Improvements in Roundabouts.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd July, 1890-Accepted, 13th Sept., 1890
COMI LEIN DIBUITICATION.
Improvements in Roundabouts.
I, FRANK HALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at 723 Walnut Street in
the City of Philadelphia, in the County of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania,
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVE
MENTS IN ROUNDABOUTS, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to certain apparatus for affording pleasure, enjoyment and
exercise to patrons of summer resorts and other places of amusement and which
apparatus is designated a Roundabout."
**
The principal objects of the invention are, first, to provide simple, durable and
comparatively inexpensive apparatus for affording new and exhilarating entertainment
to visitors at summer resorts and other places of amusement; second, to provide
comparatively compact and durable apparatus for affording such entertainment to
patrons thereof; and third, to provide means or appliances for pivotally supporting a
platform adapted for the reception of the patrons of the sport, yet nevertheless, sus-
ceptible of permitting the same to be either lowered or elevated as may be required to
take-on and let-off passengers.
My invention consists first of a ring or loop-shaped platform attached by guys or
stays to a pivotally supported cap.
My invention consists secondly, of a ring or platform suspended from a cap and
said cap supported by obliquely disposed braces or legs resting upon the ground or
floor.
My invention consists thirdly, of means or appliances for collecting or assembling
and separating said oblique braces or legs and thus elevating or lowering the cap and
platform as required; and
My invention consists fourthly, of an amusement apparatus designated as a round-
about constructed, arranged and adapted to be operated substantially in the manner
hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.
The nature and characteristic features of my invention will be more fully under-
stood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying
drawings forming part hereof; and in which
Figure 1, is a central section of an apparatus embodying the features of my
invention, showing a ring or platform attached to a cap supported by obliquely
disposed braces or legs and means for collecting or assembling and separating said
braces or legs and elevating or depressing the platform as shown in dotted lines
therein.
Fig. 2, is a top or plan view thereof showing carriages attached to the feet of the
oblique braces or legs and adapted to traverse radially disposed rails; and
Fig. 3, is a transverse sectional view of the upper portion of the central post,
showing a modification of my invention in which the cap is pivotally supported by a
pin or stud projecting from the extremity of said post.
Referring especially now to Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings a, is a
vertical post provided with a socket a', adapted for the reception of a ball b. a², is a
disc attached to the pole a, and secured thereto by means of rods or stays a³, attached
at their respective extremities to the pole or post a and disc a'. a* are sockets or
hinges attached to the disc a², at or near the periphery thereof. Care carriages or
trucks provided with sockets c³, and adapted to traverse the radially disposed rails c³.
d are oblique braces or legs pivotally attached at their respective extremities to the
sockets a' and e. Although the apparatus having four of these braces or legs d, for
supporting the pole or post a, has been shown, still it will be understood that any
number of such braces may be employed, for example, three, in which case the pole
or post a, will be supported at the apex of a tripod. e is a windlass securely fastened
CD 077

page_text: to the ground or floor and provided with a pawl and ratchet wheel or other preferred
means for controlling the operation thereof. fare cords attached to the legs d, or
trucks C, and adapted to be wound on or off of the windlass e, so as to draw the
carriages C, toward a common centre or to permit them to move away therefrom.
The respective movements of the carriages C, either collect, assemble or separate
the legs d, whereby the pole a, is elevated or lowered. is a cap having a ring,
attached thereto by means of lugs ³, and fitted onto the ball b. i is a hoop or ring-
shaped platform encircling the legs d, and provided with a seat i', a back 2, and a foot-
rest i³.
K are guys or stays attached at one extremity to the ring h¹, and at the other
extremity to the platform i, so that the latter is permitted to gyrate. and oscillate
freely in all directions about the ball b. However, it may be remarked that the
height of the ball b, from the ground or floor should be so adjusted as that the ring-
shaped platform, will contact with the ground, and not with the oblique braces d, in
order to avoid injury to patrons of or participants in the sport.
The construction and arrangement of the modified form of the invention illustrated
in Fig. 3, is the same as above described with relation to Figs. 1 and 2, with the
following exceptions, first, the socket a¹ and ball are dispensed with; and second,
the extremity of the pole a, is made tapering to a point or has a pin a³ applied thereto
so that the cap h, rests on this pin a instead of against the ball b. It may be
remarked that excellent results have been attained in practice by providing the pin or
stud a with a flange a to prevent the former from being forced into the extremity of
the pole or post a.
In some cases it may be necessary or desirable to locate the ring-shaped platform i,
inside of the legs d, and this result may be accomplished by suspending the cap h,
beneath the lower extremity of the pole a; however, preference is given to the con-
struction and arrangement of the parts as herein before described and shown. The
above described apparatus is especially adapted for structures which are erected out
of doors.
When it is desired to erect a structure embodying my invention in a hall or other
suitable building the pole a, may be dispensed with. In such case the cap h, is
attached to a swivel secured to the roof or rafters of the building or supported in any
other more convenient manner. When a swivel is employed to support the cap h, the
platform i, may be made solid instead of hoop or ring-shaped and may have any pre-
ferred contour, in which case it will be necessary to turn the seats ¹ around so
that patrons occupy positions facing away from the centre of the platform.
In use the legs d, Figs. 1 and 2, are permitted to separate, so that the platforini,
occupies a position near the ground or floor as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and the
patrons desiring to participate in the sport step upon the platform i, and occupy the
seat, with their feet supported by the foot-rest-i³. After the patrons are seated,
the attendant-in-charge collects, assembles or draws the legs d, together by means of
the windlass e, whereby the platform i, is elevated. After the platform i, has been
elevated to a sufficient height the attendant causes the platform i, to gyrate or oscillate
about the pole a, either by hand or in any other preferred manner. The movements
and unequal distribution of the weight of the persons sitting on the platform i, greatly
assist in causing the latter to oscillate.
If preferred, curtains of canvas or other similar material may be suspended or
draped around the periphery of the platform i, in order to shield or screen from the
view of observers the feet and limbs of the participants in the sport.
It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains that
modifications may be made in the details thereof without departing from the spirit of
the invention, and hence I do not limit myself to the exact construction nor to the
precise arrangement of the aforesaid parts."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and objects of
my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that
what I claim is
1. The combination of a pivotally supported cap, a ring or hoop-shaped platform

page_text: and stays attached to said cap and platform, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
2. The combination of a pele, a cap. a platform encircling said pole and guys
or stays attached to said cap and platform, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
3. The combination, of a pole or standard, a cap supported thereon, a platform
encircling said pole or standard and guys connected with said cap and platform,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
4. The combination of a pivotally supported cap, a platform and stays attached to
said
cap and platform, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
5. The combination with a pivotally supported platform, of foot rests connected
therewith, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
6. The combination of a pole or standard, a cap, a platform encircling said polo or
standard, guys or stays attached to said cap and platform and a ball bearing
interposed between said cap and pole or standard, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
7. A roundabout provided with legs pivotally united at their upper extremities
and having a platform depending therefrom and attached thereto by a universal
connection, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
8. A roundabout provided with a central post having a pin at its upper
extremity, a cap mounted thereon, a platform and guys or stays attached to said
cap and platform, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
9. The combination in a roundabout provided with legs pivotally attached at
their upper extremities, a platform depending therefrom and means for separating
and collecting or assembling said legs; substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
10. The combination with legs pivotally attached to a disc, of a platform pivotally
attached to said disc by guys or stays and means for collecting or assembling and
separating said legs, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
11. The combination of a disc, a platform suitably suspended beneath said disc,
legs pivotally attached to said disc, a windlass, cords or ropes attached to said legs
and adapted to be wound on and off said windlass; substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
12. The combination of a pole provided with a socket, a ball mounted therein, a
cap fitted onto said ball, a platform, guys or stays attached to said cap and platform,
legs attached to said pole and means for collecting or assembling and separating said
legs, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
13. The combination of a platform, legs pivotally supported at their upper
extremities, cars attached to the lower extremities of said legs and means for
collecting or assembling and separating said legs, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
14. The combination of a platform, legs pivotally attached and supported at their
upper extremities, cars attached to said legs, radially disposed rails and means for
assembling or collecting and permitting of the separation of said legs, substantially
as and for the purposes set forth.
15. The combination in a roundabout of legs pivotally supported by a post and
means for separating and collecting or assembling the same, substantially as and for
the purposes set forth.
16. The combination of legs pivotally attached to a post, a cap mounted on said
post, a ring-shaped platform encircling said legs and attached to said cap and means
for separating and assembling said legs, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
17. The combination of a pole provided with a ball, a disc on said pole, legs
attached to said disc, a cap on said ball, a ring-shaped platform encircling said legs
and attached to said cap and means for assembling or collecting and separating said
legs, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
18. The combination of a pole provided with a ball, a disc on said pole, legs

page_text: pivotally attached to said disc, a cap on said ball, a ring-shaped platform encircling
said legs and attached to said cap, trucks attached to said legs, tracks and means for
separating and assembling or collecting said legs and trucks, substantially as and for
the purposes set forth.
Dated this 29th day of May A.D. 1890.
Witnesses:
THOMAS M. SMITH.
JOHN WALTER DOUGLASS.
FRANK HALL.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.