Improvements in Revolving Wheels or Vertical Roundabouts for Amusement, Observation, and other Purposes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1893
'omplete Specification Left, 9th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 12th May, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Revolving Wheels or Vertical Roundabouts for
Amusement, Observation, and other Purposes.
I, JAMES WEIR GRAYDON late a Lieutenant in the United States Navy
residing at 32 "The Avenue " Bedford Park Chiswick London England do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates in the first part to the combination with gigantic wheels,
of a series of pendulum carriages of novel construction specially designed for the
particular purposes of serving as drawing rooms, parlours, dining rooms, restaurant
and buffet, smoking, musical, hospital, invalid, siesta, and other carriages as well as
observation carriages.
It also relates to the combination with gigantic wheels of a series of pendulum
carriages of novel construction specially designed, from which fireworks' displays
and electrical and other displays may be produced while the wheel is in motion or
rt a rest.
It further relates to the novel construction of these carriages whereby the
cuisine and refreshment compartments may have their floorings below the main
floors of the carriages either in the centre or other convenient place and from
which supplies will be furnished by dumb or other waiters.
The seats in each carriage having suitable tables attached to them and revolving
on a centre at the will of the occupier so as to give an all round view during
refreshments.
The drawing room, parlour, and other carriages will be provided in the centre
or other part with a drop or second floor on which will rest musical instruments
such as pianos, organs, &c. with seats for the performers, or these may be placed
on the same floor as occupied by the passengers; also toilet compartments may be
provided on these drop floors as desired.
These carriages may be two-story carriages with or without communication
between them.
These carriages may also have stations on the outside from which fireworks,
electrical and other displays may be made.
It further consists in the novel construction in combination with these pendulum
carriages, of the axis of the carriages working in ball, roller, or equivalent bearings
to give a perfectly easy motion on the axis of suspension.
Electrical communication is made from the ground through the piers to the
revolving wheel and its pendulum carriages by novel circular contact plates in
combination with the wheel axis and carriage axis, so that the electrical current
may be used for illuminating & other purposes both in the carriages and upon the
gigantic moving wheel; and for the latter I design a special electrical display
covering the entire wheel with lights, changing colours and in combination with
other electrical and fireworks' displays.
It further consists of a series of electrical search lights placed in suitable
positions on the revolving wheel in pendulum carriages whereby the view at a
distance may be electrically illuminated and other electrical displays made by
these search lights, the current for the operation of which will come by way of the
novel circular contact plates above mentioned and these search lights will be
provided with mirrors for changing direction of the beams and also different
coloured glass screens for changing the colour of the illuminating beams.

page_text: The pendulum carriage frames will be made of steel or iron and the flooring
and sides of iron up to three feet, and the upper parts of sides and roof of glass
in large sliding frames and for the safety of those otherwise inclined a wire net
work will surround each carriage.
Each carriage will hang from a central longitudinal shafting which will rest in
ball, roller, or other equivalent bearings on the outer rim on each side of the
wheel.
The main shaft of the wheel will rest in ball, roller, or other equivalent bearings
on the top and inner side of each pier.
The piers will be constructed of steel or iron or both and their bases will be
rectangular or triangular or other form and at their tops will curve outward for the
ballroom floorings, and will at their bottoms' flare outward giving a pleasing general
form as well as one of great strength and solidity.
On the outer rim of each side of the wheel will be constructed as part of the
wheel a channel or drum which will receive a number of turns of a heavy steel
cable wound around the full circumference of the wheel in reverse directions on
each side.
Between the piers at the base will be situated the power necessary to revolve the
wheel and will consist of two heavy drums properly geared to a steam or other
engine or other source of power; the ends of the heavy steel cable will lead to
these drums in opposite or reverse directions, so that the revolution of the engine
will wind the cable on to one drum and unwind from the other drum from the
wheel above and by this movement the wheel will be made to revolve on its axis;
or a second method may be made by a train of gear wheels direct to the shaft
from the engine, or from the engine to a large gearing on the wheel but I prefer
the cable method.
In connection with either of these or other equivalent methods I employ a
pressure brake to assist in stopping the wheel.
The two large piers will have one or more floorings at different heights from
the bases which will be suitable for restaurant and other purposes and will be
enclosed in iron and glass and in adjustable frames for protection from the weather;
communication to these different stories or stages of the piers and to their tops
will be made by elevating carriages vertically worked and by inclines after the
manner of switch-backs carrying a series of carriages to and from the tops of the
piers by means of strong cables.
Loading and unloading of the passengers will take place from the eight to
twelve carriages at the lower part of the wheel from and to corresponding stations
of the necessary height.
The passengers will pass into the carriages from one side and will leave those
carriages from the other side, so that loading and unloading can be carried on at
the same time.
Necessarily the floors of the loading stations will be at different heights and
correspond with the positions of the different pendulum carriages when the wheel
is brought to a stop.
The loading stations will be enclosed from the weather and will be arranged with
suitable waiting rooms and other conveniences.
At the base and between the piers and in the same engine plant may be placed
the dynamo necessary for the production of the electicity used in the illumination
of the wheel, piers, carriages ballrooms, and the electrical displays previously
outlined.
Dated this 26th September 1893.
JAMES WEIR GRAYDON,
Inventor.

page_text: Improvements in Revolving Wheels or Vertical Roundabouts for
Amusement, Observation, and other Purposes.
I, JAMES WEIR GRAYDON late a Lieutenant in the United States Navy
temporarily residing at No. 32 The Avenue, Bedford Park, Chiswick, 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 :-
These improvements relate to a gigantic rotating wheel or vertical roundabout
provided with pendulum-like suspended carriages or cages and having its shaft
running in bearings on specially constructed supporting towers or pier structures,
and to means for gaining access to the carriages and to various parts of the towers
and from one tower to the other. The towers and the wheel proper are mainly
constructed with the view to recreation and observation. In order to explain my
invention in a clear comprehensive and yet concise manner I will describe it with
reference to the accompanying drawings of which
Figure 1 is a side view of a wheel with its supporting structures, and
Figure 2 a side view with the wheel in section.
Figure 3 is an enlarged section through the shaft of the wheel.
I do not at all confine myself to the particular construction shewn which however
illustrates a suitable mode of carrying the invention into effect.
In the outer part and by preference between two outer rims A of the wheel
(which may suitably be from 200 to 400 feet in diameter and constructed wholly
or chiefly of steel to save weight) are suspended like pendulums a number of
carriages or cages B which are severally specially designed for one or more of the
following particular purposes viz. of serving as drawing room, parlour, dining
room, buffet, smoking room, music room, hospital, invalid room, siesta room or
reading room as well as generally or specially for observation. Some or all of
then may be divided for first class and second class accommodation. Some or all
the cages may be made with two stories, the lower one in some cases containing
the kitchen and accessory parts from which supplies may be furnished to the upper
floor in the centre or other suitable part by dumb waiters or otherwise. The
seats in the carriages should have tables attached to them and be made to revolve
at the will of the occupier to change the direction of view. The drawing room,
parlour and other cages have in some cases the lower floor fitted with musical
instruments such as pianos or organs and seats for the performers; toilet compart-
ments may also be provided on the lower floor. Or the stories may be separate
and independent and without communication between them.
These cages or carriages may also have stations on the outside from which
fireworks or electrical and other displays may be made. The axis of suspension of
each carriage may be fitted with ball, roller or equivalent bearings in the rims A
of the wheel to give a perfectly easy motion.
Electrical communication is made from the ground by cables passing up through
the piers to the revolving wheel and its pendulous carriages or cages B by circular
contact plates and brushes in connection with the axis of the wheel and by cables
with the several axes of the cages, so that the electrical current may be used for
illuminating and other purposes both in and on the cages B and upon the gigantic
wheel itself, and for the latter electrical designs may be arranged for illuminating
the entire wheel or parts of same, with colour changing devices, and in combination
with other electrical and fireworks display.
The frames of the cages B should be made of steel or iron and so also the floor
framing and sides up to say three feet and the upper part of the sides and also the

page_text: roof of glass or glazed in large sliding frames. For the sake of safety against
accident or suicides the balconies B' on each cage should be surrounded with strong
wire netting where needed.
A series of electrical search lights C are placed in suitable positions on the piers
which support the revolving wheel whereby the view at a distance may be
illuminated. Other electrical displays may be made by these search lights. The
current may be supplied from the aforesaid contact plates at the wheel axis.
The search lights will be fitted with reflecting mirrors for changing the direction
of the beams, also with differently coloured glass screens for changing the colour of
the illuminating beams.
The main shaft or axis D of the wheel is supported in ball, roller or other suitable
bearings on the top of each pier. The axis is hollow and provided with a platform
passing through it and supported at each outer end on the piers, so that people
may pass from one side to the other.
Or the wheel may be constructed to revolve with its boss or nave on a stationary
hollow axle which is supported on the piers; access from one pier to the other
is then obtained through the hollow stationary axle which should be provided
with a flat floor G. The interior diameter of the hollow axle whether revolving
or stationary would in some cases be about 7 or 8 feet. Ball or roller bearings may
be provided in each case. The construction of the wheel should be such as, for
instance, shewn on the drawing, as to combine lightness with great strength, enabling
it to carry the loaded cages, even if quite unequally loaded without suffering any
distortion of form. It will be noticed that the radial spokes F are diagonal tie rods to
the circumferential rims of the wheel.
The piers are constructed of steel or iron or both and their bases of rectangular,
triangular or other suitable form. At the top they are provided with halls M
suitable for hotels or for balls or other entertainments or for assemblage of large
numbers of people. Each pier as here shewn consists mainly of two pairs of
upwardly converging struts H which are pivoted to lower bed plates I and to flanges
or lugs on the axle bearings K; the struts are united by cross girders which with
intermediate and other pillars Q carry floorings for structures L built mainly of
iron and glass to form stories and adapted for restaurants, hotels, and other places
of resort.
current.
Between the piers at the base the engine or engines may be placed which serve
for driving the wheel and it may be for driving a dynamo for producing electric
The engine will by suitable gearing drive two large drums R which by
steel cables communicate revolving motion to the wheel which has a pulley on each
side around which the cable passes several turns in reverse directions on each side
and then on to the drums, in such manner that it winds on to the one while it
unwinds from the other. The wheel will thus be moved round in alternate directions.
Or the transmission of motion may be by means of a train of tooth wheels direct to
the wheel shaft or from the engine by tooth-wheel gearing into a tooth wheel rim
bolted in pieces on to the gigantic wheel; but I prefer the cable driving method.
A powerful brake is adapted to be applied to the rim of the gigantic wheel for
assisting the stopping. Or the wheel may be moved round always in the same
direction.
Loading and unloading of the passengers to and from the lowest carriages or
cages B, say 6 to 12 of them at a time is effected by means of the staircase
platforms N on the ground, the passengers passing out of a cage at one end while
another set of passengers enters at the other end. The floors of these platforms or
loading stations are of course at such different heights as to correspond with the
position of the different cages when the wheel has been brought to a stop. These
stations are roofed over and provided with waiting rooms and other conveniences.
Access to the several pier platforms and structures is obtained by means of stair
cases, vertical elevator cages and by incline elevators after the manner of switch-
back railways carrying a series of counterbalancing cages P to and from the tops of
the piers by means of strong cables.

page_text: 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. A vertical roundabout or wheel adapted to be moved round in one direction or
alternately in opposite directions and provided with pendulous cages fitted as
drawing rooms, music rooms, dining rooms, buffets, tea rooms, or for other
recreation purposes in combination with suitable piers or towers for the bearings of
the wheel shaft.
2. The wheel adapted to be moved as claimed and provided with pendulous cages.
fitted as claimed in combination with shaft bearing supporting piers or towers con-
taining places or structures for recreation and observation with search lights and
reflectors and having lifts for access thereto.
3. The wheel adapted to be moved as claimed and provided with two storied
pendulous cages as and for the purposes stated.
4. The wheel adapted to be moved as claimed and provided with circular
contact plates and brushes or their equivalents for supply of electricity from a.
stationary source.
5. The combination of the towers, the wheel supported in bearings thereon and
having pendulous carriages and fitted as or with a pulley at each side at the outer
circumference and wire ropes coiled round the pulleys in opposite directions
for transmitting motion to the wheel from two drums on a shaft driven from a.
motor.
6. The combination of the towers, the wheel supported in bearings thereon and
having pendulous carriages and fitted with or as a tooth wheel at the outer circum-
ference, a tooth pinion gearing therewith (or worm wheel and worm) and self-acting
or other reversing gear on a motor for alternating the direction of motion of the
wheel.
7. In connection with the wheel supported on towers as described a hollow revolving
or stationary axle for communication between the two. towers.
8. The construction of the wheel and of the supporting recreation towers as shewn
and described.
9. The wheel with pendulous cages in combination with platforms at varying
levels communicating with each other for enabling simultaneous entry to and exit
from several of the pendulous cages.
Dated this 9th day of March 1894.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.