Improvements in Apparatus for Realistically Representing Horse and other Races in Progress upon a Stage.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Aug., 1889-Accepted, 7th Sept., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Realistically Representing Horse
and other Races in Progress upon a Stage.
I, EDWARD ADRIAN WILLIAMS, of Hotel Adelphi, Adam Street, London, W.C.,
Theatrical Manager, do hereby declare the nature of my said 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 apparatus for producing realistic representations of horse
or other races upon the dramatic stage and the special features thereof consist in the
introduction of devices whereby the competitors can be caused to vary their respective
positions with regard to the audience without travelling over more space than can be
conveniently afforded upon the stage of an ordinary theatre and produce the effect
of a "neck-and-neck race" attended by the excitement always accompanying the
same.
Various devices have been invented to produce illusory effects similar to those
above mentioned, but the illusion has in most cases been dispelled by objectionable
accessories.
The present invention will be readily understood on reference to the accompanying
drawings in which Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of a stage suitably con-
structed and provided with underground mechanism for regulating the positions of
the competitors in the race-Figure 2 is a plan view of the same and Figure 3 a cross
section of actual track and supporting beams.
The apparatus is so designed that the horses or other parties to the race shall
appear to travel from the back of the stage towards the footlights, which are indicated
at A in Figure 1.
The course or track is double, each part being of similar construction and consisting
of a lattice sheet indicated in each case by the letter B the laths of which are
connected by iron rods e upon the ends of which are mounted pullios d which run in
metal-lined grooves formed in movable frames C and D, the track thus consisting of
what is generally known as an endless sheet-The bearings or frames C and D are
provided with pullies e which run in grooves of formed in stationary beams E
extending from back to front of the stage-The pullies e may run on a path similar to
a permanent way or ordinary railroad track.
In the course of a race the horses or other competitors are set in motion upon the
endless sheets, but as these naturally revolve in proportion to the power exerted upon
them the horses make no actual progress-As it is desirable in order to render the
illusion more complete that the horses should really approach the audience to a certain
extent, the tracks themselves, along with their frames C and D mounted as above
described on pullies running in the stationary beams, are caused to advance by manual
power, the operator of each track being located beneath the stage and turning a
winch F around which passes a rope or ropes G connected to the ends of the frame
carrying the endless track, guide pullies 9 being employed to secure the traverse of
the rope in the required direction.
As will be readily understood this bodily movement of the tracks could not take
place on a solid stage, consequently a portion of the stage corresponding to the
distance through which the tracks move both in front of and behind each track is
constructed on the roller-blind or "false stage" system, the segments of which,
represented by the letters e¹, rise or fall upon the inclined planes or shoots H
according to the movement of the track and thus preserve the surface of the stage
unbroken or nearly so.
It will now be easily seen that the operators beneath the stage having the control
of the tracks can, at will, vary the relative positions of the competitors with regard to

page_text: the audience, and thus introduce into the performance the amount of uncertainty
which is the most desirable element of a race.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim, is:
In apparatus for realistically representing the progress of a horse or other race
upon a stage, the combination of an endless travelling sheet or track with means for
causing the said track to approach or recede from the audience or spectators sub-
stantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1st day of August 1889
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.