Patent ID: 7784405

Claim:
An assembly for transferring vehicles to and from an amusement park ride, which operates to convey a train of vehicles along a track at a set ride speed without interruption for loading and unloading of the vehicles in the train, comprising: a transfer vehicle with a body for receiving one or more passengers; a vehicle receiver positioned in the train of vehicles on the track, the vehicle receiver including a connection mechanism operable to selectively capture and release the transfer vehicle; a turntable positioned adjacent to the track that is operable to rotate about a central hub at a rotation rate, wherein the turntable comprises an engagement mechanism at a position on the periphery of the turntable that is operable to selectively capture and release the transfer vehicle and wherein the rotation rate is selected based on the ride speed to synchronize the rotation of the turntable with travel of the train of vehicles to place the turntable engagement mechanism proximate to the connection mechanism of the vehicle receiver; and a ride control system with a sensor sensing a position of the vehicle receiver on the track relative to the turntable and, in response, operating the turntable to rotate at the rotation rate to provide the synchronized rotation with the travel of the train of vehicles, wherein the ride control system further comprises a sensor for determining when the turntable engagement mechanism is proximate to the connection mechanism of the vehicle receiver and wherein, in response, the ride control system operates the turntable engagement mechanism and the connection mechanism of the vehicle receiver to transfer the transfer vehicle between the turntable and the vehicle receiver.