Improvements in connection with Steam and other Roundabouts..
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 19th Oct., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in connection with Steam and other Roundabouts..
We, THOMAS TORRANCE, of Bitton, and GEORGE PRUETT, of St. George,
Bristol, both in the County of Gloucester, Engineer and Circus Proprietor
respectively, 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 :-
Our invention relates to improvements in that class of roundabouts or merry-go-
rounds usually driven by steam, and from the centre of which radiate any number
of elevated crank shafts, each having one or more cranks, from each of which
depends a rod or rods bolted or otherwise connected to and suspending a boat, car,
dummy horse or other vehicle for passengers, the said rods being so arranged that
by the rotating of the said travelling crank shafts, an up and down, oscillatory or
other motion is imparted to the said vehicles, and it has been found in practice,
prior to our said invention, that at the moment when the said cranks were changing
from a down to an up, or from an up to a down motion, or in other words when
passing their dead centres, a violent jerk or unpleasant vibration was experienced
by the passenger, not always unattended with danger and to overcome this incon-
venience, and prevent the said vibration being felt is the object and purpose of our
invention.
According to our invention, instead of suspending the head or crown of the
vehicle, by a suspension rod or rods directly to and upon the cross pin or head of
the cranks of the said shaft as hitherto, we mount upon the said crank head a block
and bush or its equivalent, through holes in which we pass the ends of the rods, or
the bifurcated ends of the rod suspending the vehicle, and between the said block
or its equivalent and the head of the said rod or rods, we interpose two or more
suitable spiral springs, rubber, air or other cushions, preferably the former one
surrounding each rod or the end of each of the bifurcations of the said rod, so that
the weight of the vehicle and its rider or riders is practically borne by, and places
partly in tension the said spiral springs or their equivalents, the further compression
or expansion of which would neutralize the said vibrations or shocks, and so effect
the purpose of our invention.
For the purpose of rendering our invention and the manner of its operation
perfectly clear, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings in which :-
-
Fig. 1 is a frent or back elevation of so much of crank shaft and rod as will
serve to illustrate our invention, and in which we have chosen to show the rod for
suspending the vehicle as having a bifurcated end, each member of which is
surrounded by a metallic spiral spring (shewn in section).
Fig. 2 is a side or end view of Fig. 1 looking from left to right.
Fig. 3 is a section of Fig. 1 upon the line A B.
For the purposes of our invention we mount upon the head or cross pin A of the
crank or cranks B. of each shaft of such an apparatus, a preferably metallic block
or plate C, suitably bushed to receive and be retained upon the said head or cross
pin A, and in the said block or plate two vertical passages a and b are formed, one
at each side, and clear of, the crank head or pin A, and upwardly through these,
loosely pass, the two ends D and E, of the bifurcated rod F, suspending the horse,
car, boat or other vehicle, and surrounding each of the said portions 1 and E we
provide a preferably metallic spiral spring G, the lower end of which rests upon
ihe block C, such springs being normally held in a partial state of compression by

page_text: the means of a metallic head or crown plate H, in the bottom of which are suitable
holes such as a¹ and b' through which pass the upper ends of D and E, and by
means of a rod, bolt, screw or its equivalent such as J, passing longitudinally
through holes in the ends of the plate H, and slots such as c (Figs. 2 and 3) in the
upper ends of D and E, any suitable means being employed for retaining the said bolt
or the like J in this position, such for instance as that of a drop joint d, or a cotter,
split or other pin or bolt, or by the means of a nut screwed upon this end of J.
It will thus be understood that, although the weight of the dummy horse, car
boat or other vehicle, is actually borne by the crank B, the same is held in
suspension by the springs G, and that any excess of weight in, or sudden exercise
of gravity upon, the said vebicle, would tend to further compress the said springs G.
By the same rule the shock or vibration hitherto experienced by the riders at the
finish of the up and down stroke (and especially the latter) or dead centres of the
crank B, arising from the sudden arrest of the momentum in the car or the like, is
entirely obviated by the application of our invention, the said vibrations or shocks
being absorbed by the compression and expansion of the springs G.
It is not absolutely necessary for the purposes of our invention that the position
of H and C, be exactly as that shewn, for instance. The arrangement as described
and shewn provides that the crown H is above the plate or block C, and that the
tension of the springs G operate to keep these apart, but we may find it convenient
to transpose the positions of C and H, in which case the slots c would be in that
part of D and E now occupied by the block C, by which arrangement the tension
of the springs G would be constructed to operate to bring C and H closer together
and would therefore be connected to both, the said vibration or shock being absorbed
mostly by the expansion of G.
In carrying our invention into effect by the arrangement first described and
shewn by the drawings we may find it convenient to employ blocks of rubber or
rubber composition, air or other cushions in lieu of the spiral springs G, or we may
interpose between the block C and the crown H a series of plate or other springs as
may be found most convenient for attaining the same end.
Furthermore, although we have described and shewn our invention as applied to
suspension rods F, having bifurcated or forked ends D and E, we wish it under-
stood that by a slight modification of the arrangement shewn, the principle of our
invention is equally applicable when the vehicle suspension rods are straight or
continuous from end to end.
In some instances two or more dummy horses, cars, boats or other vehicles are
suspended each by one rod only (straight or otherwise) to one of two or more cranks
upon one rotating shaft, while in other instances each of the vehicles may be
suspended by two or more rods (straight or otherwise) connected to the cranks of
two or more shafts rotating at the same or different rates of speed, for imparting
various motions to the vehicles, in which latter case our invention may be applied
to, one or any number of the said suspension rods as may be found desirable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
-
First. The application to the straight, bifurcated or other suspension rod or rods
of the passenger vehicles of steam or other roundabouts of suitable spiral, cushion,
air, plate or other springs, for reducing shock or vibration to the rider or riders
substantially as herein described and shewn.
Second. In combination with a steam or other roundabout the application to each
or any desired number of the crank heads B of the rotating shaft or shafts of same,
of a block or bush such as C, having apertures such as a, b, receiving the bifurcated
ends D, E, of a suspension rod such as F, the said ends being surmounted by a
crown or plate such as H, retained thereon by a bolt or its equivalent such as J,
engaging with H and slots such as c in D and E, the said plate and block H and C
having interposed between them and being kept apart by, the tension of a suitable

page_text: spring
air, rubber or other cushion or metallic plate, spiral or other
preferably such as G, the whole connected, combined and operating substantially
as and for the purposes herein described and shewn by the accompanying
drawings.
Third. The alternative method of suspending the rod F by transposing the
positions of C and H, having interposed between them, and connected to both,
suitable springs such as G, the tension of which operates in drawing C and H
towards each other, substantially as and for the purposes herein described.
Combor 1895.
Dated this form way
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.