Improvements in and relating to Roundabouts.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Apr., 1895-Accepted, 4th May, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Roundabouts.
1, CAMILLE ROLLAND, of 8. Rue de la Prospérité, Brussels, in the Kingdom
of Belgium, Engineer, 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 roundabouts or merry-go-rounds in which wooden horses
are caused to travel round in a circle, and it consists in so mounting the said
wooden horses that they are caused to rise and fall as in the act of galloping and
jumping.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I will more particularly
describe it making reference to the accompanying drawing in which the figure is a
view in front elevation-partly in section-of a roundabout constructed according
to my invention.
N designates a raised track on the inner side of which are three, four or
more rows of circular rails R resting on suitable sleepers on the ground. Opposite
each obstacle on the track the rails are raised or undulated as shown at r and of a
height and length to correspond with the height and length of the obstacle, the
other portions of the rails have slight undulations such as . The large undula-
tions serve to make the horses jump the obstacles and the slight undulations
to imitate galloping.
Two circular platforms F, F', are connected together and with the roof X, and
are supported on the wheels G' rolling on the rails of the circular track R'.
Motion is communicated to the lower platform F' through suitable gearing E, E¹, E",
from a motor placed in the centre of the track.
Each of the wooden horses is mounted in the following manner :-Three rods T, T
and T are guided and capable of vertical movement in suitable bearings in the
platforms F and F. Pivotted to the rod T' at O, O are two cross bars Q, Q
which are also pivotted at M, M to the rods T, T. The rods T, T are supported
by wheels G, rolling on the undulating rails R. To the cross bars Q, Q are
pivotted brackets S, S which support the horses above the track in the manner
shown. Thus as the horses go round, the small undulations cause them to gallop
and the undulations cause them to jump over the obstacles on the track. It will
thus be seen that the horses are caused to gallop and jump by the same contrivance
thus making the mechanisın very simple.
For the sake of clearness in the drawing only one row of rails R and one row
of horses are shown, but in practice there will be several rows of rails and horses,
the horses being preferably placed in such positions that three or four horses in
each row will jump the obstacles one after the other, at a distance of half a length
from each other for example. The horses may be of any desired construction.
In the accompanying drawing certain parts are exaggerated, for instance the
jointed parallelograms formed by the rods T, T, T' and the cross bars Q, Q, to
shew the principle of the invention more clearly.
The track, which it will be understood is stationary, is surrounded by a circular
staircase-not shown on the drawing-by which the public gain access to the
horses.
It will be seen that the undulations of the rails are very long relatively to their
height so that the movement of the horses when galloping and jumping will be
very gentle, and as each leap is a movement of continued progression, all danger
of falling or being thrown off is avoided.

page_text: I wish it to be particularly understood that I do not limit myself to the precise
details of construction herein before described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawing, but that I hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations
as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.
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) The improvements in roundabouts, substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
(2) A roundabout having horses adapted to gallop and jump over obstacles,
consisting essentially of a circular track having several obstacles thereon, of one
or more rows of circular and concentric rails, each being raised or undulated
opposite to and of the same height as the obstacle, the other portions of the rails
being slightly raised or undulated, the greater undulations causing the horses to
jump the obstacles and the slighter undulations for producing a galloping move-
ment, the mechanism employed for effecting this being operated by the rotation
of the horses round the track, as set forth.
(3) The mechanism for causing the horses to gallop and jump operated through
the rotation of the horses as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accom-
panying drawing.
Dated this 1st day of April 1895.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, M.I. Mech. E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Associate Agent.