Improvements in Merry-go-rounds or Roundabouts.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Oct., 1889-Accepted, 30th Nov. 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Merry-go-rounds or Roundabouts.
We, WILLIAM REYNOLDS, Junior, of Coton, in the County of Cambridge, Engineer,
and CHARLES THOMAS KING, of Little Swaffham, in the County of Cambridge,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to enable horses or other animals which are suspended
from above to be raised so as to clear obstacles placed in their path of rotation round
a central support.
For this purpose the swifts from which the horses are suspended are hinged at their
inner ends in the manner described in the specification of our prior Patent No. 15383
dated the 15th December 1885, so that same can turn on such hinge in a vertical
plane, but instead of suspending the horses as described in such specification we sus-
pend same from a frame which is pivotted at its centre to the swifts. A vertical arm
rigidly connected to such frame extends upwards and to its upper end is pivotted one
end of a horizontal bar or rod, which extends inwards and is connected by a pivot
joint to the upper end of a second vertical arm rigidly fixed to the part to which the
swifts are hinged, and at the same distance from the central support as such hinge is
situated. By this arrangement when the swifts are caused to rise by any suitable
means, they carry with them the frame pivotted thereto and from which the horses
are suspended, but the connection of arms and rod described ensures the vertical rising
of such frame, whereas the swifts will rise in an arc of a circle of which the hinge is the
centre, the result being that each horse suspended from the frame will be raised the
same height, no matter whether it is suspended at the outer or inner end, or at the
middle of such frame. The crank shaft will be made telescopic outside the pivotted
frame carrying the horses.
The horses may be simply caused to rotate round the central support and he raised
at suitable points in each rotation or in addition thereto they may at the same time
have a galloping movement imparted to them, either by the means described in our
prior Patent above referred to, or by any other suitable means. When caused to gallop
by the means described in our prior Patent, the crank shaft which is caused to impart
such movement to the horses will be supported in the frame carrying the latter, and
have a universal joint just outside such frame in addition to one at the point where it
is supported in the revolving ring to which all the swifts are hinged. This additional
universal joint will be necessary in order to permit of the vertical rising of the frame
in the manner described.
Any suitable means may be employed for raising the swifts and with them the frame
carrying the horses.
One method of effecting this consists in the use of a rod proceeding upwards and
inwards preferably from the point where the franie carrying the horses is suspended
to the swifts and pivotting such rod at its upper end to an arm fixed to a short shaft
carried in a frame capable of revolving round the central support. The shaft is
preferably supported in such frame in an inclined position, its lower end being
directed inwards towards the axis of the central support, so as to facilitate the con-
A second aru is
nection of the arm at its upper end with the rod above referred to.
connected to the lower end of the shaft and carries a roller, which runs in contact
with a cam fixed to the central support and having such form as to cause the roller
and consequently the arm to move outwards at the points of rotation where the horses
are required to rise. The movement imparted to the lower arm is through the shaft
transmitted to the upper arm, and this being connected to the rod attached to the
swifts causes the latter to rise. The rod serves also to support the outer end of the

page_text: cam.
swifts, and the frame and horses carried thereby, and as the weight of same con-
sequently acts upon the arm to which the rod is attached, it causes the roller on the
other arin of the short shatt to be forced inwards into continual contact with the fixed
The rod may be stayed by a support pivotted theroto at any suitable point in
its length, and also pivotted to the revolving ring to which the swifts are hinged.
The frame carrying the short shafts above described has antifriction rollers interposed
between its inner surface and the surface of the central support round which it rotates,
and similar rollers or antifriction balls are interposed between its lower surface and
the upper surface of the fixed cam above which it revolves. Ench set of swifts is
provided with a similar arrangement of rod, shaft, and arms to that above described
so that the fixed cam will cause the swifts to rise in succession as they arrive at the
required points.
The above arrangement may be modified by connecting the rod extending up from the
swifts to one end of a lover pivotted to the frame which revolves round the central sup>-
port, and the other end of the lever carry the roller upon which the fixed cam works. The
frame revolving round the central support may he carried by stay rods connected to
the revolving ring to which the swifts are hinged either instead of or in addition to
the rollers or balls interposed between the bottom of the ring and the top of the
fixed cam.
Instead of connecting the rods supporting the outer ends of the swifts to the arms
as above described, they may be each connected to an eccentric pin secured to a
pinion carried by a revolving frame and gearing with a fixed toothed wheel secured to
the central support. The opposite end of each of the shafts carrying the pinions is
preferably provided with another crank engaging a ring common to all of such cranks
and capable of revolving round the central support independently of the frame
carrying the shafts, such ring serving to equalize the pull all round the circle of the
machine, and thus prevent the jerking which would otherwise occur to each set of
swifts as they rise and fall in order to enable the horses to clear the obstacles placed in
their paths. It will be seen that the rotation of the pinions above described will through
the rods connected to their cranks cause the swifts to be raised, the cranks being set
so that such swifts rise in succession to their bighest point as each set comes to the
obstacles which the horses are to surmount.
Dated this 22nd day of January 1889.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Merry-go-rounds or Roundabouts.
We, WILLIAM REYNOLDS, Junior, of Coton, in the County of Cambridge, Engineer,
and CHARLES THOMAS KING, of Little Swaffham, in the County of Cambridge,
Engineer, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to enable horses or other animals which are suspended
from above to be raised so as to clear obstacles placed in their path of rotation round
a central support.
For this purpose the swifts from which the horses are suspended are hinged at their
inner ends in the manner described in the specification of our prior Patent No. 15383
dated the 15th December 1885, so that same can turn on such hinge in a vertical
plane, but instead of suspending the horses as described in such specification we sus-
pend same from a frame which is pivotted at its centre to the swifts. A vertical arm
rigidly connected to such frame extends inwards and to its upper end is pivotted one
end of a horizontal bar or rod, which extends inwards and is connected by a pivot
joint to the upper end of a second vertical arm rigidly fixed to the part to which
the swifts are hinged, and at the same distance from the central support as such

page_text: hinge is situated. By this arrangement when the swifts are caused to rise by any
suitable means, they carry with them the frame pivotted thereto, and from which
the horses are suspended, but the connection of arms an1 rod described constitutes
a parallel motion, the result being that each horsa suspended from the frame will
be raised the same height, no matter whether it is suspended at the outer or inner
end, or at the middle of such frame.
The horses may be simply caused to rotate round the central support and he
raised at suitable points in each rotation, or in addition therefo they may at the
same time have a galloping movement imparted to them, either by the means
described in our prior Specification above referred to, or by any other suitable means.
When caused to gallop by the means described in our prior Specification, the crank
shaft which is caused to impart such movement to the horses will be supported in the
frame carrying the latter, and have a universal joint just outside such frame in
addition to one at the point where it is supported in the revolving ring to which all
the swifts are hinged. This additional universal joint will be necessary in order to
permit of the vertical rising of the frame in the manner described. The crank shaft
may be made tolescopic outside the pivotted frame carrying the horses.
Any suitable means may be employed for raising the swifts and with them the frame
carrying the horses.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one set of horses and
shows the method of suspending the horses from above in order to enable same to be
raised to clear obstacles placed in their path of rotation.
Fig. 2 is a similar view shewing the invention as applied to a roundabout in which
the horses have also a galloping motion imparted to them from above, in the manner
described in our prior Specification above referred to.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2, and
Fig. is an elevation showing the invention as applied to a central steam engine
for actuating the roundabout, around which the whole system revolves.
To
The swifts A ure hinged or pivotted at a to a ring B, capable of revolving round
the central support C, (which in the case of the roundabout being driven by a central
engine, as shown in Fig. 4, is the continuation of the funnel of such engine).
the outer end of the swifts A a frame D is pivotted at d, and from such frame rods E
depend, to which the horses F are secured. The rods E are preferably pivotted to the
frame D so as to enable same to swing outwards to a certain extent as the horses
revolve, the amount of such outward movement being limited by the arms e, working
through the eyes e fixed to frame D; or by any other suitable means, such as a
chain, for example.
From the centre of frame D an arm or bracket G extends upwards, and from the
ring B a similar arm or bracket H extends upwards, its upper ond being in the same
vertical line as the hinge of the swifts A. The arms G and H are connected
together by a rod I, the whole constituting a parallel motion, which ensures the
frame D reumaining in a horizontal position when the swifts A are caused to turn on
their hinges a by any suitable means, in order to cause the horses F suspended from
the frame D (and which are raised with the swifts) to clear a gate K or any
other obstacle which is placed in their path of rotation. The gate or obstacle K is
preferably supported so that it can at once yield to anything coming into contact
therewith with any force; a suitable method of so supporting it consisting in hinging
the obstacle at one end as shown at k.
It will be seen that by causing the swifts A to turn upwards on their hinges a, the
horses F will be raised so as to clear the gate or obstacle K, as shown in full lines in
Fig. 1, while in such Fig. the broken lines show the position of the parts when the
swifts are in their lowest position.
A series of rigid arms L are preferably secured to the ring B, and from them rods M
depend downwards and are secured to the outer edge of an annular revolving
platform N, supported so as to revolve on a circular track O, and serving to enable
the riders to mount upon and to dismount from the horses,

page_text: It is preferable to so connect the swifts from which the different sets of horses are
suspended, that one set in descending will be counterbalanced by the ascent of another
set. For this purpose one end of a chain, rope or cable P. is secured to one set of
swifts, and passes over pulleys q, mounted in a ring Q, which can rotate with the
swifts round the central support C, the other end of such chain, rope or cable being
secured to the swifts of another set of horses, which are caused to ascend when the
previous set are descending, and vice versa.
Instead of the arrangement above described a spring may be employed for each
set of swifts, one ond of same being connected to the swifts and the other end to
the ring Q
A suitable means for raising and lowering the swifts consists in prolonging the
swifts A inwards beyond the point a where they are hinged or pivotted to the ring B,
and providing their inner ends (which preferably meet as shown in Fig. 3) with a
roller R, which runs in contact with the under surface of a fixed cam S secured to
the contral support C. The weight of the horses suspended to the outer end of the
swifts ensures the roller R being kept in contact with the cam surface S, and the
latter is so shaped as to cause the swifts A to turn on their pivots or hinges a at
the required times to cause the horses F to clear the gates or obstacles K placed in
their path of rotation.
The swifts A are preferably provided with tension rods A', braces A² and a strut A³,
all meeting together at the point A, to which point the chain, rope or cable P (or the
spring) is secured, and the whole constituting with the swifts themselves a rigid girder
frame.
When a galloping movement is to he imparted to the horses from above (in the
manner described in our prior Specification above referred to), the upper crank shaft T,
by which the horses are caused to gallop, is supported in bearings & carried by the
frame D, and its inner end is connected (outside the frame) by a universal joint t¹ to
the shaft T¹. The shaft T¹ is connected by a universal joint to the shaft U
mounted in bearings in the revolving frame B, and carrying a wheel V which gears
with a stationary crown wheel W secured to the stationary support C.
The upper
crank shaft T transmits motion to the lower crank shaft T, through the connecting
rods E to the lower ends of which the horses are socured, in the manner described
in our prior Specification. The ring B is actuated from the engine so as to cause it to
rotate, by any suitable arrangement of gearing.
By connecting crank shaft T to shaft T', by means of the universal joint t¹, the
swifts are enabled to turn on their hinges or pivots so as to cause the horses to clear
the obstacles K, without interfering with the mechanism for imparting the galloping
movement to such horses.
As the swifts in rising and falling will cause the shafts T and T" to stand at different
angles to each other, the shafts T₁ may be made telescopic so as to permit it to be
extended and shortened with such variations; but as the allowance requisite to be
made will be very small the crank shaft T may if desired be capable of a slight
end wise movement through its bearings t, instead of making shaft T telescopic.
It will be readily understood that other animals may be substituted for horses on the
roundabout.
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 :-
1. The combination of a frame, from which a set of horses or other animals
of a roundabout is suspended, and which is pivotted at its centre to swifts or arms
hinged at their inner ends to a part capable of revolving round a central pillar or
support, with a parallel motion serving to maintain such frame in a horizontal
position when the swifts are caused to turn on their hinges, substantially as described
and shown.
2, The combination with the swifts or arms of a roundabout hinged to a part capable

page_text: of revolving round a central pillar or support, of a stationary cam, acting on rollers on
the swifts or arms so as to cause them to oscillato vertically as they revolve round the
central pillar or support, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. The combination with the oscillating swifts or arms of an apparatus whereby the
horses or other animals are caused to gallop as they revolve as well as to jump so as to
clear obstacles in their path, substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1889.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicants.