Improvements in or relating to Switch-back, Tobogganing, Circular, ' and other Railways, and in Apparatus connected therewith.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Mar., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Dec., 1898-Accepted, 14th Jan., 1899
Improvements in or relating to Switch-back, Tobogganing, Circular,
'
and other Railways, and in Apparatus connected therewith.
I, ALFRED COOPER, of 86, Darley Street, Brownlow Fold, Bolton, in the County of
Lancaster, Overlooker, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as
follows:-
On
This invention consists of improvements in or relating to switch-back, toboganing,
circular, and other railways and in apparatus connected therewith employed for
pleasure and amusement. This I carry into effect by providing rails mounted on
suitable framework and secured thereto in any convenient or desired manner.
the rails is mounted one or more cars provided with any convenient number of seats
or rows of seats according to the length of the same. The car or cars are mounted
on wheels to travel on the lines or rails forming the "switch-back," toboganing,
circular, and other railway employed. Each car is provided with a motor of any kind,
such as, steam, gas, or oil, and may be located in any convenient part, either at the
front, back, or otherwise as desired. On the track between the rails are disposed in
any desired position figures representing persons, niggers, foreigners, animals and
the like, such as, lions, tigers, elephants, bears, horses, donkeys, dogs, cats, foxes,
hares, rabbits, and others natural to the country or region represented on the land-
scape picture placed in the centre or along the side of the rails on which the aforesaid
car or cars travel. The landscape picture may represent such scenes as a journey to
Klondyke, Johannesburg, Wild West, and the like. The space between the centre
picture and the inner periphery of the railway lines may be filled in with other
scenery or landscape ground work indicative of the country or place represented on
the landscape picture. Each of the persons, animals, and the like employed are
mounted on pivoted platforms and maintained in position by springs, weights, and
other equivalents, by which when struck by the travelling car or cars they will fall
down below the railway track and re-set themselves automatically as soon as liberated
by the car or cars moving away. The middle position or the body part of the
moveable figures may be constructed of yieldable materials-inflated or otherwise―,
such as, canvas, cloth, or other pliable materials and the like decorated or covered to
make the same appear natural. The figures, animals, and the like may be fitted with
musical wind reeds so that when struck and depressed musical or natural sounds may
be effected, such as, the calling of a man, roaring of lions, tigers, elephants, barking
of dogs, and other sounds suggestive of the nature of the person or animal. The
whole may be enclosed by canvas, hoarding, and the like, painted and decorated with.
scenes of any suitable nature. If desired the railway may be made straight on one or
both sides and provided with semi-circular ends to allow of a circuitous movement or
journey being effected.
Dated the 0th day of March 1808

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Switch-back, Tobogganing, Circular,
and other Railways, and in Apparatus connected therewith.
I, ALFRED COOPER, of 86, Darley Street, Brownlow Fold, Bolton, in the County of
Lancaster, Overlooker, do hereby declare the nature of my said 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 consists of improvements in or relating to "switch-back," tobaggan-
ing, circular, and other railways and in apparatus connected therewith employed for
pleasure and amusement. This I carry into effect by providing rails mounted on
suitable framework and secured thereto in any convenient or desired manner. On
the rails is mounted one or more cars provided with any convenient number of seats
or rows of seats according to the length of the same. The car or cars are mounted
on wheels to travel on the lines or rails forming the "switch-back," tobagganing,
circular, and other railway employed. Each car is provided with a motor of any
kind, such as, steam, gas, or oil, and may be located in any convenient part, either at
the front, back, or otherwise as desired. On the track between the rails are disposed
in any desired position figures representing persons, niggers, foreigners, animals, and
the like, such as, lions, tigers, elephants, bears, horses, donkeys, dogs, cats, foxes,
hares, rabbits, and others natural to the country or region represented on the land-
scape picture placed in the centre or along the side of the rails on which the aforesaid
car or cars travel. The landscape picture may represent such scenes as a journey to
Klyondyke, Johannesburg, Wild West, and the like. The space between the center
picture and the inner periphery of the railway lines may be filled in with other
scenery or landscape ground work indicative of the country or place represented on
the landscape picture. Each of the persons, animals, and the like employed are
mounted on pivoted platforms and maintained in position by springs, weights, and
other equivalents, by which when struck by the travelling car or cars they will fall
down below the railway track and re-set themselves automatically as soon as liberated
by the car or cars moving away. The middle portion or body part of the movable
figures may be constructed of yielding materials-inflated or otherwise-such as,
canvas, cloth, or other pliable materials and the like decorated or covered to make
the same appear natural. The figures, animals, and the like may be fitted with
musical wind reeds so that when struck and depressed musical or natural sounds may
be effected, such as, the calling of a man, roaring of lions, tigers, elephants, barking
of dogs, and other sounds suggestive of the nature of the person or animal. The
whole may be enclosed by canvas, hoarding, and the like, painted and decorated with
scenes of any suitable nature. If desired the railway may be made straight on one or
both sides and provided with semi-circular ends to allow of a circuitous movement or
journey being effected.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1-Sheet 1-is a sectional elevation of my improved circular railway for
pleasure and amusement.
Fig. 2 a sectional plan through line A¹ B¹ in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 an enlarged sectional elevation of a pivoted platform-carrying a figure or
animal-held in position by a weight.
Fig. 4 a sectional elevation of Fig. 3 when depressed by the travelling car.
Fig 5 an enlarged sectional alavatio

page_text: Fig. 7-Sheet 2-a longitudinal sectional elevation through line C¹ D¹ in Fig. 8
of a switch-back railway with semi-circular ends.
Fig. 8 a plan through line G¹ H' in Fig. 7.
Fig. 9 Sheet 3-a longitudinal sectional elevation of a tobagganing railway,
and
Fig. 10 a plan through line I¹ K' in Fig. 9.
In all the figures the same letters and numerals are employed to indicate corre-
sponding parts.
A are vertical supports; B cross-stays; C rails for carrying travelling cars ;
D travelling cars; M entrance; E pay office; F turnstile; G inlet stairs; Houtlet
stairs; I buffers; J pivoted platforms; K animals or other representations, such as,
persons, niggers, foreigners, lions, tigers, elephants, bears, horses, donkeys, dogs, cats,
foxes, hares, rabbits, and others natural to the country or region represented on the
landscape picture L, and N store for car and other articles.
The vertical supports A, cross-stays B, track T, inlet stairs G, and outlet stairs H may
be composed of wood or other suitable material or substance, secured together in any
convenient manner by bolts, screws, or other equivalents. On the cross-stays B are
mounted the rails C secured thereto by means of the metallic chairs O, or the bottom
flange of the rails C may be of sufficient width to allow of the same being secured to
the cross-stays B by means of bolts and the like, by which the metallic chairs 0 may
may be dispensed with. On the rails C is mounted the travelling car or cars D
provided with any convenient number of seats or rows of seats P1 according to the
length of the same. The car or cars D are mounted on the wheels Q to travel on the
lines or rails C forming the circular or other railway employed. The travelling car D
is provided with the box R in which may be located a motor of any suitable kind, such
as steam, gas, or oil; the said motor being connected to the back axle S in any
convenient manner by any suitable gearing for propelling the same. On the track T
between the rails C are disposed the pivoted platforms J provided with the brackets U
mounted on the pins or centres V supported in the bearings W on each side of the
opening X in the track T. The opposite end of the pivoted platform J is provided
with the bracket Y to which is attached the rope Z, or its equivalent, which passes
over the pulley A2 on the pin or centre B² mounted in the fixing C² secured to the
underside of the track T; the other end of the rope Z being provided with the
weight D2, which maintains the pivoted platform J in its correct position when
the animal or figure K is out of contact with the travelling car D. Immediately the
car D when travelling-comes in contact with the animal or figure K the bar E2-
secured to the car D-strikes the said animal or figure K and pushes the same down
below the track T as shown in Fig. 4, by which action the weight. D² rises, and
immediately the car D passes or moves from the same the animal or figure K and
weight D2 assume the position shown in Fig. 3 ready for the car D in making the next
journey.
In lieu of the weight D2 and rope Z the underside of the pivoted
platform J may be provided with the bellows F2, the lower side of the latter being
attached to the fixing G² secured to the underside of the track T. The centre V
carrying the pivoted platform J is provided with the lever H2 and adjustable balance
weight 12. When the bar E2 on the car D operates on the animal or figure K the
latter is depressed or forced down as shown in Fig. 6 which action depresses the
bellows F, and forces the air or wind contained therein through a musical wind reed
disposed in any convient position, the said wind reed being constructed to imitate the
sound of the animal or figure K mounted on the pivoted platform J. In lieu of the
bellows F2 the middle portion of the animal or figure K may be constructed of
the yielding material S2, composed of canvas, cloth, or other pliable materials and
the like decorated or covered to make the same appear natural according to the
representation of the animal or figure K employed. To allow of the yielding action
being performed the front feet of the animal or figure K are secured to the sliding
piece Us mounted in the slot W*; the sliding piece U³ being mounted and sliding to
and fro on the bars W5 disposed in the slot W4 of the pivoted platform J. When the
yielding material S2 is depressed-as shown in Fig. 4-the displacement of the air

page_text: The
contained therein is forced through any kind of musical wind reed disposed in any
convenient or desired part of the animal or figure K mounted on the platform J. To
ensure of the animal or figure K assuming its correct position when released from the
bar E2 it is provided internally with the spiral spring Z³ as shown in Fig. 3.
track T may be enclosed by the canvas or other covers L, which may have painted
thereon any desired scenes to represent the country or district the animals or
persons K mounted on the pivoted platforms J belong to, or by such representations
of scenery as may be seen in a journey from Dawson City to Klondyke, Natal to
Johannesburg, Wild West, and the like. The space between the canvas or other
covers L may be filled in with other scenery or landscape ground work indicative of
the country or place represented on the landscape pictures L.
In adapting my invention to what is well known as a switch-back railway as shown
in Figs. 7 and 8-Sheet 2-the railway or car lines C may be made straight
longitudinally on one or both sides being connected at each end with the semi-circular
ends to allow of a circuitous movement or journey being effected. The whole of the
track is carried by the cross-stays B secured in any convenient manner to the vertical
supports A. In the line of travel of the cars D the track T is provided, where desired,
with the pivoted platforms J on which are mounted the animals or other representa-
tions K as set forth in Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive on Sheet 1 of the drawings, which may
be fixed and automatically operated in the manner previously set forth. The track T
may be enclosed by the canvas or other covers L containing pictures of any desired
kind in keeping or otherwise with the animals and other figures mounted on the
pivoted platforms J.
In adapting my invention to what is well known of a tobagganing slide or railway
as shown in Figs. 9 and 10-Sheet 3--the railway or car lines C are made straight
longitudinally; the line of travel being indicated by the arrows (>). The tracks T
are carried by the cross-stays B secured in any convenient manner to the vertical
supports A.
The starting point for the car D is from the platform J at the top of
the inlet stairs G, from whence the car D travels on the railway or car lines C to the
other end of the track. When the car D has arrived at the other end of the track the
passengers alight therefrom on to the platform K and walk up the steps K5 and over
the gangway K to the platform K7. During the time the passengers are walking from
the platform K to the platform K', the car D is lifted or removed by attendants,
standing on the platforms L³, to the railway or car lines C on the higher platform K7,
at which point or place the passengers re-enter the car D to travel back to the
platform Le, which on arrival the passengers alight therefrom on to the platform Le
from whence they pass down the outlet stairs H. When the passengers have
removed from the car D on to the platform Lo the attendants standing on the
platforms MP remove or lift the car D back to the railway or car lines C at the
starting point on the plaaform J* ready for the next journey. On the platforms K¹
and L are fixed the spring or other buffers I secured to the cross-beams So held and
supported by the stays or fixings S7 secured to the platforms K and L. In the
line of travel of the cars D one or both tracks T is provided where desired with
the pivoted platforms J on which are mounted the animals or other representa-
tions K as shown in Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive on Sheet 1 of the drawings, which 4
may be fixed and automatically operated in the manner previously set forth.
Each track T may be enclosed by the canvas or other covers L containing
pictures of any desired kind in keeping or otherwise with the animals and other
figures mounted on the pivoted platforms J. The movements of the car D and
directions for passengers in and out and over the journey are indicated by the 5
arrows (-).
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In combination with switch-back, tobagganing, circular, and other railways the 5
use of pivoted or swinging and colfadivating letter

page_text: of persons, animals, and the like, with or without musical reeds, and actuated by
the movements of the travelling cars, the whole being applied, operated, and
arranged, substantially as described and as illustrated in the annexed drawings.
2. The general arrangements, combinations, and constructions of parts composing
the improvements in or relating to "switch-back," tobagganing, circular, and other
railways and in apparatus connected therewith, substantially as described and as
illustrated in the annexed drawings.