheel, a², on a shaft a³, in the frame A', and a chain, a,.
coupling the two wheels. On the shaft a³, is a hand-wheel, a³, by which the
attendant can set the rocker in motion. Sprocket-wheels and a connecting chain
are preferred to bevel-gears and shafting for this purpose for the reason that the
trunnions of the rocker B are made to roll to and fro in their bearings a, which
has. the effect to shift the bar 62 a little laterally, but not to an extent sufficient to.
materially affect the sprocket and chain gearing described above.
To prevent the weight-carriage E from shifting, the winch-barrel or drum c may
have on it a toothed wheel, c', and a dog, c³, be mounted on the frame in position
to engage the teeth of said wheel. This device is best seen in Figure 6.
It will be understood that while the flexible parts designated by i and t are.
here spoken of as ropes, and ropes are preferred, they may as well be chains, or
the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a see-saw, the combination with a supporting frame and a rocker pivotally
mounted on said frame, of a movable counterbalancing weight on the rocker, and
means for shifting said weight longitudinally of the rocker.
2. In a see-saw, the combination with a supporting frame and a rocker pivotally
mounted on said frame, of a spring cushion mechanism adapted to cushion the
rocker at the termination of each of its rocking movements.
3. In a see-saw, the combination with a supporting frame and a rocker pivotally