Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 31st July, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 7th Sept, 1888
I, WILLIAM HENRY DUNKLEY of Jamaica Row Birmingham in the County of
Warwick Perambulator and Carriage Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature
of this Invention to be as follows:-
My improvements have reference principally to the railways used for recreative
purposes and commonly called switch back railways but my said improvements are
also applicable wholly or in part to roundabouts or merry-go-rounds.
In constructing a switch back railway according to my invention I make a
foundation preferably of wood having a circular figure and on this foundation I form
an undulating or wave like platform on which the rails are fixed the said undulating
platform and rails forming a continuous circular undulating railway on which the cars
travel. In order to neutralise centrifugal force in the cars moving in a circle I prefer
to incline the undulating platform of the railway that is the platform inclines (lown-
wards from the margin to the centre. Or the platform may not incline downwards
towards the centre in which case the axles of the cars may be inclined with the same
effect. When motion is given to the cars from a central shaft the platform need not
be inclined as the centrifugal force is restrained by the connecting rods which
communicate the motion to the cars.
Where it is wished to give a circular undulating motion to hobby horses or
suspended seats of any kind the said hobby horses or seats are suspended by vertical
rods or other supports from radial arms jointed at their inner ends to the central
vertical axis by which the circular motion is given the undulating motion being given
by a circular undulating surface or edge on which the said arms travel and by which
an up and down or vertical motion is compounded with the rotary horizontal motion
and an undulatory motion is thereby produced.
but
I prefer to make the circular undulating railway of a diameter of about fifty feet
do not limit myself to any particular size and in order that it may be portable
I build it up of sectoral pieces capable of being readily connected to and disconnected
from one another by bolts or other equivalent fastenings.
Than] thênh dare of Narambon 1887

page_text: Improvements in Switch Back Railways and Roundabouts or
Merry-go-rounds.
I WILLIAM HENRY DUNKLEY of Jamaica Row Birmingham in the County of
Warwick, Perambulator and Carriage Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
My improvements have reference principally to the railways used for recreative
purposes and commonly called switch back railways but my said improvements are
also applicable wholly or in part to roundabouts or merry-go-rounds.
In constructing a switch back railway according to my invention I make a
foundation preferably of wood having a circular figure and on this foundation I form
an undulating or wave-like platform on which the rails are fixed the said undulating
platform and rails forming a continuous circular undulating railway on which the cars
travel. In order to neutralise centrifugal force in the cars moving in a circle I prefer
to incline the undulating platform of the railway, that is, the platform inclines down-
wards from the margin to the centre. Or the platform may not incline downwards
towards the centre in which case the axles of the cars may be inclined with the same
effect. When motion is given to the cars from a central shaft the platform need not
be inclined as the centrifugal force is restrained by the connecting rods which
communicate the motion to the cars.
Where it is wished to give a circular undulating motion to hobby horses or seats of
any kind, the said hobby horses or seats are made to travel on the circular undulating
railway or platform in the manner described with respect to cars.
I prefer to make the circular undulating railway or platform of a diameter of about
fifty feet but I do not limit myself to any particular size and in order that it may be
portable I build it up of sectoral pieces capable of being readily connected to and
disconnected from one another by bolts or other equivalent fastenings.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents in cross section; Figure 2 a
portion of Figure 1 drawn to a larger scale and Figure 3 in side clevation a switch
back railway (or roundabout or merry-go-round) constructed according to my inven-
tion Figure 4 represents in side elevation the undulating or wave like platform of the
same in a straightened form, that is, the parts in a plane instead of curved and
Figure 5 represents in side elévation a modified arrangement for gearing the cars to
the driving frame; Figure 6 represents in plan a portion of the driving frame and
portions of the circular foundation on which the undulating platform is fixed.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the
Drawings.
a is the circular foundation and b the. undulating or wave like platform fixed thereto
on which platform the cars c, c travel (see Figure 4). The bottoms or floors only of
the cars supported on wheels are represented in the Drawings as the cars may be of
any required construction for seating the persons using the railway and in place of cars,

page_text: b
hobby horses or seats may be supported on the bottoms or floors c, c when the railway
is to be converted into a roundabout or merry-go-round. The whole of the undulating
platform may be covered by a series of connected or coupled cars, hobby horses or
seats or two or more connected or coupled cars, hobby horses or seats may be used on
the platform. The wheels of the cars or the floors or bottoms of the hobby horses or
seats may run on rails fixed on the platform, or the said wheels may run on the smooth
surface of the platform. The wheels of the cars or supporting bottoms of the hobby
horses or seats are of different diameters, the outer wheels being of larger diameter
than the inner wheels. It will be seen by reference to Figures 1 and 2 that the
undulating platform is inclined downwards from the margin to the centre. This and
the difference in the sizes of the wheels tend to neutralize the centrifugal force in the
cars hobby horses or seats moving on the circular platform. Or the crest parts of
the undulations of the platform may be inclined downwards from the margin to the
centre and the trough parts of the undulations be inclined downwards from the centre
to the margin. In this case the centrifugal force is counteracted by the connecting
guide wheels and guide rods herein after described. When however the motion is
given to the cars from a central shaft as herein after described the undulating platform
need not be inclined. The cars hobby horses or seats are driven in the following
imanner.
d is a circular driving frame to which rotary motion is given the central sleeve e of
which frame turns on the fixed upright f. The bottoms of the vertical parts of the
circular driving frame d are provided with wheels d, which travel upon the circular
base plate g (see Figure 1). The outer parts of the circular frame d carry a hood
frame to which a canvas or other hood or cover is attached for protecting the
undulating platform and the cars or articles thereon from rain or the sun. The
circular driving frame d is worked from a steam engine or other motive power by
the gearing represented in Figure 1 the said gearing consisting of the driving shaft i
having a pinion on one end which gears with the toothed wheel on the vertical
shaft m.
The top of the shaft m carries the pinion which gears with the internal
toothed wheel p fixed on the underside of the driving frame d. The gearing described
and central upright fare fixed and supported on the ground.
The cars hobby horses or seats on the undulating platform b are connected to and
driven by the rotary driving frame d in the following manner.
The inner sides of two or more of the coupled cars hobby horses or seats are provided
with projecting bars or axles carrying on their ends guide wheels q. Each of the said
wheels is situated and works between a pair of vertical guide rods, carried by the
driving frame d (see Figure 3) so as to gear the cars or other articles travelling on
the platform to the said driving frame. The axes of the guide wheels 2 work loosely
in their bushes so that the cars or articles are capable of a slight or limited radial play
without ungearing them from the driving frame, a terminal head or key preventing
the withdrawal of the said axes from the bushes of the guide wheels. As the cars or
hobby horses or seats rise and fall on making their circular motion on the undulating
platform b, the connecting or gearing wheels of the said cars, hobby horses or seats
rise and fall between the guide rods r, as will be understood by an examination of
Figures 1, 2 and 3.
Instead of employing a single connecting guide wheel working between two guide
rods, two connecting wheels may work upon a single inclined or vertical guide rod as
represented in Figure 5.
Double drivers instead of single drivers may be used for driving the cars, hobby
horses or seats. In this case the driving frame is extended under the hood h and
down the outer sides of the platform band guide wheels and guide rods of the kinds
hereinbefore described are applied to the outer parts of the driving frame.
I do not limit my self to any particular arrangement of mechanism for driving the
cars hobby horses or seats travelling on the circular undulating platform on the switch
back railway roundabout or merry-go-round as they may be driven in various ways;
for example, they may be driven by an endless band rope or chain travelling under
the platform or by hand.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention and
the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I' claim as my inven
tion of "Improvements in switch back railways and roundabouts or merry-go-rounds."
First. Constructing the circular platform on which the cars of the switch back
railway or the bases, floors or bottoms of the hobby horses or seats of the roundabout
or merry-go-round are supported and made to travel, of an undulating or wave like
figure substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings, whether the said cars, hobby horses or seats be driven on the circular
undulating platform by the mechanism described and illustrated or by other driving
mechanism or by hand.
Secondly. The combination with a switchback railway or roundabout or merry-go-
round having a circular undulating platform, of the rotary driving frame together
with the parts for connecting the cars, hobby horses or seats to the driving frame
substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
Dated this 26th day of July 1888.