IMPROVEMENTS IN ROUNDABOUTS ALSO APPLICABLE TO TOYS
Year: 1884

page_text: JOHN MOSEDALE 37 Westgate Burnley Lancashire Foundry Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN ROUNDABOUTS ALSO
APPLICABLE TO TOYS to be as follows:—
I provide a circular platform with vacancies for rings each ring is toothed geared
by various numbers of teeth driven under platform and rings, the horses are placed
on the said rings and when in motion will pass and repass cach other as determined
by the pitch of the said gearing, in centre I place a gallery or grand stand with
refreshment bar underneath, driven by the said gearing under platform. I also
place on platform a judges box and winning post, and a minute clock attached to
the judges box to shew the winning horse as indicated by the clock according to
time set.
I prepare a circular platform with various vacancies into which vacancies are put
circular ring working on friction rollers the said rings move round which receive
motion by gearing underneath the platform and rings the said rings formed in
segments driven by worm bevel, or mitre gearing according to speed required, on
the said rings are placed the hobby horses, cars, or other animals, and according to
pitch of teeth the said rings with hobby horses, cars or other animals thereon will
travel at different speeds, thereby causing the said hobby horses, cars, or other
animals to pass and repass each other, and the various motions and rings and the
various changes I claim on the said platform I erect a judges box and clock
enabling the judge to declare the winning horse which is put to the time the race is
to be run in thereby imitating a real horse race in the centre is placed a grand stand
and refreshment bar the said grand stand is driven by underneath gearing or
stationary at pleasure, these movements I claim as applicable to toys the whole may
be driven by, steam, water gas spring electricity or other motive power.
JOHN MOSEDALE,
37, Westgate, Burnley,
Lancashire.

page_text: Improvements in Roundabouts, also Applicable to Toys.
I JOHN MOSEDALE of 37 Westgate, Burnley in the County of Lancaster Foundry
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ROUNDABOUTS ALSO APPLICABLE TO TOYS" and in what manner the same is to bo
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention is designed principally to be applied to what are known as
"roundabouts" and used at fairs and other places of amusement, which roun-
abouts consists of revolving frames or platforms carrying horses, cars, or other
seats upon or in which children or other persons can ride whilst the frame.or plat-
form is caused to revolve at any desired speed.
The invention can however be readily adapted to toys of smaller size.
The principal object of the invention is to give a differential velocity to the
various toy horses so that they shall pass and repass each other in imitation of
horse racing.
The nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed will be readily understood on reference to the two sheets of drawings
hereto annexed and the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1. sheet 1. is an elevation (partly in section) of my improved "rounabout"
and Fig. 2. is a plan view of the platform, the rings and the driving mechanism
thereof.
I prepare a circular platform a, a placed solidly upon the ground or sunk therein,
and formed with concentric annular recesses or vacancies into which I put circular
rings b, b supported upon antifriction rollers c, c or upon wheels beneath, so as to
be level with the circular platform, and having a number of similar rollers d, d
placed at intervals between the edges of the rings and the sides of the recesses or
vacancies in the platform a, a so that the rings can freely revolve therein.
1
The underside of each ring b, b is provided with a circular rack or ring of teeth e, e
for giving a revolving motion to the same as hereinafter described, and upon the
rings I mount imitation horses f, f, or cars, or other seats may be provided if
preferred.
In gear with the circular racks e, e are spur wheels g, g keyed upon a shaft h, h
mounted in suitable bearings and caused to revolve by means of a strap i, i passing
round a pulley k, k and round a fly wheel or drum k¹, k¹ in connection with a small
steam or gas engine or other motive power; (models may be driven by a spring),
and it will bo evident that as the spur wheels g, g are all of the same diamoter and
the circular racks e, e aro of various diameters, the rings b, b will be driven at
different velocities, and the horses thereon will pass and repass each other thereby
producing an imitation of racing.
I may here remark that instead of having direct gearing as shown on the
drawing and above described, various differential movements may be given to the
rings by employing a countershaft with wheels of various sizes, or by intermediate
gearing and that change wheels may also be provided so as to vary the respectivo
velocities as may be required.

page_text: The plan view Figs. 3 and 4 on sheet 2 of the drawings illustrates two ways
of driving the toothed rings by means of intermediate differential gearing and
counter shafts. I propose to employ clutches to throw the different wheels into and
out of gear, so that by throwing any ring of horses or seats out of gear their speed
will be slackened, and they can be thrown in gear and regain their speed at any
time, and pass the other horses, whereby additional amusement and excitement
will be caused, and great uncertainty as to which horse will win.
I may here remark that instead of using toothed wheels and circular racks to
drive the rings, I propose sometimes to use plain wheels and to drive the rings by
friction only.
At one side of the platform a, a I place a Judge's box 1,7 provided with a
minute clock and a winning post m, m enabling the judge to determine the
winning horse according to tho indication of the clock, which latter also shows the
number of minutes occupied by the race. The time of the race having been
determined and the horses started, as soon as the hand of the clock reaches the
given time it strikes a bell and the first horse passing the post m, m after the
sounding of the bell wins, thereby closely resembling a real horse race.
A prize may be given to tho rider of the winning horse.
In the centre of the platform I place a grand stand n, n underneath which is
a refreshment bar, and this grand stand may either be stationary as shown at
Fig. 1. or it may be caused to revolve at the same speed as the rings or at a
different speed as preferred, and it may be furnished with a clutch o, o¹ for putting
it into and out of gear with the driving shaft h, h (see Fig. 2).
In cases whero a grand stand is not required I place the engine or other
motive power in the centre so as to be able to drive either right or left as shown
at Fig. 3.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. The construction of a roundabout or toy apparatus for imitating horse
racing by the combination of a fixed level circular platform made with annular
recesses in which run upon anti-friction rollers concentric rings which are level
with the surface of the platform and with each other, and are fitted with toy horses,
cars, or other seats, such rings being driven by gearing at differential velocities so
as to pass and repass each other substantially in the manner and for the purpose
hereinbefore described and set forth.
Secondly. I claim the combination with such or similar roundabout or toy
apparatus of a Judge's box or winning post and a grand stand (whether the latter
be fixed or revolving) substantially as described and represented on the drawings
annexed.