Improvements in or connected with Roundabouts or similar Recreation Apparatus.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Roundabouts or similar
Recreation Apparatus.
MARIA FIDLER (no occupation), 40, Blythe Road, West Kensington, London, W.,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention belongs to that class of contrivances of which the roundabout and
switchback are types, and is effected as follows. A wood or iron platform is erected,
within which is formed a continuous passage of curved, or curved and straight
form, and making a complete loop of regular or irregular shape, of any height and
width. For a platform five feet high this passage would be about two feet wide.
The top or flooring of platform extends over passage, covering it in except a narrow
slot in the centre (similar to the slot in cable tramway's). In this passage is placed
a flexible chain or cable of flat or belt form edgewise up. This chain or cable
(which for convenience will be called the cable) has cross bars placed at intervals
of its length, and part or all of these crossbars are extended beyond the width of
cable proper.
That part of the crossbar extended on lower side of cable has fitted to it near
edge of cable a wheel or wheels revolving horizontally and projecting at right angles to
cable. 'The extension below this wheel or wheels is fitted with a fork, after the manner
of a caster, and between this fork is a vertical wheel, the axis of which is horizontal
and at right angles to the cable. That part of crossbar extended upwards is fitted
near top edge of cable with a wheel or wheels revolving horizontally similar to
those fitted to lower edge of cable. The upper extension is carried upwards
through the slot in top of platform. The horizontal wheels on cable crossbars run
against guides on sides of passage, keeping the cable central with the slot and
causing it to follow the curves of the guides on which the horizontal wheels run.
The wheel placed in fork on lower extension revolves in the direction the cable is
going, and is for the purpose of supporting weight of cable and its load, and acts as
a caster, running on a track provided for it. And to that part of crossbar extended
through slot in platform is attached representations of horses or other animals (of
wood or other material), carriages, boats, and cycles, which are hauled or carried
along by the cable, above or resting on top of platform, and these representations of
animals and boats may have a rocking or jumping motion from their supports and
guides. At one or more points in its circuit and engaging with the cable will be
sprocket or pin driving wheels, revolving horizontally and engaging the cable proper
between the upper and lower horizontal guide wheels, and carrying the cable in the
direction in which they revolve, and according to what is attached to cable, horse-
racing, boating, cycling, and other sports, can be represented, and the cable in its
circuit can be made to follow an up and down hill course, after the manner of the
switchback to some extent.
To be driven by steam or other power.

page_text: .
Improvements in or connected with Roundabouts or similar
Recreation Apparatus.
I, MARIA FIDLER, of 40, Blythe Road, West Kensington, in the County of London,
England, 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 for improvements in or connected with roundabouts or similar
recreation apparatus, has for its objects to obviate the necessity of the usual
overhead gear of roundabouts and the necessary circular or approximately circular
course so that the apparatus can be erected on almost any shaped piece of ground;
and consists in mounting horses, boats, cycles or the like on vertical spindles
forming the connecting pins or rivets of a pitch chain, each vertical spindle having
mounted loosely on it at different heights two or more horizontal wheels each
running loosely between guide rails and at its bottom a vertical wheel ruaning on a
rail that takes the weight, the guide rails and weight rail being curved as desired
in the horizontal and vertical directions. The pitch chain is driven by any suitable
form of power.
If desired a rocking motion may be imparted to the horses or the
like.
In the accompanying sheets of illustrative drawings:
Figs. 1 and 2 are elevation and plan of an apparatus constructed according to
this invention.
Fig. 3 is a part sectional elevation.
Fig. 4 is a part plan.
Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are detail views showing the guiding arrangements.
Fig. 8 is a cross section and Fig. 9 a plan showing more especially the driving
gear.
The framing of the apparatus comprises the sleepers a supporting the weight
rail b, the uprights c fixed to the sleepers a and carrying the upper and lower pairs
of guide rails & and the joists e fixed to the uprights c and supporting the
platform f. The framing is strengthened by the diagonals g. The platform f is
formed with a continuous groove h similar to the groove in a cable tramway and
forming a closed loop of any suitable form regular or irregular as shown in
Fig. 2.
The chain or cable i is a pitch chain with its connecting rivets vertical. At
suitable distances apart the vertical rivets are continued in the form of rods / and
each has at its lower end a fork m in which is mounted in the plane of the cable
a vertical wheel n running on the weight rail b. Mounted loosely on the rods lare
upper and lower horizontal wheels o that work loosely between the upper and lower
pairs of guide rails d. The plan and elevation of the guide and weight rails bare
similar, and may follow any regular or irregular shape.
The rods pass upwards through the groove h in the platform and carry
horses, boats, cycles or similar carriages p. The cable i gears into a toothed
wheel 9 driven by the bevel or screw gearing from any suitable plane by any
suitable power.
..
It will be seen that when the wheel q is driven, the cable is carried round and
carries with it the horses or carriages p. Also that the horses or carriages will
rise and fall according to the inclination of the weight rail 6 and will be guided
and kept upright by the upper and lower guide rails d.
In order to give to the horse or carriage an additional or rocking motion, the
vertical wheels n carry crank pins 3 working in a slot in a bell crank t fulcrummed
О

page_text: near the fork of the wheel and connected by a link to the horse or carriage,
The horses or carriages are pivoted to the vertical rod l. As the wheels n rotate
on the weight rail b they cause the links v to rise and fall and so rock the horses or
carriages on their pivots. The links v may pass through a hollow rod which will
then serve as a guide.
The horses or carriages may be made to pass through any suitable scenery and
any articles may be attached to the cable such as dummy stags, dogs, huntsmen, 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 declaro that what I
claim is
1. The recreation apparatus consisting of a platform with groove, pitch chain
with vertical rivets, the guide and weight rails underneath the platform, the rods
attached to the chain and projecting up through the groove in the platform and
carrying the horses or the like.
2. The improvements in or connected with roundabouts or similar recreation
apparatus, substantially as described.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.