Improvements in Roundabouts.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 20th June, 1892-Accepted, 23rd July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Roundabouts.
1 GEORGE FREDERICK PICKERING 76 Derby Road Loughborough Mechanical
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My improvements consist in suspending the horses (or vehicles) by two or more
rods suitably hinged to the said horses or vehicles and hanging by their upper ends
on to an undulating bar or rail formed in a suitable shape for giving the horses the
motions to cause them. to gallop and leap over hurdles or such like obstacles.
To impart the rotatory motion to the horses or vehicles I use a suitable driving
ring to which suitable drivers are attached. This ring may be caused to revolve
by a toothed wheel working into teeth in the ring. In some cases I use a separate
ring for each circle of horses or vehicles and drive each ring independently by a
suitable frictional arrangement, the proper adjustment of which will cause the
rows of horses to revolve at varying speeds and so produce the appearance of
an actual race and the variable speed may in some cases be assisted by a
variable resistance caused by an automatic brake or other convenient arrange-
ment. In some cases I attach the horses or vehicles to axles which carry wheels
or slides at their extremities or other convenient position, which wheels or slides
run on undulating rails formed as beforementioned so as to give galloping and
leaping motions to the horses.
When the machine is made in miniature a spring driving apparatus may be used
which may be set in motion by the dropping of a coin into a slot.
Dated this 28th day of March 1892.
GEO. F. PICKERING.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Roundabouts.
GEORGE FREDERICK PICKERING, of 76 Derby Road, Loughborough, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in roundabouts of that class wherein
models of animals or vehicles (hereinafter referred to as "horses") have movements
imparted to them resembling the movements of living animals, such as galloping
and leaping, and its object is to provide means whereby these movements may be
more faithfully and conveniently imitated. Furthermore I am enabled by my
invention, as will hereinafter appear, to cause the circles of horses to travel at
varying speeds, thus giving to the riders in each radial row of horses the
excitement of an actual race with one another.
According to my invention each horse is suspended directly from a circular
"
horse irons the
undulating rail or track, at two points, by means of rods or
lower ends of which are conveniently hinged and attached to the horse at two
points in its length, whilst the upper ends thereof are preferably provided with
Suitable antifriction rollers or runners which bear upon and travel along the
undulating surface of the rail or track. By varying the shape and size of the
curves which form the undulating track, the horses, when moved in a circular
direction, as hereinafter described, may be caused to imitate the movements of
galloping and leaping over hurdles and like obstacles. As many concentric
circles of horses may be employed as found convenient, a separate undulating
track being required for each circle of horses.

page_text: The horses are caused to travel in a circular direction by means of what I shall
term a “driving ring" consisting of a ring rotated in a horizontal plane by suitable
gearing, around the periphery of this ring are secured devices (hereinafter referred
to as "drivers") adapted to engage with the suspending." irons" of the horses and
move them around the undulating track whilst at the same time they allow free
vertical play thereto.
When it is desired to drive the circles of horses at varying speeds, I employ a
separate driving ring for each circle of horses and rotate the rings by frictional
gearing. The slight slip which now and then occurs owing to the use of frictional
gear renders the speed of rotation of the rings variable and consequently makes
the relative positions of the sets of horses a matter of uncertainty after the start.
I will now describe, having reference to the accompanying drawings (in which
similar letters refer to corresponding parts in all the figures) a roundabout con-..
structed according to my invention wherein two concentric circles of horses, cach
driven independently of the other by frictional gear, are employed.
Fig. 1, is an elevation of so much of the roundabout as is necessary to illustrate
my invention.
Figs. 2, 3 and 4, are detached views on a larger scale, shewing in front elevation,
sectional side elevation. and sectional plan respectively, the arrangement of the
undulating rails or tracks and driving rings and the method of imparting circular
movement to the horses from the driving rings.
Fig. 5, illustrates by way of example a suitable construction of spring bearing
for the axes of the friction wheels.
22 N
a represents a convenient circular framework which may be secured by suitable
radial ties at around the chimney of the roundabout and suspended therefrom by
tie rods c. dd are dependent brackets secured at convenient intervals around the
framework a, or to the radial ties a¹ thereof, which brackets are secured at their
lower ends to and support the circular undulating rails or tracks e e, they also serve
as bearings for rollers which support the rotating driving rings g. The
rotation of the driving rings g g around their imaginary axes upon the rollers fis
effected by the friction wheels h h mounted on the axesi i supported in bearings kk
secured to the framework a or radial ties a¹ thereof and rotated from the bevel
gear wheel which may be mounted upon the chimney as an axis and driven by
any convenient arrangement of gearing from the engine. m represents a horse
suspended at two points in its length by the "irons hinged at the points n¹
which points should preferably be situated somewhat above the level of the horse
so as to avoid any risk of the same tipping or canting when the rider is seated
thereon. The upper ends of the "irons" 2 are so constructed as to embrace the
undulating rails or tracks ee upon either side and to form bearings for the reception
of the autifriction rollers oo which bear at two points upon and travel along the
surface of the said tracks. To the upper part of one of the "irons" n is secured
the crosshead p, the ends of which are engaged upon either side by, whilst free to
slide vertically between, the dependent arms 9 of the driver r, secured to the
periphery of the driving ring g In the drawing I have only represented one horse
and one driver, but it will be understood that as many drivers are to be secured
around each driving ring as there are horses to be driven therefrom. The dependent
arms of the drivers must be of sufficient length to embrace the cross head p upon
either side when the same is in its highest or lowest position, the amount of vertical
play of the crosshead of course depending upon the shape of the curves of the
undulating rail or track e. preferably construct one of the arms g of the driver
with a prolongation ql and secure thereto a cross bar through a socket s¹ and a
slotted guide in which the irons n pass freely. The object of this cross bar & is
to resist the tendency of the horses to fly outwards when in motion owing to
centrifugal force. t is a link connecting the upper ends of the "irons" to which
it is pivotted at either end. u is a circular footboard or platform extending around
the apparatus and suspended at intervals from the lower ends of the prolongations q'
of the arms 7 of the various drivers r, and is a handrail also secured to the

page_text: prolongations q. The object of this suspended platform and handrail is to enable
the attendant to collect fares when the apparatus is in motion.
A similar footboard
and hand-rail may be suspended inside the smallest circle of horses.
The pressure of the friction wheels h upon the driving rings may be adjusted
and regulated by constructing the bearings as shewn in Fig. 5. The slighter the
pressure the greater will be the liability to slip. Also I may provide each horse
with an automatic brake acting upon the undulating rail or track and operated by
the weight of the rider from any convenient part such as the saddle (which may
work upon a hinge at one end) thus rendering the speed of rotation of the driving
rings still more uncertain, since the heavier the rider the greater will be the brake
power applied. I have not considered it necessary to illustrate this arrangement in
my drawings as the construction of the same will be apparent to any ordinary
workinan.
:-
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
The rotation of the bevel wheel upon its axis & (which may be effected by any
convenient arrangement of gearing not shewn in the drawings) imparts motion to.
the shafts i and consequently to the friction wheels h and causes them to rotate the
driving rings g around their imaginary axes. The brackets d which bear against
the inner sides of the rings g serve to keep them centralized when revolving. As
the rings 9 are revolved, the drivers secured thereto, by engaging with the cross-
heads P cause the horse irons n to travel around and follow the undulations of the
undulating rails or tracks e thereby imparting to the suspended horses in movements
resembling galloping or leaping or both.
Although in the drawings I have represented the points of suspension of the
horses mas situated before and behind the rider, it is obvious that they may be
situated either both before or both behind, in practice it would probably be con--
venient to place both points of suspension in front of the rider, and in this case
the foremost iron n would receive an upward thrust from the weight of the rider,
and should consequently be provided with an antifriction roller or runner bearing
upon the underside of the undulating rail or track to take this upward thrust.
If variable speed of the driving rings is not desired spur or equivalent gearing
may be substituted for the friction gear.
w (Fig. 1) represents the usual ornamental casing within which the gearing for
driving the bevel wheel may be concealed. represents a hurdle situated beneath
l
one of the larger curves of the undulating tracks.
In conclusion I would observe that I am aware that the use of an undulating
rail or track in a roundabout for imparting movement to suspended horses has been
before proposed, and that therefore I do not claim broadly the employment of an
undulating rail or track for imparting movement to suspended horses, but I am not
aware that any roundabout has been constructed or proposed wherein the horses
are each suspended from two points of an undulating track, and it is by the employ-
ment of two points of suspension that the galloping and leaping movements are
rendered more life like, since, if only one point of suspension be employed the
relative levels of each horse's head and tail remain at all times unaltered.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. A roundabout wherein an undulating rail or track is employed for imparting
to suspended horses movements resembling the movements of living animals, each
horse" being suspended from the undulating rail or track at two points thereof
substantially as and for the purpose described.
::
2. In a roundabout the combination of an undulating rail or track having horses
suspended therefrom, a rotating driving ring, and drivers secured around the
periphery thereof and adapted to move the horse irons by which the horses are.
suspended around the said undulating rail or track, substantially as described.
3. A roundabout wherein two or more undulating rails or tracks having horses

page_text: suspended therefrom, and two or more driving rings provided with peripheral drivers
and rotated at variable speed by frictional gear are employed in combination
substantially as and for the purpose described.
4. In a roundabout the combination of the driving rings g, drivers r or equivalent
devices secured around the peripheries thereof, frictional gear for rotating the
rings g, supporting rollers f, undulating rails or tracks e, and horses m each suspended
from two points of the undulating tracks e substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated in the drawings.
5. The method of suspending the horses m from the undulating rails or tracks e,
and preventing the radial movement thereof from centrifugal action substantially
as described with reference to and illustrated in the drawings.
6. The general construction, arrangement and combination of parts constituting
a roundabout substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
drawings.
.
Dated this 101 1
1000
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON, Fels. Chartd. Inst. P.A.,
19, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.