Improvements in Roundabouts.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 19th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 21st Oct., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Roundabouts.
We, ROBERT TIDMAN and FREDERICK TIDMAN, of the Firm of Robert
Tidman & Sons, of Bishop Bridge Works, Norwich, in the County of Norfolk,
Engineers, and JOHN BARKER, of Bishop Bridge, Norwich aforesaid, Roundabout
Proprietor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to the mechanism for actuating model horses in roundabouts
for which Letters Patent were granted to Robert Tidman Senior, Robert Tidmán
Junior and Frederick Tidman No. 6244 dated the 8th May 1886, the object being
to provide means for allowing the horses to move outwards radially when the
roundabout is in motion, thereby considerably reducing friction and consequent
strain and wear and tear of the parts, affording an easier and safer seat for the
rider and giving a more natural galloping action to the horses.
According to our present improvements the lower ends of the rods attached at
the underside of the horses' bodies are arranged to oscillate on sleeves which can
slide on radial rods or bars secured to the platform of the roundabout so that when
the roundabout is in motion the horses can under the centrifugal action swing
outwards.
This 10th 1 of Darambam 1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Roundabouts.
We, ROBERT TIDMAN and FREDERICK TIDMAN, of the Firm of Robert
Tidman & Sons, of Bishop Bridge Works, Norwich, in the County of Norfolk,
Engineers, and JOHN BARKER, of Bishop Bridge, Norwich, aforesaid, Roundabout
Proprietor, 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 :-
Our invention relates more particularly to the mechanism for actuating model
horses in roundabouts for which Letters Patent were granted to Robert Tidman
Senior, Robert Tidman Junior and Frederick Tidman No. 6244 dated the 8th May
1886, the object being to provide means for allowing the horses to move outwards
radially when the roundabout is in motion, thereby considerably reducing friction
and consequent strain and wear and tear of the parts, affording an easier and safer
seat for the rider and giving a more natural galloping action to the horses.
According to our present improvements the lower ends of the rods at the
underside of the horses' bodies are arranged to oscillate on sleeves which can slide
on radial rods or bars secured to the swinging bars or platform of the roundabout
so that when the roundabout is in motion the horses can, under the centrifugal
action, swing outwards.
To enable our invention to be fully understood we will describe how it can be
carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a rear elevation shewing one set of three horses of a roundabout
constructed according to the Specification of the said Letters Patent and provided
with our improvements, the horses being in the position they occupy wben the
roundabout is at rest.

page_text: Figure 2 is a similar view to Figure 1 but shewing the position of the horses
when the roundabout is in motion, and,
Figure 3 is a side elevation of one of the horses with its supporting rods.
Similar letters in all the figures indicate similar parts.
a is one of the radial arms of the roundabout which through the medium of the
rods b, b supports the swinging bar c; d is the crank shaft; e; e the bearings thereof
secured upon the beams f. f; and g, g are the horses all of which parts are
constructed and arranged according to the said former Specification.
h, h are the rods at the underside of the horses' bodies, the lower ends of which
rods we now fit in T sockets i, i arranged to oscillate on a sleeve j and kept in
proper position by means of collars k, k fixed to the sleeve j; is the radial rod or
bar on which the sleevej slides, the said rod or bar being carried by brackets m, m
secured to the swinging bar c; n, n are bearings or supports in which the sleeve j
slides and which form stops to limit the inward movement of the T sockets i, the
said bearings or stops being secured to the swinging bar c; the rods o, o by which
the horses g are suspended are provided with joints p, p at or near their connection
with the crank shaft d and the rods o are also connected to the rods by means of
universal joints 9, 9 the said joints p and q allowing the rods o to swing in any
direction whilst the rods / remain always at right angles to the sleeve j.
By this construction when the roundabout is in motion, the sleeves j, by sliding
on the radial rods or bars will allow the horses g, under the centrifugal action, to
swing outwards as shewn in Figure 2, and as the speed of the roundabout decreases
the horses swing inwards and finally are stopped in a vertical position as shewn in
Figure 1 by the collars k, kabutting against the bearings or stops n, n.
It will be evident that the sleeves j, could be dispensed with and the sockets i
arranged to slide directly upon the radial rods or bars but we do not recommend
this arrangement.
It will also be evident that the required radial movement of the horses could be
obtained by arranging the eye-bolts referred to in the said former Specification to
rotate in the swinging bar or platform instead of being secured or fixed thereto, a
suitable joint being provided between the rods and o to allow of their required
relative movements.
Although we have described our improvements as applied to a horse roundabout
it will be obvious that they are also applicable to other roundabouts in which other
animals than horses, or cars, boats or the like having a galloping or like action are
required to be moved outwardly under the centrifugal action.
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. A roundabout in which the horses, cars, boats or the like are provided with
rods arranged to oscillate on sleeves which are caused to slide on radial rods or bars
(or oscillate directly on the radial rods or bars) secured to the swinging bars or
platform of the roundabout by the centrifugal action of the apparatus, substantially
as and for the purpose herein before described.
2. In a roundabout the modified arrangement in which the rods at the underside
of the horses' bodies are pivotted to eye-bolts rotating in the swinging bar or
platform, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The improved roundabout hereinbefore described with reference to the
"accompanying drawing.s
DL
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.